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Jun 30, 2020
National Assembly Halts Planned Hike In Electricity Tariff
The leadership of the National Assembly in Nigeria has waded into the controversy on the planned hike in electricity tariff from July 1, 2020 and succeeded in convincing the Distribution Companies to defer the plan until the first quarter of 2021.
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and other principal officers of the National Assembly with the chief executives of the government electricity regulatory body and DisCos across the country.
Also in attendance were Chairmen of the Committees on Power from the Senate and House of Representatives. 
According to a statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Senate President, Ola Awoniyi, the National Assembly leaders were emphatic at the meeting that the timing of the planned hike was wrong even though there was the need to introduce a cost reflective tariff for the power sector to attract the much-needed investment.
The statement reads, “In the course of the meeting, the DISCOs too admitted that they were not well prepared for the planned hike in tariff even though they so much desired the increase.
“The meeting agreed to defer the planned hike till first quarter of next year while the leadership of the National Assembly promised to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue.
“The agreement is that there is not going to be any increase in the tariff on July 1."
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Industrial Court Orders Reinstatement Of Demoted Federal University Lecturers In Bayelsa, Awards N20m Compensation
The Industrial Court sitting in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State, has ordered the reinstatement of four lecturers demoted by the Federal University of Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area.
Recall that in 2018 the institution downgraded Prof Steve Nwabuzor from the rank of a professor to Lecturer 1, Dr Felina Nwadike, Associate Professor to Senior Lecturer. 
Others are Dr Sepribo Lawson-Jack, an Associate Professor to Lecturer I, and Dr Evans Eze from Associate Professor to Lecturer II.
Presiding judge, Justice Bashiru Alkali, ruled that the claimants be reinstated to their full status, privileges and entitlements by the institution.
Justice Alkali ruled that the university should pay each claimant N5m for defamation and N200,000 each for cost of litigation.
All the litigants were from the Diaspora, who returned to serve in the university.
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Missing Toddler: Defense Witness Accuses DSS Of Tearing Statements While In Custody
The ongoing trial of Prophet Alfa Babatunde, founder of Sotitobire Miracle Centre, Akure, Ondo State, over the case of the missing one-year-old boy named Gold Eniola Kolawole resumed at the state's High Court on Monday.
The third witness for the defense, Mr Richard Akinnagbe, narrated how the Department of State Services personnel tore three statements he wrote while in their custody.
Akinnagbe alleged that the DSS operatives destroyed the three statements because it was not what they wanted him to write. 
He made the allegation when he was cross-examined by the defense counsel, Olusola Oke, at the resumed hearing of the trial.
The witness also revealed that he was detained by the DSS for more than a day after he was invited to their Akure office for interrogation over the case of the missing child.
Akinnagbe accused the mother of the missing boy, Modupe Kolawole, of being reluctant to involve the police immediately the incident occurred.
In his counter argument, Mr Adekola Olawoye, prosecuting counsel, who is also the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, described Akinnagbe as a "meddlesome interloper" in the case.
Olawoye also tendered in court as exhibit, the statement said to have been written in DSS custody by Akinnagbe and though there was opposition by the defense, the court accepted the exhibit.
In his ruling, Justice Olusegun Odusola thereafter adjourned the hearing of testimonies from witnesses until Tuesday (tomorrow).
Odusola also ordered that Prophet Babatunde and six co-defendants were returned to the facility of the Nigeria Correctional Service in Olokuta, Akure.
Olawoye expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of the defense, saying it was affecting many other state issues.
Spokesperson for the defense team, Akinyemi Omoware, however assured that they would call all their 20 witnesses between the time-frame allotted by the judge.
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Group Calls For Removal Of Ondo Commissioner Of Police Ahead Of Governorship Election
A group, Sunshine Development Group, on Monday called for the redeployment of Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Bolaji Salami.
The group in a statement in Akure, asked the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to redeploy Salami before the October 10 governorship poll.
The statement was signed by the group's Secretary, Olusegun Akinsehinde, and spokesperson, Ajongbolo Oluwagbenga. 
The group said it was clear that Salami would be baised in the policing and monitoring of the governorship election in the state.
The statement reads, "SDG, rising from an emergency virtual meeting, resolved to call for the immediate removal of the Commissioner of Police as his continued overseeing of police affairs in Ondo State portends great danger to the existing calm and peace enjoyed here.
"It is instructive to note that the refusal to redeploy Mr Bolaji Salami implies that the police headquarters have concluded plans to stir the still waters in the state and influence the next gubernatorial elections in Ondo.
"If the deputy governor of a state is given such treatment, what then is the fate of the common man on the streets of Akure?
"We hereby call on President Buhari and IGP Adamu to redeploy Mr Salami with immediate effect as it is now clear he won't be unbiased in the monitoring and supervision of the state in the forthcoming governorship election."
Akeredolu Orders Police To Detain Deputy Governor As Deputy Concludes Plan To Defect To PDP WATCH: VIDEO: Ondo Governor, Akeredolu Orders Police To Detain Deputy Governor In Office For Over Four Hours As Deputy Concludes Plan To Defect To PDP Police Politics News AddThis : Featured Image :
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APC Moves To Reconcile Aggrieved Members As Giadom Asks Oshiomhole, Dissolved NWC Members To Learn From Mistakes
Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Committee of the All Progressives Congress and the Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, has said that the committee would embark on the process of true reconciliation among aggrieved leaders and members of the party.
APC had been embroiled in a leadership crisis for months, which led to the dissolution of the National Working Committee of the party led by Adams Oshiomhole by the National Executive Committee last Thursday.
Buni while swearing-in the other members of the committee at the party's National Secretariat on Monday in Abuja, said that they believed that the decision of NEC to constitute it will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the party.
He urged all APC members to heed the appeal of President Muhammadu Buhari for peace to reign in the party. See Also 
Buni said, “lt is time for this commitee therefore to commence the process of true reconciliation among leaders and members of the party at all levels. It is our belief that the decision by NEC to constitute this committee will mark the begining of a new chapter in our great party."
Meanwhile, the immediate-past Deputy National Secretary of the party, Victor Giadom, while addressing journalists called on the dissolved NWC to learn from their mistakes in order to strengthen the party.
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Experts Lambast Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu Over Defections, Describe Them As 'Shameless Politicians'
Political analysts have attacked Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of jumping from one political party to the other ahead of the September 19 governorship election in the state.
Obaseki moved from the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party while Ize-Iyamu headed in the opposite direction.
Speaking with Saharareporters on Monday on the political development in the state, Head of Department of Political Science, Prof Jonah Onuoha, described Nigerian politicians as a crop of people, who have no sense of shame and are only out to seek personal gains above serving the people. 
He said Nigerian politics cannot move forward with the present crop of politicians jumping from one party to the other in the quest for power and to achieve their selfish ambitions.
Onuoha berated Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu for abandoning their previous groups and emerging governorship candidates of the PDP and APC respectively in Edo.
He said, "There must be a change of mindset and new set of politicians. Nigerian politics cannot move forward until these set of politicians leave the scene.
"They lack focus, principles, values and ideology. There is no difference between those in military uniforms and what we have now. They are all the same circulating themselves in power."
On his own part, Executive Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, Clement Okechukwu Nwankwo, said the situation in Edo State had brought question marks on the sustainability of political system and political parties in country.
He said the situation in the state was a clear negative indicator that had eroded confidence, loyalty and discipline in the political party system.
Nwankwo said, "A situation where somebody leaves a political party and migrate few days to the primary of that party and emerges as winner creates disaffection for the political party followership.
"It is a deteriorating culture of political party loyalty and discipline."
The two political parties were alleged to have mounted pressure on other aspirants, who had line up for the election to step down for Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu.
Interestingly, in 2026, former National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, described Ize-Iyamu as someone, who could not be trusted with public funds.
The same Oshiomole also praised Obaseki
as one, who had used his “brain” and “creativity” to work for the good of the state and the people.
Things have however, taken a different turn today as Oshiomhole now rallies support for Ize-Iyamu and continues to condemn Obaseki at every opportunity.
It was through his orchestration that Obaseki was disqualified from the APC primary in Edo over alleged certificate irregularities.
It is the same scenario in Kogi State where Dino Melaye and Smart Adeyemi have swapped camps between the PDP and APC several times to contest the senatorial seat of the district.
Also, no fewer than 14 APC senators including former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and 37 members of the House of Representatives defected to PDP and ADC before the 2019 general elections.
Analysts maintain that the practice not only embarresses Nigeria's democracy in the international community but also casts a huge shadow of doubt over the country's future.
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Jun 29, 2020
Electricity Distribution Companies Tackle Regulatory Commission Over Increase In Tariff
Electricity Distribution Companies have insisted that the plan to increase electricity tariff on July 1, 2020 had the approval of both the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and Federal Government.
The DisCos in a statement on Sunday by the Executive Director of Research and Advocacy, Sunday Oduntan, through their umbrella body, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, expressed concern that NERC was trying to distance itself from the new service-based electricity tariff regime.
The statement reads, “We are in a regulated sector. We cannot take a decision about a very critical aspect of the sector like tariff without a nod from the regulator. However, what has happened in recent days is that our regulator is warning us not to mention their name or the Federal Government in any of our communication about the tariff increase with our customers. This is certainly very unfair. 
"Many stakeholders have expressed their concern at the unusual silence of our regulator, NERC on the upcoming increase and it looks like a unilateral decision by the DisCos.
“We’ll like to inform Nigerians that tariff review (upward or downwards) is the primary responsibility of NERC as our regulator. We are required to submit our proposals and they have the final say.”
ANED explained that they received a letter from NERC warning them not to mention their name or that of government in any public communications on tariffs.
The statement added, “While it is our obligation to communicate the increase, it is also important for customers to know that it is following standard processes of tariff adjustments in the sector with approvals from NERC and the Federal Government.
"As DisCos, we believe in the rule of law. We will only carry out lawful approval and instructions by our regulator.”
"We are very sensitive to the feelings and yearnings of our customers during this period of COVID-19.
“To demonstrate our sensitivity, Nigerians will recall that the DisCos, in conjunction with the National Assembly, came out to suggest a two-month free electricity supply for residential customers but the proposal was not approved by the Federal Government due to paucity of funds occasioned by the reduction of national incomes from sales of crude oil."
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