₦airaland Forum

maclatunji:
The essence of the currency is for people to use it, if you make it difficult for a good part of the people it is meant for to identify and use it, then you have only proven to be myopic.

I also find it funny that the opponents of the Arabic script are motivated by hate and to a lesser extent fear. Removing the scripts will not change their fear or reduce their hate. I find it amusing as a result.

I respectfully disagree with you sir.

Arabic is not our language so is English but our official language is English. Just like Niger, their official language is French.

Now how many people can read Arabic ? Lets be honest with ourselves, the only Arabic likes of us can recognise are the ones written in the Quran not taking it to the extent of writing it on our money.

In Nigeria, we need to take different groups along, the Christians are not comfortable with the Arabic inscription on the Note. Why not just remove it and write in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and English. This why we can convert more Christians to Muslims just as Prophet Mohammed said (S.A.W)

maclatunji:
I laugh because such comments are not motivated by careful thought but primordial sentiments that can only get you so far before they backfire.

I see, what are your thoughts on the article ?

Really this should get to FP

maclatunji:
Comments like yours make me laugh.

Why is it making you to laugh ?

raumdeuter:
Is Ikuforiji a governor or was he ever a governor at any point in time?.

So you can vouch for an ex AD/ACN governor yet no one not even EFCC can vouch for those useless ex PDP governors we had in the SW

Can you read my previous post ? I was APC before until my eyes cleared up to see the lies and deceit APC has been feeding me with.

Don't worry in the SW now it is 2 PDP governor and 4 APC governor. More to be useless according to you but they are a blessing to us the masses.

A man's meat is another man's poison. We good God fearing Nigeria like them like that !

His ascension to commissionership in Lagos State in 1999 was as a result of his excellent political performance in assisting Alliance for Democracy in the company of Senator Ganiyu Solomon and others to emerge winner in the governorship election that produced Tinubu as governor.

God bless you. Others like Obanikoro, Funsho Williams, Hamzat, Bolariwa etc made Tinubu the governor most of which are in PDP now

Assuming without conceding that it were so, is graduation from apprenticeship not in the dictionary of Sanusi, or natural order of events? Ignorance is a deadly disease. It is deadlier when it is compounded by sycophancy and these are the diseases worrying Sanusi.

APC goon need to understand this. I have liberated myself from their ignorance and lies

Sanusi’s article is nothing but a campaign to launder the image of his master, whose political dominance of Lagos State cannot continue forever. Yet, he, for a paltry sum of N250,000 monthly stipend has rubbished journalism as a gutter item by condemning a man of honour who has the courage to speak truth to power.

Very shameful that the Nigeria youths have bought the lies of APC

raumdeuter:
Osoba was an ex AD governor. Its been 11yrs after he left power and no EFCC has a case against him.

And you knowing Osoba personally, how does that add anything to your argument?

I'm always amazed by PDP lack of logic

You keep twisting and turning. When I say I know Osoba personally it means I can vouch for his good character.

It has nothing to do with party.

Now Ikuforiji case nko ? Is he not your speaker ?

wisdom43:
You are part of those thieves, you have collected a bag of rice.

Yes the one Fayemi gave me

Good move

Btw English is not the Christian Language but Nigeria official language. Hebrew is the language.

raumdeuter:
Its their screaming thats making EFCC not to prosecute anyone of them even though we have almost 8 ex AD/ACN governors in the SW

Akande, Adefarati, Adebayo, Adesina, Osoba, Tinubu none of them have ever had any issue with EFCC

Oga, Osoba is no longer APigCshit so remove him. BTW I know Osoba personally.

Now next ?

raumdeuter:
And How is 7 a majority over 19? I am assuming you have elementary knowledge of numbers

Oh apologise, I forgot to update you. Ekiti has a new speaker now so tell your 19 speakers to impeach him na.

Abeg no waste people's time here.

Until a minority party in the upper house is removed as speaker then you have no mouth to complain.

chukwudi44:
congratulations to the new speaker.APC can go to court!! Afterall Tambuwal also decamped and wants to remain speaker contrary to section 68 1(g) of the constituton

Gbammm

raumdeuter:
How come no previous AD, ACN governor has never had a case to answer with the EFCC whereas almost all PDP ex governors in the SW have an EFCC case to answer

Because they scream too much. Watch how things are going before making conclusions

raumdeuter:
Then let the majority of the Reps impeach Tambuwal. Isnt that the way democracy works?

If the majority of reps decide they want an opposition member as their speaker then what should we do about it?

Exactly, let these majority impeach this one as well

emmatok:
What truth, how can 7members impeach a speaker.

How can an APC member be a speaker at the upper house ?

Tambuwal comes to mind

Goziejay:
i have being eating rice even before the creation of ekiti state so why this emphasis on rice,besides fayemi also shared rice and money during election but he never win a l.g.a so what will be will be.

Don't pay attention to ApigCshit people

Is this not Fayemi and his wife distributing rice

tuffgongjo:
No need to drag matter,ko si aye fun oshi ati iranu

I agree.

babaireti:
Who is this DUMMY?

Baba e lo jo ko jare.

tuffgongjo:
Because it is Yoruba.

simple

Collynzo9:
The same people saying Jonathan was witch-hunting him when the court case started, are the ones now complaining after he has been acquitted. All because he is no longer in their party.
Hypocrites.

When he was in APC, they were screaming that GEJ is witch-hunting him since he is an APC member

You can imagine how useless these people are

duni04:
Frivolous and dubious allegations. If they're sure of themselves, why not present all this evidence to the EFCC? The only Ex governors under investigation for corruption by the EFCC were all PDP governors. Lam Adesina, Bisi Akande and Bola Tinubu were never dragged to court for corruption whereas Akala, Gbenga Daniel and Fayose all have corruption cases in court. If they're so sure that Fayemi stole money, let them petition the EFCC. After the EFCC is controlled by the PDP Federal government.

Wrong EFCC is independent of the government, just like INEC is independent of the government

Get your facts right !

Exactly, rumour galore from APC

lekkie073:
pls don't bring Jonathan into this. u can go supreme court if e dey pain u for nyansh

Egbon, God bless you.

Tell them to first of all deal with Ikuforiji case

[size=18pt]Lagos state court Ikuforiji (Lagos state speaker) Discharged, Acquitted Of Money Laundering)[/size]



After four years in the dock, Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday discharged the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, of the charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ruling on the no-case submission filed by the Speaker, Justice Buba in a considered ruling which lasted about two hours, held that the EFCC failed to establish prima facie case of fraud against him, and as such, the speaker deserved to be discharged and acquitted.

The judge described the case of the prosecution as a case of trial and error or at best, mere speculation, and that speculation, no matter how strong, cannot replace fact.


The judge ruled that the case against Ikuforiji was the very first in the history of Nigeria where a Speaker would be charged to court for performing his lawful and legal duties based on a petition written by a faceless petitioner who was not called to substantiate the allegations in the petition.
Ikuforiji was freed alongside his personal assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi, who the anti-graft agency jointly charged alongside his boss over alleged money laundering to the tune of N500 million.
The charge was first filed in November 2011 before Justice John Tsoho, while an amended charge was filed before the court on January 30, 2012.

As the case was going on before Justice Tsoho, the judge suddenly excused himself from the case and attributed it to personal reason.


Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta then re-assigned the case to Justice Okechukwu Okeke.

The case was however assigned to Justice Buba following the retirement of Justice Okeke.
It was before Justice Buba that the EFCC opened the case against Ikuforiji and Atoyebi.
During trial, the EFCC presented two witnesses, while the third witness was suddenly withdrawn from the case.


The witnesses presented by the EFCC are Adebayo Adeniyi, an official of the agency and Adewale Olatunji, former Permanent Secretary and Clerk of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Adeniyi, had during his testimony, detailed how the defendants allegedly laundered millions of naira.

For instance, the witness told the court how the defendants allegedly collected N13.5 million for honorarium, N4.5 million for renovation of the Speaker’s residence, and N1.5 million for the Speaker’s Guest House every month for six consecutive months.


Adeniyi further inundated the court with series of other transactions, which he said the Speaker and his aide carried out by receiving money from the Lagos State House of Assembly without passing through a financial institution.

The witness, however, admitted under cross-examination that the EFCC never investigated whether the monies collected by the accused were used for the purposes meant for.
On his part, Olatunji, told the court that conferences attended by members of the assembly were based on approval.


Olatunji, who has since retired from the civil service, had further recalled that he was appointed a clerk of the Assembly in 2007.

He said as clerk of the assembly, he was in charge of its administrative activities, and to some extent, its finance, adding that he also employed the second accused as aide to Ikuforiji.
The witness told the court that as soon as funds were received from the state government, the Commissioner for Finance embarks on a budget analysis, and issues guidelines for its implementation.


He said the Commissioner for Economic Planning also moderated the budget, adding that the law stipulates that one twelfth of the total overhead running cost, be issued to the Assembly on a monthly basis.

According to Olatunji, Lagos Assembly maintained three bank accounts with Skye Bank, Wema Bank, and Equitorial Trust Bank and that cheques were issued in the name of the clerk of the house, who confirmed same.


The witness told the court that funds allocated to the Assembly were expended in accordance with the budget, adding that staff payments were made in cash while those to corporate entities were paid in cheques.

After the EFCC concluded the case, the defence led by Wole Olanipekun (SAN) filed a no-case submission to the charge.


While ruling on the no-case submission, Justice Buba held that from the totality of the evidence before the court, it was evident that the case of the EFCC could be best be described as speculative and a witch-hunt.

The judge added that the EFCC failed to prove money laundering against Ikuforiji, as the ingredient of the crime was not substantiated.


While referring to the admission by EFCC witness that the commission never investigated whether the funds were used for what they were meant for, Justice Buba ruled that the EFCC misinterpreted the Money Laundering Act.

The judge explained that money laundering was any attempt to manage or conceal the proceeds of crime, and in the instant case, the EFCC never established that the funds were proceeds of crime.
The judge, who said that it was evident that the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), gave approval to the financial transactions of the State House of Assembly, added that the court was duty bound to determine if a case had been made against the defendants on the basis of the evidence adduced before the court.


According to the judge, "In a criminal case, the prosecution has the duty to prove the case against the accused. There is no corresponding duty by the accused to prove their innocence.

"The court is concerned with the credibility of the witnesses. The prosecution failed to carry out an investigation into the alleged crime made against the Speaker and his aide.


"It behoves on the prosecution to provide the element of money laundering against the defendants. The prosecution has misconstrued the provision of the money laundering law in the process of prosecuting this matter.

"The submission of the prosecution flies against logic and against the spirit of the money laundering law. The documents before the court and the submissions of the defense lawyers show that the prosecution is based on trial by error.


"The prosecution, in filing the charge, had exhibited what best could be described as a joke taken too far. The prosecution was in difficulty to decide which charge to hang on the accused persons," Justice Buba ruled.

The judge added that the cheques of the transactions under review were issued to the banks, which were financial institutions, apart from also the fact that there was a Self Accounting Law for the Assembly.


"In sum, it is the position of this court that the prosecution has no answer to the no-case submission of the defence, and the accused should be and are hereby discharged," Justice Buba concluded.
When contacted, the prosecutor, Godwin Obla (SAN) said the EFCC would review the ruling and take a position soonest.

While reacting to the ruling, Ikuforiji who is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the case was a distraction orchestrated by his political detractors.


He said his acquittal was a reminder that though the wheel of justice may grind exceedingly slow, it grinds exceedingly fine.

He thanked those who stood by him both at home and abroad while the case lasted particularly Governor Babatunde Fashola and predecessor, Bola Tinubu.


“Indeed, justice delayed is not always justice denied. Dear friends, the judiciary is still the last hope of the common man. Despite the travails of the last three years, I’ve never been more hopeful that the future of our country is bright.


In this season of vindication, I cannot but thank the Almighty God for his unwavering mercy. He is the Unchangeable Changer, the King of kings, the Lord of Lords, the Ancient of Days, the One that was, the One that is, the One that will ever be, the Pillar that holds my life, Father of the fatherless, Supporter and Defender of the innocent and the Avenger of the guiltless.
I thank God that at no time did the case prevent me from doing my job and carrying out my responsibilities as a lawmaker and the Speaker of the foremost Lagos State House of Assembly.

Rexxie:
it aint worth it that u are losing grip over that hyenas packa'jaywds..
Ekiti needs democracy and not demoCRapcZY.

Yes oh, no one needs a government that sleeps on 100 million naira bed and builds a kilometer of road for 1 billion naira

Who is foo..oooling who here

We no they chop their propaganda again

Acidosis:
An educated goon who sleeps recklessly on a $6million family bed?


Na AIDs go kill you

Amin !

[size=18pt]Heavy corruption in Ekiti Dtate under APC[/size]


The group said the[b] frauds were perpetrated through N2.6 billion construction of new civic centre, N383.9m earthwork for new governor’s office, diversion of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Local Councils funds through contracts worth N4.2bn, inflation of road contracts worth over N10bn and diversion of N1.2bn FADAMA fund.
The petition read in part; “Contract for the construction of a New Civic Centre was awarded to TIANJIN-YUYANG Construction Eng. Limited on August 30, 2012 at the cost of N2, 573,584,395.75, while Consultancy on the construction was awarded to CASA Nig Ltd on June 11, 2012 at the cost of N137, 611,325.07.[/b]

20140929_170623-1

“Curiously, as at the end of 2012, a sum of N643,396,098.94 (representing 25% of total contract sum) had been paid to TIANJIN-YUYANG Construction Eng. Limited while the consultant, CASA Nig. Ltd was paid N89,801,901.06 (representing 80% of total contract sum).

“In 2013, a sum of N350, 116,245.17 was paid to TIANJIN-YUYANG Construction Eng. Limited, making a total sum of N993, 512,344.11 (representing 45% of total contract sum).
“While the Project contractor was paid 25% of the contract sum in 2012, why was the consultant paid 80% of the contract sum? Information available to us indicates that the Consultant was hurriedly paid 80% of the contract sum so as to enable some officials of the government get N50m of the contract sum. “Also, payment to the contractor was changed to N350, 116,245.17 in the 2014 Capital Projects Report, as against the sum of N643, 396,098.94 presented in the 2013 Capital Projects Report.


20141007_145845

“Contract for the construction of earthwork for the N ew Governor’s Office was awarded to PONTI-ITALWARE Nig Ltd on March 3, 2012 at the sum of N383, 900,911.06, with a sum of N115, 170,273.32 paid to the contractor. The New Governor’s Office was proposed to be constructed
from the N25bn Bond obtained by the State Government, with N3, 474,700.000.00 earmarked for the project. “However, with N115, 170,273.32 paid to PONTI-ITALWARE Nig Ltd form earthwork, as at today, the site has been abandoned, with no significant work done.

20141007_145915

“By our own assessment, what was spent on the site cannot be more than N5m. “Also, in the 2014 Capital Projects Report, the N115, 170,273.32 paid for the earthwork was deleted, raising poser as to why the payment was missing from the 2014 updated account.


“In 2012, contracts worth N4, 246,094,751.14 were awarded through the Bureau of Special Projects (under the Governor’s office), headed by Mr. Kelekun. The contracts were for renovation of schools, supply of school furniture and construction of classrooms. Funds for these projects were taken from SUBEB and Local Governments accounts.

“Of these contracts, N3, 672,078,820.14 were for renovation of schools alone. Atlantic Offshore & Properties got N1, 152,562,555.14, Strabic Nig. Ltd got N1, 107,744.408.21, Bam Darley Nig. Ltd. got N924, 977,310.95 while Fatub Nig. Ltd got N486, 794,545.84.

“Immediately the renovation contracts were awarded, Atlantic Offshore & Properties was paid N750 million (70% of contract sum), Strabic Nig. Ltd was paid N600 million (65% of contract sum), Bam Darley Nig. Ltd was paid N600 million (70% of contract sum) while Fatub Nig.
Engineering Ltd was paid N150 million (60% of contract sum). “A total of N2.1bn was paid from SUBEB and LG accounts to these contractors even before the commencement of work, and over 40% of the payment was diverted into private pockets.

20141007_145944

“In the 2014 Capital Projects Report, payments to the contractors were presented as;
a: Atlantic Offshore & Properties – N1, 022,130,415.64
b: Strabic Nig. Ltd – N957, 237,829.62
c: Bam Darley Nig. Ltd – N742, 730,990.25
d: Fatub Engineering Nig. Ltd – N431, 327,270.41

“As at the time N1, 022,130,415.64 was paid to Atlantic Offshore & Properties, only 60% work had been done, meaning that Atlantic Offshore & Properties was only entitled to N691, 537,551. Bam Darley
Nig. Ltd that was paid N742, 730,990.25 had done 60% work too and ought to have been paid N554, 986,386.57.
“Contracts for REHABILITATION of Roads were awarded at highly inflated cost, with some of the roads costing as high N50 million per kilometre when the immediate past government awarded CONSTRUCTION of roads at less than N45m per kilometre. The REHABILITATION only involved cutting of failed portion, filling with laterite and stone base and asphalt overlay. No subsoil drainages, new pipe culverts and box culverts were constructed.

“For instance, 10.7km Ado-Afao was awarded at N538, 638,704.26, 17km Ilawe-Igbara Odo-Ibuji road, which was awarded at a little above N200m by the immediate past government was re-awarded to at N894,698,043.75, 11.5km Ado-Ilawe road was awarded at N482,849,098.20, 3.6km
Ijigbo-Baptist College (Ilawe road) was awarded at N788,038,599.60 while Fajuyi-University Teaching Hospital Road that is less than3km was awarded at N447,544,063.50

“Rehabilitation of 13km Old Garrage-Ado-Ikere road was awarded to Plycon Nig Ltd at N2, 369,833,077.15.

“Construction of 0.8km Old Garrage-Ojumose (Ado-Ekiti) road was awarded to Heartland Nig. Ltd at N866, 872,873.13.

“U[b]sing the State Public Works Corporation (PWC), rehabilitation 5km township roads were embarked upon in each of the 16 LGs. Contracts for the rehabilitation of these roads were awarded without any input from the respective LGs while fund for the project was deducted from the
local councils allocation. “For instance, rehabilitation of 5km roads in Moba LG was awarded for N368, 950,821.09, Ido/Osi LG for N329, 950,821.50 and Ilejemeje LG for N347, 914,157.68. Apart from the PWC, cronies of Governor Kayode Fayemi were also given the contract. Most of the road projects have been abandoned.[/b]

“In 2010, the World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Government released $7.5m (about N1.2bn) for FADAMA III Project. The State Government was expected to provide counterpart fund of N100m. FADAMA III was for LIVESTOCK farmers. “However, the N100m counterpart fund was not provided by the State government until 2013.

“Instead of using this fund for the purpose for which the World Bank and FG released it, the State Government set up a scheme called Youths Commercial Agriculture Development Programme (YCAD) and used the FADAMA III grant from the World Bank and FG to fund it.

6-10 YCAD farmers were purportedly given N6 million each while FADAMA farmers, who registered FUGs of Ten (10) farmers collectively applied for six hundred and ninety thousand Naira only (N69,000.00 per farmer) were left unfunded.

“There were just 142 YCAD members, but the government claimed they were 15,000. “The government also claimed that it bought NINE Tractors at N98m and constructed abattoir for N18m.[/b]However, the tractors claimed to have been bought with N98m were the ones supplied to Ekiti State by the federal government during the immediate past administration of Engr Segun Oni.

“Also, the N100m counterpart fund paid by the State government into FADAMA’s ECO Bank, Ado-Ekiti account was later returned to the government coffers.

“[b]For FADAMA IV, a sum of $10.5m (about N1.7bn) was released in August, this year by the World Bank in collaboration with the FG for cassava plantation. Moves are now being made to siphon this fund.”

http://dailypost.ng/2014/10/08/alleged-n20bn-fraud-group-drags-fayemi-others-efcc-icpc/

adebisicutie:
fayose just got in and he is already awarding 200m painting job to his brother who then brings painters from outside Ekiti like Ekiti has no painters. This is the man who says he loves the masses

Bring out your facts ! I am not saying it is a lie but show prove and I will bring mine

pheesayor:
smh

Ayo compare Tambuwal case and this, it is the same thing.

I am not carried way by Propaganda again.

APC is worse

adebisicutie:
Are you seriously saying you support this just because it is PDP. Can't you see this is against democracy? I'm really disappointed any young person can reason like this

Well get more disappointed because APC has NEVER followed the rule of law.

Tambuwal case comes to mind, If APC can get away with having a speaker position even though they are in the Minority then PDP can equally beat them.

Forget all the propaganda APigCshit dish out each day, They should bring out and compare Tambuwal and Ekiti state issue and see who is right or wrong

The reality is that APC is just pained that their lootocrazy has been blocked.

omokab:
so you mean we should go back the era of poor infrastructural developmet in the south west,poor environmental sanitation we have during the PDP especially in oyo state,lack of good roads in the south west.The south west are not ready to go back to PDP poor management where thurg is the rain of the day(I.e auxilliary in ibadan)please let only Ekiti remain with PDp for now,then if there is a change others can later join.Thanks

Maybe it is the 100 million Naira bed and 3 billion Naira government house you call infrastructure.