The Coalition of Civil Society for the Eradication of COVID- 19 (COCSEC) and Global Centre for Conscious Living against Corruption (GLOCCOLAC) has called on the Presidency not to grant Presidential Pardon to ex-governors.

While addressing the media on Tuesday, 28th April, 2020 in Abuja, Dr. Nwambu Gabriel and Mallam Sadiq Malik who spoke for the coalition said that if the pardon is granted to the ex-governors, the implication is that people would be encourage to steal and loot public funds since the consequences is not punitive enough to act as a deterrent to intending perpetrators of such crime especially when perpetrators believe that pardon or amnesty is always available at their disposal. This would certainly make a mockery of the Federal Government’s genuine intentions to combat crime. Nigerians should therefore watch out for possible abuses by these ex- Governors.

On the COVID-19, security and human right abuses, the coalition also called on the Inspector General of Police as a matter of urgency to commence a covert operation to fish out perpetrators and erring officers and men for proper sanction.

Excerpt is the full text of the statement:

CORRUPTION AMIDST COVID- 19 PANDEMIC
Good morning members of the fourth realm and welcome to this briefing.
There is no doubt that the world dreaded Covid- 19 otherwise referred to as Corona Virus which has unleashed devastating effect on most advanced economies of the world is here in Nigeria. But sadly, the entire pandemic is taking another dimension in Nigeria with impending cases of corruption recorded.
May we refer to the publication of 10th April, 2020 credited to Sahara Reporters captioned “Nigerian Government Ignores El- Zakzaky, To Pardon Orji Kalu, Other Ex- Governors Jailed For Stealing Public Funds”. The publication further stated that the pardon was specifically meant to benefit persons close to the corridors of power currently in jail for various offences.
Recall that in 2015 when President Mohammadu Buhari assumed office as Nigerian’s President, he highlighted three cardinal plans as the focus of his administration: Security, Anti- Corruption fight and the resuscitation of the nation’s economy. President Buhari focused on the war against Corruption, saying that corruption will kill Nigeria if Nigeria does not kill corruption.
Now, Ex Governor jolly Nyame of Taraba was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for defrauding his state to the tune of N1.64 billion. Ex Governor Joshua Dariye of Plateau was jailed for stealing N1.62 billion ecological funds belonging to the state. James Bala Ngilari, a former Governor of Adamawa was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment for defrauding 167 million. But the mother of all frauds was perpetrated by the ex Governor of Abia state who stole N7.65 Billion of tax payers money from Abia state, yet his name tops the list amongst persons likely to be granted amnesty. Orji Uzor is noted for his serial lies. Recall that in 2019, this former Governor claimed to be admitted in a German hospital where he was undergoing a knee surgery, just to evade appearing in court, only for him to appear a few days later jumping up and down in a political rally in Abia state. This man is known to leverage on any slightest lacuna to evade justice.
It is pertinent to state here that most of these states where the ex Governors peculated the state’s treasury are still on their knees up till date and yet to recover from the comatose unleashed by these ex Governors whose unquenchable taste for stealing public funds has robbed the unemployed youths of their future and the generations yet unborn of basic social amenities of life.
Again, if this publication by Sahara Reporter is anything to go by, then, the loss of public confidence on the present administration cannot be ruled out. This current Presidential Pardon, though born with genuine government intention might be abused by these fraud convicts. Again, the implication of this is that people would be encourage to steal and loot public funds since the consequences is not punitive enough to act as a deterrent to intending perpetrators of such crime especially when perpetrators believe that pardon or amnesty is always available at their disposal. This would certainly make a mockery of the Federal Government’s genuine intentions to combat crime. Nigerians should therefore watch out for possible abuses by these ex- Governors.
COVID-19, SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHT ABUSES
The result of several road blocks within and entry points states has resulted in several reported cases of Gross Human Right Violations, extortion, brutality which sometimes result in death.
There are reports that Nigeria has recorded more deaths as a result of police extra judicial killings more than the Covid-19 has actually killed. There must be responsibility for extortion. There must be responsibility for extra judicial killings. There must be responsibility for Violations of Human Right in Nigeria.
In the FCT border connecting Nasarawa state and the FCT, Kubwa road, Gwarimpa- Wuse 2, etc, the police collects money from the Keke Napep riders, individuals, motorists, etc. There are reports of human right abuses in Osun, Rivers, Delta, Abia and the FCT respectively. Some of these policemen compromise the enforcement and thereby increase the chances of more infections thereby sabotaging genuine government intentions. The IGP should as a matter of urgency commence a covert operation to fish out perpetrators and erring officers and men for proper sanction.
Finally, by this medium we wish to advice all Nigerian citizens and persons resident in Nigeria that the Covid-19 Pandemic is real and it is here in Nigeria.
Covid-19 is a Global Challenge.
Covid-19 is a Humanitarian Challenge.
Covid-19 is an Economic Challenge.
Covid-19 is a Security Challenge.
To fight this scourge, we require the cooperation of all Nigerians as Government cannot fight this pandemic alone.
Government should also brace up to be responsive, responsible and accountable to the yearnings and aspirations of every Nigerian citizen.
THANK YOU.
Signed:
Dr. Nwambu Gabriel Mallam Sadiq Malik
For the coalition.

The House of Representatives has passed for second reading, a bill for an act to repeal the Quarantine Act 2004 and enact the control of infectious Disease bill; make provisions relating to Quarantine and make regulations for preventing the introduction into and spread in Nigeria of Dangerous infectious diseases and for related matters sponsored by Representative Femi Gbajabiamila and 2 others.

The bill according to Rep. Gbajabiamila, seeks to empower the NCDC and allow it to perform its functions.

Contributing to the debate, Rep. Sergius Ogun (PDP Edo State), in his opinion wants the House to have a rethink and avoid giving so much powers to the NCDC.

He cautioned and urged all to be careful with vaccines and avoid any conspiracy.

Rep. Bamidele Salam believes that the sponsor of the bill meant well, but there are certain areas that need to be amended .

“How are we sure that immediately after the pandemic we will not go back again about the state of our health Institutions.

“This is an emergency situation. The way we are sitting in the house have already defined the essence of the bill.

“Just like we handled the stimulus bill we should do same here, when the bill was about to take off it wasn’t easy. Many people did not believe in the bill”, Rep. Salam stated.

Rep. Nkem Abonta said the bill is for the control of preventive disease.

“We are all aware of what is awash in the social media.

“Why am saying this is, I have seen the Quarantine Act, something bigger than disease control. We need a bill for control of prevention disease. What am trying to say is we should not because of what we are trying to do, make a big error.

“If we are going to do away with public hearing then we must seek for direction and not speed. The bill is a wrong timing.

“Pls lets apply restraint on the speed, Abonta said

But Reps Gbajabiamila, responded that drastical situation required drastic measure.

“It is also not true today that public hearing is an integral part of every bill, but public hearing gives the people outside the opportunity to contribute.

“What this means is that the house will have to subject every bill to public hearing”

“The essence of the bill is what we should keep our focus on and work out the details and I plead that we pass this bill and send it to the Senate, Gbajabiamila said.

Rep. Ossai Nicholas supported the second reading of the bill, but said all the clauses of the bill captures the need to treat and handle outbreaks urgently.

He added that Section 47 and other sub section makes it mandatory at a time when there is an outbreak, on the need for NCDC to swing into action.

The bill was put to a voice vote by Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, and referred to the committee of the whole.

…Happy that Wike understands the meaning of Abe telling him publicly to be wise
…Describes Abe’s damage control as lifeless as he helped foist Wike on Rivers people
…Assures Abe that APC, FG will survive Wike and his misguided attacks

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-South region and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has dismissed as inconsequential, Senator Magnus Abe’s open counsel to Gov Nyesom Wike over his unguarded utterances and spurious claims against the APC-led Federal Government in his widely criticized State-wide broadcast.

In a statement made available to media houses on Monday, Eze said Senator Abe merely tried to divert attention from his crafty mien and antecedent in a failed attempt to present himself clean and unblemished to the public. Eze said Abe merely wants to disassociate himself from his bosom friend and political partner who is at the verge of imminent downfall, saying such was Abe’s stock-in-trade; always ditching friends in distress and finding a way to join a winner.

Abe had, in a statement made available to Media Houses, said; “Now is not the time to settle issues of supremacy between elected and unelected functionaries of government”. He went further to state: “I want to use this opportunity to publicly appeal to the Rivers State government to immediately seek and secure back channel lines of communication, and resolve any outstanding issues with the federal government through dialogue”.

Did Abe not seek to spike his new friend, Wike, by telling him in public that he (Wike) was not ‘wise’ in his actions? To tell your so-called friend in public that: ‘Wisdom is not weakness’ is simply to tell him in a nice way that he is not wise.

Abe told Wike publicly: “It is one thing to have a political dispute with an individual whose attitude and conduct a lot of people may not approve of, but it is a different matter for sub-national entity like Rivers state to challenge the sovereignty of Nigeria at this time when we should all be working together to combat an unseen but deadly enemy”. What is Abe attempting to do here? To turn the almightiness of the Federal Government against our own brother, this is the highest height of hypocrisy.

Abe had gone on to tell Wike: “I had earlier stated my determination not to be party to any action that will politicize our ability to confront the corona virus pandemic as a people and I maintain that position”.

Chief Eze reminded the reading public that it was Senator Abe, who connived with Gov. Wike and the PDP to deprive Rivers APC the opportunity of fielding candidates for the 2019 elections through a floodgate of litigations laced with injunctions and denied the electorate their chances of electing their preferred representatives in the parliament and in other positions in government.

Turning around to counsel one’s evil accomplice on civility and good conduct without self-contrition is merely pretentious, diversionary and unacceptable, Eze said.

Eze wonders if Abe have forgotten his group’s slogan insinuating that PDP is more organised than APC to warrant their movement to PDP “If we, too, after so much and nothing is happening, decide to move, that won’t make us bad people. If we can no longer organise ourselves and the powers-that-be are not helping matters, we will look at those who are organised if we must continue to play the game. There will be realignment of forces”. This was before the massive movement of Abe’s Group to PDP but let me ask, does it mean with Abe’s recent attack that Wike is no longer more organised?

Eze tasks Abe to tell Nigerians the fate of Senator Barry Mpigi, Peter Meedeh, Bariere Thomas, Alwell Onyesoh and several others whom he led to PDP and Wike after frustrating the electoral chances of the APC in Rivers State.

The APC chieftain said Abe is coming out now to criticize Wike because the deal he struck with him has been frustrated with the emergence of Austin Opara, as the preferred PDP guber candidate for 2023.

Eze cautioned Abe to continue enjoying his Wike, as his sudden criticisms and counsel only portray him as grossly unstable. Many already have the foreboding feeling that it may be terrible for Senator Abe if at the end he is neither a force in the APC nor in the PDP in 2023.

One wonders if Abe’s counsel to Wike is out of ignorance; whether he no longer know the antecedents of Wike and his type of politics for him to have yielded to the offer of such a satanic collaboration from a character like Wike to frustrate his acclaimed home, the APC, from fielding candidates and participating in the 2019 general elections. Or, is he expecting Wike to change at this period knowing very well that Wike is un-teachable.

Abe would not be regretting what Wike has turned Rivers State into today if he had allowed reasons to prevail and support APC during the election. It is too late for Abe and those that guided him into this misfortune and political wilderness as nothing will stop Wike from continuing to torture Rivers State and her people from misguided governance style of the governor and the attendant lack of peace.

Eze wondered the premise on which Abe is advising Wike and sought to know whether Wike, out of magnanimity, appointed him one of his Special Advisers, or the feeling of frustration from the reckless abandonment he suffers from the governor after using him to achieve his selfish aim of making Rivers State a mockery and laughing stock among the States in Nigeria due to his visionless agenda has caught him up.

If by his utterances, Abe has fallen apart with Wike, Eze tasked the ex-lawmaker to explain to Nigerians what the fates of Chief Allwell Onyesoh and thousands of APC loyalists would be; those who out of his prompting joined PDP and the Wike administration.

“What about Senator Barty Mpigi who is now a Senator under the PDP banner?” Eze queried. “What will be the fates of Dr. Peter Meedeh and Bariere Thomas who are Abe’s allies and are today Commissioners and members of the Rivers State Executive Council. Will they drop from the Wike’s administration because their mentor cannot be criticizing Wike from the outside while they remained in the inside. Gov Wike would think they are leaking government secrets to their mentor to warrant those public attacks. Or, does Abe and his cohorts think Wike is dump to consider what he said as harmless advice? Be sure Wike will clearly read the signs and understand the meaning of your so-called advice” Eze further opined.

The party Chief counseled Abe thus: “You can’t eat your cake and have it. If Chief Nyesom Wike is the Wike that I know, he has moved on and if he has promised making you a Governor by 2023, forget about it as Chief Austin Opara has already been handed over the flag of PDP for 2023″.

“The damage you have caused Rivers State and her people will live with you.” Eze lamented.

Eze urged Abe not to bother to help President Buhari and his administration in the hands of Gov Wike. He highlighted that Wike’s confrontation and onslaught against the Federal Government or the APC doesn’t make any meaning either to the Party or the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as his attacks would not prevent the Federal Government from impacting on the lives of the people of Niger Delta region and Nigerians at large.

Eze maintained that all those who defiled every sound reasoning and conspired to put Wike into power against the sound leadership that APC would have provided will ever live the rest of their lives in torment and woe.

The media mogul counseled the people of Rivers State to continue to endure the hardship occasioned by the lack of direction and plans by the Wike administration as efforts are being made to assemble quality leadership that would take the state back to the golden rule of the Amaechi era.

… As Industry Moves to Build Permanent Medical Infrastructure Nationwide

Despite the supply chain constraints involved in simultaneous nationwide delivery and distribution of medical items at this period, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)-led Oil and Gas Industry coalition is determined to extend the Industry intervention to all states of the federation, with Abuja, Rivers and states in the South West having benefitted from the initiative.

Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, weekend in Kano, disclosed this while presenting medical consumables, equipment and an ambulance to the Kano State Government, a release today in Abuja by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, has stated.

The release said the items were handed over to the Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on behalf of the NNPC and its partners – Chevron Nigeria Limited (Upstream) and Bovas & Company Limited (Downstream).

Other items donated to the state included a Toyota ambulance, two full kits ventilators, one smith RescuePac ventilator for emergency and transport, ten pulse oximeters, 10,000 nose masks and 5,000 Nitrile examination gloves.

Others are 250 face masks, surgical splash/fluid resistance face shield, 250 N95 respiratory valve, 100 PPE overall full kits, 100 PPE shoe covers, 2,000 PPE disposable caps and 500 Medimec surgical face masks.

Chief Sylva said ed that items were part of the USD58million (N21bn) intervention initiative by the Oil & Gas Industry, expressing the hope that they would go a long way to stemming the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

The Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources explained that the initiative covers three areas: provision of medical consumables, deployment of logistics and in-patient support system and delivery of medical infrastructure, disclosing that donations were outside the regular Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative routinely deployed by NNPC and the participating companies.

He said all commitments under the scheme were collected in kind through a clear, well-established and transparent governance framework.

“I commend NNPC, the donor companies and other participants in this initiative for standing up to be counted at these trying times,” Chief Sylva stated.

Also speaking at the occasion, NNPC Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, hinted that the Oil & Gas Industry was planning to build permanent and sustainable medical infrastructure in each of the nation’s geo-political zones.

“We have a plan to deliver permanent medical infrastructure to every state of the Federation and a specific intervention in the six geo-political zones. We are selecting 14 locations to construct the permanent infrastructure.

Kyari added that as a socially responsible corporate citizens, the Oil and Gas Industry operators were focused on bequeathing some of the finest medical infrastructure that would outlive the COVID-19 pandemic.

On his part, Governor Ganduje, who lauded the Oil and Gas Initiative to combat COVID-19, said the intervention would go a long way in fighting the pandemic as well as complement the state government’s efforts.

The Governor stated that the state had three functional isolation centers and that it has commenced distribution of palliatives to 50,000 households in the state.

Led by the NNPC, the Oil and Gas Intervention against the COVID-19 pandemic has membership drawn from International Oil Companies (IOCs), Indigenous Petroleum Producers, Major Oil Marketers, Crude Oil and Products Traders, Depot Owners and Petroleum Products Marketers.

…Donates N10m to State COVID Committee

The Former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson said his attention has been drawn to the fact that the new NCDC statistics include a confirmed COVID 19 case in Bayelsa State.

In a press release personally signed by the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson, he said that this is in spite of all the sacrifices the people of Bayelsa have made, and the efforts that the Governor has made in trying to keep Bayelsa out of the COVID 19 web. This is indeed regrettable.

The statement read, “However, this shows that COVID 19 is now in Bayelsa and it is now time for all the leaders and the people to give concerted support to the Governor and state officials in the coordinated action against this deadly virus.

“I want to lend my voice to call on the good people of Bayelsa to respect and abide by all the protocols outlined by the World Health Organisation, the Federal Government and the Government of Bayelsa State with respect to personal hygiene, social distancing and avoiding crowded places.

“This pandemic is a worldwide threat to the human society. All the segments of the Bayelsa society should join hand to support the Governor to educate our people on the danger this pandemic poses to our people so that we can minimize its spread as much as possible and reduce avoidable loss of lives.

“If we restrict movement and respect the protocol, it would be easy for the state Government to work for our lives to come back to normal again. We should note that if more cases are discovered, the lock down will be in place for a longer period.

“In addition to the several support measures I have given to individuals and groups across the state, the Henry Seriake Dickson Foundation is supporting the state COVID 19 Committee with the sum of N10 million.

“Once again, I call on all leaders to support the Governor in the various measures he has taken. I also urge all the traditional rulers, religious leaders and opinion leader to encourage our people to abide by the protocol.

“These measures come with a lot of inconveniences which are all regretted. Elsewhere in Abuja, Lagos and others, the situation is not different, the statement concluded.

The Bayelsa State government has given clarification about those exempted from the stay-at-home directive of the governor, Senator Douye Diri.

Governor Diri in a state broadcast on Monday directed residents to stay at home for one-week except those rendering essential services and duties.

This followed a reported case by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) of a 49-year-old female that tested positive for the COVID-19 in the state.

The index case is on admission at the isolation centre of the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital in Okolobiri.

The governor’s acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, in a statement on Monday night, however, explained that banks, foodstuff sellers in markets and vehicles conveying foodstuff, supermarkets as well as petrol and gas stations were exempted from the stay-at-home directive.

Others are pharmaceuticals outlets, telecoms services operators, oil and gas services firms, medical and health personnel, civil servants on grade level 13 and above, and, of course, the military and other law enforcement personnel.

The governor’s aide stated that the clarification became necessary to reduce panic buying and to douse tension among residents.

He said the preventive measures taken before the report of an index case and even the fresh directive of the governor were all geared toward protecting the health of Bayelsans.

“These measures are not punitive. The government is on top of the situation and would take the right decisions to ensure the health and wellbeing of all citizens of the state are protected at all times. Therefore, there is no need for anyone to panic,” Alabrah said.