Ministers: Senate clears Orubebe, Allison-Madueke, five others

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed the re-appointment of Mrs. Diezani Allison–Madueke, Mr. Godsday Orubebe, Prof. Ruqqayatu Rufai and four other ex-ministers, into President Goodluck Jonathan’s new cabinet.
All the seven nominees screened by the Senate were confirmed fit to serve as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The others cleared by the upper legislative chamber are Mr. Emeka Wogu, Sen. Bala Mohammed, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, and Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (retd).
The screening of the other 27 other nominees continues on Thursday (today). Jonathan had on Monday sent a list containing 34 names to the Senate for approval as ministers.
At the screening of the nominees on Wednesday, Wogu, a former Minister of Labour, told the Senators that the Revenue Allocation Formula was due for a review. He also said the N18,000 minimum wage already signed into law was implementable, but added that states could dialogue with the respective labour unions for agreeable positions.
“The country needs a new revenue formula. It is however the responsibility of the National Assembly to amend the Act,” he told the Senate.
Another cleared nominee, Orubebe, said development of the Niger Delta would be fast tracked if more funding was made available to the ministry in charge.
According to Orubebe, the East West and Coastal Roads were major projects that could transform the region.
“We have a reasonable peace in the region; the framework for its development is complete. What is needed now is funding,” he said.
Former Minister of Heath, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, who also faced the Senate screening, defended the National Health Bill recently enacted, saying that it would bring succor to the Nigerian people.
He argued that although some groups had issues with the bill, it would be necessary to allow the operation of the Act until such a time when amendments could be done on it.
“The bill certainly cannot satisfy everybody. It is my view that we should move on with implementing the law and we may subsequently amend those areas we find problems,” he said.
He blamed the travelling of notable Nigerians outside the country for medical treatment on the lack of facilities, skills, and incessant strike actions by medical workers.
The exercise is coming on the heels of protests against and criticisms of some of the nominees, especially from their home states.
In Lagos, a retired judge, Justice Ishola Oluwa, faulted the nomination of the former Minister of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, as the Lagos State’s representative in the federal cabinet.
“The point is that, as it stands now, Lagos State has no representative in the federal executive council. Aganga is from Sabongida Ora in Edo State. He cannot represent Lagos State. I am not against his nomination, but he should not represent Lagos,” the 93-year-old Oluwa said.
The judge has an ally in the Lagos State Indigene Alliance which said that it had sent a petition to the President on Aganga’s nomination. In Ondo State, members of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday protested the nomination of Mrs. Mobolaji Johnson as the state’s representative in the federal cabinet.
The party noted that Johnson could not represent Ondo because, she was “from Lagos by marriage.” The woman is married to the son of a former military governor of Lagos State, Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson (retd).
Chairman of the Interim Committee of the PDP in the state, Prof Olu Agbi, told journalists in Akure, the state capital, that the party had nothing personal against Johnson but that a well-known politician should be appointed from the state as a minister.
Agbi therefore urged Jonathan to appoint a full indigene as a representative of the state in the federal cabinet to “avoid the total annihilation” of the party in the state.
Meanwhile, a cross-section of groups and individuals continued to voice their opinion on the ministerial nominees of the President.
The Campaign for Democracy and the Congress for Progressive Change criticised Jonathan’s ministerial list, saying it was not “encouraging.”
The president of the CD, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, said that the list was full of PDP members.
She said, “The list is not encouraging. One had expected that the list would have more technocrats than PDP members. As it is now, there are more PDP members than technocrats.
“Although the President is a product of the PDP, he should be able to shed the toga of the party. Appointments should not be for rehabilitation.”
National Publicity Secretary of the CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said the list comprised the same “non-performing” people.
“We should not expect a fundamental shift from the cluelessness of the last year. Indeed, tough times lie ahead. You cannot do the same thing, the same way all the time and expect different results. I’m afraid it is the same of the same,” he said.
A Lagos-based constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itsay Sagay, who spoke to one of our correspondents on the phone, said he did not know most of the nominees.
He knocked the list for not having the name of former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, on it. He said the omission was tragic.
Sagay said, “To be frank with you, I don’t want to speak on something I’m not sure about. I don’t know most of the people on the list. But Ajumogobia’s name is not there and I find that to be a major tragedy because he is the finest and the most effective Minister of Foreign Affairs we have had in the past in the history of this country. So why should he drop somebody who was so perfect for the job. It doesn’t make sense to me at all,” Sagay said.
Another Lagos-based lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, critisised the list for containing “regular politicians.”
“I am disappointed with the fact that the list is filled up with regular politicians. Though we expect that once a party wins an election we expect it to form government. But we are looking for people who are credible from civil society, from the academics, to, at least, act as fresh impetus to the administration. The list that we have today, except with some few exceptions is unable to take Nigeria to the next developmental level. So I’m quite disappointed,” Aturu said.

By Niyi Odebode, Oluwole Josiah, Sunday Aborisade, Tunde Odesola, Ade Adesomoju

Courtesy Of: Punch

Daily Times: Court orders IG to produce Anosike brothers

A Lagos High Court in Ikeja has ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, to produce the Anosike brothers – Fidelis and Noel – in court on July 24 to face charges of theft and fraudulent acquisition of the Daily Times Nigeria preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC was to arraign the accused persons on Tuesday on a 40-count-charge bordering on stealing over N1.72bn belonging to the DTN and fraudulent acquisition of the company from the Federal Government.
But the absence of the Anosikes in court stalled the arraignment on Tuesday.
The trial judge, Justice Habeeb Abiru, subsequently ordered the IGP to produce the accused persons on the next adjourned date, July 24.
According to the charges the EFCC filed against the accused persons and their company, Folio Communications Limited, they committed the offences between February 2005 and January 2010.
The EFCC alleged that they fraudulently acquired the Daily Times of Nigeria by false representation, falsely claiming to have the means of acquiring the company.
It alleged that the accused persons first mortgaged the Daily Times Nigeria’s assets and then selling off its properties to acquire the controlling 56 per cent of its shares from the Bureau of Public Enterprises.
The 56 per cent of the total shares standing at 140,252,900 of the total 233,754,840 shares of the company and valued at N70m, EFCC claimed, was fraudulently obtained by falsely pretending to possess the means to pay for the acquisition.
The commission alleged that the accused persons had, with the intention to defraud the Federal Republic of Nigeria, falsely claimed that the net worth of prospective shareholders was N6.1bn and that their company, Folio Communications Limited, had a 5-year-turn-over of the sum of N4.1bn.
The Anosikes also allegedly stole a total sum of N1,727,458,500, part of which were said to be proceeds they got from selling DTN’s stake in Naira Properties, owners of Nigeria Stock Exchange
The EFCC said the accused stole millions of Naira from the DTN’s account with the Oceanic Bank, Zenith Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank.
They are also to face charges of stealing about N190.9m realised as rent of various properties of DTN.
By Ade Adesomoju                             Courtesy Of: Punch

Corruption: EFCC vows to get ex-governors

Some ex-governors currently walking the land free had better enjoyed their freedom for now because the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has vowed to go after them soon.
Contrary to the widespread belief that the anti-graft agency had let go of the 2007-2011 set of governors, head of the body, Mrs. Farida Waziri, said on Wednesday that corruption investigators would soon swoop on the ex-governors.
Only the ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, and his deputy, Usman Nafada, were arrested among the top functionaries of the last administration.
Waziri, who spoke in Abuja when the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists visited her at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency, denied that her agency was selective, adding that she was only bidding her time to prepare watertight cases against the former governors.
“Nothing has been swept under the carpet. It’s like they say, once beaten twice shy. We are still working. We want to do a proper job of investigation before we arrest and prosecute,” she said.
The EFCC had, few months before the May 29 end of tenure of some governors, sent operatives after some of them. The states are Ogun, Abia, Imo, Nasarawa, Oyo, Gombe, Zamfara, and Kano.
While the ex-governor of Imo State, Ikedia Ohakim, handed over government to his successor, Rochas Okorocha, three days before May 29 and hurriedly left the country, Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State travelled out of the country on the eve of the inauguration of his successor, fuelling speculations that they were running away from anti-graft operatives
But Daniel returned to the country three weeks after, saying he had only gone for a “deserved rest.”
In a country noted for official corruption at a large scale, only few state chief executives leave office without the need to face anti-corruption investigators and courts. Most of the governors that left office in 2007 had either been tried and convicted, or are still undergoing judicial trials for corruption charges.
For example, Former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, has known no peace since he left office in 2007. He has been charged for all manner of corruption and economic offences, including money laundering. And his trial has traversed about three continents---Africa, Asia and Europe.
He was a few days ago extradited from Dubai in the United Arab Emirate to London for the resumption of his corruption trial. He had escaped further trial by EFCC, which accused him of the alleged illegal disposal of 528 million shares belonging to Delta State in Oceanic Bank valued at about N44b, to Dubai last year only to be tried in the UAE country and extradited to London.
Ibori’s next door neighbor, Lucky Igbinedion faced a 156-count charge of money laundering, corruption and other economic crimes committed while in the saddle as the governor of Edo State. In a bizarre plea bargain, the EFCC slashed his alleged offences to only one. He was convicted on the one-count charge and Justice Abdullahi Kafarati of Federal High Court, Enugu, fined him N3.5m to the amazement of many.
Also, ex-governors of Abia, Plateau, Enugu states, Orji Uzor Kalu, Joshua Dariye, Chimaraoke Nnamani, among others, were grabbed and arraigned for sundry corruption charges immediately after their tenure expired in 2007.
President Goodluck Jonathan’s predecessor as governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, was also detained in London on charges of money laundering in September 2005. At the time of his arrest, Metropolitan police found about £1m cash in his London home. Later they found a total of £1.8m ($3.2m) in cash and bank accounts. On his return to the country, he was impeached and in July 2006, he was found guilty of corruption by the court in Nigeria and sentenced to two years imprisonment.
By Olamilekan Lartey                   Courtesy Of: Punch

Bankole’s family denies accused

The family of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, has said one Toyin Bankole, currently undergoing trial in an Abeokuta court for an alleged visa – related offence is not related to the former lawmaker.
In a statement by the former speaker’s younger brother, Mr. Ayo Bankole, the family stated that Toyin Bankole was not a member of the family.
“The family had ignored newspaper reports initially, but it has become necessary to make the clarification as the erroneous report persisted and was beginning to take a life of its own. We had hoped at the outset that our hardworking press men and women would check thoroughly and correct the misrepresentation of facts. This unfortunate linkage has caused the family and the former Speaker a lot of embarrassment.
“The misinformation has also spread through the Internet and we have read with dismay the unfortunate comments by Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora, which was predicated on inaccurate information,” he said.
By Agency Reporter                           Courtesy Of: Punch

Warning strike: Reps seek dialogue with electricity workers

The House of Representatives passed a resolution on Wednesday seeking to dialogue with the National Union of Electricity Employees in a bid to stop the warning strike by workers in the power sector.
It asked the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Labour and Productivity to “enter into dialogue” with the union over the issues agitating the workers.
The union had threatened to embark on a strike on Wednesday to protest the alleged non-implementation of 50 per cent salary increase workers in the power sector.
The House, however, believe that such a strike was unnecessary and costly for the nation as it could ground the economy completely.
The sponsor of the motion, Mr. Tajudeen Yusuf, told the House that the strike also had a link with the apprehension of the workers over the deregulation of the power sector.
The immediate Chairman of the House Committee on Power, Mr. Patrick Ikhariale, observed that “the 24-hour warning strike will cost us a lot of money.”
He said, “The greatest fear of these workers is the Federal Government’s plan to privatise the power sector.”
However, Ikhariale observed that the apprehension by the workers was needless as privatisation would lead to more jobs and competitive pay.
Citing the case of the deregulation of the telecommunications sector, Ikhariale argued that the workers would later appreciate the intention of government.
According to him, the power sector reform has come a long way “and we cannot at this stage begin to talk of abandoning it.”
Ikhariale recalled that deregulation started in 2002 with the splitting of the former National Electric Power Authority.
He added that the development gave birth to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria and 18 other companies.
The lawmaker told the House that the essence of the dialogue was for both government and the union to resolve any pending issues in their negotiations.
By John Ameh                       Courtesy Of: Punch

Lagos Assembly screens nominees

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Wednesday started the screening of prospective cabinet members of the state, whose names were submitted to the House last Friday by the Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.
The sitting, which was presided by the Speaker of the house, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, started at 12pm and was adjourned till Thursday.
Out of the 37 names on the list, 13 persons were screened and confirmed on Wednesday, including former commissioners, Tunji Bello and Ben Akabueze.
By Agency Reporter                 Courtesy Of: Punch

Oyo probes Alao-Akala’s contracts

Oyo State Government on Monday inaugurated an eight-member committee to investigate all the contracts awarded by the administration of former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala.
Inaugurating the committee in Ibadan, the deputy governor, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, said the probe was in tandem with the government’s determination to encourage due process and transparency in the conduct of its business.
Alake-Adeyemo however said the committee was not targeted at any person or group, adding that it was not designed to witchhunt any government official either serving or retired.
The deputy governor stated that the committee, which was headed by Mr. Oluremi Osiberu, had eight weeks to submit its report.
He said the committee was empowered to ascertain, among others, the level of commitment of the past administration to various contractors handling various projects across the state.
Its terms of reference include: identifying all outstanding contracts; examining the extent of compliance with due process while awarding the contracts; and establishing or verifying the extent of completion of each contract.
The committee is also expected to recommend appropriate sanctions to those found culpable and advise on payment for genuine ones.
The deputy governor explained that the findings of the committee would go a long way in assisting the government to establish whether the contracts were awarded in conformity with the Public Procurement Act and determine those areas that require urgent government attention.
He urged members of the public to support members of the committee to carry out their responsibilities judiciously.
By Olalekan Adetayo             Courtesy Of: Punch