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Nigeria To Spend N700million To Force 29 Generals Out Amid Recession

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Sahara Reporters learnt that the 29 Generals’ retirement benefits would gulp a large chunk of the money, according to the 2017 Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service of the Officers and men of the Armed Forces.

Checks by Sahara Reporters showed that the 29 Major-Generals are entitled to a brand new Peugeot 508 car, one cook, two residential guards, one service orderly and one service driver.

Chief among the benefits is free medical cover in Nigeria and abroad to the tune of $15,000 annually.

The 29 Major-Generals and Brigadier-Generals have already commenced a terminal leave – the prelude to their retirement – which will end on June 30.

“The brand new vehicles for the exiting generals will cost N464 million while the other logistics and employment of personnel for them will cost N200 million in total. The money will come from extra-budgetary allocations to the armed forces,” a source at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

“Some of them are lobbying but the rule is the rule. Generals in Course 36 have to be retired forcefully, since Major-General Yahaya is of the 37th Regular Course.”

SaharaReporters had on May 28 reported that President Muhammadu Buhari bypassed no fewer than 24 top senior Nigerian Army officers to appoint Yahaya as the Chief of the Army Staff, according to a document, Seniority Roll Nigerian Army Officers 2021 (Revised) obtained by SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters had stated that the President, by appointing Yahaya, hitherto the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East and from Regular Course 37, puts the 24 top army officers from Regular Courses 35 and 36, on the path of forceful retirement.

Military sources had said Buhari might have appointed a less qualified Yahaya, from Sokoto State, based on the president’s usual ethnic and religious sentiments as seen in his other various appointments.

Checks by SaharaReporters on the army’s document showed that most of the officers in line of seniority following the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, are from the South-West, South-East or Christians.

Following Attahiru are; “Maj Generals J.O Olawumi from Ekiti, J.O Akomolafe from Kwara, C.O. Ude from Enugu, J. Oyefesobi from Ogun, M.O Uzoh from Abia, C.C. Okonkwo from Imo, M.S.A Aliyu from Zamfara, U.M Muhammed from Niger and B.M Shafa from Ogun.”

Others are; “N.E. Angbazo from Nasarawa, Y.P. Auta from Kebbi, A.S. Maikobi from Bauchi, B. Ahanotu from Anambra, S.A. Yaro from Bauchi, J. Sarham from Kano, H.E. Ayamasaowei from Bayelsa, O.F. Azinta from Enugu, B.A Akinroluyo from Ondo, KAY Isiyaku from Niger, AT Haman from Borno, A.M. Aliyu from Gombe, H. P. Z. Vintekaba from Taraba, K.O. The Kadiri from Lagos, and IM Yusuf from Yobe.”

The new army chief, Yahaya, now 55 years, was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps on September 22, 1990.

When Buhari appointed the present crop of service chiefs only in January, no fewer than 20 generals from the three services who were members of courses 34 and 35 were retired to pave way for them.

Culled from the Sahara Reporters

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Nigeria: chibok abduction anniversary spurs demands for justice

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Militants, alongside relatives of victims of the infamous abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls that sparked global outrage in 2014, gathered in Lagos on Sunday, April 14, to renew calls for the release of the remaining girls in captivity.

The Sunday meeting was organized to mark the 10th anniversary of the abduction that affected 276 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.

“What I would ask the government is to find a way to work towards bringing back our sisters because I know it is only the government that can help us bring back these girls,” said Grace Dauda, a rescued Chibok schoolgirl.

Another rescued schoolgirl, Rebecca Malu, added, “They should stay safe. They should stay strong, one day, they will be released like us.”

While some girls managed to escape on their own, others have been freed over the years through intense campaigns by civil society organizations and government negotiations. But this human rights activist, Ayo Obe, is calling for more action from the authorities.

“We know that we started with missing persons numbering two hundred and fifty-six; it is already an improvement that we are down to 91. But of course, 91 is 91 lives unaccounted for. We appreciate the fact that so many of them escaped during the abduction itself. We appreciate the fact that the government has brought back so many more of them, but we say that we don’t stop here. We need the momentum that has happened since the mass return during the Buhari administration in 2016-2017 to be maintained. We expected that the remaining girls would have been brought back,” she said.

Mass school children kidnapping in Nigeria has continued nearly unabated since Chibok. Around 1,700 students have been kidnapped in raids since 2014 according to Amnesty International.

A member of the Bring Back Our Girls movement and convener of the 10th-year anniversary in Lagos, Opeyemi Adamolekun, lamented this as unfortunate.

“Unfortunately, it became political between 2014 and 2015, part of the amplification of the movement was part of the 2015 presidential campaign. And we saw the effect of the first batch of 21 that were released with the help of the Red Cross and the Swiss government. The second batch of 82 that were released with the help of the Red Cross and the Swiss government as well. But unfortunately, it seems that energy sort of dissipated because the government doesn’t feel as much pressure as they used to feel,” she said.

For this group of Nigerians, the government must match words with more action to stem the tide of mass school kidnappings in the country.

According to the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, a charity that advocates for the Chibok schoolgirls, about 90 girls still remain in captivity while dozens of the schoolgirls freed over the years are living inside a military-run rehabilitation camp with surrendered Boko Haram fighters they married in the Sambisa forest, Boko Haram’s main hideout.

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Nigeria suspends permit of 3 private jet operators

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Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken action against private jet operators flouting regulations by suspending the Permit for Non-Commercial Flights (PNCF) of three operators caught conducting commercial flights.

This crackdown follows warnings issued in March 2024.

Acting Director General Capt. Chris Najomo stated that increased surveillance at Nigerian airports led to the grounding of three operators found violating their PNCF terms. Specifically, they breached annexure provisions and Part 9114 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023.

In response, the NCAA announced a thorough re-evaluation of all PNCF holders to ensure compliance with regulations, to be completed by April 19th, 2024. PNCF holders have been instructed to submit necessary documents within 72 hours to expedite the process. Najomo emphasized these actions highlight the NCAA’s commitment to enhancing safety in Nigerian airspace.

Furthermore, the NCAA warned the public against using charter operators without a valid Air Operators Certificate and urged legitimate industry players to report any suspicious activities promptly.

This crackdown comes after the NCAA’s stern warning in March against PNCF holders engaging in commercial operations.

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Senator Cory Booker Leads a Congressional Delegation to Nigeria

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Photo: Senator Cory Booker (In the back) and a Diplomat from the US Department of State, joins with members of the Academy for Women Alumnae Association including Mercy Ogori of Kokomi Africa and Adebisi Odeleye of Moore Organics.

Senator Cory also met women entrepreneurs from the Academy for Women Alumnae Association

Last week, US Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey led a congressional delegation to Nigeria, which included House of Representatives members Sara Jacobs and Barbara Lee from California. The purpose of the visit was to discuss a partnership on sustainable development. During the talks, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressed his administration’s dedication to strengthening democracy through upholding the rule of law and ensuring good governance, justice, and fairness for all citizens. Senator Booker emphasized the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and commitment to peace and good governance that bind Nigeria and the United States as partners.

The delegation also met with women entrepreneurs from the Academy for Women Alumnae Association, who had participated in US-sponsored exchange programs. Led by Adebisi Odeleye of Moore Organics, the businesswomen shared their experiences and discussed their entrepreneurial endeavors. Other Academy members were Mandela Washington Fellow, Nkem Okocha of Mama Moni, Inemesit Dike of LegalX, and Mercy Ogori of Kokomi.

The partnership between the United States and Nigeria has lasted over six decades, focusing on addressing security challenges, enhancing health security, and responding to global health crises. Despite obstacles like corruption, poverty, and insecurity, the US remains dedicated to supporting Nigerian institutions and promoting free, fair, transparent, and peaceful elections.

During the visit to the State House, Senator Booker reiterated the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and commitment to peace and good governance that unite Nigeria and the United States as partners.

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