President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to address the dispute between the Lagos State Jama’atul Muslimeen (Muslim Community) and security authorities over ownership of the Obalende Muslim Prayer Ground.

As a result, he established a committee under the direction of his chief of staff, professor Ibrahim Gambari, to advise him on the procedures and all that was required to be done in order to treat all parties involved fairly.

The Minister of Defense, Works, and Housing, the Chief of Army Staff, the Director General, the Directorate of State Services, and other individuals recognized as interested parties in the case were also members of the committee.

READ ALSO: Buhari Again Refuses Assent to Customs and Excise Amendment Bill

According to a statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, at a meeting with Jama’atul Muslimeen members on Wednesday at the State House, Buhari declared that justice and fairness were values that he held in the highest regard and would uphold for the rest of his life.

“I have listened to the enlightening historical details you have read. You will get justice as far as this is concerned. I commend you for adopting a peaceful approach to seeking justice, without heating up the polity. The Chief of Staff will get back to you in two weeks,” the statement read.

The group said in their presentation that it had turned to the president as a final resort after exhausting all other options to obtain justice.

The Lagos State Muslim Community told the President that their ownership of the land dates back to 1931, when the Nigerian government made an “Absolute Grant” of 3.11 acres of the property to serve as a Muslim Prayer Ground at the new Hausa Settlement, Ikoyi Plains, Lagos, now known as Obalende.

This information was provided by the delegation’s leader, Alhaji Sikiru Alabi-Macfoy, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the organization.

They said that this occurred far earlier than the Dodan Barracks, their neighbors who arrived in the region following the First Republic’s fall.

A traditional ruler in Adamawa State, Jarman Adamawa, Mustapha Tahir, has called for the reinstatement of the 18th Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to his throne.

Tahir made his position known shortly on arrival from a congratulatory visit to the newly elected governor of Kano State, Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf and the NNPP national leader Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

He reiterated this call in an interview with journalists upon his return to Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

Tahir said, ” I want to call on the newly elected governor of Kano State, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, to reinstate Sanusi Lamido Sanusi back to his throne.

“His removal was illegal and in gross violation of all due processes and in abuse of the culture and traditions of Kano people which need to be reversed as soon as the new government came into effect,” he said.

He said the call had become imperative taking into consideration the fact that apart from the illegal processes used to forcefully remove the Emir his removal is also in violation of the culture and traditions of the Kano people which need to be reversed.

According to him, Sanusi removal is politically motivated and purely witch-hunting due to his principles stand on National issues which did not go down well with the Powers that be who are not comfortable with his bluntness hence the conspiracy to get him illegally removed at all cost and by all means which must not be allowed to stand.

President Muhammadu Buhari has again returned the Customs and Excise Management Act amendment bill to the National Assembly for the second time.

The bill, which was sent to the president for assent in July 2022 was first returned with fundamental observations which were corrected by the lawmakers and returned to him.

The law, which is the first amendment to the Customs Act in over 60 years, is expected to introduce fundamental changes in the operations of the Nigeria Custom Service, while boosting revenue generation efforts of the government.

The bill was recommitted to the Committee of the Whole at Wednesday’s plenary and reconsidered by the lawmakers.

The proposed legislation was recommitted along side three other bills which were returned to the Assembly by the president after declining assent.

The bills are: Arbitration and Conciliation Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2019 (HB.91); Federal Medical Centre, Okigwe (Establishment) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1603); and  Federal University of Health, Sciences and Technology, Enugu (Establishment) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1604).  

Presenting the recommitted bill for consideration, the Chairman of the House Committee on Customs and Excise, Hon. Leke Abejide (ADC, Kogi), gave two reasons for the president declining assent and returning the bill to the House.

Abejide said: “This bill is not new. It came the first time and was adjusted. It came the second time and was adjusted. This time, it is only one clause that was in the original and was omitted from the amendment bill. The other area, we already dealt with it the last time. The Ministry of Finance complained that the Chairman of the Board should be the minister and not a retired Deputy Comptroller General of Customs and we corrected it here. Anywhere in the bill where the board chairman appeared, it was supposed to be changed to minister. But when they were doing the clean up, they didn’t change that.”