Tension in Rivers, police dare Fubara, vow to stop LG poll – Newstrends
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Tension in Rivers, police dare Fubara, vow to stop LG poll

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Tension in Rivers, police dare Fubara, vow to stop LG poll

Tension has enveloped Rivers State following the decision of the Nigeria Police Force to enforce a court judgment stopping Saturday’s local government elections in the state.

The police have directed relevant officers to enforce the Federal High Court’s judgement against the conduct of the controversial local government elections scheduled for tomorrow in Rivers State.

The police, in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Grace Iringe-Koko, recalled that on July 19, 2024, a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a restraining order preventing the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from providing security during the local government election.

The statement insisted that the Nigeria Police Force had been advised by the Force Legal Department to comply with the judgment of the Federal High Court dated September 30, 2024, which barred the police from allowing, participating in, providing security for, or taking part in the Rivers State Local Government Election on October 5, 2024.

The statement reads: “Additionally, on September 30, 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a judgment that again prohibited the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from participating in the Local Government Election.

“Given these circumstances, the Nigeria Police Force has been advised by the Force Legal Department that the ruling from the Federal High Court on September 30, 2024, takes precedence.

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“Recently, an opposition party protested, calling for adherence to the court orders and expressing their determination to prevent any disregard for the law.

“The Nigeria Police Force encourages all parties to seek appropriate legal redress if they feel aggrieved by any decisions or actions related to the election process.

“The Nigeria Police Force is dedicated to maintaining law and order and will not stand idly by in the face of potential disturbances.

“Necessary actions will be taken to enforce the court’s orders. All Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and Tactical Commanders have been directed to ensure full compliance with the judgment of the Federal High Court”.

The statement called on all other security agencies to comply with the Federal High Court judgment.

Recall that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has, however, insisted that the elections would still hold as scheduled.

Meanwhile, Governor Fubara has foiled an attempt by the Nigerian Police, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), to take over the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) at 1 AM on Friday, 4th October, 2024.

The policemen were said to have attempted to scale through the gates and strong room of the Commission to cart away sensitive Electoral materials meant for the conduct of Saturday’s local government election in the State.

According to a statement by the governor’s spokesman, “the evil plots of the rogue policemen and DC Ops were botched when vigilant security officials alerted principal officers of the Commission and relevant government authorities, who immediately informed the Governor of the development.

” The Governor immediately led a team of government officials, lawmakers from the National Assembly and State House of Assembly, top political stakeholders, and other leaders to storm the facility.”

Tension in Rivers, police dare Fubara, vow to stop LG poll

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Yahaya Bello reports to EFCC office with lawyers

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Yahaya Bello reports to EFCC office with lawyers

 

A former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Tuesday visited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to honour another invitation extended to him over alleged misappropriation of funds.

Bello went to the anti-graft office with his lawyers in the morning.

The ex-Kogi governor reportedly drove himself to the EFCC’s office in a black Toyota Hilux van with some lawyers.

He was said to have been taken by some operatives of the agency and are currently being grilled.

This is  coming after the Supreme Court judgment which dismissed a suit brought by some state governments challenging the constitutionality of the agency.

The EFCC at the last hearing on November 14, sought the adjournment till November 27 in the fresh case it instituted against Bello.

It stated that the 30-day window was still running for the summons earlier issued.

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Just in: Ebonyi governor suspends two commissioners, Perm Sec for misconduct 

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Just in: Ebonyi governor suspends two commissioners, Perm Sec for misconduct 

 

Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has announced the immediate suspension of two commissioners with a permanent secretary among others for gross misconduct.

Those suspended are the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development Francis Ori, and the Commissioner for Health, Moses Ekuma, with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health.

The suspension followed an incident on Saturday night, when the governor reportedly visited the Ministry of Health’s premises and was said to have found six officials diverting government materials.

Others suspended for three months are the Executive Secretaries of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency

The suspension order was announced by the state Commissioner for Information, Jude Okpor, who cited alleged misconduct and dereliction of duties as the reasons for the disciplinary actions.

Okpor made the disclosure on Tuesday during a press briefing on the outcomes of the State Executive Council meeting held on Monday at the New Government House in Abakaliki, the state capital.

“Following cases of gross misconduct and dereliction of duties by some government officials and matters related thereto, the Chairman of Council directed the indefinite suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development and three months suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Health, respectively

“In view of the development, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Primary Health was directed to take charge of the ministry in the absence of the suspended commissioner.

Governor Nwifuru directed the suspended government officials to hand over all government properties in their possession including vehicles to the Secretary to the State Government.

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Why we’re borrowing despite surplus revenues – FG

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Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun

Why we’re borrowing despite surplus revenues – FG

The Federal Government has defended its decision to borrow to address budget deficits, despite surpassing revenue targets in 2024.

Finance Minister Wale Edun and Budget Minister Atiku Bagudu clarified this position during a session with the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Finance, Budget, and National Planning. The meeting focused on the 2025–2027 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).

Last week, the National Assembly approved President Bola Tinubu’s $2.2 billion loan request to fund the N9.7 trillion deficit in the 2024 budget partially.

During the session, key agency heads, including Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) CEO Mele Kyari, Customs Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi, and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Chairman Zacch Adedeji, presented their revenue reports.

The agencies reported exceeding their 2024 targets.

  • Customs Service: Generated ₦5.352 trillion by September 30, surpassing its ₦5.09 trillion target for the year. For 2025, the agency projects ₦6.3 trillion, with a 10% increase planned for 2026.
  • NNPCL: Achieved ₦13.1 trillion in revenue, exceeding the ₦12.3 trillion projection for 2024. Kyari announced a ₦23.7 trillion revenue target for 2025.

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  • FIRS: Surpassed multiple tax collection goals, including ₦5.7 trillion from company income tax against a ₦4 trillion target. Education tax collections also exceeded expectations, reaching ₦1.5 trillion compared to a ₦70 billion target.

Overall, ₦18.5 trillion of the ₦19.4 trillion 2024 revenue target had been achieved by September, indicating the goal will be exceeded by year-end.

Despite these surpluses, the government insists borrowing remains essential to cover budget gaps and support vulnerable populations.

Bagudu explained, “Even with agencies exceeding revenue targets, borrowing is necessary to address deficits and boost productivity, particularly for the poorest. This aligns with Agenda 2050, which aims for a GDP per capita of $33,000.”

Edun also reiterated that loans were critical for adequately funding the budget.

The committee, led by Senator Sani Musa, questioned the rationale behind the borrowing and demanded further transparency. The Immigration Service was specifically asked to provide documents regarding an “unacceptable PPP arrangement” before the end of the week.

The session underscored the government’s balancing act between increased revenues and fiscal challenges requiring external borrowing.

Why we’re borrowing despite surplus revenues – FG

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