23042021 - Insecurity: Our nation is bleeding now — DEFENCE MINISTER

8 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
:Vanguard News
No money was printed to shore
up March allocation—NEC
•Welcomes report of townhall meeting on
national security •As govs affirm Nigeria’s unity
By Johnbosco
Agbakwuru
BUJA—THE National
AEconomic Council, NEC,
yesterday affirmed that there
was no printing of N60 billion
or any other amount
whatsoever to shore up
allocation for the month of
March as insinuated recently
by the governor of Edo State,
Godwin Obaseki.
NEC took the position after
receiving presentations from
the Minister of Finance, Budget
and National Planning, Mrs.
Zainab Ahmed, the Governor
of Central Bank of Nigeria,
CBN, Godwin Emefiele and
the Nigerian Governors’
Forum, NGF.
The virtual NEC was
presided over by Vice President
Yemi Osinbajo at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja.
A statement issued by the
Senior Special Assistant to the
President on Media and
Publicity, Office of the Vice
President, Laolu Akande,
explained that the governors
critically reviewed the alleged
printing of N60 billion.
Akande said the meeting was
attended by many of the
governors, the FCT Minister,
Mohammed Bello, the Central
Bank of Nigeria Governor,
Godwin Emefiele, the Minister
of Finance, Budget and
National Planning, Mrs.
Ahmed, the Minister of
Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, the
Minister of Information and
Culture, Lai Mohammed, the
Minister of Aviation, Hadi
Sirika and that of the Water
Resources, Suleiman Adamu.
He said: ‘’The Council
expressed satisfaction with
clarifications made by the NGF
represented by its Chairman,
Governor Kayode Fayemi of
Ekiti State, Finance Minister,
Hajiya Zainab Ahmed and the
Central Bank Governor, Mr
Godwin Emefiele on the
alleged printing of N60 billion
by the Federal Government.
“Both the Minister and the
CBN Governor stated to the
Council that the allegation of
the printing of money to
augment allocation was
outrightly false.
“The NGF also supported the
conclusion and NEC affirmed
same as the highest
constitutional body tasked with
economic affairs in the
country.”
On the resolution of security
concerns in parts of the country,
the Council unanimously
affirmed the unity of Nigeria
and said it would adopt the
report of the national town hall
meeting on National Unity and
Security held recently in
Kaduna.
Buhari’s administration stands
behind Pantami — Presidency
THE Presidency may have
ruled out the possibility of
sacking the Minister of
Communication and Digital
Economy, Isa Pantami, over his
past comments in support of
terrorist groups like Taliban and
Al-Qaeda.
In a statement on Thursday,
the Presidency said Pantami’s
ordeal in the hands of those
calling for his sack was not about
his past utterances but about his
current job as a minister.
The Senior Special Assistant
to the President on Media and
Publicity, Garba Shehu, made
the Presidency’s position know
in a statement titled ‘Statement
by the Presidency on recent
campaign against the Minister
of Communications and Digital
Economy.”
The Presidency aligned itself
with the submission of the
embattled minister that he was
young when he made those
statements and that his position
had since changed.
It said the minister would never
repeat such statements since he
had condemned them and
apologised.
The statement read, “Today,
there is an unfortunate fashion
in public discourse that makes
leaders in politics, religion, and
civil society liable in the present
for every statement they have
ever made in the past – no matter
how long ago, and even after
they have later rejected them.
“This insidious phenomenon
seeks to cancel the careers of
others on the basis of a thing they
have said, regardless of when
they said it.
“The Minister of
Communications and Digital
Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim
Pantami is, currently, subject to
a ‘cancel campaign’ instigated by
those who seek his removal.
“They do not really care what
he may or may not have said
some 20 years ago: that is merely
the instrument they are using to
attempt to ‘cancel’ him. But they
will profit should he be stopped
from making decisions that
improve the lives of everyday
Nigerians.
“The Minister has, rightly,
apologised for what he said in the
early 2000s. The views were
absolutely unacceptable then,
and would be equally
unacceptable today, were he to
repeat them. But he will not
repeat them – for he has publicly
and permanently condemned his
earlier utterances as wrong.
“In the 2000s, the Minister was
a man in his twenties; next year
he will be 50. Time has passed,
and people and their opinions –
often rightly – change.
“But all discerning Nigerians
know this manufactured dispute
is nothing to do with the
Minister’s prior words, but solely
concern his actions in the
present.
“The administration stands
behind Minister Pantami and all
Nigerian citizens to ensure they
receive fair treatment, fair prices,
and fair protection in ICT
services.”
Shehu said the Buhari regime
was committed to improving the
lives of all Nigerians – and that
includes ensuring they are not
over-charged or under-protected
for those services on which
modern life depends.
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
Financial Autonomy: Why we won’t suspend
strike, JUSUN tells CJN
By Ikechukwu
Nnochiri, Henry
Ojelu, Deola Badru
& Shina Abubakar
A BUJA—EXECUTIVES
of the Judiciary Staff
Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, have
again, met with the Chief Justice
of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Ibrahim
Tanko Muhammad, to explain
why they would not suspend the
strike action they commenced
on April 6 to demand for the
implementation of financial
autonomy for the Judiciary.
A statement signed by media
aide to the CJN, Mr. Ahuraka
Isah, disclosed that the meeting
held on Wednesday.
Isah said the essence of the
meeting was for JUSUN leaders
to give feedback to the CJN on
his recent demand on the union
to call-off the ongoing strike that
has paralysed judicial activities
across the federation.
According to the statement,
among those that attended the
meeting held at the CJN’s
chambers, included the Chief
Registrar of the Supreme Court,
Hadjia Hadiza Uwani
Mustapha.
The CJN had at an earlier
meeting he held with JUSUN
leaders on April 6, urged the
union to suspend the strike in
view of its adverse effect on the
justice system in the country.
At the meeting, JUSUN
officials, led by its Deputy
National President, Emmanuel
Abioye and Jimoh Musa Alonge
(Treasurer), explained why the
union found it difficult to heed
the CJN’s demand to call off the
strike.
Abiyoye told the CJN that
state governors must begin to
demonstrate some level of
seriousness by putting in place
some measures precedent to the
implementation of financial
autonomy for the judiciary in
their respective states.
‘’Though there’s financial
autonomy for the judiciary
already in some states while
some are assuring that they
•Protest in Ibadan, Osun dep gov’s convoy blocked
•As Lagos judiciary workers consider partial resumption
would comply, but others have
to take steps in readiness for
compliance,” Abioye stated.
Meanwhile, in his remarks, the
CJN said it had become difficult
to fault the idea of the strike since
rights of the union and its
members, which he said were
clearly defined in the
Constitution, were being denied,
especially at state level.
“I can’t fault your reasons for
embarking on this protest
because the union wants its
rights restored in line with the
provisions of the Constitution.
“I commend you for following
due process so far to protest
against the injustice,” the CJN
added.
Meanwhile, protesting
members of JUSUN, and the
Nigeria Bar Association, NBA,
in Osun and Oyo states,
yesterday, blocked the convoy of
Osun State Deputy Governor,
Mr. Benedict Alabi.
Similarly, the aggrieved
workers staged the mother-ofall
protests in Ibadan, Oyo
State, to demand financial
autonomy for the legislative and
judicial arms of government.
This came as JUSUN
workers in Lagos State,
considered a plan to partially call
off the strike embarked on April
6, 2021 to demand autonomy
of the judiciary.
Deputy gov’s convoy
blocked
Members of the two unions
had commenced the peaceful
protest at the State High Court,
Oke-Fia and march to
Customary Court through to
Federal High Court opposite
Osun State House of Assembly
along Osogbo/Gbongan road.
At about 11:20am, while
members of the two unions were
marching to the Osun State
Government Secretariat, the
convoy of the Deputy Governor
ran into the protesters before the
secretariat.
Rather than give way to the
NGX Group’s N49.1bn shares admitted to NASD
via admission of security
By Nkiruka Nnorom
NASD OTC has explained the
model of entry of the recently
demutualized Nigerian Stock
Exchange, now Nigerian
Exchange Group (NGX Group),
for trading on its platform, saying
the company was admitted
through “admission of security”.
The explanation by the NASD
followed the admission of 1.96
billion shares of NGX Group
valued at N49.1 billion for
trading on the OTC market at
N25 per share.
NGX Group was admitted
with N35.14 billion total market
capitalisation. Speaking at a
virtual event organised by NASD,
in collaboration with the Central
Securities Clearing System Plc,
CSCS, to address some of the
concerns raised by market
participants with regard to
regulation, rules and structure of
the OTC market and different
means of entry to the OTC
market, Ms Chinwe Ekeh, Head
of Operations and IT at NASD,
explained the two methods of
entry into the OTC market as an
issuer and listed them to include
an admission of company.
She said this was akin to a full
listing and an admission of
security where individual
shareholders could indicate an
interest to trade the shares.
“NGX shares were introduced
into the market under the latter
arrangement by Icon
Stockbrokers Limited which
advised an opening price of N25
per share,’’ she said.
Ekeh explained further that the
latter’s easy entry method
allowed NASD to open a new
code SDNGXGROUP within 48
hours of the shares becoming
available to shareholders.
In his remarks, Bola Ajomale,
CEO, NASD Plc, said NASD was
providing an avenue for the
new holding company to
comply with the requirements
of the rule on trading public
unlisted securities.
deputy governor’s convoy, the
protesters insisted that the convoy
moved behind them
JUSUN Chairman in Osun
State, Mr. Gbenga Eludire, said
the union, in collaboration with
NBA, was at the secretariat to
deliver the message of its
National Secretariat on the
necessity to implement financial
autonomy for the judicial arm
of government.
Eludire said: “We are here to
convey the message of JUSUN’s
National Secretariat on the
need for the implementation of
financial autonomy because it
is the only way for Nigeria to
progress.
‘’The three arms ought to be
independent and
complementary but reverse is the
case here and it is a pity that
citizens had to be forcing state
government, which is suppose
to ordinarily defend the
constitution, to enforce
constitutional provision.
“We are determined that until
the government does the
needful, we will not call off the
strike action.”
Also speaking on behalf of the
lawyers, Chairman of the NBA
Ife Branch, Mr. Tope Olajolo,
stressed the need for governors
in the country to respect rule of
law and begin the
implementation of financial
autonomy already granted the
judiciary.
In his remarks, PASAN
chairman, Comrade Adekunle
Adeshina also presented the
union’s demand in a letter to the
deputy governor.
JUSUN, PASAN’s
protest rocks Ibadan
Similarly, Judicial and
parliamentary workers as well
as members of the Nigerian Bar
Association, NBA, yesterday
staged the mother-of-all protest
in Ibadan, the Oyo State
capital, to demand financial
autonomy for the legislative
AGM: From left: Non-
Executive Director,
Mrs. Adeyinka
Aroyewun; Company
Secretary/Legal
Director, Mr. Uaboi
Agbebaku; Chairman,
Chief Kola Jamodu;
Finance Director, Mr.
Rob Kleinjan and
Corporate Affairs
Director, Mrs. Sade
Morgan, all of
Nigerian Breweries
Plc, NB Plc during the
75th Annual General
Meeting of the
company held in
Lagos.
Photo: Akeem Salau.
and judicial arms of
government.
The peaceful protest, which
took place at the front of the Oyo
State High Court Complex,
Ibadan, was attended by
parliamentary workers under
the aegis of PASAN, judiciary
workers under the auspices of
JUSUN and NBA members.
On his part, the state’s PASAN
Chairman, Yemi Alade,
lamented that the refusal to grant
autonomy to the legislature is
tantamount to enslavement.
The Vice-Chairman of the
NBA, Mrs. Delayo Ori-Ekun,
stated that the association was
in support of the strike, saying
the legislative and
parliamentary workers needed
to have autonomy for the
development of the nation’s
democracy.
Speaking, Aborisade urged
the protesting workers to
continue with the action until
their demand is granted, saying
the only weapon available to
whip the State Governments into
line, within constitutional
provisions, is the strike action
such as the JUSUN’s.
Lagos judiciary workers
consider
partial
resumption
The Lagos Chapter of the
Judiciary Staff Union of
Nigeria, JUSUN, is currently
considering a plan to partially
call off the strike embarked on
April 6, 2021 to demand
autonomy of the judiciary.
Vanguard findings revealed
that JUSUN, Lagos chapter has
concluded arrangement to write
the national body of the
association requesting
permission to partially resume
work. The reason behind the
move according to multiple
sources is hinged on the ground
that Lagos State Judiciary has
been enjoying greater level of
financial autonomy compared
to other states of the federation.