NUJ GIVES RIVERS POLICE 14 DAYS TO APOLOGIZE FOR ASSAULTING JOURNALISTS OR FACE MEDIA BLACKOUT. (PHOTO).

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  The Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Rivers State Police Command, demanding a public apology for the assault on five journalists during a peaceful protest in Port Harcourt. Failure to comply, the union warned, would result in a statewide media blackout. In a statement jointly signed by Council Chairman Comrade Paul Bazia and Secretary Dr. Ijeoma Tubosia, the NUJ condemned the police actions as “unprovoked, barbaric, and inhuman,” calling for the immediate identification and prosecution of the officers involved. “The NUJ, as a watchdog of society, will not sit idly by while media practitioners are subjected to barbarism and brutality. Enough is enough,” the statement read, adding that further attacks on journalists would be “vehemently resisted.” The assaulted journalists—Charles Opurum of Channels TV, Allwell Ene of Naija FM, Soibelemari Oruwari of Nigeria Info, Ikezam Godswill of AIT, and Femi Ogunkhilede of Supe...

SERAP SUES AKPABIO, ABBAS FOR 'FIXING RUNNING COSTS' OF LAWMAKERS. (PHOTO).


 SERAP Sues Akpabio, Abbas For ‘Fixing Running Costs’ Of Lawmakers


The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the leadership of the National Assembly members for fixing what it described as the running cost of lawmakers.


Joined in the suit were the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.


The group claimed the duo failed to end “the unlawful practice by the National Assembly of fixing its allowances and running costs, and the failure to account for the monthly running costs paid to members.”


Disclosing this in a statement on Friday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the suit was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja.


He said it followed a recent allegation by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that the lawmakers fix their salaries and allowances, contrary to the recommendation of the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC).


In the suit, the group seeks “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to end the unlawful practice of the National Assembly fixing its remuneration and allowances termed as ‘running cost’.”


It also wants “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to disclose the exact amount of the monthly running costs being paid to and received by the lawmakers, and the spending details of any such running costs.”


According to the statement, SERAP seeks “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to end the alleged practice of paying remuneration and allowances termed as ‘running costs’ into the personal accounts of lawmakers.”


“The provisions of paragraph N, section 32(d) of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] clearly make it unlawful for the National Assembly to fix its salaries, allowances and running costs,” Oluwadare said.


“The alleged practice of paying running costs into the personal accounts of lawmakers is a fundamental breach of Rule 713 of the Federal Government Financial Regulations, which provides that ‘public money shall not be paid into a private bank account.’”

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