[size=13pt]$12.4bn oil windfall: AGF, CBN ask court to reject Okigbo report[/size]
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/03/12-4bn-oil-windfall-agf-cbn-ask-court-to-reject-okigbo-report/



ABUJA - The Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN) and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, have asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to reject the Okigbo panel report as “the report is not admissible in law because it has not yet been published in a gazette and no white paper has been issued on the report.”

The AGF and the CBN were responding to a suit filed against them last September by a coalition of six civil society groups seeking information on how $12.4 billion oil windfall of between 1988 and 1994 was spent.

The Plaintiffs are: Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP); Women Advocates and Documentation Centre (WARDC); Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR); Access to Justice (AJ); Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), and Partnership for Justice.

The suit was brought under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009 by the groups’ lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
In their separate preliminary objections filed last week before the court, the AGF and the CBN also argued that the plaintiffs had no locus standi; and were not juristic persons as they are not registered.

The CBN said the suit was not justiciable as it is not covered under the fundamental rights provisions of Sections 33-46 of the 1999 Constitution while the AGF argued that the affidavit in support of the suit was “not duly stamped.”

Adetokunbo Mumuni, SERAP Executive Director, however, said: “We strongly reject the objections raised by both the AGF and the CBN. We are finalising a reply, which we will file in court in due course.”
Earlier, the plaintiffs in their suit had averred that: “In 1994, the Federal Government set up the Pius Okigbo Panel to investigate the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria and recommend measures for the re-organisation of the bank.

In the course of its assignment, the Okigbo Panel found that the $12.5 billion in the Dedicated and Special Accounts had been depleted to $200 million by June 1994. As a result of the alleged mismanagement of the said $12.2 billion by the military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, the Okigbo Panel recommended that the Dedicated and Special Accounts be discontinued.”

The Plaintiffs are seeking an order of Mandamus compelling the respondents individually and/or collectively to publish detailed statement of account relating to the spending of $12.4 billion oil windfall between 1988 and 1994, and to publish in major national newspapers a copy of the statement of account.

Why is the government quiet about this?

[size=13pt]Okigbo Report: CNPP Asks Jonathan To Sack Attorney General
EMMA UCHE 15/08/2010[/size]

ABUJA, August 15, (THEWILL) - The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, (CNPP) today asked President Goodluck Jonathan to sack the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister for Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke over his announcement that the Okigbo Probe Report is missing. The report contained the complicity of some high government officials in the missing oil windfall fund during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.

The umbrella opposition political parties in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu in Abuja, also bemoaned the ‘near total eclipse of anti-corruption war within the 100 days of the present government of President Jonathan.

The CNPP said it is most ignoble and quite reprehensible that the Attorney General would barefacedly pronounce the Okigbo report missing without regard to the implication of such statement in the polity currently.

Mr. Adoke according to Okechukwu has surreptitiously reignited the ignoble era of the former Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Michael Aondooka, who embarked on a slothful journey of withdrawing high profile corruption cases.

"It is appalling to note that Mr. President did not query the AGF, who is now more interested in covertly withdrawing graft charges against those already standing trial in the courts; thus frustrating anti-graft agencies. Can you imagine an AGF who unprofessionally and unashamedly publicly declared the Okigbo Report missing with scant regard to its implication? This is a sad pointer to the level of commitment of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to the anti-graft war", he said.

The opposition further listed corruption related cases that have been withdrawn by Adoke; "To mention a few, just recently, there were reports that the AGF has withdrawn charges against 11 persons standing trial in the Vaswani brothers N2.5 billion import fraud case. While we are yet to understand the rationale behind that action amidst bribery allegations against some government officials, a report in ThisDay newspaper last week also indicate that the AGF has begun the process of withdrawing criminal charges against about 12 officials standing trial over the N5.2 billion National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC fraud case.

"This is in addition to his earlier reported order to Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo to stop the prosecution of Kenny Martins over the PEF fraud case. The Halliburton, where ex-president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is fingered, is among the scam list of those to benefit from Mr. Adoke's soft-landing as the list continues to grow.


"As such, it is obvious that the Hon AGF is certainly a replica of disgraced Chief Aondoakaa and would rather bring the nation's anti-graft war to a complete stop if allowed to continue like this. This is a total deviation from the assurance given by President Jonathan to Nigerians and the international community while he was striving to find his feet in government.

"If the on-going spate of withdrawal of charges against those standing trial for corruption is not the agenda of President Jonathan administration, he should therefore sack or remove the AGF from that office before Nigeria loses the trust of the international community on this matter," he stated.

However Okechukwu CNPP "is outraged that 100 days of President Goodluck Jonathan’s regime, witnessed total stoppage of the anti-graft war, hence Mr. President looks the other way; while Adoke arrogantly uses his privileged position in government to shield and provide questionable soft landing to the corrupt in the country.

"We have however come to the painful conclusion that the chief law officer of the nation is in an unholy alliance with President Jonathan; otherwise how can he unguardedly toe the ignoble line of his predecessor, Chief Mike Aondoakaa who’s every action in office was to frustrate diligent prosecution of corruption cases, without query.

"The CNPP believes that the quick dispensation of justice in the various cases already filed or being investigated by the various anti-graft agencies should be of utmost concern and top priority of any serious and transparent government and indeed the AGF, rather than the present situation where people that should be serving jail terms have found solace and shield in the office of the AGF, said Okechukwu.

Consequently, the group challenged President Jonathan to as a matter of urgent national importance re-arm the EFCC, ICPC and other anti-graft agencies and revive the war against corruption; without which all his efforts to improve the supply of electricity, revamp the Niger Delta and halt gross unemployment will remain pipe dreams.

"We also wish to suggest that henceforth, government should do proper background check on senior members of the bar to be appointed to the exalted office of AGF to ensure that they are not people that have been defending those standing trial for corruption. Doing so would avert a situation where they turn the AGF office as an umbrella for the protection of their former clients", the CNPP statement added.

http://thewillnigeria.com/politics/5565-Okigbo-Report-CNPP-Asks-Jonathan-Sack-Attorney-General.html

[size=13pt]Okigbo Report: FG Considers Action against Babangida[/size]
•Govt statement unambiguous, says IBB
By Chiemelie Ezeobi, 05.21.2010

The Federal Government may take legal action against former military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida if there is evidence to prove the allegation of mismanagement of $12.4 billion during his tenure.

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke (SAN) disclosed that a committee would be set up to review the allegations to see if a criminal charge could be sustained.




http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=173819

This is what the most USELESS president Goodluck will bring to Nigeria: Corruption, ineptitude and a golden parachute for all the best looters in history: IBB, Obasanjo, Atiku and Co. . .

Enjoy your stinking "beef" fresh air. . .LOL