By 
Tayo AFOLABI
Chief Femi Falana,SAN has described the alleged withdrawal of resignation letters by Abubakar Malami and Chris Ngige as illegal and gross contravention of the stipulated law.
In a statement personally signed, Falana, noted that “At the last Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari directed all Ministers and other political appointees who aspire to contest for elective offices in the 2023 General Elections to resign their appointments.”
He recalled, “In compliance with the directive, nine Ministers resigned their appointments. The former Ministers are Rotimi Amaechi, Godswill Akpabio, Ogbonnaya Onu, Timipre Sylva, Chris Ngige, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Uche Ogah, Pauline Tallen and Chief Tayo Alasoadura.
The Senior advocate of Nigeria noted that, “In a farewell meeting held with the former Ministers on Friday, May 13, 2022, President Buhari thanked them for serving the nation sacrificially, ”with dignity and honour”. While wishing them success in the upcoming elections and in future endeavours the President commended them for their decision and courage to contest for elective offices and their compliance with his directive.
Having resigned from the Buhari administration Mr Abubakar Malami SAN and Dr Chris Ngige were reported to have withdrawn their letters of resignation after the farewell meeting. Such withdrawal is illegal as it constitutes a gross contravention of section 306 (2) of the Constitution which stipulates that
“The resignation of any person from any office established by this Constitution shall take effect when the writing signifying the resignation is received by the authority or person to whom it is addressed or by any person authorised by that authority or person to receive it.”
“Since the resignation of the former Ministers has taken effect they cannot return to the cabinet either of their own volition or on the directive of the President.”
“The resignation of the Ministers is not a cabinet reshuffle. It is akin to the removal of the former Ministers by the President. Therefore, if the former Ministers are going to be reappointed the President is required by section 147 of the Constitution to submit names to the Senate for fresh screening and confirmation.”
Recall that media reports had claimed that the AGF and the Minister of Labour had withdrawn their resignation letters to focus on their jobs.
But AGF Malami confirmed to Vanguard that “I have not resigned as the Attorney General of the Federation but have only withdrawn from the Kebbi governorship race”.
Cat: news
Lynching of Deborah, sheer criminality – ECWA
Abiodun OBA
The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), has condemned the murder of Miss Deborah Yakubu, a 200-level student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto by a mob, describing it as sheer criminality.
Rev. Stephen Baba-Panya, the President of ECWA, made the condemnation in a statement on Saturday in Jos.
Baba-Panya, called on the Sokoto State Government to arrest the perpetrators, and made to face the full wrath of the law.
ECWA President also called on the Federal Government to direct security agencies to ensure that no stone is left unturned towards bringing the culprits to book.
”The brutal murder of Miss Deborah Yakubu by some misguided students is nothing short of overt criminality which we at ECWA roundly condemn.
”Therefore, we call on the Federal and Sokoto state Governments, to ensure that justice is not just seem to be done, but it is indeed done,” he called.
Yakubu was lynched on Thursday over allegation of blasphemy against Muhammed, a prophet of Islam.
The deceased was violently stoned to death and later set ablaze by the angry mob, who are mostly students of the college.
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