NURTW president Baruwa risks imprisonment over delegate conference  – Newstrends
Connect with us

metro

NURTW president Baruwa risks imprisonment over delegate conference 

Published

on

NURTW president Baruwa risks imprisonment over delegate conference 

 

Outgoing President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa, may be jailed for contempt of court should he go ahead to organise a delegate conference and run for a second term in office.

A legal practitioner, Barrister Mike Uwem, said any attempt to organise such a conference is a contempt of court which could attract severe punishment.

Uwem gave the warning on Monday in a statement against the backdrop of two subsisting suits at industrial courts challenging Baruwa’s to run for a second term in office.

Baruwa is reported to be planning to hold the NURTW national delegate conference and despite the pending court cases.

While the Abuja industrial court has fixed October this year on the eligibility case against the NURTW president, Lagos industrial court adjourned a similar case till November.

Uwem said, “Contempt of court is an act of disrespect or disobedience toward a court or interference with its orderly process.

“Instances of contempt of court include disrupting court proceedings, interference with attempts to obtain evidence, disobeying a court order.”

Speaking on the likely punishment for contempt of court,” he said it would depend on the judge.

“But ordinarily, it attract fines or getting jail term (three months imprisonment).”

According to Barrister Uwem, in a normal setting, trying to organise such a delegate conference despite the fact that the matter is before a court of law is resulting to self-help and it may be interpreted as contempt of court.

The best way to go is to allow the court to run its course and deliver judgement and not self-help,” he said.

metro

Couple, 4 others die in Abuja-Lokoja Road crash

Published

on

Couple, 4 others die in Abuja-Lokoja Road crash

A woman, Hajiya Fatima Ahmed Usman, her husband, Alhaji Muhammad Usman, alongside their four other relations reportedly lost their lives in a ghastly motor accident which occurred at Ahoko bridge, along the Abuja-Lokoja highway.

A witness said the incident occurred around 12:34 pm on Sunday, the eidfitr day.

He said the couple and the four others left Toto town in Nasarawa State in an unmarked Honda car to attend a burial of one of their relatives at Kotonkarfe when the accident happened.

He said the car veered off the road and somersaulted into a ditch after a trailer hit the vehicle from behind, adding that all the six occupants died on the spot.

Our reporter learnt that Muhammed Usman was the chairmanship aspirant in the November, 2024, Toto LGA election in the area.

However, the remains of the deceased were evacuated into an ambulance to Toto for burial.

 

Couple, 4 others die in Abuja-Lokoja Road crash

Continue Reading

metro

NSCDC personnel die, policemen, soldier injured in Abia auto crash

Published

on

NSCDC personnel die, policemen, soldier injured in Abia auto crash

A personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, has been confirmed dead while five policemen and a soldier were injured in an auto crash at Ibeku, along the Umuahia-Bende-Ohafia federal highway in Abia State.

Newstrends gathered that the vehicle conveying the security operatives, who are members of the state joint security task force comprising Police, Army and NCDC personnel, veered off the road and plunged into a ditch in the narrow and dilapidated highway.

Motorists and some residents of the Ihie Ibeku community were said to have assisted to rescue the victims and took them to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia before the arrival of the security agencies.

Eyewitnesses told Vanguard: “Out of the 10 security operatives onboard, one officer from the NSCDC was confirmed dead, while eight others sustained injuries and were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Umuahia. We heard that one security operative had disembarked along the highway before the accident occurred and was initially declared missing but was later found alive.”

READ ALSO:

Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Abia State Command, Maureen Chinaka, said she does not speak for ‘Operation Crush (the joint security task force).

Meanwhile, Governor Alex Otti, has condoled the leadership of the state joint security task force over the unfortunate crash.

While condoling with the Joint Command and the family of the deceased NSCDC official, Otti in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, assured that his administration will ensure that the injured personnel receive quality medical attention to ensure they recuperate quickly.

He noted that the Joint Security Task Force has done a wonderful job in securing the state against criminals and assured that his administration will continue to offer the necessary support to sustain the tempo.

 

NSCDC personnel die, policemen, soldier injured in Abia auto crash

Continue Reading

metro

2024 Hajj: Reps refer NAHCON to anti-graft agencies

Published

on

2024 Hajj: Reps refer NAHCON to anti-graft agencies

Anti-Graft agencies and the Office of the Auditor- General for the Federation (OAGF) have been asked to beam their searchlights on the financial records of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

The House of Representatives urged the bodies to carry out comprehensive external audit of the commission, including the N90 billion federal subsidy for the 2024 hajj operations.

Specifically, the Green Chamber, which could verify the authenticity of the list provided to it by the commission, directed the anti-corruption agencies to probe NAHCON’s claim that it sponsored 1000 officials from the subsidy.

The recommendation followed the adoption of the report of the ad hoc committee that investigated the commission and the FCT Muslims Pilgrims Welfare aboard over the shoddy treatment of Nigerians during last year’s Hajj operation.

The House also asked the government to carry out a review and renegotiation of the questionable Bilateral Air Agreement that allows Saudi-owned airlines to airlift 50% of Nigerian pilgrims to the detriment of domestic airlines who have consistently shown capacity in pilgrims airlift.

The House said that that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria should henceforth publish a transparent and detailed breakdown of all Hajj charges, justifying each cost to prevent hidden fees and financial mismanagement.

The commission has a mandate to ensure a uniform fee structure for all pilgrims, with clear and justified cost variations, where applicable and carry out an upward review of the $500 Personal Travel Allowance (PTA) to a more reasonable amount that can adequately supports pilgrims during the pilgrimage.

READ ALSO:

On pilgrims accommodation and welfare in the holy land, the House asked the commission to decentralise accommodation management and allow State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and private tour operators (PTOs) to be part of negotiating benchmark prices for pilgrims’ accommodation.

It also has the task to establish a service rating system for accommodation providers; thereby ensuring that providers meet set standards before being contracted; while ensuring timely fund disbursements for accommodation to preventing last-minute reallocations that force pilgrims into substandard hotels.

It must implement an effective refund mechanism for pilgrims if accommodations or services fall below agreed standards and impose penalties for poor performance for service providers who fail to meet their obligations.

In addition, the commission should establish an effective pilgrim complaints and resolution unit to handle grievances related to accommodation, feeding, transportation, and other services as well as a transparent system for the issuance of official Hajj visas to registered tour operators, ensuring that they receive visas proportionate to the number of pilgrims they manage, and maintain a publicly accessible records of all visa distributions to prevent corruption and manipulation.

Warning against unilateral decisions, the House urged NAHCON to engage tour operators, airlines and state pilgrims welfare boards, and regulatory agencies in decision-making processes, rather than making unilateral decisions and strengthens its enforcement capacity to ensure that service providers, tour operators and state boards comply with set Hajj standards.

On pilgrims’ feeding, the House asked the Hajj commission to contract Nigerian food caterers to prepare culturally-appropriate meals for pilgrims and introduce rigorous quality control checks for catering services, to ensure hygienic and nutritious meals for pilgrims.

 

2024 Hajj: Reps refer NAHCON to anti-graft agencies

Continue Reading

Trending