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FG Renews Commitment To Reforming Police, Rebuilding Citizens’ Trust

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The Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clement Agba, has renewed Federal Government commitment to reform the Police as well as rebuilding the trust between the police and the citizens.
Agba, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja during the ongoing 2021 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Week for “Citizens – Police Dialogue on rebuilding trust in Nigeria policing system”.
“This dialogue is a confirmation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to implement open government ideals and willingness to sustain his resolve to improve relations between citizens and the police.
“The OGP week is a week set aside globally for open government doers, leaders, and thinkers from around the world to come together to share ideas, discuss solutions and commit to new levels of citizen participation in government,’’ the minister added.
He said this year’s open government week theme focuses on how leaders renew or rebuild governments, institutions and societies that were transparent, accountable, participatory and inclusive.
“The Nigeria Open Government Partnership, National Steering Committee has decided to focus on two critical areas of our National Action Plan-Beneficial Ownership Transparency and Civic Space.
“On beneficial ownership transparency, we had a media presentation of Nigeria’s Road to Beneficial Ownership Transparency and here today, we are having this dialogue on rebuilding trust between the police and citizens through this Citizens – Police Dialogue,’’ Agba said.
The minister recalled that last year, the president approved the implementation of Nigeria’s second National Action Plan (NAP) which made extensive commitments around citizens’ engagement in governance.
He said that as government began the implementation of the plan that was co-created by government and citizens groups, the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, halting all activities globally.
Agba said within the period, Nigeria also experienced the #EndSARS Protests which was as a result of citizens reacting to police brutality.
“The National Steering Committee jumped on this opportunity and approved the extension of the implementation period of Nigeria’s second NAP by one year.
“It also allowed stakeholders to review existing commitments with a view to revising these commitments to reflect government’s responses to Covid-19, the #EndSARS Protests and other governance issues.
“After extensive consultation, stakeholders approved inclusion of activities around government response to the Covid-19 and the #EndSARS protests,’’ he added.
Agba said that the government had collaborated with civil society partners and revised the second NAP.
He said the revision included the following activities: Pass the Bill for an Act to Repeal the Police Service Commission Act and Enact the Police Service Commission Bill, 2020.
The revision was also to make Police Service Commission (PSC), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), National Orientation Agency (NOA) and their Non-State Actors partners hold a quarterly zonal ‘Citizen-Police Dialogue’.
To ensure joint PSC/CSO-led quarterly select police station visitation to ascertain the condition of the stations, adherence to standard operating procedure and conditions of suspects held in the stations.
He said that the aim of amending the law setting up the Police Service Commission was to improve on their powers, operations and ability to carry out oversight supervision of the police.

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Rivers Judiciary Denise Media Reports On Issuing Judgement Sacking SOLAD

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The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports circulating online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, there by sacking the sole Administrator of the state, vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).

A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepirii, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.

According to the statement, Justice Boma Diepirii is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter Vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.

The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”

“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.

“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported”.

” Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.

The statement however advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing and as well disregard the said report in its entirety as its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story.

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Senate Passes Bill For Establishment Of University In Abia

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The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical  and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.

Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi

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South East Caucus Kicks As  Senate Rejects  Nwosu’s Immortalisation

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South East Caucus of the Senate has  appealed to President   Bola Ahmed Tinubu  to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu  considering his commitment  to achieving a  practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly  angered by the  Senate’s  rejection of the  need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent  1993 elections  stormed out of the Senate Chambers   and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South),  as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said  late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous  national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite  history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .

Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi

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