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Jubilations Engulf Plateau, Kano States as Supreme Court Affirms Mutfwang and Abba Yusuf as Governors

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Spontaneous celebrations and dancing broke out on major streets in Kano and Plateau States on Friday after the Supreme Court overruled the Court of Appeal; and declared that the sitting governors, Kabir Yusuf and Caleb Mutfwang, remain on the exalted seats as chief executive officers of their domains.

Yusuf is of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, on the ground, as well as the apex court of the land.

The Apex Court on Friday reversed the judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which nullified the election of the governor on miscarriage of justice.

Justice John Inyang Okoro who delivered the lead judgment held that the law and natural justice were turned upside down by the two courts below to arrive at the unjust and unfair decision.

Justice Okoro while voiding and setting aside judgments of the two lower courts said that miscarriage of justice in the ways and manners the petition against the governor was handled was manifest.

The Court of Appeal and the Tribunal had in their concurrent judgments annulled the election of Governor Kabiru Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and declared
Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Party, (APC) as winner of the March 18, 2023 Kano Governorship election.

However, the Supreme Court held that two fundamental flaws were discovered in the findings of the Tribunal and the Count of Appeal which led to an miscarriage of justice.

Justice Okoro said that the allegations of the APC that the Governor was not a member of the NNPP at the time he stood for the election and which the Tribunal used to overturn his victory is against the provisions of the law.

The court held that membership of the NNPP by the governor cannot be challenged by APC on the ground of being an internal affair of the party.

Justice Okoro held that the issue of party membership cannot be raised as a post election matter as done by the APC and its governorship candidate and wrongly upheld by the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

The Supreme Court found that the Governor’s nomination was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC in an NNPP letter head paper jointly signed by the party’ national Chairman and national Secretary.

Justice Okoro also held that since the nomination, no member of the NNPP had queried the action except the APC in its petition before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

Besides, the apex court reversed the unlawful removal of 165, 616 votes from the total votes cast for the NNPP and its governorship candidate at the poll.

The court said that there was no basis for the unlawful removal of the votes from the governor’s votes because the ballot papers used for the poll were duly issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.

The apex court dismissed the allegations that the ballot papers were not signed and stamped at the back

Justice Okoro said that there was no scintilla of evidence from any witness or documentary exhibits that the ballot papers were illegal and unlawful as erroneously concluded by the Court of Appeal

The Supreme Court therefore agreed with the governor that miscarriage of justice was perpetrated against him in the way and manner his election was nullified.

Justice Okoro ordered that the 165, 616 votes unlawfully deducted from the governor be returned to him.

The court while allowing the appeal of the governor and the NNPP dismissed the two judgments earlier granted in favour of the APC and its governorship candidate on the ground that the judgments were erroneously entered in their favour.

Also on the same day, the Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Court of Appeal which in November last year removed Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State from office on ground of unlawful nomination.

The apex court held that the Court of Appeal made fundamental error in allowing the All Progressives Congress APC to poke its nose into the conduct of the primary election by the People’s Democratic Party PDP and nullified the election unjustly.

Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, who delivered the lead of the unanimous judgment, said that the issue of primary election was an internal affairsl of political parties and that no other party can dabble into it except members of the same party.

Besides, Justice Agim said that the issue of alleged improper conduct of the ward and local governments election used to sack the tovernor was not justiceable.

He said that conduct of the ward and local governments election was an affair of the State Executive Committee of a political party while the conduct of the primary election for the nomination of a governorship candidate is entirely that of the National Executive Committee of a political party.

Justice Agim held that there was no issue of irregularities in the way and manner the Governorship primary election that produced the governor was conducted in Plateau and wondered why that of the ward election was used to nullify the gubernatorial poll.

He said that evidence was even well adduced that an order of Plateau State High Court allegedly disobeyed was indeed obeyed by parties involved.

Justice Agim, therefore, voided and set aside the order of the Court of Appeal that Nentawe Goshwehe, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) be inaugurated as Plateau State Governor.

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the Plateau State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal which had earlier dismissed the petition of the APC and its governorship candidate.

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Education

Tertiary Institutions to Exit IPPIS Payroll Platform, as Accountant-General Issues Guidelines

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By Elizabeth Okwe and Ojone Grace Odaudu 

In line with the long-standing agitations by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the federal government has rolled out guidelines for the removal of federal tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

The IPPIS is a centralised payroll system the federal government introduced in 2006 to manage the salaries of public sector employees.

Administered by the office of the accountant-general, the platform had increasingly accommodated federal tertiary institutions by 2016.

It however became a subject of heated protests for many public tertiary institutions that alleged unilateral manipulation and fraud.

Administrators across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education argued that its centralised nature eroded the powers of provosts and governing councils since the head of the civil service often had to determine what staffers were employed and when.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) proposed the Unified Treasury Accounting System (UTAS) proposed as an alternative.

Oluwatoyin Madein, the accountant-general of the federation, has now issued a circular effectively setting out a guideline for the removal of federal tertiary institutions from the IPPIS payroll platform.

The move, he said, was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for institutional autonomy and efficient payroll management.

The circular highlighted an exit strategy for the tertiary institutions and mandated that the affected institutions immediately comply.

Madein said the payroll for the public institutions will be processed by the IPPIS for October ahead of the exit in November 2024.

He said the institutions would now process the payrolls themselves while the IPPIS department of accountant-general’s office vets them.

The accountant-general said payment will be through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

Madein said institutions must fill out and submit GIFMIS enrolment forms to personnel handling payroll-related roles before October 21.

He said the forms will grant access to the personnel cost budget line for each institution on the GIFMIS platform.

On outstanding financial obligations that have been the subject of protests, the circular instructed federal tertiary institutions to compile data on promotion/salary arrears and forward them to the budget office of the federation for onward further processing and resolution.

Madein said the bank details of the employees must be validated and uploaded on the GIFMIS platform within the specified timeframe.

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Education

Glisten Academy Felicitates with Muslims on Eld-el- Maulud

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* Emphasis on the need for selfless service, integrity and social justice

By Ojone Grace Odaudu

As Muslims in Nigeria join others all over the world to celebrate Eid-el-Maulud, the birthday of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the management of Glisten International Academy, Abuja has charged the people to reflect on his exemplary life of compassion, integrity and humility.

In a statement by the institution to felicitate with the Muslim community, the Academy said the ceremony will be more significant if the people strive to embody the values of patience, generosity and justice in the society.

The Eid-el-Maulud celebration, according to the statement, should remind the people of the importance of kindness, honesty and dedication to serving others selflessly.

Dr Samira Jibir
Proprietress, Glisten International Academy

“As we mark the birth of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), we reflect on his exemplary life of compassion, integrity, and humility. This occasion reminds us of the importance of kindness, honesty, and dedication to serving others. Let’s strive to embody the values of patience, generosity and justice in our communities”, the Academy wrote in its statement.

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Education

Pegging WASSCE/NECO Candidates’ Ages Detrimental to Children’s Development – NAPPS

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By Ojone Grace Odaudu

Proprietors of Private Schools have expressed concern over the Federal Government’s directive to peg the age of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) candidates.

Alaka Lukman, Chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Lagos Chapter, expressed this concern in an interview with the Newsmen in Lagos.

The Federal Government recently directed that candidates under the age of 18 years will no longer be allowed to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and National Examination Council (NECO).

Lukman said that pegging the age limit for the candidates for the examinations would lead to delaying and denying some students access to higher education when they complete their secondary education.

Dr Samira Jibir
National President, NAPPS

“The policy of the government gives us room for concern. We believe that the government is only focusing on maturity of the students.

“But this is just one of the mental development of any human being.

“Maturity does not come by age alone. This policy can prove detrimental to brilliant students that finish secondary before they clock 18 years.

“Will they have to wait two years extra, before taking WAEC?

“There is need for the government to give the directive a second thought because it may not be the best for the system and can lead to frustration.

“The development can also lead to potential disparities in students’ educational outcomes, as not all students may have the same opportunities or resources to continue their education until they reach the age of 18.

“Our government should consider the mental health of our students, some are presently facing the pressure of how to quickly go through secondary school because of the financial position of their parents,” he added.

The NAPPS president suggested that the government should rather peg the entry age for students getting into university.

He said admission into university should not be for people at any age.

According to Lukman, the policy will breed teenagers with idle hands roaming about the streets, adding that this can prove detrimental, if an alternative way of engaging these teenagers is not provided.

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