The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has described Nigeria as the freest country to live in the world.
The Minister stated this when he received the Finland Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Jyrki Pulkkimen and his team, who were on a courtesy visit in his office on Monday.
He also said that the President Muhammadu Buhari government had not tampered with the freedom of speech or rights of individuals.
The Minister said the government was only sanitising the media on hate speech and abuse of the freedom of speech.
He said this was not an attempt to clip the media. He said the social media regulation was only to sanitised and not deny the rights of individuals.
He said whatever is tolerated on the streets would be accepted online.
According to him, the government, through the Ministry of Information, had begun the fight against hate speech since 2017.
The Minister pointed out that if people were allowed to do whatever they want on social media in a country like ours with diversity of religion and political interests, there will be chaos.
He said the government will not slack in its quest to bring sanity to social media.
The Edo State Government has submitted a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, and Department of State Services, DSS, for the arrest of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress.
The Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government also wants the former Governor prosecuted by the security agencies.
Oshiomhole is accused of constantly disobeying the State government’s orders.
This was disclosed in Abuja on Monday by the Deputy Governor of the state, Phillip Shuaibu.
The Deputy Governor, however, stated that the Edo ex-Governor is still his father, adding that their present differences did not change that fact.
The Rivers State Government on Sunday night sealed the secretariat of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress located on D-Line axis of Port Harcourt.
Although a letter from the State Bureau for Special Duties indicated that the premises of the state NLC were sealed to allow for structural integrity test, the Chairperson of labour in the state, Beatrice Itubo, said that the action of the state government was as a result of the controversy surrounding the payment of the minimum wage.
Itubo had insisted that the minimum wage paid by the state government did not reflect the new national minimum wage or the principle of collective bargaining.
A text message from the NLC chairperson read, ”I want to inform you that the Rivers State Government has sealed the NLC secretariat for demanding that the government should reconvene the meeting of the minimum wage committee.”
President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the White House on the ballistic missile strike that Iran launched against Iraqi air bases housing U.S. troops, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, in Washington, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, and Vice President Mike Pence, and others look on. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
“Oh dang! I’m stuck in this hellhole and it’s all Trump’s fault!”
You or someone you know may have expressed or feel the sentiment above following Friday’s announcement that the United States President Donald Trump’s travel ban on immigration from include six countries – Sudan, Tanzania, Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan. Four of those countries are in Africa.
Trump first signed a controversial travel ban just seven days after taking office in January 2017, arguing it was vital to protect Americans. The ban initially excluded people from seven majority-Muslim countries, but the list was modified following a series of court challenges.
Ironically, this updated travel ban is coming a year after Trump’s administration announced that a major pillar of its new strategy for Africa was to counter the growing influence of China and Russia by expanding economic ties to the continent.
What Does The Travel Ban Mean?
A closer look at the ban shows that it is not a ‘blanket ban’ as many have decried. On the surface, the ban appears to be a collective punishment for the sins of our ‘longer throat’ Nigerians whose only crime is wanting ‘better lives’ for themselves and their families. The US wants better as well and that is why despite the ban, Nigerians would still qualify for tourist and business visas.
Why The Ban?
Why then is the US shutting its doors on Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy at this period? The White House has an explanation:
The six affected countries added to the ban list did not comply with identity-verification and information-sharing rules.
In the case of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation is believed to harbour terrorists that may seek to enter the United States. What do you know? We have the Islamist extremist and terrorist group Boko Haram to thank for our inclusion on the travel ban list.
Who Is Affected?
What happens to the Nigerian youths seeking greener pastures in the United States with hopes of achieving the American dream? What is the fate of the newly married ‘Ikenna’ hoping to bring his beloved ‘Chichi’ to join him in the United States for a better life? Or the heavily pregnant Bolanle hoping to have her first child in the United States so her baby can have a green card? The dream of that better life was attainable until Friday’s bombshell.
These are the categories of those affected:
Immigrants from Nigeria and three other countries no longer will be eligible for visas allowing them to live in the United States permanently, the White House said Friday. Immigrant visas were targeted because people with those visas are the most difficult to remove after they arrive in the United States, U.S. officials said.
With the new ban, the US said it would suspend the issuance of visas that can lead to permanent residency for nationals of Nigeria, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, and Myanmar.
Sudanese and Tanzanian nationals will no longer be allowed to apply for “diversity visas”, which are available by lottery for applicants from countries with low rates of immigration to the US.
Furthermore, non-immigrant visas given to people for temporary stays including visitors, those doing business or people seeking medical treatment would not be impacted by the new rules. , Exceptions are also available for students and those with “significant contacts” in the US.
In summary, the US wants you only if you are bringing money to its economy.
The Nigerian Government’s Reaction
Following the travel ban placed on Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has established a committee “to study and address the updated U.S. requirements,” presidential spokesman Femi Adesina said Saturday.
“The committee will work with the U.S. government, Interpol and other stakeholders to ensure all updates are properly implemented,” Adesina said in a statement.
The new US rules will come into effect on 21 February but will not apply to official, business and tourism visas, Buhari’s office said in a statement on Saturday.
On his part, former vice-president of Nigeria and 2019 presidential aspirant Atiku Abubakar said the United States instead should “consider adopting measures that individually target those in government who have failed in their duties, rather than target the entire Nigerian population.”
There is palpable pandemonium in Ijora, a suburb of Lagos as policemen and motorcyclists faced off.
An eyewitness said three persons were feared dead and that vehicles and property were being torched.
Ijora is in Apapa Local Government, one of the LGAs where the state government banned operations of commercial motorcycles and tricycles. The ban came into effect on Saturday.
The United States has said that it notified all foreign governments including Nigeria about the identity-management and information-sharing criteria in 2019.
The government stated that the Republic of Chad improved on the performance metrics and was removed from consideration for travel restrictions.
The US described Nigeria as one of the worst-performing countries on the performance metrics which it said led to the imposition of migrant visa restriction on the country.
This was contained in the full report of the visa restrictions titled, ‘Proclamation on improving enhanced vetting capabilities and process’ published on www.whitehouse.gov
Apart from Nigeria, others on the list are Eritrea, Myanmar, Tanzania, Sudan and Kyrgyzstan.
The new visa regime announced by the US Government on January 31, involves the suspension of the issuance of ‘immigrant visas’ to Nigerian passport holders. It comes into effect on February 21.
It read, “The process began on March 11, 2019, when the United States Government formally notified all foreign governments (except for Iran, Syria, and North Korea) about the refined performance metrics for the identity-management and information-sharing criteria.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Ferdinand Nwonye, could not be reached for comment as he was said to be out of the country.
The Lagos State Police Command on Sunday said it has impounded 266 motorcycles, popularly called Okada and tricycles as it began the enforcement of their ban in 15 councils, major highways and all bridges across Lagos.
Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Bala Elkana, in a statement, said 40 violators were also arrested in the exercise which kicked off on Saturday.
He said 188 Okadas and 78 tricycles were impounded by the police, making it a total of 266.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu had on 1 February, 2020 deployed Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, State Traffic Officers, Area Traffic Officers, Divisional Traffic Officers, Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences and other Police Officers across the State Command to fully enforce the provisions of the Road Traffic Laws, especially the ban on the use of motorcycles popularly known as Okada and Tricycles also known as Keke in some Local Government Areas and routes across the State.
“The total ban as announced by Lagos State Government, took effect from 0000 hours of 1st February, 2020. 40 violators were arrested in different parts of the State. 188 Motorcycles and 78 Tricycles were Impounded. The Commissioner of Police went round the state to monitor compliance.
“The CP expressed his satisfaction with the level of compliance across the state and thank the good people of Lagos State for their cooperation. The CP personally arrested some motorcycle and Tricycle operators seen contravening the traffic laws. Others arrested by the CP are VIP escort vehicles without registration numbers, vehicles with defaced and covered plate numbers and vehicles driving against traffic.
“Twenty two vehicles were Impounded. The CP reiterated the fact that no one is above the law. He called on Lagosians irrespective of their social status to support the Police in its quest to provide a safe and secured state for everyone to live in and to carry out their lawful businesses. The enforcement is a continuous exercise 24/7 and violators will be dealt with in line with extant laws on Traffic,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed the management of Lagos Bus Services Limited to deploy a fleet of 65 buses along major routes from Monday, to provide succour and ameliorate the hardship commuters might face as a result of the restriction order on the operators of motorcycles and tricycles in some parts of the State.
The new routes where the LBSL will extend its services from tomorrow and the specified transport fares are:
1. Ikeja – Ogba: N100
2. Berger – Ogba: N100
3. Ikeja – CMS: N200
4. Oshodi – Ajah: N500
5. Obalende – Ajah: N250
6. CMS – Ajah: N250
7. Inner Marina – Ajah: N250
According to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer; Idowu Oguntona, extending the services of the company to these locations would help reduce the vacuum created by the restriction order of Lagos State Government on Okada and Keke operators in some areas.
While maintaining that commuters will enjoy the pleasure and comfort of riding in the new buses along these routes, Oguntona disclosed that more buses will be deployed by the company in no distant time.
The Police in Ekiti State said they are set to recruit 800 Special Constables that will work with the conventional police to tackle the rising level of insecurity in the country.
In a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Sunday Abutu on Sunday, the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti, Mr Asuquo Amba, said that forms for the special recruitment had been distributed to all police stations across the state.
He urged interested applicants to obtain the forms before presenting themselves for screening at a date to be announced later.
“This is to inform the general public that in line with the approval and the directives of the Federal Government through the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, for the recruitment of special Constables into the Nigeria Police Force to enhance the community policing policy nationwide, the commissioner of police, has given a directive for the exercise to kick off across the 16 local government area of Ekiti state
“The recruitment forms are now available in all the divisional police stations across the state.
“All interested volunteers are to walk into any divisional police station closer to them within their local governments and pick the form at no cost
“Applicants must be between the ages of 21 and 50 years, with the will to serve the community
“Applicants must be resident within their respective communities.
“Applicants must be willing to sacrificially serve their respective communities for the purpose and aims of community policing policy with or without remuneration.
“Interested applicants are to, as a matter of urgency, go to the nearest police station within their local governments and pick the form as the screening date will soon be announced,” the police said.
The Inspector general of police in January, gave a directive to all police commands to liaise with stakeholders from each town and local government for the recruitment of the special operatives.
The Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Adamu, had further directed all Commands, Commissioners of Police, Assistant Commissioners of Police and DPOs to liaise with traditional rulers and community leaders in their respective areas to form screening committees.
The recruitment, which was to be in tandem with the community policing strategy of President Muhammadu Buhari, is aimed at mitigating the rising levels of killing, kidnapping, and banditry in the country.
The Lagos State Police Command on Sunday said it has impounded 266 motorcycles, popularly called Okada and tricycles as it began the enforcement of their ban in 15 councils, major highways and all bridges across Lagos.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed the management of Lagos Bus Services Limited to deploy a fleet of 65 buses along major routes from Monday, to provide succour and ameliorate the hardship commuters might face as a result of the restriction order on the operators of motorcycles and tricycles in some parts of the State.
The Police in Ekiti State said they are set to recruit 800 Special Constables that will work with the conventional police to tackle the rising level of insecurity in the country.