News
2nd Term: Supreme Court asked to stop Buhari’s inauguration
BY: Oliseama Okwuchukwu
The Hope Democratic Party (HDP) has asked the Supreme Court of Nigeria to stop the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, slated for May 29, in Abuja.
In a notice of appeal filed before the Apex Court, the party which participated in the February 23 presidential election, urged the court to stop the president-elect from presenting himself for swearing in, pending the final determination of the petitions challenging the validity of his election
A similar application by the party was dismissed by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal for lacking in merit. But HDP in its appeal faulted the decision of the tribunal in its ruling delivered on May 22, on the grounds of lack of merit.
In the appeal filed on its behalf by Yusuf Ibrahim, HDP prayed for an order of the apex court directing the Senate President or the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to take over the rein of power pending the time all issues arising from the last election would be fully resolved.
It also prayed for another order setting aside the ruling of justice, Joseph Ikyegh which on May 22, refused to stop the inauguration of Buhari.
In the notice of appeal, filed on May 24, the HDP claimed that the tribunal erred in law in striking out its motion without giving cognisance to relevant laws cited.
Specifically, the party claimed that the tribunal failed to apply the extant provision of Section 25 of the Electoral Act 2010 mandatorily suspending and return of the questions on the election of February 23, 2019, presidential election until the validity of the said election was determined by the tribunal.
“The court is under an unwavering duty to obey and apply the expressed constitutional prohibitive and injunctive provision of Section 1(2) of 1999 Constitutional to safeguard and uphold the sanctity of the constitution above any individual, or group interest under any guise.”
However, the notice of appeal might have suffered a setback as the registry of the tribunal has refused to transmit the notice of appeal to the Supreme Court.
The registry said the notice will not be transmitted to the apex court until the party makes a deposit of N1m (N1M) for assessment of the record of proceedings and transmitting same to the Supreme Court as required by law.
But in a press statement, the HDP accused the tribunal of arbitraries and attempt to truncate its appeal.
The press statement signed by Sani Usman, its national Publicity Secretary read in part: “It has come to our notice that our party/petitioner’s notice of appeal to the Supreme Court duly lodged and assessed by the tribunal registry has since Friday 25/05/2019, after due payment of the filing fees, has been withheld by the tribunal registry, demanding just this Monday a deposit of N1million before any other step would be taken to issue date of settlement of records to ascertain the volume of documents to be transmitted to the Supreme Court in the interlocutory appeal arising from the said court ruling of 22/05/2019.
“This development appears arbitrary and unfortunate at this stage of our democratic experiment. It is like putting the cart before the horse and clear attempt to deny the petitioners/appellant their constitutional right of appeal on a subject deserving and towards improving our laws.
“We hope that our relief seeking an order of the Supreme Court that either the Senate President or the Chief Justice of Nigeria preside over or hold the rein of government until the appeal is determined in accordance with the law as no vacuum is allowed in the government of a nation after May 29, 2019.” (Daily Sun)
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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