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NCS Pardons Defunct Bendel Gov, Coup Plotters …IBB, Gowon, Abdulsalami, Jonathan Attend

The National Council of State meeting presided over by President Muhammedu Buhari, yesterday, ratified the presidential pardon granted to Former Governor, Prof Ambrose Alli (governor of the now-defunct Bendel State, 1979—1983, now Edo and Delta States), over N900,000 fraud.
Although Ali later paid the money back to government, he was convicted.
The NCS also gave presidential pardon to three other Nigerians.
Those pardoned along with Alli are Col. Moses Effiong, Major E.J. Olarenwaju (for attempted coup in the Ibrahim Babangida era) and Ajayi Olusola Babalola.
Addressing State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting, which had in attendance four former heads of states – General Yakubu Gowon, General Ibrahim Babangida; Chief Ernest Shonekan, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Goodluck Jonathan; the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said that the ratification follows his presentation of a memo from the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.
According to him, “The memo presented for consultation in line with one of the constitutional requirements and consideration of grant of pardon to 45 persons, two inmates for pardon, 39 inmates for clemency and four ex-convicts for presidential pardon.
“To further clarify on the prerogative of mercy, Mr. President because of the Covid-19 pandemic has directed the decongestion of our correctional centres across the country. And by way of collaborative action, the governors, heads of courts across the nation, have worked assiduously in collaboration with the Presidential Committee on Decongestion of our Correctional Centres, and at the end of the day, we have succeeded in taking over 4,000 inmates out of our correctional centres across the country.
“What we have today is a consolidation of what has been done, and the strategies put in place to see to the decongestion of our correctional centres.
“As you are aware, more than 70 percent inmates in our correctional centres were awaiting trial across the country, and a lot of considerations were put in place to ensure our correctional centres are decongested. The prerogative of mercy was one of such considerations by Mr. President.”
Malami said the Council of State also approved the appointment of two new legal practitioners as members of Federal Judicial Service Commission.
The AGF explained that the law confers on President Buhari the right to appoint members of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, subject to consultation with the Council of State.
He said: “The exercise this morning relating to the presentation of the council memo was for the purpose of fulfilling the constitutional righteousness relating to the appointment of the two new legal practitioners; in essence, it is to consult with the Council of State out of desire for compliance with constitutional requirements.
“The two members to represent Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the Federal Judicial Service Commission are Namoso Ekanem (SAN) from Akwa Ibom State representing the South-South geo-political zone and Mammud Abubakar Mogaji (SAN) from Niger State to represent the North-Central geo-political zone.”
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on his part, said Council of State also approved the appointment of Silas Agara, as chairman of National Population Commission (NPC).
Members of the commission also approved are: Muhammed Chuso A. Dottijo (Sokoto); Alhaji Razaq Gidado (Kwara); Ibrahim Mohammed (Bauchi); Joseph Kwai Shazin (FCT); Engineer Bala Almu Banya (Katsina); and Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin (Lagos).
It would be recalled that the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, had denied media reports that he joined forces with the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof Ibrahim Gambari to stop the appointment of Agara as chairman of NPC.
Buhari had in two separate letters dated March 20 and August 12, 2020, nominated Agara, a former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, to head the NPC.
The SGF said apart from the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, that was absent, the meeting was attended by all living former Nigerian leaders.
Mustapha said council members also commended the Presidential Task Force on National Response on Covid-19 for a job well done.
He said the council noted that the impact of the panel on the nation’s economy and the fact that it has exposed the weaknesses in the system.
The members, however, appealed to Nigerians to continue to adhere to non-pharmaceuticals measures put in place pending when vaccines would be found for the virus.
Also speaking, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj-Gen Babagana Mungonu (rtd), briefed the council on the security challenges facing the country, adding that in response, the council approved the setting up of the National Centre for Control of Small and Light Weapons to be domiciled in his office.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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