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‘Buhari’s Treatment Aborad Ridicules Nigeria’
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN),Femi Falana, yesterday criticised President Muhammadu Buhari over his trip to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
Speaking on Channels TV, Falana said Buhari’s treatment abroad was exposing Nigeria to ridicule in the international community.
According to him, it is illegal for the president to use public funds to treat himself abroad while millions of Nigerians are dying due to strikes by doctors and ill-equipped hospitals.
“While I wish the president well and a quick recovery, as a nation these medical trips by the president and the rich expose our country to ridicule which we cannot justify that a nation of enormous resources cannot fix a few hospitals to the extent that everybody can be treated in Nigeria.
“A few years ago, I was compelled to go to court with a view to restraining public officials from being allowed to go abroad for treatment at our collective expense. Even though court said I had no locus standi, the case is on appeal.
“We must get to that level whereby if you occupy a public office in Nigeria, you cannot go abroad for medical treatment, you cannot educate your children abroad. Unless we get to that state, we are not going to fix our hospitals and we won’t fix our schools. It is not allowed.
“I can even go further to say it is discriminatory and illegal for anybody to use public funds to treat himself while majority of people are dying in public hospitals that are not maintained.
“There is equality before the law. So, you can’t take the rich out of town while the poor in their millions are dying in ill-equipped hospitals” he said.
Falana, human rights lawyer, also argued that the senate lacks the power to summon the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, said the senate, “did not get it right” by tagging Idris “an enemy of democracy.”
Recall that the police boss had refused to honour senate’s invitation over wanton killings across the country, on three different occasions.
Against this backdrop, the Upper Legislative Chamber yesterday declared Idris as an enemy of democracy and unfit to hold any public office.
Reacting, the Police boss said he owes the senate no apology for snubbing them thrice.
However, featuring on Channels Television Programme, Sunrise Daily, the activist lawyer said the IGP was not the right person to be summoned on killings in some states.
Falana stressed that the Minister of Interior and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Malami should have been invited.
He said: “By virtue of section 67 (2) of the constitution, either chamber can summon a Minister when the affairs of his or her ministry are under consideration.
“The only other occasion a public officer can be summoned by the national assembly is when proceedings are ongoing to expose corruption and when a law is being debated either with a view to amending it or to have a new law entirely.
“But there is no such powers given to the national assembly by the constitution to summon everybody.
“No. Section 67 (1) has given the president the discretion to address the national assembly either jointly or separately, on any matter of national importance. The president or the governor of a state cannot be summoned; that is the constitution.
“The National Assembly has my sympathy, but what can be done? The constitutional review is ongoing. You can deal with this lacuna, or the gaps you have identified.
“But don’t go outside the limit of your powers. When you do that, you ridicule the constitution. And that is what is going on.”
Falana, who condemned the arraignment of Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye on a stretcher, stressed that lawmakers should not “individualise problems of police brutality.”
He added, “When you do that, you lose public support. It is the height of hypocrisy to say because the police has brutalised our member, the IG must come. What of thousands of Nigerians that are brutalised daily?
“Don’t single out the harassment of your member to summon the IG, that is where they lost it. They shouldn’t have mixed Melaye’s case with the killings.
“As far as the constitution is concerned, the person to summon is the Minister of Interior and the Attorney-General, and they have the powers to do that. The minister can be summoned but there is no provision for summoning the IG or the customs boss to appear in one uniform or the other, it is not there.”
Happy Birthday Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike CON
Honourable Minister Federal Capital Territory
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We’ll Drive Tinubu’s Vision in Rivers With Vigour – Fubara …Inaugurates Dualized Ahoada/Omoku Road ….Debunks Rift With RSHA
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has stated that he will lead Rivers people to galvanize support for President Bola Tinubu to drive the vision and objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda in the State with vigour.
The governor, who joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on Tuesday, explained that his decision to join the APC was not for personal interest but for the overall benefit of Rivers State.
Fubara disclosed these while inaugurating the extension of the dualized Ahoada/ Omoku Express road in Ahoada East and Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
He commended the contracting firm, Julius Berger, for timely delivery of the project, saying the project is a campaign promise fulfilled which will bring economic benefits to the people and tackle issues of insecurity associated with the route.
He said his administration has remained focused in delivering democratic dividends in the state despite facing glaring challenges.
The governor thanked the people of Ahoada East and Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Areas for their continuous support, and urged his supporters to remain steadfast and also support President Tinubu who he said, has demonstrated love to Rivers State as a father.
Fubara denied having rift with the Rivers State House of Assembly, stating that his meeting with the lawmakers was stalled as a result of delay in the agreed meeting to be convened by former Governor Nyesom Wike and other stakeholders for him to meet with the state lawmakers.
“I have made every effort to meet with the Assembly members, but it is not within my leadership to initiate the meeting process.
“The arrangement was for my leader, Wike, and the elders led by Anabraba to call for a meeting with the the lawmakers.
“I’m a gentleman and principled. I can’t go behind to call them when we’ve already agreed. Whoever that tell them that I don’t want to meet with them, or I rejected proposal meant for them isn’t saying the truth,” Fubara said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry Works, Mr Austin Ezekiel-Hart, who gave the project description, said the delivery of the project was a fulfillment of long time dream by the people of Ahoada East and Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Areas.
He said the road was previously a single lane and has now been dualised to 14.6 meters wide, complete with solar-powered streetlights with drainages.
He said the road significantly would reduce travel time between Ahoada and Omoku while improving economic activity in the region.
In his welcome address, Chairman of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area, Hon. Chuku Shedrack Ogbogu, described the road as a symbol of unity, oneness, and development, thanking the governor for fulfilling his campaign promises.
On his part, the Managing Director of Julius Berger, Engr. Peer Lusbash, said the project was awarded to his company in 2023 with a completion period of 18 months which was achieved in best quality.
He added that Julius Berger enjoyed a good support from the Fubara administration, and assured to complete all ongoing projects being handled by Julius Berger on specification, especially the Ring Road project which is a legacy project.
Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring good healthcare for the people of Rivers State.
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?Governor Fubara stated this when he played host to the Country Director of UNICEF, Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef and her management team in Port Harcourt, last Tuesday.
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?The governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba, said he would continue to provide the necessary facilities in order to ensure accessible and good health care for all Rivers people.
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?”We are constructing new zonal hospitals across the State. The Ahoada Zonal hospital will be commissioned in December and others are near completion.
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?”We are grateful to UNICEF for all they have done and believe we can always work together to care for the vulnerable in the society. We appreciate your physical presence, and believe that your staff working remotely, can also do more virtually. We have a capable Commissioner of Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, to help foster our relationship, communication and greater collaboration,” he said.
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?The Country Director for UNICEF Nigeria, Ms. Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef, assured Governor Fubara of UNICEF’s support to the programmes of the State Government. She appealed that health facilities such as the Oxygen Plant at Eleme Local Government Ares and the New Born Care Units be solarized.
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?”Be assured that UNICEF will continue to work and support the programmes here in Rivers State. We have seen the Oxygen Plant at Eleme LGA which has been effective because of the Public Private Partnership. We appeal that the plant be solarized.
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?”I commend your leadership of the State and assure that we are here to support your effort and assure you that you can count on our support and partnership. Rivers State is one of the states we can showcase how things are working so others can learn,” she added.
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