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 Politics › ‘you Have No Power To Summon Me’-lamorde Tells Senate by LocalChamp(op): 9:44pm On Nov 17, 2015 |
BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK NOV 17, 2015 On Tuesday, the embattled former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde informed the Senate that they do not possess the power to invite him as the subject of an investigation. He made this assertion through his lawyer, Festus Keyamo, who appeared on Mr. Lamorde’s behalf before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions at the National Assembly in Abuja. The former EFCC Chairman is being investigated over an allegation that he fraudulently diverted over N1 trillion in proceeds from corruption recovered by the anti-graft agency. Mr. Keyamo explained that the Senate has no constitutional power to invite his client to the committee given that his client is no longer the Chairman of the EFCC. Mr. Keyamo stated that it is only the courts that can exercise such power, adding that his client is ready to honor the power of the courts. The lawyer noted that his client would, “only appear [before the committee] if he [Lamorde] is invited as a witness." The Chairman of the committee, Emmanuel Nwanyawu, informed Mr. Keyamo that the committee is not a court of law and, therefore, a lawyer cannot appear before it on behalf of his client. He further explained that Mr. Keyamo was not allowed to take an oath on behalf of his client. The Chairman noted that another letter of summons would be issued to Mr. Lamorde informing him he must appear before the committee on November 24th. http://saharareporters.com/2015/11/17/‘you-have-no-power-summon-me’-lamorde-tells-senate |
| Politics › Sagay, Solanke, Others Fault S’court Over Saraki’s Case by LocalChamp(op): 2:56pm On Nov 17, 2015 |
A professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Itsay Sagay, on Monday, described the decision of the Supreme Court to grant a stay of proceedings in the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal as an illegality. The first female lawyer to be conferred with the rank of SAN, Chief Folake Solanke, also agreed with the opinion of Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), who, in an article on Sunday, described the Supreme Court’s ruling as an illegality. Falana had argued that in view of the provisions of the new Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which prohibits granting of stay of proceedings with respect to criminal cases, the pronouncement of the apex court should not be allowed to stand. “Ordinarily, I don’t grant interview on the telephone, but I will just say that I am in agreement with Mr. Femi Falana. I am on the same page with Mr. Femi Falana,” she said. Other lawyers, who also faulted the decision of the Supreme Court on Monday, were a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Jiti Ogunye, and the National President of the Committee for Defence of Human Rights, Mr. Malachy Ugwumadu. Also, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), admitted that the ACJ Act had abolished granting of order of stay of proceedings in criminal cases, but said the law was only applicable to the trial court. Sagay, who heads the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, recently set up by President Muhammadu Buhari, expressed shock at the ruling of the Justice John Fabiyi-led panel of the Supreme Court on November 12. He added that there was the need to tell other lower courts not to follow the example allegedly being laid by the apex court. Describing the ruling of the Supreme Court as an affront to the law, Sagay said the order of a stay of proceedings, granted by the apex court, was a bad example to the judiciary and the country at large. Sagay stated, “The new Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 has completely eliminated any application or grant of stay of actions or proceedings in criminal trials; it prohibits it. So, what the Supreme Court has done is illegal and it is shocking that the Supreme Court would indulge in illegalities. “It is a complete affront to the law that is binding on them(S’Court) and it is a bad example to the rest of the judiciary and the country. There is no question about that.” On whether there was a way to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision, Sagay added, “That is why it is extremely bad that an institution in the position of the Supreme Court should begin to engage in illegalities because they are the ones who are supposed to revoke illegalities. Now, we have to call on them to revoke their own illegality and that is a more difficult thing because pride will make it difficult for them to accept that what they have done is an affront to the law. But that is the only thing that has to be done. “And, as it is, we have to tell other lower courts that they should not follow that precedent because it is an illegal precedent.” Agbakoba admitted that the ACJA had eliminated all kinds of undue delay in criminal trials, adding that the Code of Conduct Tribunal was right in the first place when it refused Saraki’s application for a stay of proceedings. The former NBA President said, “The law has done away with all kinds of delays that used to make criminal trials to be unduly long. The Administration of Criminal Justice Act has created a number of fast-track procedures, which include minimum number of adjournment, which will allow a judge, trying a case in the high court, to start a case and finish it.” He, however, emphasised that the ACJA applied only to proceedings before a trial court and not to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court as these higher courts were appellate courts and not trial courts as envisaged by the ACJA. Ogunye, on his part, said the order by the Supreme Court lacked legal justification. He said, “That order of stay of proceedings is without legal justification. The order cannot be founded on and be justified by the provision of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. “Lawyers defer to the Supreme Court because it is the highest court of the land, but being the highest court does not make it a court that should not observe the rule of law. All of us are bound by the rule of law. “Sections 306 and 369 of the ACJ Act have expressly said there shall be no stay of proceedings in any criminal matter. It totally abolishes it and the Supreme Court cannot feign ignorance of this innovation. “The Supreme Court has created precedent that will start haunting us. That was what happened in Ibori’s case when it was ruled that the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court is no longer one and so you have to prosecute an accused person at the place where the offence was committed. “The law cannot develop when you look at the face of counsel or parties and change the law.” In condemning the stay of proceedings granted by the Supreme Court, Ugwumadu said the order had defeated the main essence of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which was enacted to ensure speedy administration of criminal justice system. The lawyer added, “By far more than what the extant provisions of the ACJ Act provide, it is also the background to the whole shenanigans. “For me, the provisions of sections 306 and 369 of the ACJ Act are to fulfil the exigencies of section 1(1) of the ACJ Act. While section 306 prohibits stay of proceedings, section 369 provides that all notices of preliminary objection shall be taken after the trial. If the tribunal (CCT) had been more fastidious with the provisions of the law, all these would not have happened. “If the ruling class or the political class has found a way of protecting or shielding themselves from criminal prosecution, we are going to situate the fight against corruption in the struggle of the people’s court.” Another lawyer and activist, Mr. Femi Aborisade, also admitted that the ACJ Act had abolished granting of a stay of proceedings in criminal trial, adding that the ruling of the Supreme Court in Saraki’s case, appeared to have flouted the provision of the new law. Aborisade, however, said the Supreme Court could also be right since Saraki, through his lawyers, was challenging the applicability of the ACJ Act to the CCT’s proceedings in his appeal before the Supreme Court. He said, “Strictly speaking, under section 306 of the ACJ Act, application for stay of proceedings in criminal matters shall not be entertained. The ruling of the Supreme Court, allowing a stay in Mr. Saraki trial, appears to be contrary to the provision of Section 306. To this extent, it is clearly in error. “However, if the application for a stay at the Supreme Court is on the issue of jurisdiction, the ruling of the Supreme Court will be in order. It is a trite principle of law that a challenge to jurisdiction can be raised at any time, even for the first time on appeal. “It should be noted that Section 396 of the ACJ Act does not provide that challenge to issues of jurisdiction shall be considered along with the substantive issues.” Falana’s article, condemning the stay of proceedings granted in the Saraki’s trial by the Supreme Court had read in part, “It is unfathomable that the Supreme Court decided to return the country to the status quo ante in a rather brazen and bizarre manner. Given the ouster clause contained in section 306 of the AJCA, the Code of Conduct Tribunal ought not to have delivered its ruling in respect of the preliminary objections filed by Dr. Saraki.’’ http://punchng.com/sagay-solanke-others-fault-scourt-over-sarakis-case/
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| Politics › Illegality Of Stay Of Proceedings In Saraki's Corruption Trial By Femi Falana by LocalChamp(op): 5:24pm On Nov 15, 2015*. Modified: 1:39am On Nov 16, 2015 |
BY FEMI FALANA NOV 15, 2015 On May 13, 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan signed the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill into law. Both chambers of the national assembly had passed the bill to modernise our criminal justice system. In particular, the law has abolished stay of proceedings and interlocutory appeals by merging all preliminary objections with the substantive case in any criminal case instituted in a federal court in the country. The revolutionary intervention of the law was occasioned by the unending trial of politically exposed persons in corruption cases. In fact, the last straw that broke the carmel's back was the case of Mohammed Abacha v FRN, which had been stalled for 12 years on account of the preliminary objections raised and argued from the high court to the apex court by the defense counsel, Mr. J. B. Daudu SAN. At the end of the "Israelite's journey," the Supreme Court ordered that the trial be commenced de novo at the federal capital territory high court. Having been completely frustrated in the circumstance, the federal government was compelled to discontinue Mr. Abacha's corruption charge involving the theft of N664 billion under the pretext that the case would be "amicably" resolved! Before then, the Lagos State government had been forced to abolish stay of proceedings in criminal trials following the prosecution of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha over the murder of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola. The trial had lasted 13 years on account of several preliminary objections and interlocutory appeals that were pursued from the High Court to the Supreme Court. Contrary to the misleading view of many senior lawyers that the abolition of stay of proceedings in criminal trials is illegal it has been judicially decided that statutes that oust the jurisdiction of courts to stay proceedings are constitutionally valid. In FRN v Nwude (2006) 2 EFCCLR 149 at 161 it was held by Justice Oyewole J. (as he then was) that section 40 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Act, 2004 which abolished stay of proceedings is not an infraction of the powers of the court. According to his lordship,"inherent powers of the court only come into play in the absence of express statutory provisions and the court then fills in the gap by invoking its inherent powers to do justice in a given case....the intention of the legislature in this instance is to remove impediments in the way of the administration of justice." Similarly, in Ajiboye v FRN (2013) 17 WRN 127 at 145 the Court of Appeal (per Justice Ogbuniya JCA) struck out the application for stay of proceedings on the ground that it was incompetent "in the face of the sacrosanct prescription of section 40 of the Act which clearly ousted the jurisdiction of the court over it." It is trite in law that jurisdiction oxygenates all proceedings in our courts. Accordingly, the exercise of judicial powers by any court without jurisdiction is bound to end in a nullity, regardless of the industry invested in it. With the enactment of the AJCA, the suspension of criminal cases by all accused persons has been effectively stopped in Nigeria. Therefore, any judge who orders a stay of proceedings in any criminal trial does so illegally and is liable to be sanctioned by the National Judicial Council. It is unfathomable that the Supreme Court decided to return the country to the status quo ante in a rather brazen and bizarre manner. Given the ouster clause contained in section 306 of the AJCA, the Code of Conduct Tribunal ought not to have delivered its ruling in respect of the preliminary objections filed by Dr. Saraki. The ruling should have been read together with the judgment after the conclusion of the trial. It was the premature ruling of the Tribunal which led to the filing of an interlocutory appeal in the matter. Instead of declining jurisdiction to entertain the interlocutory appeal that has been abolished by the AJCA, the Court of Appeal ordered a suspension of the trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal to await its decision. Although the Court of Appeal eventually dismissed the appeal the trial of the substantive case at the Code of Conduct Tribunal has been further halted by the Supreme Court which has granted another stay of proceedings pending the hearing of the interlocutory appeal filed before it by the accused person. However, it is sad to note that in granting the order of stay of proceedings in the case the apex court ignored the provisions of sections 306 and 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. It was not a case of oversight or lack of knowledge of the existence of the AJCA on the part of the Court, but a deliberate judicial decision to turn back the hand of the clock in the ongoing battle against corruption and impunity in the land. Curiously, some senior lawyers have endorsed the blatant violation of the law in the matter. I am disturbed that a progressive lawyer like Emeka Ngige SAN was reported to have justified the illegality of the order of stay of proceedings. No doubt, the prosecution and the defence counsel who are Senior Advocates of Nigeria cannot be exonerated in the mockery of the criminal justice system. By arguing preliminary objections that have been merged with the substantive case the senior counsel involved in the diversionary legal rigmarole overlooked the relevant provisions of the AJCA. Similarly, the members of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and the Justices of the Appeal Court did not advert their minds to the combined effect of sections 306 and 396 of the AJCA. In any case, one had expected the learned Justices of the Supreme Court to correct the litany of legal errors committed at the lower courts. But the errors were endorsed as the apex court decided to halt the trial without any legal justification whatsoever. The counsel to the federal government, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs SAN was even boxed to a corner by the Court to the extent that he had to undertake not to proceed with the trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal pending the determination of the interlocutory appeal! As a creation of the law, the Supreme Court is bound by the law. So are the Justices of the Court. In Joseph Amashoma v The State (2011) 14 NWLR (pt 1268) 530, the Honourable Justice John Fabiyi held that "The appellant's counsel should be reminded of the doctrine of Separation of Powers as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. The Legislature is to enact law while it is the duty of the Judiciary to interpret the law as enacted....There is no escape route." In the instant case, there was no escape route. Yet, the Supreme Court discountenanced the tenet of separation of powers by the deliberate refusal to limit itself to the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the AJCA. As the inherent powers of a Court cannot be invoked to supersede the extant provisions of a valid and subsisting legislation the Supreme Court ought to be challenged to justify the purported annulment of the clear and unambiguous provisions of the AJCA. With profound respect to the revered members of the panel of the Court the order of stay of proceedings granted by them last week flies in the face of section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 which provides that "An application for stay of proceedings in respect of a criminal matter before the court shall not be entertained." Indeed, ex abundanti cautela, section 396 thereof further provides that all preliminary objections "shall be considered along with the substantive issues and a ruling shall thereon be made at the time of the delivery of judgment." Apart from abolishing stay of proceedings the AJCA has effectively banned interlocutory appeals in criminal trials. Therefore, the controversial ruling of the Supreme Court should not be allowed to stand because of its far-reaching implications and negative impact on the administration of criminal justice in the country. Since the ruling is binding on all other courts in line with the hallowed principle of stare decisis the Supreme Court should take advantage of the substantive appeal in the Saraki's case to review its position with a view to confirming the abolition of stay of proceedings by section 306 of the AJCA. This clarification should be made, as soon as possible, in line with the letter and spirit of the AJCA. Otherwise, every accused person will continue to file interlocutory appeals and proceed to ask for a stay of proceedings pending the determination of such appeals. The application will have to be granted as the hands of either the trial court or the Court of Appeal would have been tied by the erroneous decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Saraki v FRN. The apex court is advised to distance itself from the antics of the influential agents of impunity in the legal profession who have resolved to frustrate the trial of corruption cases by filing cumbrous motions and frivolous preliminary objections designed to shield members of the ruling class from prosecution. Our judges should realize that the inglorious era of engaging in dilatory tactics in criminal trials by defence counsel has been consigned to the dustbin of history. Femi Falana SAN. http://saharareporters.com/2015/11/15/illegality-stay-proceedings-senate-president-sarakis-corruption-trial-femi-falana |
| Politics › Ekweremadu Blasts APC: 'APC Yet To Fulfill A Single Campaign Promise' by LocalChamp(op): 5:00pm On Nov 12, 2015 |
November 12, 2015 Sani Tukurhttp://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/193049-apc-yet-to-fulfill-a-single-campaign-promise-ekweremadu.html 94 Likes 3 Shares |
| Politics › Controversy As DESOPADEC MD Bankrolls Ibori's Newspaper And Western Delta Uni. by LocalChamp(op): 8:04pm On Nov 11, 2015 |
BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK NOV 11, 2015 A crisis rocked the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Commission (DESOPADEC) when the commission's chairman, Mr. Godwin Ebosa, and other members challenged the Managing Director (MD), Mr. William Makinde, an associate of former Delta State Governor James Ibori, over the diversion of N350 million to Mr. Ibori's newspaper, the Daily Independent. The Daily Independent was recently shut down for nonpayment of staff salaries. It will be recalled that in the wake of the controversial restructuring of the commission following its formal dissolution by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Mr. Ibori, in order to maintain his grip on the commission’s treasury, pressured Governor Okowa to appoint his associate Mr. William Makinde as the MD. Prior to becoming the MD of DESOPADEC, Mr. Makinde was the Director of Finance of Africa Independent Television (AIT) and a National Treasurer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The crisis follows the continued usage of the commission's budget to finance the Western Delta University, which is privately owned by Mr. Ibori, who is currently serving a jail term in the United Kingdom for money laundering and other financial crimes. A commissioner on the board, who wished to remain anonymous, informed SaharaReporters that the commission is very concerned with the leadership style of Mr. Makinde. "Yes, I can tell you there's a serious crisis brewing within the commission. We commissioners, the board chairman, and other appointees are at loggerheads with the MD regarding his corrupt leadership. Do you know that the MD, without consulting with anyone, unilaterally approved the payment of N350 million to Mr. Ibori’s newspaper, the Daily Independent which is almost moribund and cannot pay staff salaries,” the commissioner lamented. A top management staff in the Accounts Department of the commission also expressed concern with the current state of affairs. He explained to SaharaReporters that for the past eight years the commission has financed Mr. Ibori’s Western Delta University. "For the past eight years, a monthly allocation of N150 million has been released from the commission's N350 million security vote to Mr. Ibori’s Western Delta University for the payment of staff salaries and the cost of running the university. "Most of the buildings at the Western Delta University were donated to the school by DESOPADEC, and all of the projects are awarded and executed by Mr. Vincent Uduaghan, the current commissioner of transport. A former commissioner of the board, Mr. Henry Ofa, who was appointed by Mr. Ibori, pressed for the commission to back a project to grant Western Delta University an operational license from the National University Commission (NUC). "The question now is why are we funding a private university with the peoples’ money meant for the development of their areas? Is DESOPADEC created for the intervention of privately owned businesses or for the intervention on behalf of the people in the oil bearing communities who are suffering?” When contacted, Mr. Henry Ofa confirmed that DESOPADEC executed several projects in the Western Delta University, adding that the commission as an interventionist body cannot be questioned on how and where projects are sited because it has the rights and obligations to execute projects for the betterment of the people. http://saharareporters.com/2015/11/11/controversy-erupts-desopadec-md-bankrolls-iboris-newspaper-and-western-delta-university |
| Politics › How The Igbinedions Looted Edo – Oshiomhole by LocalChamp(op): 7:11pm On Nov 11, 2015 |
Posted By: Osagie Otabor, Benin on: November 11, 2015 Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Wednesday said the people of the state will stone Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and his son – Lucky if they realize how the state resources was converted to their personal use. Lucky was a governor in the state between 1999 and 2007 and a seeming cordial relations between the ex-governor and Oshiomhole has turned sour. Oshiomhole spoke while addressing youths who protested to the state government on Wednesday. He told the mammoth crowd why Chief Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin kingdom, is not happy with his administration. The governor explained that one of the reasons was because he revoked the reclamation of 200,000 hectares of land in Ovia North East given to Chief Igbinedion by his son, Lucky when he was governor of the state. Other reasons were the N180million demanded from Chief Igbinedion for the six years usage of the Central Hospital facilities by medical students of the Igbinedion University and the $31million illegally withdrawn from the state government coffers to set up a cement factory. The governor said he also stopped students of Igbinedion School of Nursing from using the Stella Obasanjo Hospital without payment for many years. He said Lucky gave the 200,000 hectares to his father for mechanized farming, but his father later gave them in piece to cocoa farmers who in turn paid royalties to Chief Igbinedion. http://thenationonlineng.net/how-the-igbinedions-looted-edo-oshiomhole/ |
| Politics › A List Of Stalled High Profile Corruption Cases - Odili, Oduah, Dariye, Adamu... by LocalChamp(op): 6:19pm On Nov 10, 2015*. Modified: 6:43pm On Nov 10, 2015 |
Long, bumpy road to justice Posted By: JOSEPH JIBUEZE Cases stalled by interlocutory appeals Not a few high-profile cases have been stalled by injunctions and interlocutory appeals arising from them. They all follow a similar pattern. Defence lawyers twist the legal process to the advantage of their clients. After a charge has been filed, they (lawyers) file applications challenging the charge for reasons, ranging from the charge not being properly filed; being outside where an alleged crime occurred; being brought under a wrong law, among others. Even in situations where the judge dismisses such objection, the defendant proceeds on appeals and once an appeal is filed, the defendant will ask for a stay of further proceedings pending the outcome of the appeal. To exhaust the complete remedy in a case from trial court to the Supreme Court could take over 10 years, when the original litigants could have been dead and substituted. And in some cases, the substitutes could also have died and substituted. The process of interlocutory appeals aggravates the situation to the extent that by the time the Supreme Court decides that the case be continued at the lower court, most of the witnesses might have died or documents no longer traceable. The Odili case The case of former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, stands out because unlike others, he was never arraigned. In March 2007, he obtained a remarkable Federal High Court injunction restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating his tenure. Soon after he left office, he secured a “perpetual injunction” that permanently restrained the EFCC from “arresting, detaining and arraigning Odili on the basis of his tenure as governor.” Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, who made the order, added that the EFCC had no power to “in any manner, howsoever, investigate the account or financial affairs of a state government”. In March 2008, “for the avoidance of doubt”, Justice Buba issued an order that the EFCC could not “arrest, detain, arraign and/or prosecute (Odili) on the basis of its alleged investigations into the affairs of Rivers State” during Odili’s tenure. The judge declared that the “purported findings” of the EFCC’s investigations were “invalid, unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void.” Perhaps, more baffling is why the EFCC has not contested the ruling till date. It was learnt that an EFCC official claimed that through some unexplained error, the commission was never even aware that the 2008 injunction had been issued until the time to appeal it had expired. “These professions of total ignorance are hard to fathom, considering that this was one of the EFCC’s most important cases,” a source said. The Oduah case There is also the case of former Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah. Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court in Lagos had, on August 26, restrained anti-graft agencies, including the EFCC, from questioning or arresting Mrs. Oduah, over the purchase of two bulletproof vehicles until her suit is determined. According to her, unless the court intervened, “the APC (All Progressive Congress) will unleash repression against her and others and this may cause the country to recede to a one-party state, with gross adverse effects and irreparable damage to our nascent democracy.” The bulletproof vehicles, acquired under her watch by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), were said to have cost N255 million, an amount that sparked public outcry. But the judge stopped the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) from inviting the former minister for interrogation. The EFCC, it was learnt, did not file any application to discharge the restraining order within the time allowed to do so. Justice Yunusa adjourned till November 16 for hearing of her suit. Joshua Dariye In September 2004, British authorities in London arrested ome-time Plateau State Governor Joshua Dariye on allegations of money laundering and seized about £90,000 in cash from him. Dariye allegedly skipped bail and returned to Nigeria to resume office. An English court sentenced Dariye’s associate to three years in prison in April 2007, for laundering more than £1.4 million of public funds found to have allegedly been stolen by the governor. At the expiration of Dariye’s tenure, the EFCC charged him with 14 counts of money laundering. But more than seven years after he left office, the case is still pending. The frustration by the EFCC to prosecute him is a perfect case study of the court’s ability to generate delays so extreme that they are almost a form of impunity. Soon after he was charged, the Federal High Court granted him bail, and his lawyers subsequently filed a motion asking that all of the charges against him be dismissed. When the motion was denied, Dariye appealed and the lower court had no choice but to halt proceedings until the former governor’s appeal could be heard. The Court of Appeal eventually ruled against Dariye in June 2010. Just as trial was about to resume in January 2011, Dariye appealed to the Supreme Court and in April 2011, Dariye contested and won election into the Senate. Abdullahi Adamu Abdullahi Adamu, now a senator for the second term, was a former governor of Nasarawa State. He was in the saddle between 1999 and 2007. He became a senator four years after leaving office. In February, 2010, Adamu was arrested by the EFCC for alleged embezzlement of public funds. On March 3 of the same year, he was arraigned alongside 18 others on a 149-count charge of fraud involving over N15 billion, but the case is said to have been stalled due to an interlocutory appeal. Adamu’s case suffered delay right from the beginning with the transfer of the presiding judge of Federal High Court, Asaba Division, Justice Marcel Awokuleyin disqualified himself from the case citing personal reasons Danjuma Goje Former Gombe State Governor, Senator Danjuma Goje and four others, were first arraigned in court on October 17, 2011 on alleged conspiracy, fraud and money laundering charges. He allegedly embezzled N52 billion public funds. The case is still pending. Bukola Saraki Prior to his current charge by the CCB, Senator Saraki had been a subject of investigations by the Special Fraud Unit of the Police, following allegations of a loans scam preferred against him. The loans were allegedly secured by Saraki between 2004 and 2009 when he was the governor of Kwara State. Saraki had sued the Inspector-General of Police. In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/231/, he sought to restrain the SFU from investigating an allegation of N9 billion fraud, leveled against him. He subsequently filed a fresh suit seeking to stop the police from prosecuting him, which reportedly, is still pending. Orji Uzor Kalu Abia State’s former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu was one of those swooped on by the EFCC immediately after he left office in 2007. On July 27, 2007, Kalu was arraigned before an Abuja High Court on a 107-count charge of money laundering, official corruption and criminal diversion of public funds in excess of N5 billion. The agency accused Kalu of diverting billions of naira belonging to the Abia State government to Slok Airlines. Kalu pleaded not guilty to the charges. An interlocutory appeal is said to have stalled the case. Some socio-political groups in Abia State, including NdiAbia League, Abia Youths Consultative Forum and Abia Peoples Congress – jointly petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to order the anti-graft agency to expedite action on Kalu’s case and bring his prosecution to its logical conclusion. “It is shocking that the trial of Kalu by the EFCC is still on eight years after he left office. Abians are disturbed by this ugly development. It s inexplicable why EFCC has gone to sleep, leaving the case hanging for eight years now. We hope the EFCC has not been compromised on the matter as it is being insinuated in some quarters,” the groups said. Jolly Nyame In July 2007, former Taraba State Governor Rev Jolly Nyame was arraigned on a 41-court charge. He was alleged to have embezzled N1.3 billion. Trial commenced in his case, but it is still pending. Saminu Turaki Former Jigawa State Governor Saminu Turaki was docked on a 32-count charge on allegations that he stole about N36 billion from the treasury over an eight- year period. He was granted bail in the sum of N100 million on July 27, 2007 by Justice Binta Muritala Nyako. The case was reportedly transferred to his home state and is said to be pending at a Federal High Court in Jigawa. Boni Haruna A former Adamawa governor Boni Haruna was arraigned before a Federal High court sitting in Abuja on an amended 28-count charge of embezzling the sum of N16m. The case is still pending. Gbenga Daniel In September 2013, Tunde Oladunjoye, a principal prosecution witness in the trial of former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, withdrew from testifying in the case; accusing the prosecutor of improper handling of the trial. Daniel was charged by the EFCC with mismanaging state funds while he was governor in the Gateway State between 2003 and 2011. The commission docked him at the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta, on a 38-count charge of fraudulent conversion of land, failure to declare assets, stealing and corruptly acquiring properties. Farouk Lawan A former Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Farouk Lawan and its Secretary Boniface Emenalo, were charged with collecting $620,000 as bribe from oil magnate Femi Otedola. It was in order to remove the name of his company from those indicted by the committee which probed monumental oil subsidy fraud and uncovered a defrauding of the country. They were arraigned on February 1, 2013 at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gudu, Abuja. Their trial started under Justice Mudasiru Oniyangi. As progress was being made, the judge was elevated to the Court of Appeal. After the loss of several months, the case was re-assigned to a new judge, Justice Adebukola Banjoko on June 11. On November 18, Justice Banjoko surprised a packed courtroom when she announced that she was withdrawing from the trial and would no longer adjudicate the case. The case was to be re-assigned to a new judge and it is still pending. Ndudi Elumelu A former Chairman of House Committee on Power, Ndudi Elumelu, sought to stop his trial until the EFCC showed him a copy of the proof of evidence it intended to use in prosecuting him. Elumelu and 29 others were charged by the EFCC before the Abuja Federal High Court over allegation of defrauding the Federal Government of N5.2 billion earmarked for rural electricity projects. Twenty-one of the accused persons were corporate persons. Ayo Fayose Shortly after his impeachment in 2006 as Ekiti State governor, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, was charged over allegations of financial misappropriation under his watch between 2003 and 2006. He escaped arrest by EFCC operatives who laid a siege while he was featuring on a live programme in the studio of an Abuja-based television. Contrary to reports, the EFCC said it has not dropped the charges against Fayose, who contested and won the governorship election almost a year ago. The case, the anti-graft agency said, will resume after the governor’s tour of duty. Immediately after he picked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket, the E-11 group and others challenged Fayose’s eligibility to contest the election. In a determined bid to stop the case from being heard, thugs disrupted proceedings and physically assaulted a High Court Judge to ensure the case was never heard. The first attack occurred on September 22, 2014 when thugs invaded the Ekiti State judiciary headquarters where Justice Isaac Ogunyemi was to deliver a ruling on the case. The thugs beat up workers and the presiding judge and lawyers had to run for dear lives. They smashed windows and furniture. In the words of the Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, “the policemen and other law enforcement agents deployed within and without the premises in large numbers were looking on completely uninterested and unconcerned while these thugs were on the prowl beating and maiming workers and court users.” On September 25, thousands of people believed to political thugs stormed the High Court premises, beating and maiming the staff. Unconfirmed sources said the Presidency directed the military and the police to ensure that the courts remain sealed until after Fayose’s inauguration as governor on October 16. Soldiers, armed to the teeth barricaded the court premises with Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), as from October 7, turning back judges, lawyers and litigants on the basis of an alleged “bomb” threat. On October 13, the NJC directed Justice Daramola to make a formal announcement to reopen the courts. He did on October 14, after two weeks of forced closure, even as workers stayed off. Two days later, Justice Daramola swore in Fayose as governor. James Ibori After the acquittal of former Delta State Governor James Ibori by Justice Marcelleous Awokulehin on a 170-count charge of sundry allegations including financial misappropriation and money laundering, a Court of Appeal, sitting in Benin, the Edo State capital upturned the ruling. It was in an appeal against the lower court by the EFCC. Ibori fled to the Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE) after the reversal of the lower court verdict and the pressing of fresh charges against him by the anti-graft agency. It was at the UAE that Ibori was arrested by INTERPOL and extradited to the United Kingdom (UK) for trial over the same offences for which he had been discharged and acqitted in Nigeria. The former governor was found guilty as charged and was jailed 13 years by a UK court. The way forward A senior lawyer, who also prosecutes for the EFCC, said: “The EFCC should tell Nigerians why these cases and others have not been concluded. While the courts are to blame for delays, there is more to their non-conclusion than meets the eye. It will take a Buhari administration to deal with corruption in all honesty. I will urge the President to order an investigation into why these cases and others have been pending for nearly 10 years.” http://thenationonlineng.net/long-bumpy-road-to-justice/ |
| Politics › Bukola Saraki On Shopping Spree To Buy Judges….. by LocalChamp(op): 2:03pm On Nov 09, 2015 |
Bukola Saraki On Shopping Spree To Buy Judges... Stop Being A Clown And A Coward, Man Up, Face The Music! Society must protect the robbed from the robber. - Martin Luther King Jr. By Bayo Oluwasanmi NOV 09, 2015 Consider this: What would happen if hundreds of thousands of Nigerians charged with crimes refused to go to trial and insisted that their fundamental rights were violated and that the court or a legally constituted tribunal has no jurisdiction to try them? We might as well delete criminal justice from our constitution and declare Nigeria the Federal Republic of Beasts and Bastards. For the umpteenth time, the corruption and false declaration of assets lawsuit against Bukola Saraki has been postponed till November 19 by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). But the drama in the case continues. Within two days the case was adjourned, Saraki went back on shopping spree to Federal High Courts in Lagos and Abuja respectively looking for judges to buy. SaharaReporters didn't waste time to preempt the Lagos Federal High Court Judge Ibrahim Buba from ruling in favor of Saraki. Buba had no choice but to throw the case out. The Abuja Federal High Court judge and Saraki are still haggling over the price of justice at the time this column was penned. The sad saga of Saraki trying to flee from justice is a unique case study of Nigeria's criminal justice system and indeed the judiciary marked by spiritual, moral, political, and social chaos. Here is Saraki the chief lawmaker better still, lawbreaker, who is afraid to put into practice what he was elected to do by going to trial to prove his innocence. One would have expected Saraki to grab the opportunity to contend – enter into litigation, answer – testify in court, reason – argue his case. Saraki is caught in the horns of a dilemma. Saraki is like a blind man in a dark room searching for a black cat that isn't there – and finding it! His case has become what George Bernard Shaw compared to average conversation to a “phonograph with half-a-dozen records – you soon get tired of them all.” All through his trial, Saraki has not been sensible, nor was he being respectful. He has been treating Nigerians like dumb cattle. Saraki has been irritating, displaying anger instead of humility. Are we supposed to rearrange the whole judicial apparatus in order to set Saraki free? Can all the judges of the land be bought by Saraki? When will the mockery of our judicial system end? The more Saraki tries to run from justice, the more he gets into trouble. The more efforts he makes to escape justice only serve to lead him into it. Saraki is behaving like a clown sitting in the back of the classroom being warned explicitly that he might fail to pass to the next grade. As a clown, he's a colossal jester, spectacular and shocking, heinous and disgusting, epic and a monumental fool. Saraki, with his horde of Brotherhood of Thieves, the spectacularly incompetent legal team suffering from borderline intellectual functioning put together, is a combustible mix of the most depraved half-wits, scam artists, and asylum Napoleons Nigeria has ever witnessed. Saraki's grasping panic, impossible childish demands, and a blind psychotic thirst to escape justice should be halted NOW. And like an act of bullying, Saraki's action is fundamentally an act of cowardice. It's impossible for Saraki as a weakling, coward, and liar to win his corruption case. Saraki failed to realize that public opinion is not on his side. Contrary to his propaganda that he's been “persecuted by APC enemies,” Saraki is put on trial by the Nigerian people. Where there is smoke, fire is never far away. His antics are actually a display of guilt and cringing cowardice. Time for Saraki to stop being a clown and a coward, man up and face the music! By running from court to court, Saraki feels like a trapped animal. He feels like an animal in court because Nigerians have wronged him. He seems to be asking: “What have I done to you people? Though I called for help, but there is no justice.” He believes he's been fenced in, blocked in his path by Nigerians and he cannot move. He believes he's being dethroned, his royal robes and crown taken away. He believes Nigerians have stripped him of all the honor and authority of a Senate President hence he cries out loud: “What humiliation?” But Saraki forgets the higher the wicked man climbs in his success, the farther down he will fall when his judgment comes. Saraki has succeeded by bringing the judicial system into one of its lowest points in our history by setting a record of division, apostasy, and national disgrace. Saraki is an epitome of all that is wrong with the National Assembly: moral decay. His great moral collapse mirrors the condition of the Nigeria nation so corrupt and degraded. In today's Nigeria, even shocking brutality, immorality, greed, corruption, no longer cause the people to blush. Professor Itsay Sagay are you there? How far with the presidential task to reform laws on corruption? Any progress to report about the corruption courts to be set up? Can you hear me now? How long shall we be an ally in the Saraki macabre dance? Can't we send the corrupt enemy judges in the likes of Okon Abang, Ekanem, Adeniyi Ademola, Ibrahim Buba, Ibrahim Auta, Mary Odili, and others packing today? We recoiled in horror as we watch Saraki's prosecution becoming a farce. His determination to buy off his trial has fanned the flames of outrage from Nigerian people. The criminal justice system must get rid of Saraki immediately so we can move this prostrated nation forward. Meanwhile, Saraki heads to the Supreme Court in his endless crave to purchase justice while the nation's justice temperature grows steadily colder. The nation is watching and waiting. http://saharareporters.com/2015/11/09/bukola-saraki-shopping-spree-buy-judges-stop-being-clown-and-coward-man-face-music-bayo 1 Like
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| Politics › Saraki : Code of Conduct Tribunal Judge Danladi Umar Seeks Extra Security by LocalChamp(op): 7:02pm On Nov 07, 2015 |
Posted By: Yusuf Allion: November 07, 2015 The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Mr. Danladi Umar, has written to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, to beef up the security around him. The request was said to be sequel to the increasing number of sensitive cases involving politically exposed persons before the tribunal. It was learnt that the application of Umar may be referred to both the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies for necessary action. More cases involving some former governors and ministers were being awaited in CCT at the time of filing this report. Investigation conducted by our correspondent indicated that the CCT judge sent a copy of the letter to the Department of State Security Service (DSS) It was gathered that Umar wrote the letter during the week as part of steps to overhaul his security apparatchik. Although it was not obvious that the life of the judge was under threat, it was gathered that his mobile lines had come under intense pressure, leading to call restrictions. The judge was also said to have restricted his movement to his office and home in order to stave off influence. A reliable source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “The CCT judge has asked for security beef up in CCT, Umar’s office, home and around his family. “The application has been submitted to the CJN for necessary contact with appropriate security agencies. “I think the letter was just a pre-emptive step to guarantee adequate security for the judge in view of the increasing number of sensitive matters at the tribunal. Responding to a question, the source said: “There is no threat to the tribunal so far, but Umar felt he needed more protection.” At press time, it was gathered that the DSS had been served a copy of Umar’s letter. “Security agencies will debrief Umar on what he wants before taking action. What is certain is that there will be enhanced protection for him. “The state will not ignore the request from the CCT chairman.” Meanwhile, there were indications yesterday that more former governors and ministers will be arraigned before the CCT any moment from now. Although the actual number of those on trial list could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report, a reliable source confirmed that “a sizable number of former office holders who refused, padded or hid their assets will be arraigned soon. “The Code of Conduct Bureau has gone far in recommending these former office holders for trial and the signing of the necessary warrant is being awaited. “As soon as the warrant is signed, we will release the names of those affected. But we do not want to prejudice the ongoing process.” The constitution says: “Subject to the provision of this Constitution, every public officer shall within three months after the coming into force of this Code of Conduct or immediately after taking office and thereafter (a) at the end of every four years; and (b) at the end of his term of office, submit to the Code of Conduct Bureau a written declaration of all his properties, assets, and liabilities and those of his unmarried children under the age of eighteen years. “The Bureau shall have power to receive declaration by public officers made under paragraph 12 of part 1 of the Fifth Schedule to this Constitution. “Examine the declarations in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct or any law. “Retain custody of such declarations and make them available for inspection by any citizen of Nigeria on such terms and conditions as the National Assembly may prescribe. “Ensure compliance with and, where appropriate, enforce the provisions of the Code of Conduct or any law relating thereto. “Any statement in such declaration that is found to be false by any authority or person authorized in that behalf to verify it shall be deemed to be a breach of this Code. “Any property or assets acquired by a public officer after any declaration required under this Constitution and which is not fairly attributable to income, gift, or loan approved by this Code shall be deemed to have been acquired in breach of this Code unless the contrary is proved.” “Receive complaints about non-compliance with or breach of the Provisions of the Code of Conduct or any law in relation thereto. Investigate the complaint and, where appropriate, refer such matters to the Code of Conduct Tribunal.” http://thenationonlineng.net/conduct-tribunal-judge-seeks-extra-security/ |
| Politics › Saraki, With Help From Kashamu’s Lawyer, Re-files Lawsuit Thrown Out In Lagos by LocalChamp(op): 1:59pm On Nov 07, 2015 |
BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK NOV 07, 2015 Senate President Bukola Saraki, represented by Ajibola Oluyede, who secured relief from extradition for suspected drug kingpin Buruji Kashamu, has re-filed a case that was thrown out earlier today by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos. Justice Buba, who has a reputation for granting spurious injunctions to politically prominent persons, had struck out Mr. Saraki’s earlier case, ruling that the senator’s lawyers had not been able to prove that his rights would be violated in the jurisdiction of Lagos considering that Mr. Saraki neither lives nor works in Lagos. Mr. Saraki’s attorneys had filed the fundamental rights enforcement lawsuit, claiming that his trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal was a violation of his rights. The lawsuit named the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the Inspector General of Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the Attorney General of the Federation as defendants, adding that the senator was being persecuted by highly connected persons. Shortly after Justice Buba dismissed the case today, Mr. Saraki re-filed the same case at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Representing him is Mr. Oluyede, a lawyer described by judicial sources as extremely close to the Chief Judge of the Federation, Ibrahim Auta, and Justice Ibrahim Buba, whom he recently praised glowingly as a “fearless judge” who is not afraid to give controversial orders. As the lawyer for Buruji Kashamu, sought in the US to face a drug-smuggling charge, Ajibola Oluyede got his client off the hook when the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) sought to arrest and extradite him to the US last June. Mr. Oluyede first persuaded Justice Buba in Lagos to restrain the NDLEA from arresting Mr. Kashamu and then got another judge, Okon Abang, to nullify the extradition process. Mr. Kashamu, whose election as a senator in Ogun State was last month overturned by an election tribunal, remains free. One judicial source in Abuja told SaharaReporters that Saraki’s chief lawyer, Mr. Oluyede, “is the kind of lawyer who will shop in Abuja for a judge to do Senator Saraki’s bidding.” The source added that Mr. Oluyede could have procured an order from Justice Buba prohibiting the Code of Conduct Tribunal from continuing its trial of Senator Saraki if SaharaReporters had not exposed that the deal was afoot. http://saharareporters.com/2015/11/07/senate-president-saraki-help-kashamu’s-lawyer-re-files-lawsuit-thrown-out-lagos
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| Politics › NBA To Probe Saraki’s Lawyers Over Walkout At Code Of Conduct Tribunal by LocalChamp(op): 9:25pm On Nov 06, 2015 |
NBA to probe Saraki’s lawyers over walkout at Code of Conduct Tribunal November 6, 2015 Premium Times The Nigerian Bar Association has said it would investigate the action of the senior counsel who represented the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Thursday. The NBA General Secretary, Afam Osigwe, said on Friday in Abuja that the association would undertake the investigation to ascertain facts of what transpired at the tribunal before taking a position. “We got different accounts in the media and would need the correct details to allow the NBA to react from an informed position. “From the accounts we got through the media some said the lawyers walked out while others said they withdrew. “So, due to the inconsistent choice of words, we cannot speak on the matter until we get the full and accurate details,’’ he said. The lawyers, Mahmud Magaji and Ahmed Raji, had withdrawn their services as lawyers representing Mr. Saraki at his trial on allegation of false asset declaration before the tribunal. They had also staged a walk out with the junior lawyers who appeared with them before the tribunal concluded the case. The lawyers openly announced their withdrawal following their perceived dissatisfaction with the ruling of the tribunal on their application for stay of proceedings. They said that they were displeased with the decision of the tribunal refusing the application to stay proceeding in the trial pending the determination of an appeal they filed before the Supreme Court. Specifically, Mr. Magaji had said: “This is a judicial rascality and I cannot be part of this process. I therefore withdraw my representation as the respondent’s counsel.’’ Speaking in same vein, Mr. Raji said: “We have pending application before the supreme court. “I believe that in the hierarchy of court we have the tail and the head and the tail cannot dictate for the head as we have seen here. “I also withdraw my services as lawyer to the respondent.” [b]Meanwhile, a cross section of lawyers in Abuja condemned the “walkout” by the senior counsel, describing it as a “disgrace to the bar’’. Some of the lawyers said the action of the lawyers was unethical, while some blamed the judge for not taking appropriate action to charge them for contempt. Nnanna Oketa said young lawyers were highly disappointed with the conduct of the senior advocates, adding that the action was more political than judicial. “The truth is that what transpired yesterday at the Code of Conduct Tribunal is to say the least degrading of our profession; it was terrible and should not be associated with lawyers. “Lawyers are expected to conduct themselves appropriately with the highest level of decorum when they are in court. That is not how we are trained and we hope that does not happen again. “The truth is that, if your prayer is not granted by the court, there is a window of appeal if you are not comfortable with the ruling of the court,’’ he said. Mr. Oketa stressed that lawyers and citizens alike must be properly guided by the rules of court in their conduct before the court and a judge. Another legal practitioner, Anthony Ekuma, said the action of the senior lawyers was “most unruly’’. “What they have done is a violation of Section 30 of the Rules for Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2007 as amended. “With due respect to the learned seniors, they should know that notice of appeal does not constitute a stay in the hearing of a trial before a court,” he said. Mr. Ekuma also condemned the action of the tens of Senators who accompanied Mr. Saraki to the tribunal. The Senator had reportedly raised their voices in support of the lawyers when they walked out of court thereby disrupting the proceedings of the tribunal. “The law is in no respecter of anyone, no matter how highly placed therefore you are expected to conduct yourself orderly while in court. “There must be maintenance of decorum in the conduct of anybody in the court during proceedings no matter who the person is,’’ he said.[/b] Mr. Saraki, who is standing trial at the tribunal over allegations of false asset declaration, had appealed to the Supreme Court to stop the trial. The lawyers had applied to the tribunal to stay proceedings in the trial pending the decision of the apex court. The tribunal, presided over by Justice Danladi Umar, however, in its ruling upheld the argument of the prosecution that staying proceeding would hamper speedy trial. In his ruling, Mr. Umar relied on Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, which states that: “An application for stay of proceedings in respect of a criminal matter before the court shall not be entertained’’. Similarly, he said that Section 305 (1) of the Act allows the trial court to exercise its discretion on stay of proceeding if an issue on the interpretation of the constitution is raised before an appellate court. The section reads: “Where a question as to the interpretation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria arises in the course of trial and is referred to the Court of Appeal under the provisions of the constitution, the court before which the question arose may in its discretion: “(a) adjourn the trial until the question has been considered and decided “(b) conclude the trial and postpone the verdict until such time as the question has been considered and decided, or “(c) conclude the trial and pass sentence but suspend execution until such time as the question has been considered and decided, “And in any such case the court in its discretion shall commit the defendant or convict to prison or admit him to bail in accordance with the provision of Part 19 of this Act’’. (NAN) http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/192753-nba-to-probe-sarakis-lawyers-over-walkout-at-code-of-conduct-tribunal.html 1 Like
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| Politics › Nigerians And Their Love Of Titles by LocalChamp(op): 5:08pm On Nov 05, 2015 |
Nigerians and their love of titles By: Jide Osuntokunon: November 05, 2015 When the new Ooni arrived in a motorcade in Ife, an excited commentator on radio started calling him, His Imperial Majesty. And I told myself here we go again. What is wrong with calling him the title he has just acceded to as Kabiyesi Ooni of Ife, Oba Alaiyeluwa Adeleye Ogunwusi. Why dress him in borrowed robes of imperial majesty when there is no empire on which he will be ruling! Even the British crown that had an empire on which the sun never sets stopped referring to itself as imperial majesty. Sometimes we make ourselves the object of ridicule. Nowadays some chiefs ruling over villages are sometimes referred to as majesties or royal highnesses to the embarrassment of everybody. In the same vein, speakers of various houses of assembly and the National Assembly are referred to as Right Honourable. This a British title that refers to members of the British Crown’s Privy Council. This is a title conferred on prime ministers and would-be prime ministers in Great Britain. Here in Nigeria, an African country, we have appropriated these titles without knowing the import of it and reduce ourselves to miserable mimics of British parliamentary practice. We have gone to the ridiculous level of referring to people by their professional calling. Now it is not unheard of to hear somebody being referred to as Architect Lagbaja or Pharmacist Lakasegbe. There are so many of such ridiculous practices such as Engineer Jegede, Barrister Akinyemi and Accountant Olatunji and so on. The practice whereby a physician is addressed as Dr. Olawale is just to separate certain professionals working in one hospital from other allied medical workers. This simple device has now been copied and bastardized in Nigeria that we will soon have people’s names prefaced by their professional titles. We may have Bricklayer Johnson, Carpenter Dare or journalist Akaraogun. We even have a situation where the same person is prefaced by several titles such as General Senator Alhaji Usman or Alhaji Chief Dr. Ambassador Lamorin. All this smacks of vanity. A rose called by any other name will still be a rose. There is no need to acquire tittles without the temperament and dignity that go with them. Will it not be better if one comports himself in an exemplary way and as a result of this one is accorded respect than carrying about meaningless titles? I always laugh when I see a governor addressed as senator so and so. Is being addressed as governor not enough recognition? Of course we are not the only country where this social affectation exist. In Germany you can come across Professor Medical Dr. Ludwig or even Professor Historiker Fritz Fischer. Of course in the United States, you could have one addressed Secretary Clinton because one had previously served as Secretary of State. And once a senator, congressman or ambassador, you carry those titles to the grave. Since we do not have any tradition of our own, we sheepishly follow the practice. Our senators want to be addressed as Distinguished Senators. I was at the airport in Abuja sometimes ago and I heard one man shouting to the amazement of all of us – Distinguished Senator; distinguished senator! I almost told him keep his voice down and stop making a fool of himself. Several years ago, members of the National Assembly, because of the love of Estacode allowance used to come to the USA as soon as they were elected to ostensibly learn legislative practices and procedures. Those of us then living there were always embarrassed. I will never forget an incident involving a member of such a delegation coming out of his hotel room chewing a long chewing stick in the morning calling loudly on Honourable somebody on top of his voice waking up other lodgers who had no choice but to invite the police. Ask me whether this honourable or distinguished parliamentarian was not a disgrace to himself and his country. Things were so bad during the Shagari regime that Americans told us they were tired of the innumerable members of parliament coming to learn from them. This was because as soon as the federal MPs left, state MPs would troop in to learn from the Americans. One cynical American told a delegation that they should do something in their own country that Americans could learn from. I hope this gallivanting has stopped and that the country’s money is not being wasted on fruitless learning process. Unfortunately, this affectation for titles has spread to the spiritual realm. An owner of one small church calls himself not only Bishop but Archbishop. Some call themselves Cardinals mimicking the Roman Catholic Church. There are as many churches as there are titles. The bad eggs have given the house of God a bad name. A woman told his son living for a long time in the USA that she has just built a church on his father’s plot of land. When the young man asked his mother when she became a preacher, she shamelessly said she was not a pastor but she will give the church to a pastor and at the end of the month they would share the proceeds! In Nigeria anybody who goes to Mecca immediately goes around addressed as Al-haji or simply Hadji while their female counterparts are addressed as Hajia or Al-Haja. One then wonders how many Hadjis and Hadjias one will find in Saudi Arabia itself the home of the hajj. I am told Nigerians and other West Africans are the only ones who call themselves Hadji or Hadjia after the hajj. Their Christian counterparts would not be easily edged out of the competition. So we have people going around with JP attached to their names. When I first saw this, I innocently asked the person when he became a Justice of Peace. I could not understand our penchant for titles when I was told JP meant Jerusalem Pilgrim! The one that I find most annoying is the proliferation of academies. In France there is only one L’Academie Francais to which all distinguished scientists artists and academics of distinction belong. It is the same in the former Soviet Union and now Russia. In Nigeria there were two academies of Letters and the Sciences. But as everything Nigerian, we now have academies of Engineering, of Education, of Admnistration, Social Sciences and recently of Pharmacy as if all these could not be subsumed under the sciences and letters. We are not a serious people. You just do not wake up to set up an academy and begin to award fellowships. These are meaningless because to be fellows, you need to be associated with certain original contribution to knowledge or national life in your field. These mushroom academies can learn from the Academy of Letters to which belong giants in the field of literature, modern languages, history, philosophy, religion African languages and classics. There is no reason why scholars in politics, economics, mass communication and education cannot be admitted into the Academy of Letters. In the same vein, there is no need for academy of medicine, pharmacy, engineering when there is an academy of science. In fact legislation should force all these academies into Nigerian Academy. And as for our penchant with titles, musicians have rightly joined the game by calling themselves either names from academia or the church. Thus we used to have Cardinal Rex Lawson, a musician; or General Adekunle, another musician. There are several magicians calling themselves professors. I once met a Dr. Somebody who could not string words together to make a sentence. I later found out that there was one religious institute in Ikorodu or Otta near Lagos awarding doctorate degrees presumably to those who could afford the price. There is no level Nigerians will not descend to have a title. At the end of the day, water will find its own level. http://thenationonlineng.net/nigerians-and-their-love-of-titles/ 1 Like |
| Politics › Bukola Saraki Played Errand Boy To Buhari To Stall Corruption Trial by LocalChamp(op): 8:40pm On Nov 04, 2015 |
BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK NOV 04, 2015 Senate President Bukola Saraki this morning in Abuja, and on the eve of his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), filed an appeal at the Supreme Court asking for a stay of proceedings. Last week, the Court of Appeal had decided that Saraki should face trial, and that the CCT is a competent court for it. Saraki’s action today followed his strange move on Tuesday to appease President Muhammadu Buhari when he personally turned messenger to deliver the list of cleared Ministers to the presidency. Saraki’s move earlier today seemed to follow the conclusion from the meeting between both men that Buhari is not ready to commit to any extra-legal settlement of the issue. It would be recalled that in an interview with SaharaReporters in New York during the United Nations General Assembly, Buhari clearly stated that his trust in Saraki would only be determined by the outcome of his corruption trial. The Senate President appears to be hoping that his latest effort at the Supreme Court could lead to another prolonged adjournment of the case from tomorrow, as his lawyers would be pleading at the CCT to defer to the Supreme Court’s appeal. With the expected delay, Saraki would focus once more on a political solution or on infiltrating and compromising the judiciary as he’d tried to do since the commencement of his trial. One of his lawyers was heard bragging that they have finally found a way around the judges at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in a manner that would make the outcome of the trial hurt-less to Mr. Saraki’s political future. Saraki’s visit to Buhari on Tuesday was the third official contact with the President since Mr. Saraki became the President of the Senate. The delivery of the list of Ministers could have been done by the Presidential Liaison Officer but Saraki chose to take the list himself in what observers noted to be unprecedented in Nigeria’s democratic practice. The Senate President took advantage of the opportunity to have a 20-minute conversation with the President over what he told journalists were “other issues.” SaharaReporters could not confirm what was discussed by the two men. Nonetheless, we learnt that the visit was facilitated by some of the President’s kitchen cabinet members who are sympathetic to Saraki. The Director General of the Department of State Security hd been named as putting pressure on the CCT on Saraki’s behalf in our previous reporting. A source in the camp of the Senate President told our reporter that with such a high profile visit coming just two days to the commencement of his trial at the CCT, Mr. Saraki had calculated on sending a message to judicial officers, with whom he has been in talks, that the President’s body language is not opposed to ending the trial. That judgement seemed to have been a grievous error, leading to the decision to approach the Supreme Court as his options run out. http://saharareporters.com/2015/11/04/senate-president-bukola-saraki-played-errand-boy-buhari-stall-corruption-trial
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| Politics › Nigerian Senate - The Brotherhood Of Thieves by LocalChamp(op): 8:55pm On Nov 02, 2015*. Modified: 11:04pm On Nov 02, 2015 |
The Brotherhood Of Thieves Ready For Another Circus Show BY BAYO OLUWASANMI NOV 02, 2015 Last week, the Appeal Court in Abuja ruled that the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) is in order and should proceed. Saraki is scheduled for November 5 and 6 at the CCT. Saraki's trial will be remembered for delays, postponements, adjournments, interruptions, non sequiturs, mangled facts, and general chaos. A successful prosecution and conviction of Saraki in accordance to the law of the land will prove to the Nigerian people that from now on legislators who violate the public trust will be held accountable. The shameless comedians of The Brotherhood of 84 Thieves with the Prince of Thieves are warming up for another circus show at the CCT. The open support and solidarity given to the Prince of Thieves by his fraternity is a shocking exposition of septicemic plague of corruption that unites The Brotherhood of Thieves with the Prince of Thieves. The support of the group is based on a concocted fable of solidarity. It's a prima facie evidence of mendacity and political expediency. No matter how the Brotherhood of Thieves dress the Prince of Thieves, the Prince will always appear as a wolf in a wolf's clothing. Nigerians, get ready for another hilarious circus of The Brotherhood of Thieves for the next appearance of the Prince at the CCT. It is not surprising that since the trial began, The Brotherhood Of Thieves have mounted formidable acting and speaking skills into ominous warnings and fear mongering and carefully staged photo ops and speeches and fake news conferences in support of their Prince. Listen to some of the group members in defense of the Prince: “We shall continue to support our leaders... anybody outside this chamber who wants to control the Senate should go to sleep,” said Sani Yerima, Zamfara State. Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba from Sokoto South, said the trial was mischievous, vindictive, and politically motivated. “We reiterate the fact that he is our choice for the post of Senate President and no politically motivated, mischievous and vindictive trial will change our opinion of him.” David Umar, Niger State, condemns the “ongoing unwarranted media embarrassment of the Senate and the Senate leadership.” According to Sunday Punch correspondents, “Senators George Sekibo and Gershom Bassey, both of the PDP, said that notwithstanding the ruling of the Appeal Court on Saraki’s case, loyalists of the Senate President in the upper chamber remained solidly behind him.” The Prince himself rallies the troops: “I invite you all to stand with me to defend this Senate and preserve its sanctity.” As adamant as ever, the Prince told Nigerians that those who are expecting him to throw in the towel may have to wait till eternity as that would amount to allowing external forces to have their way. As with all their previous carefully choreographed pandering, expect more road shows from the group. You'll see them lock arm-in-arm marching with the Prince like imperious, disdainful feudal lords to the CCT. The hypocrisy is congenial. The group is a bunch of parasites that consumes our nation's lifeblood, come quickly or slowly it will kill the host. In the name of solidarity with the Prince, the business of the Nigerian people is neglected, abandoned, and completely taken off the legislative radar. The roster of individuals in The Brotherhood of Thieves that go to the courthouse with the Prince reads like a veritable “Who's Who” in the directory of robbers. For all the years they have been in the Senate, nothing worthwhile has been done to improve the lives of their constituents. Never mind that The Brotherhood of Thieves represent blighted, crime ridden, and poverty-stricken constituencies. This group has sucked every financial lifeline for economic and social programs meant for our people. They're stealing our future, our children's and grand children's future, they're stealing money that we toiled for, they're weakening our nation. The Prince with his minions in the senate will do anything to undermine our nation. If you read the newspapers, you'll see that hardly a day goes by without politicians stealing something. Stealing caroms up and down the spectrum of the National Assembly. These thieves are pimps to Satan. One wonders why The Brotherhood of Thieves that support the Prince charged with corruption and false declaration of assets to the tribunal hasn't stir up mobocratic wrath from the poor suffering masses. Well, The Brotherhood of Thieves has profited from the civil lethargy of Nigerians who refuse to club the thieves with stones and sticks. The bandits' arrogance surely comes from the confidence that the outcome of the trial of the Prince will go away like all other crimes he had committed before. The system that permits the election of thieves as senators is a “Covenant with Death and an agreement with Hell.” The 84 members of The Brotherhood of Thieves lost the blessing of siding with the Nigerian people at the right time. They lost the blessing to condemn evil and uphold truth. They lost the blessing by refusing to follow the multitude to do evil. I say to them, every blessing ignored becomes a curse. It's scary to see senators of a nation – members of the highest law making body – mired in darkness with characters that are corrupt and contemptible. Meanwhile, let's get ready for another hilarious puppet circus show of The Brotherhood of Thieves for the next appearance of the Prince at the CCT. http://saharareporters.com/2015/11/02/brotherhood-thieves-ready-another-circus-show-bayo-oluwasanmi 1 Like
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| Politics › What Dogara Did Can Derail Democracy by LocalChamp(op): 2:42pm On Nov 01, 2015*. Modified: 11:07pm On Nov 02, 2015 |
Posted By: Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofion: November 01, 2015 Garba Datti Muhammed representing Sabon Gari Federal Constituency, Kaduna State, rejected his appointment as chairman of the committee on Solid Minerals Development. He is the former Deputy Minority Leader in the 7th House. In this chat with Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, he further elaborates on his reasons for rejecting the committee. The issue of Committees had become an albatross on the neck of the Green Chamber, so much so that you rejected your chairmanship of the Solid Minerals Committee. What were your reasons? Well, I have already stated my reasons. Being a former principal officer and a senior member of the House, I thought as a democrat, in democracy, consultation is very necessary. So, I think I should have been contacted at least. To work as a committee chairman is to assist Mr. Speaker in running the House. And I think such critical thing, before being appointed, at least you’ll be consulted. Like in the executive arm, the President cannot just announce you without consulting the people that will serve with him. That’s one reason. The other one, I’m a bit worried with the composition, about how the committees were shared. This is a government of change and we have been in the opposition for the last 16 years and the National Assembly has been controlled by the majority party, the PDP. Even in the last House in the 7th Assembly, we supported Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to emerge as Speaker, but at the end of the day, all the critical committees he shared it to his own party members -the PDP, people that did not even vote for him. But we were not worried because we knew they were the majority party and it’s the practice all over the world. In the US, we have 16 standing committees and these 16 standing committees, the Republican Party are in the majority. And all the 16 committees are headed by members of the Republican Party. It’s only the deputy committees that are given to the minority. Though I know our own peculiarities may differ, but you cannot as a party give all the sensitive committees to your opponent. It you can recall, just yesterday the National Publicity Secretary to PDP, Olise Metuh came out to say that all the members of the PDP should brace up and oppose this government. So, if you’re giving them such committees, what is the implication? For instance, there is agitation that the committee on PIB should be represented. If this PIB committee is represented, all the three Petroleum Committee were given to PDP members. So what do you think will be the outcome of that type of committee? So these are some of our fears and it portends a lot of danger to this our democracy. How does it portend a danger to democracy? In democracy, you are elected as a party and each party has its own manifestos. And to achieve that, there must be a synergy between the members of the majority party and the ruling party at the same time. So, if you have given such sensitive committees to the opposition and they’re opposed to your policies, how do you achieve it? You can now see what is happening in the United States Congress today Obama has been battling with the US House of Representatives because they control the majority. All his efforts about his health care programmes the Obamacare, aside that, lots of serious problems in the House because the majority of the Congressmen are members of the Republican Party. So, that partisanship, you can’t take it out. Even in the Nigerian Senate, you saw what happened just yesterday (Wednesday). The PDP Caucus held a meeting to, take position on the nominations of Mr. president particularly that of Amaechi. So, you can see the danger of Mr. Speaker giving these kinds of committees to the opposition. A member from your state, Sumaila Suleiman was given the committee that you dropped and he accepted it. Is it that you don’t all share the same ideology of philosophy? I don’t know. Everybody has his own principle. I have my own and I don’t know of his own he may have his own principle. We don’t have to be the same. But all I know is that I’ve resigned that position as a chairman. Because my primary responsibility here is to represent my constituency and I am doing it exactly without being a committee chairman. It’s not everybody that will be a committee chairman or deputy. More than half of the members will not be committee chairmen or deputies and they will still exist and they will still perform. I don’t think it will affect my representation as a member. Don’t you think Nigerians on the streets will see your position on this matter and probably of other members that may toe the same line as a fight for pecuniary gains, rather than representation? I don’t know, other may go and fight for positions, but me, I did not ask anyone to give me any of these committees. I feel if I’m qualified I will be given and I have the right to accept it or reject it. With the way things are going, with the polarization is this House going to achieve even as much as the last House did? Well, I cannot say, I cannot predict what will happen. But all I know, I will continue to work for the interest of my own party that gave me the platform to contest. I will work to achieve that change that we have all been yearning for, so that Nigeria will be a better place for everybody If tomorrow the House Leadership or the Speaker calls you to serve in a different committee ad hoc or standing, would you accept? Well as I told you, at least if you’re going to give me that responsibility, Speaker is the leader of the House, it will be very good for him to call me and say okay, Honourable so and so, please I want to give you this assignment, because I feel you can handle it…how do you see it? When he gives me that leverage, if I will do it, I will tell him. If I have anyone that I feel can do it better than myself, I will suggest it to Mr. Speaker. It may be the work is too technical. If I’m not professional in that aspect, I will tell him the truth, I will say Mr. Speaker, this is too technical, I cannot handle it, but we have people that are professionals in that field, why not call this person. I think that’s the best way to approach it. This is democracy, consultation is the basis of any democracy, that’s why democracy is different from dictatorship, we should make consultations, interact and exchange ideas. But the Chairman of the House committee on Media and Public Affairs reportedly claimed that all parties were informed especially members of the House leadership before the list was released. He said everyone agreed. Is what you’re saying now not different from that? Well I don’t know that one. Al I know is that even Femi Gbajabiamila came out openly to say he was never consulted before the constitution of the committees. Maybe they only announced it in his presence. But he was never consulted for anything. He has said it times without number that he was never consulted before the committees were constituted. I also read it in the papers. You can verify from him. What about the claims of the House that they did the selection in line with due process, fairness, justice as well as Federal character? Anybody can say that. If that’s how they see their justice and fairness, fine, good luck. http://thenationonlineng.net/what-dogara-did-can-derail-democracy-datti/ |
| Politics › Saraki’s Gamble Fails, APC Chiefs Insist On CCT Trial by LocalChamp(op): 1:56pm On Nov 01, 2015 |
Ministerial screening: Saraki’s gamble fails, APC chiefs insist on CCT trial By John Alechenu, Sunday Aborishade and Olalekan Adetayo The decision by Senate President Bukola Saraki to ignore protests by his key allies against the clearance ministerial nominees may not lead to a reprieve from his ongoing trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal. SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the Saraki camp worked for the clearance of the nominees with the hope that his decision to confirm all the nominees, especially former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, would at least endear him to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress and President Muhammadu Buhari. However, multiple party sources informed SUNDAY PUNCH that the Senate President’s travails are far from over. A leading party member privy to these happenings noted that while the party felt a sense of relief that the threat to stop Amaechi was neutralised, it would not interfere with Saraki’s ongoing trial at the CCT. He explained that even if the party was in a position to intervene, it would not, because doing so would send the wrong signals. The high ranking party member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the matter had gone out of the hands of the party. He said, “Already, the Appeal Court has taken a decision. The Senate President and his team of lawyers have taken the matter to the Supreme Court. Thus, for a party and a government serious about the rule of law, the least we can do is to allow the judicial process run its full course. “If the party should say one word with respect to this issue at this point, it could be misinterpreted in ways that you cannot imagine. “You may recall, President Muhammadu Buhari had said it over and over again that he would not spare even his party members if they were found guilty of corruption. “Former President (Olusegun) Obasanjo received accolades from far and near when he did not spare (Adolphus) Wagbara, some senators and an Inspector-General of Police who served in his government in his (Obasanjo’s) anti-corruption war. “What makes you think Buhari will be different? It won’t happen.” Another top party member who is also close to the Presidency said Saraki’s CCT trial and the confirmation of ministers were two different issues. According to him, one of the reasons why the Senate President confirmed all the ministers was to warm up the President. He said, “Not confirming the ministers would have further deepened the gulf between the Senate President, and the President and Saraki doesn’t want that. He wants reconciliation. His trial and the confirmation are not the same thing. The President had told the whole world that he won’t interfere with the trial. How do you think people will react if Buhari now says because Saraki confirmed the ministers, the anti-corruption drive should stop. No one will take the President seriously again. Even, the Peoples Democratic Party will use it against us.” Similarly, another APC chieftain from the South West told our correspondent that stopping Saraki’s CCT trial was out of question. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said, “How can ministerial screening solve all the problems Saraki created in the party? It is not acceptable. Moreover, the CCT trial is a different matter entirely.” When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, said President Buhari did not have a problem with Saraki or any leader of the National Assembly. He told one of our correspondents in a telephone interview that the President’s position that he was ready to work with the leadership of the National Assembly had not changed. The presidential spokesman further explained that since the party had come out publicly to say there are no issues, the President, who is a loyal party man, also does not have anything against the lawmakers. Shehu said, “President Muhammadu Buhari has said it from the beginning that he would work with the National Assembly leaders and he has been doing that. There are no issues between the President and the National Assembly leaders. “If anybody wants to measure the temperature of the relationship between the National Assembly leaders and the party, such a person should go and read the statement the party’s spokesman issued at the end of the ministerial screening. “The party said there is no friction and the party is one. The President is a loyal party man, he abides by the party’s position. There is no issue at all.” However, loyalists of the embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki, are still in shock over the Appeal Court ruling dismissing his case. Some of the senators, who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, said they were initially confident that the presidency would reciprocate Saraki’s gesture of confirming the ministerial nominees by working for the CCT charges against him to be dropped. They, however, confirmed that efforts were ongoing to appeal to Buhari through some respected traditional rulers, religious leaders and the recently confirmed ministerial nominees. According to them, the Senate President had reached out to more religious and elder statesmen in his bid to ensure that the matter was amicably resolved. One of the pro-Saraki APC senators from the North Central geopolitical zone, lamented that the Appeal Court “still went ahead to deliver the judgment despite all moves undertaken by Saraki to ensure an out-of-court settlement of the matter.” A leading member of the pro-Saraki Like Minds Senators, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, expressed confidence that the Supreme Court verdict, when delivered, would be in favour of the Senate President. He said, “As we talk, a lot of things are going on to resolve the issue. The Federal Executive Council, when constituted in a matter of days, will begin to take positive steps towards ensuring an out-of- court settlement of the matter because virtually all of them (members of the council) interacted freely with the Senate President in the last few weeks. We are optimistic that it will be resolved before the Supreme Court verdict.” Meanwhile, Senators George Sekibo and Gershom Bassey, both of the PDP, told our correspondent that notwithstanding the ruling of the Appeal Court on Saraki’s case, loyalists of the Senate President in the upper chamber remained solidly behind him. http://punchng.com/2015/11/2946 1 Like |
| Politics › Witness: I Was ‘tutored’ By Fayose Aides To Frame Suspects In NURTW Murder by LocalChamp(op): 1:55pm On Oct 28, 2015 |
Posted By: Odunayo Ogunmolaon: October 28, 2015 •Says my life under threat •Fayose’s aide: we have nothing to do with him A new twist has been added to the drama surrounding the trial of suspects for the murder of former Ekiti State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Omolafe Aderiye. The late Aderiye’s personal assistant, Gbolahan Okeowo, said he was “tutored” by some officials of the Ayo Fayose administration to frame up the accused persons and a security aide to former Governor Kayode Fayemi, Adedeji Adesokan aka Jarule. But the government denied the claims, urging the public to ignore him. The accused are Adebayo Aderiye, Adeniyi Adedipe, Sola Durodola, Kayode Ajayi, Oso Farotimi, Sola Adenijo and Rotimi Olanbiwonnu. At the court proceeding on Monday, Okeowo exonerated all the seven accused persons during his cross-examination by defence counsel. Okeowo, in an affidavit of facts he deposed to at the Akure Division of the Federal High Court, claimed that he deposed to an earlier affidavit which implicated the accused persons and Adesokan. [b]In the affidavit he said: “I state categorically that persons standing trial for the murder of Omolafe Aderiye in charge no: HAD/12C/2014: The State v Adebayo Aderiye and six others, were not involved and neither did they participate in Aderiye’s murder on the September 25, last year. “Soon after Governor Ayo Fayose was sworn in, I was invited by Mr. Owoseni Ajayi, who was the Special Adviser (Legal) to Dr. Fayose who produced the statement I had given to the police on September 26, last year, wherein I wrote concerning what I witnessed to the effect that I did not recognise any person as the assailant and either did I mention the names of the persons standing trial as the suspects in the said statement. “I was put under considerable pressure, including threats to my life and family, to write another statement which was tendered in court on October 7, the content which were dictated to me by Mr. Owoseni Ajayi, in company of Mr. Lere Olayinka, the media aide to the governor sometimes in October last year, which I backdated to September 26, last year on their instructions. “The statement which I tendered in court was made in the office of Owoseni Ajayi at the Attorney General’s chambers, who in conjunction with Mr. Lere Olayinka provided me with the names of Adebayo Aderiye, Adeniyi Adedipe, Sola Durodola, Kayode Ajayi, Oso Farotimi, Adenijo Olusola, Adedeji Adesokan (Jarule) and Rotimi Olanbiwonnu and dictated to me what to write concerning them. “Since I wrote the statement, I have been reporting to the office of Mr. Owoseni Ajayi at his office at Ministry of Justice, State Secretariat, Ado Ekiti, occasionally on his instruction. “I emphatically state that none of the persons standing trial and/or indicted for the murder were present and/or participated in the killing.[/b] “I made this affidavit for record and official purposes and state that I have not been induced in any manner whatsoever by any manner whatsoever by any person (s) to make this affidavit, and I did same of out my own free will and according to the dictates of my conscience and upon a reflection as to the nature of the sentence for murder. “I have since been receiving daily threats to my life and grievous bodily harm from Mr. Owoseni Ajayi and Mr. Lere Olayinka in the event that I renege on my statement.” But Olayinka said: “This person you are talking about, I don’t know him facially, I can’t even identify him. “I don’t know him, I have never met him, I don’t have anything to do with him. I am not a police officer, I am not a staff of the state judiciary. If he has said something before and he is now saying something else again this is the only thing I can say which he himself cannot deny. “The last time he came to the court and gave evidence, the story was used on the radio and he called the following day that the story was giving him some problems that some people were threatening his life that was the only time we spoke. “He said I should find a way to stop the story from being used on the radio and I told him that the radio was only reporting what happened in the court. “He said he was being threatened, his family was being threatened and maybe because of fear for his life, he went to court and did some other things. That is his business, I have nothing to do with him.” http://thenationonlineng.net/witness-i-was-tutored-to-frame-up-suspects-fayemis-aide/ |
| Politics › Judge’s Bid To Stop Saraki’s Trial Thwarted, DSS Director Rallies To Sarakis Aid by LocalChamp(op): 10:04pm On Oct 23, 2015 |
BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK OCT 23, 2015http://saharareporters.com/2015/10/23/judge%E2%80%99s-bid-stop-saraki%E2%80%99s-trial-thwarted-dss-director-rallies-senator%E2%80%99s-aid 7 Likes 1 Share
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| Politics › Probe Former Chief Justice Belgore—lawyers Urge by LocalChamp(op): 8:39pm On Oct 23, 2015 |
SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK OCT 23, 2015 Two Nigerian lawyers have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the former Chief Justice of the Nigerian Supreme Court, Alfa Belgore, whom they accused of being massively corrupt and engaging in subversion of justice. They said Justice Belgore had obtained a grand house in the upscale Asokoro area of Abuja through his corrupt activities. In a joint telephone conversation with a correspondent of SaharaReporters, the two lawyers stated that retired Justice Belgore had a knack for bringing the judiciary to shame. “It appears that, instead of promoting the development of the judiciary and the administration of justice, Justice Alfa Belgore specializes in corrupting the process,” one of the lawyers, an Abuja-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria. The two lawyers said the immediate reason they were calling for a thorough investigation of the former Chief Justice was Mr. Belgore’s role in trying to induce the Court of Appeal to squash the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki by the Code of Conduct Tribunal. SaharaReporters had revealed that Mr. Saraki had hired Justice Belgore to broker a judgment by the Court of Appeal that would have squelched the senator’s trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal. “If SaharaReporters had not exposed his attempt to intervene with the Court of Appeal on behalf of Dr. Saraki, he would have easily scuttled the case,” one of the two lawyers said. According to the two lawyers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, many other Nigerian lawyers “are embarrassed by the conduct of former Justice Belgore.” They added that the retired Chief Justice had a history of meddling in trials and either offering bribes to willing judges or intimidating those who reject his inducement. The lawyers alleged that former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Olaniyi Oladeji, used Justice Belgore to thwart the course of justice in a lawsuit filed by former Ambassador Dozie Nwanna. “ According to the lawyers, Mr. Nwanna had filed a lawsuit seeking to reverse his premature retirement, which deprived him the opportunity to become the next DG of NIA. They said Mr. Oladeji, former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, and former First Lady Patience Jonathan, employed Justice Belgore to sabotage Mr. Nwanna’s lawsuit. They said that the NIA bought a swanky home for Justice Belgore in Asokoro in exchange for his illicit work “to delay or attempt to deny justice to Nwanna.” According to the two lawyers, Justice Belgore threatened Justice Maureen Nkechinyereugo Esowe, the first judge in Mr. Nwanna's lawsuit. “When she refused to be cowed by Justice Belgore, he sponsored a petition against her alleging bias on her part. “In a conduct that was unbecoming of a man who once occupied the post of Chief Justice, Belgore accused Justice Esowe of trying to use her court to protect Ambassador Nwanna because they were both Igbo. He also claimed that Nwanna’s lawyer, Chike Maduekwe, was Justice Esowe’s cousin, which is blatantly false.” The lawyers said Justice Belgore must have had access to Mrs. Esowe's personal data, and found out that she was related to former Ambassador Ojo Maduekwe. “Both Justice Esowe and Chief Ojo Maduekwe are from Abia State, but Nwanna’s lawyer, Chike Maduekwe, is from Anambra State,” one of the lawyers disclosed. According to one of the lawyers, the petition orchestrated by Justice Belgore “made Justice Esowe to weep in court and to return the case file to the president of the National Industrial Court, Abuja. The matter was then reassigned to Justice Benedict Kanyip who was bold enough to reverse the capricious termination of Ambassador Nwanna's employment by the then DG of NIA, Oladeji.” By the time the judgment was delivered in December 2013, Mr. Oladeji had already bequeathed the office of DG of NIA to a successor who was Mr. Nwanna's junior in service. The lawyers also alleged that Justice Belgore was notorious for using his influence to collect funds from high net-worth personalities as well as politically powerful persons in exchange for intimidating or inducing judges, many of them students when the former CJN was in active service. “The Presidency should order an investigation into how Justice Belgore got a brand new mansion in Asokoro,” one of the lawyers urged. In 2014, the National Judicial Council (NJC) sacked a young female judge, Justice Gladys Olotu, for alleged judicial misconduct. However, Mrs. Olotu filed a lawsuit against her firing. She also alleged that her real offense was that she scorned Justice Belgore’s entreaty to pervert justice in a case brought by a widow against an oil company seeking compensation on behalf of her late husband. The sacked justice accused Justice Belgore of seeking to influence her to rule in favor of the oil company. http://saharareporters.com/2015/10/23/probe-former-chief-justice-belgore—lawyers-urge |
| Politics › Captain Sagir Koli Who Exposed Ekiti Electoral Fraud Returns To Nigeria by LocalChamp(op): 6:32pm On Oct 21, 2015 |
SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORKOCT 21, 2015 SaharaReporters has reliably learned that Captain Sagir Koli, the whistle blower who exposed a plan by high-level officers of the Nigerian Army as well as top officials of the Peoples Democratic Party to rig a governorship election in Ekiti State, has returned to Nigeria. SaharaReporters exclusively published audiotapes recorded by Captain Koli in which the PDP’s governorship candidate, Ayo Fayose, the then Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, former Defense Minister Musiliu Obanikoro, former Governor Iyiola Omisore of Osun State, and a military officer, Brigadier General Aliyu Momoh, discussed strategies for rigging the governorship election in Ekiti State. Captain Koli had to flee Nigeria once PDP top officials as well as the military realized that he had secretly taped conversations of the highly criminal conspiracy to intimidate voters in Ekiti State and to thwart the reelection bid of then Governor Kayode Fayemi. The tapes, which revealed the PDP officials trying to blackmail General Momoh whilst also offering him financial inducement, created a political scandal known as Ekitigate. After the whistleblower eluded the ferocious military and PDP dragnet that sought to capture and punish him, military authorities detained his younger brother and harassed other members of his family. A source at Aso Rock told SaharaReporters that Captain Koli had a brief audience with President Muhammadu Buhari upon his return to Nigeria. The Nigerian military source also established a board of inquiry to “investigate, among other things, alleged malpractices and involvement of military personnel in Ekiti and Osun States’ Gubernatorial Elections in 2014.” The army recently redeployed Brigadier General Momoh, the lead military player in the Ekiti electoral fraud, to the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) in Minna, Niger State. General Momoh’s new post is seen as a demotion, said an army source. SaharaReporters was not able to determine the exact location of Captain Koli in Nigeria. However, our military source disclosed that the army was in touch with the captain. http://saharareporters.com/2015/10/21/captain-who-exposed-ekiti-electoral-fraud-returns-nigeria |
| Politics › Re: BREAKING NEWS: Saraki Behind Story To Cover Up Court Of Appeals Deal To Free Him by LocalChamp: 1:54pm On Oct 20, 2015 |
Saraki Docked 1 Like
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| Politics › Re: 'Plot To Quash Saraki’s Code Of Conduct Trial At The Court Of Appeal' - SR by LocalChamp: 12:57pm On Oct 19, 2015 |
Saraki Docked
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| Politics › Buhari Will Not Interfere With Saraki’s Tribunal After Meeting With NASS by LocalChamp(op): 8:10pm On Oct 09, 2015 |
BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK OCT 09, 2015 After a two hour conversation yesterday between the President Buhari and his advisers, and leadership in the National Assembly, it was announced that President Buhari would make no attempt to interfere with Senate President Bukola Saraki's trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). Bukola Saraki has been forced into the CCT for not declaring significant assets gained since he was Governor of Kwara State, which is in violation of his sworn code of conduct. SaharaReporters exposed Senate President Bukola Saraki for plundering Kwara State of its funds during his time as Governor. Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, repeated that President Buhari will stand by his word and abstain from interrupting the processes of the CCT. Concerning the President Mr. Adesina said, "you know that he plays straight. Anything that will amount to underhand deals, he will never be part of it." The entourage of NASS leadership accompanying Senator Saraki left the Presidential Villa at Aso Rock disappointed because of President Buhari's refusal to take action. Sources have said that the only reason Buhari agreed to meet with the Senate President was at the insistance of one special assistants to formally interact with Saraki and forge better relationship between the NASS and the President. They met to also discuss the approval of the nominees whose names were submitted last week for Senate confirmation. Buhari strategically discussed matters that would help the country move forward and avoided conversation concerning the CCT trial. A lawmaker said that "At the end of the discussion, we discovered that the man had not changed his mind on Saraki and we felt a bit upset by the action." This discontent may have been the reason the lawmakers created a new set of rigid laws that would make it more difficult for Buhari's cabinet nominees to make it through the screening. Moreover, the PDP Caucus has said that they will not approve the President's list unless the entire list of nominees from the 36 states of Nigeria was made available to them. http://saharareporters.com/2015/10/09/buhari-will-not-interfere-saraki’s-tribunal-after-meeting-between-presidency-and-nass
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| Politics › Bukola Saraki And 83 Inmates Are Running The Asylum By Bayo Oluwasanmi by LocalChamp(op): 1:44pm On Oct 06, 2015 |
BY BAYO OLUWASANMI OCT 05, 2015 At 55, Nigeria is without leaders. How can we function without leaders? Where have all the leaders gone? All the leaders we once respected are dead. Every generation can boast of gifted true leaders who meet every mark – authenticity, originality, integrity, credibility, service to the people, and sacrifice for leadership. At present, Nigeria cannot boast of genuine leaders. The senators of the 8th senate are so insane that they're hard to satirize. They lack both vision and character. At independence in 1960, who could have ever thought that liars, thieves, criminals, crooks, and charlatans like Saraki and his 83 inmates would preside over the affairs of Nigeria. As we celebrate the 55th independence anniversary of our nation, Nigerians are faced with a hostile, anti-people and do-nothing senate run by asylum inmates. Nigerians remain in an abusive and unequal relationship with the elected lunatics. We have never in our history been so abused and neglected by a group of sick people. We're now entering a truly remarkable silly season of interacting absurdities in the senate led by Bukola Saraki the Senate President and his 83 fellow inmates. Returning from recess, Saraki in his opening speech fired up the inmates. He sounds like: “We're not going to let anyone intimidate us. No one can make us feel internally like there's something wrong with us, and we're not going to let our voices be shut down. We're going to change the way things are done. We're going to change how people view lunatics in the Senate. Eighty-three inmates and I are running the asylum!” Saraki who has been dogged by shameful mountain of accusations from fraud to forgery and with the collaboration of other 83 inmates turned the senate into a rotting old bedlam of lunatics. There is no better word to describe the 8th senate: lunatics in flowing Agbada and Babariga and other fashionable native attire plotting the destruction of our nation. Go back to the dailies and look at the names of the 83 inmates who passed vote of confidence in Saraki for his political skills and tactics in fraud and forgery. The names read like the Mental Patients Association of Nigeria (MPAN). Indeed, it's a senate run by and for mental patients. The vote of confidence passed by 83 inmates has produced national revulsion and left poor Nigerians scrambling for answer as to who the hell are these bunch of lunatics? The unspoken tension and disappointments of Nigerians scraping around in the arid opulence of a nation ravaged by these lunatics is an indication that all is not well with a nation born 55 years ago still groping in the dark. These lunatics have gone bananas. They have cross-fertilized their collective insanity with shared delusions and are divorced from reality of the Nigerian situation. They behave with all symptoms of mental illness: confused thinking, detachment from reality, paranoia, hallucinations, inability to cope with the nation's problems, trouble understanding and relating to Nigerian problems and to the people. Despite the fact that Saraki is on trial, eighty-three lunatics from the monster raving looting party PDP, and their co-conspirators from the ruling APC believe Saraki is the best they could offer to lead the senate. Indeed, the lunatics have taken over the asylum! Listen to one of the inmates Senator Ighoyota Amori (PDP – Delta): “The allegations raised against Senate Bukola President Saraki by the CCT, to me, are politically motivated.” On the vote of confidence passed, Amori says “There is nothing wrong with it; it is just to let Nigerians know that we are satisfied with the composition of the senate leadership and their performances so far... the entire Senate is behind our leadership.” Are Nigerians in support of the vote of confidence passed in Saraki? Are Nigerians in support of Saraki as the Senate President? Heck NO! The drama of the action of the lunatics is a sad commentary on what Nigeria has become in 55 years – a desert – a place that does not cultivate anything save thirst and thirst and insanity. The trial of Saraki serves as a mirror that reflects the true image of inmates in charge of Nigeria. Last week's vote of confidence passed by the inmates in Saraki was the second in three months. “To me, another vote of confidence in three months,” says Senator Kabir Marafa spokesman for the Senate Unity Forum, “is a clear evidence of lack of confidence on the part of the leadership.” The vote of confidence in Saraki is a reactionary response from the inmates with corruption cases hanging on their necks like the sword of Damocles. They were inflamed by fear and with the possibility of being prosecuted for corruption. It's no surprise that they've become most unruly, undisciplined, and hysterical. Judging by the crescendo of insanity of the 83 inmates, it is evident that they inhabit a different planet from the rest of Nigeria. They have no interest or understanding of the needs of our people. They have no respect for public opinion that is overwhelmingly against Saraki. They're lost as it were, in their psychopathic obsessions and delusions. Agreed, our politicians were always thieves, traitors, and scoundrels for the most part. However, they were not insane. But the senators are. We're in the hands of a mentally unstable lunatics and it is time to send for the psychiatrist. What's so special in Saraki that the 83 lunatics keep following and protecting him? For 40 years, the Sarakis have shaped the way some Nigerians think and play politics. The Sarakis have done so from an unrivaled pulpit of corruption. They have the sheer ability to drive the national political conversation. They fostered some of the most unbelievable political narratives of modern Nigeria. The Sarakis have proven time and time again that they are corrupt, deluded, incompetent, second-rate, and hypocritical. Yet, Saraki is worshiped, revered, feared, and loved by the inmates. Here is why: Senator Marafa was asked by Sunday Aborisade of the Punch his impression of the inmates who accompanied Saraki to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). Marafa said: “... most people you see around the senate president today are following him because of some personal benefits especially to get the chairmanship of “juicy” committees. They don't have his interest at heart. It is all about them and their family. Their sycophantic embarrassing behavior, is a means of getting posting to the “juiciest.” Nigeria is a classic example of the widespread belief that Black people cannot manage anything. For fifty-five years we cannot fashion a country that meets the basic necessities of our people. A report card of Nigeria at 55 blogged on APC Worldwide Platform Group on Facebook by one Paschal Obikwelu captures the true feelings of majority of Nigerians. Take a hard look at his report card on Nigeria: NEPA E8, Bombing A1, Killing A1, Accident A1, Kidnapping A1,Thieving A1, Bad Road A1, Security C7, Employment F9, Good Road F9, 419 A1, Development F9, Embezzlement A1, Fraud A1, Crisis A1, Poverty A1, Discrimination A1, Corruption A1, Terrorist A1. Can anyone dispute Obikwelu's assessment of Nigeria? Only Saraki and the 83 lunatics will argue otherwise. In fact, I believe Obikwelu is more generous in his grading. More than half century, Nigeria still cannot boast of a credible criminal justice system that can dispatch and dispense justice with speed and fairness. For 55 years, we're still begging for water to drink, for road to travel, for hospitals to treat the sick, for electricity to light our homes and power our industries, for workers to get paid for their labor, for retirees to receive their monthly pension, for professional police to maintain law and order, for rule of law to prevent the strong from terrorizing the weak and the powerful from oppressing the powerless, for quality, affordable, and accessible education, for manufacturing industries that could employ thousands of able-bodied jobless Nigerians, for a nation where no one will be judged by the accent of his or her ethnicity. The 83 lunatics may have temporarily propped up Saraki like a two-legged stool. They are playing a dangerous game of backing Saraki who is despised by majority of Nigerians. These lunatics now salivating in seeing Saraki as the senate head are inadvertently writing their political obituary for the history books. If they will, let them build a firewall around Saraki, it won't shield Saraki from facing the wrath of the people. The arrest of the corruption Diva of the Jonathan regime, Diezani Alison-Madueke in London England last Friday tells us the thermostat on corruption is climbing up slowly but surely. Inmates watch out! It is harmful and dangerous that the senate of a 55-year old nation is led by a leadership without values, morals, commitment, vision,and conviction. It's an asylum run by Saraki and 83 inmates. http://saharareporters.com/2015/10/05/nigeria-55-bukola-saraki-and-83-inmates-are-running-asylum-bayo-oluwasanmi The Face of Criminal Fraudster and Bank Robber Saraki 1 Like
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| Politics › How Diezani Laundered Looted Money, Her Accomplices Revealed - Sahara Reporters by LocalChamp(op): 1:52pm On Oct 05, 2015 |
How Nigeria’s Ex-Minister Of Petroleum Madueke Laundered Looted Money, Her Accomplices Revealedhttp://saharareporters.com/2015/10/05/how-nigeria%E2%80%99s-ex-minister-petroleum-madueke-laundered-looted-money-her-accomplices 7 Likes 1 Share
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| Politics › We Started Investigating Alison-madueke Since 2013 – UK National Crime Agency by LocalChamp(op): 7:49pm On Oct 03, 2015 |
October 3, 2015 Bassey Udo The UK National Crime Agency [NCA] on Saturday said investigation into allegations of corruption against Nigeria’s former minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, and the four other people arrested Friday had been on since 2013. In an update on its website, the NCA said, “The investigation commenced in 2013 under the Proceeds of Corruption Unit, and transferred to the NCA earlier this year.” Until recently, the Proceeds of Corruption Unit was domiciled at the Metropolitan Police Service. But after the International Corruption Unit was created at the NCA in line with the UK Anti-Corruption Plan, the Proceeds of Corruption Unit at the Metropolitan Police and the Overseas Anti-Corruption Unit of the City of London Police were scrapped. The ICU then became the UK’s prime agency for the investigation of bribery of foreign public officials by individuals or companies from the UK, and money laundering by corrupt foreign officials and their associates. In its update Saturday, the NCA also said it had released the former minister on “conditional bail”. The other four unnamed persons arrested with her were also granted bail. “All five people arrested were released on conditional police bail later that evening, pending further investigation both in the UK and overseas.” The conditions of the bail are not immediately clear. But people familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES that Mrs. Alison-Madueke and her colleagues were barred from travelling out of the UK pending conclusion of investigation and their arraignment in court. One source said the suspects’ travelling documents were seized, but PREMIUM TIMES has been unable to independently verify that as at the time of this report. The source also said the suspects were also warned against any attempt to tamper with evidence. PREMIUM TIMES had on Friday exclusively reported the arrest of the former minister, alongside four others, by the UK agency over offences related to bribery, corruption and money laundering. The identities of the four other people arrested along with Mrs. Alison-Madueke, could not be immediately ascertained. Former minister accused of graft Mrs. Alison-Madueke, one of the most influential officials of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, was first appointed into the federal cabinet in 2007. A former board member of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, she was later appointed Minister of Transport by former President Umaru Yar’adua. In December 2008, she was redeployed to the mines and steel development ministry. After former Vice President Goodluck Jonathan became acting president, Mrs. Alison-Madueke was appointed Nigeria’s first female petroleum minister in February 2010, a position Mrs. Alison-Madueke held till May 29, 2015 when Mr. Jonathan left office. Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s tenure as petroleum minister turned out one of Nigeria’s most controversial, amid unending allegations of massive corruption. Under her watch, dubious oil marketers stole trillions of naira of oil subsidy money. She retained her position despite an indictment by the House of Representatives which investigated the fuel subsidy scandal. Probes by independent audit firms, including the KPMG and PriceWaterhousecoopers, confirmed that billions of dollars of oil money were missing. The most notable case of missing money involved $20billion in 2014, as alleged by a former Central Bank governor, Lamido Sanusi. Several shady deals exposed by PREMIUM TIMES and confirmed by government and independent auditors were linked to the former minister and her cronies. Long before her stint in the oil and gas sector, Mrs. Alison-Madueke was investigated by the Nigerian Senate on allegation she paid N30.9 billion to contractors while she held office as transportation minister. In 2009, the Senate indicted and recommended her prosecution for allegedly transferring N1.2 billion into a private account of a toll company without due process. Regardless of the indictments, Mrs. Alison-Madueke got elected in November 2014 as the first female president of oil producing countries alliance, OPEC. The former minister consistently denies wrongdoing. In June, after leaving office, she rejected all allegations of embezzlement saying she never stole from Nigeria. http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/190970-we-started-investigating-alison-madueke-since-2013-uk-national-crime-agency.html 2 Likes |
| Politics › Police Prosecute 8 Persons For Stoning Saraki by LocalChamp(op): 1:14pm On Oct 01, 2015 |
Police confirms Saraki, others stoned at Ilorin eid ground September 30, 2015 Premium Times A police prosecutor, Nasiru Yusuf, on Wednesday told an Ilorin magistrates’ court that the police was prosecuting eight persons for their involvement in pelting “very important personalities” at Ilorin eid ground on September 24. The accused persons are Aliyu Immam, 24, Sheu Ibrahim, 23, AbdulKadri Sharafadeen, 25, Yusuf Olayinka, 26, Mohammed Abiola, 27, Ayo Giwa, 65, Zakariyau Abubakar, 50, and Kareem Ajape, 35. The suspects are facing a charge of disturbing religious assembly, contrary to Section 212 of the Penal Code Law. The prosecutor, Nasiru Yusuf, told the court that the accused threw stones at the “very important personalities”, which led to the disturbance of the religious assembly. Mr. Yusuf said investigation into the case was ongoing and urged the court to remand the suspects in prison custody pending the outcome of investigation. The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Against the prosecutor’s prayer, the magistrate, Mercy Adebola, therefore granted each of the accused persons bail for N100,000 with two sureties each and adjourned the case to October 12 for further mention. http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/north-central/190848-police-confirms-saraki-others-stoned-at-ilorin-eid-ground.html
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| Politics › Re: Bukola Saraki Confirms That He Now Has Ministerial List by LocalChamp: 7:49pm On Sep 30, 2015 |
The Face of Criminal Fraudster and Bank Robber Saraki
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| Politics › Re: Photos Of Saraki Receiving The List Of Ministers by LocalChamp: 7:49pm On Sep 30, 2015 |
The Face of Criminal Fraudster and Bank Robber Saraki
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| Politics › Abba Moro, Others Must Face Justice For Immigration Job Scam by LocalChamp(op): 2:46pm On Sep 30, 2015 |
Abba Moro, others must face justice SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 : PUNCH EDITORIAL BOARD AFTER the immediate past Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, David Parradang, was quizzed recently by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the job interview scam of 2014, which led to the death of 23 applicants in stadia stampedes across the country, Nigerians eagerly await what follows. The tragedy was a rank howler in public service delivery. Its exhumation by the anti-graft agency should not end as a publicity stunt. A total of 520,000 applicants participated in the sham recruitment to fill 4,556 vacancies, after each of them was made to pay N1,000 for an online registration. Arithmetically, this translates to N520 million generated by the NIS. Curiously, it reportedly declared only N45 million. But the EFCC wants to know what happened to the balance of over N475 million. Following national outrage that attended the tragedy, former President Goodluck Jonathan directed that the applicants be refunded their money. But this never happened, while three family members of each of those that lost their lives were given compensatory job offers by government. Appallingly, it was all that Jonathan’s administration could do, amid nationwide demand that Parradang and Abba Moro – the then Minister of Interior – be sacked, and everyone in the syndicate that masterminded the fraud brought to book. The Senate, under the leadership of David Mark, in pretending to align with the public mood, empanelled a committee to investigate the matter. And what were the findings? Ask Mark. While in service, Parradang reportedly washed his hands of the scam, as he insisted that the shambolic project was inspired by forces above him. Who then are these characters? And why was a consultancy firm hired to organise a recruitment that the NIS personnel scattered nationwide are paid with tax payers’ money to do? Resolving these puzzles holds the key to understanding what transpired. Parradang may have made useful statements to the EFCC along these lines. We urge the commission to follow through his lead without much delay. The Immigration job scam and the refuge the Jonathan administration provided for the suspects find expression in impunity and irresponsibility that often characterise the conduct of government business. Such exploitation and criminal negligence of the matter only foster propitious grounds for more abuse in future. A government that derives its legitimacy from the mandate of the people cannot condone this. We find it difficult to ignore this tragedy. This is why we call on the Muhammadu Buhari administration to get to the root of the matter. We must put an end to this seemingly endless official approval to government’s agencies fleecing our job-seeking youths. Apparently, it was government’s failure to prosecute the NIS and Nigerian Prisons Service officials who caused the death of 17 youths in a similar incident in 2008 that laid the foundation for the disaster of 2014. The EFCC inquiry should not be aimed at just recovering funds, but should be focused on identifying the perpetrators of the scam and punishing them accordingly. What is so cruel and most unnerving about this saga and similar recruitments in other public institutions is that they serve as smokescreen, as the available job slots are shared among ministers, federal lawmakers, bureaucrats, top politicians, as well as those in the Presidency. There must be openness and accountability in the way government’s business is run. We need to exploit the new political atmosphere to entrench these ethical imperatives in our system. Moro, whose ministry superintended over the NIS, has a lot of explanations to offer on that tragedy. In societies governed by the rule of law, errant officials are brought to book for any infraction. In India, a former Haryana State Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala, and his son, Ajay, were convicted along with 53 others in a teachers’ recruitment scam in 2013. He, his son and eight others were each handed 10 years jail term, while 44 others were sentenced to between four and five years’ imprisonment. Life is sacrosanct and irreplaceable when lost. That is why governments all over the world go the extra mile in protecting their citizens. When a South Korean ferry carrying 300 pupils sank in April 2014, leaving 126 people dead, the authorities did not look the other way. They swiftly arrested the 15 persons involved in navigating the ferry for prosecution. Investigations showed that the vessel carried about 3,608 tons of cargo, more than three times what it could safely carry. More instructively, the country’s Prime Minister, Chung Hong, took a moral responsibility for the tragedy and resigned. Since no Nigerian public official had the decency to do so in respect of the 2014 Immigration recruitment farce, it is, therefore, appropriate that the resurrected case be thoroughly investigated and the culprits fished out and punished. By so doing, a strong message would have been sent to government agencies that, indeed, there are consequences for bad behaviour. http://www.punchng.com/editorials/abba-moro-others-must-face-justice/ |
| Politics › Buhari Comments On Saraki’s Trial: Law Will Take Its Course by LocalChamp(op): 1:46am On Sep 30, 2015 |
Posted By: Adeola Fayehun, New York and Onyedi Ojiaboron **President Muhammadu Buhari will not interfere in the ongoing trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki. **He will allow the court process to run its course, the President said yesterday in New York. **Saraki is facing trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for alleged false assets declaration. The tribunal has fixed October 21-23 to hear the matter. **Saraki’s supporters are said to be pleading with emirs and other prominent citizens to put in a word for the Senate president. But Buhari told our correspondent in an interview that it would be an impeachable offence if he intervened. Here are exerpts from the interview: The Senate president is facing alleged false assets declaration allegations but you’ve been aloof from the case. What is your position on the issue? “What has the President got to do with it as a person? The case is in court. Do Nigerians expect me to tell the Chief Justice to tell whichever court that they shouldn’t try the Senate president? “Do Nigerians know about the constitution of their own country? The judiciary, the legislature and the executive have got their own roles within the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Then, how do they expect me to interfere? I can be successfully impeached if I do it. Today in Abuja, at least 82 senators passed a vote of confidence on the Senate President. That is a significant number of senators. However, Nigerians will like to know, as the president, how confident are you in the senate president? That would depend on the outcome of the court’s decision. Are you on speaking terms with the Senate president? There are some appointments, which the Senate has to approve. And I can’t remember how many letters I personally wrote to him, because this is constitutional. There are people I want to work with, I cannot work with them unless the National Assembly approves. So I’ve been writing to the Senate President and to the leader of the House (of Representatives). This is constitutional. What do you have to say on the media’s review of your first three months in office? “The media is too inquisitive for my liking (laughing). “They ask too many questions, and I agonise over this with my adviser on media that especially our own press in Nigeria, why can’t they do more of investigative journalism? “There are a lot of things the media can do without harassing the president. For example, my assets declaration. I’ve declared my assets four times since the first time I got a political appointment. Why can’t the press go and find out about the previous times? Instead they’re making headlines about my assets. It’s been circulating that you’ve been recovering some of the money stolen by corrupt Nigerians from the treasury. How true is this and how much have you recovered? I can’t give you figures now, because of the legal implications. It’s much easier to talk about what we’re doing according to documents. For example, every ship that is loading Nigerian crude from our terminals is supposed to record how much it has taken and on behalf of who is lifting it in terms of customer, including whether the crude oil belongs to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation or it belongs to our partners, like Shell, Mobil, Chevron and so on. And then we ask where are they going? Including the facts of the documents like when it was sold and which account the money was going. We have gone quite far and a number of countries have cooperated with us. In fact, again we try to get more facts from Lloyd’s of London, that is the famous shipping line insurance brokers. Because some people would take petroleum from terminals, and then change the receipt, change its direction, and put the money into individual accounts. So we want those documents in our hands so we can successfully prosecute those who have been stealing Nigerian crude. We can’t mention the details because it may compromise the legal processes, but definitely, we have done a lot of work and very soon the processes of prosecution will start. http://thenationonlineng.net/buhari-on-sarakis-trial-law-will-take-its-course/ The Face of Criminal Fraudster and Bank Robber saraki 1 Like
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| Politics › Re: Photos From The Senates Plenary Session Today [SARAKI REJOICES ] by LocalChamp: 10:22pm On Sep 29, 2015 |
The Face of Criminal Fraudster and Bank Robber Saraki 1 Like
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