Protesters Storm Villa, NASS Over Reinstatement Of Sanusi As Kano Emir

Protesters marched to the Presidential Villa and the National Assembly in Abuja on Friday, demanding President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the Kano Emirate conflict. The protesters, marching peacefully, carried banners highlighting their concerns about the escalating situation in Kano. They called on President Tinubu to use his authority to resolve the crisis and ensure the restoration of peace and stability in the State. The State Assembly passed a bill titled, ‘The Kano State Emirates Councils (Repeal) Bill, 2024’, which dissolved the establishment of the additional emirates. This made way for the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II on Thursday by Governor Yusuf, four years after he was dethroned by a former governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje. The protesters, under the banner of the Concerned Patriots of Nigeria, accused Governor Yusuf of escalating his abuse of office by dissolving the traditional council. The coordinator, Abdullahi Muhammed Saleh said, “A lot had been going wrong in the state but the Concerned Patriots of Nigeria had thought it best to allow Kano state to sort out its thorny issues. However, Thursday’s brash actions of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, who sacked five emirs to reappoint Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi as the 14th Emir of Kano has awoken us to the urgency of raising the alarm about the destructive excesses of the state governor. “Since being sworn into office, Governor Abba Yusuf has a string of loutish acts that run like a hardened criminal’s rap sheet. All in the name of rubbishing his predecessor, he started with a demolition spree that has served to impoverish the people whose lives he took an oath to improve. Thus he proved himself to be anti-people. “The Governor then attempted to destroy the structures of political parties in the state. The impish fanaticism with which he pursued this illicit mission saw him intruding into the structure of other political parties, including hiring some charlatans who purportedly suspended the national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, who is interestingly his predecessor. Thus he proved himself to be anti-democratic. “This latest stunt of sacking five emirs to install his acolyte was achieved by manipulating the Kano State House of Assembly, which he had successfully turned into a rubber stamp for endorsing his illegal acts. He has eroded the autonomy guaranteed by the separation of powers as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). “It is inconceivable that any right-thinking person will descend low to the point of manipulating the traditional institution for political gimmicks. The humiliation meted out to the five emirs was most unbecoming and we have cause to believe that Abba Yusuf has set the stage for using the traditional institution as ancient and as esteemed as that of Kano for a political seesaw will continue since his successor will revert to the five emirates. The Kano governor has thus proven himself to be the anti-traditional institution leader.” The protesters criticized Governor Yusuf’s actions as unreasonable and detrimental to a civilized society, urging him to stop undermining Kano’s peace. They condemned the NNPP-dominated Kano State House of Assembly for being a rubber stamp for the governor’s actions, warning that their desperation could destabilize the city and the country. They appealed to President Tinubu to urgently intervene in the Kano Emirate crisis to prevent further deterioration and ensure peace is restored.

Tinubu Orders Payment Of Aso Rock Electricity Debts

President Bola Tinubu has instructed the immediate settlement of the electricity bills owed by the State House, Aso Rock, to The Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC).  In a press statement by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Tinubu emphasized clearing the total debt of N342,352,217.46 after reconciling accounts between the State House Management and AEDC.  Tinubu’s directive came after reconciling accounts between the State House Management and AEDC, resolving the discrepancy between the initially claimed N923 million debt and the actual outstanding bill of N342,352,217.46, as stated in a letter from AEDC management to the State House Permanent Secretary dated February 14, 2024.  The Chief of Staff to the President, Rt Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, ensured that the debt would be settled before the week’s end and urged other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to follow suit by reconciling their accounts with AEDC and paying their electricity bills.  Earlier, AEDC had issued a warning to disconnect electricity supply to the Presidential Villa and MDAs due to a combined debt of N47.1 billion, with the Presidential Villa alone owing N923,873,150.  The company set a 10-day deadline for debt payment to avoid disconnection and blackout from February 28, 2024, citing the necessity to publish debt details for long-standing services rendered.

FG Moves To Avert Planned Strike, Meets Organised Labour In Aso Rock

In an effort to avert a nationwide strike scheduled for October 3, the Federal Government has initiated discussions with organised labour at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja. This meeting, orchestrated by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has drawn the participation of several ministers. Last Tuesday, leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) jointly declared their intent to commence an indefinite strike on October 3. Following a resolution of their internal differences, which led to a two-day warning strike by the NLC without the participation of TUC, the unions also called upon their state chapters to mobilize for protests across the nation. Two days later, during a meeting of the National Executive Council chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, a plea was made to the organised labour to reconsider their planned strike action. Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, who addressed reporters at the Presidential Villa last Thursday, appealed to the leadership of organised labour to exercise patience and allow more time for dialogue. Mutfwang revealed that the welfare of Nigerian workers would be a focal point in President Bola Tinubu’s inaugural Independence Day address to the nation on Sunday. In response to the plea made by the National Executive Council, the President’s Chief of Staff convened this meeting to resolve the ongoing industrial dispute with organised labour.