CBN Bows To Pressure, Extends Old Notes Deadline.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has finally extended the deadline for the exchange of old Naira notes by 10 days.
The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, in a statement on Sunday says it has permission of President Muhmammadu Buhari to effect the extension.
Emefiele stated that, so far CBN has collected 1.9 trillion and left with 900 billion to achieve effective implementation of policy.
According to the apex bank chief, the extension, ‘a 7-day grace period’ was as a result of measures put in place to ease the scarcity.
The decision is coming after CBN had previously insisted that it would not extend the deadline.
He said: “Based on the foregoing, we have sought and obtained Mr President’s approval for the following: a 10-day extension of the deadline from January 31, 2023, to February 10, 2023; to allow for collection of more old notes legitimately held by Nigerians and achieve more success in cash swap in our rural communities after which all old notes outside the CBN loses their Legal Tender Status. Our CBN staff currently on mass mobilization and monitoring together with officials of the EFCC and ICPC will work together to achieve these objectives.
“A 7-day grace period, beginning on February 10 to February 17, 2023, in compliance with Sections 20(3) and 22 of the CBN Act, allowing Nigerians to deposit their old notes at the CBN after the February deadline when the old currency would have lost its Legal Tender status.”
The naira redesign is believed to be targeted at stopping vote buying in the 2023 general election scheduled for February 25 and March 11.
Adeleke Rejects Tribunal Ruling, Heads To Appeal Court.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has rejected the ruling of the Osun State election petition tribunal that sacked him as governor of the Southwest State.
Naija News reports that the tribunal, in a two versus one ruling, had declared Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the authentic winner of the election.
Reacting to the ruling in a statement by his media aide, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke stated that he would appeal the ruling.
Adeleke described the judgement of the governorship tribunal as “a miscarriage of justice”, vowing to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.
The governor faulted the resolution of the over-voting question in favour of Oyetola, calling it “an unfair interpretation against the will of majority of voters”
While urging his supporters to remain calm, Governor Adeleke vowed to appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal, insisting he remains the rightful winner of the July 16 election.
“I call on our people to remain calm. We will appeal the judgement and we are sure justice will be done. Let our people be reassured that we will do everything possible to retain this widely acclaimed mandate“,
Osun voters should sue INEC — Falana speaks on Adeleke, Oyetola case.
Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has urged voters in Osun State to sue the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for wasting their votes.
He stated this on Sunday during an interview on Arise TV.
It would be recalled that the Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal sacked Governor Ademola Adeleke for over voting at over 700 polling units in the Governorship election.
The tribunal asked INEC to give Certificate of Returns to former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
“What the voters in those areas have to do is to sue INEC for damages that you have wasted my votes,” Mr Falana said.
Mr Falana also said it will be a daunting task by Adeleke’s lawyers to overturn the verdict of the tribunal.
“Looking at the judgement, I believe very strongly that it is going to be a daunting task to impeach the judgement. INEC has to be held completely responsible for what happened.
“INEC will have to go back to the drawing table so that we will not have this experience. INEC will have to put its house in order, If we have this in a presidential election, where you issue one or two reports, it will have a crisis of monumental proportion,” he said.
Eight die as container fell on a commercial bus in Lagos.
A total of eight persons including two children have died after a container fell on a commercial bus in the Ojuelegba area of Lagos State.
Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu,Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Agency, who confirmed the incident, said that the truck bearing the container lost control while climbing the bridge.
He said that the bus was picking up passengers when the truck lost control and fell over the side of the bridge.
“Upon arrival at the scene, a truck conveying a 20ft container was found to have landed on top of a commercial bus.
“A total of eight fatalities were recovered, comprising four adult males, two adult females, a girl and a boy,” he added.
Transfer: Lionel Messi decision on leaving Paris Saint-Germain revealed.
Fresh details have emerged concerning the future of Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain.
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has provided just one main reason the Argentina superstar is unlikely to leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
El Futbolero is quoting the reliable transfer expert as reporting that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is set to extend his stay at the Parc des Princes.
According to Balague, Messi and his family are extremely happy in the French capital Paris and so the World Cup winner is not looking to leave at least for one more season.
The PSG superstar, according to the Spanish journalist, his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their children have settled well in the city.
The 35-year-old is also said to be sharing a solid bond with the club’s hierarchy which was not the case with him at his former club Barcelona
2023 polls: Abia PDP names zone to produce Ikonne’s replacement.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has announced the zone to produce its governorship candidate in Abia ahead of a fresh primary.
The former flagbearer, Prof. Eleazar Uche Ikonne died on January 25 after months of battle with a protracted illness.
The PDP already scheduled February 4 the date for the election to pick a new standard bearer for the March 11 polls.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had directed the party to conduct a fresh primary within 14 days of Ikonne’s death.
A statement by Elder Abraham Amah, Abia PDP Vice Chairman, announced that members of the State Caucus met on Sunday.
The gathering, after deliberations, zoned the seat to Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area where the late Ikonne hailed from.
The meeting was attended by PDP leaders from across the State, including Abia North, Ikwuano/Umuahia, Ukwa East and Ukwa West Local Government areas.
Present were Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, ex-governor Theodore Orji, House of Assembly Speaker, Chinedum Orji, senatorial candidates, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa and Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd).
The PDP urged members to support the decision of the caucus and work towards a successful primary election coming up on Saturday.
“The Party also calls on members to remain vigilant and expect more information and briefings from the Publicity Department in due course”, Amah added.
Controversy over IGP tenure — what does the law say?.
Controversy is currently brewing over the tenure of Usman Baba, the inspector-general of police (IGP).
Baba was appointed as IGP in April 2021. However, on March 1, 2023, he will clock 60 years old and according to his profile he was commissioned into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on March 15, 1988, as a cadet assistant superintendent of police.
This means Baba is weeks away from reaching retirement — whether by age or years in service — going by the public service rule.
Analysts have raised concerns about the IGP retiring amid the general election.
Reacting to the speculations, Mohammed Dingyadi, minister of police affairs, said the appointment of Baba is based on a four-year tenure in line with provisions of the Police Act of 2020.
“By the provision of Police Act 2020, the IGP is now supposed to have a tenure of four-year period and Mr. President has given him a letter of appointment in that regard,” he said.
LEGAL PROVISIONS FOR IGP APPOINTMENT
Section 7 of the Police Act of 2020 stipulates that:
“(1) The Inspector-General of Police is the head of the Nigeria Police Force and shall exercise full command and operational control over the Police and all its departments and units.
“(2) The person to be appointed as Inspector-General of Police shall be a senior police officer not below the rank of an Assistant Inspector-General of Police with the requisite academic qualifications of not less than a first degree or its equivalent in addition to professional and management experience.
“(3) The Inspector-General of Police shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Police Council from among serving members of the Police Force.
“(4) The Inspector-General of Police shall not be removed from office except for gross misconduct, gross violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or demonstrated incapacity to effectively discharge the duties of the office.
“(5) The Inspector-General of Police shall only be removed from office by the President on the advice of the Police Council.
“(6) The person appointed to the office of the Inspector-General of Police shall hold office for four years.”
Members of the police council include the president, governors of the 36 states, and chairperson of the Police Service Commission (PSC).
Based on the Police Act, Baba’s tenure is expected to end in 2025.
THE TWIST
Section 18(8) of the Police Act 2020, which makes direct reference to the civil service rule on retirement, states: “Every police officer shall, on recruitment or appointment, serve in the Nigeria Police Force for a period of 35 years or until he attains the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier.”
This means that Baba will be due for retirement at least two years before his tenure as IGP will end.
The development has fuelled speculations over if the current IGP will leave office before his tenure ends — and in the middle of an election period at that.
LEGAL PRECEDENT
A similar situation happened during the tenure of Mohammed Adamu, the predecessor to Baba.
Adamu, who was appointed in 2019, clocked the mandatory 35 years in service in February 2021, but President Muhammadu Buhari extended his time in service for three months.
The extension elicited widespread criticism and Maxwell Opara, a legal practitioner, had taken the IGP to court, contending that by virtue of section 215 of the constitution and section 7 of the Police Act, Adamu cannot continue to function as the IGP, having retired as a serving member of the force.
However, the federal high court in Abuja affirmed Buhari’s decision on the grounds that the constitution gives the president the power to appoint the IGP.
Ahmed Mohammed, the presiding judge, held that since the constitution and the Police Act empower the president to appoint an IGP, by implication, the president can extend the tenure of a retiring IGP before concluding the required consultation with the police council and other processes required for the appointment of a substantive replacement.
The judge also observed that the constitution and the Police Act are silent on the issue of whether or not the president can extend the tenure of a retired IGP.
LEGAL OPINION
Speaking with TheCable, Monday Ubani, a legal practitioner, said the IGP should retire in compliance with section
18(8) of the Police Act.
Ubani also said the president should have checked the profile of Baba before appointing him as IGP.“The position of things is that there should not be any controversy with regards to sections (18)8 and section 7(6) of the Police Act,” he said.
“If not that our leaders derive pleasure in creating controversy, the issue should not be in existence. The Act says the tenure of any IGP shall be four years. In other words, that section deals with the security of tenure so that the IGP won’t be removed based on the whims and caprices of the political class.
“The president should have checked the complete profile of the prospective IGP, including the remaining years of service, before the appointment.
“If that particular prospective IGP does not have up to four years in service, it would be absolutely wrong to appoint that individual.”
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