April 01, 2008

Why force will not work in the Niger Delta – Military chief; Confab to hold soon - Yar'Adua

By PETER DADA, Ibadan

Chief of Army Operations, Major General Mohammed Sani Saleh yesterday advanced reasons for the failure of the Nigerian Army to use full military force to combat Niger Delta militant groups.

Speaking with the journalists at the official opening of a-week long military training workshop in Ibadan, he said: "since the militants are Nigerians , there is no need for the Nigerian Army to apply full military force in suppressing them."

"it is not true that the various militia groups have more sophiscated weapons than our army," he added.

Said he: " What we are just trying to do is to ensure that we handle the matter with extra-care because this is not external incursion which requires full military force . Like I said earlier , these people are our brothers and sisters and all we have to do is to let them see reason why they should drop their arms and be part of the present political dispensation in the country,"

He advocated the adoption of political and socio-economic solutions to the problem.

The General then assured the nation of the readiness of the officers and men of the Nigerian Army to protect the people always regardless of their respective status in the society.

The army according to him, has continued to re-engineer itself by organising training and re-training programmes for its personnel in readiness to meet the challenges ahead.

"As at today, the Nigerian Army has taken part in several peace-keeping operations in various parts of the world," he noted.

Earlier, in his keynote address , the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Luka Yusuf told the participants at the workshop that they should know that the military professionalism could only be improved through effective training and sound administration at the unit level.

He reiterated the commitment of the Army Headquarters to the full implementation of the Continental General Staff System (CGSS) which he said was aimed at putting the Nigerian Army on the same degree with other advanced armies at the international arena.

Yusuf charged the Commanding Officers who participated in the workshop to ensure that they impart discipline in officers and men serving in their respective units.

Meanwhile, President Umaru Yar'Adua has said that his long bruited conference on the Niger Delta would be convened soon.

This was announced on his behalf at Kiagbodo, Burutu Local Government Area in Delta at the 80th birthday of Chief Edwin Clark by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan.

The committee to work out modalities for the conference would soon be constituted.

The statement said that the present administration had held wide consultations with all stakeholders linked with the Niger Delta question.

Yar'Adua said that far reaching decisions would be concretised at the conference which would bring the sufferings of the Niger Delta people to an end.

"Our administration has collated all the documents and reports that emanated from the Niger Delta question and listened to various groups and stakeholders,'' he said.

He enjoined the people of the area to embrace peace as plans would only be implemented in an atmosphere of peace.

The president reaffirmed his commitment to launch the nation to greater heights through the implementation of his seven-point agenda.

The president described Chief E. K Clark as a patriarch and patriot. Yar'Adua said that Clark had impacted positively on the socio-economic and political developments of not only his immediate community, but his state and the nation at large.

He called on Nigerians not to ignore, but to always tap on the experience and wisdom of the nation's senior citizens.

Yar'Adua urged Ijaw leaders not to relent in the commitment to ensure that there was lasting peace in the Niger Delta in particular and the nation in general.

Among those who graced the occasion were Govs Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa and Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta and the President General of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Olorogun Felix Ibru.

Posted by Publisher at 01:38 PM | Comments (0)

March 27, 2008

Omoyeni, Wema Bank MD arrested; EFCC charges him with theft

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday in Abuja arrested the suspended Group Managing Director of Wema Bank Plc, Mr Adebisi Omoyeni and flew him to Lagos where he may be arraigned in court to face charges of forgery and stealing.

The EFCC says Omoyeni is being investigated for allegedly stealing N450 million from Wema Bank.

An Assistant Commissioner of Police with the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Mr Olusola Amore, disclosed this to newsmen yesterday in Lagos.

Amore said Omoyeni was arrested based on a complaint by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), alleging that he conspired with the former Secretary of the bank, Mr Biodun Ogunlade, to steal the amount.

The arrest of Omoyeni is coming against the background of mounting speculations that the WEMA Bank GMD, who was forced to proceed on compulsory leave by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in January for allegedly denying inspectors from the CBN and Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation access to the bank's books, was planning to return to his job, having received a go ahead from the Secretary to the Federal Government Babagana Kingibe.

WEMA Bank had been locked in a protracted crisis in thelast few years which made the bank unable to hold its first Annual General Meeting post consolidation until late last year.

The main parties involved in the crisis are Omoyeni and his immediate predecessor at the bank Mr Tunde Lemo who left the bank to become a deputy governor of the CBN.

According to Omoyeni's sympathizers, Lemo allegedly was responsible for most of the huge bad loans which were already weighing the bank down when their man took over.

The group is allegeding that an inspection of the bank's books by the CBN and NDIC and the discovery of a missing N450 million was engineered by Lemo.

Follwoing the CBN's directive that he should proceed on compulsory leave and the appointment of Mr John Aboh from First Bank to stand in for him, Omoyeni petitioned the Presidency and the Secretary to the Government, Kingibe was said to have written to the CBN, directing a return to the status quo for all parties.

But according to the GMD's opponents, the facts are clear that he and the former secretary of the bank Mr Biodun Ogunlade had questions to answer on the disappearance of huge funds from the bank's accounts. For instance, they allege that the GMD collected 5 years up front housing allowance of N450million which is the amount he is now accused of having stolen.

Posted by Publisher at 09:32 AM | Comments (0)

March 26, 2008

Adams Oshiomhole triumphs

Benin city, the Edo State capital was seized in a paroxysm of joy yesterday as the elections petitions tribunal pronounced former NLC President, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole winner of the April 14 2007 governorship election in the state.

By Ewache Ajefu, Ladi Patrick, Abuja and Sulaymon Abdulkareem, Lagos

It ordered that he be issued the certificate of victory forthwith by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The dancing in the streets spread all around the state as people glued to their TV sets watched the judgement as it was read.

Their joy followed the great apprehension after two previous tribunal judgements, the presidential elections appeal tribunal and only a few days ago the Oyo state elections tribunal returned verdicts that appeared to run against the grain.

The panel ruled that Oshiomhole, who contested on the ticket of the Action Congress, had proved his allegations of fraud, voter intimidation, multiple voter registration, and over-voting and election violence and which adversely affected the outcome of the election. The tribunal declared Oshiomhole the true winner of the gubernatorial elections, with 166,577 votes.

The tribunal invalidated 263,144 votes for the PDP and 30,610 for AC. Two local government areas were canceled.

The tribunal berated INEC for incompetence. It said that INEC officials did not present any credible evidence before the tribunal.

The lawyers for Prof. Osunbor led by his lead counsel, Dr Alex Iziyon, have indicated their plan to appeal the judgment.

"Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole is hereby declared governor of Edo state of Nigeria being the candidate who scored the highest number of votes cast during the election," the judge said.

He ordered INEC to "withdraw the certificate of return issued to Osunbor immediately."

Osunbor is the sixth governor to be removed because of vote irregularities in the April 2007 election.

Victory messages came thick and fast for Oshiomole especially from his old constituency, Labour. The Trade Union Congress (TUC) described the court jugdment asa well deserved victory and an act of God. TUC message was signed by its secretary- general, Comrade John Kolawole and reads,"I hereby write on behalf of the leadership of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria to congratulate you on a well-deserved victory at the Edo State Election Tribunal sitting in Benin City.We thank God that the victory had come as the Tribunal pronounced you as the winner of the Edo State Guber national election that took place in April, 14, Last Year.

The congress solidarises with our dear Comrade Oshiomhole over this victory and you should continue to count on our support in moving Edo State to greater heights.

In a message from Geneva where he is attending the governing council meeting of the International Labour Organization, Oshiomhole's successor, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar described the tribunal ruling as a triumph of the will of the electorate of Edo State and as a major step in the democratic development of Nigeria.

He congratulated the people of Edo State and indeed the whole of Nigeria for the resilience they demonstrated throughout the tribunal proceedings, adding that the victory was for the good people of Nigeria as a whole and not Oshiomhole alone.

The NLC president commended the tribunal and saluted the thoroughness and integrity of the panel."The tribunal dispensed justice in a way that suggested that they appreciated the enormity of the issues at stake and the need to do what is right," he said.

He added that the quality of the ruling, would significantly improve the jurisprudence on election petitions in Nigeria.

He reaffirmed his confidence that Edo State would witness quality and people-driven governance with Comrade Oshiomhole as governor.

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State lauded the ruling of the Edo State governorship election petition tribunal as “extremely commendable, logical and sound”.

Fashola said that the ruling has reinforced his belief in the electoral process of the country.

Said Fashola: “Listening to the decisions today and the findings of facts made by the tribunal on the oral and documentary evidence as presented before them relating to the issues of electoral malpractices, ballot paper stuffing and all of that, the application of the law to those findings was, in my view, extremely commendable, logical and sound.”

He said that the ruling has reinforced his belief on the position he has already taken that elections are a process starting from registration of voters to actual voting, to election petitions, up to and including appeals from them, adding, “so the process is still on”.

The Governor, who said he was saddened by the violent turn of events at the time of the election, expressed joy that now the rule of law has taken firm root.

“Now our people will begin to see that violence does not solve anything, process does, constitutionalism does, law and order does, and it is only when we have all these in place that all of the developmental challenges that we face as a people can really be overcome,” he added.

The AC presidential candidate in 2007 election, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, yesterday in Abuja commended the judiciary for strengthening the country's democracy.

Reacting to the judgment, Atiku through his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, said that the judgment was coming at a time when ``despair had begun to set in following a streak of unfavourable decisions that shocked Nigerians beyond expectations.''

``It will rekindle the hope in the judiciary. We expected Adams Oshiomhole to win because this was a clear case of stolen victory, just as is evident in many other states,''

Atiku, who lost his petition at the tribunal has appealed to the Supreme Court.

The Country Director of Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Dr Jibrin Ibrahim, described the judgment as ``a very good one''.

Ibrahim, a member of the Electoral Reform Committee, said the tribunal had been a very significant actor in trying to give justice after the massive fraud that trailed the 2007 elections.

``The Edo judgment would solidify the confidence in the judiciary. It shows that people cannot use power in a reckless way if we have the rule of law,'' he added.

Also Mr Orji Uzor Kalu former governor of Abia State has said Comrade Adams Oshiomole's victory was a great achievement for the nation's judiciary.

He added that the verdict clearly shows that people's mandate cannot be toyed with if judicial intervention is sought.

Posted by Publisher at 02:31 PM | Comments (0)

August 02, 2007

American charged with bribing NNPC officials

An American federal grand jury has indicted a former executive of a subsidiary of energy services firm Willbros Group Inc. on charges of conspiring to bribe Nigerian government officials, the US Department of Justice has said.

By SEGUN ADIO with agency reports

Jason Steph, 37, is charged with conspiring to make over six million dollars in bribe payments to Nigerian officials (names withheld) to obtain and retain gas pipeline construction business from a joint venture majority-owned and controlled by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The four-count indictment unsealed in a federal court in Houston, Texas, accuses Steph, a US citizen residing in Kazakhstan, of violations of the federal Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Steph was also charged with money laundering based upon the international transfer of some of the alleged bribe money, the Justice Department said.

Wilbros is a Houston-based, publicly-traded company that provides construction, engineering and other services in the oil and gas industry but recently divested, selling its Nigerian operations to a new, mostly Nigerian-owned company.

Steph worked at Wilbros International Inc., a subsidiary that conducts the group’s international operations. The indictment alleges a conspiracy from late 2003 through March 2005 when Steph was general manager at Willbros International’s on-shore operations in Nigeria. It alleges a conspiracy that included Steph, two individuals acting in Nigeria as purported consultants to Willbros and others, to make millions of dollars in corrupt payments to help win a major gas pipeline engineering, procurement and construction project, the Justice Department said.

Willbros and an unnamed German consortium partner submitted bids for the project, known as the Eastern Gas Gathering System (EGGS), for approximately $387 million. In exchange for the award of the project, the conspirators allegedly paid, promised to pay, and authorized payments to officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., its joint-venture investment unit, a senior official in the executive branch of the Nigerian federal government, and others, the US Justice Department said.

NewAge was unable to obtain any reaction from the NNPC last night.

Posted by Publisher at 08:26 AM | Comments (0)

July 30, 2007

American charged with bribing NNPC officials

An American federal grand jury has indicted a former executive of a subsidiary of energy services firm Willbros Group Inc. on charges of conspiring to bribe Nigerian government officials, the US Department of Justice has said.

By SEGUN ADIO with agency reports

Jason Steph, 37, is charged with conspiring to make over six million dollars in bribe payments to Nigerian officials (names withheld) to obtain and retain gas pipeline construction business from a joint venture majority-owned and controlled by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The four-count indictment unsealed in a federal court in Houston, Texas, accuses Steph, a US citizen residing in Kazakhstan, of violations of the federal Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Steph was also charged with money laundering based upon the international transfer of some of the alleged bribe money, the Justice Department said.

Wilbros is a Houston-based, publicly-traded company that provides construction, engineering and other services in the oil and gas industry but recently divested, selling its Nigerian operations to a new, mostly Nigerian-owned company.

Steph worked at Wilbros International Inc., a subsidiary that conducts the group’s international operations. The indictment alleges a conspiracy from late 2003 through March 2005 when Steph was general manager at Willbros International’s on-shore operations in Nigeria. It alleges a conspiracy that included Steph, two individuals acting in Nigeria as purported consultants to Willbros and others, to make millions of dollars in corrupt payments to help win a major gas pipeline engineering, procurement and construction project, the Justice Department said.

Willbros and an unnamed German consortium partner submitted bids for the project, known as the Eastern Gas Gathering System (EGGS), for approximately $387 million. In exchange for the award of the project, the conspirators allegedly paid, promised to pay, and authorized payments to officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., its joint-venture investment unit, a senior official in the executive branch of the Nigerian federal government, and others, the US Justice Department said.

NewAge was unable to obtain any reaction from the NNPC last night.

Posted by Publisher at 08:51 AM | Comments (0)

EFCC fails to arraign Nnamani again

The on again, off-again commencement of trial of former Enugu State governor, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani continued its play yesterday when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for the third time in two weeks failed to produce him in court.

By Silifat Mohammed

Nnamani is to face fraud, conspiracy, concealment and money laundering charges filed against him by the EFCC before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Counsel to Nnamani, Mr Rickey Tarfa (SAN) and Chief Chris Uche told journalists, who had thronged the court for the matter that they would pursue other options to see that their client is brought to court or released from detention.

“The former governor was arrested on Sunday night and brought to Lagos on Monday, has been in detention for more than 72 hours, far beyond what is prescribed in the constitution, as the minimum number of days, a person can be held in detention without being charged to court.’’ his lawyers said .

Mr Tarfa while reacting to the failure of EFCC to produce Nnamani in court ,said, “there is nothing much we can do. They (EFCC) are the ones prosecuting the case, so we just have to come back tomorrow (today) and see if they will bring him”.

When reminded that the constitution provides for the charging of an accused person to court within 48 hours after arrest, he said “we are considering our options and we will not like to make it public now. If they fail to charge him, we will know what to do”.

Also reacting, Chief Uche said, “it is highly regrettable that this is happening. We were here (in court) yesterday and they were not here. They told us they will bring him to court today and today (yesterday). They still did not bring him. We have wasted two whole days. “We don’t know if anybody has developed cold feet in this case. We just don’t know what is happening. I must be fair to them that the EFCC has allowed us see our client and he (Nnanami) has told us that he is ready for the trial, as he has so much to say,” Uche added.

Speaking further he said, “He (Nnamani) is highly disappointed that he has not been brought to court. The EFCC has not told us why they have not charged him yet. They have filed their charge, so what is stopping them. You can imagine the man hours we have wasted the two days we have been here.”

Sources close to EFCC told NewAge that the delay in arraigning Nnamani is due to the prosecutions amendment of the charges that had been filed in court.

Posted by Publisher at 08:50 AM | Comments (0)

Bail: Orji Kalu knows fate tomorrow

Former governor of Abia State Mr. Orji Uzor Kalu would tomorrow know whether he would continue to be remanded in prison custody as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja decides his bail application.

By YAHAYA TAIDI, Abuja

Justice Binta Nyako gave this indication after counsel to both parties had adopted their written addresses filed earlier in the court.

Mr. Livy Uzoukwu, Kalu’s lead counsel told news men: “Orji came to justice, justice did not come to him. He was abroad and came on his own. He would have stayed abroad but he came on his own without evading justice. On that note he should be granted bail.”

In a brief filed earlier at the court, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that Mr. Kalu used one hundred and six cheques of Abia state government to illegally transfer N3 billion into Slok Nigeria Limited. The brief filed by one Chile Okoroma of the legal and prosecution unit of the EFCC indicated that Mr. Kalu was in hand in glove with one Emek a Abone and Eunice Agwu who are both at large and conspired and transferred funds 31 times from Abia State government account in Manny Bank to Slok Nigeria Limited account in Inland Bank.

In the same vein Kalu transferred large amounts of money from the state government account in Spring Bank 31 times to Slok Nigeria Limited account at inland Bank.

A large proportion of the alleged fraudulent transfers was carried out with United Bank for Africa where the former governor transferred money 44 times to Slok company account.

A total of 106 cheques was allegedly used to transfer a sum total of N3 billion naira into his private company account.

A plethora of Kalu’s kinsmen including some traditional rulers who came to witness the proceedings yesterday vehemently kicked against government decision to freeze the accounts of his companies before the determination of the matter.

Posted by Publisher at 08:49 AM | Comments (0)

Pfizer in the dock; Govt prefers criminals charges

The Federal Government yesterday at the Federal High Court Abuja preferred a 23 count criminal charge against Pfizer a leading drug manufacturing company for allegedly conducting illegal drug tests that caused a large number of fatalities and deformities in Kano in 1996.

By YAHAYA, TAIDI, Abuja

The government joined the local directors; Isa Dutse , Scott Hopkins, Debra Williams , Mike Dunne, Samuel Ohuabunwa , Robert Buhl and Willaim Steer as co-accused who allegedly conspired to obtain forged covering permit, imported, delivered and administered an "untested" dangerous drug –trovafloxacin on over 200 children.

Babatunde Irukera appeared for the Federal Government yesterday but the accused were not in court and Justice Anwuri Chikere adjourned the matter to October 29 for arraignment .

“Once you have accused people in court you have to arraign them,” Irukera said.

The accused risk various fines and or jail terms of up to seven years if convicted.

NewAge recalls that the Federal Government had last week withdrew its N890 million case against the company to file the fresh this fresh case.

While reacting to these fresh charge, Irukera however said there would not be trial unless the accused appeared in court.

In the 23 count charge signed by Muhammad Saidu Diri and leveled against Pfizer, the government said that the accused possessed the said Trovafloxacin contrary to section 516 of the criminal Code Act .

As contained in the charge cited, the accused conspired and breached Criminal Code Act, medical and dental practitioners act, Food, Drug and Related products (registration etc) and the consumer protection Act 1992 among others.

The charge also has it that Hopskin, Debra and Dunne administered the Trovafloxacin and other drugs on 200 children in 1996 contrary to section 17 of the medical and dental practitioners of the Federation.

The government said that the accused ' falsely misled over 200 children in Kano into believing the efficacy of Trovafloxacin as a cure for meningitis when " they " knew that Trovafloxacin does not cure such disease and thereby committed an offence.”

The federal government also alleged that the accused failed to comply with the requirements imposed on them to register, test and apply for approval to use the said drugs on human beings as cure.

According to the complainant, accused " proffered information to it, the affected children, their parents that the unregistered Trovan was actually registered , safe and potent in the treatment of meningitis, the information which caused injury and loss to the 200 children and the federal government of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence in contravention of section 12(b) consumer protection council act 1992" The government also told the court that the accused conspired to procure a forged and backdated letter of approval for the clinical trial conducted in April 1996.

Pfizer was also said to have offered one Dutse of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital , Kano $20,000 for procuring a forged and backdated letter of approval for the clinical trail conducted on the children.

Posted by Publisher at 08:48 AM | Comments (0)

US professor shot, woman kidnapped in Port Harcourt

Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital compounded its notoriety for violence and abductions yesterday when dare-devil armed robbers shot a visiting US professor and a security guard.

By SEGUN ADIO with agency reports

Michael Watts, a Berkeley, California-based expert on oil-related violence in the Delta, was in hospital with bullet wounds in the hand after a newspaper office he was visiting came under attack, one of his friends said.

The security guard, a Nigerian, was also in hospital with bullet wounds.

"About eight or nine armed robbers were trailing him. They shot the security guard, gained access to the office which they ransacked and stole $600 from the professor," said the friend, who was at his bedside in hospital and asked not to be named.

The incident came the morning after suspected ransom-seekers kidnapped the mother of the speaker of the state house of assembly in neighbouring Bayelsa State.

It was the latest in a spate of abductions of relatives of powerful people in the Niger Delta. The 3-year-old son of a traditional ruler was released on July 13 Numerous criminal gangs now ridden on the back of the struggle by militant groups for greater benefits for the people from oil production have seized the opportunity to carry out abductions for ransom, armed robberies and other crimes that have nothing to do with the political struggle in the area.

Posted by Publisher at 08:47 AM | Comments (0)

Yar ’Adua tasks Nigerians in the diaspora

Umaru Musa Yar-Adua has called for collaboration with qualified Nigerians in the diaspora to put science to use in national development.

By FRANCA OCHIGBO, Abuja

The President who made this statement yesterday during the second Nigeria diaspora day and 3rd science and technology conference in Abuja said the ministers of science and technology, education and health should partner with Nigerians in the diaspora in creating platforms in science for Nigeria institution of learning.

Said Yar’Adua ''my main goal is to tackle poverty, generate jobs encourage foreign investors,'' he appealed to Nigerians both at home and in diaspora to collaborate and form a formidable force in tackling poverty, generate enough wealth to meet the target of being among the 20 wealthy nation in the world by 2020.”

Chukwuma Soludo the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria CBN expressed dismay at Nigerians who are not willing to identify with their root, saying that there are 17 million Nigerians in the diaspora but that their contribution so far to the growth of the nation was quite minimal compared to other developing nations.

AmbassadorJoe Keshi a prime mover of the Nigeria diaspora day said the primary objective was to tap into and utilize the knowledge, skills and resources of the Nigerians in diaspora to strengthen and complement government efforts at addressing the issues of sustainable development.

The Secretary to the Federal Government Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe said the present government would ensure thatbrain drain was turned to brain gain for the benefit of the nation.

Posted by Publisher at 08:46 AM | Comments (0)

July 23, 2007

EFCC faces pressure to release Orji Kalu, Turaki

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) faced strong and sustained pressure all through yesterday to release from detention former governors of Abia and Jigawa states, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu and Alhaji Saminu Turaki respectively who it had arrested on Wednesday over alleged financial plundering of their state treasuries.

Lawyers seek bail
By ALEX OTUDOR

The lawyers of the ex-governors had yesterday headed for an Abuja High Court to seek their release which as at press time had not been facilitated.

The spokesman for the Commission, Mr. Osita Nwajah said in a release that the two ex-chief executives of Abia and Jigawa states were arrested for their failure to honour an earlier invitation extended to them by the body.

The Commission’s chairman, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu had earlier in the week promised to return its focus on the ex-governors, following public outcry that the body had become docile since the advent of the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration and that those of them who were perceived to have fleeced their states would be brought to book. Ex-governor Kalu had in the last three years had a running battle with the Commission following allegations that he used his mother, wife and daughter to siphon state funds. He was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on arrival from an overseas trip.

Other former governors including James Ibori of Delta State, Peter Odili of Rivers, Lucky Igbinedion of Edo, Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of Lagos had earlier honoured the EFCC’s invitation.

There were reports of deals being made and monies returned but these have not been officially confirmed. It was speculated that the return of such monies was a kind of stay-out-of-jail card.

Most of the ex-governors are now jittery had remained quiet and away from public view since May 29. Public pressure has however grown to bring them to book.

Posted by Publisher at 12:15 PM | Comments (0)

February 05, 2007

Leave me alone, IBB tells Ribadu; Tasks EFCC on corruption under the Obasanjo administration

Former military President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida has decried what he said was the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's continued campaign of calumny and blackmail against him, saying, it is becoming diversionary in view of the lack of objectivity in the attack".

By UMAR AFEGBUA, Abuja

Reacting to statements credited to the anti-corruption agency yesterday in Abuja, Prince Kassim Afegbua, Special assistant (media) to Gen. Babangida said, "as much as IBB does not intend to be on collision course with anybody in the interest of the unity of our dear country, he will not hesitate any longer to seek legal redress against the EFCC to protect his hard-earned credibility and good name which people like Nuhu Ribadu are trying to bring to ridicule".

Prince Afegbua is also acting as national chairman of the National Democratic Party, believed to be platform for Gen. Babangida had he maintained his resolve to run for the presidency. He said: "So far, in EFCC's deliberate mischief and careless statements, it has not been able to substantiate any of the claims to the contrary, except that it rejoices in dragging IBB's name to the mud for no justifiable reason." Afegbua, is also the Special Assistant, media the retired general stated.

He said out that corruption did not start in Nigeria during IBB's regime, but was part of what the Babangida administration inherited from his predecessors, stressing that "the double standard posturing of the EFCC would blindfold it from carrying out an objective assessment and assignment, but I think Nigerians are wiser now and would not be deceived by the pranks of an anti-corruption agency that has been employing selective amnesia in the discharge of its responsibility".

According to him, "in all of EFCC's 'mouth-watering' pronouncements, it has failed to establish anything against IBB, yet goes about in its usual outlandish and uncivilised manner to blackmail this leader of men, for fear that he (IBB) might join the Presidential race and rule this country once again", He berated the EFCC boss for failing to address a number of corruption prone issues in the country.

Afegbua who claimed IBB insisted on accountability, transparency and probity during his eight-year regime, challenged EFCC to tell Nigerians the whereabout of the N33 trillion naira reportedly recovered from looters so far; the annual budget and audit report of the EFCC; and what the agency is doing in view of the several allegations of corruption against the current administration.

Posted by Publisher at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)

Bugs found in Senate chamber; Nnamani orders probe

Big Brother may have been watching over the Senate, it has been discovered.

By RICHARD IHEDIWA, Abuja

Four bugging devices said to be the type used by the State Security Services (SSS) were yesterday discovered at strategic points in the senate chambers apparently planted to record proceedings of the upper house during closed sessions.

The Senate leadership has ordered a full scale probe into the discovery of unauthorized secret audio-visual devices otherwise known as bugs in the chambers of the senate. Deputy Minority Whip, Daniel Saror while seconding a motion by Senate Leader Dalhatu Tafida to adjourn yesterday�s plenary drew the attention of a bewildered Senate to the presence of the bugs concealed and placed at the four corners of the chamber which he alleged were used to relay proceedings at closed session to unauthorized quarters.

Saror who recalled that such devices had been discovered and disconnected at the heat of the third term saga last year, insisted that the bugs had been planted to compromise the sanctity of the Senate adding that the devices had always interfered with microphones even during plenary proceedings.

�You will recall that sometime last year, we discovered some secret security monitoring cameras and we had to get them disconnected. Now I can see four in the chamber. This is supposed to be a hallowed chamber for us to conduct our business without interference.� Saror said pointing at the bugs.

A worried Senate President Ken Nnamani immediately queried the clerk of the Senate on the issue insisting that there must be full probe to ascertain how the devices found their ways into the Senate chamber.

The Clerk of the Senate and the sergeant at arms were later summoned to the office of the Senate President for questioning over the matter. Senators fear that the bugs have been used to relay to unauthorized quarters, their contribution during the closed session which is usually characterized by unrestrained forthrightness and candour.

Fear that similar devices may have been planted in the chamber of the House of Representatives may have led lawmakers in that chamber to be now more cautious in their utterances, NewAge gathered.

Posted by Publisher at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)

Hilda Willams set to dump PDP; May run with AC's Fashola

Indications emerged yesterday that the wife of the slain Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Engineer Funsho Williams and PDP governorship aspirant, Mrs. Hilda Williams is set to dump the PDP for the Action Congress (AC).

By TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

The deal according to a reliable source will enable her run as a running mate to AC governorship candidate in the state, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN).

Hilda�s decision to quit the PDP may not be unconnected with the shoody handling of the PDP primary in Lagos in which she was seemingly denied victory. NewAge investigation revealed that Hilda who has vowed not to support Obanikoro and PDP in the April polls after the reconciliation meeting between her and Obanikoro at President Olusegun Obasanjo�s behest in Ota hit the rocks is now considering the offer of AC to run as a running mate to Fashola.

To underscore the likelihood of this development, the campaign manager of Hilda Williams, Dr. Tokunboh Pearse and others in Williams� Campaign Organisation (WILLCO) decamped to AC during a press conference yesterday at Regency Hall in Lagos.

Speaking during the event, Dr. Pearse said that he and some groups in WILLCO are crossing over to AC in order to take a stand for democracy.

�About three months after Funsho�s death, his wife Hilda Idowu Williams after much urging and numerous pledges of support for her candidacy from key PDP leaders agreed to take the mantle to actualize Funsho�s vision. Many people who have worked with Funsho for years saw in his spouse another opportunity to implement some of Funsho�s laudable programmes for Lagos State and participate in the body politic of their state.

�Indeed as the whole world know by now, Mrs. Williams was robbed in broad day light, of a primary election she had clearly won. We, the members of the Funsho Williams Organisation worked very hard to establish that victory, needless to say we felt hurt, abused and betrayed by the PDP leadership. But the brazen theft of Mrs. Williams electoral victory is only one in a series of atrocities committed against Funsho Williams as well as his political and biological family. What happened to Mrs. Williams on December 13, 2006, the shameless sabotage of her primary election success is for us the proverbial straw that broke the camel�s back,� he said.

Dr. Pearse in his address also said that �we will not remain in the Peoples Democratic Party and continue to be abused. This latest transgression against us will not stand. We are taking a stand for democracy. We reject the PDP�s practice of arbitrary rejection of election results. That practice is tantamount to a total disregard for the voice and the will of the people.

Pearse later urged all Lagosians to vote for Babatunde Fashola, describing him as the most credible candidate among all the contenders in the race to Alausa in the April polls.

Posted by Publisher at 01:43 PM | Comments (0)

Senate rejects ambassadorial list

For perceived marginalization of the South South geo-political zone, the Senate yesterday stood down consideration of a list of career ambassadorial nominees sent to it for clearance by President Olusegun Obasanjo.

For not reflecting Federal character
By RICHARD IHEDIWA, Abuja

This followed the adoption of a motion to that effect by Senator Lee Maeba (PDP Rivers) who described the perceived non observance of the principle Federal Character in the nominations as a violation of the constitution .

First to speak against the list was Senate Chief Whip, Udoma Udo Udoma who took the floor immediately the chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Affair, Jubril Aminu moved that the Senate clear the nominees. Udoma pointed out that four states in the South South were not represented in the list of 26 nominees.

With the exception of Edo and Delta which had two nominees each, other states of the south south including Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River and Awka Ibom among 10 other states were not represented in the list while some states like Ogun had three nominees with other states in the south west and northern zones having two each. Most of the Senators who contributed to the debate except Victor Oyofo and Jibril Aminu, kicked against the list demanding explanation for the perceived lopsidedness. Rejecting the list, Senators Tawa Wada, Chris Adighije among others insisted that the principle of federal character in public appointment must be followed in the process. But, Oyofo and Aminu insisted that in the appointment of career ambassador, consideration which include years of service, educational qualification and performance and not federal character were paramount.

Ruling, Senate President Ken Nnamani said he was aware that another list was being forwarded by the Presidency and urged that action be deferred pending the receipt of that list.

Posted by Publisher at 01:41 PM | Comments (0)

PDPs last act and Lagosians

On Saturday, January 27 2007, the PDP still suffering from the hangover of its failure all these years, to add Lagos to its conquered territory, decided to flag off its rally in Lagos.

By Joe Igbokwe

Either by design or accident, this date was the fifth anniversary of the Ikeja cantonment blast, when thousands of Nigerians perished in the aftermath of the carelessness and clear negligence of the PDP government. This manifested in its failure as in every state policy between 1999 and 2007, to manage the immediate aftermath of the incident. Confronted by the distraught survivors of the holocaust at Ejigbo canal, when he was forced to pay a visit to the cantonment, President Obasanjo, the sole owner of the PDP had to snap, �Shut up, I don�t even need to be here�. A bewildered nation watched the emergence of a power glutton and an unfeeling despot, goaded by a band of hirelings� charlatans and jesters that conveniently go by the appellation, PDP. As usual, the Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu, was on top of the situation and to the admiration of all, provided the needed elixir that managed the aftermath of the crisis and saved many lives that would have perished.

For eight years and under a regime of unending oil boom that had accounted for trillions of Naira in oil revenue, Nigerians are living in unprecedented squalor, poverty and misery. No road, no light, no job, no food, no security, increasing deaths, fraud, corruption, disease, political killings, public looting, armed robbery, lawlessness, inflation, etc are the hallmarks of PDP�s reign for these past years. It is such that PDP, to the millions of long suffering, defeated and diseased Nigerians now variously stand for �People Destroying People�. "People Deceiving People�, �People Demolishing People�, �Papa Destroying Pickin� etc. while its slogan is �PDP�. Share the money�.

To drive home its morbid value, the PDP that has not slept because of its inability to steal the votes of Lagosians in the previous elections has spared nothing to punish Lagos for their insistence on being governed by a government they freely choose. From abandoning its infrastructures to impudently withholding its statutory allocations, down to launching an army of hoodlums on its streets, the PDP federal government has done everything humanly possible to break the strong will of Lagosians but met a solid brick wall in the resolute stand of Lagosians under their thorough and hyper-active Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, arguably the best and most competent governor in Nigeria today. PDP�s last act, which flows from its frustration with the people of Lagos, is the population gerrymandering in the name of census results that was manufactured the other day. Callously and with no sense of history, it reduced the status of Lagos and came out with a stupid position that Lagos trails Kano State thereby mortgaging the interests of Lagos, just for a blind pursuit of political space. But the PDP never reckoned with the pro-active bent of their nemesis, Bola Tinubu who carried out a detailed enumeration of Lagosians and his result would stand against the vindictive concoctions of the empty-headed PDP and its government to deal with Lagosians permanently.

But Lagosians never knew the morbid rapacity of the PDP till January 27, 2007, five years after thousands perished in the Oke Afa canal. It was the day the PDP mobilized all their members nationwide to dance and revel on the graves and memories of the bomb blast victims. From Sokoto to Kaduna, Rivers to Kano, Imo to Osun, they all descended on Lagos like itinerant locusts with the aim of selling their wish to continue the destruction of Nigeria and capture Lagos. Corrupt governors, stealing ministers, prostitutes, hirelings, lay bouts, scavengers and vultures that have elevated themselves to lofty positions in the last eight years and who have plundered the wealth of the nation with reckless fervours came to a jamboree in Lagos.

Hear Tony Anenih who some say is yet to account for the three hundred billion scam at the Work Ministry, �The people of Lagos State should not make a mistake this time around because a PDP government will not prevent the federal government from developing Lagos �. This must be from the heist he lifted from the works ministry.

To Bode George, still running with the nation�s N83 billion lifted from the NPA, according to EFCC, �we have decided to come to this arena (TBS) of independence because from now, Obasanjo with the PDP support is giving Nigeria a second independence�. Independence of stealing, corruption, hunger, armed robbery, killings, fraud, deceit and unemployment, you may say. Hear a certain Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the no-bitumen governor that raided Lagos without repairing even one road, �I urge you Lagosians to support PDP and ensure that a PDP governor emerge (sic) because if we all go in one direction, we will be able to use our influence to get whatever we desire at the centre�. As if he needs Lagos to improve on the charade he is running in Osun State since 2003.

Yet hear Peter Odili, who was blackmailed out of his dear presidential dream by his sordid financial scandals, �Let us all go out and begin to work. From Lagos here, Obanikoro must take this state�. It is obvious that he is still suffering from the self inflicted daze his wild ambition imposed on him not to see that PDP has no candidate in a certain Obanikoro that has achieved practically nothing in life, save by the grace of Bola Tinubu.

To a certain Hajia Mariam Ciroma, �There is no government in Lagos State. They have all kind (sic) of parties there-Labour Party, AC, AD. They have many parties in Alausa. Obanikoro, the place is for you, just go and take it�. This tells you how low public office has sunk in Nigeria as one needs what he/she has down there than what he/she has up here to become Obasanjo�s minister in this woe-ridden era.

Hear one John Odey, a character that has licked his way to become the spokesman of PDP. �We have come to Lagos to capture the state and re-align it with progress. We have come to paralyse Lagos and capture the state for realignment with development�. One never knew whether what this jobber was slaving to say was that he can recommend any of the states presently under the demolishing thumbs of the PDP as a model for Lagos to emulate.

At the end of that tale of an idiot, the PDP dispersed and the landlord swept off the vestiges of horror the party brought to Lagos and with it, the dream of the locusts to add Lagos to their vassal empire when Nigerians are working for the extinction of that coalition of horrible characters that is responsible for its present pallid state.

Fact is that the PDP is desperate to cling to power so as to continue the mindless plunder for which it is known for so as to cover the many acts of corruption it has launched in Nigeria. It is also desperate to capture Lagos at all costs but Lagosians, being the most sophisticated educated and exposed crop of Nigerians see through this dubious mission. It had tried all tricks in its full luggage of vices but these cut no ice with Lagosians desire to drive and be at the vanguard of the progressive reclamation of Nigeria from these locusts. It had tried a first �tsunami� rally in Lagos but that ended as an anti-climax. After so much frustrated shuffles, it sees as its standard bearer a character that has neither the carriage of a governor nor the requisite competence to grasp, talk not of understanding Lagos. To advertise his bare wits on what governance, he made the hollow reference of Lagos �being so dirty� at a time a government with a will has, to the sorrow of his � Abuja sponsors� dealt drastically with the environmental problems of Lagos. On January 27, 2007 when other reasonable Lagosians were mourning a batch the victims of PDP�s callous touch on power who got drowned in the Oke Afa canal, the PDP went on a nationwide recruitment of known apostles of corruption, thieving fawners, crooks, charlatans who are presently in the epilogue of a vibrant rich nation and goaded them into Tafawa Balewa Square to insult Lagosians with their empty campaigns that irritates the ears of rational Nigerians.

The leadership of PDP that dance around their molten images in their bid to cover their atrocities (for that is what their quest for territories means) should address the simple question of how it has used over N35 trillion revenue from oil and over N10 trillion from the sale of public properties to create poverty, hopelessness, permanent darkness, collapsed roads, joblessness and so many other terrible damage to the nation. That will capture Lagos more than assembling all the crooks, money launderers, felons, swindlers, scammers and court jesters to dance at the feet of the molten god they know and ruminate over the fact that the real battle for the efficacy of that god will start on May 30, 2007.

Posted by Publisher at 01:40 PM | Comments (0)

October 31, 2006

Nigerians demand Borishade's sack; ANPP, AC, CPP demand review of aviation sector

Broad spectrum of public opinion has called for immediate sack of the Minister of Aviation, Prof. Babalola Borisade over last Sunday's mishap of an ADC airliner that killed 100 Nigerians including many illustrious citizens like the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido.

By ADEMOLA BABALOLA, Ibadan, TONY AKOWE, Kaduna, STELLA EZE, UMAR AFEGBUA, Abuja

Noted politician, Chief Olapade Agoro who spoke with newsmen in Ibadan said President Olusegun Obasanjo should do a surgical operation of the aviation industry.

Dr. Agoro said "if the truth must be told, I think God of heaven is no more with Prof. Borisade in that Ministry. Therefore Borisade must be eased out immediately.

"The angels are against him because since he assumed that position, Nigeria has recorded worst ever mishaps and it is going on unabated,・he added. While calling on the Federal Government to step in immediately and ground all aircrafts that have been in operation for the past 20 years, Agoro also called for consolidation in the aviation sector.

The Citizens Political Party (CPP) also has called for the immediate resignation of the Aviation Minister, Prof. Babalola Borishade.

The party's national chairman, Maxi Okwu said in a statement made available to NewAge that, Nigerians must cultivate a culture of holding public office holders accountable for any failure in discharge of duty.

Okwu said the crash was one too many and as such, federal government must hasten to do a radical review of the ailing Aviation industry, so as to stop putting the lives of innocent Nigerians in jeopardy.

展e are firmly of the view that this is one air crash too many and we call for a radical review of the ailing aviation sector. CPP calls for the immediate resignation or sack of the aviation minister. The time has come when Nigerians must cultivate a culture of holding political office holders accountable and responsible for failure on their watch.・

The Action Congress has called for a total overhaul of the nation's aviation industry through a thorough independent investigation of airport facilities by international experts to restore public confidence in our air space.

The party pointed out that the spate of air crashes in Nigeria in the last one year has a debilitating effect on whatever gains the federal government might have recorded in its foreign investment quest.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by its spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party called into question the integrity of the various agencies charged with the responsibility of monitoring the standard and health of airlines operating in the country.

It declared that Nigerians can no longer continue to live in perpetual fear of insecurity in their homes, on the roads and in the air.

The AC said that no nation that aspires to greatness can afford to continually toy with the lives and safety of its citizens and foreigners in their midst. "Nigeria has had enough of wastage of its prime and quality human resources through avoidable air mishaps," the AC concluded.

Meanwhile, former Military Governor of Kaduna State and chairman of the Movement for Unity and Progress (MUP), Colonel Abubakar Umar (rtd) yesterday blamed the Federal Government for the incessant air crashes recorded in the country, just as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) wants the government to ban aircraft above five years from operating in the country.

Umar said that with the level of concern shown by the Government to the aviation industry after series of plane crashes in the country, "the end of such unfortunate incidences in which we lose prominent and other Nigerians may not be in sight."

"The Federal Government should consider this development in the country as a failure on its part. The economy is crashing, the social infrastructure are crashing and other infrastructure, including the political structures are collapsing. For goodness sake the government should see all these as a total failure on its part.

"When some of us try to draw their attention to these national problems, they call us all sort of names. The government also term us as noise makers or pessimist. But some of the things that are happening in the country today confirmed the fears we have been nursing about governance and lack of attention to development in the country.

"We should be prepared for the worst if the government refuses to pay attention to simple aviation policy and maintain air-worthiness of our aircraft. The airlines are cutting corners in order to survive. The government cannot put them in check in order to maintain sanity in the aviation sector.・

CAN Secretary General in the 19 Northern States and the FCT, Elder Saidu Dogo, lamented "it is worrisome that in spite of series of investigations carried out in the past after similar plane crashes, the reports were never implemented by the authorities concerned.

"We have this bad syndrome in Nigeria that investigation and the outcome of it is not implemented. This is our system in the country and it is very unfortunate. And the non-implementation of aviation reports on crashes has continued to worsen the situation by the day and that is why we continue to live in fear."

Lamenting the death of Sultan Maccido and other Nigerians in the crash, Dogo said "Now look at the prominent people that we have lost in plane crashes," adding "the government should really check some people in the aviation industry who are not doing

their jobs before further incident of another plane crash takes place in future." "The Federal Government should do some concrete thing and insist that any plane that is older than five years should not be allowed to operate in Nigeria. The government just has to make a make law and enforce it so that there will be a stop to all these unfortunate incidence that is taking place in the country.

"There is no country when you have this serious air disaster within a year where prominent people died and nothing is done to forestall future occurrence. This is not a good omen for our country. When Bellview plane had this mishap, we expected that all these older airplanes that are being used in Nigeria would have been put away. Also, the Sosoliso incident took place and nothing was done and then now the ADC. I think it is too much. Let us see what the government does next."

Posted by Publisher at 08:38 AM | Comments (0)

October 21, 2006

Obasanjo was to be executed; Abacha not as evil as perceived - Akhigbe

Rear Admiral Mike Akhigbe (rtd), presidential aspirant and former number two man in the military administration of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, has told the nation that President Olusegun Obasanjo was truly to be put to death by late Gen. Sani Abacha.

By NOMA NOMA

Akhigbe, whose government freed Obasanjo from prison, was interviewed on Channels Television on his 60th birthday anniversary and formal declaration to run for presidency.

Answering questions on why he was passive during the Abacha regime and particularly watched as Obasanjo was jailed on trumped up charges, he said the times were difficult for most of them to the point that they were not sleeping at home most nights.

In his words: don't forget that the idea was to execute Obasanjo. We did not only bring him out of jail, we reinstated him: The former naval chief who said he was an ordinary person who is not as rich as people think, also debunked the notion that the late dictator, Gen. Abacha was as evil as he has been painted.

Abacha was not as evil as he has been portrayed and he had the interest of the country at heart,・Akhigbe said.

Posted by Publisher at 12:54 PM | Comments (0)

October 16, 2006

Impeachment threat a joke – Dariye; Soldiers patrol Jos streets; INEC can’t declare Assembly seats vacant – Action Congress; Afenifere condemns attempt at regime change

Embattled Governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, has described the latest impeachment moves against him by some lawmakers in the State House of Assembly as a big joke. However, his old nemesis, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu has vowed to have him removed.

By AMAKA DIKE, Jos, UMAR AFEGBUA, Abuja and TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, Lagos

"Governor Dariye's days are numbered in the Government House", Mantu was reported to have declared yesterday.

Dariye who spoke while addressing his supporters in Jos at the weekend, cited the constitution, which says that at least two-thirds of the 24-member state assembly must vote in favor to begin the process.

Six lawmakers in the custody of federal authorities on corruption charges, were escorted by armed police guards to Jos on Friday, to impeach the governor for alleged corruption.

The governor's supporters have accused the federal government of direct responsibility for the impeachment attempt and have pooh-poohed the attempt by only six members in the 24-seat assembly to undertake an impeachment process.

But Dariye during his address, asked them to remain calm and avoid any violent conduct that will breach the existing peace in the state.

"I appeal for calm," he said. "I appeal for calm. Two wrongs do not make a right. Let us go back to our homes. I am going to address the state, and I believe appropriate measures will be taken."

NewAge gathered that situation in Plateau State was gradually deteriorating that may warrant imposition of another emergency rule.

President Obasanjo had imposed emergency rule in Plateau state in 2004, and suspended Dariye, following sectarian clashes which resulted in the death of several hundred.

Meanwhile, to forestall possible break down of law and order in Jos city with a diverse mix of ethnic groups, hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to strategic points in the streets. The move New Age learnt was as a result of Friday's clashes between riot police and demonstrators protesting the attempted impeachment of the state governor, where Police were alleged to have fired into a crowd of supporters of the governor killing at least one person.

"The soldiers are out in long convoys patrolling the streets of Jos. "They are also being complemented by regular police at major checkpoints, at entry points into Jos. When people see the security men in convoys there is some apprehension," a resident of Jos disclosed.

Meanwhile, as the Plateau crisis remains on the boil, the Action Congress has declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC was incompetent to declare the seats of the 14 plateau state legislators who recently decamped to the Advanced Congress of Democrats party vacant.

In a release issued in Abuja yesterday reacting to media reports that INEC has declared the seats of the 14 Plateau state legislators vacant and has tentatively scheduled by-elections for the seats for the 20th of October 2006, the Action Congress explained that the issue of decamping from party to the other is governed by section 106 and 109 of the constitution. In this case, says the party, the members of the Plateau State house of Assembly who decamped from the PDP to ACD are fully protected by the constitution as it is Public knowledge that there is a division within the PDP.

The party further stressed that in the absence of a recall by the relevant constituency or a valid declaration of vacancy by a properly constituted House and a properly elected speaker, INEC has absolutely no role to play in this matter.

The Action Congress warned the INEC and the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) not to institutionalize unconstitutionality.

It said the current situation in Plateau state was a desecration of the constitution as the constitution in Section 91 and Section 92 is unambiguous that a Speaker can only be removed by not less than two thirds (2/3) majority of members. In this case it will require at least 16 members of the House of Assembly to remove the duly elected speaker in person of Simon Lalong, the party said.

It appealed to all well meaning Nigerians, the professional class, the Nigerian Bar Association and others to speak up in defence of the constitution, democracy and the rule of law. It claimed that the ugly scenario in Ekiti and Plateau states have been made possible because Nigerians refused to speak out against the desecration and bastardization of our constitution and democracy earlier on in Bayelsa and Oyo states.

Also, the Pan Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere yesterday described the violent turn of events in Plateau State as a fallout of the renewed bid to unseat Governor Joshua Dariye by any crooked means necessary.

According to a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yinka Odumakin, Afenifere stressed that there have been reports of arson, killing, maiming and wanton destruction of property in the state following a mass revolt against the attempt by a six-man Plateau “House of Assembly” based in Abuja to sit and continue the impeachment process against Governor Dariye.

“It is said that the little minds who are in charge of coercive apparatus in our country today have failed to learn from the ruinous path of the past. The First Republic collapsed out of the sheer misuse of Federal might to effect a regime change in the Western Region.

Posted by Publisher at 02:53 PM | Comments (0)

October 14, 2006

President Obasanjo linked to damaging deals 坊OA

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has acknowledged that Obasanjo Holdings Limited, his private company, owns about two million shares of Transcorp, an investment company.

Since it began operations 15 months ago, Transcorp has acquired four oil production blocks, taken over the government's interest in the prestigious Abuja Hilton Hotel, and bought the state-owned telecommunications giant NITEL.

Representatives of Obasanjo Holdings insist there is no conflict of interest because the president's Transcorp shares are held in a blind trust. But Lagos lawyer Gani Fawahenmi says the president has abused his office and acted in gross violation of the constitution, which precludes public officials from acts that confer personal benefits.

Nigeria's largest trades union, the Nigeria Labor Congress, has also criticized the sale of NITEL to Transcorp for $750 million, which critics say represents a fraction of its real worth.

Several opposition groups have called for the cancellation of the sale and nine other state companies because the transactions were not approved by the now dissolved National Council on Privatization.

The House of Representatives has begun an investigation into the NITEL deal.

A lawmaker from Kano, Farouk Lawan, says the lower chamber of parliament is responding to public pressure.

"The concern was, given the public outcry and the general impression, that the deal is not exactly transparent," he said. "This is what informed the decision of the house to investigate and determine whether the deal was done in the best interest of the country and whether the whole process meets standards of fair business practice."

Privatization of inefficient and corrupt state-owned companies has been a key aspect of President Obasanjo's reform program. But questions have been raised about the level of fairness and transparency applied.

Critics say cronies of the president have been the main beneficiary, an allegation rejected by Joe Anichebe, spokesman for the Bureau of Public Enterprises, the government agency which handles all privatization deals. "We believe the transaction was very transparent. People may not like who got it, but that is not the issue," said Anichebe. "The issue is the process and we believe the process was very transparent. We follow international best practices, which the World Bank has, not once or twice, but on many occasions commended the way we carried out our transactions. On each major transaction, we hire transaction advisers in the world. In the case of NITEL, it was BNP Paribas that advised us on the transaction."

The NITEL controversy is the latest in a string involving the presidency, following a huge public face-off between the president and his deputy.

Posted by Publisher at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

I can't be forced out of office - Orji Kalu

Governor Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia State has said that he will resist every attempt frame him up as a prelude to removing him from office unconstitutionally.

By Ifeanyi Onwuneme, Umuahia

The governor who stated this when executive members of the Alaba International Market Association, Lagos paid him a courtesy call at the Abia State House, Lagos, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest his mother and some of Abia government officials said to have been involved in corrupt practices.

Gov. Kalu vowed that he would not keep quiet over the tyrannical approach of the federal government the way most of his colleagues have done. According to him transaction by his businesses have been legal, making it clear that he will not accept any move by the powers that be to cripple the economy of Abia State.

He said that it is a shame that notable Nigerians including former heads of state are not speaking up against federal government's misrule and called on Nigerians to rise up and resist tyrannical leadership.

The Abia State governor was of the view that the current move by President Olusegun Obasanjo to cause confusion in the country is designed to actualise his ambition to become a life president, urged him to learn to respectthe country's constitution.

He further called on him to learn a lesson from the past advising him to stop chasing shadows that does not exist and face issues such as road reconstruction, electricity, refinery and provision of food for the poor masses. Kalu asserted that the poor masses are not feeling any visible sign of growth in the country despite claims by the federal authority and stressed the need for a generational change by the youth.

In his speech earlier, the president general of the association, Dr. Patrick Nduka described the governor as a man of the moment whose zeal to work for Ndigbo is not in doubt. He pledged the total support of his members to Orji Kalu's cause.

Posted by Publisher at 11:20 AM | Comments (0)

Court stops Dariye's impeachment

Jos High Court has granted an Interim Injunction restraining Hon. Mike Dapialong and five others law makers from taking any step or further step for the purpose of convening any meeting or reassembling members of the State House of Assembly, within or outside Plateau state, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

By AMAKA DIKE, Jos

The Court under Justice Yargatar Nimpar gave the order in a suit No. PLD/J451/2006 brought before her by the Pleau State House of Assembly Speaker, Simon Lalong and two others dated 11th October 2006 through their counsel, Garba S. Pwul. After hearing the application of the plaintiffs counsel, Justice Nimpar said 妬t is hereby ordered as follows that all court processes should be served on the defendants/respondents immediately while the motion on notice is fixed for hearing on the 13th , Friday of October this month.・

Justice Nimpar also gave an interim order nullifiying the proceedings purportedly conducted by the defendants on 5th October 2006 and all subsequent actions as well as nullifying all actions, decisions, steps and correspondence taken by the first respondent (Dapialong) in his purported or under the leadership or assumed capacity as the Speaker, leader or presiding officer of Plateau state House of Assembly.

Justice Nimpar also directed the plaintiffs/applicants counsel to serve the chambers of Solomon Umoh and Co. on behalf of the defendants along other forms of service stipulated on the motion paper.

Hearing on the motion on notice fixed to the 13th of this month.

Posted by Publisher at 11:19 AM | Comments (0)

October 10, 2006

IG accuses Fayose of political killings

Police Inspector-General Sunday Ehindero said today that embattled Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti and his alleged political thugs were being investigated over last year's killing of one Tunde Omojola.

Holland-based Omojola, 31, who was visiting Nigeria for his wedding, was allegedly killed on May 28, 2005 during counsellorship election in Ifaki Ekiti.

He was allegedly strangled to death by the armed political gang of Fayose on the orders of the governor. The deceased's parents, Mr Kayode and Deaconess Sola, had asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to compel Ehindero to investigate the killing.

In spite of section 308 of the 1999 Constitution which confers immunity on a governor, the Supreme Court has ruled that governors could be investigated while in office, and the findings used to prosecute them after leaving office. Some of the governor's aides had earlier been reportedly arrested by the police over alleged complicity in the recent spate of political killings in the state.

Ehindero, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) made the on-going investigation known in his counter-affidavit to the suit by the Omojolas which was filed by his counsel, Mr Ibrahim Bako. A legal assistant attached to the legal section of the Force headquarters, Abuja, Corporal Gabriel Fidelis, who deposed to the 23-paragraph affidavit, said he had the consent of the police boss to make the claims.

The Omojolas had accused the police boss of deliberate refusal to investigate the governor and others accused of killing their son. Explaining the delay on the investigation in the affidavit, the police boss claimed that he had already instructed the Assistant Inspector- General of Police, Zone 8, to conduct the investigation. He said although the officer had begun the investigation into the matter, he could not conclude it before he was transferred to Zone 9, Umuahia.

Ehindero said that he had since constituted another team of detectives to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing. ``Investigation into the matter is still ongoing and has not been abandoned," he said.

In the Omojolas' suit filed on their behalf by Mr Femi Falana, they were also requesting the court to compel the Code of Conduct Bureau to investigate the killing.

They said the findings should be referred to the Code of Conduct Tribunal for the prosecution of the governor for abuse of office. Other reliefs being sought by the plaintiffs included an order directing the IGP to investigate and prosecute all those who took part along with Fayose in the alleged cold-blooded murder of the deceased. Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako adjourned further hearing in the suit till October 18.

Posted by Publisher at 09:26 AM | Comments (0)

October 08, 2006

Move to impeach Dariye flops

An attempt to impeach Plateau State Governor Joshua Dariye was still born yesterday as the protagonists failed to rally enough support in the House of Assembly. But they vowed to carry on the process regardless.

At the ad hoc sitting which lasted for about 40 minutes and presided over by the acting, Speaker Mike Dapialong, some members re-opened the catalog of allegations earlier forwarded by the EFCC to the house on Dariye's alleged financial impropriety, money laundering and false assets declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau among other charges.

Nanshak Nandon who sponsored the motion for the impeachment cited the alledged arrest of the governor by the London Metropolitan Police, his jumping bail, non declaration of some landed properties at various locations in Abuja, his diversion of the states 2001 ecological fund among others as offences which amounted to corruption and abuse of public office in contravention of section 188 of the constitution.

The new majority leader, Nanchong Napchat, read the impeachment notice and called on the House to forward this to the Chief Judge Justice Lazarus Dakyen to investigate the governor痴 alleged misdeeds.

But the impeachment script failed when two members of the house, Peter Azi representing Jos North East and Pam Dungs representing Jos South constituencies vehemently objected to the motions to impeach boththe governor and the Speaker currently in detention by the EFCC in Lagos. But they were over-ruled by the presiding Speaker Mike Dapialong representing Quan`pan constituency. This resulted in their staging a walk out leaving only five members to adopt the motion for impeachment. The presiding Speaker however announced that the notice of impeachment would be duly served on the governor who is expected to appear before the House to defend himself against the 5- point charge.

Prior to the plenary sessions, the members were driven into the assembly premises by truck loads of heavily armed anti-riot mobile policemen. They had also cordoned off the entire premises preventing traffic flow along the old Bukuru Road.

But the policemen had a hectic time trying to control the crowd of women demonstrating against the sitting which they described as stage-managed. The women who were barebreatedd braved the teargas and persistent gun shots and scaled the fence in the Assembly premises thus cutting short the sitting and heightening tension in Jos and environs.

At the end of the sitting both the five members and two abstaining members were driven out the premises in about nine police jeeps amid another round of gunshots and teargas and more protest by the women who pelted them with stones.

Meanwhile the state publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),Mr Nuhu Gagara welcomed the new development saying the legislators have just demonstrated and performed the duties expected of them. On his part, the spokesman for the government and commissioner of information, Mr. Yakubu Datti, described the sitting as null and void since no quorum was formed by the House during its sitting.

Posted by Publisher at 10:20 AM | Comments (0)

October 03, 2006

How Atiku’s bodyguard was killed –Witness

An eye witness, (name withheld) has shed light on the circumstances in which Mr. Victor Okonkwo, body guard to Vice-President Atiku Abubakar was allegedly killed by some policemen in Uke near Keffi, Nassarawa State on Saturday.

According to a statement made available to NewAge, the eye witness to the tragedy, friend and co-traveller with Okonkwo, in the ill-fated trip stated that the deceased was killed at the Uke police post by a trigger-happy police constable.

The witness, who only recently completed his undergraduate study in Mathematics from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, said the shot that killed Okonkwo was fired by the driver of the police patrol team whose colleagues immediately lamented never handled a gun. Below is his story:

“Victor was a close friend of my younger brother.They were mates at the State Security Service training school in Kaduna. But we became family friends. At present, my younger brother who is serving in Anambra state lives with the parents of Victor. Victor was always in our family house in Abuja; and of late has been the one taking care of our mother who is sick.

“He asked me to follow him to Nassarawa Polytechnic where he was to write a paper in Accounting. He was studying for his Ordinary National Diploma in Business Administration. We were three on the trip and we had a smooth ride until we were stopped by a highway police patrol.”

He said the policemen walked up to them and asked for the vehicle papers.

Victor responded by saying “espirit de corp. He introduced himself as an SSS operative who works with the Vice-President. The Policeman then exchanged banters with him and saying something like “Oga, na you dey enjoy o” They asked us to go.

As Victor was about to move, the policemen came back and said their inspector wanted to see Victor. He came down from the car and walked up to the inspector in the patrol jeep. “The next thing was that the inspector came down from the front passenger seat of the patrol vehicle and started complaining. He was saying something like; “you boys think every policeman on the road is an ordinary man.” When the inspector rebuffed our pleadings that Victor and his colleague will be late for their exam, Victor persuaded his colleague in the car who was going for the same exam, to leave while he sorted himself out. Then, the inspector said we should go to the next police station. “As we drove towards Keffi, one of the policemen who had taken over our front passenger seat asked for the particulars of the paper. Victor asked him to pick it in the dashboard safe and he did.’’ At the police post in Uke, Karshi local government of Nassarawa state, we stopped and the inspector directed his men to search the Toyota Karina 2 vehicle that we were travelling in. After the search in which nothing was found, the inspector asked that the vehicle be impounded.

At this point, Victor started pleading that he would be late for his examination and that the inspector should please allow him to go. The inspector refused and ordered his men to register the car in the station register. Victor handed the key of the car to him. As we made to leave the station, the inspector again called us back and asked Victor where he said he was working .Victor brought out his wallet comprising four identity cards, that of the SSS, the Presidential Villa, his National ID card and his bank account ID card. The officer called one his men to identify the Villa ID card and that one said “Oga na true o the ID look like original.”

“All these while, Victor was calling his colleagues in the Villa but could not get through. Then the man said he will not release him until the people he had been calling came to identify him. He said Victor should be locked up.

Victor said he could not be locked up because he worked for a security agency like the inspector.

Five policemen surrounded him and tried to force him into the station. He resisted and they were struggling with him but they could not overpower him.

As they struggled, his service pistol fell and the policemen tried to pick it up. They struggled but he was able to pick it before any of them. They continued to struggle with him. Then, one of them named Akpama, dashed to the patrol vehicle, grabbed a rifle, and shot into the air once. I was scared and I ran to the inspector pleading that he should intervene, to intervene but he was busy smoking cigarette. As I was pleading with him, I heard another shot; I looked back and saw Victor going down. I rushed to him and tried to hold him. One old man and a girl from the village joined me to attend to him’’.

“I rushed to the roadside to get a vehicle to convey him for medical attention. A Datsun car agreed to help us .As we drove into the station, a policeman ordered the driver to stop and he was taken away.

It was when the DPO who said he was attracted by the gun shots came that he ordered that Victor should be taken for medical attention. He was taken to the back of the jeep and I held him, praying that he will survive the gun wound.

As we drove to Keffi, the policemen started accusing each other for the gun shot. The inspector took his gun and checked his bullets .The other policemen accused Akpama, the patrol van driver for firing the shot. They said he was always running away from gun. They kept saying that “the first time he handled gun, he had killed someone”. When we got to the medical centre in Keffi, the medical doctor examined Victor and left without saying a word. When the DPO went into the doctor’s office, I followed him and pleaded that the doctor should come and take care of Victor. He then confirmed that Victor was dead” he said as he wept.

The eye witness disclosed that he had made statement to the police giving this same account.

At the police station, the policemen wept, asking what will happen to them after many years in service. They kept blaming each other for the killing” the witness concluded.

Posted by Publisher at 02:14 PM | Comments (0)

IMPEACHMENT: Noose tightens on Fayose, deputy; As House begins deliberation; Street protests continue in Ado Ekiti

The fate of the embattled governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose and his deputy, Mrs. Abodun Olujimi may be decided today as 23 of the 26-member Ekiti State House of Assembly begin impeachment proceedings against them on a 7-count allegation involving acts of gross misconduct and abuse of office.

By TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE and YAQUOOB POPOOLA, Ado-Ekiti

Today’s sitting follows last week’s resolution of the 23 lawmakers to impeach the governor and his deputy in consonance with Section 188 (2a & 2b) of the 1999 Constitution.

The governor has in the past few months been embroiled in a run-in with the Ribadu Nuhu-led Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the elite in the state, especially after allegedly bribing 19 out of the 26 lawmakers in the state with the sum of N38 million to impeach his former deputy, Mr. Abiodun Aluko last year.

Opposition heightened when he engaged in brash confrontation with some prominent indigenes of the state such as Chief Afe Babalola, Mr. Femi Falana and some elders in the state including a prominent traditional ruler.

In a letter sent by the lawmakers to Fayose, they accused him of the illegal operation of foreign bank accounts, diversion of local government funds, receipt of illegal gifts and the illegal transfer of the sum of $100,000 to the United States. His deputy was charged with receiving illegal gift contrary to paragraph 6 of the Code of Conduct for public officers. She was also accused of failing to observe the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps programme. Political observers in the state believe that the impeachment of Fayose and his deputy may be a brisk affairm concluded possibly today if the precedents set during the impeachment of former Bayelsa state governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha last year and the removal of the Governor Rasheed Ladoja of Oyo State are anything to go by.

Security has been beefed up within the state capital following rumours of a plan to cause civil disturbance in the state within a view to disrupts the Assembly’s proceedings.

Meanwhile, putting a brave face on his circumstances, Fayose marked the nation’s 46th Independence Day anniversary with fanfare urging his supporters to eschew violence and remain calm. But for the second time in as as many Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital witnessed another round of protest in support of the planned impeachment of governor Ayo Fayose and his deputy.

Last weekend’s protest organised by some youth appeared to be a dress rehersal for yesterday’s rally which got the blessing of various interest groups in the state capital. They trooped out in large numbers to support the termination of the present government in the state. A counter-demonstration was staged by members of Councillors Forum in Ekiti in support of the governor.

Armed with various placards, they later made their way to the government house where they met with the Governor and expressed their solidarity with him.

They assured him that during the present travail, councillors in the state would not forsake him. According to their spokesman, Mr Sunday Asana, they resolved to stand by the Govenor because of the role he played in their election and his care for them.

While condemning the impeachment move by the 24 lawmakers in the state, the councillors equally criticised the legislators for their lack of appreciation to the Governor who they said has been very kind and funded their oversea tours on several occasions.

Asana who accused the state legislators of greed and self aggrandizement, pointed out that they were out to take over the government of the state to enable them have access to the treasury. In his remarks, Fayose who praised the councillors for their solidarity, also urged them to talk to the legislators to come back home and settle the differences amicably rather than trying to rock the boat of his administration.

The governor said in the past he had tried all he could for the legislators and would not stop at that as all interest would be cared for by his administration.

According to him, his present travails have shown that life was not a bed of roses, and that no matter what anybody does the time to leave office would come one day and there was nothing that anybody could to about it.

Posted by Publisher at 02:13 PM | Comments (0)

Govt urged to stop oil exploration

Rising from a week long conference on climate change in Abuja, energy experts as well as national and international civil society groups, representatives of Niger Delta communities have called on the government and oil companies to put a halt to oil and gas exploration in the Niger Delta.

By IBRU NEJUVIE

According to the participants, the extraction of crude oil has led to unprecedented human rights abuse, environmental problems, fostering political and social conflicts in the Niger Delta and in other communities globally, which have been responded to by the militarization of community lands. In this militarized condition, women in particular have been victims, they said.

Arising from the observations, participants resolved that another energy future is necessary based upon abandoning the belief in export led growth in favour of servicing local basic needs; restructuring the price and production of energy and abandoning the dichotomy between development and environment

Participants called on governments across the world to declare a global moratorium on new oil and gas exploration and development until full eco-restoration and reparations are implemented in communities already impacted by extractive industries.

Said the group, “ government must recognize the alliance between the Nigerian and other governments and the oil multinationals in the form of Joint Venture Agreements that negate communities interests. The terms of these JVA must be made public and repudiated. These JVA must be replaced with democratically controlled government and local communities.

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Families of slain policemen cry out; Say they have been abandoned

The families of four of the six policemen killed by robbers at Oko-Oba area of Agege, Lagos have cried out over moves by colleagues of the fallen policemen to evict them from the barracks, only two weeks after their death.

By ALEX OTUDOR

They also bemoaned the fact that since the brutal killing of their bread winners, no senior police officer has paid a condolence visit to commiserate with them. “Nobody - from the Commissioner, his deputies or assistants has visited us. Nobody, officially from the state command has paid us condolence visit. Only, members of the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) paid us such a visit. It is very sad, very discouraging, demoralizing,” lamented a spokesperson of the families.

According to her, “some colleagues of our late husbands have even started to lobby for our apartments in the barracks, barely two weeks after the sad brutal killings.” She disclosed that “one of the policemen killed in that operation was a squatter and his wife is about two months pregnant for their first baby. What becomes of the fate of the woman?

Although the command’s spokesman, Mr. Bode Ojajuni told NewAge that the command was liaising with the families to harmonize the burial arrangements, the families believe that they “have been abandoned to their fate.”

“Nobody is talking of their salaries, their Cooperative Society funds, benefits among other entitlements of any policeman killed by robbers on duty. They should be entitled to N500,000 each as benefits of getting killed in active service, then their National Insurance benefits and all that. Nobody has approached any of us on these or any issue,” lamented another wife.

NewAge gathered that the colleagues of the slain policemen in SARS may bear the cost of burial as they have started making voluntary contributions towards this end. Their colleagues, all SARS operatives in Lagos State have since the incident taking to wearing arm bands as a sign of mourning.

The police is expected to provide the casket or a sum of N20,000. The command is also expected to play prominent a role in the burial activities. But the force has over the years not lived up to these responsibilities to the extent that fallen policemen are usually left at the mercy of a few friends, colleagues and family members, noted one police man who spoke on condition of anonymity.

One of the slain policemen has since been buried according to Muslim rite, while the corpse of one would have to be taken to Katsina State and two others to Edo state for burial.

Posted by Publisher at 02:12 PM | Comments (0)

N20b FG cheque for 2007 elections bounces

INEC chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu said yesterday in Abuja that the N20 billion cheque issued by the Fedeal Government, the funds of which are meant for the purchase of electoral materials bounced.

He claimed however, that INEC had a fall-back arrangement, saying that nothing would be allowed to hinder the commission's operations.

The chairman said INEC had fulfilled all the requisite “due process'' requirements, but that the cheque, bounced because it had been embargoed.

“As far as we are concerned at the commission, we are not bothered by that and we shall remain focused in achieving our aims and objectives,'' he said.

Iwu, however, conceded that it would be distracting for INEC to be dragged into any controversy, as the commission was currently occupied with plans for revalidation of voters register that would commence on next Saturday.

He disclosed that materials for the revalidation had been ordered for, while the commission had taken delivery of some. He eiterated his determination to conduct free, fair and acceptable elections in 2007, in spite of the cynics.

Many politicians including Vice President Atiku Abubakar have expressed misgivings about INEC’s preparations for the 2007 elections, particularly the poor funding of the electoral body.

Posted by Publisher at 02:12 PM | Comments (0)

September 16, 2006

NUPENG, PENGASSAN suspend strike

Following further appeal made by Federal Government to call off the strike, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) yesterday agreed to suspend the three-day old warning strike.

Kupolokun alerts on increasing vandalisation up north
By LADI PATRICK, Abuja

This was resolved yesterday in Abuja by the joint National Executive Council (NEC) of the bodies which urged all the workers to resume duties with effect from today, Friday September 15.

The decision of the oil workers・unions was read by Peter Esele, PENGASSAN president at the post-NEC press briefing which had all states branch chairmen of the unions in attendance.

The communiqu・issued after the four-hour session read: 笛oint NEC in session received the report of the mediation meeting at the instance of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to the stakeholders on the 7th and 8th, 11th and 13th of September 2006 after exhaustive review of the communiqu・arriving thereof.

典he joint NEC in session resolves as follows: that the joint NEC has set amongst other proposals to convey a high powered forum to discuss and agree on issues, the planning committee will meet on the 21st of September to plan for a larger forum to discuss all industrial issues that led to the three day warning strike of September 13th to 15th.

的n view of the aforementioned, the joint NEC in session agreed to suspend the three day warning strike. All members of NUPENG and PENGASSAN are hereby directed to resume their normal duty effective from tomorrow (Friday) 15th day of September 2006・

Meanwhile the group managing director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Engineer Funso Kupolokun at the forum expressed concern over alarming rate of pipeline vandalisation in the Northern part of the country. Kupolokun earlier in his appeal implored the striking workers to consider the position of government as well as the plight of the citizenry who have always been at the receiving end of such strike action.

In his words: 鉄uddenly, vandalisation started in the northern states, the resultant effects of it is today in terms of increased cases vandalisation. We have more cases of vandalisation going on in the North than in the South.

While reporting on the effort of the Corporation to restore the Warri refinery, Kupolokun said the rate of unrests in the region have scared off contractors who ought to work on the refinery, adding that it has also contributed to the lull in the activities of the Kaduna refinery.

Kupolokun maintained that major locations where the vandalisation has been pronounced were Makurdi, Suleja, and Gombe, stressing that Port Harcourt, Enugu, Auchi and Mosimi have in the past been the worrisome locations to NNPC.

The communiqu・of September 11, 2006 made available to NewAge revealed that the unions at the meeting indicted NNDC and state governors of the region for failing 妬n their statutory responsibilities in providing the needed development in the region part of which is responsible for the restiveness and attendant insecurity pervading the region.

Posted by Publisher at 01:29 PM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2006

THE ATIKU PROBE: He acted alone –obasanjo; Says N100m “Dariye donation” received by VP

In response to yesterday’s disclosure from the Atiku Campaign Organization that both President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar jointly ran the controversial account being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Senior Special Assistant, Media to the President, Mrs. Remi Oyo has exonerated her boss from any involvement in the unfolding scam.

The transactions involved a certain Marine Float Account domiciled at the now acquired Trans International Bank through which public funds belonging to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) was alleged to have been used to promote private interests. Pushing blame wholly onto the Vice President, Oyo said: “Vice President Atiku Abubakar authorized that fixed deposits be paid by PTDF under his supervision into ETB (Equitorial Trust Bank) and TIB (Trans International Bank) without authorization of the Federal Executive Council.

Further, she said that between July and December 2003, the PTDF first deposited $30 million, revealing that: “less than 90 days after the first deposit on October 10, 2003, TIB advanced a loan of N400 million to NDTV and two days later gave a loan of N420 million to MOFAS. Otunba Oyewole Fasawe has interests in NDTV and MOFAS and serves as chairman of both companies. A second loan of N30 million was given again to NDTV by TIB barely two months later on January 1, 2004.

“Some eight months before its first TIB loan, February 18 2003, MOFAS gave N250 million to Marine Float a company owned by Vice President Atiku Abubakar and incorporated in 1992. The Vice President’s company, Marine Float, had in the preceding month paid N30 million as deposit for the purchase of the headquarters of NDTV confirming the Vice President’s interests in NDTV.

“From October, 2003, MOFAS paid more than N500 million to Umar Pariya, the Personal Assistant of Vice President Atiku Abubakar. On one occasion, the sum of N61 million was paid by MOFAS directly to the Vice President on Jan. 29, 2001. MOFAS also paid N60 million directly to Musa Garba on May 22, 2002. Garba is, among other things, a contractor who works for the ABTI establishment comprising the Academy and University) owned by the Vice President.”

Distancing the president from running a common campaign fund pool with his deputy, the Vice President, the SSA further disclosed that there was no truth in the controversial N100 million allegedly donated to the PDP by Plateau Governor, Joshua Dariye; as the cheque for the money was written in: “ the name of Marine Float, owned by Vice President Atiku Abubakar,” adding that: “ the date on the All States Trust Bank cheque is August 15, 2001, two clear years before the Presidential elections in 2003.”

Continuing, Remi Oyo said: “ following the insistence of the EFCC that the money be refunded, the Vice President begged the President to help him as he had no money. The President agreed to give fifty million naira. (There are witnesses. Copy of the cheque and report attached as annexure); adding that: “ this is not the first time that the President has had to come to the aid of the Vice President when he so requested.

According to the SSA Media to the President in a 7- page statement accompanied by photocopies of 7 cheques leaves allegedly issued to the vice president and his aides - with a N61 million draft in the Vice President’s name; the latter’s allegation of political persecution “ is far fetched by all standards,” adding that: “neither the President nor anybody had an inkling of the dealings in PDTF until he was tipped off by Jefferson, whose links to Vice President Atiku Abubakar is well known. Secondly, the country would not have known that a public trust like the PTDF had been used to further private interests had NDTV and iGate not disagreed on a deal and petitioned the President.”

Consequently posited Remi Oyo: “allegations that the funds were used for campaigns are to say the least, false. The payments were not made in relation to campaign expenses. For instance, past payment for the NDTV headquarters by Marine Float owned by Vice President Atiku Abubakar cannot be said to be a campaign related expenditure”, adding that: “monies in excess of 400 million naira paid by MOFAS in October 2003 cannot be said to be campaign expenditure . What campaign, we dare ask, was on in October 2003, four months after the President and the Vice President had been sworn into office?”

Endingher statement, Remi Oyo reiterated that: “it is important to note that efforts are being made to divert attention from the real issues in this case. Beyond the calculations for future office, what we need to establish is whether the allegation raise a hint of gross misconduct, abuse of office, corruption, accountability and violation of the constitution to which the Vice President swore to protect,” adding that: “we need to establish whether the allegations relate to a violation of public morality and ethics which strike forcefully at the foundations of the anti-corruption policy of this

Posted by Publisher at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)

...As VP asks court to quash reports; Seeks injunction to stop Senate’s hearing

In a related development, Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar yesterday asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to quash the reports of an administrative Panel of Inquiry and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which indicted him of conspiracy, fraudulent conversion of funds, corrupt practices and money laundering.

By EWACHE AJEFU, Abuja

The Vice President premised his bid for the nullification of both reports on a violation of his right to fair hearing as provided under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.

The suit named as defendants the ATTORNEY GENERAL the Federal Republic of Nigeria) and that the said reports are null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

2. A declaration that the decisions of the Federal Executive Council as represented by the 1st Defendant herein reached or taken on 6/9/06 on the report of the panel of inquiry comprising the 2nd – 6th defendants concerning and indicting the plaintiff are unconstitutional, unfair, unjust, illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

3. An order setting aside the decisions of the Federal Executive Council as represented by the 1st Defendant herein taken on 6/9/06 concerning the Plaintiff and based on the report of the 2nd – 6th defendants.

4. A declaration that the 7th Defendant acted ultra vires the powers conferred on it by its enabling law and contrary to the purported request made to it by the United States Attorney’s office for certain investigation to be carried out with regard to a business venture involving i Gate an American Company and NDTV, a Nigerian company in its report dated 24th August, 2006 and therefore the report is illegal, null and void.

5. A declaration that the Administrative Panel of Inquiry consisting of the 2nd – 6th Defendants is not a panel known to Law and/or does not qualify as a panel within the contemplation of the Tribunal of Inquiry Act Cap 447, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and therefore unconstitutional, illegal and of no effect whatsoever.

6.A declaration that the 2nd – 6th Defendants exceeded their jurisdiction and/or purported terms of reference in reaching the conclusions contained in their report dated 5th September, 2006 and that the conclusions and recommendations in the said report are null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

7. A declaration that having regard to reliefs 1- 6 above, the 8th, 9th and 10th Defendants lack the power to look into, consider, or take any step or action detrimental to the interest of the Plaintiff based on the said reports of: i. The 2nd – 6th Defendants of 5th September, 2006 ii. The 7th Defendant of 24th August, 2006 and or 8.An order setting aside: i. The report of the 2nd - 6th Defendants of 5th September, 2006. ii. The report of the 7th Defendant dated 24th August, 2006. 9. An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st, 7th – 10th Defendants, their servants, agents and privies howsoever stated from acting or further acting on the reports reference No.: EFCC/EC/01/104 dated 24/8/2006 on alleged conspiracy, fraudulent conversion of funds, corrupt practices and money laundering by some public officers and other persons dated 5th September, 2006 (submitted by the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Defendants to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria).

Posted by Publisher at 03:07 PM |