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Tag: Ahmed Makarfi

  • PDP state chairmen back Makarfi

    PDP state chairmen back Makarfi

    The chairmen of state chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday threw their weight behind the Ahmed Makarfi led Caretaker Committee.

    The chairmen, who paid a solidarity visit to Makarfi in Abuja, said they would continue to respect the decision of the May 21 national convention of the party that set up the Makarfi committee.

    Leader of the delegation, Alhaji Yahaya Mohammed said as delegates to the convention, they were bound by the outcome of the convention, adding that doing otherwise would amount to undermining the national leadership of the party.

    Mohammed, who is the chairman of the Federal Capital Territory chapter, urged the factional national chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, to respect the decision of the convention in the in the overall interest of the party.

    He maintained that the Port Harcourt convention was a product of the party’s constitution.

    Responding, Makarfi said the crisis in the party was proof that the PDP is worth struggling for and that the committee’s mandate was to bring everybody on board.

    According to him, dragging the crisis for too long could be injurious to the health of the party, adding that the committee’s mandate did not include dissolution of the existing state executives.

     

  • Sheriff declares Edo PDP gov primaries illegal

    Sheriff declares Edo PDP gov primaries illegal

    The embattled National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ali modu Sheriff has declared the party’s governorship primaries in Edo state illegal.

    The primaries, which were held by the Ahmed Makarfi led caretaker committee on Monday has been voided by Sheriff, saying the exercise was a contraption by an illegal care-taker committee.

    He has called on party members in the state to disregard the exercise.

    This was contained in a letter addressed to the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), signed by Sheriff and the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo.

    The duo urged INEC not to confer legitimacy on the Edo primaries, saying the party would conduct a proper exercise to nominate a candidate.

    Consequently, Sheriff has released a scheduled congress in the state to start from June 23rd-June 29th with the inauguration of a congress committee scheduled for Thursday.

    Sheriff warned state chapter chairmen and other officers of the party to desist from holding meetings with the Makarfi committee, stressing that such actions would attract sanctions.

    Sheriff has announced the appointment of some expired deputy national officers as members of the National Working Committee (NWC) in acting capacity.

    The appointments were meant to fill five vacancies created by the resignation of some NWC members, saying the appointments were in accordance with  the provisions of Sections 39(2), 42 (2), 43 (2), 44 (2) and 47 (6) of the party’s constitution.

    The newly appointed officers are Mr. Okey  Nnadozie – Acting National Organizing Secretary; Mr. Alonge-Niyi Dennis –Acting National Youth Leader; Mrs. Hannatu Ullam –Acting National Women Leader; and Mr. Bashir Maidugu –Acting National Legal Adviser.

    The appointments, he said, take immediate effect.

  • Court rules on PDP crisis July 4

    Court rules on PDP crisis July 4

    Justice Makhmud Liman of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday adjourned till July 4, ruling on the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention held last month in the oil city.

    The party held a parallel convention in Port Harcourt and Abuja on May 21.

    While the Acting National Chairman, Ali Modu-Sheriff, convened the Port Harcourt convention, the party’s elders organised the Abuja meeting.

    They were to elect their new executives at the convention.

    The conventions however ended in deadlock. Instead of electing new leaders, the convention produced a caretaker committee headed by Senator Markafi, to the chagrin of the ex-Borno State governor who vowed never to relinquish his office in that manner.

    Sheriff insisted that he remains the acting chairman of the party.

    Makarfi on his part approached the court May 23 to seek an order of interim injunction restraining Sheriff from parading himself as the national chairman of PDP.

    They are also asking the court to validate the Port Harcourt convention which produced the caretaker committee.

    Justice Liman granted the order and adjourned the matter till June 7 for hearing.

    On June 7, parties filed processes on the fact of the matter and the court adjourned the suit till Thursday for hearing.

    On Thursday, parties canvassed their position and the court adjourned till June 4 for final judgement on whether the Port Harcourt convention is illegal or not.

    Parties made presentations on their positions. Four motions were filed by the both parties. While Markafi and Ben Obi filed the originating summons on behalf of the PDP, Sheriff and three others who are respondents filed three applications.

    They applications are – memorandum of condition appearance, dated and filed on May 26, motion to discharge the interim order of court, dated May 25 and filed May 26 and notice of pre-notice preliminary objection dated and filed on May 26.

    Three of the motions were heard. But the one bordering on the experte order of interim injunction on Sheriff and co was not heard.

    The court agreed that the timeline of 14 days for interim injunction has ended and should therefore not be over flogged.

    However arguing on the originating summons, which bordered on the validity of the Port Harcourt convention and the agreements reached there, counsel for the plaintiffs, Oladejo Olaminkoran, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the court to declare the convention legal, as against the declaration of the defence party.

    In his argument, Olaminkoran claimed that the convention was legally convened and by the right persons empowered by the party constitution to do so and therefore should be upheld.

    “One of the reasons we have come to court is that only the court of law can declare a particular action as legal or illegal, but the position of the PDP is that the convention was lawful, legal, backed by the PDP convention and was convened by the body that is constitutionally empowered to call such convention, the National Executive Committee of the party which included at that time Sheriff and who was the Acting National chairman and the National Party Secretary, who are the main respondent in this suit.”

    Moving his motion earlier, Sheriff urged the court to strike out the name of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), as plaintiffs in the action, thereby dismissing the entire suit.

    He argued that the use of the name of PDP, a cooperate entity in the suit by Makarfi and Ben Obi who are the plaintiffs in the suit is illegal.

    “The reason for the submission is because, the use of the PDP corporate entity as a plaintiff to commence this action by Senators Makarfi and Ben Obi, is predicated on the illegal usurpation of the functions of the appropriate members of the party. The caretaker committee which they claim to lead is an illegal contraction, set up by their own admission on May 21, 2016 in defiance of express prohibitory orders of this honourable court, made respectively in suit numbers, FHC/ CS/ 613/ 2016 and FHC/ SUS/637/2016 on May 12 and 16, 2016, and by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), High courts judgements on suits number FTC/HC/1443/2016.

    “We also seek that the court make an order dismissing this action for reason of ex-facia illegality represented in the title of the action and their admission of those who are behind the use of the name of PDP as plaintiff in this action that their authority to represent the political party and to invoke its cooperate personality is contested and requires validation by this court’s orders, which they seek.

    “Also that this suit be dismissed by reason of ex-facia illegality as the right sought to enforce this action and the assumed personal rights of Markafi and Ben Obi and other members of the Illegal CTC which they lead and not at all the cooperate right of the PDP.

    “And finally, for such ancillary and inconsequential orders as this court may deem fit to make in the circumstances,” he said.

    He expressed confidence on the grounds of the application, the affidavits and exhibits annexed in the documents and urged the court to grant his application and remove the name of PDP from the suit.

    Earlier, the plaintiff had insisted that the three processes be dismissed for incompetence, but the court overruled the position and upheld them.

    But in his ruling, the judge upheld the application filed by the defence for amendment, saying that striking out the processes would delay quick determination of the suit and strengthen the power of technicality in legal battle.

    “In which case where no application is filed to set aside the irregularity or was not filed timeously, the court might view the party to have weaved his right to complain.

    “Where however an application to set aside have been properly filed, the court has a range of options in the exercise of his discretion either to set aside the process, wholly or partially or the order amendment subject to cause of amendment.

    “In the instant case, the plaintiff has not shown what prejudice it will suffer if the motion to amend the defect is granted, more so that this being a political case in which a major political party is battling with its life, which calls for conscientious efforts to address the legal conflict expeditiously.

    “I think to strike out the processes filed will roll back the entire proceedings to the beginning, and this will signal the triumph of technicality and tragic expense of substantial justice.

    “In the like of the above analysis, I dismiss the motion to strike out the three processes filed and grant the application for amendment.”

    He recalled that Justices Idris J. and Buba J. of the Federal High courts in Lagos had made earlier orders on this matter, adding that Justice Buba J. in his order warned that no election should be conducted into the office until the matter before him was disposed of.

    Quoting Idris, the judge also said, “Do not take steps that will affect the rest of the action before him.” The ‘rest’ he interpreted as the conduct of the National Convention of the Party. While the FCT High court stated that the tenureship of Modu-Sheriff’s Executives will run till 2018.”

    He described as share expertise illegality for people to conspire to subvert the orders of the court and urged the court to grant his application and make an order to remove the name of the PDP from the suit.

    Responding to the application, the plaintiffs said Markafi and Ben Obi are not parties in the matter but the PDP, and that the issue of the legality of the Port Harcourt convention is the main subject matter of the suit as contained in the originating process.

    He admitted that the Abuja court noted that the Modu-Sheriff’s tenureship would continue till the end of 2018, but stated that it (the court), also stated that it is dependent on the conduct of election by the party into the office of the chairman.

    “Justice A. D. Mohammad in his judgement stated that Modu-Sheriff’s tenure is not until 2018, but pending the election into the vacant office of the chairman of PDP.”

    He noted that by the statement, the court automatically declared the office of the chairman party vacant.

    Laminkoran also recalled that the judgement of the court equally ruled that the Port Harcourt convention which the plaintiff (Sheriff), sought to stop cannot be stopped and that the notice of the convention cannot be set aside.

    He noted that the same relieve Sheriff sought for in Abuja was the same thing he canvassed for at the Lagos court, describing it as abuse of court process.

     

  • Makarfi takes charge at PDP secretariat

    Makarfi takes charge at PDP secretariat

    After more than two weeks of inertia, key organs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday officially handed over the affairs of the party to Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee.

    By that gesture, the committee is expected to organise a fresh national convention where new national officials will be picked to run the affairs of the party for the next four years.

    The exercise was in defiance of subsisting court orders that emanated from Port Harcourt and Lagos, restraining the Makarfi-led committee and the deposed party chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, from exercising the right of leadership on behalf of the party.

    This prompted the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) to assume responsibility for running the affairs of party, pending the election of new executives.

    The BoT chairman, Walid Jibrin, in a chat with journalists last week, attributed the action to the subsisting court orders against Makarfi and Sheriff.

    He said, “Nobody has taken the BoT to court.‎ Today, the BoT remains the only legal body that is not in court with anybody, and that is why we are here to play our role.

    “We are here to perform our duty according to the PDP constitution, hoping that our problems will soon be resolved.”

  • N10b jet-hire probe: Makarfi faults judiciary interference

    N10b jet-hire probe: Makarfi faults judiciary interference

    ….Senate to intervene in CBN’s N35m capital requirement for BDC operators 

    Chairman Senate committee on Finance, Senator Ahmed Makarfi yesterday condemned attempts by the Judiciary to stall the probe of N10billion allegedly spent by the Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke to hire private jets.

    Makarfi also faulted the new policy of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele that Bureau De Change (BDC) would henceforth require a capital base of N35million to operate, up from N10million.

    He said the Senate would intervene to amicably resolve the rift between the CBN and BDC operators over the new capital requirement.

    He also noted that since the National Assembly cannot stop the court from hearing any case before it, the courts should not also stop the National Assembly from its legislative and investigative activities.

    On attempts by the Judiciary to stall the House of Representatives probe of N10billion allegedly used by the Alison-Madueke to hire private jets, Makarfi said: “I think it was wrong for any court to stop the National Assembly from legislating or investigating.

    “The National Assembly cannot stop any court from trying any case before it. Equally the court should not interfere in the operation of the National Assembly to make laws or to investigate any matter. The court can find faults at the end of the day.

    “If a legislation is unconstitutional, it can annul such a legislation, it has that power. Or if an investigation was biased. That is, somebody  took his case to court and he can prove before the court that he was not given fair hearing, that is a post investigative issue not a pre-investigative issue.

    “That is my honest and personal opinion and I think the heads of the judiciary and the heads of the legislature should really talk to each other and streamline so that we adopt a code of conduct that is good for the judiciary, good for the legislature, good for democracy and good for this country.”

    On the promise to reduce bank interest rates by the CBN Governor which he later reversed after meeting with the Bankers Committee, the lawmaker said leaders ought to be abreast with facts of any issue before making pronouncement.

    Makarfi said: “The issue of the statement made by the CBN governor talking about the reduction of the interest rate could be compared with when the late Chief Bola Ige made a statement on the improvement of power supply before he assumed office as Minister of Power and met something different on resumption.

    “Of recent, the Chief of Defence Staff said something and had to quickly came out to say he was misquoted.

    “What this mean is that leaders should always think before they talk, they should know the fact before they make statement especially when they are occupying a sensitive position.

    “It is not good you say something today and change your position tomorrow. It is good to wait a while, gather the necessary facts you needed so that when you speak,  you speak once and people can make medium and long term decision.

    “May be that is a baptism for him and may be that will teach him a lesson not to talk before knowing all the facts.”

    The senator said it was wrong to tie down N35million that would not yield any interest to the BDC operators.

    “How much forex is the CBN prepared to be selling to those who will be tying down their interest free N35million,” he queried, adding,  “Look at the opportunity cost. Except if you will be selling forex that somebody ties down N35million and make a living.”

    According to him, if the reason for raising the  capital base is due to scarcity of forex, it means government does not have enough to sell.

    He added: “You should not be looking for high capital because that would make the operators to record losses. It is a plus, minus issue here.

    In other countries, according to Makarfi, government can sell forex to BDC in order to regulate exchange rate through various means “but the day to day activities of the bureau de change is not like that, they sell based on what they buy.”

     

     

     

     

    He insisted that with the minimum capital requirement to open BDC, operators  should be allowed to operate and buy forex where they can get them and sell and make a living.

     

    He added: “But if the CBN is saying you need a minimum capital base of N10million or more, before it can sell, then it must sell what is commensurate with the capital outlay.

     

    “The CBN should make it an option, pay the minimum capital base if you want to buy forex from CBN or ignore the directive if you have alternative way of sourcing forex.

     

    “CBN should guarantee selling at minimum rate of exchange. For me, a policy like that could make sense if they have much to sell but to clamp such a standard on everybody even an assurance of what they can sell, that will be commensurate with the capital you are asking the people to tie down, I think it is not just, it is not fair, it is not equitable.

     

    “The House of Representatives has taken it as a motion, we (Senate) will adopt a different method to intervene, and to bring a dialogue and discussion between the operators of the industry and the regulators so that something more workable, more humane, may emerge at the end of the day.”

     

    END

     

     

  • Senate probes Immigration job seekers’ death

    Senate probes Immigration job seekers’ death

    •Revolution likely over unemployment

    •Rejects motion on minister’s suspension

    Senators hinted yesterday that the level of unemployment in the country may trigger a revolution of unimaginable consequences, if the government does not urgently address the malaise.

    This followed a motion on the death of 19 applicants during an aptitude test conducted by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) across the nation for job placements.

    Over 70 applicants were said to have been injured.

    The motion titled: “Nigerian Immigration Service nationwide aptitude test and physical examination of March 15th, 2014” was sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi Centra) and Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and nine others.

    The Senate resolved that its Committee on Interior should organize a public hearing to determine the actual cause of the deaths and report back in one week.

    The Senate also resolved to observe a minute silence in honour of the dead, condole with the families of the dead and sympathise with those injured during the unfortunate incident.

    It urged the Federal Government to come up with a marshal plan on employment.

    However, the prayer that the Senate condemns the the poor handling of the test and logistic provisions at the test centres was defeated as most senators described it as “judgmental” – in view of the impending investigations.

    Senator Babafemi Ojudu’s prayer that Interior Minister Abba Moro be suspended pending investigation was also rejected by the lawmakers.

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu noted that the death of the 19 applicants and the fate of those who suffered varied degree of injuries in the course of seeking employment should be of concern to all Nigerians.

    He said it was time for the government to increase job opportunities as well as provide social security cover for the unemployed.

    Ekweremadu said: “These are people who are supposed to be our future leaders. Therefore, their deaths should be of concern to us.

    “These people died because they believe in this country. They died because they wanted to work for our country. They would have taken the path of crime, but they wanted meaningful employment and in seeking meaningful employment they lost their lives.

    “So, I will like to join you in sympathising with the families of those who died and I agree with you entirely that we must do all that needs be done to ensure that we increase the quantity of employment opportunities for our people.

    “When the 1999 Constitution was drafted, those who did that were mindful of our responsibility to the ordinary people of Nigeria. Section 17 (3) states that ‘the state shall direct its policy towards ensuring that (a) all citizens without discrimination for any group whatsoever have the opportunity for securing adequate means of livelihood as well as adequate opportunity to secure suitable employment.’

    “This is the responsibility of the government and we must ensure that it happens.

    “I believe a time has come while we are trying to provide employment for our people we must also address the welfare of everybody. In Europe, for instance, the average tax is about 40 per cent.

    “I believe that even in this country, those who are working should be able to contribute to the welfare of those who are not working so that we will be able to redistribute our income.

    “There is need for us provide social security network for those who are unemployed and for those who are out of employment so that we can all be our brothers’ keeper.”

    Bagudu, in his lead debate, urged the Senate to note with grief the tragic nationwide recruitment exercise of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) during which 15 applicants died as a result of stampede that occurred at some of the test centres across the country.

    He said the Head of Service of the Federation had in 2011 granted approval for the recruitment of 4,556 personnel of various cadre, for the Nigerian Immigration Service.

    According to the lawmaker, the approval comprised 1,343 Assistant Superintendent 1 and 2 (Graduates), 1,680 Assistant Inspector 1 for National Certificate in Education (NCE) and Ordinary National Diploma, 1,531 Immigration Assistant 111 (SSCE).

    He urged his colleagues to observe that following the Federal Government’s approval, an attempt was made to conduct the recruitment by the former Comptroller-General of NIS, Mrs Rosemary Uzoma, which was cancelled in 2013 because the conduct of the exercise became controversial.

    He said: “The Senate had in January 2013 debated a motion on employment irregularities in agencies, including the Nigerian Immigration Service.”

    He said the cancellation of the exercise in 2013, the Ministry of Interior engaged consultants (Drexel Technical Global) to provide an online platform for interested persons to apply while charging N1,000 per applicant.

    Prior to this exercise, Bagudu said, employment into the Nigerian Immigration Service was done in two usual ways.

    He said NIS had the responsibility for the employment of junior officers while the recruitment of senior officers was handled by the Custom Immigration and Prisons Board (CIPB).

    “The introduction of consultants and charging of N1,000 is a new innovation,” he added.

    Bagudu said pursuant to the engagement of the consultant by the by the NIS, 700,772 were said to have applied as against 528,000 the committee was previously told.

    He added: “At least, about 70,000 applicants were registered for the Abuja test centre.”

    He said that the exercise was held under the coordination of the Comptrollers of Immigration in the states and the FCT with one representative of the Board in each centre.

    He regretted that the exercise resulted in the deaths and injuries.

    “The Committee visited the National Hospital and confirmed seven dead and saw nine of the 11 wounded,” the senator said, adding:

    “Other casualties recorded in Niger State – two dead; Rivers State – five dead; Edo State – one dead; in addition to several others injured in many locations.”

    He regretted that that in spite of the accidents, the test and physical fitness exams were conducted, except for Lagos State where it was cancelled.

    Bagudu denied that members of the National Assembly had been allocated most of the NIS job slots before the exercise.

    He said efforts of the National Assembly to ensure a transparent recruitment led to the conduct of the aptitude tests nationwide.

    Most of the senators lamented the deaths and described the unfortunate incident as a pointer that a revolution may be in the offing, if something is not done urgently to arrest the rising unemployment situation.

    Senator Olusola Adeyeye (Osun Central) lamented that one of the two persons from his constituency who died during the exercise was the first person in his family to go to University.

    He said he was saddened by the fact that the deaths could have been averted.

    He said it was his fervent prayers that Nigerians would soon get a government that would address the unemployment imbroglio.

    Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) said it was high time Nigerians said enough is enough to unemployment.

    He called for a special provision to be made in the national budget to tackle unemployment.

    Senator Odion Ugbesia (Edo Central) noted that it was unfortunate that it took the NIS tragedy for the Senate to realize the enormity of the problems and implications of massive unemployment.

    Senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom North East) said: “We have the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme; there are all sorts of names called YouWin. Where is the record of those who have been employed in these processes.

    “The unemployment crisis we have in this country is worse than the insurgency we are having.

    “What we are facing and what is standing against us now is worse than a revolution and I will use a word that there is capable of being a revolution because the army of people that we turn out yearly for the past 10 years from the universities we don’t plan for them.”

    Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption Chairman Senator Victor Lar said there was need to raise the manpower of the police from less than 400,000 to one million as a first step towards tackling unemployment.

    Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East) called for a forensic audit of jobs the Minister of Finance claimed o have created in he last three years through the SURE-P and the YOUWIN programmes.

    He said: “The Minister of Interior has failed. Whether he is going or not is a matter subject to debate. Last year, it was scam galore in Immigration Service. This year, it is death galore. What are we waiting for? I urge him to tender his resignation and go.”

    Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi urged his colleagues to be mindful of the implications of the NIS incident.

    He noted that it was the scarcity of bread and the extravagance lifestyle of Queen Anthoniettee that led to the French Revolution.

    He said: “The tragedy of last Saturday is bringing together a coalition of the oppressed and what they need is the type of leadership that will galvanise them and thereafter we may witness cataclysm of very dangerous proportion.”

    Senator Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North) said although nobody wants the Arab Spring in Nigeria, “but we can only prevent it if we provide jobs for our people”.

    Other Senators who contributed to the debate include Smart Adeyemi, Adamu Gumba, Heinekien Lokpobri, Kabiru Gaya and Ayogu Eze.