Breaking News In Nigeria For This Night (Sun November 8, 2020)

Breaking News In Nigeria For This Night (Sun November 8, 2020)

BREAKING: South-East Govs, Wike meet over IPOB.

southeast Governors are in a crucial stakeholder’s meeting with Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike in Government House.

Though there was no official declaration of the reason for their visit, it was gathered the meeting was in connection with the recent nefarious activities of hoodlums identified by security agencies as members of the Indigenous People of Biafra in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.

Ebonyi Governor Dave Umahi, was said to led other South East Governors to the meeting at the Rivers Government House.

The Governors arrived at Government House, Port Harcourt on Sunday evening.

Wike has declared war on members of the proscribed IPOB after they reportedly hijacked the #EndSARS protest to unleash mayhem on security formations in Oyigbo killing six soldiers and four policemen.

The proscribed group was also accused of burning all the police stations in Oyigbo including an Area Command, 50 police vehicles, hospitals, and a court.

The Army has launched an operation in the community to fish out members of IPOB and retrieve over 50 AK47 rifles reportedly stolen by them.

End SARS: Legal justice in Nigeria for govt not citizens - Amadi slams freezing of accounts.

Sam Amadi, ex-Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has condemned the freezing of some End SARS advocates’ bank accounts.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, gave the order.

A total of 20 accounts, including those of some social media influencers, were affected.

One the list is Rinu Oduala, a youth representative on the Lagos Panel of Enquiry and Restitution for Victims of Special Anti-Robbery Squad impunity.

In his reaction, Amadi stated that the justice system in Nigeria now favours the authorities to the detriment of the people.

He condemned the laws that allow courts to rule on an application without defendants’ argument or appearance.

Amadi wondered how affected protesters will get money when desperately in need.

“To tell you how foolish our laws – statutory and judicial – can be imagine this: You freeze someone’s account for 180 days (6 months) without hearing from that person and without any criminal charge and criminal trial. The order is just to allow an agency carry out an investigation”, the Harvard alumni wrote on Facebook.

“Ok, what will the owner of the account do for 6 months? Why would such investigation last for 6 months? If the owner of account becomes sick or in dire need of funds for emergencies, he or she would stay without access to the account or accounts for 6 months? Why not a month? Note that the agency has no incentives to hurry any possible investigations.

“We need to review the laws that authorize such exparte orders to be made to give sweeping powers to agencies and government authorities against citizens. Judges should show restraint and even impose constraining conditions for such application. Legal justice in Nigeria is becoming justice for the state and not for citizens. #EndSARS.”

BREAKING: Fire guts Ajimobi wife’s Grandex Supermarket.

Grandex Supermarket in Bodija, Ibadan, was gutted by fire Sunday afternoon.

The store is owned by Florence, wife of late former Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi.

No casualty or injuries as at press time.

The inferno reportedly started from the back office and spread to the main store.

The cause is unknown yet. However, Oyo State Fire Service are at the scene.

WTO DG: Biden’s emergence may favour Okonjo-Iweala —Kalu.

A trade expert, Dr Sand Mba-Kalu, has said that electing Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Director-General of World Trade Organisation would address critical pending issues and bring a comprehensive reform in the organisation.

Executive Director, Africa International Trade and Commerce Research, Mba-Kalu, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja.

He noted that the emergence of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States may work in favour of Okonjo-Iweala.

The US opposed the recommendation by the Nomination Committee of the WTO, for the 164-member countries to appoint former Nigeria’s Finance and Economy Minister as Director-General of the global organisation.

The WTO General Assembly election is scheduled to hold in Geneva on November 9 but has been postponed indefinitely.

He noted that critical among the issues to be addressed was the negotiation concerning Doha Development Agenda.

“The US opposes her selection by almost all the member countries of WTO but there is a strong possibility that the outcome of the U. S. election will favour her emergence as the first female and African D-G of WTO.

“The African group in WTO would want her to address issues regarding the Doha round negotiation on agriculture package.

“In spite of several efforts by the U.S. and other developed countries to undermine the DDA, the African Group stood its ground that it is paramount that the aspect of the negotiation has to be concluded.

“Because it has to do with food security, subsidy on agriculture which distorts trade, employment, et cetera,” he said.