Metro

APC, Atiku’s aides trade words over Tinubu’s certificate

Published

1 year ago

October 9, 2023

The saga emanating from Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu’s educational qualifications amid allegations of certificate forgery levelled against him by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has once again triggered a war of words between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and media aides of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate.

Firing the first salvo on Sunday morning was the Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku, Phrank Shaibu, who alleged that the federal government had “perfected a plot to gag the Nigerian media ahead of the release of President Bola Tinubu’s record by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).’’

Shaibu, who made the allegation in a statement, said the Tinubu administration had become scared and frustrated with the Chicago State University’s decision to release his academic records for public scrutiny against his wish, which, according to Shaibu, had led to a “threat by the National Broadcasting Commission to sanction Arise Television News was only a tip of the iceberg,” a reference to a “final warning” issued to the broadcast outfit by the NBC for allegedly permitting the use of “derogatory and incendiary” remarks on its programmes. ⁣

“The NBC has now been co-opted into a grand plot to gag the media over Tinubu’s certificate scandal,” Shaibu said in the statement.

“Having lost the battle in the court of public opinion, they are now trying to use the powers of the state to browbeat the media into silence. This is indeed shameful for a man who claimed to be a hero of the June 12 struggle.

“But this is not the time for the Nigerian media to show any weakness. The trove of documents that the FBI is set to release this month will expose details of the investigation that tied Bola Tinubu to heroin trafficking.

“The dissemination of this information must not be left to social media alone. The media must rise to its role as the watchdog of society as enshrined in section 22 of the 1999 constitution,’’ he added.

In a swift response to the allegations, the APC fired back at Atiku and his supporters, accusing them of attempting “vainly to cause a division in the media.”

APC Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, who delivered the response in a statement, said Atiku had failed to live up to the reputation of a statesman.

“He (Atiku) has lost at the polls, in the court, abroad and is on the verge of losing to the media. Therefore, he is always in this blame game because he has lost everything, including his integrity,” Ibrahim said.

“What we are saying is that this is a man who has risen to the position of second in command in the country. This is a man who should behave as a statesman and lay the foundation so that he bequeaths to others what can be said to be fair and reasonable.

“It is not for him to be beating about the bush every time there is an issue and be looking at it from a perspective that is unethical,” he added.

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Metro

Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

Published

3 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Nigerian government has officially withdrawn the treason charges it entered against some minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest that spread across the country from August 1 to the 10th.

The nation was thrown into shock on Friday when the Nigeria Police presented 76 protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on treason. Among the suspects were four minors who slumped before they could be arraigned before the court.

This caused serious uproar in the country with Nigerians condemning the government and calling for the unconditional release of the kids and the dismissal of the charges against them.

The decision to withdraw the charges against the underage accused came following a directive by President Bola Tinubu who ordered the immediate withdrawal of the charges and an in-depth investigation into what led to the arrest and detention of the minors.

Tinubu had also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN) to officially take over the case file as well as review the cases following public outcry that came with the arraignment of the minors.

The charges were finally withdrawn on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja through an application for discontinuance filled by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the AGF.

According to Abubakar, the discontinuance application was based on provisions of sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.

The DPPF also applied for further proceedings to be conducted without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with provisions of Section 266(b) of the ACJA, 2015, and Section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act.

In response, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Fanala (SAN), who stood in for the accused as well as other defence lawyers in the matter, did not oppose the applications which promoted the judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, to strike out the charges, while the four affected minors were also delisted from the charge sheet.

Metro

Zambia: President Hichilema urges traditional leaders to invoke rainmaking powers amid drought

Published

20 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema, has called on traditional leaders to call upon their rainmaking powers by praying for rain as the nation continues to face the menace of drought.

Hichilema, who made the plea while speaking during the Shikaumpa traditional ceremony of the Ila people in Namwala on Sunday, expressed hope for divine intervention and sufficient rains.

“We pray that this year, God will give us rains, sufficient rains, so we can grow more food, so we can take care of the things, the assets that we keep,” the President stated.

He noted that he was informed of certain chiefs known for their rainmaking abilities, including Senior Chief Mwamba of Northern Province, Chief Sailunga of North-Western Province and Mwami Monze from the Southern Province and urged them to use their powers to invoke rain, adding that the chiefs should continue their prayers for rain, believing that “God will hear our cry.”

The President also encouraged not only the chiefs but also the churches and the entire nation to join in prayers for rain.

“All of us, the churches, everybody, we must pray for rains so that we can take care of God’s people properly,” he said.

The head of state further urged farmers to intensify efforts at planting crops and maximizing their harvest for national food security once the rain comes.

The drought in Zambia in recent
seasons have left 84 districts severely impacted, leading to food shortages and a worsening electricity deficit due to low water levels.