Rivers poll: Remove your uniform, join APC, HURIWA chides IGP

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over his involvement in the local government election in Rivers State scheduled for Saturday October 5.

HURIWA also backed the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for foiling an attempt by the police, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), to take over the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).

The group said Egbetokun had become an interested party in the ongoing battle for political relevance and supremacy between the Rivers State governor and his erstwhile benefactor, Nyesom Wike.

HURIWA in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said, “We urge the IGP of Police Kayode Egbetokun to decide if he wants to remove his uniform and then join the All Progressives Congress as a registered card carrying member rather than wear the uniform paid for by taxpayers most of whom don’t belong to any political persuasions, and then only for the IGP to dabble into the political fisticuffs in Rivers State on behalf of the self acclaimed political godfather of Rivers State Barrister Nyesom Wike.”

It added, “The Police in Rivers State controlled from the office of IGP in Abuja, must behave like professionals rather than always acting as the armed thugs of All Progressives Congress. ”

HURIWA condemned the night time invasion of the Rivers State Electoral Commission in Port Harcourt by the police, describing it as an illegal operation.

The rights group demanded “the immediate arrest of the Deputy Commissioner Operations of the Nigeria Police who coordinated the attempted take over of a democratic institution of Rivers State.

“We view this brazen attack on the soul of democracy in Rivers State by the partisan Nigeria Police as an attempted coup which must not be swept under the carpets of impunity.

“We will continue to warn the Nigeria Police to steer off politics and operate in compliance to the constitutional provisions which created the policing institution to enforce law and order and not to be deployed for political parties’ supremacy battles to advance the ambitions of certain individuals only because they are affiliated to the All Progressives Congress which is the party in power at the centre.

“The Nigeria Police Force has continued to give Nigerians reasons to doubt that the country even has anything like a credible or professional policing institution because if the police of Nigeria now behaves like the armed wing of All Progressives Congress and then dabble into controversies around the Rivers Local Government elections, we the people of Nigeria will automatically assume that we don’t have a complete professional police in existence.

“These vexatious, toxic, unconstitutional harassment of the Rivers state governor and the brazen, lawless, reckless efforts to take over democratic institutions by the police in Rivers state are only drawing us back to the days of the military dictatorship and these illegal acts of treachery by the police are attracting global opprobrium and bad image in the commity of nations for Nigeria,” HURIWA added.

Rivers poll: Remove your uniform, join APC, HURIWA chides IGP

Tinubu finalises new cabinet list, bars lobbyists from UK residence

There are strong indications that President Bola Tinubu has finalised the names and roles of those who will form his revamped cabinet, PUNCH reported Saturday.

According to multiple sources within the Presidency, Tinubu has completed the list of ministers set to be retained or removed and was expected to release it on Thursday night, just a day after arriving in the United Kingdom for his two-week annual leave.

Amid growing economic challenges and the widespread protests that occurred in August, the President has been under increasing pressure, both from within his party, the All Progressives Congress, and external forces, to dismiss underperforming ministers.

Despite repeatedly issuing warnings regarding underperformance, the president’s cabinet has remained largely intact, with the notable exception of the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, in January 2024.

During a three-day retreat for cabinet members and presidential aides in November, Tinubu introduced a Central Delivery Coordination Unit, overseen by his Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman. This unit was tasked with evaluating the performance of ministers and other top officials.

The President made it clear that these performance assessments would determine who would stay or leave the cabinet.

READ ALSO:

• Farooq Kperogi: Tinubu dramatizes hollowness of Nigeria’s “independence”
• Obey court order on Rivers LG poll, PDP tells Fubara
• Israeli airstrike cuts off road linking Lebanon, Syria

“If you are performing, nothing to fear. If you miss the objective, we’ll review it. If no performance, you leave us. No one is an island and the buck stops on my desk,” Tinubu told the attendees.

Nearly a year after the president’s cabinet was inaugurated in August 2023, reports suggested that a reshuffle was forthcoming, although officials remained unclear about the exact timing.

It was revealed that the changes would go beyond a simple swapping of portfolios. Certain ministries, such as the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, were expected to be scrapped, while other portfolios would likely be merged or split.

Speaking under anonymity, officials disclosed that while the list was initially slated for release on Thursday, the President decided to “sleep on it” for a bit longer.

“We are just waiting for the go-ahead. All I know is that we are expecting him to send the new names of those he wants to drop and those he wants to appoint,” one source shared.

Another official added, “I’m surprised the list did not come out yesterday. That list is nearly finalized.”

Reports suggesting that lobbyists were crowding Tinubu’s residence in the UK were also dismissed by officials. “That’s not true. Even if they know where he is, access is restricted. He’s resting, and no one can just walk in to see him like that,” one source clarified.

On September 25, 2024, the Presidency confirmed that a cabinet reshuffle was imminent, based on performance data gathered by the Central Delivery Coordination Unit.

Tinubu’s working leave in the UK commenced on October 2 and is scheduled to end on October 16.

Tinubu finalises new cabinet list, bars lobbyists from UK residence

Punch

Nigerians to process, obtain passports in their homes

Nigerians will soon begin to process and receive Nigerian passports from the comfort of their homes, without the hassle of physically appearing to be processed at a passport processing centre.