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Tag: Jonathan

  • Jonathan not needed in Metuh’s trial – EFCC

    Jonathan not needed in Metuh’s trial – EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes commission (EFCC) on Tuesday said it could effectively prosecute the trial of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman, Olisa Metuh, without involving former President Goodluck Jonathan in the case.

    EFCC’s position followed Metuh’s argument that since Jonathan was allegedly involved in the process leading to the payment of funds for his presidential campaign, the ex-president is a necessary witness in the case.

    Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited, are being tried before the Federal High court, Abuja, for allegedly receiving N400m from the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for security services, which he allegedly diverted to fund his party’s activities.

    They are also accused of flouting the money laundering Act by making $2m suspicious investment.

    At the conclusion of the prosecution’s witness last week, Metuh filed a no-case submission in court.

    In the application, he argued among others, that the prosecution has failed to make out a prima facie case against him by not inviting Jonathan as its witness.

    The EFCC in its response argued that it had conveniently made out a case against Metuh for which the court should direct him to enter defence.

    The commission argued that Jonathan is not a necessary prosecution witness, saying it has effectively established its case with the number of witnesses invited to testify in court.

    It urged the court to dismiss Metuh’s no-case argument.

     

  • Jonathan’s ADC states role in N10b gift for PDP chiefs

    Jonathan’s ADC states role in N10b gift for PDP chiefs

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s detained ex-Aide-de-Camp (ADC) Col.  Ojogbane Adegbe has passed the buck on the N10billion gift for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) delegates.

    He has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ask Dr. Jonathan’s former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa to account for the cash, a source said yesterday.

    The ADC said when the suitcases containing the cash were brought as messages for the President, he merely handed them over to Dudafa.

    He said military law forbids him from opening any message meant for the President, unless otherwise directed.

    Also, one of the Army officers being questioned over the $2.1 billion arms purchase scandal, Col. N. Ashinze , the former Special Military Assistant to the ex-NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), is stranded as he could not resume in his new posting as the nation’s Military Attache to the Nigerian Embassy in Germany.

    Although Col. Ashinze has been released from EFCC custody and restricted to the Officers Mess, there was anxiety yesterday  that he might be dropped from the foreign mission.

    Also yesterday, it was learnt that the embattled ex-Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, has been linked with the ongoing probe of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

    Air Chief Marshal Badeh was moved to Lagos last week as part of the investigation of NIMASA.

    The EFCC is believed to be tidying up some loose ends in its investigation of military officers suspected to have been involved in the $2.1b phoney arms deals.

    The N10billion withdrawn from the oil block account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for PDP delegates to its nomination convention has been a knotty issue because it was based on the instruction of the former President, according to a source close to the investigation.

    The source said: “The ADC has spoken with investigators. He said when the suit cases containing the N10billion were brought as messages for the ex-President, he did not open them but he handed over the items to SA Domestic Affairs.

    “He said as ADC, the military law forbids him from opening any message meant for the President, unless directed by the C-I-C.

    “So, it is only the SA Domestic Affairs, who has sneaked out of the country, who will need to provide the list of beneficiaries. This is the status of the case.

    “If Dudafa does not show up, we may declare him wanted in connection with the N10billion cash or seek the court’s permission to attach his property.

    “We are exploring mutual legal assistance with some countries to fish out Dudafa wherever he is hiding abroad.”

    Col. Dasuki said he handed over the N10billion given to the delegates to Dudafa and the ADC.

    The ex-NSA  opened up in his Statement of Witness/Accused Person which has been filed in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT)

    He said: “That I am aware in November, I cannot remember the exact date. My office requested the CBN to exchange N10billion from the account of the Office  of the National Security Adviser domiciled in CBN.

    “The money was for delegates that attended the nomination convention for the PDP presidential nomination. The money was paid and sent to Hon. Dudafa(SSAP Household) and ADC(C-I-C) for distribution on the instruction of the President.”

    On Col. Ashinze, a source said: “So far, nothing has been found against the said officer or else EFCC would still be keeping him.

    “He is stranded at the Officers Mess. We don’t know whether or not the EFCC will use him as a witness.”

    On Air Chief Marshal Badeh, the source said: “We moved him to Lagos in connection with the ongoing probe of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA) during the tenure of the former Director- General, Dr.  Patrick Ziadeke Akpobolokemi.

    “You know that a High Court has ordered the arrest and seizure of assets of a former Niger Delta Militant, Government Tompolo.  We are already searching for the suspect.

    “The outcome of the investigation in Lagos will determine whether or not Chief Marshal Badeh will be part of the trial of Akpobolokemi and Tompolo.”

  • PDP governors beg Jonathan’s ex-ministers

    PDP governors beg Jonathan’s ex-ministers

    …in bid to save Sheriff

    •Mimiko sends chartered jet to Abuja • Embattled party chair pleads with ex-Minister Turaki
    •Ex-ministers meet Tuesday

    Governor Segun Mimiko of Ondo State yesterday, on behalf of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, launched  a fresh initiative to save Senator Ali Modu Sheriff from being humiliated out as National Chairman of the PDP.

    Mimiko, who doubles as chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, invited some former ministers in the cabinet of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to a meeting to beg them to accept Sheriff who was picked by PDP governors as the party’s new national  chairman.

    Many influential members of the PDP, particularly ministers in the Jonathan Administration, are uncomfortable with Sheriff’s leadership of the party, and are threatening to dump the party if the governors’ decision is not reversed.

    The party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) is not disposed to confirming Sheriff’s nomination either.

    The governor dispatched a chartered jet to convey the ex-ministers to Abuja for the parley but some of them declined to honour the invitation.

    They opted to meet on Tuesday decide their  next line of action.

    The Forum of ex-PDP Ministers may be expanded to include those who served under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and  ex-President Umaru Yar’Adua .

    Mimiko, investigations revealed, is greatly  disturbed by the negative reactions sparked by Sheriff’s selection.

    A well placed party source  said: “In the last 72 hours, Mimiko has been personally reaching out to all the aggrieved ex-Ministers, state chairmen of PDP, Senators, members of the House of Representatives and members of the Board of Trustees(BOT).

    “Today (yesterday), a chartered jet was provided by Mimiko to bring the aggrieved ex-Ministers to Abuja but some of them shunned the sudden invitation. A delegation led by ex-Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), however, left for Akure.

    “Mimiko is trying to pacify all groups in order to allow Sheriff to be in charge. He does not want the crisis in the party to degenerate further.

    “The governor has been making calls to all those who are against Sheriff. He asked them to sheathe their swords. He is trying to save Sheriff. The truth is that Governors Ayo Fayose and Nyesom Wike led us to this mess.

    “The ex-Ministers are however adamant. They have fixed a meeting for Tuesday to decide the next line of action.”

    Sheriff himself has embarked on reconciliation shuttles to strategic leaders of the party.

    For a start, he has  paid a surprise visit to Turaki, who is coordinating the Forum of ex-PDP Ministers.

    Another source said that Sheriff  seemed to be monitoring  the ex-Ministers’ meeting.

    “Before the meeting ended on Wednesday night, Sheriff was already waiting in Turaki’s home. He begged the ex-Minister to prevail on his colleagues to give him the opportunity to lead the party,” the source said.

    “The ex-governor assured Turaki that he would not disappoint the party if allowed to lead the party.

    “But there was no concrete assurance from Turaki who said he would consult widely.’

     

    Fani-Kayode  explodes over Sheriff’s selection

    Aviation Minister in the Obasanjo Administration, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, said yesterday that he found Sheriff’s coming distasteful, evil and godless. Fani-Kayode said the former Borno governor is nursing an agenda to fly the party’s  Presidential flag in 2019.

    He said Sheriff’s selection as the party’s national chairman cannot stand.

    He said: “As a consequence of this calamitous decision, we have, literally overnight, become a shell, nay, a shadow, of what we used to be. Unfolding events will prove my assertion true. I have no doubt that time will eventually prove me right and vindicate me.

    “The bitter truth is that this arrangement is an affront against the Living God and it cannot stand. Yet, if it does stand, the party will pay a heavy price for it because it will inevitably lead to the end of the PDP as we know it.

    “Imposing Ali Modu-Sheriff is an insult to all those that have fought for, led, served, defended, supported and risked everything for the party, at every level, over the last 17 years. Only the deeply malevolent can be comfortable with such an arrangement.

    “It is evil. It is godless. It is indefensible. It is shameful, and as long as it stands the PDP does not have the moral standing or authority to criticise or condemn others. Those that made this decision behind closed doors and without proper or wide consultations have murdered sleep.

    “They have not only betrayed the confidence that the rest of us bestowed upon them but they have also prepared the coffin for our great party and dug its grave. It is a tragedy of monumental proportions and I have little doubt that God will judge them for what they have done.

    “Ali Modu-Sheriff’s long-term plan to highjack the leadership of the party for as long as possible, remain as National Chairman indefinitely and emerge as the party’s presidential candidate in 2019 will fail because it does not have the blessing of God. Time will prove me right.”

    Fani-Kayode praised the BOT and state chairmen of PDP  for rejecting Sheriff’s selection.

    He added: “The truth is that appointing him as our Acting National Chairman is like appointing Jack the Ripper as the leader of the Conservative party in Victorian England.

    “Kudos must go to the elders in the PDP Board of Trustees, a number of State Party Chairmen and a number of key individuals in the PDP Ministers Forum for taking a courageous and noble stand by rejecting and resisting the imposition of this abominable monstrosity.

    “What Ali Modu Sheriff stands for and represents is utterly repugnant to every fibre of my being. Yet, I have no objection to his being a member of the PDP simply because politics is a game of numbers. It is a game in which everyone, no matter how big or small, counts. If you want your party to grow and make progress you must accept the good, the bad and the ugly.

    “To this end, when he left the APC and joined the PDP sometime back, I was one of those that gladly welcomed him into our ranks and defended him in the public realm. This was at a time when others criticised the party for accepting him.

    “Evidently, we have sold our birthright and heritage, not just for a mess of pottage like Esau, but rather for a free ride on a private jet.

    “This is what a party that was once led by successive groups of seasoned and formidable intellectuals and great men of power, vision, courage and good character has been reduced to. This is what the party that was founded and once led by giants like President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Tony Anenih, General Ibrahim Babangida, General Aliyu Gusau, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma,  General T.Y. Danjuma, Vice President Abubakar Atiku, President Umaru Yar’adua, President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Bode George, Col. Ahmadu Alli, Chief E.K. Clark, Professor Jerry Gana, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, Chief Ken Nnamani  and so many others has degenerated to? What a pity! What a monumental tragedy!

    “This is a party that once boasted of having in its ranks many promising and dynamic bright young stars that were collectively capable of shaking the very foundation of the civilised world and creating new frontiers and greater hope for the future of our people and our beleaguered nation. How are the mighty fallen.”

  • Abducted Jonathan’s nephew found dead in Bayelsa

    Abducted Jonathan’s nephew found dead in Bayelsa

    Samule Okies, the abducted 35-year-old nephew to former President Goodluck Jonathan has been found dead along the waterway of Otuoke, Jonathan’s community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

    Okies was reportedly abducted on Wednesday alongside Jonathan’s 72-year-old foster father, Chief Inegite Nitaba.

    It was gathered that some fishermen from Otuoke found the remains of the deceased floating on the Otuoke River on Thursday evening.

    Sources from the community said the deceased went missing shortly after Inengite was abducted.

    According to them, the recovery of the body confirmed their fears that Okies was also a victim of the kidnap.

    Other sources said Okies might have been killed by gunshots fired during Inengite’s abduction.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said there was apprehension over the safety of Inengite in the community.

    “We are worried about the safety of our uncle. The men that abducted them have killed Okies and we pray they don’t touch our uncle,” the source said.

    Prior to his death, Okies was said to have always been in the company of the abducted foster father.

    Unidentified gunmen kidnapped Inengite, a first cousin and foster father to former Jonathan.

    The septuagenarian was whisked away from his residence in Otuoke on Wednesday.

    It will be recalled that he was first kidnapped on February 23, 2014, during the administration of former President Jonathan.

    His first abduction attracted public attention, as the Federal Government activated all security networks within the Niger Delta region to rescue him.

    After spending over two weeks in the kidnappers’ den, Nitabai was rescued on March 13, 2014, by the police, with claims that no ransom was paid to the abductors.

    The 2014 operation was carried out by10 heavily armed men who stormed Nitabai’s expansive compound at about 9pm and took him away without firing a gunshot.

    Another attempt to abduct Nitabai was also made by a gang of kidnappers, whose operation was foiled by the police.

    It was gathered that the latest incident, which occurred at about 3:30am, was carried out by seven gunmen.

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Butswat Asinim, confirmed the death of Okies.

    He said there was a deep cut on his neck, adding that the police were on the trail of the kidnappers,

  • Ex-ministers to Jonathan: we don’t want Sheriff

    Ex-ministers to Jonathan: we don’t want Sheriff

    Party’s future uncertain as ex-president backs governors’ choice of chairman

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders remained disunited last night over the choice of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as acting chairman.

    The choice has pitched President Goodluck Jonathan against members of his former cabinet.

    Jonathan backed Sheriff but some of his ministers disagreed.

    The ex-ministers said they might review their membership of the PDP should Sheriff’s candidacy be upheld.

    About 15 ex-ministers in Jonathan’s cabinet met last night in Asokoro, vowing to resist the Sheriff’s imposition

    The ministers’ session was still on as at 8.30pm.

    It was learnt that Dr. Jonathan has called to congratulate Sheriff who he allegedly described as “the right choice for the opposition”.

    A top source said: “Jonathan believes that Sheriff has the guts, influence, native wisdom and the wherewithal to lead PDP to displace the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “Jonathan and the governors teamed up to choose Sheriff who was part of the leaders who coordinated the merger of parties into the APC.

    “Their aim is to have an opposition with much bite in the light of the way the APC government is exposing Jonathan’s tenure.

    “They are looking at the rough side of politics towards 2019 and they think Sheriff can withstand the APC.”

    A source at the ex-ministers’ session said: “We are parting ways with ex-President Jonathan if he is adamant on Sheriff. The battle line is drawn. We respect our principal, but he got it wrong this time around.

    “We do not need Sheriff to reform PDP. And he cannot actually lead the party for some obvious reasons. He is not a team player and he has many controversies surrounding his style of politics.

    “We knew the NWC and the governors have a different agenda. With Sheriff, the PDP cannot go far in 2019. Jonathan and these leaders should listen to the Board of Trustees (BOT) members.

    “Jonathan can afford to take the risk with Sheriff because he has reached a dead end politically. We will not allow the ex-President to ruin our own future. Public perception does not favour Sheriff.”

    The spokesman for former ministers in Jonathan’s administration, Dr. Suleiman Abubakar, in a terse statement in Abuja, said: “Our rescue mission has failed, the redemption boat has capsized and our journey to recovery has come to an end.

    “Whosoever partook in the decision does not mean well for the party and democracy in Nigeria. It is obvious the fifth columnists have hijacked the party and they are hell bent on sinking it deeper into irrecoverable level of the pit.

    “Some of us would rather review our membership than subject ourselves to selfish interests of a cabal whose main goal is political profiteering. After all our umbilical cord is not tied to any party.”

    A member of the National Working Committee (NWC) insisted: “we subjected all the candidates to a rigorous test and it was Sheriff that excelled”.

    Sheriff did not officially take over at the secretariat yesterday but was in Umuahia for his first official shuttle – the thanksgiving service by Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

    He reiterated that he will lead the party to victory in 2019.

    He said: “We are here today, we are starting from here, and we are going to Aso Rock, Insha Allah by 2019.

    “We will head from here and we will do it together. This  my long cap is prepared to lead my colleagues and brothers to Aso Rock, Insha Allah.

    “By the grace of Allah, nothing will deter this party from going to Aso Rock in 2019. By the time we put down our master-plan I am sure they (APC) will go back to where they came from. And Insha Allah, nothing will stop us.

    ”From what I have seen in the stadium, it is clear that his (Ikpeazu’s) election is the election of the people. It is election that God has destined. It is not election that we call it election by air, election by writing. This is the election of the people.”

     

  • Again, gunmen abduct Jonathan’s 72-year-old foster father

    Again, gunmen abduct Jonathan’s 72-year-old foster father

    •Businessman kidnapped in Port Harcourt

    Gunmen have again kidnapped 72-year-old Chief Inengite Nitabai, a first cousin and foster father to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The septuagenarian was snatched away from his residence in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, yesterday.

    Nitabai was first kidnapped on February 23, 2014 during the administration of the ex-President.

    His first abduction attracted attention as the Federal Government activated all security networks within the Niger Delta region to rescue him.

    After spending over two weeks in the kidnappers’ den, Nitabai was rescued on March 13, 2014, by the police, which claimed no ransom was paid to the abductors.

    The 2014 operation was carried out by10 armed men, who stormed Nitabai’s expansive compound at about 9 pm and took him away without firing a  shot.

    Another attempt to abduct Nitabai was also made by a gang of kidnappers, whose operation was foiled by the police.

    It was gathered that the latest incident at 3:30 am was carried out by seven gunmen.

    An uncle to the victim, who spoke in confidence, wondered how the gunmen managed to abduct the septuagenarian, who enjoyed the protection of two police guards.

    Alleging insider collaboration, he asked the police to begin their investigation with the people around the old man.

    “I woke up this morning to hear that my uncle, who is the head of former President Jonathan’s compound, has been kidnapped. It is disheartening that he has fallen into the hands of kidnappers again.

    “It was by divine intervention he survived the first abduction. We are appealing to his assailants to release him unconditionally”, he said.

    Details of the abduction were sketchy yesterday. Sources said the gunmen might have entered Nitabai’s residence from the creek behind his compound.

    Police spokesman Asinim Butswat, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident.

    He said: “A massive manhunt have been launched by a team of Marine Police and Anti-Kidnapping Unit, to rescue the victim and arrest the abductors. Investigation is on.”

    Amid sporadic gunshots, a businessman, who owns Jossy Class Super Store at No. 9, Abakaliki Street, Mile One, Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State was kidnapped yesterday.

    Jossy, whose full name could not be ascertained as at press time, is a wholesale and retail dealer of wine, alcoholic and soft drinks, in a shop not far from the Mile One Divisional Police Headquarters.

    The businessman was kidnapped around 5 p.m. by some young gunmen, while sitting in front of his shop with friends and associates, with his aides attending to customers.

    The kidnappers, who came to Jossy’s shop in a black saloon car, picked their target, pushed him into their steaming car and zoomed off to an unknown destination, while shooting sporadically, to avoid confrontation in the densely-populated area.

    Rivers police spokesman Muhammad Ahmad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said he had not got the details from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Mile One divisional police headquarters.

  • Jonathan’s ex-aide Kuku loses bid to stop arrest

    Jonathan’s ex-aide Kuku loses bid to stop arrest

    The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday dismissed an application by a Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, to stop his arrest.

    Kuku asked the court to restrain anti-corruption agencies from arresting and prosecuting him over allegations of corruption.

    But, Justice Okon Abang held that the application lacked merit.  “This application lacks merit and is hereby dismissed. I so hold,” he said.

    Justice Abang refused Kuku’s prayer to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) from arresting and probing him. He, however, said should Kuku be arrested, he should not be detained beyond 48 hours because that would contravene Section 35(4) (5) of the 1999 Constitution.

    He said EFCC has a statutory obligation to investigate Kuku over alleged financial impropriety and arrest him if he refuses to honour its invitation but disagreed with the submission that any move to invite Kuku was politically motivated.

    After assuming jurisdiction in the case, Justice Abang held: ”It is in my view that the invitation sent to the applicant is lawful and constitutional.

    “The court cannot stop a statutory institution from performing it constitutional duty.”

    The court, however, said his arrest must follow due process.

    Kuku sued the Attorney-General of the Federation, EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the DSS and the Nigeria Immigration Service, alleging of “plots by the respondents to concoct, fabricate or falsify evidence in order to provide a basis for his arrest, detention, persecution and/or prosecution for political reasons”.

    According to him, it was “in furtherance of the unconscionable use of the otherwise laudable war against corruption to repress the political opposition constituted by the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including the applicant.”

    Kuku sought a declaration that any such invitation, arrest, harassment or prosecution on the basis of allegations of corruption in respect to his tenure as Chairman of the Amnesty Programme between 2011 and 2015 is a breach of his right to fair hearing and freedom of movement.

    Similarly, he sought an order prohibiting the respondents from arresting or prosecuting him on the basis of the allegations.

    The Auditor-General of the Federation had raised questions over alleged mismanagement of funds in reports of audit monitoring and evaluation of the amnesty programme.

    Kuku’s lawyer Mr. Ajibola Oluyede said the respondents were about to abuse the criminal process by seeking to arrest his client.

    “There is an illegal and unjustifiable instigation of the criminal process against the applicant in a manner that infringes upon his fundamental rights as enshrined in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution,” he said.

    But the AGF’s and IGP’s counsel, Mr. Tijani Gazali, urged the court to dismiss Kuku’s application.

    He said Kuku was only invited to clear allegations of corruption against him, adding that there was no plot to violate his rights.

    “We only invited him to ensure his right to fair hearing. It was only an invitation. Instead, he has run to the court to be conferred with immunity so as not to be investigated. He was invited so as to tell his own side of the story,” Gazali said.

  • Jonathan, Alison-Madueke named in Abuja land grab

    Jonathan, Alison-Madueke named in Abuja land grab

    I acted within my powers, says ex-Minister Mohammed

    The Senate is exploring ways and means of invoking sanctions against former President Goodluck Jonathan and some former ministers for allegedly appropriating reserved plots of land in Abuja.

    According to the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the plots acquired by Jonathan and his ministers were designated as green areas, flood drains, city buffers, recreation centres, sewage lines, urban farming and city monuments.

    At a briefing yesterday, the chairman of the Committee, Senator Dino Melaye, said the illegally acquired areas fall within the highbrow Maitama District.

    Describing the action of Jonathan and his ministers as “satanic”, Melaye blamed the immediate past former Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, for the “indiscretion”.

    Besides Jonathan, the committee listed other beneficiaries of the “land grab” to include former Petroleum Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and former Justice Minister Mohammed Adoke.

    Other beneficiaries include former Trade and Investment Minister Olusegun Aganga; Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus and FCT Executive Director Ismaila Adamu.

    Some of the beneficiaries have started erecting structures on the plots, which were “hurriedly allocated” in the twilight of the last administration. Certificates of Occupancy were hurriedly issued for the plots, the committee alleged.

    Melaye said: “Senator Bala Mohammed, in his bid to satisfy some powerful Nigerians before the end of his tenure, disregarded the wisdom of his predecessors and the vision of the founding fathers of Abuja.

    “He went ahead to implement Messrs Fola Consult Limited’s recommendation by allocating these important features/endowments, including the Maitama Hills, to these powerful Nigerians.

    “It is pathetic to state that one of the allottees has erroneously burst a sewage conduit pipe and the entire area messed up with offensive odour which could trigger off serious epidemic within that location.”

    Faulting Mohammed’s defence of the allocations, Melaye said the former minister’s action amounted to maladministration, adding that “it is satanic “.

    He added that the committee plans to put a Stop Work Order on the various construction sites on the plots. Besides, the beneficiaries are to replace all the trees they felled during construction.

    But Mohammed said the committee was misinformed on the allocations.

    In an advertorial published in some national dailies, the former Minister said he never acted outside the limits of his powers.

    In the advertorial, signed on his behalf by his Media Consultant, Mr. Emma Agu, Mohammed insisted that the Abuja Master Plan had never been inviolable.

    According to him, the Abuja Master Plan is a dynamic road map for the city’s land use and infrastructure development, guided by the demands of change and time.

    He added that his actions were informed by the need to ensure full utilisation of available resources and that the allocations were made in compliance with the Land Use Act.

    According to him, construction was approved after the allottees had obtained building plan approvals from the Department of Development Control of the FCT.

    He urged the Senate committee to seek adequate information from the FCT administration, stressing that the allocations could only be reversed by an incumbent Minister of the FCT.

  • Abuja land: Senate seeks sanction against Jonathan, ex-ministers

    Abuja land: Senate seeks sanction against Jonathan, ex-ministers

    The Senate is exploring ways of invoking sanctions on former President Goodluck Jonathan and some of the ministers that served under him for appropriating reserved plots of land in Abuja.

    According to the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the plots acquired by Jonathan and his ministers were designated as green areas, flood drains, city buffers, recreation, sewage lines, urban farming and city monuments.

    At a briefing on Wednesday, the chairman of the Committee, Senator Dino Melaye, said the illegally acquired areas fall within the highbrow Maitama District.

    Describing the action of Jonathan and his ministers as “satanic”, Melaye blamed the immediate past former Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, for indiscretion.

    Besides Jonathan, the committee listed other beneficiaries of the land grab to include former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and former Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke.

    Others beneficiaries are – ex-Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus and a serving Executive Director in the FCT, Alhaji Ismaila Adamu.

    Some of the beneficiaries have started erecting structures on the plots, which were hurriedly allocated in the twilight of the last administration and Certificates of Occupancy hurriedly issued for the plots.

    Melaye said, “Senator Bala Mohammed, in his bid to satisfy some powerful Nigerians before the end of his tenure, disregarded the wisdom of his predecessors and the vision of the founding fathers of Abuja.

    “He went ahead to implement Messrs Fola Consult Limited’s recommendation by allocating these important features at the Maitama Hills to these powerful Nigerians.

    “It is pathetic to state that one of the allottees has erroneously burst a sewage conduit pipe and the entire area messed up with offensive odour which could trigger off serious epidemic within that location.”

  • The Economist versus Jonathan

    SIR: I am saddened by the fuss generated over the the description of former President Goodluck Jonathan, by a writer in The Economist as an “ineffectual buffoon,” because of what the rage directed at the said writer suggests about the ways and mentality of Nigerian society. We fret over the age-old practice of irreverent castigation of a political leader by the press, yet pass unconcerned on the other side of the street when a boy is lynched for stealing a cheap cellphone! Does this not suggest that there is something seriously wrong with Nigerian society?

    Does it not vindicate the charge by some that ours is an incorrigibly perverse society?

    I’m not at all amused by the idea that political leaders in a democracy are, like demi-gods, beyond scrutiny, criticism, ridicule, and even the irreverent condemnation of the ordinary men and women to whom they are, or should be, accountable. Even more disturbing is the silly attempt to unconsciously muzzle free speech by wrapping the criticism of the magazine with appeals to the flag and racial pride.

    As Justice George Sutherland said in Grosjean v. American Press Co. (1925), “A free press stands as one of the great interpreters between the government and the people. To allow it to be fettered is to be fettered ourselves.” Even Napoleon Bonarparte, one of the great villains of history, was, nevertheless, astute enough to recognize that free speech is one of the major foundations that progress and, therefore, civilization rest on, when he stated that “A people who is able to say everything becomes able to do everything” (Napoleon I, Maxims, 1804-15).

    First, in defending the vital interests, well-being and progress of Nigeria, there should be very few limits indeed. Befuddled Nigerian youths, who can no longer differentiate between right and wrong, have brought the country into great international disrepute and blighted any immediate hopes for a brighter future for Nigeria. Street gangs roam our streets unleashing mayhem in broad daylight, university students, formed into gangs, shoot at one another and sexually assault their own female colleagues right on their own campuses, precisely because of the examples of the moral ambivalence shown by their elders, which, unfortunately, is again now being replicated in the criticisms of The Economist journalist. It is the great tragedy of Nigeria that otherwise sensible men and women shy away from calling monumental wrongdoing and evil [that has virtually destroyed this promising country] by their proper names because of some ill-conceived milk and water sentimentality which, in their own minds and culture, forbids a “mere journalist” or “Oyinbo” publication from referring to a “big man” in such contemptuous terms, no matter how accurate that description might in fact be.

    Second, is it not a small step to refrain from describing leaders by the appropriate adjectives to accommodating their excesses, as we saw with the kinsmen of Ibori, Alamieyesiegha, etc.? And is Nigeria’s sullied honour not best redeemed by honest, if blunt, condemnation and disavowal of culpable leaders, rather than subtle obfuscation and moral equivocation, when we are confronted with evidence of their monumental wrongdoing?

    Finally, with regards to who are especially offended because the castigation came from the Western press, and who would, therefore, rather see this as another racial slur, they would do well to remember that even the Western democracies, too, have a long history of errant politicians being irreverently castigated in the press – Richard Nixon was referred to as a “criminal”; Silvio Burlesconi a “buffoon” and Ehud Olmert (Israel), Moshe Katsav (Israel), Rod Blagojevich (USA), former Japanese premier Kakuei Tanaka, etc, have all been roundly castigated in the press for their conduct.

    The former President Jonathan brought his present misfortunes on himself. The nation had rallied behind him with much sympathy and goodwill in the aftermath of late President Yaradua’s death, but he betrayed that trust by presiding over what can, from the emerging evidence, only be described as Corruption Inc.

     

    • Akin A. Ajose-Adeogun,

    Surulere, Lagos.