Following the recent brutal attack on a female nurse, the activities of masquerades have been suspended indefinitely in the nine communities that make up Nsukka town, in Enugu State.

Recall that a nurse, who was heading to duty call, was last Sunday beaten to a pulp by a horde of masquerades at the University of Nigeria town of Nsukka.

The development attracted condemnations from all quarters.

A reliable source confirmed to newsmen that at a meeting attended by the stakeholders from the area, operations of masquerades have now been banned indefinitely.

The meeting, summoned by the Nsukka Town Federated Union, was well attended by the Oha Nsukka, the Akpuruaru Nsukka, the Igwes, the PG’s of the 9 autonomous communities and the youths.

A resolution was reached that “Oriokpa Masquerade operation has been suspended until further notice.

“The suspension is to enable the Council of Elders conclude on the assault on the nurse, Miss Blessing Ogbonna and come up with modalities on the Oriokpa masquerade operation.

“All security agencies are hereby requested to help the Town enforce this decision, while further developments will be duly communicated.”

Meanwhile, a group, Otobo Nsukka Cultural Zone Community Developmental Initiative, has hailed the decision.

The non-governmental organisation, which earlier visited the brutalised burse in the hospital, appreciated the swift action taken by the Nsukka Town Federated Union and the Council of Elders to address the recent incident.

A statement issued by the group on Saturday night was signed by Prince Chibeze Onah, Convener and Agu Chineme, Head of Admin.

It reads, “ We commend the Council of Elders for their commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of Nsukka community members and support the resolution to suspend the Oriokpa masquerade operation until further notice.

“We urge all stakeholders to respect this suspension and cooperate with the Council of Elders as they work to establish new modalities for the Oriokpa masquerade operation.

“Let us continue to work together for the progress and development of the Nsukka community.”

…Says 30-Year State Devt Plan Implementation on course

Lagos State government has disclosed that N433,408 billion had been generated as part of the total revenue estimated in the Y2024 budget, a revenue performance of 92 percent in the first quarter.

This was revealed at the State’s ongoing Y2024 Ministerial Press Briefing to mark the First Year in Office of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, on thursday by the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ope George reeling out the activities and achievements of the ministry in the last one year.

According to the Commissioner, ‘Y2024 first quarter budget performance for total Revenue recorded a quarterly performance of 92 percent (₦433,408bn), the total expenditure (budget size) recorded a 65 percent performance (₦368,352bn) with the recurrent performing at 80 percent (₦189,624bn), while the capital recorded 54 percent (₦178,728 billion).’

Recalling the Y2024 budget breakdown, the financial plan is expected to be funded from a total revenue estimate of ₦1.880 trillion, comprising the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR): 1.189 trillion; Capital Receipts of 94.605 billion and Federal Transfer 596.629 billion, with expectations from LIRS to contribute 63% (N750 billon) of the projected TIGR, and about 23% (N283.567bn) expected to be generated by other MDAs.

Mr. George acknowledging the ministry’s successful hosting of the Ninth Lagos State Economic Summit “Ehingbeti”, said led to the launch of the Lagos State Development Plan (LSDP), a 30-year (2022-2052) strategic plan and that preparations are in top gear to keep in line with the development plan in placing the state’s status to Africa’s Model Mega city.

He said the LSDP was developed from agreed perceptions with various strategies, as well as comparing the State with 70 world cities, noting that effective implementation initiatives had also been embarked on by the ministry to keep focus with the plan.

His words: “For effective implementation of the LSDP 2052 initiatives, the Ministry has embarked on continuous sensitization and training of MDAs. The LSDP initiatives were also incorporated into the Social Protection Policy Document with a view to effectively implement the THEMES+ additions of Social Inclusion, Gender Equality and Youth Integration/engagement,” he said.

The Commissioner noted that several strategies were initiated by the ministry to help the state achieve deliverables and prosper the economy regardless of the economic challenges, reassuring that the State government would not stop making efforts in improving the living values of residents.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotosho; Special Advisers to the Governor, Mr. Lekan Balogun (Economic Planning and Budget); Mrs. Titi Oshodi (Climate Change & Circular Economy); Chairman, House Committee on Budget and Appropriation, Hon. Sa’ad Lukman Olumoh; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Ibrahim Obajomo and other top ranking officials were present at the event.

L-R: Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ope George; his Information and Strategy counterpart, Mr. Gbenga Omotosho and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr. Olumide Shogunle during the briefing.

L-R: Special Adviser to the Governor (Economic Planning and Budget), Mr. Lekan Balogun; Chairman, House Committee on Budget and Appropriation, Hon. Sa’ad Lukman Olumoh and Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ope George during the briefing.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ibrahim Obajomo; Special Adviser to the Governor (Economic Planning and Budget), Mr. Lekan Balogun; Chairman, House Committee on Budget and Appropriation, Hon. Sa’ad Lukman Olumoh ; Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ope George; Special Adviser to the Governor (Climate Change & Circular Economy), Mrs. Titi Oshodi and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotosho at the briefing.

Justice Joseph Oyewole of the Court of Appeal in Abuja has granted an ex-parte motion for a stay of proceedings filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the contempt proceedings commenced by the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

The Court of Appeal also granted EFCC prayers to serve the processes in the appeal by substituted means on the former governor.

With Oyewole were Justices P. C. Obiora and Okon Abang.

The EFCC boss had been summoned by Justice Isa Abdullahi Jamil of the Kogi State High Court to appear on May 13, 2024 to show cause why he should not be committed to prison for disobeying the orders of the court.

The EFCC, however, appealed the ruling of the trial court and sought a stay of the proceeding of the court.

The EFCC boss is accused of carrying out “some acts upon which they (the EFCC) have been restrained” by the Court on February 9, 2024, pending the determination of the substantive Originating Motion.

But the Court of Appeal yesterday gave the orders for the stay of contempt proceedings after hearing Chief J.S.Okutepa (SAN) leading Eko Ejembi Eko (SAN), Abdulkareem Musa and David Ojogbane Akogu.

The court ordered for substituted service of all the processes in the case to be pasted at No 9 Bengazi Steet Wuse Zone 4 Abuja being the last known address of Yahaya Bello.

In granting the orders, the Appeal Court held that the motion ex-parte had merit and adjourned the hearing of the Motion on Notice to May 20, 2024.

The first Motion, which was moved by Okutepa sought an ex parte order staying the execution of the Orders made Ex-parte in Motion No. HCL/190M/2024 on the 25th day of April 2024, in the case of Alhaji Yahaya Bello vs. EFCC.

The second motion was for an order to serve the respondent Yahaya Bello all the processes in the appeal by substituted means through the mode stated on the face of the motion.

Ruling in Suit No: HCL/68M/2024 and Motion No: HCL/190M/2024, Justice I. A. Jamil had ordered that “the said act was carried out by the Respondent (EFCC) in violation of the order, which was valid and subsisting when it carried out the act.

The court said the EFCC action amounted to contempt of the court.

EFCC operatives had laid siege to the residence of the former Governor on April 17, 2024 to arrest him, despite a court order restraining them from taking such action, pending the determination of the Originating Motion.

Justice Jamil’s order was based on a motion ex-parte filed by Yahaya Bello through his lawyer, M.S. Yusuf in which he prayed the court for an order to issue and serve the Respondent (EFCC Chairman) with Form 49 Notice to show cause why Order of committal should not be made on Olukoyede.

Meanwhile, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has dragged Justice Jamil to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for issuing the order of contempt against the EFCC chairman.

Although HEDA dated its petition April 29th, 2024, it was acknowledged by the Office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria on May 2nd, 2024.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria is also the chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The NGO, in the petition, accused Jamil for granting an order which sought to enforce “a non-existence and sundry misconduct.”

It described the action of the judge as gross abuse of his judicial powers “in a suit that not only the Kogi State High Court has become functus officio but the order sought to be enforced is non-existence at the time the ‘order to show cause’ was made.”

It added: “”We are of the view that the order to show cause granted as per Motion HCL/190M/2024 are designed to annoy, irritate, and portray the commission in bad light.

“The order to show cause was granted in a very disturbing and unnecessary circumstance. The order was granted by his Lordship in the above suit on the 25th day of April, 2024 in very questionable circumstances.

“The SUIT NO: HCL/68M/2023 BETWEEN ALHAJI YAHAYA BELLO v. ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION was filed on the 8th day of February, 2024 by Alhaji Yahaya Bello (“The Applicant”) for the enforcement of his fundamental rights seeking certain declaratory orders against the Commission.

“The crux/ objective of his claim as constituted in the originating motion was for the court’s enforcement of his fundamental rights particularly by restraining the commission from inviting, detaining, arresting and/or prosecuting the Applicant. The Originating Motion is herein attached and marked as “Exhibit HEDA 1.”

The litigation is a fallout of the N80 billion money laundering case against Bello by EFCC.