The Federal High Court Jos Division has sentenced a former Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe as well as Raymond Dabo and Evangelist Leo Sunday Jitung to three-month imprisonment each.
The trio had been standing trial for four years on charges bordering on conspiracy and money laundering.
The sentence however has an option of a fine of N1m.
Details Shortly…
President Muhammadu Buhari and All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors will meet today to further discuss the party’s forthcoming National Convention.
The chairman of Progressives Governor Forum Governor Abubakar Bagudu disclosed this on Tuesday after a crucial meeting of the forum in Abuja.
The Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), at the end of its 20th regular meeting on Monday, announced March 12 for the party’s zonal congresses and March 26 for the party’s national convention in Abuja.
Secretary to the Committee, Senator John James Akpaudoedehe after their meeting told newsmen of the new dates
Addressing newsmen after the PGF meeting, Bugudu said: “We had briefings from the Chairman of the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party, Governor Mai-Mala Buni of Yobe State.
“And we discussed the meeting we are going to have Mr President today to further discuss on the party (Convention).”
When asked the position of the forum on the new timetable released by the CECPC for the zonal congresses and national convention, Bagudu said: “Until we finish the meeting with Mr President we rather not comment on any timetable and any logistics.”
Bagudu expressed resolve of the forum to ensure the emergence of a crop of new leaders that will earn the confidence of the party members.
According to him:”All the APC Governors have met and as always have appreciated the need to work together with the other stakeholders, we have always been humbled that we are not the only stakeholders of the party – to work with other stakeholders and to ensure that we deliver transparently, honestly, the national executive that will earn the confidence of all party members.
“I think, first we appreciate that Nigerians are interested in what the APC is doing because Nigerians give us their mandate by electing us into offices and holding us in high esteem and we are very conscious of that.”
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) convention has been shifted to March 26.
The initial signal was an indefinite postponement before the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) announced a date.
It said the change of date is to enable the party to organise zonal congresses across the six geo-political zones on March 12.
It was learnt that the governors protested the indefinite postponement by sending a strong signal to the Mai Mala Buni-led caretaker committee.
This, it was learnt, led to the decision on the one-month postponement.
The Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) was locked in a meeting last night on the convention and to prepare for today’s meeting of the governors and caretaker committee with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Sources said the governors are unhappy that the caretaker committee took a unilateral decision to postpone the congress.
Other decisions that would be taken today at the meeting with the President include zoning and micro-zoning of party offices, sales and return of forms, screening of aspirants and the zonal congresses.
The caretaker committee informed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the zonal congress date in a letter yesterday.
The Nation gathered that the sale of nomination forms for the zonal congresses will take place between March 2 and 5 at the zonal headquarters.
The caretaker committee also released some guidelines on the zonal congresses, particularly the purchase of nomination forms by aspirants contesting in any of the zonal congresses.
For the zonal chairman form (National Vice Chairman), aspirants are to pay N5 million.
For zonal secretary, zonal legal adviser, zonal organising secretary, zonal publicity secretary and zonal youth leader, aspirants are to pick their forms for N500,000 each.
Aspirants for zonal woman leader are to pay N250,000 for their nomination forms.
To encourage female and physically-challenged aspirants, the committee pegged their fees for any of the positions at 50 per cent of the prescribed fees.
The decision on the change of convention date was reached at the 20th regular meeting of the caretaker committee in Abuja.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, CECPC Secretary John James Akpanudoedehe said: “We have agreed and approved that activities for the party’s national convention will commence from February 24 and terminate on March 26 at Eagle Square with the National Convention.
“Inbetween the convention, we have agreed to have zonal congresses, and all the activities are hereby given as approved by the CECPC.”
A source said: “The caretaker committee ran into a problem when the criticism greeted the leaked letter to INEC informing the electoral body of the zonal congress in place of the national convention.
“Acting on security and intelligence reports on party members’ reactions to zonal congresses, the meeting had to repackage the schedule of activities to accommodate the convention.
“The Secretary was directed to send a new letter reflecting the new dates arrived at today’s caretaker committee meeting to INEC by tomorrow (today) unfailingly.”
APC governors, who expressed shock at the sudden postponement, alleged that they were not consulted by the caretaker committee.
They protested to President Buhari and party leaders.
Apart from writing a secret letter to INEC, some members of the caretaker committee were not informed about the postponement because no formal meeting was held.
But the leakage of the CECPC letter to INEC caused an uproar at the party last night.
Upset by the action of the CECPC, a governor said: “The CECPC has unilaterally postponed the convention and it is unfortunate. We were not consulted. They just decided on their own to postpone the convention.”
Another governor described the decision of the CECPC as an ambush.
He said: “We are not sure whether or not they have the backing of President Buhari but it was the most insulting decision I have ever experienced.
“The CECPC did not wait for all the PGF governors to meet before writing INEC. The Caretaker Committee has made it a fait accompli.”
The governor said: “The pressure from governors forced them to fix the convention for March 26.
“But we are suspicious of the CECPC members.”
APC chieftain Ayo Oyalowo faulted the committee for waiting till yesterday before announcing the postponement.
He said the shift was a ploy by the committee to elongate its stay with a sinister motive of imposing its selfish interest on the party in 2023.
He said: “I already said it last year that the February 26, 2022 convention date was a farce.”
But speaking on Channels Television last night, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode defended the caretaker committee’s decision to shift the convention.
Nigeria is losing $8.810 billion annually to the non-take-off of the $3.1 billion e-Custom mordenisation project, it was learnt yesterday.
Finance, Budget and National Planning Minister Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, who appeared before the House of Representatives Joint Committees on Customs and Excise, Finance and Banking and Currency, blamed situation on a chain of suits against the government.
He told members of the committees that the government has three suits filed against it by Messrs Adani Nigeria Limited, the contractor initially franchised to handle the project.
The e-Custom mordenisation project is expected to fetch the government about $176.2 billion for the over 20 years at an average of $8.810 billion annually
In October last year, Green Chamber directed its committees on Custom and Excise, Banking and Currency as well as Finance to investigate and resolve the issues affecting the take-off of the project between the Centeral Bank of Nigeria and Adani Mega system.
The minister told the committees that the contract awarded by the Technical Committee on Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (TC-CISS) of the CBN on March 20, 2017, was cancelled by the same body on the September 18 of the same year after further due diligence.
She said: “In a letter Ref. TED/DIR/GAM/GEN/01/025 dated 18th the September, 2017, the technical committee cancelled the agreement following further due diligence which revealed that the technical partners of the Company (Messrs. Adani International Ltd) a company registered in the United Kingdom (UK) that did not possess the required expertise in relation to the project field nor proven track record in the execution and operation of projects in the field covered by the contract.
“The technical committee noted that the misrepresentations were material breaches that affected the company’s integrity, capacity and competence to deliver on such a project given its importance to the Nigerian economy.
“Expectedly, Messrs. Adani Mega Systems Limited (ASL)in an effort to validate its contract with TC-CISS instituted cases in courts against the Federal Government of Nigeria for breach of contract allegedly entered into between it and the technical committee on the Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (TC-CISS).
“Presently, there are three active cases before the court on the matter at the instance of the Company as listed as Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/850/2017 Adani Mega Systems Limited vs the AG of the Federation & 3 Others; Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1156/2020 – Adani Mega System Limited vs HAGF and 3 Others and Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/860/2020 – Adani Mega System Limited vs Air Wave Limited & two others.”
She said Messrs Adani Mega Systems Limited argument was that the substance of the contracts awarded to E-Customs HC Project Limited and Airwave Limited are the same with the one awarded to it.
“The crux of all the cases still connect to the first case – parties are at a stage where there is need to address the Court on whether all the cases, apart from the one at the arbitration, before the Attorney-General of the Federation should be transferred to the same judge so that they can either be heard simultaneously by the same Judge or be consolidated, since they are all sister cases. One of the cases comes up on the in March 2022.
“There is no doubt, the pending cases are impeding the commencement of the e-Customs project. In order to pave the way for the take-off of the project, the Ministry is liaising with the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure that the arbitration is speedily concluded. This we believe could settle all the pending matters and allow the E-Customs project to commence without further delay.”
Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali said Adani Nigeria Limited were supposed to be prosecuted for presenting false information to obtain contract.
He also said that the contract with the company was awarded by a committee of the CBN with the knowledge of Finance ministry and the NCS.
According to him, the House Committee in the Eight Assembly investigated the matter and made its recommendations.
Col. Ali, however, said that the NCS found out that Messrs Adani Mega Systems Limited outsourced the agreement to an unauthorised third party Adani International Limited (UK), a company registered four months after the agreement was signed.
He said Adani International Limited (UK) has since been dissolved, adding that the assertion by Adani Mega System Ltd that its international partner has a proven track record, capacity, expertise and competense to execute and operate within the project field covered by the agreement was false and misleading.
Chairman of the House Committee on Custom and Excise, Leke Abejide, lamented what he called back and forth on the e-customs modernisation project with an objective to automate Customs administration.
He said the cost of concession implementation over a 20-year period is put $3.1 billion and projected to generate about $176.2 billion.
“We equally understood the SPV is to recover their investment based on negotiated and staggered recovery strong ratio from the Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) and Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS),” Abejide said.
The Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has bowed to pressure and rescheduled the party’s National Convention for March 26 at Eagle Square, Abuja.
The decision to this effect was reached at the 20th regular meeting of the caretaker committee in Abuja on Monday.
Addressing the newsmen after the meeting that lasted almost three hours, the Secretary of the CECPC, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe said: “We have agreed and approved that activities for the party’s national convention will commence from Feb. 24 and terminates on March 26 at Eagle Square with the National Convention.
“In between the convention, we have agreed to have zonal congresses and all the activities are hereby given as approved by the CECPC.”
Efforts to get information on the convention failed as the Secretary refused further comment but only handed over the Schedule of Activities for the zonal congresses and the national convention to the newsmen.
A close source to the CECPC meeting, who spoke in confidence, said the committee had to retrace its steps and accommodate the national convention at its Monday meeting as a last resort to placard members.
“The caretaker committee ran into a problem when the criticism greeted the leaked letter to INEC informing the electoral body of the zonal congress in place of the national convention.
“Acting on security and intelligence reports on party members’ reactions to zonal congresses, the meeting had to repackage the schedule of activities to accommodate the convention.
“The Secretary was directed to send a new letter reflecting the new dates arrived at today’s caretaker committee meeting to INEC by tomorrow unfailingly,” a source disclosed.
By the schedule of activities for the zonal congresses and national convention in pursuant of Article 12.6 of the party’s Constitution, the zonal congresses will hold on March 12, 2022.
A letter written by the party to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a copy of which was received by newsmen by the party, informed the electoral body of its intention to conduct zonal congresses on March 26.
The party, in the letter of notice to the Chairman of INEC dated February 21, 2022 with reference number APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/22/21 fixed March 26, 2022, for the conduct of the zonal congresses.
The letter jointly signed by the caretaker committee chairman and Secretary, Hon. Mai Mala Buni and Senator John James Akpanudoedehe respectively titled: “Notice for the conduct of zonal congresses” reads: “This notice supersedes our earlier notice for National Convention with reference APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/22/14 this is predicated on the evaluation of our Party Constitution.
“In furtherance to Article 85 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and compliance with Section 12:6 of our Party Constitution we hereby write to notify the Commission that our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has scheduled to hold its Zonal Congresses on Saturday 26 March 2022.”
The Mai Mala Buni-led CECPC was inaugurated on June 25, 2020 to conduct a national convention to elect new members of the dissolved Adams Oshiomole-led National Working Committee within six months.
The Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has rescheduled the party’s National Convention to March 26 at Eagle Square, Abuja.
The decision was taken at the 20th regular meeting of the caretaker committee in Abuja on Monday.
Addressing the newsmen after the meeting that lasted almost three hours, the Secretary of the CECPC, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe said: “We have agreed and approved that activities for the party’s national convention will commence from Feb. 24 and terminates in March 26 at Eagle Square with the National Convention.
“In between the convention, we have agreed to have zonal congresses, and all the activities is hereby given as approved by the CECPC.”
Efforts to get further information on the convention failed as the Secretary refused further comment.
He only handed over schedule of activities for the zonal congresses and the national convention to newsmen.
By the schedule of activities for the zonal congresses and national convention in pursuant of Article 12.6 of the party’s Constitution, the zonal congresses will hold on the 12th of March, 2022 and the national convention will hold on March, 26, 2022.
The Federal Government on Monday urged filmmakers to avoid money ritual contents in their movies.
This follows the recent confession of a money ritualist that he learnt the act from social media.
Speaking during a media sensitisation visit to Daily Trust Head Office in Abuja, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said: “To mitigate this, I have directed the National Film and Video Censors Board, the body set up to regulate the film and video industry in Nigeria, to take this issue into consideration while performing its role of censoring and classifying films and videos.
“I have also directed NFVCB to engage with stakeholders in the film industry in order to express the concerns of the government and Nigerians on the need to eschew money ritual content in their movies.”
He added: “Many have also blamed Nollywood for featuring money rituals in some of its movies, saying this has negatively influenced the vulnerable youth.
“The fact that some of these ritualists said they learnt the money-making tricks from some social media platforms has given a further fillip to our campaign to rid social media of unwholesome content.
“For those who may still be in doubt, ritual killings have assumed a worrisome dimension in recent years…Recently, in Ogun State, four young men, one of whom is 18 years old, murdered their 20-year-old female friend for money rituals.
“One of them said they learnt about using human parts for money rituals from social media. Of course, you are also aware of a case involving a female student of the University of Jos who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend for ritual purposes. These killings have been widely reported by the media.”
Mohammed said the government won’t allow the social media space to be suffused with dangerous contents, adding the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari won’t relent in its efforts to ensure responsible use of social media.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has turned down the request by suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari for bail.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling on Monday, ordered Kyari to serve the respondent – the Federal Republic of Nigeria – with the processes filed and adjourned till February 24.
Justice Ekwo’s ruling was on an ex-parte motion argued on Monday by Kyari’s lawyer, Cynthia Obianuju Ikena.
The judge held that the allegations made against the respondent are weighty, requiring that the court grant it an opportunity to be heard before a decision it taken.
Kyari is, in the substantive suit, challenging his continued detention by an agency of the Federal Government.
He claimed to be suffering from chronic diabetes, which he said was threatening his life and therefore requires urgent medical attention.
Details Shortly…
The ruling All Progressives National Congress (APC) has shifted its National Convention slated for February 26, 2022.
This was contained in a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party (CECPC).
The CECPC said the party would instead hold its zoning congresses on March 26.
The letter of notice to the Chairman of INEC dated February 21, 2022, with reference number APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/22/21 was titled: “Notice for the conduct of zonal congresses.”
Signed by Caretaker Committee Chairman and Secretary, Hon. Mai Mala Buni and Senator John James Akpanudoedehe respectively, the letter reads: “This notice supersedes our earlier notice for National Convention with reference APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/22/14 this is predicated on the evaluation of our Party Constitution.
“In furtherance to Article 85 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and compliance with Section 12:6 of our Party Constitution we hereby write to notify the Commission that our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has scheduled to hold its Zonal Congresses on Saturday 26 March 2022.”
The Nation gathered sale of nomination forms for the zonal congresses is to begin on March 2-5 at the zonal headquarters while the congress holds on the 26th March.
Details Shortly…
Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola swept all the 30 local government areas and Ife-East Area Office in the just-concluded governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He polled 222,169 votes to defeat a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Adeoti Moshood Olalekan and a former House Representatives Deputy Speaker Yusuf Sulaiman Lasun.
According to the official results announced, Adeoti polled 12,921 votes to come a distant second while Lasun polled 460 votes to come third.
Oyetola has extended his hands of fellowship to the other two co-contenders in the primary election.
The governor urged other All Progressives Congress (APC) members to close ranks and eschew bitterness in all forms.
He said the time has come for all aggrieved members to join hands with him to further strengthen the party and deliver outstanding results at the governorship poll.
Oyetola reiterated his administration’s commitment to running all-inclusive, equitable and participatory governance in the state.
The governor said these while delivering his acceptance speech after he was declared winner by the APC Governorship Primary Election Committee, led by the Kwara State Governor AbdulRazak AbdulRahman.
He described the victory as a restatement of the people’s confidence in his Development Agenda, based on “hope delivered in 2018 and performance sealed in 2022”.
Oyetola said: “On this historic occasion of the peaceful conclusion of the primary election and my election as the candidate of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Osun, I give Glory to Almighty God for making it possible.
“Once again, our great party has spoken as a beacon of democracy and as a strong and united channel of development.
“We have jointly made a resolve to continue to redefine governance and re-entrench sustainable democracy. Today’s victory is made possible by the members of our great party who gave us another opportunity to face the people of Osun to seek re-election. The outcome of this primary election is victory for our party and members who have spoken loudly with their votes.
“It is victory for our people who trooped out in large number during our strategic tour of the state to inform them of our intention to seek a second term.
“I thank you all, our party members, for your constant support, and especially for speaking eloquently today with your massive votes in favour of our administration’s Restoration and Consolidation Agenda.
“With this primary election now concluded, I invite us all to rededicate ourselves and the party to delivering an overwhelming victory at the governorship polls holding on Saturday, July 16, 2022.
“For me, we are all winners. I, therefore, extend my hand of fellowship to the other two aspirants to join me as we prepare for the July election. We are all brothers. Let’s join hands to build the Osun of our dream.
“Let us close ranks and eschew bitterness in whatever form. Therefore, may I use this opportunity to also ask all our aggrieved members to have a rethink and join hands with us to further strengthen our party and deliver outstanding results at the governorship poll.
“To all our citizens, we thank you for standing by us in the journey of these three years plus. I promise not to let you down in the years ahead.
“As we commence the electioneering campaigns, I urge all contestants across party lines to perform this exercise with utmost decency and not jeopardise the peace and tranquility our State is noted for. This is the least our people deserve and the beauty democracy requires.”