NEWS
Court Sets Date For Shaibu’s Suit Against Edo Assembly
A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a hearing date for a lawsuit initiated by Philip Shaibu, the impeached Deputy Governor of Edo State, against the state’s house of assembly and others.
Filed on March 27, the suit listed the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police and State Security Service (SSS) as the first and second respondents.
Additionally, it included Hon. Justice S.A. Omonua (rtd.), the Chairman, and members of the Panel of Seven Appointed by the 4th Defendant, the Chief Judge of Edo, and Prof. Theresa Akpoghome as the third to fifth respondents.
Shaibu, represented by O.A. Gbadamosi, SAN, also named President Aigbokhian, Oghogho Ayodele Oviasu, and the Edo State House of Assembly as the sixth to eighth respondents, respectively.
In the originating motion on notice, Shaibu sought a declaration asserting that the failure of the 3rd to 8th respondents to afford him a fair hearing during the impeachment proceedings instigated by the 8th respondent was unlawful, unconstitutional, and a blatant breach of his fundamental right to fair hearing, as enshrined in Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Additionally, he is pursuing a declaration highlighting that the assembly’s neglect to personally serve the purported impeachment notice on him and each member of the House of Assembly, as mandated by Section 188(2) of the 1999 Constitution, constitutes a violation of his right to fair hearing.
He additionally requested a declaration stating that the appointment of the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th respondents as chairman and members of the seven-member investigation panel tasked with probing allegations outlined in a purported impeachment notice against him is marred by a reasonable suspicion of bias and will lead to a breach of his fundamental right to fair hearing, as guaranteed under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
In additionhe sought an order instructing the respondents to refrain from taking any further actions that would infringe upon his fundamental right to fair hearing, as guaranteed under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.
In the same vein, he requested an order directing the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th respondents to disqualify themselves from serving as Chairman and members of the 7-Man Investigating Panel appointed by the 3rd respondent, due to the potential bias against him, among other reliefs.
Shaibu provided seven grounds of argument, asserting that until now, he had never been presented with any such notice or allegations of misconduct, abuse of office, or any allegations whatsoever, whether during his tenure as deputy governor or acting governor.
He stated that he had not received any letter or notice as mandated by Section 188(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. Furthermore, he emphasized that the assembly had not granted him any opportunity to respond to any purported allegations, thus lacking any justification for initiating a process aimed at his removal from office as deputy governor.
He said, “The 3rd respondent via a letter dated 25th March, 2024 was appointed by the 4th respondent as the chairman of a panel of seven persons to investigate the allegations contained in a purported impeachment notice, which is yet to be personally served on the applicant.
“The 3rd respondent is a retired judicial officer and community leader from Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo Central Senatorial District, where there is strong clamour against the gubernatorial ambition of the applicant.
“The 3rd respondent appears to have been given the hatchet job of recommending the removal from office of the applicant, in order to weaken his political ambition of becoming governor of Edo State.
“The 4th respondent being a protégé of the 3rd respondent, appointed him as chairman of the Investigating Panel, when other persons he offered the same appointment rejected it, because it was a politically motivated job.”
The case, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, was scheduled for hearing on Friday, following the appearance of a team of lawyers, including Alex Ejesieme, SAN, who attended to request a date for the case.
Despite the suit, identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/405/24, not being listed on the cause list, the defense lawyers attended the court session.
Just before adjourning the session, one of the lawyers informed Justice Ekwo that the matter was initially slated for Thursday but was postponed due to a public holiday, resulting in the court’s non-sitting.
However, Justice Ekwo clarified that he could not preside over a matter not present in the file, instructing them to coordinate with the court registrar for the next adjourned date.
The hearing was subsequently rescheduled for April 19.
Recall that on Monday, Shaibu faced impeachment by the state’s house of assembly following the panel’s finding of guilt on charges of perjury and divulging government secrets.
The retired Justice Omonuwa-led panel commenced its sessions on April 3 in Benin and concluded on April 5, with neither Shaibu nor his counsel in attendance.
The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has announced that the portal for student loan applications will officially open on May 24, 2024.
This development is part of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund’s efforts to enhance access to higher education, as stated by the Fund’s media lead, Nasir Ayantogo, on Thursday night.
According to Ayantogo, the launch of the application portal is a significant step in President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to providing accessible and inclusive education for Nigerian students.
This initiative follows the signing of the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023, by President Tinubu on June 12, 2023 which aims to provide interest-free loans to financially disadvantaged students pursuing higher education in Nigeria.
Dele Alake, a member of the former Presidential Strategy Team, noted that this move fulfills one of President Tinubu’s key campaign promises to liberalize funding for education.
The Act, popularly known as the Students Loan Law, also established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund to handle all loan requests, grants, disbursements, and recoveries.
Initially, the government announced that the scheme would launch in September, but it faced several delays, resulting in an indefinite postponement in early March.
The Presidency attributed the delay to President Tinubu’s directive to expand the scheme to include loans for vocational skills.
Following a briefing from the NELFUND team led by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, on January 22, President Tinubu instructed the Fund to extend interest-free loans to Nigerian students interested in skill-development programs.
President Tinubu stressed the importance of including those who may not seek university education, noting that skill acquisition is equally as important as earning academic degrees.
He had said, “This is not an exclusive programme. It is catering to all of our young people. Young Nigerians are gifted in different areas.
“This is not only for those who want to be doctors, lawyers, and accountants. It is also for those who aspire to use their skilled and trained hands to build our nation.
“In accordance with this, I have instructed NELFUND to explore all opportunities to inculcate skill-development programmes because not everybody wants to go through a full university education,”
Through the portal, students can now access loans to pursue their academic aspirations without financial constraints.
According to the statement, the portal features a user-friendly interface, allowing students to conveniently submit their loan applications.
The statement added, “We encourage all eligible students to take advantage of this opportunity to invest in their future and contribute to the growth and development of our nation. Students can access the portal on www.nelf.gov.ng to begin application.”
President Bola Tinubu received Senegal’s newly elected President, Bassirou Faye, at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
Faye, who arrived at 3:09 p.m., is making his first official visit to Nigeria since taking office last month.
At 44, he is the youngest president in Senegalese history, having secured a decisive victory in April’s delayed presidential election with over 54% of the vote.
More to follow……..
In the devastating arson that occurred on Wednesday during an early morning prayer in Gaza village near Gezawa in Kano State, eleven people have been confirmed dead.
The perpetrator, 38-year-old Shafiu Abubakar, set fire to a mosque amidst an inheritance dispute, trapping around 40 worshippers inside.
Rabiu Gadan, a resident of the village, disclosed that 11 individuals have tragically succumbed to the burns they suffered.
Of these victims, eight have already been laid to rest, while preparations are underway for the burial of the remaining three, scheduled for Thursday.
Rabiu revealed that the attack was not the first instance of violence involving Shafiu. Previously, he had assaulted two of his older brothers and then voluntarily surrendered himself to the police, claiming responsibility for their deaths.
Another resident, Malam Garba, said, “He has always been troubled, but when he challenged his family to give him his portion of the inheritance, they did.
“He was even taken to a mental institution once when he attacked his relatives but he was given a clean bill of health. So, he was clearly in his right mind when he set the fire, two of his uncles died and we buried them yesterday already.”
According to BIZTELLERS reports, the assailant is currently in police custody, where he has confessed to his actions.
He cited frustration with the way some of the victims handled the inheritance sharing as his motive. Despite warning his family members to stop maltreating him, he claimed his pleas were ignored.
He however expressed no regret for his actions.
Residents confirmed the existence of an inheritance dispute within the family, but the precise nature of the disagreement remained unclear.
At the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in Kano, where the injured were rushed for treatment, distraught relatives anxiously awaited news about the condition of their loved ones.
Maijida, one of the distressed relatives, shared her heartache, expressing fear over the condition of her father and brothers.
“My father and two brothers are severely injured and I was told some people have died already, what will I do if I lose them, I will be left all alone.” she lamented.
One of the residents that attempted to rescue the victims, Musa Muhammad Gadan said, “I was late going to the prayers, but as I was rushing to the mosque, I heard a blasting noise and then I heard people screaming so I rushed over, the flames had engulfed the building, I and some others tried to rescue them and that is how I sustained burns on my arms.
During a visit to the victims at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Deputy Inspector General of Police AIG Umar Mamman Sanda, in charge of Zone 1 in Kano, confirmed the devastating loss of eight lives on Wednesday.
He was accompanied by a delegation of security personnel, including the Commissioner of Police in the state and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS).
He said, “The suspect was said to be not satisfied with the distribution and was reacting to that. He is presently with us and is giving useful information. It is really unfortunate.”
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