News
IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu Reportedly Agrees To Comply With Tinubu Govt’s Terms Of Release
The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has reportedly agreed to comply with the conditions set by President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government for his release from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
This was disclosed by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe representing Abia South Senatorial District on Wednesday after their recent meeting between the South-East Senators and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) on Kanu’s release.
Led by Senator Abaribe, approximately 15 federal lawmakers participated in the closed-door meeting.
Senator Abaribe, speaking on behalf of his colleagues after the meeting, expressed optimism that the Attorney-General would influence the Federal Government to consider releasing Kanu.
He emphasised that Kanu’s prolonged detention was contributing to heightened insecurity and unrest in the South-East region.
The senators’ meeting with the Attorney-General followed the South-East governors’ decision to appeal directly to President Tinubu for Kanu’s freedom.
Earlier, a group of 50 members from the House of Representatives had urged President Tinubu to instruct the Attorney-General to use Section 174 of the Constitution to terminate the terrorism-related charges against Kanu in court.
Nnamdi Kanu’s legal saga began with his initial arrest in Lagos in October 2015, subsequent bail in April 2017, and eventual escape from the country amid his trial. He was re-arrested in Kenya in June 2021 and has since remained in custody of the DSS.
Despite the Court of Appeal’s order for his release in October 2022, the Supreme Court later overturned this decision in December 2023, allowing the Federal Government to proceed with the trial on seven remaining charges.
This ongoing legal battle continues to attract significant attention and advocacy efforts from lawmakers and leaders in the South East region of Nigeria.
News
Igbos to boycott Arise TV over Abati’s uncouth statement
The Indigenous People of Biafra lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has called on Ndigbo to boycott Arise TV until its anchor, Reuben Abati, tenders an unreserved apology.
The former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reuben Abati, recounted during a morning programme how a former minister could not buy land for his wife in Igbo land.
Abati’s statement that Ndigbo does not sell land to non-indigenes generated condemnation from the people of the South East region.
Most X users of Igbo extraction accused Abati of committing ethnic bigotry against the group.
In reaction on Friday, on his X handle, Ejiofor alleged that he had previously taken on the former presidential spokesman for his alleged anti-Igbo statement.
“When I confronted Abati frontally on a live television interview (TheMorningShow) a few years back about his deep-rooted hatred for Igbos and our struggle for freedom from enslavement within Nigeria’s political arrangement, I was fully seized of the disturbing facts of his ethnic bigotry. It is inborn in him; thank God he could not hide it any longer,” he narrated.
The IPOB lawyer demanded Arise TV’s owner, Nduka Obaigbena, mandate Abati to apologize to Ndigbo. He called on South East indigenes to boycott the station if Abati failed to tender a public apology.
“Reuben Abati must tender an unreserved public apology to Ndi Igbo, but if Nduka Obaigbena condones his anti-Igbo sentiment (Igbophobia), then, this should be a convenient point for Igbos to boycott, in its totality, the promoting of all programmes on Arise TV platforms,” Ejiofor stated.
News
Minimum Wage: Our deadline remains December 1 -NLC insists
The national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has insisted its December 1, 2024, deadline for state governors to implement the new minimum wage remains unshakeable.
The Labour Union who disclosed this in a statement issued by NLC’s Head of Protocol and Public Relations, Benson Upah warned that non-compliance with the directive will not be tolerated.
Ubah emphasized that the ultimatum remains unchanged, urging state governments to finalize agreements with labour unions before the deadline, noting that states like Sokoto, Zamfara, Taraba, and Plateau have taken significant steps to comply.
Explaining further, he stated that Sokoto has initiated wage adjustment proposals, while Taraba and Plateau recently approved an N70,000 minimum wage.
Similarly, Zamfara state has put in plans for implementation after verifying its workforce.
However, states such as Cross River, Osun, and Imo remain in negotiation or unresponsive.
This has raised concerns about meeting the deadline set by NLC.
The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) continue to monitor compliance across the nation, advocating for fair wages amidst rising inflation.
News
Indian man wakes up on funeral pyre
An Indian man awoke on a funeral pyre moments before it was to be set on fire after a doctor skipped a postmortem, medical officials said Saturday.
Rohitash Kumar, 25, who had speaking and hearing difficulties, had fallen sick and was taken to a hospital in Jhunjhunu in the western state of Rajasthan on Thursday.
Indian media reported he had had an epileptic seizure, and a doctor declared him dead on arrival at the hospital.
But instead of the required postmortem to ascertain the cause of death, doctors sent him to the mortuary, and then to be burned according to Hindu rites.
Singh, chief medical officer of the hospital, told AFP that a doctor had “prepared the postmortem report without actually doing the postmortem, and the body was then sent for cremation”.
Singh said that “shortly before the pyre was to be lit, Rohitash’s body started movements”, adding that “he was alive and was breathing”.
Kumar was rushed to hospital for a second time, but was confirmed dead on Friday during treatment.
Authorities have suspended the services of three doctors and the police have launched an investigation.
AFP
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