How 10 Agencies were Removed from the Ports

Two weeks after the federal government released a list of agencies that have been barred from operating at the nation’s ports, facts have emerged about what informed the sack of the agencies from the ports.

According to a report obtained by THISDAY, the sacking of 10 agencies from the ports was based on the recommendations of a working group set up by the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in a bid to ensure a seamless clearance of goods at the ports.

A few weeks after assuming office, Okonjo-Iweala had constituted the study group to proffer solutions to the persistent gridlock at the ports. Her ultimate ambition is to ensure that 48-hour cargo clearance is achieved in Nigeria.

The body, dubbed the Presidential Working Group on Ports Decongestion, recommended the streamlining of the number of agencies at the ports to 5, leaving the Nigeria Customs Service, Port Health, Immigration, Nigerian Police and NPA. It was strongly recommended that the NCS should be the leading agency in the clearing process.

"Other agencies should relocate outside the port premises and be invited only on need basis," said the report.

The panel members drawn from her office, the Nigerian Customs Service, Ministry of Transport and the private sector, and which had names like Omar Suleiman (MD Nigerian Ports Authority) chairman; Bolanle Onagoruwa (DG, Bureau of Public Enterprise); Emeka Ezeh (DG, Bureau of Public Procurement); Julius Nwagwu (Customs); A.O. Ibeh (Director, BPE), recommended that the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control; National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria be barred from operating in the ports.

Other agencies include the Directorate of Naval Intelligence; Nigerian Plant Quarantine Services; Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission; The State Security Service; National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency.

According to the report, said to have been submitted to the finance minister early in October, the working group noted that the operations of Nigerian ports over the years had been associated with inefficiency and corruption. A copy of the summary of the report made available to THISDAY blamed the problems at the ports largely on poor infrastructure, poor work ethics by all the agencies at the port as well as multiplicity of agencies at the port.

It noted: "These agencies through their daily activities have made business at the port very unfriendly as it causes delay in clearing of goods which ultimately adds to the cost of importation. It is against this background that this working group has painstakingly considered the inherent challenges and came up with short term, medium term and long recommendations to ensure 48 hours cargo clearance."

A source told THISDAY that: "Okonjo-Iweala obtained presidential approval to implement the recommendations within a few days after receiving the report. This resulted in her trip to the Apapa Ports in Lagos on October 10, where she unveiled the new deal for Nigerian ports to industry stakeholders.”

Also, the report expressed concern about lack of operational guidelines for shipping lines and terminal operators in Nigeria and recommended thus: "The Shipping line and terminal operators should have direct traders input.

The Shipping lines should carry 70 percent of empty containers when they are leaving in order to solve the problem of excessive empty containers at the ports."

Six agencies were retained at the ports by the government instead of the five recommended by the study group. They are the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, The Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Police Force and Ports Health. The State Security Service was also allowed to remain at the ports.

But, investigations have shown that the desired result of the policy has yet to be achieved as the problem of congestion, especially at the Apapa port, in Lagos, still persists, with a stretch of container-bearing lorries regularly spilling onto the streets.

The minister’s decision been hailed and condemned almost in equal measure with a few agencies apparently staging a last ditch effort to be retained at the ports.

By Ojo Maduekwe              Courtesy Of: ThisDayLive

Minister pleads with Delta to issue C of O to Navy

The Minister of State for Defence, Mrs. Olusola Obada, has pleaded with the Delta State Government to issue a Certificate of Occupancy to the naval base located in the state.

Our correspondent learnt that the land on which the Navy Logistics Base, Oghara, Delta State is built, was yet to be surveyed and properly demarcated.
The development, it was learnt, had made land speculators to begin a massive encroachment into the premises of the base.
The minister, who spoke against the backdrop of reports that the community had serious frictions with the military, asked the governor to take an immediate action to forestall any altercation.
Obada, who paid a visit to Uduaghan in Asaba as part of her inspection tour of formations in the Western Naval Command, which she said started from Lagos, appealed to the state government to survey the land.
Written by  Emmanuel Addeh                      Courtesy Of: Punch

Court restrains Amosun from probing Dipo Dina’s, others’ killings

Former Governor of Ogun State, Engr. Gbenga Daniel, yesterday got an injunction from a state High Court sitting in Abeokuta, restraining his successor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, from probing the killings, maiming and disappearance of persons during Daniel’s era.

Amosun had  in September 14 constituted a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to unravel mysterious deaths, missing of persons and harassment of people in Ogun in the last seven years and the commission which had called for memoranda from the members of the public is expected to begin sitting soon.

Members of the commission are Messrs Pius Adeyemi, Abdulahi  Mustapha, Dalopo Akinsanya, Bamidele Aturu, Tunji Onabamwo and Lanre Suraj.

But yesterday embattled Daniel, through his counsel, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, approached the court in a suit No: M/174/2011, seeking the leave of the court to declare as “illegal and unconstitutional,” the constitution of the Truth Commission by Governor Amosun.

Osipitan said his client would be relying on Section 36 (4) of the constitution to argue his case against the governor and others joined in the suit, adding that the power of the governor in Section 2 (1) of the Commission of Enquiry Laws, Vol. 1. Of Ogun, 2006 does not include power to constitute the Truth Commission.

“His (Governor Amosun’s) power does not include the power to conduct an enquiry on whether the past governor, his aides, persons who served with him committed any crime between January 2003 and May 2009. He is not competent by the law to set up a commission of enquiry into any alleged criminal acts,” Osipitan, argued.

He equally prayed the court to restrain members of the commission from further investigation, making findings, recommendations and or sanctions in respect of the activities of ex-Gov. Daniel and his aides and this prayer was granted.
In granting the relief sought by Daniel, Justice  Paul Onamade said: “The applicant is seeking the leave of the court and coming under Order 40. And this leave is required by the law before the respondents can be served with the motion on notice for the determination of the matter and the merit.

“I hold the view that the application should succeed and it is hereby granted as prayed. This granting of leave should operate as a stay of proceeding on the Ogun State Truth and Reconciliation Commission,“ Onamade said.
 Senator Amosun, in a ceremony marking his 100 days in office, had said that the Truth Commission, when it commenced sitting, would carry an investigation into  the loss of lives and property by the people without appropriate measures to seek redress.

The panel headed by retired Supreme Court justice, Justice Pius Aderemi, is expected to reopen unresolved cases of the killing and disappearance of prominent Ogun indigenes, namely, Otunba Dipo Dina, Mr. Age (Lemomu) Animashaun, Dele Arojo.

The panel will also probe the assassination  of 65 political supporters of Senator Amosun, among others.
 The Truth Commission was set up in the fulfilment of the inauguration promise  that Ogun indigenes, including his 65 political supporters, who were murdered by sponsored political thugs between 2005 and May 2011 without opportunity for redress would be revisited.

His words:”You will recall that during the campaigns, we promised that we would not allow the plight of our compatriots who lost their lives, properties or were brutalised and made to suffer different forms brutality to pass away without appropriate measures to seek redress or at least, investigate what happened.” 

By Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta               Courtesy Of: Punch

Tinubu to Lagos LG chairs: Put people first or face party’s wrath

Ahead of the swearing in of elected local government chairmen and councillors in Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), has warned the council officials to put the people first or face the party’s wrath.

“Any chairman mismanaging resources and pursuing personal interests, above that of the people, will be dealt with by the party, according to the law,” Asiwaju Tinubu said.

Congratulating the elected officials, he urged them to always remember that the people were the cornerstone of the party, adding that  why they were in government, the people must always come first.

“The people are the reason you are all in government.  So, the people must take priority.  That is the only way we can justify your nomination by our party and your election by the people,” he said.

The former governor of Lagos State added that the chairmen, with their councillors, must, therefore, cut down on the celebration of victory and hit the ground running, going after what he called “the low hanging fruits”, so that the people can, as fast as possible, feel their impact.

But he also put the Lagos Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties on notice.
He said: “The ACN would challenge some councillorship results.”

He, however, added that it would be at the tribunal as it always does and not in the streets.
Therefore, he advised all other aggrieved parties to toe that line, as provided by the law.

Stressing the need to follow due process, he cautioned against any aggrieved party resorting to self-help.  
“We understand the desperation of some of their leaders around here who want to make a point to impress Abuja and continue to collect resources from Abuja.  We know it is all about a financial war chest towards the 2015 elections.  But we must put our people first in all we do, and must not sacrifice their interest in destructive politics.

“Lagosians know their true leaders and will not be intimidated.  They are ready to follow the party that is transforming Lagos.  We make no claim that we can do it all at once as a party.  Neither do we claim that every council area can perform at the same speed and standard.  All we say in our party is that we will always give it our best shot and try not to disappoint our people,” he said.  

Courtesy Of: The Nation

LASU: Hike in fees divides Lagos Assembly

Some members of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday opposed the plans of the state government to increase the tuition fee of the Lagos State University students.

The Speaker of the assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, on Tuesday, summoned the state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Olayinka Oladunjoye; Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Education, Mr. Fatayi Olukoga; LASU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oladapo Obafunwa, and the president of the institution’s students’ union, Mr. Durojaiye Akeem, over the recent protest by students against the proposed hike in tuition fees.
Ikuforiji said the hike in fee was too sudden, and at an average Lagosian could not afford to pay it.
He added that although the state wanted a standard and effective learning environment for the students, it must be affordable and convenient for the people.
He said, "The government has to be lenient as far as this issue is concerned, or else our standard of education will fall."
According to him, the state government has to fund education and subsidise when necessary, but the people must know that nothing comes free.
He added that although they advised the governor, to set up a visitation panel to look into the problem of the institution, the recommendation of the panel was not brought before the assembly before it was implemented.
He said, "The standard of education has really dropped and every right thinking member of the state knows that only the quantity of education has increased, the quality is reducing."
He said if care was not taken, only the rich would be able to study, while the masses would have no place in the society.
The deputy speaker of the assembly, Mr. Kolawole Taiwo, faulted the action of the state government for breaching sections one, two and three of the "Lagos State Revolution Approval Law 2001," which stipulate that the executive cannot effect any directive unless it is approved by the state house of assembly.
Taiwo said, "The state shouldn’t have created a university when it cannot cater for it. We have an organised system, if we then say free education is optional in tertiary institutions, then LASU shouldn’t be created."
He added that the state could not afford to implement the 26 per cent budget policy by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation to the education sector.
The lawmakers urged LASU authorities to find means to generate fund instead of relying on the state government alone.
They noted that the institution was over- populated, which made it difficult to cater for the numerous students, stating that parents who sent their children to LASU were the 18, 000 minimum wage-earning civil servants and might not be able to afford such exorbitant amount.
The Commissioner for Education, Mr. Olayinka Oladunjoye, said the government’s plan to increase the tuition fee was to provide an efficient infrastructure demanded by the students.
According to him, other universities in the country pay more than the proposed N193,750 to N348,750 demanded from the students.
Ikuforiji later resolved the issue by forming a five-man committee to consult and proffer solution that will be acceptable to the government and students, to be submitted on November 10, 2001. 
Written by  Sodiq Oyeleke                     Courtesy Of: Punch

Sovereign Wealth Fund is to deceive Nigerians, says Tinubu

Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) national leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has criticised the creation of Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) by the Federal Government. 
Describing it as “illegal”, the former Lagos State governor said he is in support of the legal action taken by governors against the Federal Government. 
Tinubu told reporters in Abuja that SWF is another name for Excess Crude Account to deceive Nigerians by the Federal Government. 
His words: “I’m in full support of the governors going to court. The Sovereign Wealth Fund is an illegal looting committed under an act. It is giving the Excess Crude Account (ECA) another name and taking it to the House for illegal constitutional amendment. 
“When an act confiscates and contradicts the constitution, Section 162 of the constitution says all revenue must be distributed. You cannot act unconstitutionally if you are a government of rule of law. You are confiscating the money of the state; you are violating the constitution; it is illegal. 
“It is an amendment to the constitution if it is not seen clearly by Nigerians. Otherwise, Section 162 of the constitution is useless. What are the steps to be taken before an amendment to the constitution takes effect. That is clear there. I ask, if you are a regular saver and your child is dying of anaemia in a hospital and you say you are saving for that child to inherit, will you say you must save that money and not pay for the blood if the child needs blood transfusion? 
“The states say this is our time to develop, why are you forcing them? You can save the federal government portion. It is unconstitutional. I’m in support of the governors.” 
On yesterday’s proceedings at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Tinubu said “I enjoy learning. It went professionally well, you could see the firework between the lawyers. I’m very proud of my team. I’m very happy and impressed. It means we can still help Nigeria by being honest, it means we can still hope for Nigeria to see that the fundamental human right is projected, the right of individuals will not depend on the amount of power confers on them by the office and those who allege must prove. The matter is left for the judiciary but there is still hope that this country can ensure justice.
By Kamarudeen Ogundele                         Cortesy Of: The Nation

Labour rejects govt’s stand on subsidy

•Minister’s ‘lamentation is rationalisation of criminality’

Labour yesterday rejected the government’s argument over the planned removal of fuel subsidy.
The NLC reinstated its opposition to the plan, which the government says will bring in more cash for better services. But its opponent insist it is a move to further impoverish Nigerians. 
President Goodluck Jonathan and Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke are justifying the proposal.
Mrs Alison-Madueke said in Perth, Australia on Tuesday that the date for the commencement of the subsidy withdrawal had not been fixed.
She said the government would stay action on it, until consultations with Nigerians are concluded.
Besides, the government will raise a panel of eminent Nigerians to manage the cash that will be saved from the withdrawal of subsidy.
This, according to the minister, will encourage transparency and efficiency. Besides, it will, she said, ensure that the cash is spent to better the people’s lot.
But the NLC, in a statement yesterday by its President Abdulwaheed Omar, rejected the government’s argument.
Labour accused the minister of not speaking the truth. “These are untrue statements calculated to mislead the international community and to lure Nigerians away from the on-going mobilisation against this anti-people policy,” the workers said. 
The NLC recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan, in his letter to the National Assembly on the Medium Term  Expenditure Framework of his administration stated categorically that the fuel subsidy would be removed as from and that the take off date is January 2012.  
The NLC added that the President, on his way to the Commonwealth Summit, to which the Petroleum Minister accompanied him, reportedly said fuel subsidy must be removed because the alternative is the collapse of the economy.  
Labour said the workers’ body will not relent in its mobilisation to resist “this policy that will further impoverish the citizenry”.
The statement said: “In any case, the issue at stake is not whether the Jonathan administration is yet to take a position or is confused as to what decision to take, the patriotic issue is that fuel subsidy should not be removed. 
“The fundamental issue is not the per-second denials of government officials, but that the Jonathan administration should side with the Nigerian people. 
“It should be noted that the whole debate which has pitched government and its cronies against the Nigerian people, was started by the Federal Government, which is still expending huge public funds on this manoeuvre. 
“The position of the NLC is that our oil resources which should be an advantage to the country, should be used for the benefit of the people; that as Nigerians, we should have comparative advantage on prices of petroleum products over citizens of non-oil producing states. 
“The NLC rejects the Petroleum Minister’s lamentation that government cannot check the fraud in subsidy because ‘… we are not in a military regime, the market forces of supply and demand has to be allowed to a certain extent.’ 
“We think that this is a rationalisation of criminality and an admission of failure.  We do not need a military regime, to deal with criminality, what we need is a democratic process of bringing culprits before a court of competent jurisdiction and dispensing justice. 
“The minister’s announcement that a Think Tank is being proposed by government on the subsidy issue is laughable as government should have done so and thought through the process before announcing subsidy removal. 
“Also, her claims that government wants to consult “stakeholders” on the issue is like putting the cart before the horse; that should have been a basic step before government announcement of its decision to remove oil subsidy. 
“Her announcement that the subsidy to be removed would be used for road works, public maintenance, mass transportation, youths skill development, maternity and child care is gimmickry;
what are the huge resources of the country, which are at the disposal of government used for?   
“The reality is that despite the trillions of naira budgeted annually for these basic needs, the roads remain in a deplorable state, public maintenance is absent, mass transportation is non-existent, youths are abandoned as are the public hospitals leading to high mother and child mortality rates. 
“The Petroleum Minister also announced that the proceeds of the subsidy removal will be managed by Nigerians of integrity.  The question is, who are those managing the national economy and the annual budgets; if they are not Nigerians of integrity, why not handover the economy to such Nigerians? 
“Recreating a DIFFRI as General Ibrahim Babangida did or a Petroleum Trust Fund as General Sani Abacha did, is disingenuous.  Government should simply leave its induced oil subsidy in place. 
“The Minister’s statement that ‘We (Jonathan administration) cannot please all the people all the time’ rings hollow. While this is a truism, the removal of oil subsidy will displease 99 per cent Nigerians. If government disproves this, it should subject its fuel subsidy removal to a referendum,” the NLC President said.
The government claims that subsidy – of about N1.2 trillion, according to its officials – has benefited only a few individuals to the detriment of the generality of Nigerians for whom it is meant. It promised to plough back the cash saved from subsidy withdrawal to provision of infrastructure.
By Joseph Jibueze                       Courtesy Of: The Nation

Reps move to remove EFCC boss, Waziri

The job of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri, may be on the line. On Wednesday, a bill seeking to make the headship of the anti-graft agency the exclusive preserve of retired justices of either the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court passed the second reading.
If the bill sails through both chambers of the National Assembly, Waziri might be asked to leave the seat. At best, she would not be allowed a second term at the end of her tenure next year.
Waziri, who assumed office in May 2008, is not a retired justice of either the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court but a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police.
The bill seeking to amend the EFCC Act, 2004, is sponsored by a member of the House from Cross River State, Mr. Bassey Ewa.
The bill passed second reading at the House on Wednesday after lawmakers debated it.
Ewa claimed that the EFCC, as presently constituted, was deficient in prosecuting corruption cases.
He said that the commission’s modus operandi had been to file charges it could not substantiate in court.
According to him, the commission can file up to 500 charges against a suspect “and one by one, these charges do not hold in court” because the agency is not receiving proper guidance from its leadership.
In his view, a retired judge will do a better job because such a person has the experience of knowing what charges can be sustained in court.
He said he wanted the EFCC to be headed by a retired judge as was the case with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, which Ewa claimed had done “more successful prosecutions than the EFCC.”
The lawmaker blamed part of the alleged weaknesses of the EFCC on the absence of an investigation unit.
He proposed the creation of a unit charged with investigation in the agency to be headed by an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, “either retired or serving.”
While the Senate declined comment on the bill, preferring to await its coming, the EFCC on Wednesday described the allegations against the commission as “cheap blackmail.”
Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba, said, “We have not seen the bill, we cannot say anything until it comes.
“I will not be able to aggregate what all the senators will be thinking right now, so let’s wait.”
Spokesperson for the EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said, “The allegation by the House of Representatives is invalid because there has never been any case filed by the commission in court that has ever been thrown out for lack of evidence.
“So how does anyone come out with the allegation that we rush to court without proper investigation? That is a cheap blackmail.”
He, however, declined to speak on the Bill for the appointment of a retired Justice of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal, saying he had no details yet.
Some lawmakers in their contributions to the debate alleged that the EFCC had become a political tool.
Mr. Kamil Akinlabi told the House that the agency would “rush to court with all manner of charges” just to satisfy alleged political interests.
“The EFCC is being used as a political tool. When you have a retired judge as the head of the EFCC, they will do a thorough investigation before rushing to courts”, he added.
Mr. Uzor Azubuike shared the same views, accusing the commission of “operating from the presumption that the accused is already guilty.”
Mr. Emmanuel Jime supported the bill on the grounds that it would be the first step to restructuring the EFCC and the ICPC.
“The mentality of those fighting corruption at the EFCC right now is not consistent with the rule of law.
“We cannot fight corruption in a manner that is not consistent with the law”, Jime stated.
Lawmakers passed the bill in a unanimous voice vote to the Joint Committee on Justice, Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes for further deliberations.
It is unclear whether the Senate will concur to the bill after it has scaled third reading at the House.
Last week, a proposal by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Mr. Ita Enang, to merge the EFCC and the ICPC, failed on the floor of the Senate.  
Meanwhile, constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN, said the bill by the Reps might not achieve the desired results.  He said the effectiveness of the anti-graft agency depended on the person heading it.
Sagay said, “The appointment of a retired judge may not necessarily achieve the purpose the House of Representatives may be talking about. It depends on the personality of the EFCC chairman. A retired Police officer will be relevant in the area of investigation.
“But a retired judge is likely to be better and independent than a retired police officer who is like a civil servant that has been in the office taking instructions from somebody as we have seen in many cases.”
A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, said appointing retired judges as the chairman of the EFCC would not necessarily enhance the commission’s performance.
Aturu told one of our correspondents on the phone late on Tuesday, “Don’t you realise corruption is a war? Corruption is not a joke. Don’t we have corrupt judges? So the problem will not be solved by appointing retired judges.
“What is important is appointing a person who can do the job. I will even recommend that the law should be amended to allow anybody, whether the person is a policeman, a teacher or whatever could be appointed as the EFCC chairman. What is important is that the person should be courageous and must not be a corrupt person.”

Written by  Akinwale Aboluwade, Ibadan John Ameh, Friday Olokor and Ade Adesomoju 

Courtesy Of: Punch

Court orders NDLEA to produce Baba Suwe

A Lagos High Court, in Ikeja, on Wednesday ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to produce Nollywood actor, Babatunde Omidina, popularly known as Baba Suwe, in court on Tuesday, to allay the fears of his family members over his state of health.
Omidina  on Friday, sued the NDLEA, demanding N100m from the agency for allegedly violating his fundamental human rights.
He  contended that the anti-drug body violated his right by keeping him in its custody for more than the constitutionally-allowed 24 hours since October 12.
Justice Yetunde Idowu ordered the NDLEA to produce Omidina “physically in court” on Tuesday following an application by his counsel, Mr. Bamidele Aturu.
Idowu said the actor’s physical presence in court would allay the apprehension of both his family and the public over his state of health and his safety in the NDLEA custody.
The NDLEA, represented by its Director, Prosecution and Legal Services, Mr. Femi Oloruntoba,  acceded to the prayer  seeking that Baba Suwe be produced in court at the next adjourned date. Oloruntoba however, raised concern about the security challenges likely to be introduced by  the crowd which Baba Suwe’s presence in court might attract.
But Idowu, dismissed any fear concerning security, saying “we have to consider the mind of the family.”
She assured that measures would be put in place to ensure security by keeping such a crowd away from the court premises.
 Written by  Ade Adesomoju               Courtesy Of: Punch

Tinubu questions tribunal’s jurisdiction on foreign accounts trial

Former Lagos Governor  Bola Tinubu on Wednesdayin Abuja said the Code of Conduct Tribunal lacked the jurisdiction to try him for allegedly operating foreign accounts while in office.
Speaking through his lead defence counsel, Mr. Wole Olanipekun, Tinubu denied  he was  invited for questioning by the Code of Conduct Bureau like other former governors excluded from trial.
But Tinubu, through Olanipekun, is asking the Justice Danladi Umar-led panel to quash the charges and/or strike out the three counts asamended filed on September 20 against him by the complainant/respondent.
While moving the application accompanied by an 11-paragraph affidavit and predicated on 10 grounds, Olanipekun said the CCT was not known to the 1999 Constitution.
He said, “The mandatory conditions precedent for the referral of complaints by the Code of Conduct Bureau to the Code of Conduct Tribunal and the subsequent exercise of jurisdiction by the said tribunal has not been complied with.”
Olanipekun referred to Section 3 of the CCB and Tribunal Act, stating that “where the person concerned makes a written admission of such breach or non-compliance no reference to the Tribunal shall be necessary”.
He said, “What the prosecution is doing is to put something on nothing; they want it to stand, it will not stand – it will collapse like a pack of cards.
“Where a person can make a written admission, there will be no need for trial, the applicant must be invited; there is no short-cut about this, it is paramount, it is fundamental. The CCB said it invited those other governors, if it is sauce for the goose of those governors it must be sauce for their gander.”
The applicant’s counsel also challenged the venue for the trial, saying it should have been in Lagos, the place where the alleged offence was committed.
He cited the case of former Delta Governor James Ibori when the Court of Appeal said trial should take place in the state and not anywhere else.
But the prosecution counsel representing the CCB, Mr. Alex Izinyon,  opposed the application, arguing that the CCB has discretion on who to invite and who not to invite.
However there was a hot argument on whether Tinubu should be in the dock or not.
As soon as the tribunal’s clerk mentioned the case and Tinubu indicated his presence, the chairman of the tribunal  ordered him to enter the dock but his counsel, Olanipekun objected, saying that the applicant was objecting to the charge preferred against him.
He added that since he had not taken any plea, he could not be in the dock.
 Written by  Friday Olokor, Abuja            Courtesy Of: Punch

N15bn scam: Doma, others yet to fulfil bail condition

There were indications on Thursday that former Nasarawa State Governor Aliyu Doma and eight others had yet to meet the bail terms granted them by Justice Marcel Awokulehin of a Federal High Court in Lafia.

 

Doma and the other accused are facing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on 17 counts of laundering stolen state funds estimated at over N15bn.

EFCC sources told our correspondent that 24 hours after being granted bail none of the accused had been able to meet the conditions and as such remained in detention.

But when contacted to ascertain if the accused were still in the commission’s custody, the spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said he was not aware that any of them had been able to fulfil their bail conditions.

Awokulehin had while ruling on their bail application granted Doma bail in the sum of N300m and two sureties in like sum.

The eight others were granted bail in the sum of N200m each and two sureties in like sum.

While one of the two sureties must own property in any metropolis within the jurisdiction of the court, the second surety must be a civil servant in either in the federal or state government service not below Level 15.

All the accused were told by the judge to deposit their passports with the court.

They are also to remain in EFCC custody in Abuja pending the perfection of their bail conditions.

The former governor and eight others were arraigned on October 18, 2011.

Doma was arraigned along with Senator John Dangoyi, Abdulmumin Jibrin, Timothy Anjide, Dauda Egwa, Suleiman Ibrahim, Broworks Ltd and Green Forest Investment Ltd.

The charges filed against two other accused, John Aigbakhode and Incapint Nig Ltd, who are still at large, were stepped down.

The case was adjourned until December 6 and 7, 2011, for the substantive trial.
 Written by  Friday Olokor                  Courtesy Of: Punch

‘Afenifere’s visit to Daniel set bad precedence’

The Afenifere Renewal Group on Thursday, flayed Afenifere leaders’ visit to former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Danel, saying they had set a bad precedence.

 

The Afenifere leaders led by Chief Reuben Fasoranti, offered Daniel solidarity when they visited his Sagamu home on Wednesday.

Daniel is currently facing a 16-count of corruption against him by the Economic and the Financial Crimes Commission.

But the ARG said the leaders should have waited until Daniel was cleared by the court before reacting and showing solidarity.

The spokesman for ARG, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, said the visit was inappropriate.

He said, "There is also the question of morality and value. Elders are supposed to be custodian of truth. Elders should not intervene when a case is still in court. If there should be any visit, it should be from Daniel to explain what is going on and not from the elders.

"I am not saying that Daniel is guilty; the elders should allow the judiciary to run its course. If he is pronounced innocent, the elders can then speak. What they are doing now sets bad precedence and sends wrong message to the young ones that when they grow up and anything goes wrong, they could expect elders to show solidarity."

The ARG Chairman, Mr. Wale Oshun, however, declined comment.

He said, "We decided to renew because we felt that things could be done in a more efficient manner."

The Ogun State deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the April election, Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye, said the Yoruba elders that visited Daniel were not representing their people but themselves.

"These people are contractors. They have benefitted directly and personally from Daniel and their visit was not a surprise in any form. But they should have waited for the court of law to make its judgement before jumping the gun," said the former Ijebu East Local Government chairman, who spoke to THE PUNCH on the telephone.

"They should also know that their pronouncements were contrary to the conditions on which Daniel was granted bail."

However, a leader of the PDP in Ogun State, Chief Bode Mustapha, said Daniel was the architect of his own misfortune.

Mustapha, a former member of the House of Representatives, also dismissed the allegation by Daniel’s camp that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was behind the former governor’s travail.

Written by  Sesan Olufowobi             Courtesy Of: Punch

SWF: Okonjo-Iweala denies friction with governors

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has denied the existence of a conflict between the Federal Government and the state governments over the controversial Sovereign Wealth Fund.

 

Okonjo-Iweala, who is also the coordinating minister for the economy, on Thursday said the Federal Government had implemented the plan after extensive consultations with the governors.

Okonjo-Iweala made the clarification in Abuja at a conference organised by the Economist Conferences, a division of The Economist Group, publishers of The Economist newspaper.

At another forum in Benin, Edo State, Governor Adams Oshiomhole, confirmed that a few state chief executives were consulted before the Federal Government launched the SWF with a N150bn initial deposit.

"The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to be fair to her, consulted a few of us governors before the Sovereign Wealth Fund was launched. We gave our support for the launch of the Sovereign Wealth Fund. It was done with our consent, and it wasn’t done in spite of us," Oshiomhole said at the opening of the 15th Annual Conference of the Institute of Nigerian Stockbrokers in Benin City.

The finance minister told participants at the Abuja conference that the Federal Government viewed the SWF as a strong instrument for saving and investment and so would continue to discuss with those who hold opposing views on the fund.

She said, "We need to think of saving for the future and that was why in the beginning, we started the Excess Crude Account.

"We discovered that that account was not underpinned on legislation and we built on that for the SWF. We have been discussing with the governors who said they have needs to meet.

"When we started the Excess Crude Account, there was debate too. If not for that account, the country would not have made through the financial crisis of 2007/2008."

She insisted that fuel subsidy weighs heavily on the budget and it does not benefit the poor.

Okonjo-Iweala, however, lauded the ongoing debate on the desirability or otherwise of the removal of the subsidy, saying that the best decision would be taken at the end of it all.

She assured stakeholders that whatever resources accrued to the government based on the removal would be spent on things Nigeria could see.

The minister said that the government was working hard to reduce recurrent expenditure from the current 74 per cent to less than 70 per cent.

She said biometrics was currently being used to weed out ghost workers and ghost pensioners.

She explained that the money freed up in the process would be spent on infrastructure.

Earlier, the Africa Editor, Economist Intelligence Unit, Katharin Pulverinacher, had identified the SWF, minimum wage, crime, corruption and inflation as some of the current challenges facing the country.

Pulverinacher observed that dire state of infrastructure had continued to constrain growth in the manufacturing sector.

She however said that many of the constraints identified could be weakened with political will and improved technology.

This, she added, would enable Nigeria to achieve her dream.

In Benin, Oshiomhole said that a more sustainable approach to saving should involve deducting an agreed percentage of national revenue, irrespective of fluctuation in oil price, for future development.

"Saving only when there is excess crude money is not sustainable," he said. "It is an ongoing discussion. I believe the matter will still be discussed at our next joint meeting."
Written by  Olalekan Adetayo               Courtesy Of: Punch

Tribunal throws out Akunyili’s petition against Ngige

The Anambra State Election Petitions on Thursday struck out the petition filed by Prof. Dora Akunyili and the All Progressives Grand Alliance against the election of Senator Chris Ngige of the Action Congress of Nigeria in the Anambra Central Senatorial election.

The tribunal’s decision was based on an application filed by the counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Osita Nnadi seeking to strike out the petition by Akunyili and APGA on the grounds that they failed to file Form TF008 with the tribunal.

Form TF008 is required to be filed by parties in a petition, if they intend to be part of the pre-trial hearing in the petition. Form TF008 contains the list of questions that must be answered as a party in an election petition.

 

Though INEC and counsel for Ngige and the ACN had argued that the form was not filed with the tribunal or served on the parties. But counsel for Akunyili and APGA insisted that the form was filed, as indicated by the records of the tribunal.

But the legal team could not explain why they did not serve the other parties in the petition with the form. They alleged that the form from their own file was stolen in their hotel.

The ACN legal team led by Chief Emeka Ngige urged the tribunal to invite the police and the State Security Service to investigate the manner through which filing of the form got into the records of the tribunal.

In a considered ruling, the tribunal chaired by Justice Onajite Kuejubola, said having established that the petitioner failed to file the form, it was withdrawing its jurisdiction to hear the pre-trial of the petition.

 Written by  Emmanuel Obe             Courtesy Of: Punch

Oyo road rehabilitation

Oyo State Government has started the second phase of its road rehabilitation programme, with an assurance that it will tackle the decay of infrastructure in the state.

 

The ceremony, which took place at the Aleshinloye Market, began with the asphaltic improvement of NIHORT-Idi Ishin-Forestry-Aleshinloye Junction Road.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi assured that after the completion of the rehabilitation of all the deplorable roads, his administration would commence the construction of new ones, adding that all roads leading to the state capital would be dualised.

He said the road from the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway overhead bridge to the Challenge area of Ibadan would be dualised and overhead bridges constructed in Challenge and Mokola areas.

The governor said the projects had been captured in a supplementary appropriation bill forwarded to the state House of Assembly for approval.

Written by  Ayodele Oluwagbemi            Courtesy Of: Punch

Boko Haram: Police hid bomb warnings from Presidency

Chiefs of the nation’s security agencies were in panic mode on Wednesday following shocking revelations by the co-founder of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, a.k.a Boko Haram, Aliyu Tishau.
A source in the Presidency told one of our correspondents that the information that Tishua claimed to have given to the police was not made available to other security agencies. The source, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case, said the National Security Adviser’s office and the State Security Service were not informed about the warnings. He added that the non-disclosure of the advance warnings ensured that the Presidency couldn’t act to prevent the bombings.
The source, a senior Presidency official, spoke against the background of criticisms that have trailed the accusations of negligence levelled against the government by the Boko Haram leader.
Tishau on Tuesday on an African Independent Televison interview programme, said that he had warned the police authorities about some bombings before they took place. The warnings, which he said were often specific, were ignored.
He also alleged that he had informed the police authorities about the planned bombing of the force headquarters three days before the incident, stressing that the terror attacks were caused by the negligence of the government and security agencies.
Tishau had said, “Three days before the attack, I warned the police that there would be an attack in Abuja that would embarrass the security authorities. Also, after the bombing of the police headquarters, I was summoned before the IGP and given a GSM phone. I called the person who planned and led the attack and we spoke right in front of the IGP. So, all these terror attacks are caused by the negligence of government.
“When I gave my advice, the police chased, arrested me, and kept me in detention. Before I was detained, I gave the police the video recordings of how some of how our members were being given military training, but the IGP ordered that I should be detained. I was left in detention for 10 months.
“But those things that I warned about are playing out today. While I was in detention, I was in contact with our people and I still gave forewarnings to the authorities about attacks. I even told them beforehand whenever an operation was to take place. The bombing of the police headquarters had been planned and on many occasions and I had always told them in advance.”
Our correspondents learnt that the nation’s security chiefs were worried that President Goodluck Jonathan would take drastic actions as a result of the revelations. Watchers say that the claims that the police had enough information to stop the attacks meant that proactive actions could have led to a reduction in the number of lives lost and the damage done.
A senior intelligence officer who spoke to our correspondent confirmed the anxiety among the security agencies. He said, “There is fear among the top security chiefs over the revelations made by the Boko Haram leader. Tishau said he had given advance warnings of bomb explosions to the security agencies. I can tell you that they did not pass this intelligence to the National Security Adviser. The President is not aware of these things.
“Now that it has come to light, President Jonathan won’t treat the issues with levity. The security chiefs concerned have some explanations to do, I can assure you.”
The source in the Presidency said that President Goodluck Jonathan, currently in New York for the 66th UN General Assembly meeting, had been apprised of the revelations by the Boko Haram leader.
“The President is obviously unhappy about the development and he is likely to announce some radical measures when he comes back,” the source said.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Sola Amore, could not be reached for comments as he did not respond to our correspondents’ repeated calls and text messages.
However, a senior police officer said the police management was studying the Boko Haram co-founder’s interview and would respond at the appropriate time.
“We have noted the allegations and we are studying them for now, but we will react at the appropriate time,” he said. The SSS Assistant Director, Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, could also not be reached as her phone was switched off as at 6.18 pm.
Meanwhile, the ACF said that the revelations had once again confirmed the “leadership failure in the country.” National Public Secretary of the organisation, Mr. Anthony Sani, challenged all the governors accused by Tishau to defend themselves.
The Boko Haram leader had said, “For instance, in Borno State, the governor sponsors a group of armed youths known as ECOMOG. It is this ECOMOG that he looks after, above the police, SSS and other security agencies. In Gombe State, the governor has the Kalari. I was once contacted by a governorship candidate to kill an opponent for a fee. The security agencies know what I am telling you.
“In Bauchi there is the Tarafuka, an armed group sponsored by the government, and the government watches on, even when we have the SSS and police. That is why our new leader, Mallam Abubakar Shekau, is calling on the youths to disregard all governments in the country – a call that has brought him and the group into conflict with the government. Some politicians are now taking the advantage of the conflict between the Boko Haram leadership and the authorities to execute their own agenda.”
Sani said, “The insecurity that comes with violence is attributed to poverty and immorality that are traced to failure of leadership, which is currently in the hands of politicians. If Boko Haram could accuse governors, then the said governors should defend themselves.”
On the conditions given by the group, he said, “The ACF would like to note that no sacrifice is too much in order to attain the needed peace and national security that are good for all.”
By Adelani Adepegba and Segun Olatunji                   Courtesy Of: Punch

Daniel denies underpayment

The immediate governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, on Wednesday denied allegation by the state government that he underpaid civil servants during his eight-year tenure.
The Secretary to the State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, reportedly accused Daniel on Tuesday of non-compliance with the Personal Income Tax Act because it was not paying the salaries of workers in full.
But Daniel, in a statement by his Media Assistant, Mr. Adegbenro Adebanjo, said Adeoluwa’s claim was meant to justify what he described as a punitive tax regime imposed on the workers by the Senator Ibikunle Amosun administration.
By Agency Reporter                   Courtesy Of: Punch

Ladoja blames Obasanjo

A former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja,on Monday blamed the economic problems in the country on former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to Ladoja, Obasanjo spent more time during his tenure “settling scores with people” and travelling round the world.
He told journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State that Obasanjo, on assumption of office in 1999, failed to address poverty and infrastructural problems in the country.
Ladoja said, “Obasanjo had a very good opportunity as President. But he was at the same time the minister for Foreign Affairs. Obasanjo gave more time settling scores with people rather than facing the task of governance.”
Ladoja, who also spoke on the insecurity in the country, said if Obasanjo had dedicated his time to service, he would have been a better leader.
By Agency Reporter                  Courtesy Of: Punch

Tribunal nullifies ACN Rep victory in Ekiti

The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday nullified the election of a member of the House of Representatives representing Ekiti Central Federal Constituency II Mr. Oyetunde Ojo.
Ojo, who contested the Election on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The tribunal held in its verdict, read by Justice Patrick Uhuo, that the petitioner and candidate of the National Transformation Party, Mr. Peter Bamidele, was unlawfully excluded from the poll by INEC.
The tribunal also stated that it had “no doubt that the petitioner was unlawfully excluded from the election of April 26, 2011.”
It therefore ordered INEC to conduct a fresh election in the constituency within 90 days.
It said, “INEC is hereby ordered to conduct a fresh election including the name and logo of the first and second petitioner within 90 days.”
Bamidele, who was represented by his counsel, Mr. Obafemi Adewale, had in his petition asked the the tribunal to nullify the victory of the ACN candidate and order a fresh poll to include him.
Counsel for the respondents, Mr. Niyi Idowu, said his clients would appeal the judgment.
 By Femi Makinde, Ado-Ekiti                      Courtesy Of: Punch

Lagos judiciary drafts new court rules

A new draft of the reviewed High Court of Lagos State Civil Procedure Rules 2004 was on Wednesday presented to the public as part of the ceremony marking the beginning of a new legal year in the state.
The High Court Civil Procedure Rules governs the proceedings of non-criminal matters, including probate (family) cases in the state.
In her remark at the event, Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Inumidun Akande, said there was the need to clear the hindrance to giving legal backing to the draft rules.
Akande, who advocated for stronger adherence to constitutional provision of separation of powers for achieving independence of the judiciary, said the draft when ready would be signed by her and no longer by the legislature.
According to her, Section 89(1) of the current High Court Law 2004, which gives power to the House of Assembly to make rules of practice and procedure for the High Court, needed to be amended first.
She said the provision was against the principle of separation of power guaranteed by Section 274 of the 1999 Constitution.
Justice Akande explained that the CJ, being the head of the court in the state, ought to make and sign rules relating to the court according to provision of Section Section 274 of the 1999 Constitution.
By Ade Adesomoju                             Courtesy Of: Punch

PDP, Oyo Assembly trade words over foreign trip

The Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State has described as ill-timed, the trip by the leadership of the Oyo State House of Assembly to the United Kingdom.
The PDP said this in a statement by its Director of Media and Strategy, Mr. Morounkola Thomas, in Ibadan on Wednesday.
The party noted that the fact that the House leadership embarked on the trip at this time suggested it was insensitive to the plight of the people who are still counting their losses to the August 26 flood disaster in Ibadan.
It said, “The fact that the House leadership can organise the tour at this time has shown it to be insensitive to the plight of the people of the state who have not recovered from the flood disaster that hit Ibadan less than one month ago.
“The PDP notes with concern the fact that since the disaster happened, the House has not deemed it fit to convey a special session to provide legislative succour to the victims of the floods.
“What is more disappointing is the fact that none of the legislators from Ibadan has visited their constituencies to share in the grief.”
Arguing that the attitude of the lawmakers amounted to legislative recklessness, the party added that apart from the floods, the state was ravaged by cholera.
It also noted that visiting the UK about three months into the tenure of the Assembly showed that the Action Congress of Nigeria was insensitive to the plight of the people of the state.
However, the Press Secretary to the House, Pastor Lekan Kolade, described the PDP statement as ill-conceived.
“This is a party way of assessing issue. You will recall that the Speaker of the House was on lesser Hajj when the flood disaster happened. She had to cut short the trip and came back,” Kolade told our correspondent on the telephone.
He debunked the claim that the Assembly did not convene to address the tragedy. According to him, the lawmakers, who were at the time on recess, reconvened to legislate on the action to be taken by the government on the disaster.
Kolade added, “They(PDP) are just trying to make an issue out of this. The Speaker, in company with other principal officers of the House inspected the disaster areas, delivered relief materials, assessed the situation and deliberated on the issue of environment.
“Part of the House decisions was to give support to the executive on the decision to demolish illegal structures along water paths in Ibadan.
“The lawmakers whose constituencies were affected had since visited the affected areas and personally presented relief materials.”
Kolade said the decision by the lawmakers to travel abroad was not for frivolity but borne out of their resolve to evolve a vibrant legislative arm in the state.
By Akinwale Aboluwade, Ibadan                         Courtesy Of: Punch

Tambuwal: PDP chiefs fear Senators, Reps’ revolt

FACTS emerged on Wednesday why the Peoples Democratic Party is afraid of sanctioning the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, and his deputy, Emeka Ihedioha, for violating the party’s zoning arrangement.
Checks by our correspondents showed that the PDP was afraid of incurring the wrath of the sizeable number of Representatives who voted for the two men, and their sympathisers in the Senate. The thinking in the PDP, sources told our correspondents, was that the National Assembly might turn against President Goodluck Jonathan if Tambuwal and Ihedioha were removed for the party’s chosen candidates.
The Speaker and his deputy were enthroned on June 6 through a conspiracy between the PDP members of the House and opposition lawmakers. The aim of the plot was to rubbish the PDP zoning arrangement.
The ruling party had zoned the Speakership to the South-West but the lawmakers gave it to Tambuwal from the North-East. At the time, the lawmakers had described the move as the “triumph of democracy.”
But the Chairman of the PDP’s Board of Trustees and former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently asked Tambuwal and Ihedioha to resign their positions, arguing that their election violated the party’s power-sharing formula.
Our correspondents learnt that the party was unwilling to defer to Obasanjo because it feared that forcing the Speaker to resign might lead to a move by Tambuwal’s supporters and opposition lawmakers to plot the impeachment of Jonathan as a way of hitting back at the PDP.
“The PDP National Working Committee felt thatObasanjo’s demand was an invitation to chaos,” a member of the NWC told one of our correspondents on Wednesday. He asked not to be named.
The source said the President had more problems than he could cope with, including the Boko Haram challenge, and that it would be crushing “to have a hostile parliament at the same time.”
The NWC member explained, “If we insist on the Speaker’s removal, it is the President that will feel the heat. The House members will think that Jonathan is behind the move to get rid of the Speaker and they can transfer their anger to him. We do not want anything that will compound our problems.”
He said that was why the PDP’s stand on the election of Tambuwal was diplomatic.
He said, “This is the first time that the party would be ridiculed by its members. As a political party which wants to take the issue of indiscipline seriously, we need to call them to order.
“Don’t forget that there is tension in the polity concerning the bombings that are going on, we decided that it is better not to heat up the polity as a result of this issue.
“Apart from this, we should not forget that we also have strong opposition among those who planted the Speaker and his deputy there. Our hands are tied because we have a strong opposition in the country and also the majority of our members in the House who belong to the PDP are even against us in this regard.”
The acting National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, recently told journalists in Abuja that the party would not prevail on the Speaker and his deputy to resign.
He said that Tambuwal and Ihedioha had apologised for violating the power-sharing arrangement of the party, adding that there was no need to punish them.
The PDP NWC member further said that the party’s investigations showed that the opposition lawmakers in the House and the northern elements who supported Tambuwal’s election were ready to cash in on the crisis that his removal would cause.
He said, “You will recall that it was yesterday (Monday) that we raised the alarm that the Congress for Progressive Change was plotting the impeachment of the President. It will amount to a political suicide, if we champion Tambuwal’s removal
“Remember, 252 out of 360 members elected Tambuwal. It will be disastrous if the members move against the President. Any move to remove him may result in a backlash against Jonathan. Even in the Senate, the Speaker has sympathisers.”
The NWC member, who earlier explained the stand of the party on Obasanjo’s demand, said the North deliberately worked against the PDP’s power-sharing arrangement because it felt it had been short-changed.
He said, “By the previous arrangement, the Senate Presidency should have gone to the South if the President came from there. You remember that during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, the South produced the Senate President.
“The North believes the Speaker should come from the North because the speaker is believed to be strong administratively than the Senate President. On the issue of the suggestion that Tambuwal and Ihedioha should spend only two years as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively, honestly, I don’t know how this can be done.”
Meanwhile, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prof Rufai Alkali, and the National Vice-Chairman, South-West, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, have said that Obasanjo remains a leader in the party.
While fielding question from journalists in Osogbo on Tuesday, Alkali and Oladipo said Obasanjo should not be criticised over his comments on discipline and the power sharing arrangement of the party.
Alkali spoke in Osogbo when he paid a condolence visit to Oladipo, who lost his father last Friday.
By Niyi Odebode, Olusola Fabiyi, Fidelis Soriwei andTunde Odesola         
Courtesy Of: Punch

Bankole’s return bid causes ripples in House

The bid by immediate Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, to return to the House is reportedly causing ripples among the lawmakers.
But, Mr. Segun Williams, who defeated Bankole in the race for the Abeokuta Federal Constituency seat last April, told journalists on Wednesday that the ex-speaker’s return moves did not bother him.
Bankole had congratulated Williams, a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria shortly after the result of the poll was declared.
The ex-speaker said that he would not contest the victory of Williams in court.
However, his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, later went to court to challenge the outcome of the poll and joined Bankole as co-plaintiff.
Findings showed that some lawmakers were said to be worried over the ex-speaker’s moves.
“He has not been leaving anything to chance since he lost the election.
“The ex-speaker has been moving like a wild wind and wants to return to the House”, a National Assembly source told The PUNCH in Abuja on Wednesday.
Williams dismissed the return bid, saying that he won the election by popular votes and had no reasons to entertain fear.
He said, “I don’t have anything against him going to the tribunal.
“ACN won the election, adjudged to be free and fair.
“So, I can not entertain any fear. I have confidence in God and the judiciary.
“There is no way my party or I will be jittery.”
Williams also described as “blatant lies”, rumours that his party might abandon him.
“This is a complete lie; there is nothing like that. What for?
“It is unthinkable; we have a loyal and faithful party in ACN”, he stated.
Insiders at the House said that some influential lawmakers were allegedly forecasting on what the scenario would look like should the speaker win the court case.
It was gathered that certain powerful groups in the PDP were aligning with Bankole and backing his return bid.
A prominent member of the House siad, “All this is happening at a time when former President Olusegun Obasanjo is insisting that the office of Speaker must be held by the South-West.
“The PDP in the South-West is saying the same thing. We don’t know the direction they are headed.”
By John Ameh                     Courtesy Of: Punch

N’Assembly sets up constitution review committee

The House of Representatives on Wednesday named a 46-member committee to begin a fresh amendment to the 1999 Constitution.
The committee, which is headed by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, has representation from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Also, the Senate on Wednesday reconstituted its committee on the Review of the constitution, with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, as its chairman.
The President of the Senate, David Mark, who read out the names of the 47 members of the committee, however, did not announce the other standing committees of the Senate as expected.
Besides Ihedioha, eight other principal officers are to serve on the House committee.
They are the Majority Leader (yet to be named); Chief Whip, Mr. Ishiaka Bawa; Deputy Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor; Deputy Chief Whip, Mr. Ahmed Mukhar; Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila; Deputy Minority Leader, Mr. Samson Osagie; Minority Whip, Mr. Suleiman Kawu; and Deputy Minority Whip, Mr. Garba Datti.
The Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, announced the committee members during the day’s plenary in Abuja.
The 6th House in conjunction with the Senate had amended the constitution on three different occasions, placing emphasis on electoral reforms.
Mark, however, kept Senators in the dark over the membership of the committees which is being expected before the end of the week.
Although senators had expected the announcement of the committees on Wednesday, Mark spurned a surprise when he named only the membership of the review committee.
A Senator told our correspondent on the telephone that the President of the Senate was keeping the committees closed to his chest.
He said it was difficult for any person to know what the content of the list of committees would be.
“If anybody tells you he knows what the committee will look like, it is a lie. No one knows yet until it is named by the Senate President,” he said.
Meanwhile, the House resolved to make budgetary provisions for projects in the 2012 budget to tackle the flood disaster in Ibadan, Oyo State.
It also resolved to “set up a delegation to visit Ibadan to commiserate with the state government and people as well as undertake on-the-spot assessment” of the affected areas.
A lawmaker from Oyo State, Mr. Ajbola Muraina, in a motion recalled that “hundreds of people were killed” while property quantified in billions of naira were destroyed by the August 26 flooding of the city.
By John Ameh                           Courtesy Of: Punch