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Naira redesign: Supreme Court consolidates states’ suit against FG
By Ogaga Ariemu
The Supreme Court on Wednesday in Abuja consolidated various suits instituted by 10 states against the Federal Government, challenging the mode of implementation of the newly introduced Cashless Policy regime.
The apex court, however, shut out Abia State from joining on the ground of coming late with its originating summons.
A motion for the consolidation was argued by Emmanuel Ukala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, who is representing Rivers State in the fierce legal battle.
Ukala, while moving the motion on notice, premised the consolidation request on the need for the suit to be heard without any hindrance since the matter bothered on the same issue.
In a brief ruling, Justice John Inyang Okoro, who is leading a 7-man panel of Justices of the Court, granted the request and ordered the consolidation of the ten suits into one.
All efforts by the Abia State Government to be joined in the suit were rebuffed, and it was ordered to present its case at a later date.
The 10 states are slugging it out with the Federal Government in the battle against implementing the Cashless Policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN
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Terrorism: ECOWAS to raise $2.4bn to fund counter-terrorism standby force
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it is working to set up a counter terrorism force to tackle security threats within the sub-region.
The Commissioner Political Affairs, Peace and Security of ECOWAS, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, stated this at the opening of a three-day consultative meeting of Commandants of the three designated ECOWAS Training Centres of Excellence.
The three centres of excellence are the National Defence College, Nigeria, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Ghana, and Ecole de Maintien de la Paix Alioune Blondin Beye, Mali.
The consultative engagement is a bi-annual event coordinated by the Directorate of Peacekeeping and Regional Security of ECOWAS.
It is to support training, capacity building, research and development of the ECOWAS Standby Force, and the general peace and security within the sub-region.
Mali which is housing one of the training centres of excellence was absent at the meeting.
This may not be unconnected with the recent move by the country alongside Niger and Burkina Faso to exit the ECOWAS community.
Musah said that terrorism was cascading across the region and there was need to have counter terrorism forces to contain its spread.
“This is the decision, and in the coming weeks, ECOWAS has already with the Chief of Defence Staffs, developed operational modalities, the concept of operations and everything for us to aggregate.
“It will be something like an advance rapid reaction force of a battalion that will be able to confront terrorists’ bases.”
He explained that as part of the resolution of the authority of Heads of States, 2.4 billion dollars would be raised to fund the ECOWAS standby force to tackle the security challenges headlong.
“The Heads of States have decided that on the first year, we must raise about 2.4 billion dollars to support the operation of this force in order to face the terrorist.”
Musah said out of the amount, the Heads of States have directed member states contribute one billion dollars to commence the operation of the stand-by force.
He also explained that Ministers of Defence and Finance from the sub-region would be meeting to fashion out funding modalities for the force.
“This brings me to why this exercise is so critical today.
“If you look at our region, it is being ravage by terrorists. Today Burkina faso has overtaken Afghanistan as the most terrorised state on earth, and Africa has become home to terrorists organisations.
“Elsewhere in the world there are opportunistic terrorists attacks like we saw in some countries not too long ago.
“We are faced with the nightmare of having one of our member states being completely occupied by terrorist groups.
“If they set up a front base in one country then no country is safe, and we have already seen the impact of that on some of the coastal countries – Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’voir – over the past few years.”
The ECOWAS commissioner, however, said Nigeria has been able to degrade the Boko Haram terrorists.
“In Nigeria, thanks to the efforts of the Nigerian Government, Boko haram have been degraded to the extent that they do not post a sustainable threat to the peace and security of Nigeria.”
Earlier, the Commandant National Defence College, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu while welcoming participants to the meeting, said West Africa was the only region that assigned training centres with special mandate.
He, therefore, urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunity to exchange useful ideas to enhance operations against terrorist groups in the region.
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Tinubu to return Wednesday – presidency
The presidency has announced that President Bola Tinubu and his aides will return to Nigeria from Europe on Wednesday.
The special adviser on information and strategy to the president, Bayo Onanuga, announced in a post on his X handle on Tuesday.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with his aides, will return to Nigeria tomorrow from Europe,” Onanuga wrote.
On April 22, Tinubu left Abuja, the country’s capital, for the Netherlands on an official visit.
The presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, stated that the president was visiting The Netherlands at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
After the engagements in the country, Tinubu travelled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between April 28 and 29 to attend a special World Economic Forum meeting.
Details later…
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