Buhari urge Nigerians to promote national unity

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to promote qualities that

foster national unity with a view to tackling the problems facing the country.
Speaking at the Hassan Usman Katsina Memorial Conference in Kaduna
yesterday, Buhari who was represented by the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman
Danbazau urged Nigerians to remain patriotic to national cause to foster better
integration.
He lauded the qualities of Usman Katsina describing him as a consequential and
courageous Army General who mentored more than a generation of officers and
men of the Nigerian armed forces.
A former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon described the late Usman
Katsina as a soldier who had total loyalty and commitment to his region.
He said, as his boss, he can testify that General Hassan was absolute in every
aspect and was called the “Governor of Governors.”
In his paper titled “Restructuring Nigeria for Greater National Integration and
Democratic Stability,” a former Nigerian Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
said as a country, not much has been done to realise national integration.
“The fight in this country over resource control, while it may still be significant
today, is really a fight belonging to the past,” he said.
According to him, even the discovery of large quantities of oil and gas in the
north can only bring temporary relief but cannot reverse the fundamental shifts
in the world’s energy trajectory. The Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Aminu
Masari represent by his deputy, Mannir Yakubu said General Hassan Katsina
had always propagated the values of education as a fundamental human right
essential to ensure inclusive, equitable and sustainable democratic development.
He insisted that the quality of education provides people with the skills,
knowledge and values they need to tackle various challenges they are likely to
face in the society.
The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman expressed concern over
threats to national security including Boko Haram, cattle-rustling, Niger Delta
Avengers and kidnapping in the country.
He said threats have become constant occurrences and a serious problem to
the country and the north especially.
The emir said that if Nigerians emulate the characters of past leaders, we would
not be in the mess we are today.

Buhari approves council, BoT for Ogoni clean-up

The President, Muhammadu Buhari, has approved the composition of the
Governing Council and Board of Trustees, (BoT), for the clean-up of Ogoni land.
The composition is key to the governance structure required for the exercise.
A statement from the federal ministry of environment stated that the President
approved the inauguration of a 13-member Council and a 10-member BoT.
The Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed noted that this was in line with
the implementation of the UNEP Report.
She said the governance structure ensures inclusiveness, accountability,
transparency and sustainability of the clean-up exercise.
The minister however, disclosed that her team was actively working
collaboratively with the Ministries of Petroleum Resources, Niger Delta, NDDC
and key stakeholders to see to the success of the cleanup.

Halima Abubakar under attack over virginity claims

Halima Abubakar ruffled the feathers of her fans last week when she declared

that she is a virgin and cannot wait to have kids. The 31-year-old curvy
actress made this known on her Instagram page. Some of her fans have been
pouring out their minds on her revelation and won’t buy her virginity claims.
“I just found out you bleached your skin away which is very sad. You were
natural before bleaching, now you look like a ghost. Hope you get help because
you are sick in the head. May Allah forgive you” retorted one of her fans.
Ted Cassanova added: “The good news is that I make beautiful babies!” A
certain Olayinka puts it this way: “I remember you once said you don’t want to
get married during one of your interviews. I was busy following your words.
Now I have chased all the guys away. You can’t wait to have kids again?”
Dane’s reaction was more direct: “Stop lying! The day someone who has slept
with you comes out, your half-baked career is over. “Craze they worry her, she
dated a married guy from UK few years back. I just no wan name the guy cause
na my town guy” another fan revealed”.
Halima Abubakar in the past has been romantically linked with rapper,
Ruggedman.

13 inmates escape in Kogi jail break

The Koton/Karfe Minimum Security Prisons in Kogi State, yesterday,

experienced a jail break that led to 13 inmates escaping. The prison break, it
was learnt, did not follow the usual method of outsiders bombing their way to
release their targets; it was reportedly done by the inmates.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that the inmates made their escape around 7:15 am
by scaling the prisons fence after first breaking through the inner wall of the
facility.
How that was possible remained a question yet to be answered by the prisons
authorities as the Koton/Karfe prisons was rebuilt and ‘fortified’ after the old
one, built in 1914, was broken into four times in two years.
However, a security source hinted: “It’s as if someone in the prisons did not do
his/her job well and the prisoners took advantage of that to make good their
escape”.
The source said the negligence of the person may be ‘intentional’ and hoped
that the prisons authorities will probe the break to forestall future occurrence.
The source said the remanding of some kidnapping kingpins, paraded by the
DSS, last week, may not be unconnected with the jail break.

MEND, FG strike deal to end N-Delta crisis

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the

Federal Government, currently engaged in a dialogue through the oil companies
and security agencies to end renewed bombings in the oil-rich Niger Delta,
seem to have reached far-reaching compromises, including the possible release
of a former militant leader, Henry Okah, from prison in South Africa, and his
brother, Charles Okah, incarcerated in Nigeria.
Militants vs Buhari
They were also said to have agreed that ex-militant leader, Government
Ekpemupolo , alias Tompolo, would not be harassed by government if he makes
himself available as a delegate on MEND Aaron Team 2, while the leader of the
Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, would be released on condition
that he renounces the agitation for “Biafra Republic.”
MEND, in a statement by spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, yesterday, announced
the resolutions to end the revolt in the South-South and South East
regions. The statement came on a day security forces were said to be
deploying into strategic positions in the Niger Delta to prepare to use force
against militants if peace talks failed. However, MEND said the recalcitrant
Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, still has opportunity to embrace peace, failing which
a combination of military forces and volunteers in the region would smoke
them out.
The statement said: “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta
(MEND) is the only militant group from the Niger Delta region presently engaged
in a dialogue with the Federal Government of Nigeria - through oil companies
and security agencies - with a view to resolving the current Niger Delta crisis.
“Thus far, the deliberations have been fruitful, various concessions and
guarantees have already been secured, some of which include but not limited
to the release of Henry Okah, Charles Okah and Obi Nwabueze; review of the
life sentence handed to Mr. Edmund Ebiware based on a proposal put forward
by the Aaron Team representative for Abia and Imo states, Senator Adolphus
Wabara;
conditional release of IPOB leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and others if they renounce
their agitation for a ‘Biafra Republic’”. Furthermore, MEND said they agreed
that Mr. Government Ekpemupolo shall not be arrested, harassed and/or
intimidated whenever he makes himself available as a delegate of the MEND
Aaron Team. The statement went on: “That international arbitrator and conflict
negotiator, American Dr. Judith Asuni, shall be accepted as the representative of
the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) on the MEND Aaron Team; that the criminal
charges against Urhobo freedom fighter, Mr. Kelvin Prosper Oniarah, shall be
reviewed.
“That the life sentence which was handed to seven soldiers in 2008, who
actively supported the Niger Delta struggle, be reviewed under the Presidential
Amnesty Programme. The affected persons are: Suleiman Alabi Akubo, Major.
Mathias Peter, Sgt Alexander Davou, L.cpl. Moses Nwaigwe, L.cpl. Nnamdi
Anene, L.cpl. Taatihi Emmanuel, L.cpl Caleb Bawa, PTE.
“However, one of the most immediate and urgent fallouts of the ongoing
dialogue is the imperative for the Federal Government and MEND to jointly and
separately take proactive steps to rescue and secure the region. This is in the
event that the recalcitrant Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, continues its senseless
and politically-motivated path of attacks on the country’s oil assets.
“To this end, both parties agreed that the Special Forces of the Nigerian Army
should commence the purely routine but strategic military exercise, code-named
‘Operation Crocodile Tears’; while MEND would commence a meet-the
government-actors-and-people tour of the Niger Delta region code-named
‘Operation Moses’.
“‘Operation Crocodile Tears’ is aimed at ensuring the combat readiness of the
Nigerian Army in amphibious and internal security operations in the Niger Delta
as well as check criminal activities like kidnapping, pipeline vandalism, piracy
and other forms of criminal activities spearheaded by the NDA in the Niger Delta
as well as check criminal activities like kidnapping, pipeline vandalism, piracy
and other forms of criminal activities spearheaded by the NDA in the region.
“MEND’s ‘Operation Moses’ is essentially to inform, educate and generally
sensitise the citizenry in the Niger Delta, particularly the government, the youth,
oil companies, elders and militant community on the need to ceasefire and
support the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration in its determined bid
to proffer sustainable solutions to the current Niger Delta crisis.
“Consequently, MEND urges all states, local governments, oil and gas
companies and law-abiding citizens in the Niger Delta region to go about their
lawful and legitimate concerns without any iota of fear as we have received firm
assurances from the Federal Government that ‘Operation Crocodile Tears’ is an
innocuous exercise in the national interest.
“Meanwhile, MEND’s ‘Operation Moses ‘shall be anchored by the Aaron Team 2
Dialogue, Peace and Development Initiative, jointly led by Mr. Odein Ajumogobia,
SAN, and HRH King Alfred Papapreye Diette-Spiff, the Amanyanabo of Twon-
Brass in Bayelsa State.
*No confirmation yet, says Presidency
ABUJA-Presidency has said it was not formerly in the know of any agreement
with the MEND as claimed by the Body. MEND had in a statement on Saturday
stated that its conditions for peace included the release of Henry Okah from a
South African prison, his brother, Charles Okah and the Leader of IPOB, Nnamdi
Kanu from detention. It also needed assurance from the government that
Tompolo would not be arrested when he showed up for the negotiations with
the federal government.
But speaking through the Senior Special Assistant to President Mohammadu
Buhari, Mallam Garba Shehu on the latest statement by MEND on the stage of
the peace talks, the presidency said it was yet to get a confirmation of the
supposed truce. Shehu said that the Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA
was yet to receive confirmation on the matter as at the time of filing this report.
According to him, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe
Kachikwu who was a stakeholder in the matter could not be reached on his cell
phone. “I have been trying to get the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe
Kachikwu, on phone. But he did not pick his calls. And the NSA’s office has no
confirmation as at now. May be, later. But as at now, the NSA’s office has no
confirmation of such agreement to give me”, Shehu told Sunday Vanguard on
phone.Vanguard

BUDGET PADDING: Coalition drags Jibrin to EFCC

The controversy surrounding the padding of the 2016 Budget at the House of

Representatives continued yesterday with the alleged sealing of the office of the
House Committee on Appropriation by some people suspected to be operatives
of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The controversy blew open after the immediate past Chairman of the House
Appropriation Committee, Hon Abdulmumunu Jibrin, alleged that he rejected
moves by principal officers of the House, led by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, to pad
the 2016 Budget to the tune of N410 billion.
Jibrin has been replaced by Hon. Mustapha Dawaki.
Also, yesterday, Jibrin said he had reported Dogara to the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged corrupt practices, even as the
anti-corruption unit of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) petitioned
the EFCC to ask the commission to probe the former House Appropriation
Committee Chair for alleged fraud.
Meanwhile, reacting to the alleged sealing of the House Appropriation
Committee’s office, Dawaki said it was safe and open and that all the
documents in the office, including computer system, were intact.
But the Clerk of the committee, Dr. Abel Ochobi, who tried to take journalists to
inspect that the office was not shutdown, could not gain access to his office,
prompting him to say that the security operatives seen in the place was on the
order of the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sani Omolori.The Clerk had, in a
letter to the CNA, titled, ‘Alleged shutdown, seizure, packing/relocating of
Committee system and records/documents and harassment of staff’, had
claimed that the report was false.
Saying, yesterday, that he had reported Dogara to the EFCC, Jibrin made it clear
that the Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun; the Chief Whip, Ado Doguwa, and the
Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, were also joined in the petition to the EFCC,
alongside eight other chairmen of committees.
According to the document he made available to journalists, he said, “Yesterday
we recorded huge success in our mission to get the Speaker of the House,
Yakubu Dogara and his cohorts to face prosecution.
“On the request of my lawyers, the security agencies have promptly protected
the appropriation secretariat, my office and the House”.
A coalition of media and civil society organisations also said, yesterday, that
the nation’s democracy was under trial following what it described as the
alleged plot to destabilise the leadership of the House of Representatives by
external forces.
The CSO, in the statement, signed by Omoluabi Olabode Adeyemi, Executive
Director of African Media Roundtable Initiative and convener, Coalition of
Analysts and Media and Civil Society Organisations, and Opeyemi Duke,
Executive Director, Centre for Legislative Advocacy, said it was the responsibility
of the legislature to make appropriation, adding that there was nothing like
padding in legislative terms.
The NYCN, in its petition to EFCC, signed by its coordinator of the anti-
corruption unit, Ifeanyi Okonkwo, accused Jibrin of being involved in multi-
million naira contract and called on the anti-graft agency to investigate him.
The group accused Jibrin of orchestrating the alleged padding of the 2016
budget. Vanguard

Court Sacks Makarfi, Affirms Sheriff As PDP Chairman

The leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, deepened

on Thursday , as the Federal High Court in Abuja, sacked the Senator
Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of the party.
The court, in a ruling by Justice Okon Abang, held that every action the
Committee has taken since it emerged through a convention the party
purportedly held in Port Harcourt on May 21 , amounted to nullity.
"Parties have an uncompromising duty to obey court order until it is set
aside. The Lagos Division made orders on May 12 and 20 , forbidding
the PDP from removing the Sheriff-led Caretaker Committee. That order is
still subsisting.
"Having regard to the order of the court, PDP had no lawful authority to
hold the convention that led to the emergence of the Markafi-led
Committee.
"The convention was unlawfully held and the Caretaker Committee was
unlawfully and illegally appointed and could not take any legal decision for
the PDP in view of the subsisting order of the Lagos Division of this
court.
"Consequently, any action taken by the Markafi-led Committee, including
the purported mandate for legal representation in this matter is hereby
declared illegal.
"If the Markafi-led Caretaker Committee, as apostles of impunity, missed
their way to the Port Harcourt division of this court, that court could not
have conveniently assumed jurisdiction to set aside the earlier decision of
the Lagos Division.
"I hold that the Port Harcourt division of this court cannot make an order
to neutralise the potency of the Lagos Division of this court dated 12 and
20 May ".
Justice Abang said he would have voided the judgment of the Port
Harcourt Division for being a nullity, assuming there was an application to
that effect.
He warned politicians not to cause disaffection among judges of the High
Court, saying "the culture of impunity must stop in this country".
According to the court, "Ali Modu Sheriff is the National Chairman of the
PDP. Any decision not taken by the Sheriff-led Committee is not binding
on the PDP".
The ruling came on a day two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, clashed
in court over the suit seeking to stop the National Convention of the party
billed to hold in Port Harcourt on August 17 .

Kalu, Saraki, Akpabio, Sheriff, Akala, others in ‘Big Trouble’, this is why

Trouble is here again for some ex-governors in Nigeria as FG is set to re-try

them for corrupt practices while in office.

Recall that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr

Abubakar Malami, had written to the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt

Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to reopen corruption

cases against former governors.

Those whose case will be reopened include embattled Senate President

Bukola Saraki, factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu

Sheriff; and Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio.

Other former governors include Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia); Chimaroke Nnamani

(Enugu); Saminu Turaki (Jigawa); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Joshua Dariye

(Plateau); Ahmed Yerima (Zamfara); Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Martin Elechi

(Ebonyi); Danjuma Goje (Gombe) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).

They also include Ikedi Ohakim (Imo); Obong Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom);

Achike Udenwa (Imo); Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa); Gbenga Daniel (Ogun);

Jolly Nyame (Taraba); Boni Haruna (Adamawa); George Akume (Benue);

Rashidi Ladoja (Oyo); Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto) and Adebayo Alao-Akala.

Others are Usman Dakingari (Kebbi); Adamu Mu’azu (Bauchi); Peter Odili

(Rivers), and Lucky Igbindedion (Edo).

According to Punch, the AGF ha also sent a similar request to the Economic

and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with the same list of former

governors annexed to his letter.

Drivers kill 35 FRSC regular marshals in the last year

About 35 regular marshals of the FRSC lost their lives in the passing year,

Commander Susan Ajenge has said.
Ajenge who made this disclosure on the floor of the Niger state House of
Assembly, said the development occurred when the officers were trying to
enforce simple safety regulations on the highways.
She said another staff recently knocked down by a driver while trying to clear
obstruction on the highway, is currently battling for life in a hospital.
She said the victim may loose his manhood, having gone through two
operations.
Daily Post reports that the state legislatures had invited the commander to
defend the series of criticisms by the public against FRSC, over allegations of
its officials intimidating and harassing motorists in its desperate move to
generate revenue for government.
However, Ajenge defended the commission, lamenting that rather than obey
simple traffic rules, motorists would turn around to criticise and attack FRSC
officials.
Meanwhile, an FRSC officer was beaten to pulp in Lagos, after he reportedly
caused a very ghastly motor accident. The FRSC officer was said to have
caused an accident while trying to flag down a motorist .

ARMS PROCUREMENT PROBE: THE BEATIFICATION OF SAINTS DANBAZAU AND BURATAI

The suspected cache of sleaze prevalent in the military between 2007- 2015 on the pretext of fighting Boko Haram provoked the setting up of a 13 man committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement (CADEP) in the Nigerian Armed Forces by President Muhammadu Buhari. It is headed by retired AVM John Ode and briefed to investigate the arms procurements during the period under review. As work began in earnest with shocking revelations and discoveries of the ignonimous roles played by the former Chiefs of Air Staff AVM Alex Badeh and Adesola Amosun, the former National Security Adviser Dasuki Sambo, politicians especially members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party and a whole lot of contractors, a damning report indicting both and many others has led to their arraignments. Many more prosecutions are in the offing. 

The public clapped and is gorging on the perceived odium of these soldiers and men turned villains if you like. The courts have been urged to see that justice is done in the matter not only to serve as a deterrent to others but for possible recovery of the loot. Of great importance is the expected justice for the injured, homeless and hundreds of malnourished babies dotting IDP camps in the North East. Justice for the souls of innocent Nigerians who died as a result of deliberate dereliction of duties, greed, falsehood and inactions of those involved. The courts are seen to have been consciously working to meet the expectations of Nigerians. However, the nation is in dilemma as to what to do when the courts  grants bails in favour of some of the suspects but the executive ignores it still using the courts to justify their action.

However, with the submission of the third interim report bothering on the army, the anti- corruption tang has vanished considerably. There seems to be a deliberate twist or complete derailment of the anti-corruption drive by President Muhammadu Buhari himself or his men. The campaign has unfortunately crowned and beatified two big fishes: Abdulrahman Dambazau the minister of Interior and Lt .Gen. Tukur Buratai; the current Chief of Army Staff who held various strategic positions during the period under review. In fact, Abdulrahman Dambazau was the Chief of Army Staff from 2008 to 2010 under the dispensations of Musa Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan while Tukur Buratai was the Director of procurement in Defence Headquarters from 2012 - 2014. Both played significant roles in the fight against Boko Haram. 

Both were fingered in the arms deal saga but the report indicted only two former Chiefs of Army Staff:  Generals Azubuike Ihejirika, Kenneth Minimah and others who served after Danbazau. Many Nigerians accuse the government of being selective and refusing to indict key members of the current administration who are believed to have played questionable roles in military procurement since 2007.  Nigerians could testify to the fact that the depravity and monstrous part of Boko Haram was sparked during Yar’adua and Jonathan’s administration after the killing of Yusuf Mohammed, the leader of the sect. It is ironic to hide behind a government known for its anti-corruption stance to provide cover and exonerate these two for obvious reasons.

How possible was it that the former Chief of Army Staff Abdulrahman Dambazau did not procure arms even when it was in the public knowledge that the vicious attacks of the sect on innocent citizens escalated during his reign as the army chief. How possible could it also be that Buratai who served as Director of Procurement, Defence Headquarters, between 2012 and May 2014 before he was appointed force commander Multi- national Force was ignorant of purchases and shipments of arms and logistics to fighting the terror of Boko Haram? Your answers are as good as mine. 

In an attempt to ward off allegation of bias, the Buhari government, in a statement from the office of the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said,  “Mr. Dambazau’s name was not included among those indicted because the third interim report only looked into procurement and contracts awarded for and by the military between 2011-2015. “When the documents regarding procurement from 2007 to 2010 are available and scrutinised, the committee will then issue its report on that. The audit is being done in phases, and the report that was released on Thursday is the third of such,” said Segun Adeyemi, the minister’s media aide.  What a a half truth and a smart defence of an obvious lie.

There was a report by Premium Times an online newspaper not long ago alerting Nigerians of a grand and criminal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of that report by those fingered in the saga using their positions as government officials and some cabals in the presidency in a face saving effort aimed at washing the government clean of visible corrupt elements within its ranks. In fact, according to Premium Times, “Danbazau was found wanting by investigators, and that he was frantically lobbying to have his name delisted from the report. The government is also accused of not indicting Tukur Buratai, current Chief of Army Staff, who served as the director of military procurement under the former Goodluck Jonathan administration.” The report was released and true to their “omnipotence” the evil machinations of this clique has succeeded. Danbazau and Buratai’s names were not mentioned. This action of a few powerful men will take the nation many steps backward in the well-intended fight against corruption and corrupt tendencies. The law of nature abhors injustice, therefore, the seeming dispensation of favour and application of deliberate weapons of falsehood and partiality in the discharge of national responsibilities will fail and the nation and its poor citizenry will be worse off as usual.

While those behind this pointless face saving expedition of their friends against national interest are walking the corridors of power, Nigerians are disenchanted with the seed of discord gradually being sown in the polity. It is evident that a high level of discontent is already building and brewing in the nation. One section of the country is obviously favoured for juicy appointments and also insulated from ongoing major prosecution for reasons best known to those in power. A political party and those associated with it are criminalised while those who occupied powerful political positions previously in the same party for years but have become emergency converts overnight are today walking freely and celebrated democrats. Government trudges on and behaves as if all is well with statements from appointees who Dele Sobowale, a renowned economist and veteran journalist referred to as suffering  from Aso Rock Disease strenuously striving to retain their jobs and paraphernalia of offices. But anyone who pretends that no damage is done or has been done to the essence of our nation must be living in denial and in fool’s paradise too. The result is the economic woes confronting the nation now and the prevalence of dissenting groups and non-state actors daring the government on all fronts. The latest hydra-headed monster is the Niger Delta Avengers which is a product of isolation and brazen injustice. When will Nigeria learn from her previous mistakes? This piece of information should not be misconstrued to drum support for or condone corruption or impunity by those occupying positions of authority as it was not a product of fund raised by those indicted, any proxy or pay master as the case may be but we should be treated fairly and equally in a nation already in shambles with visible crack and suspicion drawn among ethnic interest.

Lawyers in serious battle to represent PDP in court

Two different lawyers are currently in battle to represent the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP) in a case against the party by the embattled
national chairman Ali Modu-Sheriff.
Modu-Sheriff in a motion of injunction filed before a Federal High Court,
Abuja, asked that the party be stopped from conducting its planned
convention scheduled for August 17.
At the hearing in court today, Adeniyi Akintola formerly representing the party,
said he is yet to understand the role another lawyer Ferdinand Obi wants to
play in the matter.
Obi in his argument had said that the plaintiff cannot sue and offer legal
representation for one of the defendants in his suit.
He said such act would amount to a scandalous one.
The court however sought to determine who among both counsels will
represent the PDP as Akintola had accused Obi of playing dual roles on the
matter.
He said Obi intends to offer legal representation and also collect process for
the second defendant, PDP, adding that he (Akintola) is the legal adviser of
the PDP.
“I am yet to know who that legal adviser is, though I am sure it’s not sheriff
but a man, Maidugu was said to be the one who collected the process,”
Akintola said.
But the judge over the matter, Okon Abang inquired from all parties if the
decision of the party to go ahead with its national convention was legal,
given the court order against it.
Earlier today, July 28, Akintola had informed the court that an application
have been served on all the parties involved.
He further sought to withdraw an application dated July 27.
But Ahmed Raji, counsel to the applicant said he served an application on
INEC but did not serve PDP because he did not recognize Obi as the counsel
to PDP.
Concerning the application by PDP, Raji said since the application for an
order to join certain parties in the matter will determine the validity of the
matter.

He said his applications for joinder was filed and served yesterday because
he received instructions on Tuesday, July 27, at about 9pm.
“My lord, we had to work overnight to ensure this,” Raji said.
He also said that he received a counter affidavit on his motion from PDP
counsel, as he prayed the court for a short time – an adjournment – to look
into the counter affidavit which he said is commendable.
Raji said: “This is a suit brought by former officers of the party and the
current officers are saying please allow us to be heard, which is very
surprising.”
Also, Alhassan Umar, a counsel to the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), said the matter was assigned to him at about 5pm in
Wednesday, July 27.
He said the only process served by the plaintiff is the motion of injunction
filed on July 20, 2015, and that his grief is that the first defendant (INEC) is
yet to be served with the originating summons.
“My lord, in view of the fact that wr have not been served with the
originating summons, I am doubtful whether the motion is ripe for hearing,”
Umar said.
Umar said it is clear that the motion cannot be taken at this stage, but the
plaintiff’s counsel said there are contradictions in the replies.
He said: “In one breath, he wants your lordship disqualified from the process
and in another breath he is challenging your lordships jurisdiction to hear the
matter,” adding that his team is yet to be served with the second
application.
As at the time of filing this report, Abang was yet to rule on the legal
representation for the party and at the last hearing, Justice Abang had
ordered the disappearance of all counsels representing the PDP.
Modu-Sheriff had in a motion asked the court to make an order to stop the
acting chairman of the caretaker committee Ahmed Makarfi led faction from
conducting a national convention on August 17.
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court judge in Abuja Okon Abang on Thursday,
July 28, expressed his anger over misinterpretation of court’s order by the
media.
Abang who was visibly angry said it is wrong for the media to misinterpret a
court’s actions.
The judge was angry over the misinterpretation of a ruling he gave on
counsel representation for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a matter
before him.

IYC says Avengers are within Buhari’s government

The group of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), has said that
President Muhammadu Buhari should look for Niger Delta Avengers (NDA)
within his government.
Udengs Eradiri, the president of the group, revealed this to the press at the
headquarters of the council in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.
He also lamented endless linkage of avengers and criminals in Lagos state to
Ijaw people.
Eradiri urged President Buhari to commence the search for Avengers within
his administration insisting that members of the militant group were in Aso
Rock villa.
Ijaw youths leader said: “Why are they always quick to attack our
communities? Gbaramatu is not the headquarters of Avengers. It does not
habour any Avenger. Do you think that the community people are happy that
they are under siege and cannot go about their normal duties?
“The more they are doing this thing, the more Ijaw people will begin to come
together and we will never be divided. The government should stop harassing
our people.
“The NDA is within them. They know themselves. They are blocking the
President left, right and centre so that he would not see them. The NDA is
with him and his people there.”
He also restated that his people were not behind the violent onslaughts on
communities in Lagos and Ogun states by militants lamenting that some
people intentionally credited such criminalities to Ijaw to cause ethnic war
between Ijaw and their Yoruba neighbours.
Eradiri added: “There are some groups in Lagos engaged in criminal activities
and those activities are now threatening the brotherly relationship our people
have enjoyed in Lagos.
“First, Nigeria should stop ascribing anything that happened in the Niger
Delta to Ijaw people. For the avoidance of doubt, Niger Delta Avengers are
not Ijaw people. I am tired of answering questions about Niger Delta
Avengers.
“I am the president of the Ijaw Youth Council. I am not the president of NDA.
NDA are not Ijaw people. We don’t know who Niger Delta Avengers are. If
the security agencies know avengers, they should arrest them. They should
do their jobs.

“They should stop transferring their jobs to community leaders or youth
Organisations or leaders of ethnic nationalities. Their duty is to maintain law
and order, to gather intelligence and do whatever they deem fit to ensure that
there is peace in the country.
“Please stop ascribing negative things to Ijaw people. We are the fourth
largest ethnic nationalities in Nigeria and I agree that we are the people who
refuse to eat sand and call it food. But that does not mean that every little
thing that happens in the region will be ascribed to Ijaw people”.

NBA ELECTION: Ex-Legal Adviser accuses Alegeh of imposition of candidate

LAGOS— A former National Legal Adviser of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr Nwaogu Victor, has alleged that the out-going President of the association, Mr. Augustine Alegeh, SAN, has a preferred candidate for the position of president in the forthcoming national elections of the association, contrary to his earlier denial of same.

The other candidate for the same position in the elections is Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama, SAN.

Another member of the association, based in Enugu, Mr Daniel Ogbonna, also alleged that Mr Alegeh openly boasted at the inauguration ceremony of the newly created NBA Onueke branch, Ebonyi State on July 6, 2016, that he had a candidate for the office of NBA president in the forthcoming elections of the body.

Ogbonna in a deposition before the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State said: “On the said date, precisely at 1p.m., at Onueke headquarters of Ezza South Local Government Area, while the inauguration ceremony was on going, the national president of NBA, Mr Alegeh, SAN, when making his inaugural speech, boasted that he has a presidential candidate for the forthcoming national NBA elections.”
On his part, Nwaogu in his deposition before an Abia State High Court sitting in Aba, averred “I am from Umuezegwu in Ihitte/Uboma L.G.A of Imo State. Ihitte/Uboma L.G.A in one of the four local government areas that made up Mbano/Etiti branch of NBA. The said Mbano/Etiti branch of NBA was inaugurated on July 6, 2016 by the president of NBA, Alegeh, SAN.

“I was one of the members of NBA that attended the said inauguration. Before the president of NBA, Alegeh, SAN, inaugurated the said branch, he made an opening address where he addressed about 65 members of NBA in attendance including my humble self to the effect that we should all vote for A.B. Mahmod as the next president of NBA to take over from him.

“He told us that his reason for urging us to vote for A.B. Mahmoud was because, J.K. Gadzama, SAN, had told lawyers that he was coming to destroyed all that he (Alegeh) had built including amending the constitution. He told us not to vote for a person who could not account to NBA when he organised a conference and claimed that he was attacked by armed robbers who took all the receipts.

“He mentioned my name, Victor Nwaugo three times in cause of his address and also asked me whether robbers also steal receipts. In the course of his address, he boasted that any person who cared could video him, tape his speech, but that he would move from branch to branch in course of his thank you visits to branches, urging them to vote for A.B. Mahmoud.

“I have followed past presidents of NBA closely, non ever canvassed votes for his successor in the open. Alegeh, SAN.”

Also, former Assistant National Publicity Secretary of the association, Mr. John Unachukwu and sole candidate National Publicity Secretary position in forthcoming election in the suit, he filed before an Abuja High Court, challenging his disqualification, also accused Alegeh of campaigning for Mahmoud.

   

Biafra restoration not personal decision but call from God Almighty- Nnamdi Kanu

ONITSHA—Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu yesterday, exploded from his prison custody when he insisted that his decision to restore the nation of Biafra was not his personal choice but a mandate from the Most High God (Chiukwu-okike-abiama) which was assigned to him from time immemorial.


Nnamdi-Kanu in court
He maintained that the restoration of the nation of Biafra is a priority and a project that must be achieved under the watchful eyes of the IPOB led by himself, an arduous task that must be accomplished in order to lead his people out of the contraption called Nigeria, without fear of death.

The Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Comrade Emma Powerful who disclosed this yesterday in a press statement, quoted Kanu as telling some sympathizers who visited him in prison custody that he had even dedicated his life to restore Biafra, just as our Lord Jesus Christ dedicated His own life for the salvation of mankind.

According to Kanu, “the reason my mother gave birth to me was to restore and save Biafrans. I also promise that the Biafran race will be a cleaned up nation and all the people of Biafra will come back home, if they are living outside the country of the new nation. Our people will no longer wander on the road again”.

He queried: “How can I encourage the people of Biafra to work towards the upbringing of Nigeria, when we don’t hear the same language, don’t eat the same food and don’t have the same culture. In fact, if we come to their land to practice our culture and religion, we will be beheaded. Their women wear hijab, and Biafran women don’t, and on the point that our women don’t wear hijab and we don’t practice the same religion, they will see us as infidels and then, we will be beheaded. We are 100 per cent Christian. These people are Muslims who see killing as a culture.

“In Biafra where we originated from,, it will be hard for our people to kill a human being, because in my language a human being is called MMANDU, which means in English language the beauty of life. Now, you can see it will never work, the only solution is Biafra.”
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu further stated that “there is no regret in his dictionary,” adding that “he is ready to spend a thousand years in a prison. “

“And also we are not trying to secede from Nigeria. We are older than Nigeria. You can only talk about seceding if Biafrans are they ones that colonized Nigeria. But we are older than that contraption. So we can’t secede rather we just want to go back the way we were before the British came. It is Biafra or nothing, Nigerians knows that.”

Economic recession: Private varsities suspend staff recruitment

That Adeyewa made this general assessment is not surprising. Apart from being the Redeemer’s VC, he is the Chairman, Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of Private Universities in Nigeria and so he knows where the shoes pinch.

Of the 143 universities in the country, 61 of them are privately-owned.

Adeyewa says, “The present economic situation has affected the fortunes of private universities adversely in view of the fact that these institutions depend on the fees remitted by parents as well as the goodwill of other donors whose economic well-being has been affected by the downward trend nationwide.

“In many private universities, parents have been unable to pay fees as due and there have been numerous pleas to allow students to defer payments while some even ask institutions to allow their wards to sit for examinations and then pay the fees later. In some critical situations, some students actually requested the deferment of a semester or an academic session due to financial difficulties.”

In practical terms, he declares that the recession has affected the provision of diesel, equipment as well as the right environment for reading and learning.

The CVCRPU Chairman adds, “The running cost of universities has increased because of the astronomical rise in the cost of diesel, laboratory consumables and the like. Some institutions have had to shorten the hours of providing electricity. Since this drives the provision of water and the running of scientific equipment, the toll on research can hardly be quantified.

“Another critical area is the equipping of our laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment.  The high cost of importing scientific equipment because of the crashing of the Naira has made procurement of high-end scientific equipment near impossible. These are limiting factors to the provision of the best environments for educational institutions in view of the fact that we are not profit-oriented.”

As part of measures to cushion some of the economic challenges, some institutions, he explains, have put on hold the recruitment of additional staff to ensure that salaries are being paid.

Adeyewa’s counterpart at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa State, Dr. Margee Ensign, says the excruciating economic situation is more than real in the institution.

She notes, “The prices of many things have obviously risen, including energy. We are becoming a “greener” campus to reduce our costs; and we work hard to run the university efficiently and effectively and use our resources very carefully.”

The VC of the Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, Prof. Mohammed Ibrahim, agrees with Adeyewa and Ensign.

Ibrahim, for example, notes that some students could not sit for the last semester examination following the non-payment of their tuition.

But are there plans to increase their tuition next academic session in order to further cushion the challenges? To this, Ensign says there is no immediate plan. Tuition in many of the private universities range from N400,000 to N2m depending on the course of study.

The AUN VC adds, “This is a board decision, but we have no plans to increase our tuition next year. We can only do this because of the generosity of our founder, who over the years has increased his contributions in support of the university.”

Redeemer’s University, according to its VC, is also not contemplating increasing the tuition. He, however, explains that it is inevitable for the ivory tower to increase its feeding fees.

Adeyewa adds, “For those providing central feeding for students, marginal increase is inevitable due to the high cost of food items. For instance, Redeemer’s University used to charge a subsidised rate of N30,000 per semester for feeding (twice daily) but this is no longer feasible nor sustainable in the current situation.”

The Al-Hikmah VC, who also thinks that tuition increment is a no-go-area for now, holds the view that fees for sundry services in the university may not  remain the same.

According to him, since there are high electric charges and high cost of diesel or petrol for generators, it has become inevitable to increase hostel fees in order to continue to provide the students with water, electricity and other utilities.

He adds “We have yet to see how it is going to affect enrolment for next session. Parents that have a student on campus are finding it difficult to pay, not to talk of those that have two or three students.  It has become a problem.

“However, we are suggesting some marginal increment in certain charges in hostels as well as other services. But this suggestion has not been approved by the council so it has yet to take off.”

For the VC, Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, the magnanimity of its founder,  Justice Bola Ajibola (retd), is keeping the institution afloat.

Gbajabiamila, who says the tuition in the ivory tower is “reasonable”, notes that it spends a huge sum on diesel and water monthly.

He adds, “Whereas an expert analysis by a former Executive Secretary of the NUC a few years back was that to survive, a private university needs a student population of three thousand paying between N800,000 and N900,000 per session,  Crescent University is charging far less than that. It provides electricity 24 hours per day with the cost of diesel at N4m, while cost of water is N2m per month.

“All of these are supposed to be part of infrastructure provided by the government. The current hike in cost of doing business in Nigeria has only exacerbated the situation. So, constant proprietary support in keeping the university afloat has been tremendous. In spite of these challenges, the university remains committed to offering excellent academic and moral education at very reasonable fees.”

But the CVCRPU helmsman has urged his fellow managers of private universities not to allow the “unfavourable economic situation” to frustrate them from serving humanity better.

He advises, “My advice to them is to keep up the good work of providing excellent services at  minimal cost to stakeholders as much as possible in spite of the unfavourable situation. It is our sacrifice to motherland. In due season, Nigerians will appreciate our contribution to the development of the nation and support our drive to change obnoxious laws limiting the accessibility of private universities to funds that can be used for the common good.

“I also advise my fellow managers of private universities to use the opportunity of the current situation to run our institutions more efficiently, avoiding the leakages and wastages that are normally associated with the running of public institutions.”

Flood’ll affect Lagos, Imo, Yobe, 11 others –NIHSA

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency on Monday announced that there would be flooding in 14 states and urged residents living in flood-prone areas of the states to relocate.

According to the agency, most cities would experience heavy floods due to the rise in sea levels and tidal surge.

The agency added that Lagos, Rivers, Calabar, Benue, Sokoto, Anambra, Imo, Cross River, Yobe, Ogun, Osun, Kaduna, Oyo and Yola were the states that would be affected by flooding this year.

The Director-General, NIHSA, Mr. Moses Beckley, said this during the public presentation of the 2016 Annual Flood Outlook in Abuja and warned that this year’s flooding would be higher than the one experienced in 2015.

He said, “The expected inflows in the country for this year will be lower than that of 2012. Meanwhile, the predicted probable flood area coverage in 2016 is expected to be higher than the predicted probable flood as well as the observed value of 2015.

“The expected areas of river flooding this year are located in the following river basins, Niger, Benue, Sokoto-Rima, Anambra-Imo, Cross River, Niger Delta, Komadougu-Yobe, Ogun-Osun and several other sub-basins of the country.

“Some coastal areas such as Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, etc, are expected to experience flooding due to rise in sea level and tidal surge, while flash and urban flooding are likely to occur in Sokoto, Ibadan, Kaduna, Yola, Maiduguri, Makurdi, Hadejia and settlements/cities along the Nigeria coastal line.”

NIHSA urged those living along those places to keep safe distances and “those in the areas where you have dams constructed to also be careful about erecting structures close to where the dams was.”

os landlord kills tenant of four months

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a landlord, Gbade Metibemu, for allegedly stabbing his tenant of four months, Bright Abraham, to death on Apollo Street in the Makoko area of the state.

 PUNCH Metro learnt that Metibemu attacked the 35-year-old Abia State indigene with a knife for refusing to vacate his plank apartment after a week-long disagreement.

Our correspondent was told that the suspect had warned the victim to stop soiling the slum with the faeces of his baby.

When the warning did not yield any result, the suspect was reported to have threatened to kill Abraham.

Last Thursday, around 10pm, the father of four was preparing to sleep when an argument ensued between him and the landlord which degenerated into a fight.

Metibemu was alleged to have got a knife with which he stabbed Abraham in the chest.

He allegedly rushed to the Adekunle Police Station to report that he had been injured by his tenant.

He was, however, detained when news filtered in that Abraham had died at the hospital where he was taken to for treatment.

A resident, who identified himself as Christian Nwankwo, said Metibemu always fought his tenants.

He said, “Abraham packed into the house four months ago. He was well-behaved and good-mannered and those were attributes that endeared him to us. His room is beside the landlord’s.

“However, about a week ago, the landlord started complaining that he should stop spreading children clothes on the washing line. He also complained about the faeces of his baby, which he said was soiling the house.

“He started threatening him to leave or he would kill him. We thought it was a joke.”

Another resident, Ndubuisi Nkegba, said the victim had excused himself from a chat to go to bed that Thursday when he was stabbed.

“Just about 10 minutes after he left us to go to bed, we heard a noise. We rushed there and saw that he had been stabbed in the chest three times by the landlord. He was in a pool of blood. We rushed him to the Federal Medical Centre, Yaba, where he was confirmed dead.”

The landlord was said to have gone to the Adekunle Police Station with a friend, identified as Femi, to report the incident.

“He told the police that his tenant stabbed him. The police were taking his statement when some friends of the deceased, who were returning from the hospital, met him at the station. They told the police that the tenant was dead. The landlord’s friend, Femi, fled, but the landlord was detained.”

It was learnt that the wife and children of the victim had been taken to their family house.

Our correspondent was told that an angry mob demolished the suspect’s apartment and destroyed some of his property.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident, adding that the suspect had been transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence, Yaba.

Any corrupt APC member will face trial – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he will not hesitate to prosecute party loyalists and those who supported his Presidency bid during the 2015 presidential election if any of them was involved in corrupt practices.


He also said that some unnamed persons pressurised him to contest the 2015 presidential election which he won.

He said the pressure mounted on him was too enormous that he could not resist it.

Buhari spoke in an interview he granted a magazine, The Interview.

Buhari, while faulting claims that he had been sparing those who sponsored his campaigns and members of his All Progressives Congress in his ongoing anti-corruption war, said he would come down hard on any of his backers that cases of corruption could be established against.

The President said, “Do you just grab people along the road and take them off to court for trial just because you want to create a semblance of balance?

“First, there has to be an accusation which must be properly investigated, and when a prima facie case has been built, you prosecute.

“If any of my backers or party (APC) members has anything established against them, let’s see whether I will shield anyone from prosecution.

“There seems to be a preponderance of the People Democratic Party members standing trial because they had been in power for 16 years, they had access to the public treasury and abused the trust reposed in them.

“You can be assured that anybody caught in corruption will answer for it irrespective of party, tribe or religion.”

He said those who pressurised him did so because of their belief that he was in good stead to rescue the nation which he said was falling apart at the time.

He said, “You will recall that shortly before the 2011 presidential election, I had said it was the last time I would offer myself for elective position and I meant it, but the following years, we saw our country virtually falling apart on all fronts.

“People felt a rescue exercise was necessary and a large number believed I could do it.

“They made overtures to me and the pressure was so enormous that I could not say no. As they say, the rest is history. “

Responding to criticism that his administration had been slow, Buhari said there was no wisdom in rushing things.

He said anybody who rushed things would end up with avoidable mistakes and regrets.

“There is still a lot of wisdom in the saying, ‘slow and steady wins the race.’

“If they say we are slow, do they also say we are steady?

“Then, it means we will win the race eventually.

“There is no wisdom in being in a rush and messing up everything. You will make avoidable mistakes and end up with a lot of regrets,” he said.

Buhari also said he would wait for the advice of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on whether to prosecute those who voluntarily returned looted funds or not.

“We will note the recommendation of the Attorney General of the Federation. We do not want to deliberately disgrace people. All we want is public money back,” he explained.

The President also justified his allocation of three ministries to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), saying the man did well as Lagos State governor.

“The economic realities demanded that we merge ministries and we did.

“Putting three critical ministries under one man was determined by the ability to perform.

“This is a man who had ruled a state excellently for eight years and as they say, the reward for hard work is more work,” he said.

AGF to reopen Ibori, 30 ex-govs’ corruption cases

Fresh troubles may be ahead of some former governors as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abukakar Malami, is set to reopen corruption cases for which they were earlier investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission.


Sources in the ICPC confirmed to The PUNCH on Monday that the commission had, last week, received a letter from the office of the AGF, giving the anti-graft agency a directive to that effect.

Some of the ex-governors, according to one of the sources, include some, who had been convicted for charges preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Others are currently undergoing trial on charges initiated against them by the EFCC at either the various divisions of the Federal High Court or the High Courts of their home states.

There are about five of the former governors, who are now serving senators.

Some of them had served as senators after completing two terms as governors.

The sources did not disclose the names of those on the list so as not to bungle further investigations where necessary.

The affected personalities, it was learnt, served as governors for either one or two terms between 1999 and 2015, and are from all the six geopolitical zones in the country.

It was also confirmed that majority of those on the list belonged to the two dominant political parties, the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.

Another source, however, confirmed that a former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, who was convicted in the United Kingdom for fraud-related charges and still serving his prison terms, was on the list.

Apart from Ibori, two former governors from the South-South, are said to be on the list.

Five of the former governors are from the South-East, and three from the South-West.

The PUNCH was informed that the ex-governors, whose cases would be reopened, included six from the North-West; six from the North-East, and eight from the North-Central.

Part of the AGF’s letter, sighted by our correspondent on Monday, indicated that the cases against some of the former governors had been investigated some years ago but charges were never filed against them.

The letter partly  read, “It is clear that some of these governors and other politically-exposed persons have not been charged to court despite the fact that the ICPC has concluded their investigations concerning allegations levelled against them for one reason or the other.

“It is the position of the present administration that all ex-governors that the ICPC had long concluded investigations into the various allegations levelled against them should be immediately prosecuted.”

The letter also gave the Chairman of the ICPC a 14-day ultimatum to “remit the duplicate case files concerning the politically-exposed persons investigated by the ICPC over the years” to the office of the AGF.

The letter indicated that this was in the exercise of the powers vested in the AGF by Section 174(1) of the Constitution as well as sections 105 (3) and 106 (a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The AGF’s letter also requested files of other high-profile cases involving politically-exposed persons.

The AGF letter defines high-profile cases as cases “involving alleged misconduct amounting to economic sabotage; involving complex financial transactions or property movement; involving any of the suspects, who is a politician, a public officer or judicial officer; and where the subject matter involves government or corruption of its official or involves the abuse of office.”

Such judiciary officers, it was learnt, would include judges allegedly involved in economic sabotage, including financial transactions.

It could not be confirmed on Monday whether the AGF’s office had received any response from the ICPC regarding the request.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the AGF, Mr. Salihu Isah, could not be reached on Monday as his  telephone line indicated that it was switched off.
http://punchng.com/agf-reopen-ibori-30-ex-govs-corruption-cases/

Wife And Daughter Of Emir Of Bama Rescued From Boko Haram

The wife and daughter to Shehu of Bama who were abducted by
insurgents two years ago have regained their freedom in Borno State on
Sunday.
The General Officer Commanding of 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier
General Victor Ezugwu, who brought the Queen and her daughter to the Shehu
of Bama, Umar Ibn Kyari El-Kanemi. In Maiduguri, at about 1:30 PM, the family
and relation was in mixed emotions as some continually wept while others were
in sober moods.
Queen Hajju was abducted along with two of her children but her son was said
to have been killed by insurgents. The troops rescued her and her daughter
during their operations around Damboa axis.
A family source, who didn't want his name in print, disclosed that when the
Royal Father saw his wife, he wept profusely and some family members
embraced the Queen and her daughter.
"We are happy to see our Queen and her daughter back but it is unfortunate
that we learned that Boko Haram killed her son who was kidnapped along with
her Mum," the family source said.
The queen and her two children were abducted in Bama town when insurgents
invaded the town barely two years ago.
Some of the dignitaries who visited the residents of Shehu of Bama to welcome
the returnee included the wife of Borno State Governor Mrs Nana Shettima,
Deputy Governor Usman Durkwa and other top functionaries.
http://saharareporters.com/2016/07/25/wife-and-daughter-emir-bama-rescued-boko-haram

Buhari orders NNPC to resume oil search in Chad Basin

The President, Muhammadu Buhari, has directed the Nigerian National

Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to resume oil expedition and gas exploration
activities in the inland frontier basins of Northern Nigeria, especially the Chad
Basin and the Kolmani River in the Benue Trough.
The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, disclosed
this, yesterday, when he received the Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed
Abubakar, in his office in Abuja.
The NNPC, through its Frontier Exploration Services and Renewable Energy
Division (FESRED), had progressed with seismic acquisition activities in the
Chad Basin frontier area until insurgency forced it to suspend its operation
there.
Baru said: “We have exploration activities on the frontier basin, that is in the
Chad, and also there is some area close to the Kolmani River (Bauchi State)
where Shell had made some indicative discovery of hydrocarbons and Mr
President has directed me to go into that area to improve and further explore
the magnitude and prospectivity of those finds.”
He said that the corporation would restrategise with a view to getting into
those regions.
“We will reinvigorate the Frontier Exploration Services and see how they can
collaborate with NNDC that is holding Block 809 where some of the finds have
been found and also the DPR for the other blocks that have not been assigned,”
he added.
Meanwhile, the Association of Inland Basin States of Northern Nigeria
(APIBONN) has reiterated its call for a permanent or stand-alone agency to
oversee exploration of new hydrocarbon deposits in the Frontier Basins in the
North.
The Interim Executive Secretary of APIBONN, Engr. Yabagi Sani, said: “It is
when you have somebody from the North as president, that is why you hear the
NNPC talking about exploration in the North.
“We commend efforts of the governor and the GMD but that is not the solution.
We are agitating for a permanent structure that will outlive this administration,
like getting the National Assembly to quickly pass the bill on inland basin
frontier agency into law, so that we will have a law that will compel whoever is
the president, at any point in time, to continue with these efforts.”

Immunity clause divides House of Reps

The backlash was sharp and heavy. Many who spoke against the

suggestion by some Senators for presiding officers of the National
Assembly to be placed under immunity in the constitution and on
pension, out rightly described the move as selfish and anti-people.
They would have thought the House of Representatives will simply
take note of the condemnations coming from different angles and
back out from these two unpopular plans. But surprisingly on
Tuesday, July 12, the House passed for second reading, the bill,
sponsored by House Minority Leader, Leo Ogor ( PDP, Delta )
seeking to alter Section 308 (3) of the Principal Act of the
constitution to add Senate President, Speaker, Deputy Senate
President, Deputy Speaker, immediately after the word ‘Vice
President ‘ and also to include Speaker of a State House of
Assembly, Deputy Speaker of a State House of Assembly
immediately after the word ‘Deputy Governor’.
In a replay to what happened at a-two day retreat on Constitution
Review organised by the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on
Constitution Review in Lagos, which had senators sharply divided
on both proposals, members of the House took opposing positions
on the matter. Leading the debate on the bill, Ogor who is
certainly not new to parliamentary battles argued that the
proposed immunity for National Assembly principal officers was to
protect the legislative arm and to ensure that the leadership of the
National Assembly fully concentrates on its duties. “The
amendment is straight forward but it needs some clear
explanation. The amendment seeks to strengthen the National
Assembly; they (leadership) should be protected in the period they
are in office”, he said. He had support, as speaking in favour of the
other ranking member, Ossai Nicholas Ossai ( PDP-Delta ) said
the alteration was targeted at protecting the independence of the
legislature. He further posited that primary duty of legislators is to
make laws for good governance and they needed to be protected.
But rising in total rejection of the proposed amendment, Majority
Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC-Lagos) stated his opposition to
the bill, saying that there was not a single democratic country
where heads of the legislature enjoy immunity. Gbajabiamila
insisted that the timing of the bill was wrong especially now that
the Senate President Bukola Saraki was facing trial at the Code of
Conduct Tribunal and the FCT High Court. He said: “I oppose the
bill because we are here to legislate and on behalf of our
constituents but the question is what are we here for? Timing is
very important here and we don’t want to send the wrong signal,
because of what is going on in the Senate, it will be
misinterpreted. I’m not aware of any country where such applies.
Let us do what will endure. In most countries, only the President
and the Vice- President enjoy it”.
In his intervention, Speaker, Yakubu Dogara stated that being a
constitutional matter, the bill would be referred to the Adhoc
Committee on Constitution Review. But lawmakers voiced
opposition to the bill, with shouts of ‘no immunity’ from different
sections of the green chamber. The shouting between lawmakers
in support and against the bill lasted for over 20 minutes. While
some converged around the Speaker to find a middle ground,
other lawmakers broke into groups with many making efforts to
justify their positions. Deputy Whip, Pally Iriase was largely ignored
by lawmakers as he tried in vain to restore decorum to the
House. Ali Madaki ( APC- Kano ), who insisted that his point of
order be taken could hardly be heard, but he stressed that the
integrity of the House should be protected by jettisoning the bill.
At a point, the Speaker had to invite the Chairman, House
Committee on Appropriation, Jibrin Abdulmumim ( APC-Kano) to
speak to him privately, but the lawmaker who is a known ally of
Dogara held a piece of paper with ‘no immunity’ written on it.
When the Speaker eventually sought the intervention of Deputy
Chairman, Committee  on Rules and Business, Olabode Ayorinde
(APC -Ondo) on the position of the House Rules on such matters,
the lawmakers cited Order 8 rule 98 (3) that upon second reading,
the bill shall be consigned to special committee on constitution,
but his clarification didn’t go down well with lawmakers who
insisted that the order was specific on the bill being transmitted to
the committee ‘after debate’. And Despite the loudly voiced
complaints by his colleagues, the Speaker stated that his decision
to commit the bill to the constitution review committee was in
order as the experts in the committee would scrutinise it with
professionalism. “If we throw the bill out, we will never see it
again,” he said, as he put the question, to have it referred to the
ad hoc Committee, banging the gavel to signal an end to the
heated debate. The atmosphere in the green chambers was so
heated that many didn’t realise that the Clerk of the House
didn’t read the full title of the bill.
The clash of positions was largely unpredicted even if it’s
happening at all was quite predictable. Right from when senators
stirred the hornet’s nest by raising the issue of immunity for
presiding officers and pension for this select group, Ogor who
spoke to Daily Sun and a few other lawmakers stated their
positions on the matter, each sounding uncompromising on both
issues. In a phone interview with Daily Sun, the Minority Leader
expressed support for the senators.
Also backing the Senate, Deputy Chairman House Committee on
Appropriations, Chris Azubogu (Anambra-PDP) said: “You see, the
office of Speaker and that of the Senate President, are offices you
don’t play with. They need to be covered to effectively carry out
their duties. Governors enjoy immunity, so I absolutely support
presiding officers being covered by immunity”.
But taking a different position, Chairman, House Committee on
Financial Crimes, Kayode Oladele (Ogun-APC) said including
presiding officers on the immunity list can hardly be justified.
“There are some things that we undertake as National Assembly
members, that we can justify and some things we cannot. So, I
will not support any move to grant presiding officers of the
National Assembly immunity”, he said.
The lawmakers equally differed on the move to place presiding
officers on pension. Ogor opined that the issue should be
thoroughly scrutinised. On his part, Azubogu argued that presiding
officers should be placed on pension like the head of the judiciary
and the president.
“Judges, don’t they have pension? Doesn’t the president have
pension? Then, there is nothing that stops presiding officers of the
National Assembly from being placed on pension”, he said. Taking
a similar position, Oladele said: “ I will back the issue of pension
for the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Senate President and the
Deputy Senate President. But I am not sure I will agree for the
same treatment for other principal officers, like the Majority Leader
and others”. During the review of constitution by the 7th
Assembly , 33 of the 36 states of the federation had voted in
support of the alteration of Section 84 of the constitution to insert
a new subsection, 5A to guarantee life pension for President of the
Senate, Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives at a rate equivalent to their annual salaries.
Daily Sun investigations point to the fact that lawmkers are a little
amenable to pension for their leaders but are very much sharply
divided on the vexed issue of immunity. The mood in the House
played out at the weekly briefing of the House Committee on
Media and Publicity when in a rare display of disunity, members of
the committee differed on the immunity issue. As expected,
chairman of the committee, Abudulrazak Namdas described the
outcry against the move to amend the constitution to include the
principal officers of the National Assembly for protection under the
immunity clause as uncalled for. “It (bill) will undergo a process.
It could be retained or dropped. But people are reporting the issue
as if we have already given our principal officers immunity” he
lamented.
When asked if Speaker Yakubu Dogara erred by ruling that the bill
be transmitted to the Yussuff Lasun-led Adhoc Committee on
Constitutional Review, without the Clerk reading its full title, owing
to the rowdy atmosphere at the plenary, Namdas insisted that the
Speaker did not breach the rules. Namdas had strong backing
from his deputy, Jonathan Gbefwi (Nasarawa-APC) who added
that the Speaker was right to adhere by the House rules even if
the mood in the House was unfriendly towards his ruling. “You
cannot breach the rules because of the current mood. If you do
that, you will be setting a bad precedence” he stated.
The House spokesman, maintained that the move to place
National Assembly presiding officers under immunity would not be
of benefit to the current leadership. But another colleague in the
committee, Jerry Alagbaso (Imo-PDP) countered: “we are not
doing this because somebody has a problem. So, let no one leave
here with the impression that we have a motive”, adding that the
bill, “will also be put up for debate by the public” and Olufemi
Adebanjo (Lagos-APC) insisted that, “I and some others will never
support immunity for the legislature. “ Indeed, the power lies in
the hands of Nigerians, many who have wondered why the House
cannot prioritise important bills that will positively impact on the
lives of majority or simply steer clear of laws that will only worsen
its reputation as an institution dominated by persons who love to
seek means to live like lords, simply because they are in
government. As argued by lawmakers, members of the public can
make their voices heard and push for the bill to be defeated at the
public hearing stage. Ideally, it is based on the report of the
committee that a bill is referred to after second hearing; that
determines if it is read for a third time, sent to the Senate for
concurrence and possibly for presidential assent.
But in some cases, the wish of committees have been the deciding
factor and not the real feedback from public hearing and other
findings. Another factor that could be a challenge is the largely out
of sight manner the House Adhoc Commitee on Constitutional
Review has conducted its business. It will most likely be difficult
to monitor how the controversial bill is treated by the Lasun-led
Committee.
http://sunnewsonline.com/immunity-clause-divides-house-of-reps/

Shi’ites demand immediate release of El-Zakzaky

MEMBERS of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) have

demanded the immediate release of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim
El-Zakzaky. They said El-Zakzaky was dying in the acclaimed
safe custody of the Department of State Security (DSS).
El-Zakzaky was arrested as a result of a clash between the
Islamic sect members and men of Nigerian Army that left scores
dead in Zaria, Kaduna State in December 2015.
Addressing newsmen in Kaduna yesterday, Prof. Abdullahi Danladi,
who spoke on behalf of IMN said the Sheikh was being held and
allowed to gradually lose his sight and die in detention.
According to him: “What is obvious is that his health condition
and his sight in particular, is rapidly deteriorating.
“We would like to strongly appeal to those that are holding him
hostage illegally in violation of his basic rights, to release him as a
matter of urgency to enable him seek medical attention in any
place of his choice.”
The group said it was deeply concerned about the health of their
leader and believed that it is in the interest of the Nigerian state
and those holding him to release him unconditionally to enable
him attend to his medical needs.
Danladi revealed that the surgery earlier carried out on El-
ZakZaky’s left eye by the DSS chosen doctor had failed and that
the doctor who carried out the operation also confessed that the
case was beyond him now.
The IMN is calling on all human rights groups, rights activists,
well-meaning Nigerians and newsmen to join hands in demanding
for justice for IMN’s leadership and members who are languishing
in Kaduna prison, and those still kept in various military formations
and DSS detention facilities.
http://sunnewsonline.com/shiites-demand-immediate-release-of-el-zakzaky/

Sheriff group won’t hold PDP parallel convention – Ojougboh

The Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

will not organise a parallel national convention of the party, a former national
vice chairman of the party in the South-south, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, who is
Sheriff’s deputy, has disclosed.
The Makarfi-led national caretaker committee had slated August 17, 2016 for
the party’s national convention to be held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and
inaugurated an 88-man zoning committee ahead of the convention.
Speaking with Daily Trust yesterday in Abuja, Dr. Ojougboh said Sheriff was not
planning a parallel convention, but was law abiding and would not send
nominees to form the convention committee being planned by the Makarfi
committee.
He said the order of an Abuja High Court which affirmed Sheriff as the
authentic national chairman of the PDP and ordered the Independent National
Commieeion (INEC) to recognise his candidates for the Edo and Ondo States
governorship elections had not been vacated, stressing that if the party
organises a convention next month, it would stand another risk of losing the
2019 general elections.
He said party leaders and stakeholders from the various states won by the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in the last general elections needed to be
harmonised into one strong force before the convention, adding that Sheriff
must review the congresses recently held national wide on the ground that they
were manipulated by PDP governors.
He said Sheriff remained the only authentic national chairman of the party to
preside over the convention and the convention must be held in Abuja, not Port
Harcourt, where he claimed Governor Wike is likely to “manipulate” it.
“If they (Makarfi-led caretaker committee) think they can have a convention like
that, let them go ahead but we (Sheriff’s camp) will remain law abiding and tell
the court what happened.
“Sheriff has appealed the judgement of the Port Harcourt High Court which
validated Makarfi’s leadership. So if we hurriedly go for the convention, the
same mistakes that made us to lose the 2015 elections in Benue, Plateau, Kebbi
and many other states will make us lose the 2019 elections. So for now, we
won’t be part of the so-called convention,” he said.Dailytrust

Avengers: We’ll take military action if dialogue fails -Buratai

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt -Gen Tukur Buratai said yesterday that the Nigerian

Army would deploy full military action in the Niger Delta if dialogue with the
Niger Delta Avengers fails.
Buratai who spoke through the General Officer Commanding 82 Division of the
Nigerian Army Enugu, Major-Gen Ibrahim Atahiru, at the commissioning of 2
Brigade Command administrative office complex in Port Harcourt, said the
Federal Government was still committed to dialogue with the militant group, but
that government could resort to other means if dialogue failed.
“The non-kinetic has always been the source first before government can
recourse to the kinetic means. There is the need for the Niger Delta Avengers to
see reason and dialogue with government,” he said.
He commended the 2 Brigade Command for the completion of the office
complex, saying that the office block would improve the operational efficiency
and capability of officers and men of the Command.
The Chief of Army Staff later commissioned other projects at the Command
such as the swimming pool, office complex for regiment officers as well as
building blocks at the Command Hospital. Dailytrust