FG, monarchs in settlement deal

The Federal Government has commenced an out of court settlement with the 21 traditional rulers from the Niger-Delta area who had gone to a Federal High Court in Abuja demanding N500bn meant for the development of the region.
In the suit before Justice Ibrahim Auta, the monarchs, under the aegis of the Traditional Rulers of the Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria, on Tuesday informed the court that infrastructural development in their communities had been stalled owing to the continued withholding of the said funds by government.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Minister of Finance, Ministry of Finance and Niger Delta Development Commission are 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants respectively in the suit.
His Royal Majesty, Eze Young Ogbona, leading 20 others from the oil producing areas, said funds meant for disbursement to the Niger Delta Development Commission between 2001 and 2009 were withheld by the Federal Government since the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
By Agency Reporter                 Courtesy Of: Punch

Graft: Court remands Igbinedion in prison

former Edo State Governor

A younger brother of former Edo State governor, Lucky Igbinedion, Mike, was on Tuesday remanded in prison custody on a 66-count charge of corruption levelled against him and others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Also ordered to remain in prison custody was the ex-governor’s former personal assistant, Patrick Oboigbodin.
The ex-governor, who was also standing trial over the same allegations alongside his brother, Oboigbodin, and four others, was, however, acquitted and set free by the Federal High Court, Benin, Edo State.
Mike, who is to remain in custody at the Oko Prison, following the refusal of the trial judge, Justice Adamu Hobon, to grant an oral application for his bail burst into tears when he realised that his lawyer, Ricky Tarfa (SAN), could not secure his bail.
Hobon, in ruling on an application brought by their lawyers, challenging the EFCC on grounds that the accused had been tried and convicted for similar offences by the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu, in 2008, singled out only the first accused, Lucky Igbinedion as having been convicted for similar offences.
The accused persons further challenged the court’s jurisdiction to enter the suit.
Dismissing argument by counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, for continuation of prosecution of all the accused, Justice Hobon said, “I have considered the plea of bargaining… that there was in fact plea bargaining between the EFCC and the accused and for which the first accused is now called to answer a case for which will amount to double jeopardy.
“Regrettably however, none of the second to seventh accused have shown that they have been charged earlier and in the absence of such evidence, the plea of double jeopardy cannot be available to them.
“Consequently, their application must fail and be dismissed. Each of them is therefore asked to enter their pleas while the first accused is hereby discharged and freed.”
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them.
While hearing for bail application has been fixed for June 8 and 13, hearing in the substantive case was adjourned to July 13.
Mike and Oboigbodin, were seen being hurriedly crammed into a waiting black coloured Chrysler Tuareg 300 limousine car with registration number DY03-BEN, on their way to Oko Prison.
By James Azania                     Courtesy Of: Punch

Again, Bankole fails to honour EFCC’s invitation

The outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, for the second time, failed to appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday
Our correspondent learnt the EFCC might be forced to move against Bankole when his tenure expires on June 6.
The EFCC had invited Bankole last Thursday to answer questions on alleged N10bn loan fraud and N2.3bn scam that had rocked the House during his tenure, but he wrote to request for more time, prompting the agency to give him last Tuesday to appear.
A youth group, the Youth Anti-Corruption League had in a petition to the agency chronicled financial misdemeanour against the speaker and urged it to investigate.
Specifically, the group urged the EFCC boss, Mrs. Farida Waziri, to investigate his role in the N2.3bn car scam and the mismanagement of the N9bn capital budget of the House for 2008/2009.
As at press time, Bankole was yet to arrive at the Abuja headquarters of the EFCC.
Our correspondent gathered that the special investigators were waiting for Bankole’s arrival as the commission had obtained fresh facts in the allegations against the speaker.
By Olamilekan Lartey                     Courtesy Of: Punch

Speakership: PDP moves against anti-zoning Reps

The Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday moved to neutralise efforts of House of Representatives members-elect and the opposition parties plotting against its power sharing arrangement.
Investigations revealed that the PDP leaders and President Goodluck Jonathan’s meeting with the party members-elect on Tuesday night was part of efforts to tackle the anti-zoning lawmakers.
It was also gathered that the swift appointment of Senator Pius Anyim was “to pull rug out of anti-zoning elements’ feet.”
The party had last month released its power-sharing arrangement, which zoned Senate presidency to the North-Central; deputy Senate presidency, South-East; speakership of the House, South-West and deputy speakership, North-East.
The PDP also zoned Secretary to the Government of the Federation and its chairmanship to South-East and North-East respectively.
In spite of the zoning of the speakership to the South-West, the Deputy Whip of the House, Alhaji Aminu Waziri-Tambuwal (Sokoto State, North-West) has indicated interest in the post.
Two candidates, Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola and Mr. Muraina Ajibola have also emerged from the South-West.
It was gathered that the PDP leaders were disturbed by anti-party activities of its members, who had been working against the zoning arrangement.
Investigations showed that the Action Congress of Nigeria leaders met with the party House of Representatives members-elect in Lagos on Sunday.
A source at the meeting said the leaders directed the lawmakers to vote for Waziri-Tambuwal, who is from Sokoto State.
A member of the ACN’s National Executive Council, who pleaded anonymity, said, “We are going to do anything that will make the PDP’s zoning unworkable.
“Our aim is to ensure that our lawmakers pass laws on true federalism in the country.”
As a follow-up to the ACN’s meeting on Sunday, Tambuwal on Monday met with some members of the ACN and Labour Party in Abuja to further solicit support.
Investigations on Tuesday showed that the PDP lawmakers were warned against teaming up with the opposition to destabilise the party.
“The members have been warned against working against the party’s zoning arrangement. We will not tolerate anti-party activities. said a chieftain of the party.
The party and the President had last month held a similar meeting with the lawmakers at the Presidential Villa, where they were directed to comply with the zoning arrangement.
After the meeting, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olusola Oke, told THE PUNCH, “The PDP zoning stands. We have not altered it and we have no intention to do so.”
By Niyi Odebode                   Courtesy Of: Punch

Ogun Assembly reconvenes, reverses G-9 resolutions

The Ogun State House of Assembly on Tuesday after nine months of closure reconvened and declared the sittings of a faction of the House, popularly tagged the G-9, as illegal and reversed all the resolutions reached by the group.
A group of nine lawmakers loyal to the immediate past governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, led by Soyemi Coker, at its sitting on September 6, 2010 impeached the Speaker of the House, Mr. Tunji Egbetokun, and suspended 14 others.
The Inspector General of Police, on the heels of the crisis generated by the action of the nine lawmakers, directed the closure of the assembly complex for five months until the complex was opened for sittings of the G-9 members amid tight security.
The members of the House, also at the sitting, presided over by Egbetokun, on Tuesday laid to rest the mystery behind the improvised Mace purportedly used by the G-9 lawmakers as it discovered that the Coker’s “mace” was produced from bamboo.
Egbetokun, who was led into the sitting of the House by the Sergeant-at-Arms, Mr. Tajudeen Olasehinde, asked the Sergeant to identify the authentic Mace of the House.
Olasehinde, who had held the position since the past 18 years, during interrogation by members of the House admitted that the Mace used at the sitting was the authentic one used by Egbetokun and his predecessors in office, adding that he never carried the improvised Mace during the sitting of the G-9 lawmakers, led by Coker.
The Sergeant-at-Arms, while defending his role in the crisis in the House said, “I only led a Speaker to the House during their last Wednesday valedictory sitting but I never carried any Mace. I only discovered that the Mace will be on the crest during the sittings.”
Olasehinde who said he acted under the directive of the Clerk of the House, Mr. Demola Badejo, said, “As a civil servant, I must obey order.”
He was also able to establish before the House that eight lawmakers sat on the floor of the House on September 6, and that a member of the House, Fasiu Bakenne, never sat with the others but was coerced at the Governor’s office to sign the statement issued in the governor’s office.
Badejo also defended himself in the crisis.
The House also at the sitting of the lawmakers approved the state governor, Senator Ibikunle, Amosun’s pronouncement that the Ijebu Ode International Stadium be named after the late Otunba Dipo Dina.
By Francis Falola                        Courtesy Of: Punch

No hiding place for corrupt ex-govs in South Africa —Envoy

The South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Kingsley Mamabolo, on Tuesday in Abuja advised Nigerian ex-governors who might want to evade arrest by the anti-graft agencies in Nigeria by running away, to have a rethink because there would be no hiding place for them.
The envoy specificially said his country had no accommodation for people fleeing from facing corruption charges in their country.
Mamabolo, on behalf of his country, also congratulated Nigeria on holding a successful general elections and the inauguration of President Goodluck Jonathan. He said critics had been proved wrong that credible election was not possible in Nigeria.
The High Commissioners, in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja, said Nigeria and South Africa had a bi-national commission through which they were committed to working together on every aspect.
He said, “If Nigeria or South Africa needs something from each other in the area of collaboration, they would get it because that is the essence of the bi-national commission. We will put it on the table and request for assistance.
“The issue of assisting in getting corrupt public officials depends on the request; if nobody makes any request we may not be inclined to assist because we are not the ones to pass judgment. But if there is a request, it will be looked into because there is a relationship.
“But I don’t think there is anybody that is running away and hiding in South Africa or even if they were, it will be naïve for them to think they won’t be reached there because all we need to do is for the two governments to sit down and see how to resolve it.
“In any case, I am not aware of anybody running away after stealing money. But if there are, it is a matter of us sitting down to negotiate about it because South Africa will not want to harbour people who have been accused of wrongdoing.”
 By Friday Olokor                      Courtesy Of: Punch

Civil service, focal point of Oyo’s restoration –Ajimobi

Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has described the civil service as the focal point of the state’s journey of restoration and transformation under his leadership.
He said his government would depend largely on the service, which he described as the hub of activities of any administration and the engine room of progress of any state, to execute and achieve its agenda of restoration and transformation.
Ajimobi made the submission at the inter-faith service marking his assumption of office held at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, the state capital, on Tuesday.
He said his administration could only achieve its set goals of restoration with the support of the civil service.
He said, “We recognise that no government can make headway if it belittles or looks down on the civil service.
“Not only will this government consciously refrain from being at the gathering of anyone who has no regard for the civil service, this administration will pursue the restoration of its lost glory.
“We are, however, aware that our civil service is bedevilled with challenges. One of the first steps we will take as a government is to restore the sagging confidence that the Oyo civil servant has been forced to contend with in recent years.
“On the heels of this is a task that this government will undertake to expose our civil servants to appropriate in-service training programmes that will hone their skills and prepare them for efficient service delivery.”
By Olalekan Adetayo                 Courtesy Of: Punch