The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Absence of counsel stalls Ogbulafor’s trial

    Absence of counsel stalls Ogbulafor’s trial

    The absence of defence counsel, Chief Awa Kalu (SAN), on Tuesday stalled hearing in a suit filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission against former Peoples Democratic Party’s National Chairman, Vincent Ogbulafor, and two others.

    At the resumed hearing of the suit at the FCT High Court, Counsel to the ICPC, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), had told the court that Kalu, the counsel to Emeka Ebilah, an accused, was not in court.

    Justice Ishaq Bello, then read out a letter from Kalu, praying for an adjournment.

    In the letter, Kalu pleaded that he would be leading a delegation from the Nigerian Bar Association to appear before the National Assembly, in respect of the public hearing on legal practitioners’ amendment bill.

    Justice Bello, then, considered his application for an adjournment and adjourned case to November 11 for continuation of hearing of defence.

    Ogbulafor, Jude Nwokolo and Ebilah were being prosecuted by the ICPC on a 17-count criminal charge of alleged involvement in N170 million fraud.

    The ICPC alleged that Ogbulafor, while in office as the Minister of State for Special Duties in 2001, connived with the others to float three fictitious companies, with which they perpetrated the fraud.

    They were alleged to have used Henrichiko Nigeria Limited, DHL Consultants and Chekwas Industries, to syphon N82.6 million, N11.5 million and N6.2 million, respectively, in 2001.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ogbulafor was specifically alleged to have used his position as the head of the National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC), set up to verify debts owed local contractors, to okay as genuine, several forged documents.

    He was alleged to have relied on the forged documents to certify that the three fake companies successfully executed jobs worth N104 million.

    He was also alleged to have collected kickbacks of N2 million and N28 million from Ebilah.

    The accused persons had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

     

  • APC leaders arrive Port Harcourt

    Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting of the All Progressives Congress in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, some of the party’s chieftains have arrived the oil city.

    Those in the city are the party’s National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and the party’s National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande.

    Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, arrived from Lagos on Tuesday morning and headed straight home before returning to receive the visiting APC leaders.

    At the main gate of Port Harcourt’s airport on PHC-Owerri Expressway, policemen stopped the governor’s supporters from joining the rally.

    Amaechi later came down from the convoy and ensured the gate was opened and he trekked four kilometres back to airport with teeming supporters, sweating profusely.

    He later spoke with reporters at the airport VIP Lounge

     

     

  • 150 soldiers sentenced to death in Bangladesh

    A court in Bangladesh has sentenced at least 150 soldiers to death over a bloody border guard mutiny in 2009.

    More than 150 others, mostly border guards, were given life sentences.

    BBC reports that verdicts are still being read out. 23 civilians also face conspiracy charges.

    The 823 soldiers being tried in the civilian court have already been jailed by military tribunals over the mutiny.

    The 30-hour uprising over pay and other grievances broke out in Dhaka and left 74 people dead, 57 of them officers.

     

     

  • Ag. Taraba governor to sponsor education of late Speaker’s children

    Ag. Taraba governor to sponsor education of late Speaker’s children

    The Acting Governor of Taraba, Alhaji Garba Umar, on Monday condoled with the family of the late Speaker, Mr. Haruna Tsokwa, and pledged to sponsor the education of his children.

    Umar, who paid a condolence visit to the deceased’s family in Jalingo, described the late speaker as “a fine gentleman who was an embodiment of humility, honesty and diligence.

    “I received the news of his death with great shock; it is a great loss to the government and people of the state.

    “The government will not only sponsor the education of all his children from primary to university level, but it will also ensure that his wife is engaged meaningfully to support the family,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the acting governor as saying on Monday.

    Umar, however, called on the people of the state to remain calm, pledging that the government would do everything possible to maintain peace in the state.

    He also urged the people to support whoever emerged as the new speaker to give room for peace and development in the state.

     

     

  • Immigration Comptroller slumps, dies at seminar

    Tragedy struck on Monday in Minna when an Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, Abdulrazak Umaru Ruma, slumped and died while presenting a paper at a Stakeholders Consultative Forum organised by the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs.

    Ruma, who stood in for the Niger State Comptroller of Immigration arrived the workshop looking healthy but slumped few minutes into the presentation of his boss paper.

    The pandemonium that ensued when Ruma slumped at Justice Legbo Kutigi Conference Centre, venue of the workshop nearly brought the workshop to a halt.

    Though the organisers of the workshop rushed him to the Minna General Hospital, it was gathered that he died before getting to the hospital where he was certified dead.

    The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Richard Oguche, confirmed the incident.

    He said, “The preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased had a case of high blood pressure and he is an asthma patient.

    “The Immigration Officer slumped while he was delivering his paper. We rushed him to hospital where he was confirmed dead.”

    Oguche added that the state Police Command was pained at the loss of the officer while in active service and prayed God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

    He also commiserated with the officers and men of the Immigration Service particularly those of the Niger State Command over Ruma’s sudden death.

     

  • Another building collapses in Lagos

    Another building collapses in Lagos

    A building collapsed in Lagos on Monday evening.

    The cause of the incident and the casuality figures could not be ascertained at the time of this report.

    However, emergency handling agencies have been deployed to the place to manage the situation.

    Details later…

     

  • Jonathan, ASUU move to resolve impasse

    Jonathan, ASUU move to resolve impasse

    President Goodluck Jonathan this afternoon maintained that  the protracted over four months’ old strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) would be resolved today.

    Jonathan, who took charge of the Federal Government’s  negotiations with the lecturers, gave the assurance while shaking hands with the lecturers just before the meeting commenced at the First Lady Conference Room in the Presidential Villa.

    Exchanging pleasantries with the team led by ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge, who were already seated with the Leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, Jonathan said: “My president all the problems will be over today , all our children must go back to school”

    When greeting the NLC President, Comrade Abdulwahab Omar, President Jonathan said: “My president with you around today, there will be no problem, our agreement is signed, sealed and delivered.”

    On the Federal Government team include Vice President Namadi Sambo;  Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu; Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim; Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof Julius Okogie; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

    Also with the Federal Government team are the Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Oghiadhome, and Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Mac John Nwaobiala.

    Members of ASUU team at the meeting include its Vice President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, three past presidents of ASUU, Profs. Festus Iyayi, Dipo Fashina and Abdullahi Sule-Kano.

    Other members of ASUU delegation included Prof. Suleiman Abdul; Dr. Victor Igbum; Prof. Victor Osodeke.

    The ASUU negotiating team also have the NLC President, Comrade Abdulwahab Omah; the Trade Union President, Bobboi Kaigama in attendance.

    The Presidency, on September 19th, took over negotiations with the striking lecturers with the Vice-President Namadi Sambo spearheading the Federal Government side.

     

  • Senate, Okonjo-Iweala disagree over Excess Crude fund

    Senate, Okonjo-Iweala disagree over Excess Crude fund

    The Federal Government and the Senate on Monday disagreed over the whereabouts of $1.03 billion Excess Crude Funs.

    The disagreement followed the disclosure by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala that the balance in the Excess Crude Account amounted to $4.3 billion.

    The minister did not however say the total accrual to the account at a Joint Senate Committee of Finance and Appropriation meeting on the 2013 budget and Federal Government revenue-generating agencies.

    A member of the committee, Senator Ita Enang, who was apparently unimpressed by the minister’s disclosure noted that records available to the committee showed the total inflow into the Escrow account was $14.06 billion while the total outflow from the account was $9 billion.

    Enang said that left a balance of $5.06 billion.

    The minister did not counter the figures released by Enang but insisted that the balance in the Escrow account is $4.03 billion.

    Enang had demanded from the minister how much the country has in the Escrow account, how much is paid into the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) and what the Escrow account is used for.

    Okonjo-Iweala said that the balance in the Escrow account stood at $4.3 billion.

    She also told the committee that Escrow account is primarily used for payment of oil subsidy for the country.

    The funds, she added, “goes in and comes out almost immediately.”

    The minister said, “Excess Crude Account is a federation account matter. It belongs to all tiers of government. When we pay subsidy, it belongs to all tiers of government. So, the Federal Government, states and local governments are all partakers.”

    On the status of the SWF, she noted that “the SWF has $1 billion.

    She added that “there have not been further payments into the SWF as far as I know.”

    The minister noted that though there are leakages in the economy, government had launched actions to block the leakages.

     

     

  • Navy seeks Senate’s intervention for release of N6.066b

    The Nigerian Navy on Monday urged the Senate to help it secure the release of N6.066 billion being balance of its capital appropriation for the 2013 fiscal year.

    According to the Navy, the non release of the full capital budget is hindering its operations including the fight against oil theft, building of new jetties, and payment for the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV),

    The Chief of Policy and Plans of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogbor, spoke on behalf of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, during an oversight visit by the Senate Committee on Navy in Abuja.

    Ogbor noted that out of about N14.22 billion approved capital budget for the Navy, only about N7.9 billion representing 55.8 per cent has so far been released by the Ministry of Finance.

    He stated that a balance of about N6.066 billion of the capital budget is yet to be released less than two months to the end of 2013.

    He called on the Senate Committee on Navy to help prevail on the Ministry of Finance to release the funds to enable it complete the critical projects the money is meant for.

    Ogbor said: “The Nigerian Navy will strive for the release of the balance of the 2013 capital appropriation to enable it fully execute its projects.

    “Consequently, the Senate Committee on the Nigerian Navy is requested to assist the Navy in making a case at the Federal Ministry of Finance so that they can release the sum of N6.066 billion being balance of the 2013 capital appropriation.”

    The Chairman Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Chris Anyanwu, lamented that the amount released was not enough for the Navy to meet its obligations.

    She noted that even the amount appropriated for the Navy to replace its crashed helicopter has not yet been released.

    She urged the Minister of Finance to realize that the country cannot afford not to fully release the capital budget of the Navy in view of its critical role of combating increasing oil theft.

     

  • Payroll fraud: Bayelsa begins verification with Dickson, deputy

    Payroll fraud: Bayelsa begins verification with Dickson, deputy

    A verification and biometric capturing exercise to tackle payroll fraud began in Bayelsa State on Monday.

    The Governor of the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson and his deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd) were the first to go through the exercise at the Due Process Office in Yenagoa, the state capital.

    The exercise was aimed at determining the actual number of workers to reduce the state over N3.5 billion monthly wage bill, described by people as outrageous.

    The governor and his deputy received their certificates and automated verification cards with serial numbers after the process.

    Dickson gave January 2014 as the deadline for the verification and warned that any worker not captured would forfeit his or her salary.

    The governor said he was determined to cleanse the payrolls of ghost workers to enable his administration plan for the workers.

    “This state is on a new course. It is on the course of doing things properly. And let me call on the public servants of this state to cooperate with the officers conducting this exercise.

    “This exercise means so much to us because we want to, for once and for all, put an end to the syndrome of ghost workers on our payroll.

    “We want to be able to identify who our workers are and plan and cater for them. I am happy that the measures that we have put in place since coming on board have yielded some dividends but this appears to be the most scientific way of determining who should be on our payroll.

    “And I want to commend you all. I have heard that you have already verified a few ministries, departments and agencies, so I want to call for cooperation on the part of the public servants that will be verified,” the governor said.

    He said nobody would be spared from going through the exercise, insisting that there would be no sacred cow.