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Dino Melaye: NGO Drags FG To Hague …Call Buhari To Order -Frank
Justice Helpine Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has threatened to drag the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the continued molestation, harassment and occupation of the residence of Dino Melaye, the Senator representing Kogi East, by the police and the personnel of Department of State Service (DSS).
Ayo Desmond Jonathan , Director of Litigation with the NGO, in a statement issued in Lokoja and made available to our correspondent said the organisation would have no other choice than to drag the Federal Government and the police to the Hague if within seven days, they did not vacate the lawmaker’s residence in Abuja.
The Justice Help line foundation berated President Mohammadu Buhari for turning a deaf ear, and chooses to look the other way regarding the inhuman atrocities of the police while pretending not to be aware of the harassment and intimidation of innocent citizens.
The foundation lamented several cases involving the police in which citizens’ rights were infringed upon, with the president turning deaf ears.
According to Ayo, “in a country where several members of the ruling APC, who were alleged to have been involved in corrupt practice, were shielded by the president,” saying that his anti-corruption fight is only potent with the opposition.
He gave example of the Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and Governor Ganduje’s saga, amongst several other cases of corruption, in which the president allegedly provided cover for such persons, amidst the much talked about integrity and fight against corruption.
Meanwhile, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Timi Frank, yesterday gave the General Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee, a 72-hour ultimatum to call President Muhammadu Buhari to order.
Frank made the call over Buhari’s alleged “gross violation of the recently signed peace accord by presidential candidates towards the forthcoming 2019 general elections.”
He said the failure to make Buhari to respect the peace accord within the stipulated period would force the “opposition political parties to pull out of the peace accord and subsequently direct their supporters to massively resist the ongoing aggression against them.”
In a statement signed and sent to media houses, Frank said the call became imperative due to the “ongoing campaign of terror against leaders of opposition political parties aimed at actualizing a wicked conspiracy already hatched between the agents of the Buhari administration, security forces and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to brazenly rig the 2019 general elections.”
He stated that the alleged “ongoing crackdown against top members of the main opposition political party – the Peoples Democratic Party – grossly negates the spirit and letters of the accord – “as there can be no peace without justice, equity and fairness.”
Frank described the “ongoing use of the police and anti-graft agencies to hound prominent members of the PDP as an act of aggression that cannot be further tolerated as the elections draw near.”
He stated that the “intimidation and hounding of key opposition figures across the country and the attempts to deny opposition parties access to legitimate finances by anti-graft and security agencies show that the APC and Buhari have begun to violate the tenets of the peace accord few weeks after it was signed.”
The former APC spokesperson insisted that “it is now clear that the President and his party are out to rig the 2019 polls, or in the alternative, refuse to respect the will of Nigerians which is to hand over the reins of power to the eventual winner of the poll, should he be defeated as he is sure to be.”
He said that “top presidential aides are currently boasting that they already have results of elections that has not been conducted in their kitty with which they will declare the President and all APC’s candidates vying for various offices across the country winners irrespective of the actual results of the next polls.”
He lamented that the Nigeria Police was leading Buhari’s onslaught against the opposition ahead of the polls while the entire security apparatus of the country has shamefully bought into the plot to upturn the will of the people and rob the opposition candidates of victory.
Frank further added that the “illegal extension of the tenure of the current Service Chiefs and the planed elongation of the tenure of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, speaks volume about the intention of the present administration to use the nation’s security forces to rig the February elections and illegally perpetuate itself in power.”
He said that the “siege on Senator Dino Melaye’s house by the police, the unlawful detention of activist, Deji Adeyanju, and the harassment and intimidation of businessmen believed to be sympathetic to the cause of the opposition is a clear violation of the peace accord at this pre-election stage.” He noted that failure by the Abdulsalami’s peace committee and members of the international community to prevail on Buhari to allow for free, fair and credible elections in the country will lead to a catastrophic upheaval never witnessed in any of the African continent.
He described the much trumpeted “integrity” of Buhari as phony because events have since shown him to have encouraged, condoned and perpetuated corrupt activities while deceiving gullible Nigerians that he is an anti-corruption czar.
He wondered how a President that has corrupted the nation’s governance system and security forces – preparatory to use them to rig the forthcoming elections – continue to lay claim to integrity.
“How can a President that has sanctioned the diversion of state funds to finance his election say he has integrity? How can a President that is using state-funded security forces to intimidate, harass, detain and incarcerate members of the opposition say he has integrity? How can a President who continuously disdains and disregards lawful judicial pronouncements lay claims to integrity?
“How can a President who has ordered his men to monitor banks and block the source of funds for opposition political parties say he has integrity?
“Let the Presidency be warned. Nigerians are ready to take their destiny in their hands should the government not conduct itself properly to free the country from his clueless and inept administration.
“Any attempt to rig, truncate, or declare the next presidential election inconclusive – like the case of Osun State – or refuse to relinquish power after defeat would be tantamount to reversing the massive democratic gains the country has recorded since 1999.
“However, Nigerians are well prepared to resist any such draconian actions with the last drop of their blood,” he said.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has demanded quick and full resolution to the challenges arising from the gas leakage that occurred in Bille, Degema Local Government Area of the State.
The governor has also pledged to upgrade the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Bille with a view to addressing the health challenges confronting the community.
Fubara made the pledge on Wednesday at the Government House, Port Harcourt during an enlarged meeting of key stakeholders, comprising representatives of the Federal Government, the state government and leaders of the community.
The meeting was held to review the situation in the community and explore available opportunities to save the people from the adverse impacts of environmental pollution.
Addressing the journalists at the end of the meeting, the governor acknowledged the determination of the Federal Government and its agencies to get to the root cause of the problem in Bille and ensure that it is resolved permanently.
“The meeting is in respect of the situation in Bille. You’re aware that there is a case of gas leakage somewhere in Bille and the people have been making some requests that the government should come to their rescue to resolve the situation.
“As a state, we have gone to see the situation in the community, not alone but in conjunction with the industry operators and officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. What we are doing today is an enlarged meeting where all the parties are sitting together to look at the cause of the issue and the most possible way to get the problem resolved,” he said.
Fubara described the outcome of the meeting as successful, stressing that more action would be taken in the next couple of weeks to ensure that the issue is fully resolved.
The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo, who led the Federal Government’s delegation to the meeting, expressed appreciation to the governor for his warm hospitality and efforts to address the challenge in Bille community.
Ekpo explained that contrary to the perception in certain quarters, the Federal Government has not been silent over the “gas seepage” but has been working tirelessly towards finding a sustainable solution.
The minister explained that as soon as the incident was reported, the Federal Government deployed experts to the area to understudy the cause of the problem.
According to him, it was difficult at first to understand the cause of the problem since there were no oil or gas infrastructure within the vicinity of the incident, hence the need to conduct a more detailed investigation.
“The investigation is still going but we decided to do a follow-up visit to the area to talk to the people of Bille Community that we need collaboration on their part so that we would be able to arrive at a lasting solution.
“The safety of the people is paramount. We can understand their anxiety, the worry and the danger that this thing poses within the area, but the Federal Government is committed to finding a lasting solution to the problem. The primary responsibility of government is to take care of the welfare and security of the people and that is exactly why we are here to go and see things for ourselves,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, also explained that as the regulatory agency at the centre of the issue, no effort will be spared in the task of resolving the issue.
Eyesan pledged that the NUPRC and operators in the industry were prepared to address the requests of the impacted people in terms of the provision of potable water and fire trucks to the community.
The Public Relations Officer, Council of Chiefs, Bille Kingdom, Chief Rena Dappa, had during the meeting, presented the challenges facing the community and pleaded for government’s support to save the lives and livelihoods of the people.
President Bola Tinubu has announced the launch of a training programme for 5,000 young Nigerians as meter installers and technicians under the Presidential Metering Initiative.
The President stated that the scheme is aimed at creating jobs, closing the country’s metering gap and improving electricity supply.
The President disclosed this in a statement on his verified X handle yesterday, describing the initiative, tagged “The Power Force,” as part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to expand employment opportunities for young people.
According to Tinubu, the programme will equip participants with practical technical skills and connect them to employment opportunities in Nigeria’s power sector.
“Through the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), which I established to close Nigeria’s metering gap, end estimated billing, protect consumers and strengthen the electricity market, we are opening a new pathway for 5,000 young Nigerians to be trained as meter installers and technicians under The Power Force. This programme is about jobs, skills and dignity,” he said.
Tinubu said the training would be open to eligible Nigerians who have completed their secondary school education, with a dedicated quota reserved for members of the National Youth Service Corps.
He noted that expanding electricity metering was critical to improving service delivery and promoting transparency in the power sector.
“When homes and businesses are properly metered, Nigerians can pay for what they actually use. When electricity distribution companies collect revenues more transparently and fairly, they are better able to reduce losses, maintain infrastructure, expand connections and invest in better service.
“This is how we build a power sector that is fairer to consumers, stronger for investors and better able to deliver reliable electricity to the Nigerian people,” the President said.
Tinubu said he had directed the Presidential Metering Initiative to work with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, and other relevant stakeholders to commence the programme within the next 30 days.
He encouraged qualified young Nigerians to apply, saying the initiative would provide them with marketable skills while supporting efforts to eliminate estimated billing and improve electricity access nationwide.
“I encourage eligible young Nigerians to apply. Join The Power Force. Learn a skill. Earn with dignity. Help us end estimated billing and be part of the work to light up Nigeria,” he added.
The Federal Government has announced that the third evacuation flight for Nigerians voluntarily returning from South Africa will arrive Lagos today having departed Johannesburg at midnight yesterday with 271 returnees on board.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday by its spokesperson, Mr Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
According to the ministry, the Air Peace-operated flight is expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 5:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026.
It said the evacuation is part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to facilitate the voluntary return of Nigerians from South Africa.
“The third evacuation flight operated by Air Peace will depart Johannesburg today by 12 midnight with 271 returnees. The estimated time of arrival in Lagos is 5:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026,” the statement read.
The latest batch of returnees follows earlier evacuation flights that brought hundreds of Nigerians back to the country under the Federal Government’s voluntary repatriation programme.
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