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Tag: Diezani Madueke

  • EFCC: Court grants Shagari, Wali, others bail

    ‎The Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto presided by Justice Saleh Idrissa Kogo Thursday  granted bail to a former Deputy Governor of Sokoto state, Mukhtari  Shagari and Ambassador Abdallah Wali, Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) governorship candidate in 2015 general elections and three others standing trial over alleged N500 million money laundry linked to former Petroleum Minister Diezani Madueke.

    Others granted Ibrahim Gidado, a former Information commissioner, Sokoto State Chairman and Treasurer of PDP, Ibrahim Milgoma and Nasiru Dalhatu Bafarawa.

    The accused are standing trial on a five-count charge bordering for alleged money laundering brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    However, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges when first mentioned on May 22 this year.

    Delivering the ruling, the trial judge, Justice Kogo, said he considered the bail applications affidavits and all submissions by the defendants and counter affidavits from the prosecution side.

    Idrissa-Kogo granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N25m each with two sureties in like sum‎ and ordered that one of the sureties should be a civil servant not below grade level 13.

    Read Also: Jonathan, IBB, Shagari absent at Council of State meeting

    The judge said all the alleged offences were bailable as they bordered on issues of money and financial transactions not capital offences.

    However, Justice Kogo adjourned the case to July 5, 2028 for hearing.

    EFCC through its Counsel, Mr Johnson Ogogbane, had on May 22, this year told the court that the offences bordered on money laundering and cash transaction outside regulated financial institution.

    Ogogbane who was represented by Mr Taoufik Lasisi, at the sitting said that the action contravened the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011, punishable under section 16 (2) (b) of the act.

    According to the charge sheet, the offences were committed in March 2015 and that the N500 million was handed over to the accused by one Abdulrahman Ibrahim.

    Earlier in his claims, Counsel to the 1st, 3rd and 4th defendants applicants; Gidado, Dhalhatu and Milgoma, ‎Barr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, moved applications for bail of the accused persons.

    Abdullhai argued that defendants were on EFCC administrative bail since 2016 without jumping bail and assured to avail themselves throughout the trial period.

    He noted that based on the facts filed by the prosecution, investigations have been concluded into the case, as such the defendants would not likely jeopardize any investigation.

    Also, Ibrahim Idris and Aiyelabegan Abdulkadiri, counsel to Shagari and Wali, respectively, aligned with Abdullahi’s submission, and added that the court should allow the administrative bail to continue.

    However, the EFCC counsel opposed the application on the ground that administrative bail terminated when the accused persons were served with charge sheets and urged the court to follow due processes in respect of High Court procedures.

    After series of argument among the lawyers on compliance with Administrative Criminal Justice Act, the trial Judge, Justice Saleh Idrissa, adjourned the case to May 24, for hearing of the bail applications.

    The judge ordered the six accused persons to be remanded in prison custody pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.

  • Diezani Madueke gets better

    Diezani Madueke gets better

    Not many people go into battle with cancer and live to tell the story. But if the rumour that is making the rounds is anything to believe, embattled former petroleum minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke, will be joining the ranks of lucky cancer survivors soon.

    The former oil minister who has been in London on self-exile since the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan was voted out is said to have fought the good fight against a malignant tumour and has emerged victorious. She is said to be enjoying a new lease of life while she convalesces in London.

    Like a thief in the night, the cancer had crept in while Diezani held sway as the boss of the powerful Ministry of Petroleum Resources. While she was busy fighting her political battles, the dreaded tumour raised its ugly head, creeping into her breasts and gaining a foothold in her beautiful body. But it was not until she has fallen from grace on the heels of her boss’ defeat at the polls that her condition became pronounced and she became a shadow of her beautiful self. Consequently, she underwent several operations and rounds of radiotherapy. With the news that she has finally succeeded in evicting the lethal intruder from her body, she can now heave a sigh of relief.

  • ‘No half measure for Ogoni, MOSOP’

    President, Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, has said the Ogoni would not accept any part implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report.

    He said the people are ready to collaborate to sustain any genuine effort towards the implementation of the report, noting that there is no alternative to consultation in charting a course for the protection of the Ogoni environment.

    Pyagbara spoke during the stakeholders forum on environmental restoration of Ogoniland organised in Abuja by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Madueke.

    At the event, the minister said the Federal Government is considering the upgrade of Bori Polytechnic.

    The MOSOP President said: “We believe strongly that coming together we can chart a new course for the protection of Ogoni environment. Hon minister, that is why we are here, and I can assure you on behalf of MOSOP and the Ogoni people that we are ever ready to collaborate with any partner to sustain every genuine effort to drive the implementation of the UNEP report.

    “For the Ogoni people, we are not prepared for any half measure. For the Ogoni people we feel that all that is needed should be put in place for the full implementation of that report. I think this is where the Ogoni people stand.

    “As I emphasised at our last consultative meeting, we need to rise above politics, and put words to action, if we are ready to achieve a sustainable Ogoni environment that we need to achieve,” he said.

    The chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, Gbenemene Giniwa, advised the people to “behave” themselves since the Federal Government is consulting with them.

    Mrs. Madueke said the Federal Government is working to set up a centre of  excellence in environmental restoration  in Ogoniland to train, and provide competencies  and vocational and technical skills, capacity building, expert assistance required by stakeholders through government agencies .

    According to her, this is for the stakeholders to carry out their mandate in protection, preservation and restoration of the environment.

    She added that the “actual location of the vocational training entities is what is being discussed at this moment. Some suggest we should fully refurbish and upgrade Bori Polytechnic but again these are some of the issue I expect here today during this discuss.”

    She expressed hope that the youths in Ogoniland will be able to take thw advantage to enhance their knowledge and strengthen their capacity to become involved in the process of restoration programme.

     

  • Blasts oil minister for fuel importation

    Also yesterday, Gen. Buhari flayed the Federal Government for running petroleum importation regime instead of refining products.

    Speaking at the one day Roundtable of Progressive Governors Forum at Abuja, he wondered exactly what the Minister of Petroleum Mrs. Diezani Madueke’s claim of fuel subsidy means now that petroleum products are more expensive than ever.

    He said: “When I heard the Minister of Petroleum saying we are subsidising I said what are we subsidising? The cost at Nigerians are filing their tanks is higher than ever so, what are we subsidising?”

    Buhari maintained that while he was the Head of State, Nigeria was exporting 100,000 barrel of redined petroleum products.

    He recalled that Nigeria used to have Port-Harcourt Refinery, refining 60,00 barrels per day and was eventually upgraded to refine 100,000barrel daily.

    Buhari added that another refinery was built in Port-Hacourt with the capacity of 100,000 barrels per day.

    The former Head of State said that Kaduna Refinery has the capacity of 100,000 barrels per day.

    He recalled that there were 20 depots and 3,200 pipeline with a capacity to refine over 400,000 barrel of oil per day.

    His words: “Ladies and gentlemen, the comment I will make is based on our contributions in government, I think you all know that oil is responsible for over 85 percent of the revenue of the country and 90 percent of our Foreign exchange. I will like to take an example where everybody will understand, today, what the firstspeaker Senator Saraki and subsequent speakers said. “We used to have only one refinery which is in Port Harcourt, refining 60,000 barrels a day. It was eventually upgraded to refine 100,000 barrels a day. Another refinery was built in Portharcourt with the capacity of 100,000 barrels a day.