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Farotimi: Protest organisers dare police, insist on Ekiti rally
The Take It Back Movement has vowed to go ahead with its planned protests in Ekiti, Lagos, Abuja, London and Canada following the detention of human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, over defamation charges.
The group insisted this despite a directive by the Ekiti State Police Command banning unlawful gatherings, demonstrations, and the sale and use of fireworks across the state, citing concerns over public safety and security threats.
In a statement signed by the state police spokesperson, Abutu Sunday, on Friday, the command said, “Any form of unlawful gathering, demonstration, or protest is unacceptable”, adding that intelligence reports indicated plans by some individuals to exploit protests to incite violence and create panic.
But in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday, the National Coordinator of Take It Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, insisted that the police lacked a legal basis to ban peaceful protests.
He said, “The position of the TIB is the same and our action will go on as planned despite the police’s threats.”
He said, “The lawlessness of the Nigeria Police must not be allowed to go unchecked even though we are aware it is their trademark. The police cannot proscribe peaceful protest, that in itself is illegal. We are peacefully challenging in the public space the thuggery of the police officers, under the command of the Ekiti CP, who came all the way from Ekiti to abduct Farotimi in Lagos and assault his staff.
“While we are not against lawful processes, we will not hesitate to point out the conspiracy of the police and the judiciary in this matter. The very title of Farotimi’s book ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System,’ is what is also playing out in our very eyes with the police playing an active role.”
The PUNCH reports that elder statesman and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), last Friday, insisted that Farotimi was out to tarnish his reputation which he had built following many years of hard work and diligent toil
Babalola, who said he petitioned the police to investigate the defamatory allegations made by Farotimi in the book titled, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System,’ said charging the activist to court by the law enforcement agency was for the law to take its due course on the matter.
The senior advocate, represented by his lawyers, Owoseni Ajayi, Olakanmi Falade and Lawrence Fasanmi, who are former chairmen of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ado Ekiti branch, spoke at a press conference in the Ekiti State capital city.
The police in Ekiti State had, following a petition written by Babalola, arrested Farotimi in Lagos on Tuesday and arraigned him before an Ekiti State Magistrates Court in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday over allegations bordering on defaming the elder statesman.
While the police prayed the court to remand the defendant (Farotimi) in a correctional facility, Farotimi’s lawyer pleaded for bail for his client, but the Chief Magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, ordered him remanded as he adjourned the matter till December 10, 2024.
The police have also filed fresh charges against Farotimi at a federal high court in Ado-Ekiti.
The new charges centred on cybercrime allegations picked from the activist’s online interviews.
According to the police, Farotimi appeared on Mic On Podcast hosted by popular broadcast journalist, Seun Okinbaloye, where he accused Babalola of corrupting the judiciary.
Meanwhile, the TIB, convened by former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, had last week said it would be staging the protest to challenge the “impunity of the Nigeria Police and the conspiracy of the judiciary.”
A flyer circulating on social media last Thursday issued by the group and tagged “Nationwide/Global Protest Against the Judiciary” called on the public to converge at designated points for the protest slated for Tuesday, December 10, 2024.
In a post on X on Sunday, Sowore also wrote, “An unjust act of oppression cannot stand no matter how ‘well presented’ that it was done under the color of law!
“On December 10, 2024, in Lagos, Abuja, Ado-Ekiti, Benin City, Toronto, and the city of London, the people intoxicated by power will be confronted by the power of the people!”
HouBy Gloria Ikibah
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, has revealed that only 15.06 percent of the capital allocation for the health sector in 2024 has been released, significantly delaying the execution of critical projects.
Speaking during defence of the Ministry’s 2025 budget before the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on Health, Prof. Pate attributed the delays to the bottom-up cash plan policy of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
Out of the N233.656 billion allocated for capital projects in 2024, only N26.552 billion was released and utilized. The Minister also disclosed that the Ministry had not received any funds from the N57.393 billion earmarked for multilateral and bilateral loans.
Giving and overview of the 2024 budget performance, Prof. Pate detailed that the total 2024 budget for the Ministry stood at N242.14 billion, comprising:
- N7.48 billion for personnel,
- N998.74 million for overhead, and
- N233.66 billion for capital projects.
For 2025, the budget estimates have been slightly increased to:
- N10.36 billion for personnel,
- N1.59 billion for overhead, and
- N248.32 billion for capital projects.
On the Health Sector Vision and Strategic Goals, the Minister emphasised that the health sector operates within the framework of the Vision 20:2020, the National Development Plan (2021–2025), and the National Strategic Health Development Plan. These policies aim to guarantee the right to health for all Nigerians, guided by the National Health Act and the 2016 National Health Policy.
He stressed that the 2025 budget aligns with the government’s focus on universal health coverage, prioritizing:
- Strengthening the primary healthcare system,
- Enhancing equitable and efficient health service delivery, and
- Promoting socio-economic development through improved health outcomes.
Prof. Pate also highlighted that the budget preparation for 2025 adhered to the GIFMIS platform, ensuring resource allocation aligns with national priorities and ministerial deliverables.
Responding to lawmakers, the Minister called for national unity in advancing the health sector. He noted significant progress despite challenges, including:
- The provision of world-class facilities in federal hospitals,
- Investment in infrastructure and manpower development,
- Local drug production boosted by the President’s Executive Order signed in June 2024, which has empowered manufacturers to upgrade their operations.
He further lauded Nigerian medical personnel for their global demand, underscoring their competence and dedication.
The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery and urged Nigerians to recognize the positive developments in the sector.
HhouseBy Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education has reiterated that performance must justify any requests for additional funding by agencies in the 2025 budget.
Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda, made this clear during the budget defence session of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), presented by its Executive Secretary, Professor Idris Bugaje.
Laguda acknowledged the funding challenges faced by polytechnics but emphasised the importance of demonstrating effective utilization of allocated resources before seeking more.
“Performance is very key. It is a known fact that polytechnics are poorly funded, but we need to justify why more resources are needed. To be honest, not all institutions have demonstrated this. The role of this committee is to ensure accountability and drive improvements”, he said.
He highlighted the importance of the NBTE’s role in technical education and urged the agency to foster better synergies among polytechnics and stakeholders. He also charged rectors to be proactive in introducing modern and relevant courses tailored to their environments.
Professor Idris Bugaje, while presenting the NBTE’s 2024 budget performance and 2025 proposal, called for increased budgetary allocation to address manpower shortages. He noted that the agency, responsible for supervising over 700 institutions, currently operates with only 330 staff, which he described as grossly inadequate.
“For personnel, we need improvement. Similar agencies with fewer institutions and more funds have more staff. We need more hands to adequately supervise these institutions,” Bugaje stated.
On internally generated revenue (IGR), Bugaje explained that earnings primarily come from service charges during accreditation visits. He revealed that the agency’s IGR for the year amounted to just N25 million, describing it as “dismally low.”
He further noted that the agency’s capital performance for 2024 stood at 50%, with the remaining half of the budget yet to be released.
“We need to introduce more contemporary programs and improve funding mechanisms to better meet the demands of technical education,” Bugaje added.
The session underscored the lawmakers’ commitment to ensuring transparency and efficiency in funding allocations while challenging agencies to enhance their performance to secure additional resources.
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