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Tag: Suspension

  • AFCON 2021: CAF lifts suspension on Olembé Stadium

    AFCON 2021: CAF lifts suspension on Olembé Stadium

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Sunday said it has unanimously agreed to lift the suspension on the Olembé Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CAF had announced the suspension of matches at the stadium following a tragic incident at the venue.

    The incident had occurred during the fixture between hosts Cameroon and Comoros on Monday in a round of 16 tie of the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    A total of 38 persons sustained varying degrees of injuries and eight supporters lost their lives at the stadium during the stampede.

    A statement by CAF on Sunday said the decision to lift suspension on the stadium followed a meeting of the CAF AFCON Organising Committee.

    This was after the receipt of the report on the tragedy which occurred at the stadium.

    “The President of CAF, Patrice Motsepe, having convened a meeting of the CAF AFCON Organising Committee, received the report compiled by CAF Safety and Security Department together with COCAN.

    “The report was in relation to the circumstances with regard to the tragedy that occurred at the Olembé Stadium.

    “The report highlighted the extensive on-site meetings and discussions which were held with senior representatives of the police, the gendarmerie, the military, together with high-ranking Cameroonian Government, Defence, and Police Ministers, inclusive of the Governor of Yaoundé and other stakeholders.

    “The report dealt with and highlighted the tragic circumstances which led to 38 people being injured and eight fatalities.

    “The report further highlighted the recommendations and interventions to ensure that a tragedy of this nature should never be repeated,” the statement said.

    It added that the CAF Organising Committee unanimously agreed to lift the suspension imposed on the stadium following recommendations and undertakings from the Cameroonian Government.

    “We note the recommendations and undertakings from Government in regard to additional security provisions over and above those which were already successfully implemented at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium during the Morocco and Malawi match and at the Japoma Stadium during the Gambia and Cameroon match,

    “Following this, the CAF Organising Committee unanimously agreed to lift the suspension imposed on the Olembé, Stadium and allow one of the AFCON Semi-Finals as well as the Final Match to take place at the Olembé Stadium.

    “In conclusion, CAF, the Local Organising Committee and the Government of Cameroon having significantly increased security and resources at the Olembé Stadium, are confident that the safety and security of spectators and visitors will be assured,” it said.

  • Umahi suspends commissioner, aide for dereliction of duty

    Umahi suspends commissioner, aide for dereliction of duty

    Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi on Friday announced the suspension of the state Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Chief Emmanuel Uguru, over alleged official negligence and dereliction of duty.

    Umahi also suspended Mrs Obianuju Alo, his Senior Special Assistant on Education, over similar offence of negligence and dereliction of duty.

    This is contained in a statement signed by Dr Kenneth Ugbala, the Secretary to the State Government, and made available to newsmen in Abakaliki.

    According to the statement, Uguru and Alo are to proceed on one month working suspension with immediate effect.

    “The Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Chief Emmanuel Uguru, and SSA to the governor on Education, Dr Obianuju Alo, are hereby directed to proceed on one month working suspension, with immediate effect.

    “The working suspension is as a result of negligence and dereliction of duty; hence all concerned are requested to take note and ensure strict compliance to this directive,” the statement read in part.

    Recall that Umahi had earlier in the day suspended Chief Emmanuel Obasi, his Principal Secretary, for dereliction of duty.

  • JUST IN: Gov Matawalle lifts suspension of telecom services in Zamfara

    JUST IN: Gov Matawalle lifts suspension of telecom services in Zamfara

    Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has announced the suspension of the ban on telecommunications services in the state.

    He made the announcement on Saturday at an event in Gusau, the state capital, where he stated that the resumption of telecommunications services would begin on Monday.

    “I want to announce today (Saturday) that we have taken a decision to lift the ban on telecommunications in the state,” the governor was quoted as saying in a statement by Zailani Bappa, his Special Adviser on Public Enlightenment, Media, and Communications.

    “God’s Willing, as from next Monday we shall have that effected.”

  • Nigeria lifts suspension on UAE’s Emirates Airline

    Nigeria lifts suspension on UAE’s Emirates Airline

    The Federal Government has lifted the suspension placed on Emirates Airline in Nigeria.

    The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika announced this during a briefing on Friday. He said the decision was reached after negotiations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Emirates Airlines’ home country.

    He added that UAE has also removed all travel restrictions on Nigerians.

    The FG had previously banned Emirates from flying into Nigeria over discriminatory policies on Nigerians as regards to COVID-19 protocols by the UAE. He however disclosed that the lifting of the ban was without conditions.

    “Today we received communication from UAE removing some of the conditions of travel of which we had concerns about. Having done so, we feel we should lift the ban on the suspension of Emirates Airlines.

    “From today (Friday), all the impediments on Emirates have been lifted and that the airline can now operate in Nigeria,” he said.

    Sirika expressed his appreciation for the understanding shown by Nigerians despite the obvious hardships experienced because of the spat between the two countries.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema who was also at the briefing where the announcement was made noted that the Nigerian Government recognises that the United Arab Emirates has a responsibility to protect the lives of her citizens thus whatever measures that they had taken was for the interest of her citizens.

    He said the negotiation that led to the renewed relationship was a balanced one and that it was a win-win for both countries.

    There had been a diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates, UAE, following disagreements between both countries.

    Direct flights between both countries were suspended in March over issues relating to COVID-19 protocol.

    The Federal Government of Nigeria earlier stopped the UAE national carrier, Emirates Airline from subjecting Nigerian travellers to additional rapid antigen test as against its stipulated negative PCR test at the Lagos and Abuja airports before departure.

    Emirates airline then shut down flights to and from Nigeria owing to the disagreement between the airline and the aviation authorities on the propriety of subjecting passengers travelling from Nigeria to emergency COVID-19 protocols.

    After an interface between the authorities of the Aviation Ministry and Emirates airline, flights resumed but Emirates airline continued to conduct tests for passengers before departure from Nigeria, a development the Federal Government frowned on and thus suspended the airline from flying to and from Nigeria.

  • ‘This polytechnic is dead’, Gov Zulum suspends Alma mata management after discovering cobwebs, rodents in laboratories during surprise visit

    ‘This polytechnic is dead’, Gov Zulum suspends Alma mata management after discovering cobwebs, rodents in laboratories during surprise visit

    Governor of Borno of State Professor Babagana Zulum has suspended the entire management of the state-owned Ramat Polytechnic in Maiduguri, for a period of six months.

    The suspension came after the governor, who was a student of the Polytechnic between 1986 to 1988, unexpectedly visited the Polytechnic around 9:00 am on Tuesday and found most of the laboratories out of use, with some covered in cobwebs and rodents roaming around due to neglect.

    After assessing all the infrastructure and learning conditions, he directed the state’s Commissioner of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Babagana Mallumbe, to take over the affairs of the school immediately.

    “As far as I am concerned, this Polytechnic is dead. Nothing is working,” he said.

    “The workshops are not in existence, the mechanical workshop is not working, the agricultural workshop is not working, likewise, the entrepreneurship centre is not working. The school is facing myriads of problems, ranging from lack of funding and commitment. As a former student of this polytechnic, a former rector, I have moral stakes in this polytechnic. Insha’Allah, I will not allow this polytechnic to rot during my era as Governor of Borno State. I will do everything possible within my reach to ensure functionality of this institution Insha Allah.

    “I have directed the Commissioner of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation to take over the affairs for the next six months. The ministry is to ensure that all the workshops and the laboratories are put back to use as soon as possible. The entrepreneurship centre should immediately be put back to use as well. When I was at the Polytechnic as a rector, the entrepreneurship centre was producing nothing less than 10,000 to 20,000 school desks and chairs every month. We produced hospital beddings,” Zulum said.

    Thereafter, he held a closed-door meeting with the management of the Polytechnic.

    He also directed the Ministry of Water Resources to drill two deep aquifers boreholes and carry out a complete water channel network within the polytechnic, which is coming after prior interventions he approved for Polytechnic in 2019, to reduce problems of water supply.

    After the meeting, Governor Zulum, while addressing thousands of students at the premises of the polytechnic, assured them that payment of scholarships will commence soon.

    “The verification exercise has just been completed, I want to assure you that as soon as the detailed report is forwarded to me, we will pay your scholarship immediately,” he said.

    The Governor was also at the Federal Secretariat, where enrollment exercises of Batch C N-Power volunteers were being conducted.

    On arrival, he addressed thousands of applicants gathered for the biometric enrollment that will enable them to get monthly stipends from the Federal Government.

    He assured them of the state government’s support despite N-Power being a Federal Government programme.

  • Emirates Airline extends suspension of Nigerian flights to UAE

    Emirates Airline extends suspension of Nigerian flights to UAE

    Emirates Airlines has extended the suspension of Nigerian flights to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) till September 5, 2021.

    Passengers who have been to or connected through Nigeria in the last 14 days will not be permitted on any Emirates flights bound for Dubai, the airline said, adding that affected flight bookings have been cancelled, Khaleej Times reports.

    “If your flight has been cancelled or impacted by route suspensions due to Covid19 restrictions, you don’t need to call us immediately for rebooking. You can simply hold on to your Emirates ticket and when flights resume, get in touch with your booking office or us to make new travel plans,” the airline said.

    Travellers have been requested to continue monitoring the airline’s official website for updates and flight availability.

    The Dubai-based airline had earlier announced that it would suspend flights from Nigeria to Dubai till August 28.

  • JSS1 student drags Ekiti Govt to court, seeks N15m damages

    JSS1 student drags Ekiti Govt to court, seeks N15m damages

    Miss Gift Agenoisa, a JSS1 female student of Mary Immaculate Secondary School , Ado- Ekiti, has dragged the Ekiti Government, before a state High Court, seeking N15 million in damages for breach of fundamental rights.

    In a suit number HAD/01/CR/2021 and sworn to, at the Ado-Ekiti High Court, on her behalf by Mrs Odunayo Agenoisa, the student claimed that her suspension from school by government, infringed on her rights.

    The plaintiff described as cruel and inhuman, the alleged treatment meted to her for coming to school with the alleged indecent hairstyle.

    Joined in the suit are the School Principal, Mrs Oluwasanmi F.M (1st respondent) , the Commissioner for Education, Dr Olabimpe Aderiye(2nd), the Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission(3rd) and the Ekiti State Government (4th respondent).

    In the affidavit attached to the originating summons, the plaintiff claimed that she was singled out of Assembly on May 22, and given 20 lashes, on the order of the school principal for the alleged indecent hairstyle.

    In her originating summons deposed to by her counsel, Mr Timmy Omotoso and brought pursuant to Order 2 rules 1,3,4,5 and 6 of the fundamental rights enforcement procedure rules 2009 as preserved by Section 315 of the 1999 constitution, the applicant demanded N15 million damages for her suspension.

    She also demanded her immediate reinstatement back to school with unfettered access to all services being rendered therein.

    The plaintiff claimed that the beating she got that day, resulted in bruises, life-threatening scars and bloodstains on her uniform, adding that she fainted and was rushed to the police clinic in Ado- Ekiti, where she was resuscitated.

    She claimed further that her letters of protest to the wife of Ekiti Governor and some relevant government agencies were not responded to, hence, her resorting to legal action to seek redress.

    The plaintiff added that she was being denied access to the school premises and her class, on the orders of the principal since then.

    On May 22, the plaintiff’s father and a Police Sergeant, Elijah, allegedly mobilized four armed policemen to the school to manhandle some teachers for scolding his daughter who was said to have come to school with an indecent hairdo against the school rules and regulation.

  • Hushpuppi: Coalition of Northern groups reject DCP Abba Kyari’s suspension from service

    Hushpuppi: Coalition of Northern groups reject DCP Abba Kyari’s suspension from service

    The Coalition of Northern Groups has kicked against the suspension of the embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Abba Kyari following his indictment by a US Court.

    Spokesman of the Coalition – comprising civil society organisations and non-governmental bodies – Abdulazeez Sulaiman spoke on behalf of the groups at a news conference after its meeting in Kaduna state on Sunday.

    He noted that both the Nigerian police authorities and the FBI breached Kyari ‘s fundamental rights by not allowing him to be heard before taking the hasty actions against him.

    They have, therefore, demanded an immediate review of the suspension and have also asked that the ongoing investigation with the FBI be transferred to the Nigerian Intelligence Agency.

    Mr Kyari was suspended by the Police Service Commission last Sunday following his indictment in the case of alleged fraud linked to popular socialite, Ramon Abbas, a.k.a Hushpuppi.

    According to a statement by the commission’s Head of Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, the suspension was conveyed in a letter signed by Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, a retired justice of the Supreme Court.

    It took effect from July 31, and would subsist pending the outcome of the investigation.

    The commission also directed the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to furnish it with information on further developments on the matter for necessary further action.

    According to documents unsealed over a week ago in the US, Mr Kyari had arrested and jailed one Chibuzo Vincent, at the behest of Hushpuppi.

    He also allegedly sent Hushpuppi bank account details into which he (Hushpuppi) could deposit payment for Vincent’s arrest and imprisonment.

    Mr Kyari, in a Facebook post on Thursday, however, denied the allegations.

    On July 28, the US Department of Justice had announced that Hushpuppi had been involved “in an elaborate scheme to steal more than $1.1 million from a business person attempting to finance the construction of a school for children in Qatar.”

    Six persons were indicted in the investigation.

    In laundering the proceeds of the Qatar operation, a dispute broke out among members of the conspiracy, courts documents said.

    The dispute allegedly prompted Vincent – one of the members, to contact the victim and inform them of the scam operation.

    After this contact, Hushpuppi allegedly arranged to have Vincent jailed in Nigeria by Kyari.

    Kyari was also alleged to have provided third-party bank accounts to receive payment for the illegal arrest.

    In his defence, he said Vincent had been arrested only because Hushpuppi claimed that he (Vincent) had seriously threatened to attack his family in Nigeria but he was eventually released on bail after no actual threats were discovered.

    “Nobody demanded a kobo from Abbas Hushpuppi.

    “Our focus was to save people’s lives that were purported to have been threatened,” Kyari said.”

  • Alleged suspension: I can’t leave APC for ‘Gatecrasher’ Uzodimma – Okorocha

    Alleged suspension: I can’t leave APC for ‘Gatecrasher’ Uzodimma – Okorocha

    Senator Rochas Okorocha has reacted to the false report of his suspension from the All Progressives Congress, blaming it all on his successor, Hope Uzodimma.

    In a statement by his media adviser Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha pointedly accused Uzodimma for masterminding the fake story.

    Okorocha, however, told Uzodimma that he could not push him out of APC, of which he was a founding member.

    “Governor Uzodinma was never a member of APC. He joined APC after he had been announced governor by the Supreme Court.

    “The Supreme Court had given judgement that the candidate of APC in the 2019 governorship election was Uche Nwosu. Showing that, Chief Uzodinma was a gatecrasher in APC.

    “Yet, he does not want to be humble about that. He wants those who laboured and blackmailed over APC to leave the party for him. There would not have been APC in Imo today, if Okorocha didn’t take the political risk he took to make Imo APC”, the statement by Onwuemeodo read.

    Hammering Uzodimma further, Onwuemeodo said:

    “He had come up with the fake story of Okorocha leaving APC, because the National Secretariat of the Party had set up a reconciliation Committee.

    “And also because of Okorocha’s visit to the National Office of the Party, with men and women who had sacrificed all they had, to make APC the Party to beat in Imo. And with National Assembly members who have the mandate of the people.

    “Governor Uzodinma is reaping where he did not sow and one had expected him to be sober about that. But he has continued to use blackmail to see how the party could be abandoned for him. At what point did Chief Uzodinma join APC?

    “He had destroyed APC in Imo with his style of governance, which is anti-people. The economy of the State has been grounded. Every sector in Imo is in coma. He is using intimidation and threats to govern Imo people. He has demarketed APC in Imo.

    “Governor Uzodinma might be the one working to destroy APC before joining another party, because he is not doing anything to encourage the party and its members in the State.

    “Governor Uzodinma should leave Okorocha alone and face governance”, Onwuemeodo added.

    Meanwhile Uzodimma escalated the tension between him and Okorocha by shutting down his Rochas Foundation College in Oji Owerri.

    An aide of Uzodimma said the college was taken over as part of efforts to recover looted funds in the state.

  • ‘He is no longer fit to represent our interest’; Kwara APC Elders demand suspension of Lai Mohammed from party, removal as minister

    ‘He is no longer fit to represent our interest’; Kwara APC Elders demand suspension of Lai Mohammed from party, removal as minister

    Some elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State on Thursday called for the immediate suspension of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alh Lai Mohammed, from the party.

    They equally demanded the removal of Mohammed as a minister from the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Addressing a news conference in Ilorin, the state capital, on behalf of members of APC elders caucus, Prince Sunday Fagbemi said Mohammed was no longer fit to represent the people of Kwara State in the federal cabinet.

    Flanked by prominent APC stalwarts in the state, including Barr. Kunle Sulaiman, Chief Wole Oke, Alh Abubakar Ndakene and Chief Simon Ajibola, Fagbemi accused the minister of deliberately factionalising the ruling party in the state.

    He argued that the unveiling, last Saturday, of a new APC secretariat in Ilorin by Mohammed and his endorsement of Alh Bashiru Bolarinwa as a factional chairman of the party amounted to deliberate factionalisation of the party.

    He further accused the minister of plan to divide the party along the defunct Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and the defunct Congress For Progressive Change (CPC) lines.

    While pointing out that it was the same people that recently formed Kwara Third Force that attended the unveiling of the APC’s factional secretariat, the elders’ spokesman said: “The question to be asked is whether the new secretariat is for their new party called Third Force or for APC?

    “It’s clear to those of us who are politicians and who understands the dynamics of Kwara politics that majority of those who attended the unveiling ceremony of Alh Lai’s secretariat are members of his erstwhile campaign organisation- Lai Mohammed Campaign Organisation ( LAMCO) to whom he distributed all the cars and motorcycles belonging to APC in the 2019 general elections.

    “The enstranged relationship between him and the governor , who by the party’s constitution, is the leader of the party, is most uncalled for. His continuing encouragement and support for factionalisation of the party is divisive and disruptive to the party. It is anti – party. He cannot contest the leadership of the party with the governor.

    “We therefore call for the immediate suspension of Alh Lai Mohammed as a member of the APC in Kwara State for his actions. We also call for his removal as a minister from the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari for he is no longer fit to represent the interest of people of Kwara State.”