The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lawan

  • INEC confirms Lawan as PDP candidate

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed Alhaji Gambo Lawan as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Borno State, instead of Alhaji Mohammed Imam.

    The Nation reports that the crisis in the Borno PDP worsened when Lawan, who emerged as the party’s candidate after a mini primary election in Abuja, was replaced by Imam.

    In a memo dated March 27, from the INEC headquarters in Abuja, signed by the Secretary of the commission, Ibrahim K. Bawa, with reference number INEC/LEG/DR/356/VOL.1/79 directed the Resident Electoral Commissioner to effect the change.

    Confirming the replacement, INEC’s spokesman in the state, Tommy Magbuin, said they have received a directive to add Lawan as the PDP candidate.

    He said: “We have already acted on it”.

    The memo from Abuja reads: “The commission (INEC) was served with judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1123 -Alhaji Gambo Lawan vs. Alhaji Mohammed Imam and two others wherein the court ordered INEC to take necessary steps and actions, including the listing of the name of Alhaji Lawan as the governorship candidate of the PDP in Borno State and to allow him to contest.

    “In compliance with the judgment of the court, the commission has directed that the name of Alhaji  Lawan be included on the list of governorship candidates for Borno State as the candidate of the PDP.”

     

  • Borno PDP stakeholders oppose substitution of Lawan’s name

    Concerned elders and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Borno State have kicked against the substitution of Alhaji Gambo Lawan as the party’s governorship candidate in the 2015 election.

    Lawan, a former Chairman of the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) and ex-Chairman of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, won the party’s governorship ticket at a primary in Abuja supervised by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    This followed the President’s intervention to resolve the lingering disagreement over the party’s governorship ticket in the state.

    The former GDM chairman and founding leader of the PDP in the state was affirmed by the party’s delegates and a Certificate of Return was issued to him after the election.

    In attendance during the primary were: Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, PDP National Chairman Adamu Mu’azu, PDP’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) Chief Tony Anenih, Borno State PDP Chairman, Minister of State for Power Muhammed Wakil, BOT members and other stakeholders from the state.

    But on the eve of the submission of all the parties’ governorship flag bearers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Lawan’s name was substituted by the PDP National Chairman with that of Mohammed Imam, a nominee of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

    In an open letter to President Jonathan on December 26, the PDP stakeholders called for a reversal of the substitution in the interest of justice and fair play.

    The petition was signed by Aminu Yakudima, Ibrahim Abatcha and Salisu Aliyu.

    On the process that produced Lawan, they said: “The process and composition of the people present is first of its kind in the history of our great party, which Your Excellency described as the Supreme Court of the party whose decision is final. You may wish to recall further that Lawan, having emerged from the old PDP as the candidate, you directed the new entrants to the party to nominate the candidate for the deputy governor.

    “It is disheartening to note that 14 days after the nomination and affirmation of Lawan as the candidate, he was wrongly and illegally substituted with Imam on the eve of the closure for the submission of the governorship nominees to INEC.

    “We want to believe that Your Excellency is unaware of this ugly and sad development, particularly in a nomination process of this magnitude that was conducted by the highest office of the federation. In this regard and in the best interest of the party, we call for the immediate reversal of the decision to substitute Lawan.

  • $620,000 ‘bribe’: Lawan’s report being awaited

    $620,000 ‘bribe’: Lawan’s report being awaited

    The House of Representatives has said two years after the case was referred, the report of the $620,000 bribery allegation against Farouk Lawan is still being awaited from its Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

    Speaking at a media briefing at the weekend, the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Albert Sam- Sokwa, said the House was worried about the delay.

    In June 2012, Farouk Lawan, who chaired the Ad hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, was relieved of the position and removed as the chairman, Committee on Education, over an allegation by Femi Otedola, billionaire oil marketer that the lawmaker received a $620,000 bribe from him.

    The bribe was allegedly to fast-rack the removal of Zenon Oil and Synopsis International from the list of those that have shortchanged the country through the fuel subsidy regime.

    His case was referred to the Ethics and Privileges Committee since 2012 and nothing had been heard of it since then.

    Sam-Tsokwa, who spoke for the Reps leadership, while responding to a question from reporters, said: “Well, if you ask me why is it that the Ethics and Privileges Committee has not been doing its work or whatever, that would be understandable.

  • Alleged $620,000 bribe: Lawan, Emenalo must face trial, says court

    Alleged $620,000 bribe: Lawan, Emenalo must face trial, says court

    Former Chairman, House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, Farouk Lawan and his ex-Secretary, Boniface Emenalo, yesterday lost their bid to quash criminal charges preferred against them at an Abuja High Court

    Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, in a ruling, held that Lawan and Emenalo should be tried for the seven-count charge against them.

    The accused persons, Justice Oniyangi said, have a case to answer as the prosecution has successfully established a prima facie case against them.

    He, therefore, resolved in favour of the prosecution the three issues raised in the application by the defence.

    On the issue of jurisdiction, the court held that it has inherent jurisdiction to hear the suit and that section 185 of the CPC,which the defence relied heavily on, does not require the prosecution to attach to proof of evidence all statements of witnesses.

    Said the judge: ”I, therefore, hold that the requirement of section 185 is proof of evidence, and not written statements of witnesses.

    “The non-attachment of written statements of other witnesses does not render the charge incompetent.

    “The argument of the learned counsel for the accused persons is a clear misconception of section 185.”

    On the argument that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie evidence against the accused persons, Oniyangi said: “What the court should look at in order to determine whether a prima facie case has been established against the accused is the proof of evidence.

    “To me, once there is evidence that will suggest to the court that the accused has some questions to answer in the proof of evidence, then there is a prima facie case.

    “I am left with no doubt that a prima facie case has been established by the prosecution against the accused, having regard to the proof of evidence and witness’ statement.”

    The judge also dismissed the defence argument that the suit constituted an abuse of court process, saying: “In the light of the foregoing, it cannot be said that the application for leave is frivolous, vexatious or oppressive.

    “The court cannot surreptitiously change here to say that the materials constitute an abuse of court process;there are neither malicious nor contain elements of bias.

    “The complaints of the application have no legal base to stand. It is premature to determine at this stage whether the essential ingredients to make the accused stand trial have been fulfilled.

    “I hereby resolve all the issues in favour of the prosecution.”

    Further hearing was adjourned to June 19.

  • Bribery scandal: Lawan, Emenalo granted bail

    Bribery scandal: Lawan, Emenalo granted bail

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday granted the former Chairman, House of Representatives ad -hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, Farouk Lawan, bail.

    Lawan, a serving lawmaker from Kano State, is standing trial for allegedly receiving 3.5 million dollars (about N625 million) bribe.

    Delivering the ruling, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi held that Section 35 (5) of the 1999 Constitution considers the accused innocent in such matter until proven guilty.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the second accused,  Boniface Emenalo, was also granted bail.

    The prosecution had alleged that Emenalo, an assistant director, who acted as the Secretary of the Committee, received 120,000 dollars (about N18 million) from the deal.

    “I have studied the submissions of counsel to parties in this matter and the court is disposed to admitting the accused persons to bail.

    “The bail sum is N10 million with two sureties. The bail is, however, free but it becomes effective upon the fulfillment of the stated conditions.

    “The accused persons are not expected to travel out of the country during the pendency of the trial and therefore, they are mandated to surrender their travel passports to the registrar of the court.

    “The court’s decision to admit the accused persons on bail is also predicated on the conviction that they would not jump justice.

    “In fact, the report available to the court says they are presently enjoying administrative bail and that they have always yielded to police invitation during the investigation,’’ he said.

    Lawan is charged with corruptly obtaining 500,000 dollars for himself from Mr. Femi Otedola, the Chairman, Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, as inducement to remove the company’s name from the committee’s report, among other charges.

    Similarly, Emenalo is alleged to have “corruptly asked for 3,000,000 dollars from Mr. Otedola’’.

    Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), the prosecution counsel said Farouk committed an offence contrary to Section 17 (1) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000, punishable under section 17 (1) of the same Act.

    He said that Emenalo also committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (1) (b) (ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, punishable under section 23 (3) of the same Act, but the two pleaded not guilty.

    Mr. Rickey Tarfa, the counsel to the accused, on February 1, filed the bail application, urging the court to grant his clients bail on self-recognition.

    Tarfa said that the accused were eminent officials in the National Assembly and had met all the 37 invitations extended to them by the police during the investigation of the matter.

     

  • Maina, Elumelu, Lawan: The haunted hunters

    Maina, Elumelu, Lawan: The haunted hunters

    Panels in Nigeria do not just help the government to distract, entomb or procrastinate; they also consume virtually everyone who has had the misfortune of heading them. The examples of Abdulrasheed Maina (Presidential Task Team on Pension Reform (PTTPR), Ndudi Elumelu (House of Representatives Committee on Power Sector Reforms), and Farouk Lawan (House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime) are pointers to the contradictions that afflict the body politic. There are a few less significant cases, and many more near misses. The recent Mallam Nuhu Ribadu panel (Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force), a red herring, escaped the fate of the first three panels by the skin of its teeth and probably by the combustible nature of the panel chairman’s personality.

    After many months of controversial manoeuvrings, Maina was last week declared wanted by the police on the instigation of the Senate which had summoned him to shed light on missing pension funds totalling some N195bn. The Maina Presidential Task Team was constituted about two years ago to investigate pension funds mismanagement and to sanitise and modernise the procedure for pension administration in the military, police, Department of State Security (DSS), customs, immigration, prison and pension office (CIPPO) and the Head of Service Pension Offices. However, presenting the Senate’s case against Maina, Senator Kabiru Gaya said: “…N195 billion pension fund is unaccounted for. In the head of service alone, N139 billion was released but N100 billion was paid out to pensioners. In the police service, N131 billion was paid in five years but only N88 billion was paid out, N44 billion is yet to be accounted for. This money belongs to the masses and it is expected that it should be accounted for.”

    Why Maina avoided the summons has not been fully explained by any official in the Task Team. But he was quite enthusiastic in declaiming late last year that the team had discovered earth-shaking facts on pension maladministration. As he put it exuberantly and perhaps exaggeratedly: “I want to tell you that what we have uncovered will surprise Nigerians. We have found that pension fund up to N3.3 trillion was stolen by the cabal and we are going to recover all the money…we have recovered about N221 billion and deleted 71,135 ghost pensioners from the civil service list…In addition N74 billion of the N181 billion discovered has been mopped up for utilization in the 2012 budget…We have conducted biometrics for 170,000 pensioners, established e-pension management system, pioneered the payment of pensioners in the Diaspora and introduced smart cards to eliminate physical verification of pensioners.” By the time he began to lyricise his team’s achievements, he had become a hunted and haunted man.

    But a national reputation is not secured upon the basis of one aberration. While the Senate was engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with Maina, with the latter still avoiding either arrest or imprisonment, Mr Ndudi Elumelu, a member of the House of Representatives, was left bewildered by how rapidly he transformed from hunter to hunted. It began with the late President Umaru Yar’Adua suggesting that his predecessor, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, had spent some $10bn dollars on power projects without result. Soon, the House of Representatives also declared alarmingly that the Obasanjo government actually spent $16bn on power projects with little to show for it. No one knew nor bothered to verify how the legislators did their calculations. But the sound of $16bn was enough to send the country, which was asphyxiating under a minuscule 3000MW generation of electricity, into a deafening uproar.

    In 2008, Elumelu was put at the head of the national consensus to get its pound of flesh from the enraged power sector (not fuel subsidy) cabal, not minding the collateral damage. But before the panel was through with its assignment, an assignment that saw it stepping on giant toes and engaging in acerbic exchange with Obasanjo, stories alleging bribery and corruption against the panel and its chairman became rife. Words of encouragement from governors and sympathisers were sadly insufficient to exculpate Elumelu. He was not even allowed to present his report, having barely managed to complete the assignment without being hounded into jail. He eventually went to jail for about a month, and was tried for allegedly misappropriating some N5.2bn Rural Electrification Agency (REA) contracts. It was only last year that he was discharged and acquitted. As for the panel’s recommendations, a total of some 88, most were thrown out, and the surviving few inoculated against causing damage to anyone’s reputation. The shell-shocked Elumelu is today quietly chewing the cud in the legislature.

    If Maina is scurrying animatedly from one rathole to another to evade what his pursuers call capture, and Elumelu has become almost phlegmatic, swearing never again to be lured into any national assignment where he would step on toes, Farouk Lawan, another House of Representatives member, is dismayed by how quickly he has fallen and how numbed he has become. If Maina is as clever as his words and visage indicate, he will humour the furious legislators probing the pension scam and get away with nothing but fierce censure. Elumelu has become a safe ruminant and legislative wonk. He was badly beaten and bruised, but he is still perching on what looks like the moral high ground. This is not the case with Lawan. The petit legislator has been beaten insensate by sickening, short-range blows from the executive branch and one of its men Friday, the illustrious and undiscriminating Mr Femi Otedola.

    Lawan’s story is probably the most dramatic and pathetic since Nigeria began its troubling experimentation with parliamentary practices. Member of the House of Representatives since 1999, his star rising with each passing year, and his elocution, like his rich voice, deliberate, endearing and near as oratorical as anyone who is not an orator can get, Lawan seemed made for parliamentary jousting and destined for parliamentary glory. Not only was he leader of the so-called Integrity Group in the Reps, a label he and others in his group acquired when they battled former Speaker Patricia Etteh over corruption allegations, he inspired confidence in many Nigerians about his bona fides, and evoked an unquenchable ability to strive for his country’s glory. In April 2012, according to the prosecutor, he solicited for a $3m bribe from businessman Femi Otedola, and only managed to collect $620,000 of the sum before his luck ran out. The state will try to make the accusation stick; but Lawan will try his best to wriggle out of the net. There is little hope, however, that he will succeed.

    But Lawan’s troubles began when he was named chairman of the panel on fuel subsidy payments. The panel did the job with such public daring and flourish that Nigerians were glued to what they dubbed the subsidy opera. In the din, Lawan’s mellifluous voice and characteristic surefootedness, both of which belied his size, could be heard and seen distinctly, soothing wounded hearts and lifting broken spirits. But with the Otedola accusation, the once confident Lawan voice has given way to a hoary, feeble baritone, slower than usual, and many of his statements contradictory and clearly illogical. A court has remanded him in prison until his bail application can be heard later this week. After stalling for many months Lawan now probably feels subdued, disconsolate and haunted, broken in spirit as he is in body, and perhaps with not the faintest idea of a way out.

    Of the three gentlemen, Lawan is probably the worst hit. While the courts will be procedurally restrained by legal exigencies to assume his guilt, the public is less troubled by any consideration of conscience. Once Otedola went public, they had concluded there was no conceivable way of escape for the petit PDP legislator from Kano. More, the public sighs in frustration at the paradoxical jinx afflicting panels in these parts, and the seeming impossibility of finding one good man in government by whom we could swear, or failing that, one good man anywhere to probe the failure of government.

  • Bribery: Lawan, Emenalo remanded in prison

    Bribery: Lawan, Emenalo remanded in prison

    An Abuja High Court on Friday remanded in prison the former chairman of the House of Representatives ad-hoc Committee on fuel subsidy, Farouk Lawan.

    Also remanded in custody was the committee’s former secretary, Boniface Enemalo.

    They were arraigned for allegedly soliciting for and collecting a bribe of $620,000 from the Chairman of Zenon Oil, Femi Otedola.

    At the resumption of trial on Friday, the duo pleaded not guilty to the seven-count charge filed against them.

    The counsels to the lawmakers, Rickey Tarfa and Mike Ozhekome, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria, had earlier filed a bail application on their behalf.

    However, the presiding judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, ruled that both Lawan and Emenalo be remanded in Kuje Prison pending the ruling on their bail application.

    He subsequently picked February 8 for ruling on the application.

     

  • $620,000 bribe: Police quiz Lawan, Emenalo again

    $620,000 bribe: Police quiz Lawan, Emenalo again

    SUSPENDED House Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime chair Farouk Lawan kept another date with the police yesterday.

    Lawan got more questions on the $620,000 bribe allegation hurled at him by businessman Mr. Femi Otedola, who said he hand him the cash to get his company’s name off the list of those indicted in the subsidy probe.

    Lawan and the Clerk of the committee, Mr. Boniface Emenalo, got more questions from the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Force CID, Mr. Ali Amodu, following a letter from the government prosecutor, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).

    The two suspects will report at the FCID today to answer the questions in writing after taking the oath to be truthful.

    But the police have also decided to re-invite Otedola and the Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, Drugs and Narcotics, Mr. Adam Jagaba, who Lawan claimed to have given the $600,000 bribe for transmission to the anti-graft agency, EFCC.

    It was learnt that the police may probe Jagaba’s medical records as part of their search for the bribe cash.

    Lawan and Emenalo reported at the FCID as part of their bail bond, but the situation took a new turn as the police placed them on additional investigation.

    It was learnt that the two suspects were told that they had to go through another round of additional investigation at the prompting of the government prosecutor.

    A source said: “When the two suspects (Lawan and Emenalo) reported at the FCID, they were served questions by the CP. But Lawan queried why the police will subject them to investigation after recommending them for trial.

    “Lawan alleged that since the police had made up their mind that they had a case to answer, they should just go ahead with their arraignment in court.

    “But the CP took time to explain that the additional investigation was at the prompting of the government prosecutor.”

    The source quoted Lawan as saying: “Let us take the questions home to study, we will come and make statements on oath or under caution later.”

    According to the source, “Lawan and Emenalo were served with the questions and directed to report on Thursday for interrogation and writing of statements under caution.”

    Responding to a question, the source said: “Certainly, we will re-invite Otedola and Jagaba.

    “Jagaba’s case is peculiar because Lawan said he met him at about 3.47am and handed over $500,000 out of the $620,000 to him. But Jagaba said he could not have met Lawan at 3am because of his health challenge as a result of which he sleeps by 10pm.

    “Now, the police will probe the medical records and his medication to ascertain whether he has a life-threatening ailment as claimed.

    “The real challenge is locating the whereabouts of the $620,000.”

    The prosecutor, Chief Adegboyega (SAN), has written the police on what he is expecting on fresh angles to the case.

    He, specifically, asked the Police to obtain a statement from the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, as a follow-up to his letter on how Lawan approached him and ignored his advice for a sting operation by the anti-graft agency.

    The prosecution team’s demands are as follows: “Police to obtain statement from each and every member of the House Ad Hoc Committee. They should make statement of their knowledge of the transactions and communication between Otedola and Farouk with regard to the $3m and if they have knowledge of wether $120,000 was given to the Secretary. When did they become aware?

    “Whether they were a part of the House leadership meeting that made the Resolution not to display the money. Who brought the money and where was it as at 6th of June, and who took custody of it thereafter?

    “The members will also say whether they were aware of reports to Jagaba and EFCC and if they were aware, when and how they became aware.

    “Police to investigate the security guards at Jagaba’s house, especially the security man on duty on the 24th April 2012 (if there was any).

    “Police to confirm medically and scientifically the ‘life time medication’ of Jagaba, the source, the duration of such medication. Check the correctness of the claim – Jagaba should not be believed without cross checking.

    “Where is the $600,000 or $620,000? It must be established. Note the meeting of House Leadership, i.e. Deputy Speaker, Hon Bashiru Adamu and Hon Adams Jagaba – statement of each of them (Lawan’s statement of 14/06/2012).

    “Confirm whether the House Leadership knew of the money with Jagaba as at 29th May. Confirm the serial number of the $100 bills obtained from Emenalo’s house. Whether it accords with that issued by SSS.

    “Whether the $10,000 recovered from Lawan has the same serial numbers of the US dollar bills as those issued by the SSS to Mr. Femi Otedola.

    “To obtain statements from the SSS operatives who conducted the sting operation. A statement should be obtained from Mr. Lamorde – in line with his letter of 4th July 2012. His letter is not a statement admissible in a court of law).

    “To obtain CTC of the following documents: Hansard of the House sitting of 8th January 2012 (there should be terms of reference). Rules and procedure of the committee; The Hansard of the proceedings of the 18th and 24th April, 2012; The PPPRA subsidy scam from Mr. Femi Otedola; The letter of Mr. Otedola to SSS, dated 18th April, 2012; The register/serial number, copy of the SSS of $620,000 bills.”