News
Naira crisis: Take action against Malami, Emefiele, CSO tells Buhari
The Rule of Law Advocacy and Accountability Centre has told the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to take action against the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, for failing to obey the orders of the Supreme Court.
In a statement signed by the Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, on Tuesday, the group said it wasn’t persuaded by the statement issued by the spokespersons of the President, which had stated that Buhari neither directed the Attorney-General of the Federation nor the governor of the Central Bank to disobey the order of the Supreme Court.
Nwanguma stated that it did not make sense for the president’s spokespersons to make excuses for him when Malami and Emefiele were both answerable to the president.
Recall that the Supreme Court on March 3, 2023, had directed that the old N200, N500 and N1000 notes, remained legal tender until the 31st of December 2023. The court held that the president’s directive on February 16 that invalidated the N500 and N1,000 notes—except for N200 notes which he said were valid until April 10—was invalid as it was issued “without due consultation.”
RULAAC, however, noted that the AGF and the CBN governor were public officials and that the buck stopped at the table of the president. They added that Buhari had failed to lead by example in previous rulings of the courts, which had repeatedly directed the release of Omoyele Sowore, El-Zakzaky, and Nnamdi Kanu.
Part of the statement reads, “It does not make sense for President Buhari’s spokesperson to make excuses for the President, saying he did not direct the Central Bank Governor or the Attorney General of the Federation to disobey Court Orders.
“Ultimately, the buck stops on the President’s table and what Nigerians want to hear, is what the President has done to call to order, lawless officials of his government under his supervision when they act wrongfully. This is the only way to demonstrate that he does not endorse lawlessness.
“Above all, the President needs to lead by example by demonstrating that he has respect for, and is subject to the rule of law, and that he stands against disobedience to court orders. We didn’t see the President demonstrate this when the courts gave repeated orders for the release of Omoyele Sowore, Dasuki, El Zak-zakay, and Nnamdi Kanu.
“In the case of Nnamdi Kanu who remains in illegal detention in contemptuous disregard of the multiple orders of the Appeal Court, the orders of international courts have also been ignored.
“Let Buhari demonstrate to Nigerians that he stands against disobedience to court orders and that he respects the rule of law by taking actions against the Attorney-General and the CBN governor and by complying with subsisting court orders to release Nnamdi Kanu.”
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Resources Authority says it has commenced a clampdown on illegal LPG retail outlets in Akwa Ibom State.
The state Coordinator, Ikechukwu Eseka, disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the state commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Bakshar Hussaini, in his office on a courtesy visit.
He said, “We have started enforcement of LPG retailers embarking on illegal decanting of LPG, filling stations, LPG refilling plants and other illegal downstream operations in the state.
“We are currently working on the illegal proliferation of decanting of LPG in the state, Eseka stated, adding that gas is very volatile, and some of them are using gas that is not meant for the purpose.”
He said he has directed that gas plant owners should not load gas on people who don’t have licenses NMDPRA in the state, warning that “decanting of gas from cylinder to cylinder is an illegal activity which is punishable by law.”
He also called on marketers to register and renew their licenses before operating LPG in the state.
“We used the opportunity to talk on the aspects of the downstream which has to do with our enforcement, sealing of filling stations and those who are using diesel for industrial purposes that are yet to register with NMDPRA.
“We have also commenced engagement with individuals and organisations using storage tanks that are over 500 litres, to come and register with the Authority in the state,” he added.
Eseka thanked the Commandant for coming to re-strategise and collaborate with the Authority in the state.
Earlier, the State Commandant of NSCDC, Hussaini, explained that the purpose of coming was to collaborate with NMDPRA on how to checkmate indiscriminate decanting of LPG in the state.
“I know with the present situation in the country, a lot of them are going to cry and you have to use human face to handle their cases so that we don’t injure the government and the public themselves,” he said.
He lamented that some people used their houses to sell cooking gas which can cause environmental hazards to the public.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced plans to phase out the Permanent Voter Cards, PVC.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, made this known at a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs, held at the INEC Conference Room, Abuja on Thursday.
This was part of the identified 142 recommendations released by the Commission which deals with the general state of preparedness, voter management, voter education and public communication, political parties and candidate management.
Other areas of recommendation include electoral operations and logistics management, election officials and personnel, partnership and collaboration, monitoring and supervision, election technology, voting and result management, election security, electoral offences and the electoral legal framework.
The Chairman said there are eight recommendations among the 142 which require legislative action by the National Assembly.
“The Commission also believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVC, as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed.
He, however, said that those who already have the Permanent Voter Cards can still use them to vote.
He added, “But going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation. ”
Yakubu said this new development will save costs and further eliminate the issues around the collection of Permanent Voter Cards.
He also said the practice of buying up the Permanent Voter Cards from voters to disenfranchise them, would be reduced.
President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to present the 2025 proposed budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
The announcement was made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a plenary session, revealing that the President has sent a communication to that effect.
“The president has made his intention known to the National Assembly to present the 2025m budget to the joint session of the National Assembly on the 17th of December, 2024,” he said.
The proposed budget, totalling N47.9 trillion, was earlier announced by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Atiku Bagudu.
NMDPRA begins clampdown on illegal LPG retail outlets in Akwa Ibom
Elections in Nigeria: There’ll be no more need for voter cards – INEC
BREAKING: Tinubu to present 2025 budget proposal to National Assembly Tuesday
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