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Lawyers Say el-Rufai Cannot Arrest NLC Leaders

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Some senior lawyers have described the threat by Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai to arrest the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba as dictatorial and unconstitutional.

A human rights activist and lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, in an interview with The PUNCH, said El-Rufai’s action was dictatorial and despotic.

He said, “El -Rufai should not dare arrest the NLC chairman or dismiss the nurses. He has suddenly become dictatorial and despotic, reminding us of Hitler and Mussolini.

“The right to freedom of expression, movement, association, right to liberty and freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, etc., are basic human rights guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution, and universally recognised under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter On Human And People’s Rights, the European Charter on Human Rights, the American Convention on Human Rights, and other international instruments.

“The right to protest without even seeking Police permission has been serially upheld by Nigerian appellate courts.”

In a similar vein, legal practitioner, Remi Olatunbora, SAN, described the declaration as an empty threat.

He said, “The right of the NLC to withdraw their services, which is what we call strike, is guaranteed under the Constitution of Nigeria and extant labour law.

“The governor’s pronouncement is an empty threat. It is as empty as it was pronounced.

“It has no legal basis and does not hold any water in law. No law enforcement agency can enforce that.

“Such pronouncement has no place in a democratic regime. Only a dictatorial regime can make such pronouncement.”

On his part, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) said the governor was misunderstanding the extent of his powers as “the Chief Executive of Kaduna State.”

According to him,  a protest is part of the rights that citizens enjoy in a democracy, so the people of Kaduna have the right to call for a strike if they believe that they are not being served well.

He stated, “Declaring the leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress wanted is misappropriation of power as a governor. It is not one of the attributes of democratic governance. Declaring people wanted for embarking on a strike action is misconceived.

“Therefore, I do not think that what the governor has done is right. The matter ought to be resolved in a court and luckily for us, El-Rufai will not be the judge.”

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige made the appeal in a statement by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations in the Ministry, Charles  Akpan, on Tuesday.

The Punch

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Senate Summons Keyamo, NCCA Boss, Others over Flight Delays, Cancellations

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The Senate, on Wednesday, mandated its Committee on Aviation to summon the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.

The upper chamber also resolved to summon the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); Captain Chris Najomo, airline operators as well as other relevant stakeholders over incessant flight delays and cancellations.

The Committee on Aviation is mandated to investigate the increasing frequency of flight delays and cancellations by airline operators in the country.

The resolution followed a motion presented by Senator Buhari Abdulfatai (Oyo, APC) during plenary, highlighting the negative impact of these disruptions on Nigeria’s socio-economic growth and public confidence in the aviation sector.

The investigation will aim to uncover the root causes of the persistent disruptions and propose lasting solutions to improve the reliability and efficiency of air travel in Nigeria.

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Makinde Commissions Osun Road Projects, Endorses Gov Adeleke for Second Term

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Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has endorsed Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke for second term in office, stating that he as delivered dividends of democracy to the people of Osun State through the landmark achievements recorded within two years in office.

The governor made the announcement while commissioning Stadium – Testing ground – Okebaale – Ilesa garage road projects which was completed by Gov Adeleke’s administration, in Osogbo.

According to him, “I congratulate Governor Adeleke for delivering dividends of democracy to the people of Osun State. The reward for hard work is more work, so give him more work to do for another four years.”

While rejoicing with Governor Adeleke for the landmark achievements recorded within two years in office, Gov Makinde promised full support for the battle ahead to secure victory.

Gov Makinde urged the people of Osun not to allow darkness to return to the state, adding that the road projects would boost the economy of Osun.

He described himself and Gov Adeleke as true progressives in the southwest who will continue to lead the path and provide good leadership for the people.

Speaking earlier, the Governor of the state, Ademola Adeleke, paid tribute to the former Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who started the road projects, noting that Aregbesola will be happy about the final completion of the projects.

The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment towards completing all abandoned projects by previous administrations since inception, stating that they are public assets that must be managed for the benefit of the people.

He added that the completion of the dualization within record time will expand the economic growth of the city, state and save people from untimely death and injuries.

“I must also pay tribute to my brother, former Governor Rauf Aregbesola. His administration started the Osogbo Ring Road project before it was abandoned by the previous government. Today, Ogbeni Aregbesola must be happy at the final completion of the project.

“At the inception of our administration, I had promised my God and the people of Osun state that I would not abandon projects inherited from my predecessors. It is my considered view that public projects are public assets which must not be wasted on the altar of political vendetta. I followed my conviction by directing my team to compile a list of all abandoned projects and submit a plan of completion.

“Based on the plan of action, our administration has completed several projects across the sectors. In under 100 days, we completed the Osogbo – Ikirun road dualisation with full solar street lights. It has been open to use since then. We expanded the inherited reconstruction of Iwo – Osogbo road to include dualisation of a major internal road inside Iwo. We completed several abandoned projects inside Osun State University including the one at Isale Osun which was neglected for almost eleven years.

“As I earlier promised our people, the commissioning of several completed projects continues to mark our two years in office. From over 150 kilometers of completed roads, the commissioning crew moves to Iresi town next week to be followed by other towns,” he concluded.

The Governor advised against reckless driving and breaching of driving safety protocols, affirming that most road accidents recorded were caused by over-speeding and one-way driving, while appealing to road users to be safety conscious.

He directed security agencies and road safety authorities to enforce safety codes on the roads, calling on the Ministry of Works to construct speed breakers where necessary.

Source: sahelstandard.com

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No Deportation Order on Pastor Tobi, Lawyer Dismisses Reports As False

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Dele Olawanle, Solicitor to SPAC Nation founder Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, has declared that contrary to reports, the flamboyant pastor is not facing deportation from the United Kingdom.

It will be recalled that the UK Telegraph had earlier reported that a UK immigration tribunal ruled that the 44-year-old should be sent back to his native Nigeria.

Adegboyega has lived in the UK unlawfully since overstaying on a visitor’s visa that allowed him to enter Britain in 2005.

He claimed deportation would breach his right to a family life – having married a British woman.

He also said the attempt to remove him by the Home Office failed to take account of his community work with SPAC.

The tribunal, however, found Adegboyega’s evidence to be “hyperbolic in many instances” and had “sought to grossly inflate his influence.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Olawanle said deportation applies only to criminals, adding that Adegboyega has neither a criminal record nor conviction.

He said, “The newspaper that carried the news was ignorant. I have acted for him as a lawyer on a personal basis and for the ministry. He is not facing deportation from the UK. That is elementary immigration laws for journalists.

“Deportation is for criminals. He is not. Even though the courts and the charity commission had issues with SPAC NATIONS, he was not personally found guilty of any wrongdoings.

“Tobi has lived in the UK for at least 20 years without a criminal conviction. He has contributed significantly to the British community. He has faced many challenges, but he is a winner.

“Many of his adversaries are from the African community. Sensationalism is an act of idiocy. It is not worth the paper it was written on. I read some comments this morning and wondered why people are so quick to make ignorant comments without facts.

“I wondered why there is joy in seeing people go down, including so-called pastors. Society has a big problem, as we cannot handle people who are different and want them to go down.”

Source: theliberationnews

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