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Misappropriation: Rivers Assembly invites EFCC, ICPC to probe Electoral Commission boss

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Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule, has called on Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offenses Commission, ICPC, to probe the Rivers Electoral Chairman.

Amaewhule made the call during the plenary at the Assembly quarters in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

The Speaker said that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, Chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), should be investigated for alleged misappropriation of the Commission’s fund.

According to him, it is the duty of the Rivers State Assembly, which enacted the state Independent Electoral Commission law and set up the State Independent Electoral Commission, to exercise oversight over it.

Amaewhule reiterated that Enebeli and the Commissioners came before the House of Assembly for screening and confirmation and admitted that they were not going to live above the Constitution or the Rivers’ law.

“It is not only constitutional, but it is the convention the world over.

“And it is usually the practice that questions are put forth to them, asking them if they will come before the House when questions are needed to be asked.

“And they also confirmed to us that they will come before the Assembly to answer questions when necessary.

“Today, we are calling on them and they are refusing to honour the summons of this August Assembly,” he said.

He further stated that the House is vested with the powers in Section 128 of the state Constitution to invite the commission for investigation, for the chairman and members to answer questions put forward to them.

According to Amaewhule, it had become necessary for the house to invite the EFCC and ICPC to assist it, in pursuit of its investigative powers, to find out how funds were spent by the commission.

The Speaker said that the crime commissions should also investigate how public funds were expended by the chairman, who is the chief accounting officer of the commission, in a manner that was unknown to the Assembly.

Amaewhule said that there was no approval, no budgetary allocation, no appropriation law, and billions of public funds went down the drain in futile actions.

Politics

Nigerian Govt Declares Monday, Tuesday Public Holidays For Eid-el-Fitr Celebration

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The Nigerian Muslims have also commenced the feasting since March 1, 2024 and it is expected to end either on Saturday or Sunday.

The Nigerian government has declared Monday and Tuesday as public holidays to mark this year’s Eid-el-Fitr celebration.

Magdalene Ajani, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, announced the holidays in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Eid-el-Fitr, also known as the “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” is celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting, intense prayers, and acts of charity.

The Nigerian Muslims have also commenced the feasting since March 1, 2024 and it is expected to end either on Saturday or Sunday.

Ramadan is observed with devotion, with many Muslims engaging in nightly Taraweeh prayers, communal Iftar gatherings, and increased charitable activities.

The holy month often brings a shift in daily routines, as businesses adjust their working hours, and markets witness increased activity, especially in the days leading up to Eid.

The Eid celebrations in Nigeria are usually marked with prayers at mosques and Eid grounds, feasting, and visits to family and friends.

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The House of Reps has passed second reading of a constitutional amendment bill to remove immunity from the Vice President, the Governors, and their Deputies in order to curb corruption, eradicate impunity, and enhance accountability in public office, along with 41 other bills.

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The House of Reps has passed second reading of a constitutional amendment bill to remove immunity from the Vice President, the Governors, and their Deputies in order to curb corruption, eradicate impunity, and enhance accountability in public office, along with 41 other bills.

The others bill are:

A Bill for a Creating Additional Three States Oke – Ogun State, ljebu State and Ife – ljesa State.

A Bill for the Creation of “Tiga State” from the Present Kano State with Headquarters in “Rano”.

A bill to Create a New State in the South Eastern Region of Nigeria Known as Orlu State.

A bill to Create an Additional State in the South East Region of Nigeria, Carved from the Existing Five (5) States to be known as Etiti State with Capital at Okigwe.

A Bill to Establish and Provide Roles for Traditional Rulers in Nigeria and Provide for the Recognition of the Advisory Role of Traditional Rulers in the Constitution.

A bill to Grant Citizenship Rights to Spouses of Women from Nigeria, Specify the Minimum Number of Youths and Women that May be Appointed into Specific Offices.

A bill to Guarantee Indigene Status to Persons by Reason of Birth or Continued Residence for a Period of Not Less than Ten Years or by Reason of Marriage.

A bill to include Citizenship by Investment as one of the classes of Citizenship in Nigeria, provides for the Acquisition of Nigerian Citizenship by Qualified Foreign Investors who meet Specified Investment Thresholds.

A bill to Separate the Offices of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Attorney-General of a State from the Offices of the Minister of Justice of the Federal Government and Commissioner for Justice of the Government of a State.

A bill to Provide for the Establishment of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federal Government.

A bill to Increase the Number of Members of the Federal Civil Service Commission to Provide for each State of the Federation and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja the Opportunity of One Person Representation.

A bill to Mandate all Government Statutory Corporations, Commissions, Authorities, Agencies including all Persons and Bodies Established by Law to Submit Yearly Financial Statement to the Auditor General within a Specified Period.

A bill to Specify the Period for the Laying of Annual Budget Estimates Before the National and State Houses of Assembly.

A bill to Provide for the Public Disclosure of Reports of the Auditor-General of the Federation and for the Auditor-General of a State.

And others constitutional amendments.

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Enugu Govt partners FG to relocate Correctional Centre

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Government of Enugu State has commended the Federal Government for approving the relocation of the Enugu Correctional Centre located at the GRA, saying it is ready to partner with the central government to actualise it soonest.

The assurances were given by the governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, when he received members of the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions in his office at the Government House, Enugu, on Wednesday.

He told the team led by the Committee Chairman, Hon. Chinedu Ogah that the state government had always advocated for the relocation of the facility, which was built in 1915, from the city centre to a more suitable location.

“It is highly commendable that the Federal Government has sanctioned the relocation of Enugu Correctional Center. This is something we have been advocating for. So, I think you have a real partner in the state government, as we have a coincidence of objective. So, we are going to anxiously be waiting to hear from you on how you want us to engage.

“We already have a survey, which we have done and we are more than happy to share the survey of the new location with you and we will take you to that location to see for yourselves,” Mbah stated.

Mbah called for the automation of the justice dispensing system to reduce the congestion of the correctional centres, highlighting the efforts of his administration to automate the justice system.

“On our part, we are not going to relent in the intervention we have made in the entire justice reform system.

“We have now fully automated our court processes and the idea is to ensure that there is speedy dispensation of justice because we also realised that a lot of the inmates we have in the correctional centres are those who are awaiting trial.

“If we can ensure speedy dispensation of justice, then we would also have to adjust these congested correctional centres significantly.

“That is essentially what we are doing with this automation of not just court processes, but also even the court proceedings.

“That is why I said full automation because even the longhand is no longer required in our courts because we now have verbatim reporters. This is a process we had started a year ago.

“We are happy it is now coming to a conclusion stage,” Mbah concluded.

In his remarks, Hon. Ogah commended Governor Mbah on improved security of lives and property in the state, stressing that “people can now drive through Enugu State at any time of the day without any fear.”

He added that the state government’s investment in security technology and effort of the correctional officers and security had ensured there was no jailbreak in Enugu State, and lauded the development strides of the governor, which he said were providing jobs, boosting economic development, and diminishing crimes.

The Committee welcomed the governor’s proactive approach to relocating the correctional centre through the provision of the proposed new site and also sought the support of the government in the area of vehicles for the conveyance of inmates to and fro trial sessions.

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