News

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Federal High Court sitting at Abuja has declared illegal and null and void the unilateral amendment of Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, SAN.

The Vice President 1 of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), John Aikpokpo-Martins, Esq, who led the NBA legal team, disclosed this on Wednesday.

“NBA WON.
FHC/ABJ/CS/77/22: The Nigerian Bar Association Vs Attorney General of the Federation.

We got it right again.

The rule of law will always prevail over impunity. We are condemned to challenge that which we must challenge. Hala NBA.” Aikpokpo-Martins posted

In a detailed judgement, Justice Donatus Okorowo dismissed the preliminary objections filed by the AGF and granted judgement in favour of the NBA.

To the dismay of the NBA, Malami unilaterally amended the RPC in September 2020.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Reports reaching The Daily Reality indicate that unknown shooters have stormed the Kaduna community and abducted the daughter-in-law of the Chairman, Northern Elder’s Forum, Ango Abdullahi.

The bandits were said to have invaded the community, Yakawada village in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna, on Tuesday night, where they abducted the woman and other residents. 

This is, however, coming barely a month after the abduction of one of the sons of the elder statesman, Ango Abdullahi, by the unknown shooters. 

The elder statesman confirmed this to journalists on Wednesday, adding that the victim was abducted alongside four of her children.

“My daughter-in-law, Ramatu Samaila, was among the abductees, including her four children. She is the wife of my son-in-law, who is the village head of Yakawada,” he said.

According to a source, the bandits also kidnapped some of the residents of the community. 

“They also went to the residence of the neighbour to the village head and kidnapped the household, Abubakar Mijinyawa, along with his two wives, namely Aisha and Hajara. And the two wives were both nursing mothers who were abducted with their little babies.”

By Damilare Dosunmu

Last Friday at the State House in Nairobi, the president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, announced the addition of coding as a subject into its primary and secondary schools curricula. This new development makes Kenya the first country in Africa to approve coding as a subject of study in the two early schools.

 “I applaud the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development for leading our nation to this landmark achievement, by implementing coding as a critical skill within our new Competency Based Curriculum,”  President Kenyatta said at the event.

The President also launched the National Cybersecurity Strategy 2022, which provides strategic interventions in addressing national cybersecurity challenges in Kenya. The Kenya National Digital Master Plan, which will run till 2032, was also inaugurated.

With all these digital roll-outs, the president, whose tenure comes to an end in a few weeks, is optimistic about the impact the National Digital Master Plan would have on the country. He believes the plan will establish the country’s leadership in ICT by fostering the growth of ICT-related businesses and creating an enabling policy, legal and regulatory environment for the greater adoption of e-governance.

“This, no doubt, will enhance employment creation, enable and scale up ICT innovation and the development of a dynamic and robust ICT sector that will enhance the growth of all sectors of our economy. The master plan also guides investors while planning their investment priorities,” President Kenyatta said.

The digital master plan’s target of establishing over 20,000 village digital hubs across the country will enable the government to employ an additional 40,000 youth directly to run the centres and train interested citizens.

Kenya continues to maintain its place as one of the hotbeds for digital innovation on the continent. This new initiative reflects an ambition to reimagine education and a solid dedication to building the future. And as it seems, both the private and public sectors are aligned with this vision. Just this year alone, Microsoft, Visa, and Google opened their first development centres in the country’s capital.

Source: www.techcabal.com

By Muhammad Sabiu 

Malam Bala, 60-year-old, and his 35-year-old son, Sunusi Bala, drowned in a well in Kano.

The unfortunate incident occurred while they were drawing water from the well in Sabon Garin Bauchi, Wudil Local Government Area.

According to Saminu Abdullahi, spokeswoman for the State Fire Service, the incident happened on Tuesday morning.

A statement from Abdullahi noted that one Isma’ila Idris called the Wudil fire station in an emergency at around 11:30 a.m.

“A father and his son were called to drain a well, they had successfully drained it.

”But, the son went back into the well to clear it when he was trapped and suffocated.

“His father went after him to rescue him when he also got trapped and suffocated due to the lack of oxygen inside the well”, Abdullahi said.

The victims were brought out of the well in a coma and were eventually confirmed dead.

Their bodies have been handed over to Insp. Felix Gowok of Wudil model police station.

By Muhammad Sulaiman

The ongoing academic dispute between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members, and the Federal Government of Nigeria, has taken a new dimension in Kaduna State. The governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasiru El-Rufa’i, has threatened to sack the Union members if they fail to resume their normal academic activities at Kaduna State University. However, the ASUU branch at the Kaduna State University (KASU) responded, saying that they are far above his usual tactics. They added that they would not, in any way, stoop to his intimidation and threats.

Excerpts of the ASUU Zonal press release, signed by its coordinator, Comrade Abdulkadir Muhammad, read:

“The Kano Zone of ASUU comprising Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU), Bayero University Kano (BUK), Federal University, Dutse (FUD), Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil (KUST), Kaduna State University (KASU), Sule Lamido University, Kafin Hausa (SLU) and Yusuf Mataima Sule University, Kano (YUMSU) met on 7th August 2022 and deliberated on the intimidation meted on the ASUU members at KASU by the Government of Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai due to the ongoing nationwide strike action embarked upon as directed by the ASUU National. The Governor had threatened to sack all academic staff that have been on strike in the branch as he usually does on similar matters. ASUU as a Union had experienced similar threats in the past, and that had never deterred it from the patriotic struggles to salvage our public universities from imminent collapse.

As you are fully aware, our roll-over strike action has now entered its sixth month. The goal of the strike is to get government to timely and substantially address ASUU’s demands, namely: revitalization funds for public universities, Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement, Visitation Panels to universities, and stoppage of the proliferation of state universities and governance issues in them, and deployment of UTAS as a payment system in Federal Universities. These demands were agreed upon, with timelines, by the Federal Government in the MoU and MoA it signed willingly with ASUU in February, 2019 and December, 2020 respectively.

The rhetorical question as to why ASUU is always embarking on strike action has been asked time and again by the concerned citizens and stakeholders. The straightforward answer is that ASUU is strongly convinced that if academics fail to fight the cause of university education, the fate that befell public primary and secondary schools would soon become the lot of the public university system in Nigeria. It is also worthy of note that ASUU as a Union does not derive pleasure in the disruption of academic calendar and hindering students from graduating in good time. Strike action always comes as the Union’s last resort after exhausting all other options and consultative avenues.

KASU has benefited immensely from the TETFund interventions, revitalization fund, staff development and provision of research grants, which are dividends of ASUU strikes. In fact, KASU is one of the universities that could rightly be described as “TETFund University” since virtually all buildings in the University were constructed through TETFund interventions. At this juncture, we challenge the Visitor of KASU to show a single structure he constructed on KASU campuses during his two-term tenure as Governor of Kaduna State. It is therefore illogical for the Government of Nasir El-Rufai to bluff that members of ASUU-KASU should either break away from the National strike or be sacked. Since the issuance of this threat, our members have constantly been intimidated and coerced by the University Council and Management through opening of registers, conduct of a comic exercise called examinations, selective stoppage of staff salaries, among others.

These theatrical exercises that the University Management confused and referred to as examinations that are currently going on in KASU are characterized by non-coverage of course outlines, incomplete lecture contact hours, non-participation of lecturers who taught the courses in the setting of the examination questions and supervisions, involvement of students in invigilation and non-moderation of question papers, which are clear violations of the laid down rules and regulations governing the conduct of examinations.

The Union would not fold its arms while the University evaluation system is being bastardized and abused by the Management of KASU. Therefore, ASUU demands that all the so-called examinations so far conducted be discarded in order to maintain and respect the sacred system of evaluation in the university system. The examinations must be re-conducted after following the due process and suspension of the ongoing strike action, otherwise, the Union will be left with no option but to write a petition to the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) against the Management of KASU.

The ASUU-Kano Zone commends the commitment and resilience of ASUU-KASU members for not succumbing to the antics of Kaduna State Government and its agents. The Union calls on its members in KASU to remain resolute and prosecute the strike action to its logical conclusion. Finally, the Union thanks the good people of Kaduna State for their patience, understanding, support and cooperation.”

By Muhsin Ibrahim

Biyi Bandale’s death was announced via a Facebook statement signed by his daughter, Temi Bandele.

Born in Kaduna to Yoruba parents, Bandele, 54, was the director of the movie adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s classic novel, Half of a Yellow Sun; Blood Sisters, among other remarkable works.

Last month, Bandele, who also wrote novels and directed plays in the UK, Nigeria and other places, announced the release of his new film, Elesin Oba: The King’s Horseman, a Netflix-Ebony Lifefilm production.

At the time of this report, the cause of his death is not yet clear.

“As Biyi’s daughter, I am heartbroken to share the sudden and unexpected death on Sunday 7th of August in Lagos of my father Biyi Bandele.

Biyi was a prodigiously talented writer and film-maker, as well as a loyal friend and beloved father. He was a storyteller to his bones, with an unblinking perspective, singular voice and wisdom which spoke boldly through all of his art, in poetry, novels, plays and on screen. He told stories which made a profound impact and inspired many all over the world. His legacy will live on through his work.

He was taken from us much too soon. He had already said so much so beautifully, and had so much more to say.

We ask everyone to please respect the privacy of his family and friends as we grieve his loss.”

By Muhammad Sabiu

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) detained a female traveller named Jatau Lami at the Lagos Airport for attempting to export 1,700 Tramadol 225mg tablets.

Her arrest was confirmed by the director of media and advocacy at the NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, in a statement made public on Sunday.

Babafemi revealed that the package was carried undercover in her luggage on a Turkish Airlines journey to Istanbul, Turkey.

The suspect, a mother of three, is a native of Zango Kataf Local Government Area (LGA), Kaduna State, but she currently resides in Istanbul, Turkey, with her family, according to a preliminary inquiry.

She attributed her action to pressure to earn N5 million in ransom money to release her mother from the robbers’ custody.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

No fewer than 500 farmers have benefited from the agricultural component distributed by the Yobe State Government Sunday in the Jarere Community of the state.

The state government had described the distribution as part of its early recovery response project in the state.

Flagging off the distribution Sunday, Dr Mohammed Goje, Executive Secretary, Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), disclosed that each of the beneficiaries would go home with a knapsack, sprayer, liquid fertiliser, herbicide, bean seeds, sorghum seeds, hand gloves and facemasks.

Reports disclosed that the 500 beneficiaries were identified by Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) through community-based selection.

It was gathered that the 500 beneficiaries included 400 men farmers and 100 female farmers of the community. 

However, the beneficiaries applauded the state government for identifying their community, Jajere, among the benefiting communities.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A Kano State pilgrim in Mecca has passed on in the holy city of Mecca. 

The Executive Secretary of the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Muhammed Abba-Muhammad, disclosed this to the press on Saturday, August 6, 2022. 

The Executive Secretary said Idris Muhammad, who hailed from Madobi Local Government Area, passed on after a brief illness in a Hospital in Mecca. 

“The deceased has been buried according to Islamic rites at Grand mosque at Masjid Haram Shira yard in Mecca,” He said

He also prayed for the deceased and extended his condolence to his family.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, said the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are unrealistic, and the Federal Government cannot be blackmailed into borrowing money to end the strike. 

Keyamo made the statement on Friday, August 5, 2022, while speaking on Channels Television Politics Today. 

“Should we go and borrow to pay N1.2 trillion yearly?

“You cannot allow one sector of the economy to hold you by the jugular and then blackmail you to go and borrow N1.2 trillion for overheads when our total income would be about N6.1 trillion. And you have roads to build, health centres to build, other sectors to take care of.” He stated

The Minister then pleaded with parents to beg ASUU to return to the classroom.

“Like the President said the other time, those who know them appeal to their sense of patriotism,” Keyamo said.

“Let them go back to classes. They are not the only ones in Nigeria. They are not the only ones feeding from the federal purse. The nation cannot grind to a halt because we want to take care of the demands of ASUU.” He added

ASUU embarked on strike on February 14, 2022, and are seeking improved condition of service and revitalization of public universities amidst other demands. 

However, the Buhari-led Federal Government said it does not have the fund to attend to ASUU’s N1.1 trillion demand due to low oil prices. The impasse has shut down government-owned universities across the country.