Metro

Complying with court order, CSU releases Tinubu’s records to Atiku. Here are the key details

Published

8 months ago

October 3, 2023

After a long-drawn battle, the
Chicago State University (CSU) has finally released the academic records of President Bola Tinubu to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, following an order by a United States District Court in Northern District of Illinois.

The CSU, which released the documents to Atiku, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the disputed February 25 presidential election in Nigeria, also affirmed that Tinubu graduated in 1979 with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration.

The institution said that after diligent search, it was able to find some documents Atiku had requested for but could not give specific names because of privacy concerns.

It further said that it could not find the particular documents of Tinubu which Atiku claimed were presented by the president to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but said the university found some diploma certificates with the same font as the one being queried by Atiku.

“CSU does not, in the ordinary course, keep copies of student diplomas, and after the diligent search cannot locate a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Mr Tinubu in 1979, hence, has no documents responsive to this request,” the varsity said in a statement.

The CSU documents which were released late Monday, was in response to Atiku’s four requests which included a request for “a true and correct copy of any diploma issued by CSU in 1979 to Mr Tinubu.”

The release of Tinubu’s academic records by CSU was in compliance with the the district judge’s dismissal of the president’s motion of objection filed last week by his lawyers.

In ruling in favour of Atiku, the judge, Nancy Maldonado, had given the CSU till Tuesday to release the records.

“For the foregoing reasons, the court overrules President Tinubu’s objections to Magistrate Judge Gilbert’s recommended ruling, and therefore, adopts the ruling in full,” Maldonado had said.

“Mr Atiku’s Application is, therefore, granted. In light of the pending Supreme Court of Nigeria deadline, represented to the court as October 5, 2023, and based on CSU’s representations that it is ready to comply with the discovery requests and produce a witness, the court sets an expedited schedule for completion of discovery.

“Respondent CSU is directed to produce all relevant and non-privileged documents in response to Requests for Production Nos. The Rule 30(b)(6) deposition of CSU’s corporate designee must be completed by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Given the October 5, 2023, filing deadline before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the court will not extend or modify these deadlines,” the ruling added.

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Metro

Church in Kasama warns government against misusing Cyber Security Act

Published

6 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

In Kasama District of Northern Province, the Church has issued a caution to the government regarding the use of the Cyber Security Act to intimidate, harass, or oppress citizens and political parties.

Reverend Joseph Nkonde, Chairperson of the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) for Kasama District, restated the importance of fair implementation of the law to prevent discontent among citizens.

Speaking to Zambia Monitor in Kasama, Nkonde stressed the necessity for the government to focus on the positive aspects of the law and refine problematic clauses to achieve the desired Act.

“In this age of information, today’s Zambia is vastly different from yesterday’s. Citizens now utilise cyberspace to access and disseminate information,” he said.

Nkonde highlighted that Cyber Security also pertained to media freedoms, which are crucial for democracy and the well-being of Zambians.

He cautioned the government against intimidating journalists or their media houses using laws like the Cyber Security Act, as it could impede their performance.

“It’s important to note that many people, especially in rural areas, are unfamiliar with or unaware of the Cyber Security Act. The government can use the media to educate them about its advantages and disadvantages,” Nkonde advised.

Regarding media freedom, Nkonde acknowledged government’s efforts to implement policies aimed at protecting journalists but stressed the need for further action to ensure their security.

He urged Parliament to consider enacting laws that safeguard journalists and, ultimately, ordinary citizens who rely on the disseminated information.

“I also want to caution ordinary Zambians against misusing social media and posting content that may sow division or prompt government action that could be perceived as harmful,” Nkonde added.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

Nigeria targets 10,000MW hydropower through sustainable power project

Published

11 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, says the federal government is targeting10,000 megawatts through its Sustainable Power and Irrigation Project for Nigeria (SPIN) in collaboration with the World Bank.

Adelabu who disclosed this at during the African High-Level Roundtable on Sustainable Hydropower in the African Renewable Energy Mix of the 21st Century, held in Abuja on Wednesday, said the “primary objective of the project is to enhance the utilisation of existing storage facilities for both irrigation and hydropower generation.”

He added that the project aims to strengthen institutional frameworks related to integrated water resources management within Nigeria.

“SPIN aims to unlock additional 10GW combined capacity from existing dams with provision for hydro but not fitted, partially incomplete dams with provisions for hydropower, Greenfield projects and existing multipurpose dams that can be modified/redesigned and retrofitted,” Adelabu said.

The Minister who acknowled the immense potential for hydropower development in Africa, said it is important to also consider responsible development.

“We must address environmental concerns around dam construction and ecosystem disruption, alongside social impacts on local communities. This requires a commitment to sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and innovative solutions to financing these large-scale projects.”

The Minister also stated that for several decades, hydropower has played a significant role in Nigeria’s energy supply, contributing approximately 20 per cent to the nation’s total grid supply as of now.

Adelabu emphasised Nigeria’s wealth of water resources across its various basins while the country’s hydropower capacity is estimated at 14 GW, only around 15 per cent of this potential has been harnessed.

“The country has over 340 dams spread across different geo-political zones, under the management of the three government tiers and many are not optimally utilized or at risk of damage.

“For the small hydropower, a multitude of river systems, providing about 70 micro dams, 126 mini dams, and 86 small sites, supply a technically exploitable capacity of 3.5GW, but only 1.7per cent (0.06GW) of these resources are currently being tapped, while there are about 10GW of potential untapped capacities from the large and medium-sized hydropower,” he added.