June 11, 2020 – Page 2

I will Not Get Justice, Says Obaseki After APC Screening

June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 - by Precise Post - Leave a Comment

Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, says he will not get justice from a committee set up by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to vet aspirants seeking to get the party’s ticket ahead of the governorship election. The screening process lasted for about two hours at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday. Obaseki went through the process hours after Crusoe Osagie, media aide to the governor, said the committee delayed him for hours. “The governor arrived early but the screening committee was not ready,” Osagie had said earlier in a statement on Wednesday. “He was given the options to either wait for one hour or if he had an appointment to keep, he could go and call them to know if they were ready. “The governor, who had a Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) meeting, went for the meeting and called when he was done, but the members of the screening committee did not pick their phones.” He eventually met the panel. Speaking with journalists after the exercise, Obaseki said he is not sure of getting justice because Adams Oshiomhole, …

Politics

Dino Melaye Loses At Tribunal, Heads To Court of Appeal

June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 - by Precise Post - Leave a Comment

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Kogi West senatorial candidate, Dino Melaye. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC had declared Adeyemi as the winner of the poll against Dino Melaye of PDP. Adeyemi garnered 88,373 votes while Dino Melaye scored 62,133. But Melaye petitioned the tribunal seeking for him to be declared the winner of the election or on the contrary, the election is quashed for INEC to conduct a fresh election. However, the three judges of the tribunal in a unanimous ruling on Wednesday said the petitioners’ witnesses failed to substantiate their claims in the petition to warrant granting Melaye his prayers. They also held that the Dino Melaye failed to prove non-compliance with the standard of electoral acts in the election. The tribunal said all the 71 witnesses called by the petitioners contracted themselves during cross-examinations and made a “worthless, unreliable and unmerited statement” that cannot be relied on. The court also rejected the videos and other documents presented by the Petitioner during the final …

Lifestyle / News

It’s Taboo To Sell Pounded Yam in Omupo Community – monarch

June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 - by Precise Post - Leave a Comment

Yakubu Buari, monarch of Omupo, in Ifelodun, Kwara state, says it’s a taboo to sell pounded yam — one of Nigeria’s delicacies — in the community. NAN reports that the traditional ruler, at a media briefing on Wednesday to mark his 10th year on the throne, said the practice has been in the community for several years. According to him, different communities in Yoruba Kingdoms have their taboos and Omupo is no exception. Buari said that the violators of the taboo in the past battered themselves to death with the pestles. He added that since that tragedy, the oracle had forbidden the sale of pounded yam in the community. The monarch said that apart from getting killed with pestles, the violators of the taboo could also be hit with spiritual affliction. Buari, however, said nothing negative would happen to those who prepare the delicacy and consume it at home either as individuals or as a group. He said historically, Omupo kingdom used to be a place of refuge for the warriors, who enhanced their weapons by soaking them in a …

News

How Reps Passed 2020 Revised Budget After Jacking It Up With N296bn

June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

…As Senate considers proposal today By Our Reporter Abuja (Precise Post) – The House of Representatives has passed the 2020 revised budget, after increasing the proposed sum from N10.509 trillion to N10.805 trillion. This is a N296 billion addition from the amount sent by President Muhammadu Buhari. The new budget is also N211 billion higher than the N10. 594 trillion passed by the legislature in December 2019 before it was revised to N10.509 trillion against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. Though the report of the Committee on Appropriation had provided N10.801 trillion for the revised budget but during consideration, N4 billion was added to take care of hazard and other welfare packages for residents doctors not hitherto captured. The budget was passed, yesterday, at plenary after clause by clause consideration of the report of the Committee on Appropriation by the Committee of Supply chaired by the Speaker, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila. In his brief explanation during consideration of the budget, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriation, Muktar Betara said, the increase in the revised budget was for interventions to cushion …

News

COVID-19: Lagos Leads With 201 Infections as NCDC Confirms 409 New Cases

June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

By Chris Nwabuko Abuja (Precise Post) – Lagos state, the epicentre of COVID-19 in Nigeria still led other states with 201 infections as Nigeria Centre for Disease Control confirmed 409 new cases of the virus on Wednesday. The NCDC while disclosing this through its verified Twitter handle, also reported that a total of 4,351 patients have been treated and discharged and 382 deaths recorded. The full report of the health agency is as follows: 409 new cases of #COVID19; Lagos-201 FCT- 85 Delta- 22 Edo- 16 Nasarawa- 14 Borno- 14 Kaduna- 14 Bauchi-10 Rivers-9 Enugu- 5 Kano- 5 Ogun- 4 Ondo- 4 Bayelsa- 2 Kebbi- 2 Plateau- 2 Total of: 13,873 confirmed cases 4,351 discharged 382 deaths.

Politics

Excessive Borrowing: Nigeria Would Soon Find it Difficult to Breathe – PDP

June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

….Urges Party’s Senate Caucus to End FG’s Borrowings, Review Electoral System By Chris Udochukwu Abuja (Precise Post) – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the debt burden is already weighing heavily on the country to the extent that Nigeria would soon find it difficult to breathe politically and economically. The party therefore urged its senate caucus to end what it described as Federal Government’s excessive borrowing, saying the continuous accumulation of debt is becoming embarrassing to the country. The National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, who led the party leadership to the Senate yesterday made the call while briefing journalists after about three hours of their meeting. His words: “We are worried about the continuous borrowing by the executive arm of government, if it continues like this, Nigerians would be feeling the pains. “So, this must stop, there must be an end to the borrowings. Those are the issues we have asked our senators to raise in the Senate.” On whether they expect the senators to stage a walkout if their position was not respected based on …

Features

Oshiomhole-Obaseki Feud, Nigeria’s democracy illusion

June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

By Ikechukwu Amaechi TOMORROW, Friday, June 12, Nigerians will celebrate 21 years of “democracy”. On the face value, that is a significant milestone given our chequered political curve. But in reality, we have had two decades of civilian rule that has not asphyxiated under the jackboot of military potentates and not necessarily a democracy. Our system of governance does not have democratic temperament, disposition and character. If you are in doubt, take a closer look at the unfolding political drama in Edo State. As editor of Daily Independent, I was in Edo to personally observe the July 14, 2012 governorship election, which, in my reckoning, was a consequential poll. A standalone, off season election, the stakes were quite high. The incumbent governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, was seeking re-election on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. The atmosphere was tense but the election, by and large, was peaceful. In the evening, as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, were collating the results, the then Commissioner for Information, Louis Odion, …