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March 31, 2005
You can’t see Balogun, EFCC tells lawyer
EMBATTLED former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Tafa Balogun, may have started feeling the other side of power as his captors, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday barred his lawyer’s access to him.
ACHILLEUS UCHEGBU, Deputy News Editor
Mr. Balogun, was picked up Monday by operatives of the commission from his Ikoyi residence and detained at Lagos Office of EFCC on Awolowo Road, also in Ikoyi.
Though he was removed from office on January 17, after he was accused of lodging over N1 billion in his bank accounts, the former IGP has since then enjoyed his freedom and had access to his lawyers, though his international travel documents were reportedly seized.
However, attempts by his lawyer, Mr. Tunji Abayomi to have audience with him yesterday was rebuffed by operatives of the commission.
Abayomi, who spoke in a chat with Daily Champion, said he arrived office of the commission about 8.00 a.m. hoping to confer with Mr. Balogun on the next line of action, adding that officials of the commission ignored him and his request, allowing him to stand in the sun for about six hours.
According to him, two operatives of EFCC approached him about 1.00 p.m.
ith information that there is a standing order from Abuja not to allow the ex-super cop see any lawyer, even though they had denied knowledge of his whereabouts initially.
"I arrived their office on Awolowo road, Ikoyi at 8.00 a.m. and said I wanted to see my client. They told me that he is no longer with them. I insisted he was there and that I wanted to see him. They refused.
"Later, I saw his brother bringing food to him and I sent words to him through his brother, telling him that I was outside and would want to see him.
"He sent words back to me that he also wants to see me. So I insisted on seeing him, they still did not allow me.
"Then at about 1.00p.m., two officials of the commission came to me and told me that they are under instructions from Abuja not to allow any lawyer to see him. All I know is that for now, they have denied him access to his lawyers," Mr. Abayomi narrated.
The lawyer also dispelled rumour over possibility of arraigning Balogun in court this week, reminding that the courts are still on Easter break.
" I do not know when they will arraign him, but certainly not this week. May be next week. The courts are still on vacation," he said.
Meanwhile, effort to get EFCC’s reaction to the development proved abortive as the commission’s spokesperson, Osita Nwajah, was said to be unavailable for comment.
Daily Champion which kept a tab on Mr. Nwajah was informed by a lady who constantly answered his personal phone that he had been in a meeting since 10 a.m.
‘My name is Toyin. I do not work in this department but he left his phone here. He has been in a meeting since 10.00 a.m.," the lady said.
Mr. Balogun’s latest agony began 70 days after he was forced to resign by President Olusegun Obasanjo in the renewed onslaught against corruption.
The ex-crime burster who officially disengaged from the force on March 6, has about N2.7 billion, allegedly belonging to him frozen by a federal high court in Lagos at the instance of EFCC.
The amount was allegedly found in five different bank accounts, traced to him.
Several bank accounts, with huge deposits have also, allegedly, been traced to him by the commission, which sources disclosed, while more than 10 landed property, within and outside Nigeria, bear his name.
Posted by Publisher at 04:24 PM | Comments (0)
S/West backs resource control, 25% derivation
SOUTH-WEST leaders yesterday ended a crucial conference in Lagos with a resolve to back agitation for resource control and 25 per cent derivation accruing to the owner state.
SINA FADARE
The Pan Yoruba Conference which was attended by the immediate past governors of Ekiti, Osun, Ondo and Ogun States and other notable Yoruba leaders insisted that a true federation remains a penacea to the nation’s socio-political problems.
The conference which attracted many stakeholders in the zone maintained that if there is true federalism, the regions would enjoy high degree of autonomy needed for sustainable development of their areas.
Speaking at the occasion which was attended by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi and human rights activist, Chief Olu Omojola stressed that the Yoruba agenda is a bond on all its delegates at the ongoing national political reform conferernce, no matter who nominated them.
According to the two Yoruba leaders after a wide consultations with notable stakeholders in the region, with a report of about 60 Ad-hoc Planning Committee members, the agenda was finally approved with an 18-member technical committee producing the final document.
Professor Akinyemi said that among the issues germane to the agenda, is the return to the independent formula of revenue derivation with each region controlling revenue accuring from activities within the region.
The Professor of Foreign Policy explained that absolute autonomy is necesary at a time like this in the country in order to sustain the on-going democratic experiment.
"If there is autonomy of the regions, the federal government of PDP will not have the gut to go to Anambra State and humilate Governor Ngige, or will they have the audacity of witholding the allocation of Lagos State government, despite Supreme Court order that the money should be released."
The forum equally canvassed a regional police system in order to checkmate the rising wave of criminal tendencies in the society.
"Each zone shall have its police force. The centre shall have an investigative and arresting body with national jurisdiction. Police force shall be by a police council of which the Head of Government his deputy, and the zonal chief executives shall be members."
Earlier in his welcome address, the Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was represetned by the Commissioner for Establishment,Mr.Ebenezer Akinbolade, charged all the Yoruba leaders to remain focused and diggedly fight all forms of oppression and intimidation.
Governor Tinubu expressed support for the Yoruba agenda and promised to be a vanguard for its operation.
While moving the motion for the adoption of the agenda, a former presidential aspirant, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite said that the document is bonding on all the delegates representing Yoruba at the national confab.
He warned that if the delegates did not follow the agenda to the letter, they risk the wrath of millions of the who had been agitating for a common front in the on-going national conference.
The 80-pasge document was unanimously adopted by the delegates who thronged the venue of the meeting.
Some of the stakeholders who attended the occasion included former Alliance for Democracy (AD) governors Chief Bisi Akande (Osun), Chief Segun Osoba (Ogun), Otunba Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti) and Chief Adebayo Adefarati (Ondo State).
Notable Afenifere leaders who equally graced the occasion include Senator Mojisola Akinfenwa, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Ayo Fasanmi, Chief Gbenga Kaka, Chief Tokunbo Ajasin, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, Alh. Ganiyu Dawodu, Sen. Salawu Suleman, Jimi Agbaje and Dr. Atuba.
Others are national president of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mr. Smart Adeyemi, founder of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Fredrick Fasheun and the national coordinator, OPC Chief Gani Adams, Professor Bab Fafunwa, Mrs. Dupe Ajayi Gbadebo, and Jumoke Anifowose.
However, the conference was boycotted by the five PDP governors and other party chieftains in the South-West.
Posted by Publisher at 04:23 PM | Comments (0)
FG approves N7.46bn to overhaul Egbin power station
GOVERNMENT moved a step further to boost power generation yesterday when it approved N7.46 billion for a comprehensive rehabilitation of four out of six power units at Egbin power station in Lagos State.
LERE OJEDOKUN, Abuja
Also, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its weekly meeting chaired by President Olusegun Obasanjo approved another N1.29 billion for two irrigation projects in Imo and Anambra States to boost local rice production ahead of January 1, 2006 ban on imported rice.
Former Minister of Power and Steel and new Education Minister, Senator Liyel Imoke said the four units (Phases 1, 2, 3 and 5) of Egbin power station were to be rehabilitated to augment phases four and six which had previously been overhauled. Each has an installed capacity for 220 megawatts.
He pointed out that it was over a decade when the power station was comprehensively serviced, thus leading to fluctuating power generation of between 1,000 and 1,120 megawatts daily. This, he said, would peak to 1,320 megawatts when the rehabilitation was completed.
A breakdown of the amount approved for irrigation showed that N1.02 billion was voted for the cultivation of the 3,850 hectares of land at the Lower Anambra Irrigation Project while government okayed N89.9 million for the Ibu Irrigation Pilot Project in Imo State, which covers 71 hectares.
The projects, government explained were aimed at meeting up the expected shortfall in local supply of rice that may arise when the ban on rice importation became effective on January 1.
Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Mukhtari Shagari while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, explained that the rehabilitation of the Lower Anambra State irrigation scheme followed the visit and concern of President Obasanjo to the site of the abandoned project, which started in 1980.
He said government realised that the scheme could add about 30,000 metric tonnes of rice annually to local production capacity as well as serve as a major source of employment and wealth creation.
"We believe that this is part of the federal government’s policy on rice production and food security and the intention of the government to ban importation of rice. We believe the 30,000 metric tonnes of rice that will be produced inn that area will go a long way to support the policy, and also to support what the federal government is doing on employment creation," the minister stated.
Alhaji Shagari while describing the project as the biggest in the entire South East, said the rehabilitation was expected to be completed within two years, stressing that adequate funds had been made for it in the 2005 budget.
On the Ibu irrigation project in Imo State, he noted that as a pilot scheme, the essence was to encourage people of the area to be fully involved in irrigation farming.
Said he: "We hope by the introduction of this irrigation scheme, the people, especially in Imo State would come to understand the importance of irrigation farming because it can create employment. It can also help in food security."
The minister revealed further that the project was unique because water would not be lifted from dam, but drawn directly from Imo River. It is expected to be completed within a year.
Speaking on the projects, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu said that the rehabilitation of the Lower Anambra scheme, for instance, would include access road, drainage and rice mill.
He asserted that they would have " major impact" on food production, job and wealth creation.
Another decision was approval of new bye-laws for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) which were meant to ensure safety of aircraft and persons using airport facilities.
Aviation Minister, Mallam Issa Yuguda listed the reviewed laws to include prohibition of unauthorised access to certain parts of the airport provision on preservation of law and order within airports and outright ban on touting and related activities.
Others are prevention of used or forged tickets and other criminal forms of travelling documents as well as arrangement to ensure that security officers were effectively in charge of airports’ general surveillance.
The minister who said that the laws were last reviewed in 1978, added that the new measure was in line with the on-going reform agenda.
Posted by Publisher at 04:22 PM | Comments (0)
President signs law to break NLC
ORMAL legal backing to the decentralisation of labour was given yesterday afternoon as President Olusegun Obasanjo assented to the Trade Union (Amendment) Bill 2005.
LERE OJEDOKUN, Abuja
The Trade Unions (Amendment) Act, earlier passed into law by the two chambers of the National Assembly, received presidential assent at the State House, Abuja shortly after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC).
In effect, trade unions in the country now have the right to form, register and belong to federations of trade unions of their choice other than the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
The new law also stipulates that membership of trade unions in the country would now be absolutely voluntary and that no employee could be forced to join any trade union or be victimised for refusing to join one.
Another feature of the new law is the listing of stringent conditions which must be met by trade unions and federations of trade unions in the country before a strike could be called.
Among the provisions are that "no person, trade union or employer shall take part in a strike or lock out or engage in any conduct in contemplation or furtherance of a strike or lock out."
The exemptions however are that "the person, trade union or employer is not engaged in the provision of essential services" and that "the strike or lock out concerns a dispute arising from a fundamental breach of contract of employment or collective agreement on the part of the employee, trade union or employer."
Others are that "the provisions for arbitration in Trade Disputes Act Cap 432, laws of the federation of Nigeria 1990 have first been complied with", and "in the case of an employee or trade union, a ballot has been conducted in accordance with the rules and constitution of all registered members voted to go on strike."
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mrs Oluremi Oyo, in a statement, explained that "the law specifically prohibits trade unions or registered federations of trade unions from compelling anyone to join any strike or in any manner whatsoever, prevent aircraft from flying or obstruct public highways, institutions or premises of any kind for the purpose of giving effect to a strike."
She said that "by the democratization of labour union activities in the country achieved by the new law which gives workers and employers the freedom to exercise their right to organise, Nigeria has discharged its international obligations in this regard."
Posted by Publisher at 04:21 PM | Comments (0)
Delta agog for Obasanjo
ASABA, the Delta State capital is in a frenzy for the arrival today, of President Olusegun Obasanjo, who begins a three-day official visit to the state.
CAJETAN MMUTA, Asaba
Already, designated centres, communities and towns where President Obasanjo will commission some projects are wearing a new look.
Also officials of the state government and the presidential advance party, alongside plain cloth security operatives yesterday stepped up strategies for a hitch-free visit.
Daily Champion checks in parts of Asaba indicates that lawns and drainages along major streets, markets and illegal structure have been cleared.
Also street light along Nnebisi road, which in the past three years had not been lit came alight Tuesday night, leaving residents in disbelief even as known hospitality centres in the city came bubbling with visitors struggling for space.
The state has however, listed about 14 special projects billed for commissioning by the president who will be treated to a boundary reception on arrival from Benin Airport at Alifekede in Agbo-Ika South council area of the state.
Posted by Publisher at 04:20 PM | Comments (0)
Iwuanyanwu mourns FRA Williams
Frontline politician and Executive Chairman of Champion Newspapers Limited (CNL), Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has said that the vacuum created by the death of Chief FRA Williams in the legal profession and the political development of the country will be difficult to fill.
He said in a condolence message that the late legal icon was an embodiment of hard-work, humility and honesty, all of which hallmarked in the very enviable position he rose to in the legal profession.
According to him, the life of Chief Williams has been an ample demonstration that through hardwork, honesty and dedication, one can get to the pinnacle of his profession.
Paying glowing tribute to the deceased legal luminary, Chief Iwuanyanwu recalled that he had consulted him on a number of occasions for very useful legal advice.
He extolled the landmark contributions of the late Chief Williams to the legal profession and sympathised particularly with his first son, Ladi (SAN), who he described as his personal friend and confidant.
Chief Iwuanyanwu also commended the exemplary life and times of the late Williams to Nigerians and prayed God to give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Posted by Publisher at 04:19 PM | Comments (0)
N55m scam: Group wants Wabara to step aside
INTERNATIONAL pressure may also be exerted on the embattled Senate President Chief Adolphus Wabara to step aside to allow for unfettered investigation of bribery allegation levelled against him and some members of the National Assembly.
RASHEED BISIRIYU
Already, a non-governmental organisation, the International Organisation on Democracy in Africa (IODA) is seeking the cooperation of others to achieve that mission and avert further degeneration of the N55 million bribery saga which led to the sacking of Prof. Fabian Osuji as Education minister.
President of the group, Chief Matthew Uwaekwe, told newsmen in Lagos yesterday that it would do the nation and the accused a lot of good for Chief Wabara to step aside while the matter is properly investigated.
According to him, the allegation had smeared the image of the National Assembly and the nation, adding that to save the situation, the law must be allowed to take its natural course.
Besides, Chief Uwaekwe said there was no way the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) could investigate the matter and try those named in connection with the scandal without being accused of taking sides “unless the characters are suspended from office”.
Although he said it was a matter for the National Assembly to decide, he however, warned that “There is need to be careful not to expose Nigeria’s democracy to international ridicule.
“It is our position that the Senate President should step aside, to allow for transparency, probity and honesty in order to sustain democracy in Nigeria.
He, however, urged all the relevant agencies handling the matter to be thorough, honest and fair to all.
“At the end of the exercise, if the Senate President is not found guilty, he should be allowed to continue to lead the Upper Chamber”, he stated.
Chief Uwaekwe also expressed displeasure at the alleged politics of intrigue being played with the position of Senate President since 1999. “As an Igboman and leader, I frown at the way our people are being used against one another, which is giving a bad image to the South East senators in the senate”, he further said.
Chief Uwaekwe, therefore, challenged Ohanaeze to step in fast and put an end to such ugly situation.
Posted by Publisher at 03:52 PM | Comments (0)
PDP: Wabara Accepted to Resign; Search for successor begins
National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ahmadu Ali, yesterday told Senators elected on the party's platform that Senate President Adolphus Wabara has agreed to resign in the light of the bribe-for-budget scandal.
From Kola Ologbondiyan, Chuks Okocha and Ahamefula Ogbu in Abuja, 03.31.2005
Bribe-for-Budget Scandal
President Olusegun Oba-sanjo in a broadcast Tuesday last week indicted Wabara for alleged involvement in the bribe-for-budget scandal wherein some legislators collected N55 million from dismissed Education Minister Fabian Osuji to jerk up the ministry’s budget.
Ali who met the senators in the Senate Hearing Room 1 for two and a quarter hour, according to sources at the meeting, said he had received their notification that Wabara stand down and had informed the Senate President accordingly.
Wabara, said to have accepted to resign, arrived the PDP Senate caucus meeting with Ali 20 minutes after the deliberation commenced at about 2.40pm.
The PDP Senators were said to have, however, turned down the proposal by the party leadership that it would guide them on the choice of Wabara’s successor.
Ali was said to have conducted the meeting on the presumption that the position (of the Senate President) was already vacant.
He was also quoted as telling Wabara that "Mr. President would expect that you (Wabara) would do this (resigning)."
Informed sources also told THISDAY that both Ali and the Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Nasir Mantu, had mounted pressure on Obasanjo Tuesday to grant audience to Wabara. But the President was said to have maintained that he would see the Senate President after he (Wabara) must have resigned from office.
Obasanjo was said to have late Tuesday agreed to see Wabara yesterday morning. THISDAY gathered that the encounter was “bad” for Wabara as Obasanjo "admonished him heavily."
But in the course of yesterday’s closed door meeting held in National Assembly, where the PDP National Deputy Chairman (South), Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun as well as the party's National Vice Chairman (South West), Chief Olabode George, were also present, the senators were said to have taken their turns in condemning the President's broadcast as a denigration of the legislative arm.
According to one of the senators who attended the meeting, senators who spoke were also said to have itemised their roles in ensuring the stability of the administration and wondered why Obasanjo would come up with a broadcast that "over-dented" the National Assembly.
Ali was, however, said to have come short of expressing apology on behalf of Obasanjo to the senators but emphasised that the President did not mean to denigrate the legislative institution.
When the PDP National Chairman introduced the interest of the party in "making inputs or guiding" the senators on the choice of a successor to Wabara, the senators were said to have "emphatically rejected the proposition" with shouts of "No! No! No!"
"We insisted that we would want to choose the leadership by ourselves so that we can also take responsibilities for their shortcomings. Senators insisted that the leadership is Mr. President’s creation but its problem became that of the Senate. We want to be able to take whatever blames that would accrue as a result of the actions or inactions of the choice we would make as regards the next leadership," the Senator said.
THISDAY learnt that “some senators also expressed concern on the need for a soft landing” for Wabara as well as other senators indicted in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) report.
"People just expressed concern for soft landing. While some made a case for political solution, others demanded for a legal solution but no decision was taken on that," the Senator stated.
Mantu, who spoke to newsmen at the close of the meeting said; "our meeting was very successful. There was no resolution. It was a family meeting of family members. The chairman (Ali) being the mother and the father of the legislature and the executive decided to come and talk to us."
Asked if Wabara was asked to resign, he said "I did not hear that one" adding that "it was a party meeting and not a Senate affair. He (Ali) wanted to come and see how his children are faring in his constituency."
Senate Leader, Senator Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, however said "we discussed the problem and took a resolution on the problem. Things are moving fine. We have not fully resolved the issue. We are reconvening on the 5th of April."
"We have not discussed the issue of indictment or no indictment or guilty or not guilty. We have not discussed that because that was not the topic. We are only thinking of the way forward so that we can prevent the occurrence of either disagreement between us and the President of the Federal Republic or between us and the party," Tafida added
When the parley ended and Mantu led Ali and his entourage to the House of Representatives wing for another meeting, Wabara did not join them. The Senate President later walked towards his office accompanied by Senator Iyiola Omisore.
On Tuesday night, the South-west Senate caucus had met in the house of its leader, Kola Awoyefu and resolved that Wabara should resign or motion for his impeachment will be moved when Senate resumes from Easter recess.
Sources told THISDAY that other geo-political zonal caucuses in the Senate had taken similar decision.
In the House the meeting was nearly deadlocked as the legislators refused Ali’s overtures and almost staged a walkout.
Ali, THISDAY learnt, had asked them to subsume their anger in the need for the party to be at peace since it would be in the interest of the country and democracy. He was however told that there was no need for that.
Sources at the meeting which took place behind closed doors said the legislators told Ali that it was not fair on the House for the party to pretend it did not notice the way Obasanjo intentionally portrayed them in bad light in his speech and yet, seek their cooperation without addressing their grievance.
Leader, Hon. Abdul Ningi who spoke on behalf of his colleagues noted that there were 13 points in the President's speech which openly put the House across to the electorates as corrupt and working against public interest.
The legislators asked Ali to go back and study the speech and get back to them to see whether the President was fair to the House in broadcasting the result of an inconclusive investigation.
They noted that there was fear within their ranks that those the President felt were opposed to his personal programme and ambition were being targetted with phoney reports from investigative organs.
Ningi said the House was bent on going ahead with their investigations into the allegations and that any of their member found culpable would not be spared.
The legislators were said to have informed the PDP chairman that they would compile a list of the President's misdemeanors and would press ahead with impeachment motion if necessary.
They pointed out that the broadcast was a violation of the EFCC Act and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission Act which in themselves, constitute an impeachable offence since the laws foreclosed the broadcast of investigations more so when inconclusive.
Earlier yesterday, Senators and House members who were indicted in the bribe-for-budget scandal appeared before a panel of the PDP Central Working Committee (CWC) at the party headquarters.
Wabara dorning a red cap and gray-coloured kaftan and a gray shoe to match, appeared at exactly 1.09 pm accompanied by security aides.
The Senate President however refused to entertain questions from newsmen who laid ambush at the party secretariat.
He left the PDP National Secretariat at exactly 1.54 pm after a session with the NWC members led by Ali.
Also at the party secretariat were the Senate and House Committee Chairmen on Appropriation, Senator Azuta John Mbata and Hon Gabriel Suswam respectively.
Others who also appeared before the panel were the House Committee Chairman on Education, Dr. Shehu Matazu, House Committee Chairman on Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Osita Izunaso and Senator Chris Adighije.
After appearing before the committee, all of them refused to comment on what transpired before the PDP Panel.
THISDAY gathered that Adighije told the panel members how the bribe money came to be and how it was refunded eventually when the EFCC insisted.
But the Senate President was said to have denied knowledge of any money being offered by the former minister of education to legislators.
However, when contacted, Ali described the outcome of the meeting with members of the National Assembly as cordial.
He also said the committee would presume that all those that appeared before the party's NWC are innocent until proven guilty.
Posted by Publisher at 03:49 PM | Comments (0)
... I Signed Statement Under Duress, Says VC
Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Professor Jude Njoku, yesterday told the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges probing the bribe-for-budget scandal that he was forced to sign a statement prepared by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commis-sion (EFCC).
From Ahamefula Ogbu in Abuja, 03.31.2005
President Olusegun Obasanjo, acting on the report of an EFCC investigation, had in his broadcast on the scandal Tuesday last week indicted Chairman House Committee on Appro-priations, Hon. Gabriel Suswam, Chairman Committee on Education, Hon. Garba Shehu Matazu and Chairman House Committee on Housing, Hon. Osita Izunaso of collecting N10 million bribe from Njoku during the 2004 budgeting process.
Njoku yesterday, however, denied giving bribe to any of the lawmakers, saying that his alleged involvement in the scandal was as confusing as it was surprising to him.
"I was invited by the EFCC and when I went there, they asked me if I gave bribe to the lawmakers to increase my budget in 2004 by N150 million and I said no. They asked me to write my statement, which I agreed to. They at a stage started to dictate to me what to write and I refused to write that. Later they brought a statement and forced me to sign.
"Finding myself in such a situation was a harrowing experience. The last place I expected myself was the EFCC. Given my training and experience as an academician, I was hysterical and out of control. I was so devastated as EFCC was supposed to investigate people on financial crimes and I became afraid. I asked myself what I had to do with such an organisation," he said.
Asked when he was invited by the EFCC, he said it was sometime between late January and early February, adding that he was so traumatised by the experience that he found it difficult to coordinate himself.
Asked if he gave any bribe to Suswam, Izunaso or Matazu, he replied in the negative, saying that he had only met Suswam once and may not be able to identify him if he sees him now.
He said he does not know Izunaso and could not have offered him bribe but admitted knowing Matazu who he said invited all the Vice Chancellors in the federation for the usual meetings preceding their budget defences.
According to him, he had in 2002, written a letter to the Senate President, House Speaker and some members of both chambers especially in Appropriation Committee to seek their understanding in approving enough funds for personnel cost and other monies for the opening of new departments and courses.
He said it was in the course of distributing the letters and seeking for the assistance of the lawmakers that he met Suswam.
Asked why he did not address the press immediately after leaving the EFCC to the effect that he was forced to sign a document he did not author, he said that as a civil servant who should not talk to the press, it did not occur to him that was the right step to take.
On how he felt now that his name was linked to bribery, he replied, "I feel devastated, debased and very very sad. It is very unfortunate, coming just three months after I was named the best Vice Chancellor in the country. I feel something is behind it; there is a deliberate attempt to destroy me. I must tell you that I was thoroughly devastated and I have not been able to eat properly since that day."
On whether he was aware that his budget was increased by N150 million for which he was alleged to have given N10 million to the lawmakers, he said he was not aware as all he got was the budget he asked for.
On whether he was given a copy of the document he said he was forced to sign by the EFCC, he answered in the negative, "If taken unawares even when you are at your best, you can act like the most stupid man.”
Izunaso, Suswam and Matazu had earlier denied collecting bribe from the Vice Chancellor. Suswam in his testimony said that he never met Njoku in the course of appropriations work.
Suswam said that even the report of the EFCC was not dated and had a different kind of presentation from the one signed by the commission's chairman, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu.
He said though the report stated that investigation was yet to be concluded, the President went ahead to make conclusive statements in his broadcast by portraying him as having collected bribe.
Izunaso also washed his hands off anything concerning the issue. Matazu, however, admitted knowing Njoku just like every other varsity vice chancellor but denied taking bribe.
On the N55 million bribe allegedly collected from sacked Education Minister, Professor Fabian Osuji, Matazu said the only interaction that came close to what the President alleged in his broadcast was when members of his committee were invited to a dinner after which Osuji said his Finance Director would reach them.
He said that he was later called by the ministry to come and collect the message and he sent the secretary of the committee to collect it, adding, "When it was brought, it was in an envelope and when I opened it, there was N100,000 for me and N50,000 for each member so I returned it to the ministry. I told those who wanted it to go to the ministry and collect it.
He also admitted being invited to a meeting with the minister and the Senate President with some others but denied that he shared from any money that was allegedly given. He swore by Allah that he did not collect any money if the minister gave it.
Matazu said he learnt of the allegation through his wife who cried when he called her from Malaysia where he had gone on official assignment.
Posted by Publisher at 03:45 PM | Comments (0)
Nigeria’s Debt Sustainable, Says IMF
Nigeria's renewed efforts to get creditors to void its $32 billion debt received a knock from the International Monetary Fund, which said that Nigeria could use excess revenue from current high global oil prices to service debts.
03.31.2005
In a statement by the IMF Staff Mission at the Conclusion of 2005 Article IV Consultation discussions with Nigeria, "the mission encourages the authorities to regularize relations with external creditors."
According to the IMF Staff Mission to Nigeria, "The debt sustainability analysis prepared by the mission suggests that Nigeria's external debt is sustainable at current high oil prices. However, sensitivity analysis shows that the debt situation becomes unsustainable at historical oil prices (US$21 per barrel on average in 2006-25 as compared with *S$37 in the baseline)."
The IMF team led by Mr. Menachem Katz, visited Nigeria between March 8-25, 2005 to conduct the 2005 Article IV Consultation discussions, to review the performance of the Federal government's economic programme, National Economic Empowerment Development Strategies (NEEDS) and to discuss the outlook for it in 2005.
While Nigeria does not have any outstanding obligations with the IMF programme, it has an arrangement with the institution where IMF monitors its economic programmes.
In meetings with members of the Paris Club, Minister of Finance, Dr. Nogzi Okonjo-Iweala and other senior government officials have argued that servicing Nigeria's debt with an estimated $3 billion would affect the country’s development and growth.
The mission noted that the outlook for 2005 remains positive, with real GDP projected to grow by seven percent on the basis of higher crude oil and gas production and non-oil GDP by five percent.
It emphasized the need for the authorities to build on the macroeconomic achievements of 2004 to lay the foundation for fatter growth and poverty reduction and to help achieve the Millennium Development goals.
The IMF mission observed that the administration recognises that the 2005 appropriation bill passed by the National Assembly is highly expansionary and has resolved to ensure that fiscal policy is consistent with the objective of maintaining macro-economic stability in 2005.
"The spending increase, which is explained by Nigeria's enormous development needs, will require careful macroeconomic management if it is to be absorbed effectively.
"In particular, monetary policy will need to continue to be tight, targeting a 15 percent increase in broad money in 2005.
"In light of the envisaged increase in fiscal spending, more of the burden of consolidating macro-economic policies are consistent with the objectives of maintaining inflation below 10 percent and continued build up of international reserves," the statement reads."
The Mission said "overall, policy performance in 2004 was commendable. The authorities' macroeconomic policy framework in 2005, which builds on the unprecedented achievements of 2004, is consistent with continued macro-economic stability. It also pointed out that "in 2004, policy implementation under NEEDS signaled a clear break from past imprudent practices, noting that the key objectives of the 2004 programme were achieved, namely to restore macro-economic stability, enhance predictability and transparency of policies, and reduce the economy's vulnerability to oil price shocks.
"As a result, foreign direct investment expanded in 2004 and real GDP is estimated by the Federal Office of Statistics to have increased by six percent and non-oil GDP by 7.4 percent. Prudent fiscal management and savings by all ties of government of the significant oil revenue windfall, along with tight monetary policy, contributed to lower inflation, a more stable exchange rate, and a significant build-up of international reserves.
"Several important reforms have also been initiated to enhance the transparency and accountability of public sector policies and institutions and to address Nigeria's deep-rooted macro-economic and structural challenge; these reforms include implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency initiative (EITI) in Nigeria, the publication of monthly oil revenue distributed to the three tiers of government, a crackdown on corruption, civil service reform, and the passage of the power Bill and the Public-private Partnerships Bill.
"On the structural front, the mission agrees with he authorities' focus on improving governance and transparency, enhancing the efficiency of the public sector, strengthening the financial sector and improving the business environment, including plans to institutionalize reforms with several important bills such as the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, the CBN bill, Banking and Other Financial Institutions, procurement, EITI, and tax reform bills.
"The mission also supports the common external customs tariff scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2005 in the context of the Economic community for West African States (ECOWAS), as well as plans to phase out import bans by January 2007 and to reenergize the privatization process," it stated.
Posted by Publisher at 03:41 PM | Comments (0)
Strike: FG, Oil Workers' Talks Deadlocked
Talks between the Federal Government and the two key oil workers' unions to avert an impending nationwide strike in the petroleum industry yesterday ended in a deadlock following complaints by the unions of low level representation of multinational oil companies at the meeting.
By Mike Oduniyi in Lagos and Juliana Taiwo in Abuja, 03.31.2005
Both the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have therefore, insisted on going ahead with the strike planned for April 11.
Yesterday's meeting had been initiated by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to address the grievances of the oil workers, which centred on influx of expatriate workers into the sector, casualisation and deduction of workers’ salary for pension purpose.
THISDAY checks revealed that the meeting had in attendance representatives of Shell Petroleum Development Company, ChevronTexaco, Mobil Producing Nigeria, Transocean, as well as Belbop and Conoil, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Immigration and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
NUPENG President, Comrade Peter Akpatason, had said for instance that the representatives of Conoil/Belbop, did not appear to have the mandate to commit their employer to decisions that would be reached at the meeting.
Akpatason told the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Timiebi Agary Koripamo, the converner of the meeting, that continuing with the meeting would be an exercise in futility and that he, alongside his other colleagues, would rather leave the meeting.
He said the decision stemmed from past experiences where agreements from such meetings over the same issues were not enforceable because representatives of the affected companies had no mandate to commit their employers.
Also in his remark in support of Akpatason, PENGASSAN President, Dr. Louis Brown Ogbeifun, immediately told representatives of the oil workers at the meeting to vacate their seats since the management of the affected companies have not considered them
serious enough to discuss with them.
Said he: "We think that at this juncture this meeting should end. At this juncture we have decided to take our future in our hands. It does appear that these people are not taking us serious.
"We are being treated like this because we have been too responsible. We have been too mature for the system and I think that by the time we start our actions we would be taken seriously," he said.
Following spirited efforts by the Permanent Secretary, the meeting could only address the issue of expatriate quotas while other issues like the privatisation and deregulation, redundancies, contract staffing, non-unionisation in Conoil Bell Bop and the Pension Acts §could not be addressed.
Ogbeifun later told THISDAY that a meeting between the management of Belbop/Conoil has been convened for next Monday, while another meeting with the other multinational oil companies will hold the following day.
"No agreement was reached, so our stand (on the strike) is still the same," said the PENGASSAN president.
The unions had accused Shell, Chevron, Mobil and Transocean of being chief culprits in the influx of expatriate workers in the industry.
The oil workers had vowed to shut down crude oil production for three days beginning April 11.
The Federal Government feared that the strike may further destabilise the international oil market, and consequently impact negatively on the nation's economy.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer is also the sixth largest in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) with a daily average output of 2.5 million barrels.
Crude oil prices closed firm yesterday at the international market, with the May deliveries for the Brent crude traded at $53.12 per barrel on London's International Petroleum Exchange.
Posted by Publisher at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)
Strike: FG, Oil Workers' Talks Deadlocked
Talks between the Federal Government and the two key oil workers' unions to avert an impending nationwide strike in the petroleum industry yesterday ended in a deadlock following complaints by the unions of low level representation of multinational oil companies at the meeting.
By Mike Oduniyi in Lagos and Juliana Taiwo in Abuja, 03.31.2005
Both the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have therefore, insisted on going ahead with the strike planned for April 11.
Yesterday's meeting had been initiated by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to address the grievances of the oil workers, which centred on influx of expatriate workers into the sector, casualisation and deduction of workers’ salary for pension purpose.
THISDAY checks revealed that the meeting had in attendance representatives of Shell Petroleum Development Company, ChevronTexaco, Mobil Producing Nigeria, Transocean, as well as Belbop and Conoil, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Immigration and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
NUPENG President, Comrade Peter Akpatason, had said for instance that the representatives of Conoil/Belbop, did not appear to have the mandate to commit their employer to decisions that would be reached at the meeting.
Akpatason told the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Timiebi Agary Koripamo, the converner of the meeting, that continuing with the meeting would be an exercise in futility and that he, alongside his other colleagues, would rather leave the meeting.
He said the decision stemmed from past experiences where agreements from such meetings over the same issues were not enforceable because representatives of the affected companies had no mandate to commit their employers.
Also in his remark in support of Akpatason, PENGASSAN President, Dr. Louis Brown Ogbeifun, immediately told representatives of the oil workers at the meeting to vacate their seats since the management of the affected companies have not considered them
serious enough to discuss with them.
Said he: "We think that at this juncture this meeting should end. At this juncture we have decided to take our future in our hands. It does appear that these people are not taking us serious.
"We are being treated like this because we have been too responsible. We have been too mature for the system and I think that by the time we start our actions we would be taken seriously," he said.
Following spirited efforts by the Permanent Secretary, the meeting could only address the issue of expatriate quotas while other issues like the privatisation and deregulation, redundancies, contract staffing, non-unionisation in Conoil Bell Bop and the Pension Acts §could not be addressed.
Ogbeifun later told THISDAY that a meeting between the management of Belbop/Conoil has been convened for next Monday, while another meeting with the other multinational oil companies will hold the following day.
"No agreement was reached, so our stand (on the strike) is still the same," said the PENGASSAN president.
The unions had accused Shell, Chevron, Mobil and Transocean of being chief culprits in the influx of expatriate workers in the industry.
The oil workers had vowed to shut down crude oil production for three days beginning April 11.
The Federal Government feared that the strike may further destabilise the international oil market, and consequently impact negatively on the nation's economy.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer is also the sixth largest in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) with a daily average output of 2.5 million barrels.
Crude oil prices closed firm yesterday at the international market, with the May deliveries for the Brent crude traded at $53.12 per barrel on London's International Petroleum Exchange.
Posted by Publisher at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)
Strike: FG, Oil Workers' Talks Deadlocked
Talks between the Federal Government and the two key oil workers' unions to avert an impending nationwide strike in the petroleum industry yesterday ended in a deadlock following complaints by the unions of low level representation of multinational oil companies at the meeting.
By Mike Oduniyi in Lagos and Juliana Taiwo in Abuja, 03.31.2005
Both the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have therefore, insisted on going ahead with the strike planned for April 11.
Yesterday's meeting had been initiated by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to address the grievances of the oil workers, which centred on influx of expatriate workers into the sector, casualisation and deduction of workers’ salary for pension purpose.
THISDAY checks revealed that the meeting had in attendance representatives of Shell Petroleum Development Company, ChevronTexaco, Mobil Producing Nigeria, Transocean, as well as Belbop and Conoil, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Immigration and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
NUPENG President, Comrade Peter Akpatason, had said for instance that the representatives of Conoil/Belbop, did not appear to have the mandate to commit their employer to decisions that would be reached at the meeting.
Akpatason told the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Timiebi Agary Koripamo, the converner of the meeting, that continuing with the meeting would be an exercise in futility and that he, alongside his other colleagues, would rather leave the meeting.
He said the decision stemmed from past experiences where agreements from such meetings over the same issues were not enforceable because representatives of the affected companies had no mandate to commit their employers.
Also in his remark in support of Akpatason, PENGASSAN President, Dr. Louis Brown Ogbeifun, immediately told representatives of the oil workers at the meeting to vacate their seats since the management of the affected companies have not considered them
serious enough to discuss with them.
Said he: "We think that at this juncture this meeting should end. At this juncture we have decided to take our future in our hands. It does appear that these people are not taking us serious.
"We are being treated like this because we have been too responsible. We have been too mature for the system and I think that by the time we start our actions we would be taken seriously," he said.
Following spirited efforts by the Permanent Secretary, the meeting could only address the issue of expatriate quotas while other issues like the privatisation and deregulation, redundancies, contract staffing, non-unionisation in Conoil Bell Bop and the Pension Acts §could not be addressed.
Ogbeifun later told THISDAY that a meeting between the management of Belbop/Conoil has been convened for next Monday, while another meeting with the other multinational oil companies will hold the following day.
"No agreement was reached, so our stand (on the strike) is still the same," said the PENGASSAN president.
The unions had accused Shell, Chevron, Mobil and Transocean of being chief culprits in the influx of expatriate workers in the industry.
The oil workers had vowed to shut down crude oil production for three days beginning April 11.
The Federal Government feared that the strike may further destabilise the international oil market, and consequently impact negatively on the nation's economy.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer is also the sixth largest in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) with a daily average output of 2.5 million barrels.
Crude oil prices closed firm yesterday at the international market, with the May deliveries for the Brent crude traded at $53.12 per barrel on London's International Petroleum Exchange.
Posted by Publisher at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)
25 Govs Abuse LG Funds, Says Ribadu
Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday in Lagos said 25 state governors still shortchange their local governments of their allocations from the Federation Account.
By Godwin Ifijeh, 03.31.2005
Ribadu, who was the guest speaker at the 2005 annual public lecture of Lagos State chapter of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), said no person, no matter how highly placed, would be spared but declared that the war on corruption would be total as no one found guilty in any form of economic or financial crime no matter how highly placed would be spared.
Though the EFCC chairman did not give further details on the allegation, he said the governors made the council chairmen to sign for their allocations but pay them far less than they were made to sign for.
"They make the council chairmen to sign for their actual allocations, but they pay them far less and leave them with some cash barely enough to pay salaries. So, the council chairmen cannot carry out any meaningful projects," he observed, pledging his determination to eradicate financial and economic crimes from our shores and that Nigeria must be removed from the list of Financial Task Force (FATF) of the G8 countries' Non-cooperating Countries and Territories (NCCTS) latest by June this year.
Nigeria, he explained, was placed on the list in July 2001 and considered a risky territory to do business with because of her anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism laws and financial sector surveillance Rrgulations were adjudged weak.
Represented by the Commission's Acting Director, Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Mr. A. B. Okauru, Ribadu, who spoke on the topic: "Managing the National Image Through Financial Crime Policies," said "no matter, who is involved, be it the President's son, daughter or wife, we will move in and bring the person to book."
The chairman told the gathering that the commission was yet to get the files on the last All African Games (COJA) held in Abuja and Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM) also held in Abuja, promising to deal with the situation appropriately when and where the files ever get to them.
"If we get the files, whoever is found to be involved in any act considered inappropriate, we will act. People must, however, realise that we act within the law, we work with other agencies. Take the 419 cases involving Ajudua and others for instance, it took EFCC six months to get the files from the police.
"There are established procedures, which must be followed, the situation is not helped by the fact that things are really bad in this battle against corruption, we are in a war situation," he said.
Posted by Publisher at 03:29 PM | Comments (0)
Privatisation: BPE Appoints Advisers for NITEL
Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) yesterday moved a major notch up in the privatisation of Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) with the appointment of PNP Paribas/MBC International Plc consortium as privatisation advisers.
From Cletus Akwaya in Abuja, 03.31.2005
BPE, in a statement announcing the appointment, said the consortium would commence work immediately to among other things prepare information memorandum and develop a sales strategy for the nation's first national telecom carrier whose privatisation process is expected to end by June according to a timetable already published by BPE.
NITEL's privatisation process resumed last year after the first botched attempt in 2002 with the call for expressions of interest (EOIs) from which twenty-one investors responded. The twenty-one EOIs would also be appraised with the assistance of the advisers from which the pre-qualified companies would go to the next stages of the process which include due diligence and submission of technical/financial bids. NITEL process would ultimately lead to the appointment of a core investor who would take over 51 per cent of Federal Government's equity in the telecom firm.
Under the privatisation plan for NITEL, 20 per cent of the equity will be offered to the Nigerian public through an Initial Public Offer (IPO) in which shares would be sold to all Nigerians on the basis of equality of federal constituencies.
PNP Paribas/MBC International Consortium was selected among the four companies which made the final round in the selection process for advisers. A total of nine companies had submitted expressions of interest (EOI) for selection as advisers in NITEL process.
Members of the consortium include PNP Paribas Corporate Finance (Lead Financial Adviser), MBC International Bank Plc (Joint Financial Adviser), Balogun, Badejo & Co (Nigerian Accounting Adviser), Cleary, Gottliebe, Sceen and Hamilton (International Legal Adviser).
Others include the law firm of Abdullahi Taiwo &Co. (Nigerian Legal Advisers); Adefila and Partners (Nigerian Assets Valuer) while ICEA of Paris are Technical Adviser to the offer.
Posted by Publisher at 03:28 PM | Comments (0)
'Corruption Has No Tribe'
Former National Secretary of All Nigerian Peoples Party and the party’s candidate in the April 19, 2003 gubernatorial candidate in Anambra State, Chief George Muoghalu, yesterday lauded President Olusegun Obasanjo’s crusade against corruption, saying corruption has no tribe.
From Charles Onyekamuo in Awka, 03.31.2005
Obasanjo, he said, was right to go public with the National Assembly scam and disagreed with the insinuation in some quarters that the President reacted the way he did because the culprits were largely from a certain section of the country. He said such thinking is inimical to the advancement of Nigeria as a country and is embarrassing to the image of the country.
“I feel embarrassed. Right thinking Nigerians feels so. We all agree as a people that corruption is a major problem in Nigeria. So corruption at any level should be checked. It is embarrassing to the nation.
“I give 100 per cent support to the fight against corruption. I also feel that the President was right to raise the alarm on the N55 million scam involving the Education Committees of the two chambers of the National Assembly, and if some people feel that the alarm was because it affected mainly people from a particular section of the country, I disagree because corruption has no tribe.
“We know the issues concerning the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun and Dr. Makanjuola in the Ministry of Defense, they are not Igbos. If any Igbo man gets himself involved in corrupt practices, let him face the music,” he argued.
Muoghalu, who spoke to newsmen immediately after addressing a meeting of ANPP Chairman in Anambra’s 21 council areas in Nnewi, added that although he supported the fight against corruption, but that it must not be selective and that suspected corrupt officers should be given fair hearing so that the righteous would not be unduly incited and brought to public odium.
“Indeed, let due process and fair hearing be applied before the innocent is destroyed, so that at the end of the day, if any legislator or public officer gets himself enmeshed in corruption, he should face the music”, he said.
He described the office of the Senate President as a very high one superintending over a group of equals holding in trust the sacred mandate of the people, and reasoned that the President may have been incensed by the involvement of Wabara because of the position he occupies, and wanted to show the world that there is no sacred cow in his administration.
Posted by Publisher at 03:27 PM | Comments (0)
Police Parade Akume's Attackers
Almost a year after the convoy of Governor George Akume of Benue State was attacked by unknown assailants along Eggom road in Nasarawa State, the Nigeria Police yesterday paraded over thirty-five suspected armed robbers that took part in that operation.
From Chuks Okocha in Abuja, 03.31.2005
The Police said the attackers are armed robbers and not assailants as otherwise reported.
The former Managing Director of Nigeria Airways, Mr. Andrew Agwon and a Police Sergeant who were part of the governor's convoy were killed in the attack which occurred in March 2004.
The acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, announced police findings on the attack while briefing newsmen on the smashing of armed banditry by the police in Abuja, Nasarawa, Niger, Enugu, Kaduna, Ondo, Edo, Kogi, Benue and Kwara States.
Ehindero said the 35 suspects participated in the following operations which included attack on Akume, attack on the Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi's escort vehicles on March 12, where a police man, Sergeant Makama on escort duty was killed by the bandits along Mokwa - Ezhi - Jebba road and attack on a luxury bus plying Lokoja - Abuja road at Awawa Village. In this robbery incident, two police escort were disposed of two AK 47 rifles.
The guns have been recovered from the bandits.
Ehindero explained that the 35 suspects would be prosecuted within a week from yesterday in the High Court for conspiracy to commit felony, brigandage and armed robbery.
The police boss disclosed that the Command recovered 16 assorted firearms made up of the 9 AK 47 rifles, 1 FNC rifle, 1 Barreta S/No M31974, 2 K2 rifles- S/N 594273 and 4350 among others.
He said the sum of N340,000 was recovered by police from one Mohammed Umar in Kaduna as he was returning from a successful robbery operation.
Also the Police Inspector General said two police men, Corporal Daniel Ngikar of the Zone 4 Police Headquarters, Markudi and Inspector Bala Mahan of the Police State Command were arrested a suppliers of ammunition to some robbery suspects.
Posted by Publisher at 03:15 PM | Comments (0)
Zenon Gives N200m Scholarships to Epe Students
Years after retiring from public glare, the vision of Sir Micheal Otedola, former Governor of Lagos State, to give opportunity to indigent students of Epe division in higher institutions yesterday got a major boost with a N200 million lifeline from Zenon Petroluem and Gas to the Otedola Foundation.
By Shaka Momodu, 03.31.2005
As a take-off, the first batch of 100 student beneficiaries smiled home with a N100, 000.00 cheque at an impressive ceremony at the Odoragusin home of Otedola.
Instituted two decades ago as a source of assistance to indigent students in the pursuit of their educational goals, the scholarship scheme suffered a setback with the founder’s foray into politics 13 years ago.
Recounting the rationale for the revival of the scheme, the scion of the Otedola family, Femi, said he was challenged to keep the vision of his father alive because of his immense contributions among the community people.
According to him, by 1992 when last the award was given, over 100 candidates had benefited from the scheme, saying today, most of them are already medical doctors, lawyers and engineers.
Femi, who is also Zenon CEO, said "as a corporate citizen of our great nation, Nigeria, we have sought to enlarge the scope of the earlier vision.
"As part of our social responsibility, we desire to contribute to the educational development and human capacity building in Nigeria.
This goal has propelled us to set a target of 1000 beneficiaries for the scholarship of which the group present today is the first batch. A sum of N200 million has been set aside to realise this laudable objective."
Also speaking, the founder described the revival of the project by his son, Femi as a fulfillment of an ambition which politics truncated as he was no longer able to continue his business.
He said the opportunity of a sound education afforded him by his uncle gave him the impetus to contnue to support the less priviledged in society.
Otedola hailed his son’s courage to resuscitate the family vision. In his remarks Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, described the gesture as a an onslaught against poverty, adding that the gathering rather than being a funeral service was the re-enactment of the greatness of the Otedola dynasty.
He disclosed that as part of government efforts to encourage its citizenry in obtaining a qualitative education the sum of N390 million has been set aside by his government as bursary for Lagos State indigenes in tertiary institutions across the state for the 2005 academic year.
Tinubu, while reiterating his administration's commitment to giving its citizenry, especially the less privileged qualitative education, urged individual parents to take adequate interest in the education of their children by investing heavily on the future of their children in whatever manner they could as the responsibility should not be left to the government alone. He charged the beneficiaries, the students to see the award as a challenge by justifying the kind gesture and excel in their chosen career.
Posted by Publisher at 03:09 PM | Comments (0)
Obasanjo Assents to Trade Unions Amendment Bill
President Olusegun Obasanjo has assented to the Trade Unions Amendment Bill 2005 which among others stipulates that no employee can be forced to join any trade union or be victimised for refusing to join.
From Josephine Lohor in Abuja, 03.31.2005
The bill gives trade unions in the country the right to form, register and belong to federations of trade unions of their choice other than Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media Matters, Mrs. Oluremi Oyo, who made the disclosure yesterday, said another highlight of the bill is that the law "sets stringent conditions which must be met by trade unions and federations of trade unions in the country before a strike action can be called."
Its provisions stipulates that "no person, trade union or employer shall take part in a strike or lock out or engage in any conduct in contemplation or furtherance of a strike or lock out unless, that person, trade union or employer is not engaged in the provision of essential services.
Posted by Publisher at 02:57 PM | Comments (0)
Nigerian law curbs unions power
The unions have repeatedly clashed with the government over fuel price rises. Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has signed into law new legislation breaking the monopoly of the national union federation.
Last year, strike action called by the federation paralysed the country's major cities for almost a week.
The new law makes union membership voluntary, and gives unions the right to form outside the umbrella group, the Nigeria Labour Congress.
The law also bans strikes in essential services like health and education.
The bill is designed to curb the power of the NLC but union leaders say they believe the reform is intended to break down opposition to the government.
President Obasanjo has accused NLC leaders of running a "parallel government".
Last year the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) called three crippling general strikes against fuel prices rises.
An NLC official said that it was impossible to ban protests. "Everybody has a right to protest. We see the enactment of this law as a challenge for us to work harder. Protests will now be completely deregulated," NLC national mobilisation officer Denja Yaqub told AFP news agency.
Posted by Publisher at 02:56 PM | Comments (0)
Nigeria ex-police chief detained
A former Nigerian police chief has been detained, two months after he resigned over corruption allegations.
Tafa Balogun has been taken in for questioning by Nigeria's anti-graft watchdog, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr Balogun, who denies wrongdoing, is expected to appear in court shortly.
Nigeria has vowed to crush corruption as it seeks to convince foreign creditors to ease its debt burden, our correspondent reports.
Mr Balogun stepped down after the EFCC revealed it was investigating large sums of money held in Lagos bank accounts linked to him.
Mr Balogun's lawyer told the BBC he has not seen his client since his detention on Monday night.
Corruption fight
Last week, President Olusegun Obasanjo announced the sacking of his education minister, Fabian Osuji, in a televised broadcast.
The president accused Mr Osuji of offering a bribe of 55m naira ($417,000) to senate president Adolfus Wabara as he tried to secure a bigger budget for his ministry.
Mr Osuji has said he will sue the government over his televised dismissal, claiming it violated his human rights.
The ruling PDP party is meeting on Wednesday to discuss Mr Wabara's alleged role in the scandal.
Oil-rich Nigeria is trying to shake off its reputation as one of the world's most corrupt countries.
However, President Obasanjo's earlier failures to match tough words with action have diluted the impact of the latest move, according to the BBC's Anna Borzello in Lagos.
The EFCC estimates 45% of Nigeria's oil revenues are wasted, stolen or siphoned away by corrupt officials.
Posted by Publisher at 02:52 PM | Comments (0)
March 30, 2005
Tafa Balogun arrested - To be arraigned Friday as counsel says he is innocent
ABUJA — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Monday night, effected the arrest of the immediate past Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, preparatory to his arraignment in court by Friday. Mr Balogun was arrested at about 9 p.m. in his Lagos residence.
By Kingsley Omonobi & Ise-Oluwa Ige
Posted to the Web: Wednesday, March 30, 2005
He was subsequently taken to the commission’s detention facility in Lagos for interrogation.
“He has been under interrogation since yesterday (Monday) and he will remain in detention here pending when we are through with our interrogation,” an EFCC source said yesterday. “He wrote his statement today (yesterday), filled the suspect’s personal data form and the assets declaration form. All these are necessary before his arraignment latest Friday or Monday next week,” the source added.
The source who was part of the team quizzing Mr Balogun said: “The former IGP is getting better except may be he is not looking strong, but he can write.”
Activities at the commission’s office were completely paralysed yesterday as the main entrance into the premises was under tight security. Even people on appointment were not allowed entry apparently because of Mr Balogun’s presence.
Details of the possible charges against Mr. Balogun have not been confirmed. But there are allegations that several bank accounts have been traced to him.
The ex-IG's lawyer, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, in a statement yesterday said “he is free of the charges proclaimed against him.”
The statement: “No one need be disturbed by the harassment, intimidations, proclamations of guilt, arrest, detention or prosecution by the EFCC.
The organisation set-up under a single vindictive authority takes pleasure in using power anyhow and in anyway. This is why scores and scores of citizens remain detained by EFCC in utter abuse of the Constitution and the norms of human liberty. We only need to visit the offices of EFCC to see that behind the high profile cases is a terrible decay covered up by individuals who should not have been given such powers.
“It is characteristics for government in developing nations to arrest people anyhow including millions that have been freed as innocent by the courts.
"The wound of the current harassment of Mr. Tafa Balogun, would soon be healed by the proof of his innocence in an impartial court. It is the discharge of the burden of the proof by the state that should preoccupy us. Not the careless unwarranted and unjustified abuse of authority by EFCC.
“Mr. Tafa Balogun maintains this position for the benefit of doubt. He entered the police honourably, served at various departments effectively and retired with compliments from government.
"If now, in spite of all his commitments to the nation, he is being subjected to the current irritations, then, in the same way he defended Nigeria as Inspector General of Police, he will defend himself as an ordinary citizen of Nigeria entitled to the due process of law.
“The nation should not assume his guilt, not at all, but should demand adequate proof before an impartial tribunal notwithstanding the disturbing and noisy proclamations of guilt against him by EFCC.
"Mr. Tafa Balogun will be defended and may we as his counsel begin the defence by stating unequivocably that he is free of the charges proclaimed against him. Let us insist if only for the sake of all of us on the balance of justice.”
Mr. Balogun was retired on January 17. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief U.J. Ekaette had in a statement said that Tafa’s retirement took effect March 6, 2005.
Chairman of EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in a chat with journalists shortly after Mr. Balogun proceeded on retirement leave said he (Tafa) was being investigated for allegation bothering on financial misconduct, including money laundering.
His (Tafa’s) counsel, Dr Abayomi, was however quick to deny the commission’s allegation, saying: “EFCC does not try people. It can only probe and if any case is established against any body, that has to be proved in the court of law. The only avenue where I can defend my client is in the court of law.
“All we are asking is that the EFCC should conduct its investigation in a civilised manner without violating his (Tafa’s) right to presumption of innocence,” he said.
This week arrest of Tafa may not be unconnected to the investigation carried out by the commission on the allegation of corruption levelled at him.
Posted by Publisher at 02:06 PM | Comments (0)
... Wabara Gets 2pm Deadline Today; Okebukola defends self, NUC
Senate President Adolphus Wabara may have been given an ultimatum by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to either resign by 2pm today or be arrested for his alleged involvement in the bribe-for-budget scandal.
From Kola Ologbondiyan, Ahamefula Ogbu in Abuja and Francis Ugwoke in Lagos, 03.30.2005
THISDAY gathered that the PDP leadership which communicated its decision to Wabara last night may be acting on the directive of the Presidency.
THISDAY gathered that the Justice Ministry may be asked to get a court warrant for Wabara’s arrest.
Asked how the Senate President would be arrested, a source asked rhetorically, “Is it not from the court that you get a warrant of arrest?”
The new twist in the bribe-for-budget scandal is said to be the party's response to the Senate President's double strategy of buying time to either persuade President Olusegun Obasanjo to forgive him or rally senators to present a common front against the presidency.
A source close to the party said the PDP decided to act tough on the issue after getting the feeler that Wabara has been insisting on waiting for the report of Senate Committee on Ethics probing the extent of his involvement in the scandal.
Today, PDP National Chairman Dr. Ahmadu Ali and other top members of the Central Working Committee (CWC) will hold separate meetings with the party's caucuses in the House of Representatives and Senate.
The decision to force Wabara to throw in the towel before the meetings is to enable the party commence discussions on who will be the next senate president and how to rebuild party unity in the National Assembly in the face of the damaging crisis.
It is believed the NWC team will also use the meetings to explain why Wabara has to leave office, and initimate the legislators with the President's position.
President Obasanjo had in a nationwide broadcast accused the Senate President and some members of the National Assembly of having received bribe from sacked Education Minister, Prof. Fabian Osuji so as to induce them to jerk up the ministry's budget. The National Assembly reacted by saying that the President's accusation amounted to denigrating the whole institution of the National Assembly.
The source said the PDP team will explain to the PDP lawmakers that Obasanjo is not out to ridicule the National Assembly.
However, the House of Representatives may be set on a collision course with the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu who was said to have shunned the invitation to testify before the committee on ethics probing the involvement of some of its members in the bribe-for-budget scandal.
The Committee on privileges had waited for the arrival of Ribadu from 2pm till about 4pm when its Chairman, Hon. Bello Mutawale, told the press that they had a letter to the effect that the EFCC boss may no longer be coming.
Mutawale admitted that the letter from EFCC also referred to a plan by Ribadu to "submit a comprehensive report to the House through appropriate channel as soon as investigations are concluded."
He however dismissed, the position of the EFCC as "Besides the point," adding, "Submitting a comprehensive report is besides the point, and indeed, a secondary issue. Invitation by a parliament to any public officer, particularly for a matter of the magnitude under reference, is a sacred duty that must be honoured."
He said since there was an indication that Ribadu was out of town, the committee would give him a new date to appear to answer their questions before taking evidence from Hon. Osita Izunaso who was named in the N15 million bribe given by the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.
"In the meantime, the Committee is expecting Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to confirm his new preferred date of appearance as soon as possible to enable the Committee meet its two-week deadline," he said.
But, one of the key characters in the scandal, House Committee on Education Chairman, Hon. Garba Matazu, showed up in the House yesterday and said that he was not involved in any of the bribes alleged to have been given to him and his colleagues in the Senate.
According to him, “By all standards, I do not know anything about it. I even swore with the Holy Koran especially about the N10 million which I was alleged to have been given by the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, honestly I don’t know anything about it”.
He admitted swearing by Allah when he fielded questions from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Voice of America (VOA) and insisted that it was because of the fact that he did not know anything about what was being alleged against him.
Matazu denied that he has been invited by the EFCC or any other investigative organ. He added that he was only aware of the allegations through the media when he was on an assignment to Malaysia.
On the N55 million bribe alleged to have been collected from the Ministry of Education, part of which was given to him, he denied and said “If there is anybody who said he has given me N55 million, let him come and say when, where and how he gave me the N55 million and who is his witness”. Matazu said the allegation sounded foolish and for which nobody should be worried about.
“Since I came to the National Assembly in 1999, I have never sat with Suswam and Izunaso in one place, all the three of us except during meetings of Chairmen of Committees”, he said.
On what he intends to do, he said he would not go to court but would await the decision of the House and his party. "Nobody up till now I am talking to you has invited me to anywhere and I am willing and ready to present myself to any constituted legal institution," he said.
Having been Chairman of the Committee since 1999, he said he knew all the Vice Chancellors of federal universities and recalled that the last time he met Professor Njoku of FUTO was in 1999 during a conference with the Vice Chancellors and Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission.
Also yesterday, unconfirmed reports stated that the House Chairman on Appropriations, Hon. Gabriel Suswam, was sighted at the EFCC office but attempts to confirm what transpired between him and the commission was not successful as at press time.
Meanwhile, Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Peter Okebukola has absolved himself and his Commission of involvement in the bribe-for-budget scandal.
Okebukola who was queried by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Ufot Ekaette, to explain his role in the bribe scandal, said what his Commission gave out to the Ministry of Education was a loan.
He explained that the Minister of Education had written to request for a N20 million loan which his Commission, after a management meeting, approved as requested.
In his letter dated March 24, the same day that he was querried, Okebukola said: "On 3rd December 2004, I received a letter from the Honourable Minister of Education requesting the Commission to loan the Federal Ministry of Education the sum of N20 million only to deal with an emergency situation that has just developed in Suleja Academy".
Osuji had in his letter dated December 3, requested for the loan of N20 million, a copy of which Okebukola attached in his reply to Ekaette.
"On receipt of the letter I called a special meeting of my management to consider the request. Given the directive of the Honourable Minister, management approved the release of the loan", Okebukola wrote.
He explained that in taking the decision to approve the loan, management took cognizance of the statutory relationship between the NUC and the office of the Honourable Minister of Education particularly the provision of the NUC Act with regard to the supervisory functions of the Minister over the Commission.
Noting that Section 4 (2) of the law stipulates that the minister may give the Commission directives of a general character, Okebukola said he simply complied with the directive considering the reason for which the loan was requested.
"It needs to be stressed that the directive of the Honourable Minister to apply for the loan to "deal with an emergency situation that has just developed in Suleja Academy" was adjudged by management to be of general character and legitimate to the extent that it was to address a matter of urgent educational importance. Management could not have approved and did not approve a loan for bribe", he stated.
He maintained that the NUC worked the loan through its financial due process and issued the cheque in anticipation that the money will be applied to dealing with the problem which Osuji stated in his letter. He added that the Commission was expecting a refund of the loan in due course.
He told Ekaette that he believed that by acceding to the Minister's request, both himself and the managment of NUC were obeying a legitimate directive from "a superior officer".
Posted by Publisher at 02:04 PM | Comments (1)
Famed attorney Johnnie Cochran dead
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Famed attorney Johnnie Cochran, perhaps best known for his successful defense of O.J. Simpson, died Tuesday afternoon after suffering from an inoperable brain tumor, his family said. He was 67.
From Lenny Bruce, to Michael Jackson, to O.J. Simpson
Wednesday, March 30, 2005 Posted: 4:00 AM EST (0900 GMT)
"Johnnie Cochran was a loving, heartful human being who cared about everybody," said William Epps, pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles, which Cochran attended for 18 years.
Cochran died at 12:30 p.m. PT (3:30 p.m. ET) at his home in Los Angeles. His family was by his side and he had been in a hospice, Epps said.
Cochran's family and members of his law firm issued a joint statement saying the "world has lost not only a legendary attorney, but an outstanding humanitarian."
"Johnnie's career will be noted as one marked by celebrity cases and clientele. But he and his family were most proud of the work he did on behalf of those in the community," the statement said.
"As Johnnie always said, 'An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' It was his rallying cry as he worked to right many wrongs, and as he provided a voice to those who needed to be heard. He was deeply committed to helping and inspiring others, especially young people."
'If it doesn't fit, you must acquit'
Simpson told CNN: "I loved him as a good Christian man. I look at Johnny as a great Christian. I knew him as that. He was a great guy."
Simpson said he last saw Cochran at a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game a few months ago and found the flamboyant lawyer to be in good spirits. "We were praying for him then, and I still am," Simpson said.
Simpson added that he knew Cochran long before he hired the African-American lawyer to lead his "Dream Team" defense. "I was in social circles with Johnnie, and we knew each other in that way," he said.
Cochran was the lead attorney for Simpson, accused of murder in the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her acquaintance Ron Goldman.
During Simpson's 1995 trial, Cochran famously quipped, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit," in reminding jurors during his summation that the former star football running back couldn't fit his hands inside a bloody glove found at the scene of the killings.
The simple rhyme hammered home for jurors the defense argument that the evidence against Simpson not only failed to fit the crime, but the defendant himself.
Cochran convinced the jury that race defined the Simpson case and the police investigation against the onetime Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Southern California.
Simpson was acquitted in the criminal case, but he was later found liable in a civil trial and order to pay the victims' families $33 million.
Comedian Lenny Bruce
Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on October 2, 1937, the great-grandson of a slave, and grew up in a prosperous family.
He was raised in Los Angeles and attended UCLA, supporting himself by selling insurance policies for his father's company. He graduated in 1959 and earned his law degree from Loyola Marymount University in 1963.
He passed the California bar in 1963, then took a job in Los Angeles as a deputy city attorney in the criminal division.
His career was intertwined with celebrities almost from its beginning: Among his early cases was a 1964 effort to prosecute comedian Lenny Bruce on obscenity charges.
In 1965, he entered private practice and soon opened his own firm, Cochran, Atkins & Evans. His current practice, The Cochran Firm, was established in 1981 and has offices in 12 states and the District of Columbia.
He made his name with a series of high-profile police brutality and criminal cases in the late 1970s and worked as a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
He negotiated a 1993 settlement in a civil lawsuit against pop star Michael Jackson that accused him of child molestation -- a case that has resurfaced in Jackson's current criminal trial on other child molestation charges.
And he represented Reginald Denny, the white truck driver beaten by a black mob at the height of the Los Angeles riots in 1992.
Cochran argued that the city's police department was guilty of discrimination for failing to protect the neighborhood where Denny was assaulted.
In another high-profile case, Cochran represented Abner Louima, the Haitian immigrant sodomized with a broken broomstick by two New York City policemen.
And although his 1972 defense of former Black Panther Party member Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt for murder charges wound up in defeat, Cochran's perseverance eventually led to the reversal of that conviction -- and his client's release -- 25 years later.
The names went on and on: rap singer Sean "Puffy" Combs, on trial for weapons and bribery charges; Rosa Parks, in the lawsuit launched against OutKast and their label, LaFace Records.
But it was the Simpson trial that defined him.
In his 2002 book, "A Lawyer's Life," Cochran wrote that the case "gave me the platform to try to change some of those things that need to be changed in this country."
"It was the Simpson case that put me squarely in a position to make a difference. And that was precisely the reason I became an attorney," he wrote.
Cochran's flamboyancy inspired parodies -- among them the Jackie Chiles character on "Seinfeld," who unsuccessfully defended the show's gang in the series finale, and sketches on "Saturday Night Live."
"At times, it was a lot of fun," Cochran wrote of the "Seinfeld" spoof. "And I knew that accepting it good-naturedly, even participating in it, helped soothe some of the angry feelings from the Simpson case."
CNN's Dree DeClamecy, Stan Wilson and Eric Philips contributed to this story.
Posted by Publisher at 02:02 PM | Comments (0)
Ribadu snubs Reps - No judge for Osuji’s case
SLUR cast on the National Assembly by President Olusegun Obasanjo in his nationwide broadcast on the N55 million bribery scam, may have turned awry as chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday snubbed the House of Representatives over an invitation to appear before the House.
MALACHY UZENDU and ABIODUN ADELAJA, Abuja
Mallam Ribadu was billed to appear before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges which is investigating allegations of corrupt acts against three members of the House.
He was summoned by the House Committee to appear before it yesterday to explain allegations of bribe taking levelled by President Obasanjo against three members of the lower chamber.
Also yesterday spirited attempt by former Education Minister, Prof. Fabian Osuji to secure leave of the Federal High Court Abuja to enforce his fundamental human rights suffered a temporary hiccup, as his case was yet to be assigned by the Chief Judge, Justice Roseline Ukeje.
However, the EFCC boss, however, in a letter written by one of his aides, Musa Bello, said he will not honour the invitation until investigations into bribery cases against some members of the National Assembly were concluded.
House Committee chairman, Hon. Bello Mutawalle, however told journalists that the committee has sent another summon to Ribadu inviting him again to appear today.
Ribadu, he explained, could not honour the House invitation due to an official trip to Lagos.
Hon. Mutawalle who declined to entertain further questions from newsmen on Ribadu’s absence, said in place of the EFCC boss, his committee would take on Hon. Osita Izunaso, one of the three legislators indicted by the President in the bribery scandal.
Izunaso, after a brief closed door session with the panel, told Daily Champion that he is "stable and in fact toughened by the allegation."
"I am stable as you can see. Infact, I am also toughened, moreso when you are accused of what you have not done. It toughens you," he told Daily Champion.
Other accused members of the House, Hons Gabriel Suswan and Shehu Matazu are billed to appear before the panel which continues its sitting today.
Meanwhile, Hon. Matazu has maintained his innocence over the allegations that he collected money from the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jude Njoku to influence increase in the education ministry appropriation in the 2004 budget.
But Prof. Osuji’s legal team led by Chief Chris Uche (SAN), who stormed the court, could not move the motion for rights enforcement and left the courts premises disappointed.
Chief Uche described Prof. Osuji’s health as "serious", noting that his client would have received a psychological boost if the case was heard.
With Chief Uche were Chief Livy Uzoukwui (SAN), Chief Peter Mgbenwelu, Chief (Mrs) Ifenyinwa Obegolu and Mr. Okey Uzoho.
Prof. Osuji had on March 23, filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking five reliefs including a declaration that his recent arrest, detention and harassment by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), from March 16 to 20, are unconstitutional, wrongful and illegal as well as an infringement of his fundamental rights guaranteed by section 35(5)(a) and (b) of the 1999 constitution.
Apart from EFCC, others joined in the suit as respondents are the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN).
However, at the Federal High Court yesterday, lawyers from EFCC who had equally come to court to respond to the motion, were also unable to play their own part.
After lawyers from both parties could not ascertain from court officials reasons for the absence of the administrative judge for Abuja division, Justice Jonah Adah, they agreed to come back to the court on April 5 to thrash out the legal points.
Before they left the court premises at about 10.30 am, Chief Uche told newsmen that they were disturbed that the matter could not go on, especially, "as my client had been ill. The position of his health is serious.
"At least, he would have received psychological healing if this matter had gone on today."
While calling on government not to take action that could worsen the plight of his client (Osuji), he noted that since the matter is in court, "all the parties ought to respect the courts by not engaging in action that would be contemptuous or prejudicial to the decision of the court."
Posted by Publisher at 01:41 PM | Comments (0)
March 26, 2005
Gbenga Obasanjo Scam: Ripples over Obasanjo’s son’s $22m in US bank
by Ikechukwu Amaechi, Lagos ---- The heat of the anti-corruption war embarked upon by President Olusegun Obasanjo since he assumed office in 1999 may have been turned on him eventually as the United States of America has queried him over $22 million allegedly lodged in the foreign account of his son, Gbenga.
The query which, according to reliable sources, has been revealed to the leadership of the National Assembly may come handy as one of the tools with which the Assembly would attack President Obasanjo when the federal legislators reconvene on April 5, after Easter break.
The money over which the query was issued was said to be in one of the many accounts maintained by the son of the president in the United States of America.
Reliable sources said, worried by the huge sum of money in the account of President Obasanjo’s son, American President, Mr. George Bush allegedly fired a query asking Obasanjo to furnish the authorities with the source of the money lodged in one of US’ leading commercial banks.
But in a swift reaction, a spokesman of the president, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode described the allegation as a mere campaign of calumny aimed at blackmailing the president.
His words: “This is just a campaign of calumny and nothing could be farther from the truth. Gbenga is a first class individual and a man of absolute integrity who is humbe, decent and very respectful. He is certainly neither a crook nor a rogue and nobody can blackmail him.
“In any case, we will not succumb to any form of cheap blackmail. If anybody really has anything, why is it that it is now that they want to make an issue out of it?Why didn’t they do so before now? They are only tryting to intimidate and embarrass us. But whatever they have, let them bring it out and I have no doubt in my mind that Gbenga will disprove it. This is a hardworking and honest young man and they should please leave Mr. President’s family out of politics.
“In any case, what crime are they saying the young man committed? Has he committed crime for being a businessman or the president’s son?” he queried.
However, reliable sources have informed Sunday Independent that the National Assembly, the House of Representatives in particular, may use the query against President Obasanjo in a possible impeachment bid.
But on this, Fani-Kayode said one would have to throw that question to them on why they would want to impeach the president.
According to him, there was no ground for a plot to impeach the president.
“Like we always said, the Senate and the House are full of men and women of integrity. But there are only a few bad ones among them,” he added.
Following the nationwide broadcast of the president last Tuesday, announcing the indictment of the Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara, the Minister of Education, Professor Fabian Osuji, and a number of principal officers of the National Assembly, in a bribery scandal, members of the National Assembly had resolved to take on the president.
The legislators, however, did not expatiate on what their course of action would be.
But sources told Sunday Independent that the House might have been bolstered by some alleged discoveries especially that of plans to buy off the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State by Gbenga using some companies that were just recently incorporated in Nigeria.
According to sources, the Alliance for Democracy leader in the House, Mr. Wunmi Bewaji disclosed the case of the query issued to Obasanjo by Bush to other legislators and presented a document to that effect.
Besides, the source alleged that the lawmakers were ready to brandish proof that the same Obasanjo’s son, through the Indian Company ISPAT bought the gigantic Ajaokuta Steel plant and also on the verge of acquiring Delta Steel Plant at Aladja, Delta State and the Itakpe Iron Ore Mining Corporation in Kogi State. His company, Global Consult is also said to have controlling shares in these companies.
It was also gathered that the House Committee on Power and Steel had also investigated the case..
However, there was a bit of disagreement among the legislators before a final decision was reached.
While some of them argued that the president should not be held responsible for a crime committed by Gbenga since he is an adult, others said he could not be totally unconnected as he had been presenting his son, Gbenga as a reliable businessman, whenever he travelled abroad.
Sunday Independent gathered that a list of other business interests of the younger Obasanjo was also shown to the lawmakers during their executive session last Wednesday morning where they took a resolute stand to hit back at the president for allegedly making a sweeping statement that the National Assembly was an institution characterised by corruption.
A member said if the legislators disclose all they have or report their findings at the Bureau of Public Enterprises, the nation would marvel at the level of corruption going on.
The source said the House had now resolved to bring everything to the public arena for Nigerians to judge.
Similarly, the legislators have also complained that the Presidency had been starving the National Assembly of fund.
Posted by Administrator at 04:49 PM | Comments (0)
March 25, 2005
Dariye: Our hands are tied, FG tells British Police
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Akin Olujimi (SAN), has told the British Police that the Federal Government was now constrained in prosecuting the Plateau State Governor, Chief Joshua Dariye.
Chiawo Nwankwo, Abuja
According to him, since the governor enjoys immunity under the 1999 Constitution, the government is, therefore, hamstrung in helping the British Government to try Dariye for the money laundering case instituted against him in the UK.
Olujimi stated these in a letter dated November 10, 2004 to the Head of Protective Economic Crime, New Scotland Yard, London, Mr. David Norman.
A copy of the letter written ahead of November 18 when the state of emergency imposed on the state was lifted, was obtained on Thursday by our correspondent.
Dariye was suspended with all democratic structures in the state, following an orgy of sectarian and ethnic violence that claimed over a thousand lives and led to the destruction of property.
Olujimi's letter read in part, "Now, under the extant 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, governors enjoy immunity from arrest and prosecution during their term of office, which in the case of Joshua Dariye, will run till May 2007.
"The effect of this is that if Joshua Dariye chooses not to return to the UK to answer the charges you may have against him, the Government of Nigeria will from as 18th November 2004, be legally incapacitated from being able to help to bring him to justice in the UK."
The Attorney-General had on November 8, 2004 in a letter to the Metropolitan Police, affirmed that Dariye's immunity had been "waived without any reservations," and goaded them to go ahead to prosecute him, while he was still in London.
However, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission which tried to prosecute Dariye for money laundering did not succeed because in two instances, the court had pronounced that Dariye even when he was still under suspension enjoyed immunity.
Speaking on the content of the letter, a member of the House of Representatives from Plateau State, Rev. John Longhor, said that it had vindicated the governor.
He said that the Metropolitan Police had no evidence to prosecute Dariye, stressing that whatever information it had on Dariye was supplied by the EFCC.
In view of this, Longhor insisted that, "It was wrong for the Metropolitan Police to come to Nigeria to testify in court in a matter that does not concern them, just to satisfy the EFCC."
Longhor, a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, therefore, advised the party to be careful in its attempt to probe Dariye, adding that Olujimi's testimony should be very instructive to it.
The party had set up a committee headed by Governor Donald Duke of Cross River to investigate the money-laundering allegation against Dariye.
"What has happened is political vendetta against the governor. I believe the new PDP National Chairman has the capacity to look into the case, because it would not be fair to violate his constitutional right of immunity as enshrined in the constitution.
The Punch, Friday, March 25, 2005
Posted by Publisher at 03:05 PM | Comments (0)
Ireland reverses deportation, apologises to Nigerian pupil
FACED with opposition which snowballed into protests on Wednesday, the Irish government yesterday overturned its deportation of a Nigeria pupil.
Olukunle Eluhanla, 19, was due to sit his final school exams when he was deported.
In addition to apologising to Eluhanla, Ireland offered to fly him back to Dublin.
Eluhanla was still wearing his school uniform when he was thrown out of Ireland on government orders.
Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell has issued the pupil with a six-month visa, describing it as an "exceptional measure."
Eluhanla arrived in Ireland alone in 2002, but had an asylum claim rejected.
He was flown to Lagos on March 14, on a charter flight alongside 34 other failed asylum seekers.
Under pressure from opposition politicians, church leaders and Eluhanla's fellow pupils who joined a protest in Dublin on Wednesday, McDowell changed his mind, issuing the temporary visa.
"I was very, very, very, surprised... I'm just full of joy," Eluhanla told Irish State broadcaster RTE.
The assistant principal of Palmerstwon Community School in West Dublin spoke to his pupil on Irish Radio and offered him his congratulations, joking: "I hope he has his homework done."
"This chap was devastated with the chance of not doing his exams, it's fantastic," he told RTE.
Eluhanla claimed asylum in Dublin after his father was killed in a shooting in Lagos.
But McDowell rejected his claim, saying he still had family in Nigeria.
About 36 per cent asylum applications to Ireland are made by Nigerians.
Posted by Publisher at 02:53 PM | Comments (0)
Senate: Obasanjo Out to Ridicule Us; Bribe money returned in official plane
The Senate yesterday described last Tuesday's broadcast of President Olusegun Obasanjo on the N55 million Ministry of Education/National Assembly bribery scam denigrating of the legislative arm of government.
From Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja, 03.25.2005
Obasanjo, while dismissing Education Minister Fabian Osuji for bribing Senate President Adolphus Wabara and six other federal legislators to jerk-up his ministry’s allocation in the 2005 budget, said the National Assembly wallows in corruption.
Also, further revelations emerging from the actors indicted in the bribery scam have shown that part of the money paid back to government coffers last Sunday was flown in an official aircraft to Abuja.
The Senate whose position, was presented at a press conference addressed by its Body of Principal Officers led by the Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Nasir Mantu, noted that "a public broadcast of incidences of corruption affecting the National Assembly, where no such broadcast were made on more damaging allegations against any member of the Executive creates the impression that the National Assembly is being targeted for public and international ridicule."
Listing what it has done to fight corruption, the Senate said that, "it is the only political institution that has investigated itself and indeed removed some of its leaders as a result of corrupt practices."
"Furthermore, the Senate passed the ICPC Act 2000 in record time, in order to support the presidential initiative on the war against corruption. Similarly, the Senate passed the EFCC Act, and amended the Act on several occasions in order to provide a more effective machinery required to combat fraudulent, economic and financial crimes within the polity.
"It is also on record that the Public Accounts Committee of the Senate, from the chairmanship of the late Senator Idris Abubakar to date has led the execution of the oversight responsibilities of the Senate and the National Assembly in general and