Politics

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, said he would meet with the state governors to agree on the mass release of inmates in the country’s custodial centres.

The Minister said the meeting would lead to the mass release of about 30 per cent of inmates from custodial centres across the country.

Aregbesola made this known when he appeared on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.

The Daily Reality reckons that the reason of the mass release is unconnected with the conjection in most of the country’s costodial centers.

However, the minister said the interface was necessary as more than 90 percent of the inmates were being held for contravening state laws.

He said, “I have written to the Nigerian Governors Forum to allow me to come and address them on how they can support the process of decongestion.

“Because the governors must buy into this system for us to do a massive decongestion, especially of Awaiting Trial Inmates.

“If we get the buy-in of state judicial authorities and the government of the states, we can pull out 30 percent of those who are there,” he said.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Reports from Lagos indicate that the supporters of the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) roamed the state’s major roads and caused a gridlock. 

The supporters were said to have taken the streets as a solidarity rally for the candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

The former Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Musiliu Akinsanya, announced on Sunday. 

He said, “Many vehicles struggled to make their way as the crowd occupied a significant portion of the road.

The Daily Reality recalls that this is coming after the supporters of the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, marched on various streets of Lagos last week.

However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenged the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) for not having a valid presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections. 

The National Publicity Secretary, PDP, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed this on Saturday while addressing the party’s conference on Saturday. 

However, the challenge appeared to have been unfavourable and did not sit well with the APC and Tinubu supporters. 

Muhammad Sabi’u

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has ordered the 20 local government council chairmen, as well as their assistants, councillors, and secretaries to resign.

This is contained in a statement signed by Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mukhtar Gidado, in Bauchi on Saturday.

The development is in accordance with the Local Government System Establishment and Administration of LG Councils Law of Bauchi State, 2013 as amended. 

He said that on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 the affected officials had been instructed to turn over control of their offices to the heads of administration of their various councils while new elections would be held or caretaker committees would be formed.

The Local Government System Establishment and Administration of Local Government Councils Law of Bauchi State 2013, as modified, was cited by the governor’s aide as the legal basis for the action.

“His Excellency, the governor thanked the outgoing chairmen, deputy chairmen, councilors, and secretaries for the services rendered to the state and wished them success in their future endeavors,” the statement said.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenged the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) for not having a valid presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.

The National Publicity Secretary, PDP, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed this on Saturday while addressing the party’s conference on Saturday.

He stated that the ruling has nothing to offer and should go home and face the “issues of inconsistencies in his educational qualifications, name, ancestry, age as well as corruption allegations.”

Ologunagba added that the nullification of the candidacy of Osun State governors Gboyega Oyetola, confirmed the stand of the party that the executives and candidates put together by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, were illegal.

The Daily Reality recalls that a Federal High Court in Abuja invalidated the nomination of Governor Isiaka Oyetola and his Deputy, Benedict Alabi, as APC candidates in the Osun State governorship election.

Olgunagba stated that the judgment by the Federal High Coury invalidated the decision made by Buni, including supervising the election that produced the Abdullahi Adamu APC leadership and by extension, the primaries that produced Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

By Uzair Adam claim

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) accused the Federal Government of masterminding insecurity in the southeastern part of the country.

A statement by the group’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, disclosed this on Saturday.

The statement said the federal government aimed to cause fear and accuse the group members of such plans.

It added that the group has no intention to disrupt the election in Igbo-land come 2023 general elections.

It also disclosed that the circulating claim that the group planned to disrupt the 2023 general election was false.

However, in a recent video that went viral on social media, Mr. Simon Ekpa, said the group would not let any election to hold in Biafraland.

He said in the video, “The IPOB leadership has for umpteenth time stated unequivocally that part of our modus operandi in our agitation for freedom has never been, is not and will not be violent agitation.

“This explains our consistent demand for the United Nations (UN) to organize a referendum in the Biafran territory for the Biafran people to determine their destiny. To this effect, IPOB is neither contemplating nor will it encourage or sponsor anyone or group to disrupt the Nigeria shambolic selection process called election.

“IPOB has constantly made it public that we have no interest in and cannot legitimize the aberration they call election in Nigeria.

“We are a focused, determined and disciplined freedom fighting movement not political thugs and IPOB is devoted to the cause of liberating our people from subjugation and from modern day slavery and neo-colonialism and will not allow ourselves to be distracted from this very objective,” he stated.

By Uzair Adam Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari Friday told the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other tertiary institution-based unions that the Federal Government would not sign an agreement it can not implement.

The President disclosed this on Friday, September 7, 2022, during his last budget presentation in Abuja.

Buhari said his administration alone could not provide the resources required for funding tertiary education.

The Daily Reality reported that the Court of Appeal in Abuja ordered members of ASUU to resume work with immediate effect.

He added that, rather, the government remained committed to the implementation of agreements reached with staff unions within available resources.

He was also quoted to have said: “The government notes with dismay the crisis that has paralyzed activities in the public universities in the country. We expect the staff of these institutions to show a better appreciation of the current state of affairs in the country.

“In the determined effort to resolve the issue, we have provided a total of 470.0 billion in the 2023 budget from our constrained resources, for revitalization and salary enhancements in the tertiary institutions.

“Distinguished Senators and Honourable members, it is instructive to note that today Government alone cannot provide the resources required for funding tertiary education.

“In most countries, the cost of education is jointly shared between the government and the people, especially at the tertiary level. It is imperative therefore that we introduce a more sustainable model of funding tertiary education.

“The government remains committed to the implementation of agreements reached with staff unions within available resources. This is why we have remained resolute that we will not sign any agreement that we would be unable to implement. Individual institutions would be encouraged to keep faith with any agreement reached in due course to ensure stability in the educational sector.

“Government is equally committed to improving the quality of education at other levels. Recently, we implemented various incentives aimed at motivating and enhancing teachers’ development in our schools. In the health sector, the government intends to focus attention on equipping existing hospitals and rehabilitating infrastructure. Emphasis will also be on local production of basic medicines/vaccines.

“As human capital is the most critical resource for national development, our overall policy thrust is to expand our investment in education, health and social protection,” he added.

By Uzair Adam Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari arrives at the National Assembly for the presentation of the N19.76TRN 2023 Appropriation Bill.

The budget presentation would be Buhari’s last presentation before he hands over power to his successor on May 29, 2022.

The event is currently taking place at the improvised House of Representatives chamber and opened with the national anthem.

The president reportedly arrived at the chamber around 10:05 am alongside his ministers and the meeting startedimmediatelyy.

Daily Trust reported that entry into the complex is limited as special accreditation arrangements were made for journalists, securitys and members of staff on duty for the presentation.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Thursday vowed to sue the Federal Government for registering bodies to checkmate its activities.

Recently, the federal government has officially registered two new academic unions in Nigerian Universities as trade unions.

The bodies are the Congress of Nigerian Universities Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA.

The counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana, disclosed this on Thursday when he was featured on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

Falana said the registrations of the two unions as illegal, saying; “ASUU is going to court. It is going to be the National Industrial (NIC).”

By Uzair Adam Imam

The New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) has started a legal duel with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for refusing to allow the party to replace Senator Ibrahim Shekarau for Kano Central Senatorial District in the 2023 general elections.

NNPP wanted to replace Shekarau with the former senator, Rufa’i Sani Hanga, after his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) some months ago.

Shekarau defected and joined PDP citing irreconciliable differences with the party’s presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as his reasons.

On it’s part, INEC argued that Shekarau has not officially informed the electoral body about his defection to PDP reiterating that it can not replace his name with another person.

In an interview with journalists on Wednesday, the NNPP presidential candidate Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso said: “We have conducted (fresh) primary election where we elected Rufa’i Sani Hanga, as a replacement and if INEC can do justice to us, based on the constitution, the time for the replacement of candidates is not yet over.

“We have taken the matter to court because INEC did not understand the process. The court will make them understand it.”

Kwankwaso, who wondered why INEC refused to replace Shekarau’s name with their new candidate, asked “would INEC announce Shekarau as the legally elected representative for the district if NNPP wins the senatorial seat?”

By Mohammed Aliyu

The National Peace Committee, headed by the former Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar (retd.) and other elder statesmen would have been more respected and crucial had they played the committee with the grandeur it deserves. Established in 2014, the committee has not achieved anything following its record. As such, its function is nothing but a jamboree, where aspirants meet and share some private moments, thereby deceiving the gullible who trusted them by their words.

The vulnerability of the committee was so evident in 2019 when one of its members was seen dancing with another aspirant and denouncing the other candidate rather than playing neutral by preaching the peace he claimed to be advocating. Such an immodest attitude alone can create chaos, put doubt in the minds of other aspirants, and ridicule the entire process. Again, no need to mention names but a committee like this ought to have credible individuals that are all respected, who are also mindful of their utterances, actions and even public image – by extension, be less controversial.

To revisit the past, in 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan accepted defeat on his own without any influence from any quarter, as he stated in his book Transitional Hours. In 2019, electorates massively voted for President Buhari, yet no crisis was recorded. Still, the committee’s capacity has not been proven, although they claimed to have calmed Atiku Abubakar, who insistently went to court on his own but failed there.

The 2023 election that brought religion into politics is perhaps dosed with fear of violence, and this is the moment that the peace committee may save the country, but will they? The National Peace Committee is the initiation of some individuals that called themselves ‘Elder Statement’, and members were selected without merit. The peace committee is concerned with only the aftermath of election violence and not other forms of insecurity, let alone proffer solutions to lingering critical issues that the country is bedevilled with now and then. Like the present ASUU strike, agitations, persistent farmer/herder clashes, communal clashes, religious intolerance, and other vital issues that threaten national peace and security that may even not allow any election to hold.

To send a message that the peace committee is not credible, in 2019, PDP presidential aspirant Atiku Abubakar failed to attend the accord signing for reasons known to him. Instead, he went after the public ceremony. Bola Tinubu, another aspirant of APC, again failed to attend the September 2022 Peace Accord. Instead, he sent his running mate, Kashim Shettima. All this weakens the credibility and popularity of the committee. The priority given to candidates rather than parties is a clear sign that the peace agreement has lapses that must be corrected if they want to be relevant in the future. Electorates choose a party, not a candidate, even though they are by extension. Candidates are identified by their parties because, without the platform, they are idle. The peace committee must look inward and prioritise party chairpersons during such occasions. That way, they are dealing with an organisation, not an individual.

In my opinion, the National Peace Committee should be changed to the National Council of Elders, and their mandate should be transformed so that it will have a national look and have representatives from all sections of the country. The members should be credible people who are respected. They should advise the government on solutions to bring lasting peace before, during and after the election circle.

However, the interest of the National Peace Committee is not for peace to reign, nor for good governance but for the personal interest of what they may get in the new government. As such, expect nothing but flaws in their shoddy policies. While they are signing the accord in Abuja, I wish my fellow compatriots would do the same locally since we are the anticipated thugs that will cause violence.

Mohammed Aliyu wrote via aliyu.wasilu@gmail.com.