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The Federal Government has shifted the resumption date for the commencement of international flights into and out of Nigeria from August 29 , 2020 , to September 5 , 2020 .

Minister of Aviation , Hadi Sirika , had announced on August 17 , 2020 , that international flights would resume on August 29 , following pressures from the public for the resumption of the flights .

But at the briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 in Abuja , the Director – General , Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority , Musa Nuhu , declared that international flights would not resume as earlier announced .

He said September 5 , 2020 was picked as the new date for international flights resumption, stressing that there were still issues to be sorted out before allowing international carriers to operate into and out of Nigeria .

“ Regret to announce that the international flight resumption earlier scheduled to resume on 29 th August has been shifted to 5 th September 2020 , ” the Federal Ministry of Aviation also tweeted.

When Sirika last week Monday announced that international flights into and out of Nigeria would resume on August 29 , the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 said that the date was not sacrosanct .

International flights were suspended by the Federal Government across the country about five months as a result of the global outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic .

He further disclosed that like it was done during the resumption of domestic flights across the country, the international flights would commence with two major airports.

He named the airports as the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport , Abuja , and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Lagos .

Sirika said emphasis would be placed on the observation of all the safety and technical guidelines as prescribed by global and health authorities , which would be communicated in due course .

There is gridlock at the long bridge, Warewa section of the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway .

The PUNCH gathered that the standstill was caused by a fire outbreak .

It was learnt a car was gutted by fire in the middle of the bridge around 1 . 30 pm.

The car owner was said to be going to Arepo area of Ogun State when she noticed fire from the bonnet of her car .

As soon as she hurried out of the vehicle , it went up in flames .

Mali ’ s new military rulers said that former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita , who had been detained since the country’ s coup on August 18 , had been freed.

The junta , which calls itself the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP ), said on Facebook it was “ informing public and international opinion that former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been released and is currently in his residence ” .

Keita ’ s release was been a key demand of Mali ’ s neighbours and international organisations , including the African Union and European Union .

Nigeria ’ s Akinwumi Adesina has been re – elected as the President of the African Development Bank President for a second five- year term .

The election took place electronically at the virtual annual general meeting of the bank.

Adesina ’ s reappointment at the helm of the 56 – year – old bank is considered a formality as he is the sole candidate .

Presidential spokeswoman , Lauretta Onochie , confirmed the development in a congratulatory tweet.

The head of the African bank had appealed on Wednesday for a second term in office after a months- long storm over alleged corruption and poor governance that ended after he was cleared in an independent probe .

In a speech at the AfDB’ s annual meetings , Adesina formally requested a second term as president , declaring that he was “ doing it with an acute sense of duty and commitment . ”

“ I do it to serve Africa and our bank, in an unbiased way , to the best of the abilities that God has given me, ” he said , according to a statement issued by the bank.

Adesina , the son of a farming family , became in 2015 the first Nigerian to head the bank, one of the world’ s five biggest multilateral lenders and an important but often unseen player in economic development .

The 19 years old serial killer, Sunday Shodipe, who was rearrested by the Oyo State Police command has said that the herbalist who was detained with him ordered him to escape from the cell to shed more blood to appease spirits tormenting him.

He made the confession just as he confessed to killing another woman, Mrs Oladeji Funmilayo, after his escape from police custody last Sunday.

The suspect, during his parade alongside other 32 criminals by the Oyo State Police Commissioner, CP Joe Nwachuwu Enwonwu he escaped from police custody in order to get more blood to appease some spirits tormenting the life of the herbalist with whom he was in detention.

The suspect clarified that he was the actual Sunday Sodipe that escaped from police custody, but re-arrested on August 13, 2020.

“The herbalist with whom I was detained told me to escape from detention to provide blood to appease some spirits who were sucking his (herbalist) blood since he could no longer get access to hard drinks and other ingredients like colanuts, alligator pepper which he was using to offer sacrifice in the cell.”

Confessing how he went back to Akinyele area to kill the woman, he said: “After I escaped from Mokola Police cell in Ibadan, I went to do what Baba Adedokun asked me to do to save him from dying.

“I went from Moniya where I used to live to Akinyele and used an object to hack the woman. Blood gushed out and I recited what Baba always said I should recite, mentioning his name. I disappeared as usual but did not know whether the woman died”, he narrated.

“I don’t have any charm. I don’t know what Baba Adedokun was using me for. He said it was my initial confession that kept him in detention and that if I had not confessed and mentioned his name as the person using him, both of us would have been out”, he explained.

CP Nwachuwu said: “Shodipe confessed that he inflicted machete injury on the woman’s head and left her in the pool of her own blood.

“The victim who was brutally attacked by the notorious killer was rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where she later gave up the ghost”.

Vanguard

Lecturers under the aegis of Congress of University Academics have asked the Federal Government to reopen tertiary institutions in the country .

CONUA is a breakaway faction of the Academic Staff Union of Universities .

CONUA made this known in a press statement after its National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja .

The statement , which was signed by CONUA ’ s National Coordinator , Niyi Sunmonu , was titled ‘ Stop intimidation of CONUA members ’ .
The lecturers urged FG to reopen universities as soon as possible .

The statement added , “ The meeting called on the government to reopen universities as soon as possible as CONUA members are ready to resume work.

“ It however added that everything necessary in terms of COVID- 19 protocols must be put in place before reopening the universities in order to prevent students and staff from contracting the disease .

“ CONUA further stated that the education sector cannot continue to stagnate , as it appears that COVID- 19 would continue to be a threat and we must , in the circumstance , learn to strive to lead our normal life.

“ Union thus urged the government to make available everything that can help our universities to resume work as is being done elsewhere in the world . ”

CONUA also condemned alleged intimidation and harassment of some of its members by “ some university administrations and some other unions within the University ” .

The statement added in part, “ While saluting those university administrations which held meetings to promote academic staff members during the COVID – 19 lockdown , the Union condemned in strong terms those administrations who failed to organise such exercises, despite that several academic staff have been waiting for their promotions for a long time , with some spanning five to ten years .

“ The Union received information to the effect that some universities held Senate meetings and Congregation elections but refused to convene any meeting to carry out the promotion of its members , simply because some people threatened that such promotions , if ever announced , will be reversed .

“ CONUA leadership felt outraged by such pronouncements and expressed its resolve to support any efforts by university administrations to facilitate the due promotion of academic staff members . ”

Punch

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu says the Ondo State Security Network Agency , also known as Operation Amotekun, will not be subsumed under the community policing arrangement of the Nigeria Police Force .

He also insisted that governors would not pay community policemen .
Before now , states across the country had clamoured for independent police systems to tackle peculiar security challenges in their localities .

Earlier in the year , six states in the South – West region came together to form a regional security operation code – named Operation Amotekun , which has since been backed by law in the respective states .
Akeredolu had on August 11 inaugurated Operation Amotekun in Akure , the Ondo State capital .

But with the recent approval of N13 . 3 bn by the Federal Government for the take- off of the community policing initiative across the country, the Deputy Inspector – General of Police in charge of Research and Planning, Adeleye Oyebade , said on Tuesday that all other security arrangements in the country would fall under the community policing set – up of the federal government .

“ I am going to tell you straight away. By the time the community policing strategy and implementation come fully into operation , everybody will follow suit . Everybody will join us and follow what we are preaching and what we practice , ” Oyebade said .

Responding Wednesday on Channels Television ’ s programme, Sunrise Daily , Akeredolu said , “ It will never be accepted , it is not our thinking . We have a law that sets this up . If the DIG feels otherwise , there is always a place for us to ventilate it. We are not afraid of this . The law says Amotekun will operate under its own law ; it is not going to be subsumed under any setup. No .

“ We will not collapse Amotekun for community policing . It will stand on its own. There is no intimidation . We are not people that can be intimidated ( or ) that the IG will give orders to . We will not . Amotekun is different. Community policing is different. If the IG does not understand , he will leave one day and other people will understand.

“ We will work together , it is collaboration , not that it will be subsumed. The law is there and if anybody finds a fault in that law , we can go to court and ventilate whatever position in it. The DIG is totally wrong , Amotekun will not be subsumed under the community policing . ”

On the use of arms by Amotekun corps, Akeredolu noted , “ We are trying to make a case but we ’ ve not yet agreed as to what should be with the issue of ammunition . For now , we allow Amotekun ( cops ) to carry non -prohibited ammunition . There are some ammunition that are non -prohibited. But we know it can look suicidal trying to confront these criminals with non – prohibited ammunition , so , we are looking at other means.

“ These are disciplined people and if they carry arms , it will be for protection . We will keep having this discussion with the police and at the national level . But if the Nigerian Police find it difficult to prevent herders who carry weapons with their cows , some of them have prohibited arms like AK – 47 and you have not been able to prevent that , so , what stops disciplined people like Amotekun ( operatives) to carry arms for protection ? At least when civil defence started , they were not carrying arms , they didn ’ t allow them carry arms but a case was made and they now carry arms . We will continue to discuss this . ”

The governor said , “ I am sure that they are taking this thing too far . Governors will have to pay ? We have discussed this thing before and we told them it is not going to possible . Are you increasing our allocations ? Which state governor will accept that ? Other states might say , ‘ Yes , we will pay ’ , but we will not pay .

“ Let ’ s be fair to ourselves, we are running a federal system . Where is that money going to come from when we are struggling to pay salaries ? Nobody has ever come to us to say we will pay salaries ( of community policemen) anyway and if they come , we will write to say, no , we don ’ t have extra money to do that . ”

The governor further explained the need for multi – level policing to effectively confront the security challenges in the country .

He added , “ No state takes pride in insecurity and the governors will be committed to (state policing ) because most governors are elected to secure the lives and property within their domains . So , which state will now have the police of its own and not deploy it to good use ?

“ Multi – level policing is the best for this country. I am one of those who believe we cannot have a central police and that security will continue to suffer until we devolve multi – level policing .

“ Maybe people are afraid that the governors will take charge of it. No , the governors will not be the ones who will be solely responsible for state police . It will be a police council at the state level , the composition will be spelled – out and people will be there by the virtue of their offices. So , it is not going to be a command that will be headed by a governor but by the functionality of the state police council . ”

The President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ), has decried what he described as the “terribly slow pace ” of justice administration in the Nigerian courts .

Buhari , who recalled how it took so long for the courts to decide and eventually dismiss the election petitions he filed to challenge his losses in the 2003 , 2007 , and 2011 presidential polls , declared that the Nigerian justice system needed an urgent reform.
He suggested that the judiciary should put a 12 – month time limit on the hearing of criminal cases from the high court to the Supreme Court , while all civil cases should be concluded within 15 months.

Buhari spoke at the 60 th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, with the theme, “ Stepping Forward . ”

His speech was read at the virtual conference by the Vice – President , Prof . Yemi Osinbajo (SAN ).

Speaking about his experience , Buhari said , “ At the end, I lost all three cases. I wondered then , why it needed to take so long to arrive at a verdict and if I had won the case , someone who did not legitimately win the election would have been in office all that time .

“ In 2019 , I was no longer petitioner ; I had now become a respondent in the case of Atiku and Buhari and the whole process took barely six months; just over six months. What was the difference ? The law had changed since my own in 2003 , 2007 and 2011 . You had now introduced time limits for election petitions . Everything must be done within a six to eight – month period . My question then is why can ’ t we have a time limit for criminal cases? Why can ’ t we have a rule that will say a criminal trial all the way to the Supreme Court must not exceed 12 months? And why can ’ t we do the same for civil cases? Even if we say that civil cases must not go beyond between 12 and 15 months. I think that for me is stepping forward. ”

The president equally lamented the churning out of multiple and conflicting court orders by judges, noting that in the recent leadership crisis that rocked the ruling All Progressives Congress , no fewer than eight conflicting court orders were made by different judges in a space of six weeks .

Buhari also proposed a reform of the process of judges ’ appointment , recommending that aspiring judges should take tests.

Talks between West African mediators and Mali’s military coup leaders has ended after three days of discussions without any decision on the make-up of a transitional government, a junta spokesman said.

West Africa’s regional bloc dispatched negotiators to Mali at the weekend in a bid to reverse President Ibrahim Keita’s removal from power last week.

But talks had focused on who would lead Mali and for how long, rather than the possibility of reinstating the president, diplomats said.

The coup has raised the prospects of further political turmoil in Mali which, like other countries in the region, is facing an expanding threat from militants.

Col. Ismael Wague said mediators would report to regional heads of state ahead of a summit on Mali this week but, highlighting the backing the soldiers enjoy, the final decision on the interim administration would be decided locally.

“Nothing has been decided. Everyone has given their point of view. The final decision of the structure of the transition will be made by us Malians here,’’ Wague.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who led the regional mediation team, said they requested and were granted access to Keita.

President Keita told us that he has resigned. That he was not forced to do so.

“That he does not want to return to politics and that he wants a quick transition to allow the country to return to civilian rule,” Jonathan told reporters.

However, The junta that seized power in Mali wants a military-led transitional body to rule for three years and has agreed to release the ousted President, a source in a visiting West African delegation and the rebel soldiers, has said.

Last week’s coup, Mali’s second in eight years, followed months of protests calling for Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to resign as public discontent with the government grew over the collapsing economy and a brutal Islamist insurgency.

“The junta has affirmed that it wants a three-year transition to review the foundations of the Malian state. This transition will be directed by a body led by a soldier, who will also be head of state,” a source in the ECOWAS delegation told AFP after talks with the junta.

“The government will also be predominantly composed of soldiers” under the proposal, the source said on condition of anonymity.

A junta official confirmed to AFP that “the three-year transition would have a military president and a government mostly composed of soldiers.”

The source and the official added that the soldiers have agreed to free Keita, detained along with other political leaders since the coup on Tuesday, and he would be able to return to his home in the capital Bamako.

“If he wants to travel abroad for (medical) treatment, that is not a problem,” said the source from ECOWAS.

AFP