The Nation Newspaper

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  • Senate confirms ICPC boss Nta

    Senate confirms ICPC boss Nta

    The Senate yesterday confirmed the nomination of Mr. Ekpo Una Nta as the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    This followed the consideration of the Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption on the screening of the nominee.

    Chairman of the Committee, Senator Victor Lar (Plateau South) while moving the motion for the screening report to be considered said: “That the Senate do consider the report of the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption, on the screening of Mr. Ekpo Una Nta, or appointment as Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and approve the recommendations therein.”

    The Senators approved the recommendation of the committee that Nta be confirmed through voice vote.

     

  • Club donates to the disabled

    Club donates to the disabled

    Nigerians have been urged not to neglect the less-privileged.

    The President of Diamond Fitness Club of Nigeria, Chief Chigozie Nwaolise, who gave the advice at the National Stadium, Lagos during the presentation of N750,000 cheque to the Women for Network Disability, said members of the society should not look down on that class of people.

    Explaining the gesture, Chief Nwaolise told Newsextra that the club was established primarily to assist disabled and other less-privileged people. She described the club’s effort at giving back to the society as vital.

    Speaking on the objective of the club, the Publicity Secretary of the club, Mr Kanayo Kanayo said that the club lays much emphasis on fitness, even as he disclosed that jogging was designed to create awareness among Nigerians on the need for corporate organisations to be committed to their corporate social responsibilities by providing for the people the needed welfare.

    “Diamond Fitness is committed to empowering the less-privileged through life- enriching platforms. We are excited that so many of our young professionals have embraced entrepreneurship and are making efforts to succeed in their endeavours. “Diamond, as a brand, recognises can-do-it spirit in them and would do everything within its powers to support their dreams.

    “I urge well-meaning corporate organisations and individuals to join hands with the club to bring relief to the disabled,” he stated.

     

  • Police arrest three ‘bloody Sunday’ suspects

    Police arrest three ‘bloody Sunday’ suspects

    •RPGs, IED, rifles from gang members recovered

    THE police said yesterday that they had made a breakthrough in their investigation of the “bloody Sunday” robbery.

    Three suspected members of the gang behind the mid-Sunday robbery, which sent the city into panic three weeks ago, were paraded at the Lagos Police Command, Ikeja.

    They are: Uche Okeagbu (23), Emmanuel Ezeani (23) and Chinonso Nwuaugwu (23).

    Also on parade before reporters were four vehicles, which hitherto served as their mobile armoury. The mobile armoury ( Infinity and Toyota Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and two volkswagen buses), had been re-constructed to conceal arms and ammunition from the prying eyes of security agents.

    Found in the improvised chambers were: two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, five dynamites with a detonator, two general purpose machine guns, nine AK47 riffles, 225 AK47 magazines (fully loaded), 260 rounds of GPMG live ammunition, and over 10,000 rounds of live AK47 ammunition.

    Okeagbu participated in the bloody Sunday robbery in which three policemen were killed. But Nwuaugwu, an active member of the gang, claimed he was “not in action” on that day. He had taken active participation in other operations carried out by the gang.

    Ezeani, who was identified as a brother to one of the fleeing gang leaders, was arrested in the gang leader’s house.

    He was accused by the police of being privy to all the meetings held by the gang.

    According to the police, the gang had successfully carried out seven raids on banks in seven states.

    Okeagbu, who participated in the September 9 attacks, said their target was usually 10 operations at a stretch, after which members of the gang will travel out of the country to allow the manhunt for them fade out.

    He said: “On that Sunday, we had people we targeted for the operation. We came with information on those we robbed. Those that were shot were people that wanted to disturb our operations. But the policemen we killed were not chasing us. They were going on their own. We do not like seeing policemen when we are in action and that was why we killed them.

    “Whenever people see armed robbers, they should not try to stop them. The civilians that we fired were the ones that tried to stop us. We do not tolerate such when we are operating because our business is a matter of life and death thing.”

    The suspect also confessed to taking part in a bank robbery in Kwara State. The operation was less than four days after the Lagos multiple attacks.

    According to Okeagbu, the gang had taken over a police station, few meters away from the bank, before the laucnhed the attack.

    He said: “Before that particular operation, we took over the police station that was close to the bank. We shot at the station and all the policemen on duty ran away.

    “We then moved straight to the office of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), knocked on his door and he asked us to enter. As at that time he did not know what was going on. He offered us a seat and we now told him that our gang is operating outside and that he should cooperate and he said there was no problem. We were with him until our members outside signalled to us that the operation was over.”

    Okeagbu informed that the gang has no female member, saying that the person being erroneously taken for a woman is actually a man.

    “He is just big and have breast like a woman. He also behaves like a woman. He is a man”, he said.

    Police Commissioner Alhaji Umar Manko, who paraded the suspects in the company of his Area Commanders, said that acting on a tip-off, the State Special Anti-robbery Squad ((SARS), led by its commander, Mr Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police (SP), stormed Ilemba-Hausa in Ajangbadi and arrested the suspects on September 23.

    He noted that during interrogation, Okeagbu gave information, which led to the recovery of huge arms and ammunition concealed in two buses marked LSD467AR and AGL506XB.

    The vehicles, the police chief said, were carefully parked in Okeagbu’s residence.

    Manko said whenever the gang operated, they drove the buses (stuffed with groundnuts or cassava) to the location, parked them in front of their target of attack and after the operation, they drove away to beat security checks.

    He said one of the gang’s operational vehicles also has a censor Close Circuit Television (CCTV) to monitor whoever was trailing them.

    Manko said his men are on the trail of other members of the gang who, he said, have their hideouts across the country.

     

  • Akeredolu urges IGP to transfer Ondo police chief

    Akeredolu urges IGP to transfer Ondo police chief

    •US envoys visit candidates

    The Ondo State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) yesterday urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to transfer the police commissioner.

    The ACN candidate accused the police chief and his team of partisanship.

    Akeredolu spoke in Akure, the state capital, when two American envoys, Jeffrey Hawkins and Rolf Olson, visited him.

    He alleged that the police chief and his men were working for the ruling Labour Party (LP).

    The former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President doubted the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Prof. Attahiru Jega.

    Akeredolu noted that without a trusting and fair security partnership with INEC, it would be difficult to know the truth about the election.

    The ACN candidate hailed the American envoys for representing the agents that would ensure a free and fair poll.

    He said the dividends of democracy are not in building roads or providing basic amenities – as these are also achievable under a military government – but by allowing freedom of speech and the liberty to vote for one’s choice of leadership.

    Jeffrey Hawkins and Rolf Olson were in Ondo State to assess the political situation in the Sunshine State and familiarise with the governorship candidates.

    They visited governorship candidates and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and emphasised the need for a free and fair election on October 20.

    The envoys also listed the benefits of a violence-free poll to the growth of democracy.

    Addressing reporters in Akure, the state capital, when they visited the ACN candidate, Hawkins, who is the Consul-General, said the US was interested in ensuring that the poll result represents the people’s wish.

    Hawkins said American observers would monitor the poll.

    Olson spoke of the need for the poll to adhere with democratic guidelines.

     

  • Edo gets new court rules

    Edo gets new court rules

    The Edo State Judiciary yesterday replaced its 24-year-old Civil Procedure Rules with a new one, which the State Chief Judge, Justice Cromwell Idahosa, said was designed to strengthen and aid access to justice.

    Justice Idahosa spoke in Benin, the state capital, at the unveiling of the new court rules.

    He said it was the hallmark of the Rule of Law and would guide court proceedings.

    Justice Idahosa said the new rules would endear in the hearts of the people a renewed faith in the administration and a rekindled hope for the speedy dispensation of justice.

    He said the extant rules in use since 1988 have become obsolete and was being employed to waste valuable time.

    The CJ said: “The result was that cases could last up to seven years and in some inexplicable instances up to 10-15 years.

    “This is not a desirable state of affairs as it shows that the Judiciary is not playing its role, which generally is to settle disputes between all persons, states and governments.

    “The idea is to have a system that resolves these disputes without disputants resorting to self-help or violence, which could lead to a breakdown of law and order.

    “A good system for resolving disputes is one that is independent, transparent, accountable, efficient, cost-effective and timely.”

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole cautioned the Judiciary against unethical professional practices and unhealthy collaboration with the police.

    Oshiomhole urged the Judiciary not treat anybody as a sacred cow.

    He said: “Just recently, the police in this state arrested an innocent person and charged him for murder without any convincing evidence. This should never happen in a democracy. It is as bad as Decree Two under the military.

    “When the police abuse their power by arresting innocent people, the judiciary should refuse to assist them to legalise it. I praise the courage of the judge, who granted the person bail, even though the police did not obey it. I also hail the second judge, who finally granted the bail that the police had no choice but to comply with.

    “The court should expedite action on matters where the issues before it are clearly frivolous, especially in granting bail application, and where they discover rascality in the police force, such they should be exposed.”

  • 35 Niger Delta ex-militants arrested

    35 Niger Delta ex-militants arrested

    Thirty-five Niger Delta ex-militants were yesterday arrested for allegedly harassing and intimidating officials of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and the Special Adviser to the President on the Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku.

    In a statement, PAP Head of Media and Communications, Mr. Daniel Alabrah said the ex-militants have been harassing and intimidating the officials to subvert the 2012 budget meant for 6,166 persons in the Niger Delta.

    The statement reads: “The Amnesty Office today handed over to security agencies in Abuja 35 leaders of Niger Delta ex-agitators, enrolled in Phase Two of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

    “This became inevitable, given the incessant harassment and intimidation of officials of the office, including Kuku, by these persons to subvert the provisions of the 2012 budget and channel the allowances meant for 6,166 other persons in the programme to just these leaders.

    “At a meeting with officials of the Amnesty Office in Abuja yesterday, the leaders of the ex-agitators threatened to disrupt social and economic activities in sensitive governmental places in Abuja, if their request to have the Transition Safety Allowance (TSA) proposed for 6,166 persons enrolled in the second phase of the amnesty programme was not immediately paid out directly to them and not to all the enrolled persons as enshrined in the 2012 budget.

    “At this meeting, Kuku painstakingly explained to the ex-militant leaders, who are less than 100, that the Federal Government will never accede to their demand.

    “Kuku further explained that extant financial regulations do not permit any Ministry, Department and Agency of the Federal Government to pay money to persons or services other than as clearly spelt out in the budget.

    “The Special Adviser therefore resolved to hand the leaders of the ex-agitators over to security agencies, so as to nip in the bud any untoward act.

    “It has become important to reiterate, once again, Kuku’s commitment to the transparent, accountable and tenacious implementation of the Presidential Amnesty Programme as demanded by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “It should be recalled that last week, the Amnesty Office notified the public of the unrelenting plot by certain persons to discredit both the Amnesty Programme and its chief driver, Kuku.

    “The office views the unnecessary and unwarranted demand of these ex-militant leaders as one of such plots. The Amnesty Office shall continue to resist attempts to rubbish a programme that has stabilised security in the Niger Delta.”

     

  • E-11 hails Fayemi

    THRILLED by the quality of projects being implemented across Ekiti State by the Dr Kayode Fayemi–led administration, an Ekiti-based socio-political group, E-11, has hailed the governor.

    Chairman of the group, Mr. Femi Ajiniran, gave the commendation in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, at the weekend after visiting some of the completed and ongoing project sites.

    The suspected projects included: roads, school and the Ikogosi Warmspring Tourist Centre among others

    Ajiniiran described the quality of the work being done as “well complementary of the avowals of the governor and is such as we ourselves in the group feel proud of and can identify with.

    “We had made our plans known to him (the governor) and he said he would accommodate our report whenever we carry out the inspection and submit our reports.

    “This is just the first phase of the inspection. We will report back to the larger house. The position of the entire membership will then be forwarded to the governor for necessary correction/amends.”

    He noted that though the pace of work on the roads and the schools is fast, the contractors, especially those handling the schools, should be monitored so that they would redouble efforts to finish in time in view of the fast approaching resumption.

    Ajiniran’s deputy, Mr. Olufemi Ayeni, described the standard of the renovation as impressive, noting: “These are schools which have generally degenerated in quality and requiring critical attention.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • PDP accuses LP of promoting violence

    The Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said the ruling Labour Party (LP) was promoting violence ahead of the October 20 election.

    In a statement by the Director-General of the Olusola Oke/Saka Lawal Campaign Organisation, Dr Dare Bada, the PDP said Governor Olusegun Mimiko was creating fear to prepare the ground for his alleged rigging plan.

    The statement reads: “Gentlemen, you are aware we just concluded our campaign in all the 203 wards in Ondo State. Throughout the period, we had a peaceful tour and our members kept to our creed of decent behaviour.

    “It is worrisome, however, that the LP has been attacking the leaders and members of our party since it realises the rising profile of the PDP and the readiness of the people to vote the party back to power.

    “Over the weekend, LP’s weird thugs invaded the PDP secretariat at Ijare, in Ifedore Local Government Area. They removed the posters of the party, pasted theirs in broad daylight armed with dangerous weapons. It took the unusual maturity and enviable calmness by our members to let go the unmitigated brazen oppression.

    “At Uso, in Owo Local Government Area, LP thugs came to the PDP office and defaced the party’s billboards. They tore the banners and posters of the PDP.

  • Free coaching classes for 120 students

    A member of the Oyo State House of Assembly representing Ibadan South East constituency II, Hon. Sikiru Akin Alli has held free extra-mural classes for over 120 students in his constituency.

    Hon Alli stated this at the end of the classes which held at Eleta Junior High, Ibadan, the state capital.

    The lawmaker explained that he has also embarked on various people-oriented programmes all for the benefit of the people of his constituency, this he said includes,  drilling of seven boreholes, tarring of roads and construction of blocks of classroom in some schools in his area.

    He said that the project was part of his  educational support programme, adding that the responsibilities of sustaining quality education cannot be left in the hands of government alone, hence the need for relevant stakeholders to join hands with the government to develop educational standard of  Oyo state in particular is needed.

    Alli admonished the students to give more priority to their studies in order for them to be who God had created them to be and attain their potentials.

    In his remarks,the ACN party chairman in Ibadan South East Local Government, Engineer Kolawole Arowolo said the party through his representatives in government will not relent in its people oriented projects.

    Hon. Alli at the occasion also presented cash prizes, free National Examination Council (NECO) forms to some outstanding students as well as free exercise books to all the participating students.

  • Controversy over administration of Imo councils

    Activities at local government councils in Imo State have grounded to a halt following the dispute between the council chairmen and the state government.

    The chairmen have continued to report in their offices although the government had mandated the newly appointed Directors of Administration and General Services (DAGS), to take over the councils.

    Civil servants have stayed away from their offices. Some of the council secretariats have been taken over by grass and rodents.

    The offices of the treasurers, DAGSs and secretaries to the local governments were locked yesterday.

    It was learnt that computers and files had been moved to unknown destinations, from where senior council officers operate.

    At Ngor Okpalla local government, some structures have been destroyed by rain.

    A junior council worker, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “We are disturbed by the ugly situation. We live in the fear of being attacked by thugs anytime we come to work.”

    Some of the embattled chairmen said they run the councils with their personal money.

    The Chairman of Ngor-Okpalla Local Government, Mr. Enyinna Onuegbu, said: “I run the council from my pocket. Since the Appeal Court granted our prayer, Governor Rochas Okorocha has refused to hold the Joint Account meeting, thereby denying the councils their allocations.”

    At Owerri North Local Government, the Chairman, Dr. Eric Ogwo, said: “The DAGS and Local Government Secretary are operating outside the council. Since we were reinstated by the Appeal Court, we have not received salary. Last Thursday, I learnt that my workers were asked to come to another local government, Owerri Municipal Council, to collect their salary.”

    The Commissioner for Local Government Affairs did not pick his calls when The Nation phoned him.

    In a statement, the governor’s media aide, Mr. Ebere Uzoukwa, said the chairmen lack the competence to discuss the JAAC meeting and the disbursement of council funds, because their tenures expired on August 8. Uzoukwa said the chairmen’s tenure elongation suit was dismissed by Justice Ngozi Opara of an Owerri High Court.

    He said: “Okorocha is running an open administration and has nothing to hide. Against the backdrop of the erroneous impression created in some quarters by some disgruntled element that activities in the 27 LGAs are being stalled, the state government states emphatically that various activities, including developmental projects, are moving on smoothly under the management of the DAGS, who are presently in charge of council activities, pending the conduct of the local government polls.”