The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • ‘Why Amnesty programme must be sustained’

    Mrs. Enetimi Evah popularly known as the Royal Mother is the CEO of Ezonebu Training Centre Lagos.

    The consultant to Presidential Amnesty Programme speaks on why the scheme must be sustained and dispelled rumour of her arrest by the Economic Financial and crimes commission (EFCC). Excerpts:

    How did you go suddenly from training 50 delegates of the Presidential Amnesty Programme to 137 trainees?

    First of all, I am from Ekogbene under Burutu Local Government area, in Delta State. I have been a consultant to the federal government, under the Presidential Amnesty program for eight years plus. In the last eight years, I have worked with three of the Special Assistants.  My work with ex-militants began during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

    Best delegate in Fashion 2016/17

    I began with 50 delegates (agitators) and the focus of the training then was on entrepreneurship. The duration of the training was four months. The training helped the delegates develop their entrepreneurial skills and equip them with skills to transform their lives significantly.

    My first training was a huge success and I was so fulfilled to contribute to the lives of ex-militants. The delegates left the training centre with hope and joy and above all skills to better their livelihood.

    Practical work by delegates

    I dropped my report for the previous training and I was awarded another contract with more delegates than the previous training. My delegates became shop owners, employing other youths in the Niger- Delta region. This brought hope to the region as the purpose for the creation of the programme was seen to be achieved in my centre.

    Our training centre in Lagos is well equipped with the best resources in fashion designing, leather works (shoes and bag manufacturing) and ICT equipment and well trained facilitators, with a capacity of 250 delegates.

    Professor Charles Dokubo inspecting the delegates class work during the flag up

    At the time professor Charles Dokubo resumed office, we had already achieved more than 60 percent success rate in our delegates trained, meaning 60 percent of the delegates that attended our Training Institution are already self-made and  employers in their various communities.

    Presentation of cash awards to best delegates during the Graduation Ceremony at Eko hotel Lagos

    I don’t want to brag but we are one of the best training contractors this Programme has.  To this end, our success stories and capacity and passion in changing lives have contributed to the number of delegates we receive each year, so it is normal for the Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme to increase the number of delegates given to us due to our excellent records and our capacity to train the ex-agitators.

    Representative of the Vice president presenting the Empowerment park’s

    How impactful has the training been?

    First of all, without this amnesty programme, I am sure a lot of tension would have been going on in the Niger Delta now.

    And that is why one must appreciate and thank the President Buhari administration for retaining the programme. This programme has really helped in shaping lives. It has helped to bring out the best in some of these delegates. Some of them have become employers of labour. The dignity of labour is already inculcated in them.

    Presentation of certificate

    They are all scattered in and around in Lagos, Ondo, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta States doing wonderfully well. But for this programme, the peace the region is enjoying would have become bloody.

    137 of the delegates trained in my centre in June, 2019 graduated. Out of them, over 115 have already been empowered by the Presidential Amnesty Office, which is the instant empowerment after the graduation ceremony.

    Distribution of Empowerment items to delegates in various states

    Among the delegate is a lady, Miebi Foko, who graduated in fashion designing in the last batch. She is in Bayelsa State. She called to say she has employed four apprentices and didn’t know she could make the kind of sales she’s making. There are others, Otuma, in Ekeremo, Prince, Emelapor, Tony, so many, they’re all doing well.

    So, why were you arrested by the EFCC?

    Arrested by EFCC? That is the most ridiculous story I have heard this year.  How can I be arrested when I have not committed any offence? I render services to the government with a duly registered Training Institution company. I have never been arrested, invited or called by any law enforcement agencies before and now.

    You can only be arrested when you have been convicted of a crime. We are into Human Capacity Development, which is not a crime. Those stories were made up by people who don’t like the fact that we impact lives positively through the Presidential Amnesty Programme. It’s just beer parlor story, all tissue of lies.

  • Keystone Bank promotes climate action, sustainability

    Keystone Bank Limited has committed to strategically align its business with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

    By signing the Principles for Responsible Banking, Keystone Bank joins a coalition of 130 banks worldwide, representing over $47 trillion in assets committing to taking on a crucial role in helping to achieve a sustainable future.

    Taking place at the start of the UN General Assembly, the official launch of the Principles for Responsible Banking marked the beginning of the most significant partnership to date between the global banking industry and the UN.

    “The UN Principles for Responsible Banking are a guide for the global banking industry to respond to, drive and benefit from a sustainable development economy.

    “The Principles create the accountability that can realize responsibility, and the ambition that can drive action,” said UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres at the launch event, attended by the 130 founding signatories and over 45 of their CEOs.

    Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Inger Andersen explained that a banking industry that plans for the risks associated with climate change and other environmental challenges cannot only drive the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies, it can benefit from it.

    “When the financial system shifts its capital away from resource-hungry, brown investments to those that back nature as solution, everybody wins in the long-term,” Anderson noted.

    Read Also: Keystone Bank rewards verve card holders with free petrol

    Executive Director Keystone Bank Limited, Yemi Odusanya, said the institution is convinced that only in an inclusive society founded on human dignity, equality and the sustainable use of natural resources can our clients, customers and businesses thrive.

    According to Odusanya: “By signing up to the Principles, we commit to “using our products, services and relationships to support and accelerate the fundamental changes in our economies and lifestyles necessary to achieve shared prosperity for both current and future generations.

    “The Principles for Responsible Banking are supported by a strong implementation and accountability framework.

    “By signing them, Keystone Bank commits to being transparent on both our positive and negative impact on people and planet. Keystone Bank will focus where it has the greatest impact – in its core business – and set, publish and implement ambitious targets to scale up positive and address any negative impacts in line with global and local goals.

    “Keystone Bank believes that business can and should be an effective steward of our planet as well as a force for good in society at the same time a generator of wealth for shareholders and stakeholders.

    “We recognise that the success of our business, and the sustainability and survival of our planet are tightly aligned with the Principles for Responsible Banking.

    “As industry leaders we are committed to implementing the Principles for Responsible Banking in our business and practices and to being an effective ambassador for these principles with others in our industry and beyond.”

  • Ogun may establish two additional universities

    The Ogun State Government has revealed that it may establish two additional universities to address the agitation of the people of the Central and Western Senatorial districts respectively.

    The existing universities – Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago – Iwoye, and Tai Solarin University of Education(TASUED), Ijagun- are located in Ogun East senatorial district.

    Governor Dapo Abiodun made this known at the weekend during a stakeholders forum in Abeokuta, the state capital, with the theme “Re-positioning education for outstanding performance.”

    Abiodun said he was aware of the demands of the two senatorial districts to have institutions of a university status, adding that this would be done gradually, taking the state’s financial position into consideration.

    “We have been able to settle the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) issue. It is a win – win for everybody. If the people of Ogun Central still want a University, they will have it and if the people of Ogun West say they want a university, university they will have. But we are going to take it one step at a time and also consider the financial position of the State,” he said.

    Read Also: Governor Abiodun’s ‘Oko Owo Dapo’

    The Governor, who described the State as the education capital of Nigeria, said more than 10 public and private universities and other tiers of tertiary education are running in the state, assuring that his administration was poised at reposition education in order for the State to regain its lost glory in the sector.

    “In the past, Ogun State’s position used to be in a digit, but now we are at the bottom five. This is unacceptable as the State is known to be first in every facets of our nation life. We cannot continue and we are doing everything possible to reverse the trend.

    “As you all know, during my inauguration on May 29, I declared an emergency in the education sector. We are following it up with the rehabilitation of 236 primary and secondary schools in each of our wards.

    “We set up Committees to resolve issues that affected smooth running of academic activities in some of our tertiary institutions.

    “The Committees have since submitted their reports and recommendations. I want to assure our good people that education which is one of our pillars, will continue to receive due and prompt attention,” the governor added.

    Abiodun, while assuring that teaching and learning conditions in public schools would be improved, added that teachers and non teaching staff would be trained and retrained in latest teaching methods and schools’ administration.

    He promised that their welfare would also remain paramount to ensure improved performance of students in both local and international examinations.

  • Brazil to unleash Neymar, Firmino, others on Eagles

    PSG of France striker, Neymar; Liverpool’s Firmino, Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus and Bayern’s Philippe Coutinho are among the 23-man squad released by Brazil for next month’s international friendly against Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

    Brazil will play against Senegal and Nigeria on October 10 and 13 in Singapore.

    Brazil coach Tite released the list of the 23-man squad yesterday at the Brazilian soccer confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

    Tite has also called up striker Gabriel Barbosa for the first time in three years for friendlies holding in Singapore.

    After flopping at Inter Milan and Benfica, the 23-year-old striker is now the top scorer in the Brazilian championship with 16 goals while playing on loan for leader Flamengo.

    He was also the competition’s top scorer in 2018 when playing for Santos.

    “Gabriel has matured. His performance this year speaks for itself,” Tite said.

    Read Also: Brazil good test for Super Eagles, says Rohr

    Inter Milan reportedly paid 25 million euros ($27.5 million) for the Brazilian known as Gabigol in 2016, but he has scored only once for the Italian club and is spending a third straight season out on loan.

    Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson is expected to be the starter in both matches, with Liverpool’s Alisson out with a calf injury.

    Goalkeepers: Ederson (Manchester City), Weverton (Palmeiras), Santos (Athletico Paranaense).

    Defenders: Daniel Alves (São Paulo), Danilo (Juventus), Alex Sandro (Juventus), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Éder Militão (Real Madrid), Rodrigo Caio (Flamengo)

  • Confusion in PDP over Wike threat

    The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in a fix on how to handle Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who they believe is currently a threat to the party’s unity.

    Party sources cited the governor’s action which forced it to hold its National Convention last year in Port Harcourt as against its initial plan to hold it in Abuja; his recent criticism of the panel set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the emergence of Mr. Ndidi Elumelu as the PDP minority leader in the House of Representatives ahead of the governor’s personal choice, Mr Kingsley Chinda; and the governor’s congratulatory message to President Muhammadu Buhari following the verdict of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal which upheld the outcome of the February election.

    The party and its candidate are displeased with the verdict and have vowed to go to the Supreme Court to seek redress.

    Party sources yesterday described Wike’s actions as conflicting with PDP’s interests.

    They said his actions were threats to the unity and cohesion of the PDP.

    One source said although the governor has bailed the party out of many financial difficulties, he seems to be setting out on a collision course with the party or sees himself as untouchable with some of his recent utterances.

    Party sources admitted that though some of the governor’s utterances were indeed not in the best interest of the party, it was imperative to manage the situation with all the necessary tact so as not to rock the boat and in view of the strategic importance of Rivers State to the party.

    Sources recalled how Wike pressurised the party leadership to concede the position of House of Reps minority leader to his candidate as compensation for his contributions and the loss of his candidate in the presidential primaries, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal.

    Read Also: Wike urged to be humble in governance

    However, Elumelu outsmarted both Wike and the party to get the position.

    Bid to appease Wike fails

    To appease the governor’s feelings, the PDP had summoned Elumelu and some of his loyalists in the House for explanations on why they went against the party’s directive, but they spurned the summons and were subsequently suspended for one month.

    Also affected by the suspension order were Lynda Ikpeazu, Wole Oke, Anayo Edwin, Gideon Gwadi, Toby Okechukwu and Adekoya Abdul-Majid.

    While the controversy raged, the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), on July 9, raised a five-man committee to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the Reps’ act of “recalcitrance”, with the committee given three weeks to submit its report.

    A former President of the Senate, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, was chairman of the committee.

    Other members were Senator David Mark, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Senator Ibrahim Mantu and a former Deputy Reps Speaker, Austin Opara who served as secretary to the committee. However, Opara resigned from the committee before it concluded its assignment.

    But while the report of the committee was being awaited, Governor Wike openly accused members of the committee of corruption, saying they had compromised their integrity.

    “The Committee set up by the PDP on the illegal emergence of Ndudi Elumelu is the most corrupt committee ever set up by the party,” he said.

    “We thank our worthy son, Rt Hon Austin Opara, for withdrawing from that committee, so that he is not entangled in the illegal activities of the tainted committee.”

    He warned the PDP not to toy with Rivers State, saying it was not in the interest of the party to do so.

    “We are warning PDP to be careful not to toy with Rivers State. Rivers State has all it takes to withstand the PDP and fight the party to a standstill.

    “The Rivers State Governor is not one of those governors that anyone can cajole. The Rivers State governor is not one of those governors that will kowtow to their illicit activities,” Wike had declared.

    A jolted Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party quickly responded to the governor’s outburst by calling several meetings to deliberate on the report of the Ayu committee.

    Confusion over Ayu committee’s report

    What followed its last meeting held at the party’s Abuja secretariat on Thursday was a drama that put the entire BoT and the NWC in a fix.

    At a joint press briefing shortly after the meeting, the chairman of the BoT, Senator Walid Jubrin, and the Secretary, Wabara, openly disagreed over the status of the committee’s report on Elumelu.

    While Jubrin said that the BoT had received the Ayu committee report but was yet to submit same to the party’s NWC, Wabara countered him, saying: “We have considered the report and we have submitted the report on Elumelu to the NWC.”

    The foregoing was followed by muffled disagreement between the two elderly party chieftains, with the BoT chair raising objection to the Secretary’s statement even as the latter stood his ground.

    Although their verbal exchange was in hushed tones, it was audible enough for journalists to hear their voices.

    The disagreement dragged till the end of the press briefing, with the two board members frowning and mumbling at each other as they left the venue and walked through the drizzling rain into their waiting cars.

    It was gathered that Elumelu was able to impress it on the Ayu committee that it would be unfair and unjust for Wike to impose the national chairman on the party and also impose the Minority Leader from the same state.

    Curiously, while the BoT meeting was still ongoing, earlier in the day, the leadership of the party issued a statement regarding the disputed report.

    Spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the NWC had not received the said report from the BoT.

    The statement reads in full: “In the light of public enquiries and conflicting reports on the position of the leadership of our great party on issues related to the minority leadership of the House of Representatives;

    “The National Working Committee (NWC) hereby clarifies that it has not yet received any report from the Board of Trustees (BoT) concerning the outcome of the five-member committee it set up to intervene on the contentious matter.

    “Consequently, the NWC maintains that it has not taken any decision to review its subsisting stance on the minority leadership of the House of Representatives.

    “The NWC therefore urges critical stakeholders, party members and the general public to completely disregard any report to the contrary.”

    Party silent on Wike’s bombshell

    The party and its National chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, who was sponsored for the position by Wike, have also been silent on Wike’s allegation that some PDP governors routinely pay homage to Buhari at night at the Presidential Villa.

    He was responding to criticism after he congratulated Buhari on the verdict of the tribunal.

    Some party members believe that Secondus does not want to offend Wike, his benefactor.

    But Secondus dismissed the insinuation, saying that there was nothing on ground to suggest that he was being influenced by the Rivers State governor.

    His media adviser, Ike Abonyi, who spoke with our correspondent yesterday, said there is the tendency for people to see the chairman in that light for the simple reason that Secondus and Wike are both from Rivers State.

    Regarding the governor’s congratulatory message to President Buhari and the chairman’s silence, Abonyi said the national leadership of the party had stated its position on the tribunal’s judgment and that the party’s position remained supreme.

    Asked to comment on what stakeholders described as disturbing trends in the PDP fold, Ologbondiyan had said: “It’s internal affairs of our party and we are resolving it.”

  • Atiku on tribunal’s judgment ‘I won’t give up until there is justice’

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)   presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said on Friday  that he opted to go to court on the outcome of the February election  to  “ensure that the votes of Nigerians count and are counted.”

    Atiku, whose lawyers have indicated that they are going to the Supreme Court to challenge  the verdict of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal on his case against President Muhammadu Buhari, said: “Nothing good comes easy.”

    “Nothing good comes easy, and hard as the task to rid Nigeria from the forces of fascism, and be an instrument for the full restoration of the rule of law and democracy in Nigeria is, your support makes the struggle worthwhile,” he said in a series of tweets to his supporters.

    Read Also: Why I am pursuing judicial option for my mandate — Atiku

    He said: I write to personally thank you for your support for our shared common goal.

    “And the solidarity I enjoyed from all walks of life and every strata of society, right from July 21, 2018, when I informed you, the good people of Nigeria, that I would contest the 2019 presidential election, to Wednesday September 11, 2019, when the PEPT rendered its verdict.

    “I owe so much to this great land of Nigeria that took me from the streets of Jada, where I sold firewood, to the heights I have attained, by God’s benevolence, in the civil service, in corporate Nigeria, and in public service.

    “If I do not play my part in making it possible for other orphaned children, indigent youths and the less privileged, to replicate and even surpass my path to significance, I would have failed my Maker.

    “If I do not ensure that the ladder I climbed remains accessible to those at the bottom, middle and top tiers of society, I would not have fulfilled my purpose.

    “And only by ensuring that democracy is not just done, but seen to be done, can Nigeria and Nigerians have a sense that this our dear land is indeed a land where unity, faith, peace and progress reside.

    “It is for this, and other patriotic reasons, that I am pursuing this judicial route: To ensure that the votes of Nigerians count and are counted.”

  • How I was lured to Akure for Australia visa, by Ghanian victim

    How I was lured to Akure for Australia visa, by Ghanian victim

    A Ghanian, Jeremiah Amoah, has narrated how he was lured to Akure, the Ondo State capital, to obtain his Australia visa but was later defrauded.

    Amoah was among 70 victims who were rescued by operatives of the Ondo Amotekun Corps from the den of a kidnap syndicate at Oda area of Akure.

    Many of the victims were lured from Ghana as they were told they could easily obtain visa in Nigeria to travel to their choice countries.

    Amoah said the syndicate collectsd $2000 from him immediately he arrived Akure.

    He said he realised he was duped when he was instructed to invite another person from Ghana, to be swapped with him before he could be released from the camp.

    He said, “A friend called me from Ghana and told me to come to Nigeria for my travel processing to Australia. When I arrived in Lagos, he told me to take a cab to Akure.

    “After arriving at Cathedral Junction, I was told to wait for an agent to pick me up. When the agent arrived, he took me to a hotel, and later, he took my money, which was about $2,000.


    “After collecting my money, they took me to another location and instructed me to lure another person to Nigeria before I would be released.

    Read Also: Rainstorm: I will support repair of Akure Airport, says Aiyedatiwa

    “I was able to escape at midnight when everyone was asleep. I jumped over the wall. Amotekun really helped us; they ensured that all those involved were arrested and that over 70 victims were freed.”

    Ondo Amotekun Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, said, “It’s a 28-man syndicate that specializes in kidnapping, human trafficking, and rustling. They invited unsuspecting members of the public that they wanted to help them procure US and Australian Visas. We have 28 Ghanaians that were invited to Akure, and once they come in, they collect money from them, some of them $2,000, some of them $1,500, and kidnap them and house them in Oda, and the only condition under which they leave the place is to bring another set to be kidnapped.

    “The eagle eye of the Intelligence Section of Amotekun Corps was able to pick them and right here today, we have 28 of them. We equally have those of them that were rescued by the Corps and their families.”

     

     

     


     

     

     

     

  • Tribunals uphold Delta, Abia, Taraba governors’ elections

    Tribunal dismisses certificate forgery case against Gov AbdulRazak

    Governors Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta State), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba State) remain the chief executives of their states following the affirmation of their elections by the election petitions tribunals in their states on Friday.

    A separate tribunal in Kwara State dismissed a certificate forgery case against Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazak.

    The Delta State Elections Tribunal threw out the petition filed by Chief Great Ogboru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging Okowa’s election.

    Ogboru while alleging that the election was marred with irregularities, over-voting and substantial non-compliance with the electoral act and guidelines, prayed the tribunal to nullify the election and order the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh exercise or declare him winner on the ground that he scored majority of lawful votes cast during the exercise.

    The chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Sulaiman Belgore, dismissed Ogboru’s petition for lacking merit and affirmed Okowa as the winner of the poll.

    The Abia Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia held that Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) had no case against Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The chairman of the panel, Justice Lekan Ogumonye, in a unanimous judgment, held that the petitioner failed to prove his allegations of over-voting and non-compliance with the electoral act in the conduct of the election.

    Reacting to the court’s decision, Ikpeazu extended a hand of fellowship to Otti.

    He said that the task of building the state required collective efforts and collaboration of the people, irrespective of religious or party affiliations.

    He said: “As I speak, about five governorship candidates from different parties have come to participate in our policy making sessions to fashion out a new direction for the state.

    “I invite the APGA candidate to sheath his sword and respect the will of the people to join in the onerous task of building a new state.

    “This task is beyond what only one man can do. It is a collective effort that involves all the people of the state.”

    Ikpeazu said that his administration would be more committed, dedicated as well as focused in actualising its vision and agenda to transform the state.

    He added that “election is about offering oneself for service, and it is the people that determine who serve at whatever time.”

    Read Also: Tribunal upholds Bello’s election

    He said the electorate had spoken through their ballot papers during the election.

    Ikpeazu expressed gratitude to God for granting him victory at the tribunal, adding that the mandate of the people had been confirmed by the judgment.

    The Taraba State Election Petition Tribunal rejected the prayer of Abubakar Danladi  of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to upturn Ishaku’s election.

    It said the APC’s petition was not brought by competent applicants, since the first petitioner, Abubakar Danladi, had been disqualified by successive judgments from appearing as a candidate for the APC in the March 9 election.

    The court also ruled that the allegations of election malpractices brought by the APC did not include sufficient evidence to warrant a nullification of the election.

    Mr Danladi and his party had accused the PDP of massive election rigging.

    The APC also alleged that it had polled a majority of lawful votes in the election.

    But a three-member panel of the court yesterday said the decisions of various courts, including the Supreme Court, which ruled against the candidacy of Mr Danladi in the elections following an intra-party dispute, had rendered the petition incompetent.

    Okowa, Ikpeazu and Ishaku’s party – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – immediately congratulated them for their judicial victories.

    The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, said the verdicts placed a seal on the acceptance of the governors as demonstrated during the elections.

    He said that like others elected on the platform of the PDP, the governors stand out in their commitments towards developing their states in spite of prevailing challenges.

    These, according to him, include the massive infrastructural projects in key sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, oil and gas, power, road infrastructure, education among others.

    “The PDP urges the governors not to relent but to uphold their commitments in delivering on their mandates for the good of all, in line with the manifesto of the PDP.”

    The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Kwara State yesterday dismissed the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) petition seeking the nullification of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazak’s election.

    The chairman of the tribunal sitting in Ilorin, Justice Bassey Effiong, said the petitioners were alleging directly that the second respondent, AbdulRazak, presented a fake WAEC certificate to INEC before the March 9 gubernatorial election.

    Effiong said the PDP candidate, Mr Razak Atunwa, failed to prove the allegations.

    “All evidences before us show that Abdulrazak sat for the examination and was therefore qualified to run for the office of the governor.

    “From all the evidences before us, we hold that the petition lacks merit and is hereby dismissed,” the chairman of the three-man panel, announced in a unanimous judgment.

    Effiong said the law stated that where a petitioner made the commission of a crime the kernel of his petition, then he must prove it beyond reasonable doubt.

    “Has the petitioners discharged the burden of proof expected of them, and rom the evidence in this case, the answer is a resounding ‘No’.

    “We hold that all the evidence presented by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) which the petitioners had relied upon and the subpoena, were at variance with the pleadings of the petitioners,” he said.

    Effiong said WAEC, which is the only statutory body to issue such documents had made it clear that AbdulRazak’s credential emanated from it.

    He said that the witness presented by the petitioner, Olorunshola Victor, WAEC senior examination officer in Ilorin office, presented the subpoena documents, confirming the authenticity of the WAEC certificate of AbdulRazak.

    “Victor told the tribunal that he was standing in for the first witness, Waheed Amode, who could not appear in court because of an unavoidable official meeting he had in Abuja

    “He confirmed that the governor sat for his West Africa School Certificate (WASC) examination in 1976 at the Government College, Kaduna,” Effiong said.

    The chairman said that the second respondent also presented a witness, who confirmed the authenticity of the WAEC certificate belonging to AbdulRazak.

    “The witness, Mohammed Yaro, told the court that he graduated from Government College, Kaduna, in 1976 with AbdulRazak and they both sat for the WAEC examination.

    “The witness said that the governor’s serial number in WAEC was 119, while his was 122,” Effiong said.

    The chairman said that all documents submitted by the respondents were not forged, as the documents were applicable to the election and the subsequent elections to come.

    “The respondent was qualified to contest as at the time of the election and has won the election, having polled majority of the votes,” Effiong said.

  • Service chiefs upset Reps, shun meeting with lawmakers

    A scheduled meeting between the leadership of the House of Representatives and the service chiefs was on Friday aborted by the absence of the latter.

    The service chiefs, namely the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete-Ekwe and the Chief ofAir Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, were conspicuously absent at the meeting with the principal officers of the House yesterday.

    The Service Chiefs, however, sent representatives to the meeting.

    The Chief of Defense Staff was represented by Major General Leo Irabor, Chief of Defense Training and Operations, Army Headquarters. He was accompanied by the Chief of Account and Budget, Army, Major General Kola Bakare.

    Lt.-Gen. Lamidi Adeosun (Chief of Policy and Plans, Army) represented the Chief of Army Staff, while the Chief of Naval Staff was represented by Rear Admiral Tariworio Dick (Chief of Training and Operations) and the Chief of Air Staff was represented by Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao (Chief of Training and Operations).

    However, the Inspector General of of Police, Mohammed Adamu; the Director General of the Department of State Service, Yusuf Bichi, and the Comptroller of Nigeria Immigration service, Mohammed Babandede, were present.

    The House had on Thursday stepped down a motion by Hon. Ifeanyi Momah titled: “Review of the Military strategy of “ Super Camps” in the fight against Boko Haram in the North East Zone.”

    The House felt that because it was a security issue, the leadership would have better insight at the meeting with the security Chiefs on Thursday.

    The absence of the service chiefs really upset the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who expressed his disappointment at the development.

    Read Also: Just in:Buhari, Service Chiefs meet in Aso Rock

    He said: “Let me commend President Muhammadu Buhari for the commitment he has shown to stem the tide and to put a handle and lead on the security situation in Nigeria today.

    “Unfortunately, Mr President cannot work alone.He has to have people to delegate those powers to as the Commander in Chief as directed by our constitution.

    “But because Mr President has delegated those powers to the Service Chiefs, we decided to call this meeting as representatives of the people.

    “This meeting was not called by a committee of the house; it was called by the highest level of the legislature, personally by me as the speaker of the house.

    “Let me commend the IGP, DG DSS and Nigerian Immigration for coming here.

    “Let me say that as a House and institution, I cannot understate my disappointment or our disappointment for the service chiefs that are not here.

    “We called this meeting because we wanted to hear from the Service Chiefs, to know what is going on, to know how the house can help. What are the problems? What are the challenges to talk about strategy and what we need to do.

    “I am sure you do not expect the house to fold its arms over what is going on in Maidugiri and other parts.

    “There is a migration now from Local Government to Maidugiri but here we are. We call the Armed Forces coordinated by Chief of Defence Staff who is not here, Service Chiefs being represented by their accountants.

    “I am actually at a loss. For me, I believe are in tandem with this, the absence of the Service Chiefs, the Navy is not represented as far as I am concerned, Air Force is not represented, ditto the Chief off Army Staff.

    “I know one or two of these Service Chiefs who were somewhere yesterday night, I can almost say that it showed the disdain for this institution.”

    He further said: “The budget is on its way. We need to talk about it. What do you need? What is required? I am almost embarrassed to tell the truth.

    “There was no call placed to my office to explain why. I am just seeing accountants and representatives.

    “I am not sure how to handle this. I do not think this happens anywhere, any parliament in the world, where the head of parliament will call the Service Chiefs for a nagging problem on how to resolve it and they will not show up.

    “I think it is important to postpone this meeting to Monday morning. I will personally see the President myself, because we are supposed to work as one, to work together as a body.”

  • $9.6bn judgment: Court sends ex-Petroleum Ministry’s senior official to prison

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Apo, Abuja, has ordered that a former Director, Legal Services of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Grace Taiga, be remanded in Suleja Prison, in Niger State.

    Mrs. Taiga, who was arraigned before the court yesterday on an eight-count charge of bribery, among others, is to remain in prison until September 25, 2019 when her bail application would be heard.

    Upon her arraignment yesterday, Mrs. Taiga pleaded not guilty to the charge in which she was, among others, accused of  receiving bribe, through her offshore bank account in signing the Gas Supply Processing Agreement (GSPA) between P&ID Limited and the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Petroleum Resources Ministry on January 11, 2019, and over which an arbitration panel, which sat in London awarded about $9.6billion damages against Nigeria.

    After she pleaded to the charge, filed and being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), her lawyer, Ola Olanipekun (SAN), prayed the court to allow his client to be remanded in the custody of EFCC pending the determination of her bail application, on the grounds that she was suffering from hypertension and diabetes.

    Lead prosecuting lawyer, Bala Sanga, however, objected to Olanipelun’s  request and argued that the proper place to remand a defendant, whose plea had been taken,  is prison custody.

    In a ruling, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi upheld Sanga’s argument and ordered that the defendant be remanded in Suleja Prison.

    Justice Adeniyi directed that the defendant be accorded due medical treatment while she is in custody, pending the hearing and determination of her bail application.

    The judge subsequently scheduled September 25 for the hearing of her bail application.

    The EFCC also accused Mrs. Taiga of violating various laws by entering into the GSPA without a prior approval by the Federal Executive Council and a certificate of no-objection to the contract from the Bureau of Public Enterprise.

    Read Also: P&ID $9.6bn judgment: FG arraigns ex-Petroleum Resources official on bribery charges

    The charge is in relation to the  controversial Gas Supply Processing Agreement (GSPA), in respect of which a British court upheld P&ID claim to the  $9.6bn damages awarded against Nigeria by an arbitration tribunal

    The EFCC alleged that Mrs. Taiga  signed as Nigeria’s witness to the GSPA, while the then minister who was the head of the ministry, Rilwan Lukman (now late), signed as Nigeria’s representative.

    The charge reads in part:

    *That you Process and Industrial Developments Limited being a company incorporated in the British Virgin Island (convicted), Michael Quinn (deceased), Brendan Cahill (at large), Nel Hitchcock (deceased) and Grace Taiga on or about the 11th January, 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, made a false statement in paragraph 8(g) of the Gas Supply and Processing Agreement (GSPA) to wit: the parties are aware that the 24inch Adanga pipeline presently under construction from the Addax operated OML 123 directly to Calabar and due for completion in 2010 which part of the said agreement you knew to be false and you thereby committed an n e contrary to section 362 (a) of the Penal Code Code Law and punishable under Section 364 of the same law.

    *That you, Grace Taiga and Dr. Rilwan Lukman  (deceased) being public officers on or about the 11lh January, 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court signed a contract titled Gas Supply and Processing Agreement between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Process and Industrial Development Limited, a corporation organised and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Island, without any cash backing and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 22(4) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences act, 2000.

    *That you, Grace Taiga and Dr. Rilwan Lukman  (deceased) being public officers on or about the 11th January, 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court signed a contract titled Gas Supply and Processing Agreement between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Process and Industrial Development Limited, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Island without obtaining the requisite statutory approvals of the Federal Executive Council pursuant to section 2 (1) and (2) of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (Establishment, ETC),2005 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 22(4) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences act, 2000.

    *That you, Grace Taiga (former Director of Legal Services in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources) on or about the 14th of September, 2015 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court corruptly received the sum of $1,000 (one thousand United States Dollars) from Eastwise Trading Limited through the Zenith Bank offshore Account No. 5070369868 operated by you on account of the favour you showed to Process and Industrial Development Limited, which led to the definitive agreement entered into between the company incorporated in the British Virgin Island and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in 2010 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences act, 2000.