The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dr Bukola Saraki

  • Senate dares INEC on Melaye’s recall

    Senate dares INEC on Melaye’s recall

    …Says exercise a waste of time

    The Senate on Tuesday dared the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the commission’s decision to go ahead with the recall of Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) as demanded by his constituents.

    Describing the recall move as effort in futility, the Senate said the various stages passed so far in the exercise as facilitated by INEC were not in line with laid down constitutional procedures and guidelines.

    The lawmakers declared that it amounts to a waste of time by all the parties involved.

    This resolution followed a point of order raised against the move by Senator Melaye himself.

    Melaye drew the attention of the Senate to what he described as “supersonic move” by INEC to conclude work on the recall petitions written against him by some of his constituents, who he alleged were sponsored by the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

    Melaye said, “The score of both valid and invalid votes in the election that brought me into the Senate in 2015 was 118,000 but my governor and his appointees in four days claimed they got signatures of over 188,000.

    “They got INEC data base of registered voters and copied in one writing into a recall register and forged all the signatures. As I speak to you, over 120 dead certificates issued by the National Population Commission and these people’s relations and families have sworn to affidavits and these certificates have been deposited.

    “The names of all these dead people appeared on the recall register submitted to INEC. 116 of my constituents have sworn to affidavits that their names and signatures appeared in the recall registers and that they were not the ones that signed it.

    “86 of my constituents have sworn to an affidavit that they were approached and that the government wants to carry out a fertilizer empowerment programme and requested for their PVCs and thereby deceived them into putting their names in the recall register”.

    Consequently the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu cited Sections 68, 69 and other relevant provisions  of the 1999 Constitution to fault the move. He wondered why INEC is not following the laid down procedure in carrying out the exercise.

    Ekweremadu said, “I am wondering why we are dissipating energy on this matter and wasting precious legislative time on a matter we should not.

    “What is happening in Kogi in respect of Senator Dino Melaye, as far as this constitution is concerned, is an exercise in futility. They are just wasting precious time because the constitution is clear on what should happen.

    “It is possible that the Attorney- General of Kogi State has not advised them properly. If he had done that, I am sure they would have applied their time to more meaningful ventures in Kogi State.

    Ekweremadu added that National Assembly, in 2010, amended the constitution in respect of Section 69, which deals with recall process of a federal lawmaker.

    According to him, the Section clearly stated that the numbers of those who are seeking to recall Senator Melaye from the Senate are supposed to line up somewhere in Kogi State with him and his lawyers, with each person verifying their signature.

    “When they are done with that they go back to Section 68, which states that the President of the Senate receives from the chairman of INEC the recall of the member. They would also present evidence satisfactory to the House or the Senate.

    “So they need to come back here and convince each and every one of us that they have done the correct thing. Unless they do that, they cannot even give effect to it. So why are we wasting our time. Let us move on and allow them to waste their time”, Ekweremadu said.

    In his contribution, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said, “As they say, 10 years is no joke in leadership, the Deputy Senate President has explained the processes. So let the process speak for itself.

    “I really don’t know why a lot of efforts are being wasted that should have gone into more important things. Eventually, it must come back here for us to decide whether it is satisfactory or not”.

     

  • ‘Corruption not just about giving or diverting money’

    ‘Corruption not just about giving or diverting money’

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has boasted that the appeal filed by the Federal Government challenging his acquittal by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) will go the way of his original trial for false declaration of assets.

    Saraki, in his first reaction to the filing of the appeal by the Federal Government, said he was “confident that the verdict at the appellate court would not be different from that of the tribunal as the facts of the case remain the same and the grounds on which the decision of the CCT was based remain unassailable.”

    He spoke in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Yusuph Olaniyonu.

    “Anybody who has been following the proceedings and the evidence given by the prosecution witnesses during the examination in chief and cross-examination on would know that if presented before any court of justice and law, the same outcome as in the CCT would be arrived at.

    “Those who are running commentary on the ruling by the tribunal and criticizing it are those who are not even familiar with the case and the details coming out of the trial.

    “That is why Dr. Saraki continues to wonder how desperate some people in government and their collaborators outside have become to pull him down at all cost and by all means up to the point that they do not care if they destroy the institution of the judiciary in the process.

    “That is why they sponsored stories of allegation of bribery in an online publication against the tribunal judges.

    “The Senate President seizes this opportunity to call on security agencies to immediately commence an investigation on this bribery allegation,” Olaniyonu said.

    Saraki wants those who made the allegation to be invited to substantiate their claims.

    He cited the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Anti-Corruption (PACAC), Professor  Itse Sagay, as one of such people.

    Continuing, Olaniyonu said: “Corruption is not just about giving or diverting money. When an official interferes with the judicial process with a view to achieving personal objectives, that is corruption.

    “We hear the same desperate people say there was so much evidence they are surprised at the verdict of the tribunal. But they forget to mention that this was a case that the prosecution counsel amended charges thrice.

  • Saraki, Dogara faults Osinbajo’s budget remark

    Saraki, Dogara faults Osinbajo’s budget remark

    Govt to head for Supreme Court

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday drew the ire of Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara over his comments on the National Assembly’s increase of the budget from N7.28 trillion to N7.44 trillion.

    At plenary in both chambers, Saraki and Dogara said the lawmakers did not overreach themselves by jacking up the budget.

    The Senate would not surrender its constitutional powers to the executive, Saraki said, in reaction to an issue raised by Deputy Senate Leader Bala Ibn Na’Allah.

    The House of Representatives, Dogara noted, would not be a rubber stamp. He was reacting to an order on the breach of privilege brought by Abubakar Lawal (Adamawa).

    The Presidency will seek the Supreme Court’s interpretation on the issue, it was learnt last night.

    A source told our correspondent that the Acting President would not take up issues with the lawmakers, but “will soon head for the apex court to seek the interpretation of that section of the Constitution to clear any ambiguity therein.”

    The source said: “We cannot be going forward and backwards on the same issue every year.”

    Signing the budget on Monday, Osinbajo said there were two broad issues about who could do what.

    “The first report is about who can do what. When you present a budget to the National Assembly, it is presented as a bill, an appropriation bill. And secondly, do not introduce entirely new projects and all of that or modify projects. This is something that we experienced last year and this year again. It now leaves the question about who is supposed to do what,” he said.

    Saraki said even when the upper chamber bends backward to accommodate issues such gesture should not be misconstrued to mean weakness or that the constitutional powers assigned to it did not exist.

    The Senate, Saraki insisted, would continue to defend the Constitution and ensure that its actions are covered by the Constitution at all times.

    Raising the issue, Na’ Allah said: “I want to make a personal explanation on the media reports credited to the Acting President to the effect that the National Assembly does not possess any power to alter the budget submitted to it by the Executive. I offer an explanation that we have operated this Constitution from 1999 to date.

    “I am sure that everybody who knows me knows that I have some limited understanding of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I have also had the privilege to work with the Acting President while I was practising in Lagos as a lawyer.

    “We did a lot of things together. So, he is somebody that I know so much, that I will rather believe that what was alleged to have been said could not have been said by him and even if he spoke on the matter, he was misquoted.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, this same Constitution we operated from 1999 to date has section 80, and the title of section 80 is ‘Power and Control over Public Funds’.

    “I read: All revenues or other monies raised or received by the Federation not being revenues of other monies payable under this Constitution or any Act of the National Assembly into any other Public Fund of the Federation established for a specific purpose shall be payable to and for one consolidated fund of the Federation.

    “Two says: No monies shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation except to meet expenditure that is charged upon the Fund by the Constitution or where the issue of those monies has been authorised by an Appropriation Act, Supplementary Appropriation Act or Act passed in pursuance of Section 81 of the Constitution.

    “Three: No money shall be withdrawn from any public funds of the Federation other than the Consolidated revenue fund of the Federation unless the issue of those monies has been authorised by an Act of the National Assembly.

    “Four, No money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly.”

    “That is the provision.

    “The reason for this provision is that the Constitution recognises that Nigeria operates a federal structure, and it further goes on to recognise that it is multi-lingual, multi-ethnic, multi-religious.

    “Therefore, in the constitution-making process, a lot of issues for domination and fear for domination were raised.

    “That is why the framers of the constitution provided for representation on the basis of population and land mass and on the basis of equality of states.

    “This is what gave birth to a bicameral legislature, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The House provides representation based on population and land mass while the Senate is based on equality of states.

    “So, I know that the Acting President who is a Professor of Law is sufficiently trained in law to know that the National Assembly has powers to tinker with the budget.

    “I am not making a case for him and I do not want to believe that he said what has been alleged that he said.

    “I also want to assuage the fears of my colleagues that what was alleged to have been said does not represent the spirit of the framers of our Constitution. This explanation is necessary so that we put this matter to rest.”

    Saraki, who did not allow a debate on the matter, said: “I too have a lot of our colleagues coming up to us regarding the 2017 budget. I cannot agree with you less. I am sure that the Acting President must have been misquoted because there is clearly no ambiguity in the Constitution of the responsibility of the National Assembly.

    “This matter has been cleared and settled. So, I don’t think there are any issues here that are vague. I will like to believe too that the Acting President must have been wrongly quoted.

    “But at the same time, I want to say that there are times we have a number of consultations and I want to make it clear that these consultations we do with the Executive will not at any time mean that we will give up the powers we have in line with the Constitution.

    “I want to reassure our members on this because it is very important based on what we have heard, you may be concerned that one way or another leadership had given up some of these powers.

    “That is not the case. But I believe that as responsible statesmen, there are times we consult and do our best to work with the Executive and assist them.

    “But as we bend backwards, I don’t think that should be misrepresented that powers given to us in the Constitution do not exist.

    “That is not the case, and this Senate will continue to defend the Constitution and ensure that anything we do is in line with the laws of the land.”

    At the House, Dogara said it was difficult to believe that the Acting President could say such thing.

  • Ten reasons Saraki was acquitted by CCT

    Ten reasons Saraki was acquitted by CCT

    The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki was on Wednesday at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) cleared of the false assets declaration charge preferred against him.

    Below are the major reasons the Code of Conduct Tribunal acquitted the Senate President.

    Upholding Saraki’s “no-case submission”, the tribunal made up of two men, the Chairman and a member said:

    1. The prosecution failed to discharge the burden of proof placed on it under the law.
    2. The CCT Chairman Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar said the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against Saraki to warrant his being called to defend himself.
    3. Umar faulted the evidence of the third prosecution witness, Samuel Madojemu (Head of Investigation at the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB) that he received oral instructions to join a team from other agencies to investigate Saraki.
    4. He said Madojemu was unhelpful to the prosecution when he (Madojemu) claimed that all information in the affidavit in support of the 18-count charge was based on information supplied to him by an undisclosed team of investigators.
    5. Umar said what the EFCC tendered before the tribunal was more of a product of  intelligence gathering than of conventional investigation.
    6. It is wrong of the investigators not to have invited the defendant to make a statement so that the truth can be unearthed.
    7. Agwadza noted that while the prosecution alleged that Saraki was earning salary from the Kwara State government even as a Senator, it (prosecution) failed to call the state’s Accountant-General to prove that allegation.
    8. The prosecution failed to produce material evidence including the defendant’s statement and the original copies of his assets declaration forms.
    9. In criminal prosecution, he said, the onus was on the prosecution to prove its case, adding that where it fails in that duty, the defence could not be called to prove its innocence.
    10. The prosecution, he said, failed to call vital witnesses to “effectively link the defendant to the offences charged”.

    The CCT noted that the evidence was so discredited, unreliable that no reasonable court will attach probate value to them.

    He said the team referred to by Madojemu comprising operatives of the EFCC, DSS and CCB is unknown to law, adding that the team has no constitutional or statutory backing to have done what it did.

    The tribunal’s sole member, Williams Atedze Agwadza.

    “My humble conclusion is that the defendant in this case has no case to answer and he is accordingly discharged and acquitted,” Agwadza said.

  • Saraki’s acquittal: Ekweremadu, Fayose, senators happy

    Saraki’s acquittal: Ekweremadu, Fayose, senators happy

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose and senators yesterday described as “victory for democracy” the discharge and acquittal of Senate President Bukola Saraki by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    Ekweremadu said it did not come to him as a surprise given that, “like the trumped up forgery and conspiracy charges slammed against him and Saraki which was later withdrawn by the Federal Government, the CCT trial was hatched in the coven of evil politics and was, therefore, bound to fall like a pack of cards.”

    Some senators yesterday hailed the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for clearing their president, Bukola Saraki, of false assets declaration charge.

    Senator Ibn Na Allah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that it was obvious that the case against Saraki was a distraction to governance.

    “The case was diversionary and unhelpful to the government of the day and now, he has been vindicated.

    “Those who erroneously believed that they can mislead the government into doing a wrong thing should know that they have not been helpful to the government,” he said.

    Senate Chief Whip Olusola Adeyeye said the judgement indicated that the judiciary is independent.

    “It shows that the judiciary does not act based on what the executive wants or based on what the legislature wants.”

    Senator Bukar Ibrahim (APC-Yobe) said : “It’s my pleasure as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and an admirer of the President of the Senate to congratulate him over his success in the CCT case.”

    Fayose said Saraki’s victory at CCT was another fulfilment of one of the predictions he released earlier in the year saying: “There is nothing that people like us say with our mouth that would not come to pass.”

    Speaking with reporters in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday, Fayose said the CCT verdict was “another lesson for the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government that criminal cases are not won on the pages of newspapers.”

  • Saraki’s CCT acquittal: PDP calls for proper investigation

    Saraki’s CCT acquittal: PDP calls for proper investigation

    The National Vice-Chairman (South-South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Emmanuel Ogidi, has advised federal agencies to carry out a diligent investigation of corruption allegations before prosecution.

    Ogidi gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja while reacting to Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) judgment in a case against Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday.

    The tribunal discharged and acquitted Saraki of the 18-count charge bordering on false declaration of assets.
    Ogidi said that the tribunal did the right thing since there was no concrete evidence against Saraki before it.

    He, however, said that cases of corruption were being lost in court due to lack of proper investigation by government agencies involved in the matters.

    He said that it was unfortunate that Saraki had even been condemned in the social media before his trail when there was no substantive evidence against him.

    If you don’t prepare your case well, you will lose. The way we are fighting corruption in Nigeria is not right. Saraki was presented guilty before he was even charged to court. That is not how to fight corruption. Fighting corruption needs proper investigation.

    “If you know you are going to court, investigate properly and prepare your case adequately against the accused.

    “Most times they say you are guilty before you get to the court. That is what has happened now. Everybody had condemned Saraki and that is not right.

    “Let the court do its work to condemned whoever is found culpable of whatever he is accused of,’’ Ogidi said.

    The PDP chieftain advised the executive to allow the judiciary to carry out its functions without any form of interference or intimidation, saying that the executive could not fight corruption alone.

    “In Nigeria, we still behave like the military regime. We have three arms of government; let them do their works independently.

    “Court has given its judgment and that is the correct thing. People should not intimidate judges; they should do their work in accordance to the Constitution and their conscience.

    “Fighting corruption is not by intimidation; it is by proper investigation and ensuring that your evidence is beyond a reasonable doubt.

    “That is what the law says, but today, it is not the same. We condemn people before prosecuting them.’’

    He also expressed hope that the Supreme Court would be allowed to give its judgment in the PDP leadership tussle without interference.

  • Saraki decries smuggling of agricultural products

    Saraki decries smuggling of agricultural products

    The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has condemned the high rate of smuggling of agricultural products into the country, describing the development as economic sabotage.

    The Senate President spoke when the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Anadariya Farms, Alhaji Usman Dantata led representatives of the Poultry Farmers’ Association of Nigeria on a visit to his office.

    A statement by Saraki’s media aide, Chuks Okocha, the Senate President tasked the Nigerian Customs Service to step up its anti- smuggling campaigns on rice, chicken and other items, saying that Nigeria should not be a dumping ground for imported smuggled goods.

    Against this backdrop, Saraki has mandated the Senate Committee on Agriculture to investigate why the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Finance have yet to pay compensation to poultry farmers who lost their birds to the recent outbreak of the Avian Influenza (bird flu) in the country.

    Said he, “We will see what we can do particularly on the issue of non-payment of compensation to farmers that lost their birds to the Avian Influenza. These farmers who are doing well, need our encouragement.

    “This is where government will show true  interest in agriculture and ensure that all compensations are paid. So, Chairman Committee on Agriculture, take note and meet the Ministers of Agriculture and Finance and see what we can do,” he said.

    Describing smuggling as a serious problem confronting the country, Saraki said about 40 to 50 percent of poultry products were still being smuggled into the country.

    “Something needs to be done about it. Nigeria Customs must sit up because it is an economic sabotage. It is now that we must stop this smuggling particularly on Agricultural products like rice and chicken.

    “We will take this up aggressively. Without that, we are only wasting our time.  Nothing we are going to do at this level in support of agriculture if products are still going to be smuggled in. Chicken is still being smuggled in Rice still being smuggled in.

    “This is something we must fight as a nation. This is economic sabotage we are talking about and the management of the Nigeria Customs must rise up. Either they are ready to do it or we give it to people that are ready to do it.

    “If there are challenges the Nigerian Customs is having, let them tell us. We are ready to support them. This is a fight we must win. Ordinarily, if we are talking about diversifying the economy and we still allow the smuggling of chicken, there is no way organizations like your own can survive.”

    On access to finance, the Senate President said, “I am surprised and this is the aspect we have to take up. Organizations like yours are borrowing money from banks at 25 per cent interest rates. I think the Chairman of Senate Committee on Agriculture has a lot of work to do here. If we have organizations that are serious, the Central Bank must give them total support, it is clear that they need more support”.

    Earlier, the leader of the group, Alhaji Dantata lamented the non-payment of compensation to all the farmers who lost their birds during the last outbreak of bird flu in the country.

    He insisted that the progress of poultry farming in the country was greatly being undermined by the activities of smugglers and high interest rates being charged by commercial banks in the country.

    Dantata said, “We humbly request you to implore the Nigeria Customs Service to do more to curtail the level of smuggling.  We are equally concerned about difficulties in accessing finance for poultry and other agriculture production by most farmers.

    “Where available, the interest rate is between 25 to 27 per cent and the collateral terms are very stringent and the tenor of loan very short which does not match with long term nature of our business and the potential cash flow available for debt service of agriculture business in Nigeria”.

  • Saraki harps on govt, private sector partnership for development

    Saraki harps on govt, private sector partnership for development

    The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said that nation can only develop if there is co-operation between government and the private sector.

    Saraki stated this during a dialogue session to mark the first anniversary of the National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER) in Abuja.

    Commenting on efforts by the federal legislature towards making impact on development, Saraki said, “For us in the 8th National Assembly lawmaking is not about the number of bills, it is more about impact and we will continue to focus on quality and impact on our people over any other considerations.

    “This is what makes the 8th National Assembly unique as we are determined to only make laws that will have positive impact on our people”.

    He noted that for the first time in the history of the country, the National Assembly, in partnership with the private sector, through the NASSBER, initiated a research study to review the legislative instruments impeding doing business in Nigeria and received a report detailing the necessary legislative action required to begin the process of changing the unsupportive legal structures, weak institutional base and obsolete regulatory frameworks in the nation’s business environment.

    “We want to see that these bills can actually help us create jobs, mobilize private sector investment and promote made in Nigeria goods. We would expect that the breakout sessions will offer us a new set of legislative interventions that will help further to cement the impact the first tranche of our work is having”, Saraki added.

    The Senate President thanked the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Department for International Development (DFID), ENABLE project, and the Nigerian Bar Association – Section on Business Law (NBA, SBL) for their steadfastness and commitment to the vision and purpose of NASSBER, which is to facilitate constructive engagement and collaboration between the National Assembly and the Private sector.

    Also speaking at the event, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Yussuf Lasun, noted that the NASSBER initiative was a right step in the right direction towards the enhancement of the economy.

    Dogara said, “A little over a year ago when NASSBER was inaugurated, we were very confident it was the right step to take if we were indeed committed to bringing our economy out of recession, and stimulating long term economic growth that is inclusive and sustainable for the shared prosperity of all Nigerians.

    “For the National Assembly, it was a road not travelled before, but we were willing to embark on this journey, not minding the risks, considering the promises it held. Looking back the last 12 months, NASSBER is but a success story of novel synergy, dialogue and engagement between the legislature, development partner, the private sector, the bench and citizens.

    “The National Assembly will continue to play a central role not only in governance but also ensuring that we deliberate and act on frameworks that will improve Nigeria’s business environment through the review of relevant legislations and provisions of the constitution.

    “As a result of this effort, I am more confident that our economy would attract ‘agile private sector that can innovate and respond to global opportunities’, as contemplated in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of this government”.

     

  • PIB: Senate scraps NNPC, creates three new agencies

    PIB: Senate scraps NNPC, creates three new agencies

    At last, the Senate on Thursday passed the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), putting paid to the controversy that dogged the bill ford over 10 years.

    Some of the highlights of the bill is the scraping of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the merging of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Petroleum Products Pricing, Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) into one agency.

    To replace the NNPC are the National Petroleum Company (NPC) and Nigerian Petroleum Assets Management Company (NPAMC), to ensure efficient and effective commercial performance. The new bill also streamlined the role of the Petroleum Minister.

    According to the bill, the NPC and the NPAMC will be under the supervision of a newly created Petroleum Regulatory Commission (PRC).

    The PRC “shall be the Industry Regulator and Watchdog, responsible for licensing, monitoring, supervision of petroleum operations, enforcing laws, regulations and standards across the value chain”, the bill added.

    Under the envisaged regime, the PRC will also absorb the DPR, PPPRA and the PEF, “to ensure efficient and effective commercial performance in the petroleum sector”

    It is also geared toward creating efficient and effective governing institutions with clear and separate roles for the petroleum industry, in addition to establishing a framework for the creation of commercially oriented and profit driven petroleum entities.

    This, according to the bill, will ensure value addition and internationalization of the petroleum industry, promote transparency and accountability in the administration of petroleum resources and foster a conducive business environment for petroleum industry operations.

    Other highlights of the bill is a provision in section 26(3) where it gives the regulatory commission 10% cost of collection of revenues from other commercial agencies.

    “The Commission shall establish and maintain a fund (‘the Fund’) from which all expenditures incurred by the Commission shall be defrayed. The NPRC is also empowered by the bill to spend ten percent of what it generates for its operations”, the provision added.

    The lawmakers rejected the controversial 10% Host Fund that led to disagreements among various interests in the past, leading to long delay in the passage of the bill.

    The Senate deferred work on the Host Community Fund and fiscal aspect of the bill till later date.

    The chairman, Senate committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Senator Tayo Alasoadura, said the bill would create more jobs for Nigerians and also foster a conducive business environment for petroleum operations when signed into law.

    According to him, the bill promises immense benefits for local operations in the petroleum industry.

    Alasoadura added that with the bill, it will become illegal to employ foreigners for certain skills that can be sourced locally.

    “And even where such skills are sourced from abroad, due to unavailability locally, it would be mandatory for Nigerians to understudy such an expatriate”, he added.

    The senator further stated that the PIB will not only enhance exploitation and exploration of petroleum resources in the country, it will also increase power generation and industrial development capacity through abundant domestic gas supply.

    The committee chair also said that the law would also create profit-driven oil entities, encourage investment in the nation’s petroleum industry and tremendously increase government’s revenue.

    “Government revenue from oil industry will increase. This means more funds in the hands of government to engage in developmental activities. The downstream sector will become fully deregulated. In other words, subsidy will be totally removed”.

    The envisaged law, he continued, will also bring about a fully deregulated and liberalized downstream petroleum sector, create efficient and effective regulatory agencies and promote the development of Nigerian local content in the oil industry.

    He said, “Besides, emphasis on local content will not only be in the area of skills, but would also be applicable to material sourcing. This means more jobs for Nigerian local contractors, especially those from the oil producing regions”,

    “The PIB vests ownership and management of all petroleum resources, offshore or onshore, in the Federal Government of Nigeria, which is to manage them on behalf of all Nigerians.

    “This means that irrespective of where the oil is found, it belongs to the government of Nigeria. Of course, equity calls for special consideration for localities where the resources are mined. This is taken care of by the revenue sharing laws and other provisions of this Bill, like the Host Community Fund”.

    The lawmaker also stated that since gas is still under-focused in Nigeria and its potential as a source of energy untapped, the PIB seeks to maximize the benefits of the nation’s gas resources.

    He added that the PIB will also lead to the establishment of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Investment Pact Scheme (NOGIPS) which will ensure that components of the oil industry equipment can be manufactured locally.

    According to him, the envisaged law further makes provision for the protection of health, safety and the environment in petroleum operations.

    In his remarks, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki described the exercise as the first segment in the passage of the bill.

    The Senate, he assured, would ensure the opening up of the petroleum sector, and by extension, the economy of the country on a tripod of transparency, efficiency and profitability for both the government and players in the field.

     

  • Saraki’s trial at CCT: Prosecution closes case after calling five witnesses

    Saraki’s trial at CCT: Prosecution closes case after calling five witnesses

    The prosecution, in Senate President, Bukola Saraki’s trial for false asset declaration before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), closed its case on Thursday after calling five witnesses.

    Lead prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) announced the closure of the prosecution’s case after its fifth witness, Bayo Dauda, a bank official concluded his testimony at yesterday’s proceedings.

    Led in evidence by Jacobs, Dauda told the tribunal that Saraki obtained loans from GTB three times between 2006 and 2010. He said Saraki got the first loan of N380m in October 2006, the second of N380m on January 30, 2007 and the third, of N375m on February 10, 2010.

    Jacobs, who said Dauda was subpoenaed, tendered a copy of subpoena served on him and Saraki’s bank opening package before the tribunal, which it admitted as evidence.

    The witness said he was Saraki’s account officer. He said Saraki, as Kwara State governor-elect, opened the account with the bank in April 2003.

    Dauda, who read from a bundle of bank documents earlier tendered by the prosecution as exhibits, said Saraki got the second loan of N380m for the purpose of buying property in London, the United Kingdom.

    He said Saraki used part of the loans to buy properties at 17A and B Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi and for purchase of property in London.

    “There were three loans offered to the defendant. The first one was N380m granted on October 11, 2006. The next one was N380m granted o January 30, 2007. The third one was N375m granted on February 10, 2010.

    “On October 16, 2006 there was a credit of N380m loan to the customer. It was utilised by issuance of various drafts to purchase properties. The drafts were in favour of the Implementation Committee of the Federal Government Landed Properties.

    “On February 5, 2007 there was a loan disbursement of N380m. Another draft of N180,675,000 was issued to Committee on Implementation Federal Government’s Landed Properties,” he said.

    Dauda, who read from a document marked Exhibit 48, which was a document showing the terms of repayment of the second loan of N380m, said, “the terms of repayment was five equal quarterly instalments of N76m plus interest accrued.

    “From the statement of account, the first quarter repayment was on May 2, 2007 and the amount was N81,309,589. As of July 29, 2007, he had paid (principal and interest) total sum of N81,309,589. N76m represented the quarterly principal repayment, while the remaining was the interest,” he said.

    The witness added that by June 29, 2007 the sum of N63,740,637.85 had accrued on Saraki’s account as “part of interest capitalised on the loan.”

    He said as of the time, there was still an outstanding part of the principal loan yet to be repaid by Saraki.

    When asked how Saraki repaid the loans, Daudu said, “The loans were repayment via cash lodgement, cheque deposits, transfers and different warrants from his shares were paid into the account.”

    When asked to produce Saraki’s transfer instructions and other documents relating to foreign transfers, the witness said: “We have not been able to find them. We checked everywhere, but we cannot find them. We even went to our archive in Akure, we could not find them.”

    While being cross-examined by Saraki’s lawyer, Dauda admitted that he originally understood the funds transferred abroad were for the purpose of purchasing property, but only realised from the documents shown to him in the witness box that the transfers were for “mortgage redemption”.

    He agreed that there was no legal limit to what a customer could deposit in his or her account, but that he only meant to say that some of the cash lodgements made by Sarak were above the threshold, which the bank was under obligation to report to relevant authority.

    The prosecution’s case aginst Saraki include breaches of asset declaration, to the effect that he, while being a public officer, operated bank accounts outside Nigeria, and failed to declare the foreign accounts to the Code of Conduct Bureau while being governor and a senator during the period.

    Saraki is also accused of failing to declare the sum loan which he allegedly obtained from GTB while still a state governor, and that he allegedly transferred the £1,516,194.53, which was then an equivalent of one of the loans, to his account with Fortis Bank, London, for the purchase of an “undisclosed property” in London.

    At the conclusion of Dauda’s testimony, Jacobs informed the tribunal that the prosecution was done with its case.

    Asked when the defence intends to open its case, a lawyer in the defence team, Paul Erokoro (SAN) said the defence will file a no-case submission. He said his team intends to first, file a formal application, requesting the tribunal’s record of proceedings before the filing of the no-case submission.

    CCT Chairman, Danladi Umar, then directed the tribunal’s Registry to put the records of proceedings together within two weeks. He asked the defence to file its written address in support of the no-case submission within one week, while the prosecution is to respond within one week after being served.

    He adjourned to June 8 for the adoption of the no-case submission.