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  • Buhari’s aide to APC members: Don’t undermine Tinubu’s reconciliatory assignment

    Buhari’s aide to APC members: Don’t undermine Tinubu’s reconciliatory assignment

    An aide to President Muhammadu Buhari has advised members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to seize the opportunity of the reconciliation efforts by the National Leader of the party as assigned to him by the President.

    Abdulrahman Sumaila, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), who emphasized that he was not speaking for the Presidency but as a founding member of the party said the advice became necessary if the party is aiming to retain power with the election year fast approaching.

    Sumaila, in a press conference on Tuesday at the National Assembly said it was most important for the party to avoid the pitfalls that led to the ouster of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with the 2015 general election.

    Ahead of the party’s national convention, he warned against imposition of delegates.

    Read Also: Daura youth groups visit Buhari

    He said: “First, I welcome the development and commend the courage of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the love he has for Nigeria. He has sacrificed a lot for the party during formation, pre and post-elections period.

    “Therefore, I believe he is the best person to handle the assignment of reconciling aggrieved members of the party.

    “The most important thing is for the members of the party to embrace this golden opportunity and join hands for proper reconciliation to take place.

    “I urge members of the party to stop compounding issues and creating unnecessary atmosphere that may undermine the reconciliation process and make it difficult to achieve the desired results.

    “We should remember what Nigerians did to us by rejecting the then ruling party, which ruled for 16 years and voting out a sitting president.

    “We should also remember the promise we made to Nigerians during the formative stage and electioneering campaigns of our party.

    “The only way to appreciate what God did to us is to respect the tenets of democracy. As a founding member of the party who served in various organs of the party, I want to remind us that 2019 is very close and Nigerians are watching all our actions and inactions. We should tell ourselves the truth and desist from sycophancy.

    “The success of our party and the government depends on how the stakeholders work together for the common interest of Nigerians and for better Nigeria. We must fight impunity and sycophancy.

    “Ahead of our congresses, national convention and party primaries, we must make sure that we put a process that will make it transparent and participatory.

    “We need to avoid whatever that will lead to imposition of candidates both in the delegates selection and the party primaries”.

  • Court jails man for stealing cable wire

    Court jails man for stealing cable wire

    An Oredo Magistrate court has sentenced one Tochukwu Nwachukwu to two years imprisonment for stealing a cable wire and a Tiger Generator both valued at N168,000.

    Tochukwu was jailed after he pleaded guilty to all the four count charges preferred against him.

    He was said to have committed the offense on February 1st at number 42 Wire Road in Benin City.

    Read Also: Court adjourns trial of Justice Yunusa till March 9

    His co-accused, Emmanuel Felix and Samson Simeon how pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded to prison custody.

    Police Prosecutor, Inspector Patrick Agbonifo, told the court that the offenses contravened sections 413, 390(9) and 451 of the Criminal Code Cap 48 Vol II Laws of the defunct Bendel State now applicable in Edo State.

    Presiding Magistrate, F.E Akhere, slammed two years jail term on Tochukwu or an option of N40,000 fine.

     

     

  • NULGE endorses Ayade for 2019

    NULGE endorses Ayade for 2019

     

    The national leadership of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) on Tuesday endorsed Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade, to continue in 2019.

    National President, Ibrahim Khaleel, who led the leadership of the union in the South-South as well as members across the 18 local government areas of the state to the premises of Government House in Calabar, said for NULGE as a vibrant trade union to fraternize with the governor, it showed he was genuinely in demand.

    While expressing gratitude to the Governor for the prompt payment of salaries among other things, he conferred the highest award of the union, an award of excellent performance in governance, to Ayade.

    “You have to run again in 2019. If you refuse, we would come back in thousands as a trade Union and demonstrate our anger at why you want to cut this happiness from us,” Khaleel said.

    Responding, Ayade said 2019 was settled because normally Labour antagonizes government but the reverse was the case in Cross River State.

    He said he identified with the union and would leave the state better than he met it.

    Read Also: Ayade donates N80m to CAN, Muslim community

    Ayade promised set aside N500 million for any member of NULGE who wants to venture to any of the value chains of agriculture to get interest free soft loans.

    Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Dr Peter Adigeb, said when he punishes civil servants for not supporting the governor, people would criticize him.

    According to him, as civil servants they must follow the government of the day.

    Most of the local government workers who spoke with our reporter on the condition of anonymity said they were intimidated 11to come out and for the endorsement.

    “They warned us that if we didn’t come out today for this endorsement, there would be trouble for us,” one of them said.

     

  • IPOB: Court to try Kanu separately

    IPOB: Court to try Kanu separately

    Fixes Feb 28 for Abaribe, others to account for IPOB leader’s whereabouts

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has agreed to a separate trial for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

    Justice Binta Nyako granted an application by the prosecution on Tuesday and ordered that Kanu’s trial be separated from those of his co-defendants.

    Kanu was in 2015 charged before the court with three others on treasonable felony charges.

    The others are the National Coordinator of IPOB, Chidiebere Onwudiwe; an IPOB member, Benjamin Madubugwu; and a former Field Maintenance Engineer seconded to the telecommunication company, MTN, David Nwawuisi.

    The court, in a ruling on April 25, 2017,  granted bail to Kanu, but rejected others’ bail application.

    Kanu has ceased to attend court, with his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor claiming he (Kanu) has been since some soldiers invaded his home in September last year.

    On Tuesday, his co-defendants (who are in prison custody) were brought to court, Kanu was absent.

    The development prompted the prosecution lawyer, Shuaibu Labaran to apply that the trial be separated to prevent further delay.

    Labaran noted that Kanu’s continued absence from court since he was granted bail in April 2017 has frustrated progress in the case

    He said: “In the circumstance, the prosecution shall be asking for the indulgence of your lordship to separate the trial so that progress can be made in this matter.”

    Lawyers to the defendants did not object to Labaran’s application, following which the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako granted it.

    Justice Nyako agreed with the prosecution that there was the need to separate Kanu’s trial from the others in order “to meet the justice of the case”.

    Read Also: IPOB: No evidence Kanu is in Army’s custody — Court

    She said: “I hereby separate the trial of the first defendant from the rest of the defendants.”

    The judge also directed the prosecution to ensure that the charges were amended and served on the defendants before the next trial date.

    Upon complaint from Chukwudi Igwe, lawyer to another IPOB member, whose name has been added as defendant in an amended charge,  Bright Chimezie, Justice Nyako directed the prosecution to act on his case.

    Igwe had complained that the State Security Service was holding his client despite an order by a Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, directing that he be released.

    He said, if by the next trial date the prosecution failed to reflect his client’s name in the fresh amendment to the charge, he would apply that the charge be struck out against Chimezie.

    The judge subsequently adjourned to March 20 for further proceedings

    Justice Nyako however adjourned to February 28 ( at noon) for Kanu’s three sureties, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, to either produce the IPOB leader in court or show cause why each of them should not forfeit his N100m bail bond.

    The court had at the last proceedings on December 5, 2017, adjourned to yesterday for the sureties to explain why Kanu suddenly stopped attending court and account for his whereabouts.

    Abaribe has filed two application. One is asking the court to discharge him as surety to Kanu, while the other wants the court to inspect Kanu’s house in Abia State, where he was said to have been last seen.

  • Masari cautions against violent demonstrations in Katsina

    Masari cautions against violent demonstrations in Katsina

    Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State has advised residents of the state to desist from using violent demonstrations to show resentment to government’s decisions or policies.

    Masari gave the advice in Katsina on Tuesday when a group in the state, Gwagware Foundation endorsed him and President Muhammdu Buhari for second terms in office.

    The governor was reacting to the demonstration in Batsari Local Government Area over nomination of a candidate as caretaker committee chairman.

    “We are human beings who can make mistakes. I want to advise people to desist from violent protest.

    Read Also: Katsina elders to reply Obasanjo, says 

    “If we do something, people have the right to react but that should be done in accordance with the provisions of the law,” he said.

    He also warned against bonfires on roads as well as use weapon to protest against such decisions.

    The governor urged them to seek for explanation through dialogue as government had reasons for adopting any policy or decision.

    Masari disclosed that the government would construct a public square to allow people assemble and vent their views.

    NAN

  • Court adjourns trial of Justice Yunusa till March 9

    Court adjourns trial of Justice Yunusa till March 9

    The Ikeja Special Offences Court on Tuesday adjourned the trial of a Federal High Court judge, Mohammed Yunusa, charged with corruption, until March 9.

    The court took the decision following a request by the defence for an adjournment to reply an affidavit by the prosecution.

    Yunusa’s lawyer, Mr Robert Clarke (SAN), had asked the court for an adjournment to respond to a counter-affidavit filed by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ).

    Clarke in his submission said “The prosecution yesterday (Monday) served us with a so- called counter-affidavit and written address, we have not had the opportunity to respond.

    “On the face of what was served on us, we do not see the necessity for a counter-affidavit since we did not file an affidavit.

    “In the circumstance, we need time to give a reply to close all facts before Your lordship.

    “We seek to ask for an adjournment which has been foisted on us by the prosecution in order to close all facts placed before us by the prosecution.”

    Mr John Odubela (SAN), defence counsel for Esther Agbo, Yunusa’s co-defendant, agreed with Clarke’s request for an adjournment.

    “We have filed a notice of preliminary objection dated Feb. 13 and we served on the prosecution on Feb. 14 and the prosecution served us a response yesterday at 5.08p.m.

    “We were able to file our reply on points of law this morning; though we are ready, it is still subject to the first defendant’s preliminary objection.

    “We do not have an objection to the adjournment because out of the five-count charge the first defendant has four-counts,” he said.

    Mr Wahab Shittu, the EFCC counsel, however, objected to the requests by the defence, noting that the anti-graft agency was ready to proceed with the trial.

    “Your lordship adjourned till today for hearing as arraignment has been done and in adjourning Your lordship made specific orders for both the prosecution and defence to do.

    “We have filed all our processes as ordered by your lordship and there are two witnesses in court which are ready to proceed.

    “We have also filed all the necessary documents to ensure that this trial goes on its merits,” Shittu said.

    Acceding to the defence counsel’s requests, Justice Sherifat Solebo said:  “This case is adjourned till March 9 at 9.30a.m. to take all the arguments on the two pending preliminary objections.”

    Earlier, Shittu had in an application dated Feb. 9, sought for the change of EFCC prosecuting counsel from Mr A.B.C Ozioko to himself.

    The defence in an objection, noted that the application did not have a counsel’s seal which was not in accordance with the Legal Practitioners Rules of Professional Conduct.

    Shittu, however, told the court that the payment for the seal had been done on May 24, 2017 but the necessary seal had yet to be issued by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

    Solebo then ruled in favour of EFCC.

    “It is unfair to visit the sin of the NBA on the counsel,” she said.

    EFCC had arraigned Yunusa, a judge of Lagos Division of Federal High Court, alongside Esther Agbo, a staff member of  the law chambers of Mr Rickey Tarfa (SAN), on Jan. 17.

    Yunusa was charged on four counts of attempted perversion of the course of justice and corruption by a public official, while Agbo was charged with offering gratification to a public official.

    They, however, denied the charges.

    According  to Mr A.B.C Ozioko, the then EFCC prosecutor, Yunusa had constant and confidential communications with Tarfa, who was handling three lawsuits marked FHC/L/CS/714/2015, FHC/L/CS/715/2015 and FHC/L/CS/716/2015 before him.

    The prosecution alleged that Yunusa collected N1.5 million bribe from Tarfa for the purpose of giving favourable rulings and judgments in the cases.

    The judge is also being accused of receiving N750, 000 from Mr Joseph Nwobike (SAN), between March 2015 and September, 2015, to get “favourable” judgment  in cases.

    The EFCC alleged that Agbo, the second defendant who is an employee of Rickey Tarfa and Co., on May 14, 2015 paid the N1.5 million allegedly from Tarfa into Yunusa’s UBA account number 1005055617.

    The prosecutor said the offences violated Sections 64(1)(a) and 97(3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    NAN

  • FCT Women’s League begins May

    FCT Women’s League begins May

    Victoria Nlemigbo, Chairperson, FCT Football Association Women Development Committee, says the second edition of the FCT Women’s Football League will commence in May.

    Nlemigbo told the Newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday that the association would leverage on the successes of the 2017 Principle Cup to showcase a better outing for 2018.

    “2017 was the inaugural season and we did the league for all comers just to get it off and running.

    “But in 2018, the theme for women Football Development Committee is: “Unearthen the Talent Hidden in the Grassroots’’.

    Read Also: NDLEA to tackle use of prohibited substances by youths in FCT

    “What that means is the FCT Women League will be purely for grassroots football development for secondary school age girls only.

    “We are already working, we are already going round on advocacy programmes, sensitising the schools and also leveraging on the 2017 Principle’s Cup, where 20 women schools participated.

    “We are already preparing; so, we are looking at starting the league around April or May.

    “We are very excited and looking forward because we are working toward an exciting and successful second season of the FCT Women’s league,’’ she said.

    Nlemigbo told Newsmen that the second edition of the league would feature 10 teams as against seven teams featured in the 2017 edition.

    NAN

     

     

  • APC Cross River chapter chairmanship election holds Saturday

    APC Cross River chapter chairmanship election holds Saturday

    The National Working Committee (NWC) of All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday announced that chairmanship election for its Cross River chapter would hold on Saturday.

    Deputy National Secretary of the party, Mr Victor Giedan, announced this while speaking with newsmen at the party`s National Secretariat, in Abuja.

    He said that the decision for the poll was taken at a meeting of NWC and the party`s Cross River stakeholders, adding that democracy must be allowed to prevail in the party’s chapter in the state.

    Giedan said, the meeting was to get the buy-in of stakeholders to elect a new executive for the state.

    He assured, the party`s leadership would provide a level-playing ground for all aspirants and ensure that the exercise was conducted in a peaceful environment.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Kaduna factional APC secretariat demolished

    He also said that the new chairman that would be elected for the state chapter must come from the same zone with the suspended one.

    Former chairman of the party in the state, Mr John Ochalla, was suspended amid lingering crisis in the chapter.

    The ugly situation led to forceful occupation of the party’s secretariat in Calabar by some members, who allegedly broke into the building and vandalised.

    The “aggrieved’’ members claimed that there was a change in the leadership of the executive committee of the party in the state.

    National Publicity Secretary of the party, Malam Bolaji Abudullahi, had while reacting to the development said that the perpetrators of the act would be investigated and prosecuted.

    He had condemned the development as “gross indiscipline’’, which had caused undue disaffection among party faithful in the state.

    NAN

  • ‘Anambra records 37 fire incidents in two months’

    ‘Anambra records 37 fire incidents in two months’

    Anambra Fire Service recorded no fewer than 37 fire incidents between Jan. and Feb. 20, according to its Acting Director, Mr. Martin Agbili.

    Agbili made this known on Tuesday in Onitsha that the fire incidents were mostly caused by bush burning , a development he said extended to nearby buildings.

    “In January alone, we recorded 22 and so far, we have recorded 15 this February.

    “The agency is doing its best to improve services, in spite of some daunting challenges facing the organisation, which the state government has promised to tackle,” he said.

    Agbili said the record also include the recent fire incident that occurred on Feb. 18 at the Old Motor part, Nkpor which ravaged many trucks and vehicle parts, parked at the garage.

    “Twenty five vehicles were burnt as against 40 reported earlier in the media. Mostly affected were fibre parts of trucks parked at the garage of the market.”

    He also disclosed that the organisation had commenced sensitisation in churches, schools and market places on adoption of best fire safety measures to reduce fire incidents in the state.

    “We are also planning a synergy with the state Material Testing Laboratory, Fiscal Planning Board and the Awka Capital Development Authority, to involve the state fire service before buildings are finally approved.

    “Most of the buildings in the state and even in the country lack fire safety designs.

    ‘’We hope to synergise with these government institutions to ensure proper safety measures before buildings are approved.”

    Meanwhile, the Chairman, Old Motors Spare Parts Dealers Association, Nkpor, Mr Victor Elobi, has appealed to the state government to assist the victims  of fire incidents financially and provide the market with fire-fighting equipment.

    “We appeal to the state government,last year, to assist the market with fire trucks since most of what we deal on are coated with fuel and diesel,’’ Elobi said.

    He, however, said that the association was waiting for the granting of its request.

    One of the victims, Mr. Christian Onu, who said he lost 14 fibre truck containers to the inferno also appealed to the state government and well-meaning individuals to assist him and others to recover from the loss.

    NAN

  • NSCDC personnel allegedly shot vigilance team member in Bayelsa

    NSCDC personnel allegedly shot vigilance team member in Bayelsa

    A team of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC ) has allegedly shot a Neighborhood Watch member in Ikarama, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

    The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday.

    The NSCDC team had arrested a woman in place of her suspected husband and an argument with the local vigilance group led to the shooting.

    Mr Ben Warder,a youth leader in the area alleged that the victim, Perekurofa Odoyibo, was shot twice in the arm and leg by the Civil Defence men whom had taken custody of the lady when the husband was not available.

    “The local vigilance team noticed the NSCDC van at about 3 a.m. and was trying to find out why they had to take away a woman who has children, for an offence supposedly committed by her husband.

    “They shot one of the vigilance team members and sped off with the woman they had arrested.

    “They came from the oilfield in Ikarama operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company, and that is why the youths mobilised and blocked the road to the Okordia manifold.

    “So, this morning, the youths mobilised to protest the use of security men to molest oil communities, this is because we learnt that the arrest is linked to an oil spill incident,” the youth leader said.

    Our correspondent who visited the Ikarama oilfields reports that youths from the area had commenced a protest and barricaded the access road to the manifold chanting solidarity songs.

    The wife to the victim, Rebacca Odoyibo, regretted that her husband was shot and left in a pool of his own blood and had been in pains for hours.

    Odoyibo said that the incident had thrown his entire family and dependants into confusion.

    However, Mr Orukari Udoji, whose wife, Deborah, was taken away by the NSCDC personnel, told NAN that he was out in the forests for his timber lumbering work when they stormed his residence and took away his wife.

    “I am at a loss as to what to do because I do not even have an idea of where they took her to, and as we speak I don’t even have money to pay transport to go and search for her.

    “Everybody in this community knows that I do timber work and at the time they came I was in the bush working and they claimed that there was an oil spill in the bush near where I felled some timber,” he said.

    Mr Godwin Nwachukwu, Bayelsa Commandant of the NSCDC, told NAN on telephone that he had received a report of the incident and immediately assigned his men to find out ‘what exactly happened’.

    “As we speak, the matter is being investigated, the preliminary investigation will guide us on the next step to take,” Nwachukwu said.

    NAN