EO6: PDP charges CJN to protect judiciary from fascism

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Chief
Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, to protect the
judiciary from what the party described as the unconstitutional and
repressive fascist policies being foisted on the country by the
President Muhammadu Buhari Presidency.

The party noted that the admission by the Presidency, on Sunday,
that the Executive Order 6, as well as the travel ban and trailing
of citizens, were devised to directly interfere in judicial
processes and stifle accused persons of resources, under the guise
of speedy trial, has left no one in doubt that the nation is fast
sliding into fascism.

In a statement Monday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the
PDP noted that the Presidency has initiated attack on the
independence of the judiciary, using the instrument of blackmail
and aspersion on its integrity and capacity to effectively and
timeously dispense justice.

The statement said, “In trying to use his Executive Order 6 to
determine the process, procedures and progression of cases in
court, the Buhari Presidency directly seeks to usurp, commandeer
and appropriate the constitutional powers of the judiciary and then
arm-twist the courts and use them as ‘slaughterhouses’ for
opposition members and perceived political opponents.

“We invite Nigerians to further note that the action of the
Buhari Presidency is a direct attempt to suspend Sections 6 (6)(b),
36 (5), (6)(d) and 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“While Section 6 (6)(b) provides that judicial powers of the
court shall ‘extend to all matters between persons, or between
government or authority and to any person in Nigeria, and to all
actions and proceedings relating thereto, for the determination of
any question as to the civil rights and obligations of that
person’.

“Section 36 (6) (d) provides that, “every person who is charged
with a criminal offence shall be entitled to be given adequate time
and facilities for the preparation of his defence”.

The party also observed that Section 36 (5) provides that every
person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to
be innocent until he is proven guilty.

It also cited Section 37 of the constitution, which stipulates
that the privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence,
telephone conversation and telegraphic communications is guaranteed
and protected.

“The travel ban, trailing of citizens and attempt to regulate
the processes of the court is therefore an attempt to short-circuit
the constitutional powers of the judiciary and foist a fascist
regime where the Presidency becomes the investigator, prosecutor
and the judge in the determination of trumped-up charges against
innocent Nigerians.

“The PDP rejects this attempt by this administration to return
our country to pre-1984 military dictatorship where siege mentality
and suppression of rights of citizens was the rule rather than the
exception.

“We therefore urge the Judiciary as the last hope of the common
man, to immediately insulate itself from the evil machination of
the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is now trying to turn
the judiciary into an instrument of oppression against
Nigerians”.

Katoge Community Embarks on N10m School Project in
Katsina

The Katoge Community in Ketare District of Kankara Local
Government Area of Katsina State in collaboration with the
Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) have embarked on a
N10 million secondary school project to alleviate the suffering of
indigent students.

Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the school
project, the Kanwa of Katsina and District Head of Ketare, Alhaji
Usman Bello Kankara said it was high time communities rise to the
challenge of developing their areas through communal efforts such
as the school project.

The Monarch noted that the time has gone when people will fold
arms and expect government to do everything for them adding that
it’s very important for people to embark on self-help projects.

He said the community day secondary school initiated by
communities of Katoge in Ketare district of Kankara local
government is in support of the state government transformation
agenda in the educational sector.

While commending the efforts of the community for initiating the
project, Bello Kankara pledged adequate support to any community in
his district that embarked upon self-help project through communal
efforts.

He therefore urged the management of the school to liaise with
their counterparts of Tsamiyar Jino and Pawwa who have similar
community schools for advice.

He called on parents and guardians to ensure they enrol their
children and wards into school and encourage girl child education
to bridge the existing gap in girl-child education.

He said while the education department of the local government
will post some teachers, the community will also employ some
teachers on both part time and casual basis, stressing that the
state government will provide both the principal and vice principal
of the school.

He said the school is expected to accommodate at least 300
students in the village of Katoge while other surrounding villages
will be catchment areas via the reception of their wards to the
school.

He emphasized that the days of going to Gurbi and kankara
secondary school with the attendant danger of crossing rivers and
streams are gone now with the community school now in place.

Earlier in his welcome address, the village head of Katoge
Alhaji Tukur Dan Galadima expressed appreciation of his people of
the area to Kanwa for the fatherly role in making the establishment
of the school a success.

Alhaji Tukur Dan Galadima said the school has since started at a
temporary site in the village noting that there are many catchment
areas to benefit and feed the school with students.

The Transition Committee Chairman in Kankara Alhaji Anas Isa
Kankara who was represented by his Vice Chairman Alhaji Umar Yahaya
Girbobo assured support of the local government to the development
of the school.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Education Secretary in
Kankara Local Government, Alhaji Kabir Ali said the department will
ensure posting of adequate staff to compliment the efforts of
people of the area.

The member representing Kankara in the state assembly Alhaji
Garba Dan Alhaji who was represented by Alhaji Bello Bello donated
some amount of money for the development of the school.

Shortly after the laying foundation ceremony, the Kanwa was
conducted round the land provided by the community for the
construction of blocks of classroom, offices and toilets.

By PRNigeria