The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Goodluck Jonathan

  • Group to FG: Reform almajiri, curb extremism

    The Federal government has been advised to take urgent steps in integrating almajiri boys into the conventional school system as a radical way to stem the tide of extremism and violence in the country.

    Almajiri, a system in much of the  North whereby male children are encouraged by parents to go for Islamic education in distant lands where they become street children fending for themselves away from parental care, is believed to account largely for extremism and violence around the North, as they are often easily used by evil-minded people for anti-social pursuits.

    A coalition of groups which articulated the position on the almajiri system against escalating violent crimes in the country, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to implement ex-president Goodluck Jonathan’s Almajiri integration initiative.

    The Project Manager of ‘Almajiri Is Also A Child’, Iliyasu Usman, made the appeal while launching an advocacy  for the vulnerable children in Yola on Saturday.

    Read Also: Reps pass ‘Anti- Almajiri’ Bill

    He said, the  Goodluck Jonathan administration built many integrated schools across the North to absorb a good number of the traditional almajiri children for combined Islamic cum western education aimed at giving the children all-round education for a more promising future, but the Buhari government has done little to further the initiative.

    Usman reiterated that continuing neglect of the initiative was a mistake, as almajiris have been found to be directly involved in alarming rate of violent extremism around the country.

    As if to give credence to this long held belief that the almajiri system has become a manpower source for groups like Boko Haram, a group notorious for violent crimes in Adamawa State, ‘Shilla-Boys,’ was recently tauted as being notorious for recruiting almajiri boys into their fold.

    Usman said Yola was chosen to start the advocacy due to its large numbers of almajiri tutorial system, and ensured that the over 500 almajiris who attended the launch went home with a bathroom slippers each.

    Adamawa State is said to be home to about 200,000 almajiri destitute children, most of them from other northern states. The number is part of UNICEF’s annual report on Nigeria, which puts 2,711,767 as the number of almajiris from the Northeast, representing 25 per cent of the total 9.5 million almajiri population  in Nigeria.

    This almajiri population represents 72 per cent of the country’s 13.2 million out of school children.

  • Honour for ex-President Jonathan, others

    Two Ijaw groups of the Niger Delta – Ijaw Republican Assembly (IRA) and the Ijaw Media Action Initiative (IMAI) – have honoured former President Goodluck Jonathan with the title of “the Ijaw Man For all Season”.

    The event held at the weekend in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    Governorship candidate of the Accord Dumo Lulu-Briggs was also honoured as the Ijaw Politician of the Year 2018. Forty-eight other prominent Ijaw sons and daughters also got lifetime achievement awards for their outstanding performance in their areas of endeavour. Among them were the late Major Isaac Adaka Boro, the late Senator Melford Okilo and late High Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs, who received post-humous awards.

    IRA president Alatubo Charles Harry said: “This is an uncommon day in the history of the Ijaw nation. Ijaw people are uncommon people. We are not here to eulogise ourselves; we are not here to applaud our achievements, but we are here to dream and achieve that dream.

    Read also: Patience Jonathan’s $5.7m, N2.4b forfeiture case adjourned

    “This is just the second edition of the Heroes of Ijaw Nation Award Night, and we hope the third edition will be bigger and greater.”

    One of the awardees, a former Minister of Culture, Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas, said it has been the duty of the Ijaw Republican Assembly to ensure that the Ijaw nation is properly and recognised.

    Graham-Douglas, who was honoured with the Ijaw Lifetime Award, regretted that Nigeria seems not to appreciate the efforts of IRA in the promotion of the Ijaw nation.

  • Jonathan has no reason to quit PDP, says aide

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has no reason to quit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze said on Sunday.

    Eze spoke while denying reports suggesting that Jonathan had resigned from the PDP and retired from active politics.

    He said the report, which went viral on social media, was first published by an unknown website saying it was borne out of mischief.

    Read Also: Jonathan’s wife loses another N2.4bn to FG

    He said: “Our attention has been drawn to a fake story published by an unknown website, alleging that former President Dr Goodluck Jonathan has quit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “Obviously, this is a fabrication  borne out of mischief as the publishers of the fake story claimed that the former President  made the statement while being  interviewed by Nigeria News Agency (NAN).

    “There is absolutely no way the former President could have spoken to a non-existent news agency, as none in the country goes by that name.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, Dr. Jonathan has no reason at this time to resign his membership of PDP, the party under which platform he became Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President and President.

    “Those who derive pleasure in spreading fake information had better occupy themselves with more productive endeavours that are obviously more relevant to nation building”.

  • Alleged misappropriation: Court admits more documents in evidence against Okupe

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday at the Federal High Court Abuja submitted more documents in evidence against Doyin Okupe, which were admitted by the court.

    Okupe, a former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, is being prosecuted by EFCC on a 59-count charge for allegedly receiving money from the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, and rendering no services.

    At the resumed trial, Mr. Hassan Saidu, the third prosecution witness who was led in evidence by Mr. Ibrahim Audu, submitted documents including account opening package for an account in Zenith Bank, a statement made by Okupe and other documents.

    Saidu told the court that following intelligence report regarding misappropriation by Okupe, he was invited to the EFCC office and interviewed.

    “We invited him in June 2016 to our office and interviewed him in respect of the payments he received from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) that was tagged “special services”.

    READ ALSO: Fed Govt arraigns Doyin Okupe over alleged N702m fraud

    Okupe said the money he received; N50 million, N35 million, N15 million and subsequent N10 million severally was used to set up his office, pay staff salaries and pay for a programme on NTA called insight,  Saidu told the court.

    ”When we asked him where the instructions that led to the payment of all the monies came from, he claimed that there was a request that was approved by the former president to the NSA to effect the payment. ”

    The witness, however, added that Okupe could not produce evidence of the said request.

    Saidu also told the court that upon further investigations, the agency could not link any disbursement to payment of staff salaries.

    He also said that the only receipt Okupe could produce when asked for receipts of all the things he claimed he used the money for was one of N120,000 paid to Infinity Security Services.

    The trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu adjourned the matter until April 1 for the defence team to cross examine the witness.

    Okupe was arraigned alongside two companies, Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd, over allegations of misappropriation of funds amounting to over N240 million received from the former NSA.

    The money is said to be part funds set aside during the Jonathan administration to purchase arms at the heat of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    NAN

  • Soldiers attached to Jonathan harassing other party agents in Ogbia, IPAC alleges

    The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has accused soldiers attached to former President Goodluck Jonathan of harassing candidates’ of other political parties in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area òf Bayelsa State.

    The State Chairman of IPAC, Mr. Eneyi Zidougha, said that the detachment of soldiers protecting the former President veered from their primary security responsibility to engage in illegal act of subversion against innocent voters and party agents in Otuoke.

    Zidougha said the soldiers were sighted moving from one polling unit to the other to intimidate the electorates with a view to swaying their votes in favour òf Jonathan’s candidate and his party.

    The IPAC boss said that the action of the soldiers tainted the integrity of the electoral process and called for the cancellation of the election in the area.

    Zidougha stressed a call for the cancellation of the election became pertinent in view of the acts of intimidation by the soldiers who scared away voters and agents of political parties in the election.

    He said: “The Interparty Consultative Assembly has observed with dismay, the activities of soldiers attached to former President Goodluck Jonathan in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area.

    “The soldiers have embarked on a shocking desecration òf the electoral process as they move from one polling unit to the other to harass agents and supporters of other parties.

    “As major stakeholders in the election, we find the act of the soldiers totally unacceptable.

    “This repulsive act of intimidation has clearly tainted the electoral process.

    “We therefore call on INEC to investigate, and cancel the results of the election in the area for a rescheduled election to take place.

    “We also urge the former President to be conscious of the behavior expected from somebody who was privileged to rule the country.

    “His decision to embrace a feigned ignorance in the face of grave acts of terror against innocent voters and party agents is most regrettable”.

     

     

  • ‘How Okupe got N702m for doing nothing’

    A Federal High Court in Abuja heard on Wednesday how former Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe was allegedly paid N702m by the Federal Government without doing anything.

    Okupe is being tried on a 59-count charge bordering on money laundering, criminal diversion of funds, estimated at N702m.

    He is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    First prosecution witness, Osas Azonabor, an operative of the EFCC, told the court that sometime in 2016, the commission got an intelligence that some individuals were paid by the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for doing nothing.

    Azonabor said when investigations began, it was realised that one of the beneficiaries was Okupe, who is the first defendant.

    The witness, who was led in evidence by the prosecution lawyer, Ibrahim Audu, told the court that the EFCC wrote to the ONSA, demanding the vouchers of the payments made to Okupe, who was once an aide to ex-President Olusegun Obasnajo.

    He said after analysing the payment vouchers, it was realised that cash payment of N50m was made into Okupe’s account as stated in the voucher of April 8, 2014.

    The witness added another cash payment of N6million was found to have been made to Okupe on April 2, 2014.

    Azonabor said there were series of payment in multiples of N10 million made to Okupe between 2012 to 2014.

    He said EFCC’s investigation found the sum of N50million paid into Zenith Bank account of Value Trust Investment Limited, which Okupe is a director.

    The witness added that another N35 million was paid into the account of Abraham Telecoms Nig Limited, in which Okupe is a signatory.

    Read Also: EFCC releases Doyin Okupe

    Azonabor said: “He (Okupe) told us he was the Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2012 and was placed on a monthly salary of N835, 000 paid to him by the SGF,” Azonabor said.

    “Okupe said he was paid N10 million monthly for 24 months by ONSA and that the money was reduced to N5million monthly from January 2015 to May 2015”.

    “Okupe said the money was for special services and when asked to elaborate what he meant by ‘special services’, Okupe said part of the money was used to sponsor ‘Insight’, a programme on NTA.”

    Azonabor told the court that when a letter was written to NTA to confirm the authenticity of the document that emanated from the station, the television station agreed that the document emanated from it.

    The witness added: “We also got a follow up letter from the NTA that the programme, ‘Insight’, was later aired free-of-charge as directed by the then Director General of NTA who accepted the programme as part of the station’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

    Azonabor said Okupe claimed that part of the money collected from ONSA was used to pay workers, but when asked to show proof of payment he only brought a list of names on written piece of paper and also a typed paper.

    “There was no payment voucher, receipt or pay slip to show evidence of payment and when we asked him to produce staff he paid to, he couldn’t produce any,” Azonabor said.

    Further hearing in the case resumes today.

  • Court reserves judgment in trial of Jonathan’s ex-aide

    The Federal High Court Lagos Wednesday reserved judgment in the trial of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s aide, Dr Waripamo Owei-Dudafa, for alleged N1.6 billion fraud.

    Justice Mohammed Idris reserved judgement after counsel adopted their final addresses.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Dudafa along with Joseph Iwejuo, a staff of Heritage Bank, on a 23 count charge bordering on money laundering.

    The prosecution closed its case on March 16, 2018, after calling seven witnesses and tendering several exhibits.

    The defence had initially filed and argued a no-case submission in its defence and had urged the court to dismiss the case, on the grounds that the prosecution failed to establish any case against them.

    Justice Idris had in a ruling last August dismissed the no case submission.

    Defence had consequently, entered its defence, calling two witnesses and tendering exhibits.

    It closed its case in November 2018 after which the court adjourned for adoption of final addresses.

    Prosecuting Counsel Mr Rotimi Oyedepo argued that prosecution had been able to lead sufficient evidence in establishing a case of money laundering, conspiracy as well as concealment of proceeds of unlawful act, against the defendants.

    He argued that from the evidences before the court, it is clear that the various monies traced to the account of some companies such as Avalon Global Property Development Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Ltd, were not the legitimate salary of the first defendant.

    Read Also: Breaking: Atiku rejects Buhari’s victory, heads to court

    He argued that the defendant employed the best form of concealment of proceeds of unlawful act, by keeping the money in an account without his identity, and engaging the second defendant to operate it.

    “From the manner in which these transactions were consummated, the court can see clearly a meeting of minds to commit same.

    “The second defendant was running an account under different identity so as to conceal the offence.

    “If it was a legitimate transaction, the first defendant will not procure the second defendant to run the account and receive funds in same.

    “All that the prosecution is enjoined to know is the reasonability of their knowledge that same constitutes an offence,” he said.

    Oyedepo argued that the claim by the defendant that the monies were donated to a church, was only an afterthought which the court is not expected to act upon.

    Defence counsel, Mr Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), urged the court to discharge and acquit the defendant as the prosecution failed to establish any ingredient of the offence against the defendant.

    According to him, the defendant had pleaded not guilty to three phases of counts in the charge, and the onus remained constant with the prosecution to establish the sources of the funds as alleged.

    According to him, none of the prosecution witnesses led any evidence or tendered any exhibits to establish essential elements of the charge against the defendant.

    For instance, he argued that the purported owner of the account in which monies were paid was never called as a witness and one Festus Iyoha to whom monies were allegedly handed to, was also not called as a witness.

    He said that this failure to call the desired witnesses was fatal to the case of the prosecution, adding that the charge against the defendant must fail consequently.

    “Of all the assertions made by the defendant in relation to the source of the funds, no further investigations was made by prosecution; they did not call the people mentioned by the defendant or take their evidences.

    “If you allege that the source of a fund is illegal then you ought to discharge that burden of proof and call witnesses to establish same,”

    According to him, the defendant merely acted on instruction to” pay”, adding that before a court can safely convict it ought to look at the provisions of the law and the charges.

    He argued that it was not a strict liability offence and urged the court to discharge and acquit the defendant.

    Second defence counsel Mr. Ige Asemudara also adopted his final address in urging the court to discharge and acquit the defendant.

    After listening to the respective submissions of counsel Justice Idris reserved his judgment to a later date which will be communicated to parties.

     

  • Disquiet in PDP as Jonathan loses senatorial district to Sylva, APC

    There was loud silence in the Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the inability of former President Goodluck Jonathan to deliver his community and senatorial district to the party in the just-concluded elections.

    Results of the elections showed poor performance of the PDP in Jonathan’s Otuoke community in Ogbia Local Government Area and his entire East Senatorial District comprising Ogbia, Nembe and Brass local government areas.

    The senatorial district fell to a former Governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, who worked assiduously to deliver the senatorial candidate of the APC, Mr. Degi Eremienyo Wagara and the candidate for Nembe-Brass Federal Constituency, Isreal Sunny-Igoli.

    Results from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed that Wagara scored 43,303 to defeat the candidate of the PDP, Ipigansi Izagara, who polled 32,363 votes and the ADC candidate, Senator Nimi Amange with 16,936.

    Also in the Brass-Nembe Federal Constituency, the former President was said to have done nothing to deliver the PDP candidate, Marie Ebikake, who scored 19,279 against 41,150 polled by the APC candidate.

    It was gathered that Jonathan would have lost his entire Ogbia to the APC but for the efforts of Governor Seriake Dickson’s appointees, who went extra miles to rescue the PDP.

    Party sources said it took the efforts of the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, to avert the defeat of the PDP candidate for the Ogbia Federal Constituency, Fred Obua, by the APC.

    Iworiso-Markson was said to have worked with the newly appointed Special Adviser on Grassroot Mobilisation, Captain Ozu; the Senior Special Assistant on Youths, Osaanya B. Osaanya to deliver Obua, who scored 12,048 votes to win the APC candidate, Samuel Ogbuku, who got 7,995 votes.

    The PDP leadership in the state was said to have bemoaned the former President’s attitude saying it justified an allegation  by a group, Ogbia Renaissance, that Jonathan, his wife, Patience and A.J. Turner were working against the candidates of the PDP.

    Read Also: Rivers official, PDP chieftain, others paraded

    A top member of the PDP, who spoke in confidence, said what transpired on the election day was brazen anti-party by Jonathan’s loyalists in the PDP and some disloyal appointees of the governor.

    “The Ogbia Renaissance raised the alarm days before the election accusing the former President and his loyalists in the PDP of working against the candidates of the party in Ogbia and the Eastern Senatorial District.

    “Despite denying the allegations and pouring invectives on the group, the anti-party played out in the election as these individuals openly backed and sponsored the APC and the ADC House of Representatives candidates.

    “There associates, who are PDP appointees in Dickson’s government also worked against the PDP candidate. It took special efforts and commitment of some loyal appointees of the governor such as Daniel Iworiso-Markson to avert the defeat of our House of Representative candidate in Ogbia Local Government Area.

    “We are watching them and we have noted the roles each of them played. The PDP in the state had already established a disciplinary committee and the names of these people have been penciled down.

    “They will be invited after the election to face the committee. It is shameful that under the watch of former President Jonathan, PDP lost a senatorial district to the APC in an area that is supposed to be a stronghold of our party. This is what anti-party can cause”.

  • Fani-Kayode opposes EFCC’s bid to tender cheque exhibits

    Mr Norrison Quakers (SAN), counsel to former Minister of Aviation Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Wednesday opposed a bid by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to tender some cheques as exhibits in the former minister’s money laundering trial.

    Fani-Kayode, Director of Publicity of the Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation in 2015, is on trial with former minister of state for finance Mrs. Nenadi Usman at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    They were charged with former Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) Chairman and ex-Chairman of Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Mr. Yusuf Danjuma, and a company, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited.

    The four were accused of violating the Money Laundering Act by indirectly retaining N300million, N400million and N800million, all proceeds of corruption, according to EFCC.

    Read Also: Fayose is being persecuted, says Fani-Kayode

    The prosecution said they allegedly committed the offence, to which they pleaded not guilty, between January 8 and March 25, 2015 ahead of the 2015 general elections.

    An EFCC operative, Shuaibu Shahu, told Justice Rilwan Aikawa that part of the alleged laundered sums was transferred from the Ministry of External Affairs.

    For instance, he said N800 million was transferred from the ministry to Jointtrust Dimentions on January 16, 2015.

    He said there was no evidence that the firm executed any contract for the ministry.

    Shuaibu tendered some cheques used for the alleged fraudulent transactions.

    But the prosecution’s bid to tender more cheques was resisted by Quakers, who said he needed to confirm if they were part of the proof of evidence.

    Justice Aikawa adjourned until Thursday.

     

  • Buhari, Atiku, others sign second 2019 National Peace Accord

    *Buhari: Let’s pray for our country

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari and the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday joined other candidates to sign the second 2019 National Peace Accord in Abuja.

    The Presidential election comes up on Saturday 16th of February, 2019.

    Buhari and Atiku called for free, fair and non-violent elections.

    While stressing that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies have given their words in readiness to conduct free and fair elections, he urged the youths not to allow themselves to be used for violence.

    Noting that there is fear towards the election just like any other elections, he urged Nigerians to pray for Nigeria as it goes into the elections.

    The President also said that the only real party is Nigeria and that elections are only important to the extent to which they make Nigeria strong.

    Atiku again appealed to INEC and the security agencies to ensure free, fair elections.

    He recalled the words of former President Goodluck Jonathan where he said that his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.

    Atiku said that the Nigerian democracy should emerge stronger than the 2015 general elections that was adjudged the freest and fairest in the country.

    The former Vice President specifically appealed to President Buhari for everyone who casts his or her vote to have confidence that the votes will count.

    “We must abide by the will of the people,” he stated.