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Tag: President Muhammadu Buhari

  • Buhari to electorate: Don’t get tired of voting

    President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerians not to get tired of voting in today’s supplementary elections.

    The polls, according to him “are no less important than others before them,” he said yesterday ahead of the makeup elections.

    President Buhari, who thanked voters for re-electing him for a second term in office, said he would never forget their sacrifices in defying harsh weather conditions to vote for him.

    ”I was deeply overwhelmed by your show of incredible confidence in me, and I will never let you down. Thank you for your sincere show of support for me,” his  Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, quote him as saying, in a statement yesterday.

    Buhari, therefore, appealed to voters to come out en masse and participate in the supplementary elections in  17 states.

    He asked  voters to vote for the candidates they believe will deliver on promises because it is their “constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights.”

    Buhari also dismissed rumours and insinuations that he was forcing voters to elect candidates other than those they preferred.

    Describing the rumours as baseless, the President said at no time did he give instructions that the electorate should vote particular candidates.

    ”I believe in the will of the people, and I cannot, therefore, put pressure on voters to elect leaders they don’t like,” he said.

    President Buhari also called on INEC and security agencies to ensure that the supplementary elections are conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law and constitution.

    The President assured Nigerians that he is ready to work with elected representatives of the people regardless of party platforms on which they are elected.

    President Buhari said he will work in the best interest of the country and democracy.

  • Buhari inaugurates panel on autonomy of state legislature, judiciary

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday inaugurated the Presidential Implementation Committee on Autonomy of the State Legislature and State Judiciary at the State House, Abuja.

    The inauguration of the committee, according to the President, was in line with the 4th alteration to the 1999 Constitution.

    The President disclosed that the 16-man committee is to be chaired by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, while the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, will serve as Secretary.

    The President urged the committee to be meticulous and diligent in carrying out the assignment.

    The implementation of the committee’s assignment, the President said, will ensure proper checks and balances.

    He gave the committee three months to complete the assignment.

    He said: “The setting up of this Committee is necessitated by the realization that legislative and judicial autonomy are necessary pre-conditions for our democracy to endure.

    “We are committed to strengthening our democracy by ensuring separation of powers among the three arms of Nigerian government, even at the state levels.

    “Furthermore, we have identified the need to sustain our constitutionally guaranteed federal system of government by building capabilities, not only at the federal level, but at all the federating units.

    “This committee has therefore been set up as a major reform of this administration, to ensure that the autonomy granted to the legislature and judiciary at state levels is maintained, pursuant to Section 161 of the 4th Alteration to the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).

    “The Committee is thus expected to foster effective implementation of the autonomy constitutionally granted the state legislature and judiciary under the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    “It is my hope that when this is done, there will be proper checks and balances, and the state legislature and judiciary shall be genuinely empowered to carry out their respective Constitutional duties without fear of dominance and or marginalization.

    “The Legislature, being the closest arm of government to the people, and the Judiciary as the last hope of the common man, must both be seen to be sufficiently independent to perform their respective constitutional roles without any interference, let or hindrance.

    “In this regard, ensuring that these organs of government enjoy financial autonomy will further enhance their efficiency and independence.”

    In executing the national assignment, he said that the Committee is expected to cooperate with all relevant stakeholders to ensure compliance with the constitutional provisions granting autonomy to state legislature and judiciary, without deviating from its approved terms of reference.

    The terms of reference, he said, included:

    “a) To assess and review the level of compliance by all the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT with Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended);

    “b) To monitor, ensure and cause the implementation of financial autonomy across the judiciary and legislature of the 36 states of the federation and the FCT in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) and other applicable Laws, Instruments, Regulations, and Conventions howsoever providing for financial autonomy for the Legislature and Judiciary at the State tier of Government;

    “c) To consult and relate with the appropriate Federal and State MDAs, including but not limited to the Governors Forum, Accountant General of the Federation and those of the States, the National Economic Council and other institutions of State to ensure and, where necessary, enforce the implementation of Constitutional provisions;

    “d) To come up with appropriate modalities or model to be adopted by all the States of the Federation for implementation and/or compliance with Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended);

    “e) To advise on other measures that are deemed necessary or incidental to the fulfilment of the aims of the Committee to attain the full purport of this assignment.”

  • Buhari signs Engineers Amendment Act into law 

    President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to the Engineers (Registration etc) Amendment Act, 2019.

    The principal Act establishes the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria – COREN with power vested.

    According to the Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, the new amendment has broadened the powers of COREN with far-reaching powers of prosecution of infractions, regulating industrial training of engineers, capacity building of local content in Nigerian engineering industry.

    Specifically, he said: “The new law grants COREN powers of prosecuting any person or firm that contravenes the provisions of this Act in a court of   competent jurisdiction; regulating industrial training schemes of engineering practitioners and students; ensuring capacity building and monitoring local content development in the Nigerian engineering industry through– mandatory attachment of Nigerians to expatriate engineers on major projects to understudy them from inception.

    “(ii) Ensuring that all foreign engineering firms establish their design offices in Nigeria. (iii)    granting of compulsory attestation to all expatriate quota    for           engineering practitioners, including turnkey project, that there are no qualified and competent Nigerians for the job in question at the time of application and that granting of the expatriate quota shall be contingent on training of such number of persons as may be required for the execution of the job, and;

    “(iv) Ensuring that before being allowed to practice in Nigeria, such foreign              engineering practitioners granted work permit, register with the council and obtain such licenses as may be required from time to time; (h) investigating engineering failures.’’

    He said that the new Act further admits into the council (COREN) the following: “Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering, Nigerian Society of Engineering Technicians and Nigerian Association of Engineering Craftsmen, and One person each appointed to represent the Association for Consulting Engineering in Nigeria, Federation of Construction Industry in Nigeria Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, and Armed Forces in rotation.’’

    The council, he said, is now entitled to maintain a fund into which shall be paid money appropriated by the National Assembly, subventions, fees, charges for services rendered or publications made, donations, engineering development levy, among others.

  • Buhari’s ministers in intense lobbying

    AS the first four-year term of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari winds to a close, members of his cabinet have commenced intense lobbying of critical stakeholders in a bid to retain their positions as ministers when the President reconstitutes his cabinet for his second term.

    Nobody should ask Sentry who the critical stakeholders are. All that Sentry can say is that people believed to have the ears of the President, those popularly referred to as members of the cabal, or those who are believed to have the ability to injure any current or potential appointee in the public space or behind closed doors, are daily being bombarded with requests to intercede.

    Not only are some of the ministers lobbying to remain, they are also pulling all the strings to ensure that they retain their juicy positions in the cabinet. With Buhari’s recent declaration that he would be taking tough decisions in the new dispensation and his claim that corrupt and incompetent people would not have a place in the new all-inclusive cabinet, most of the ministers are said to have become jittery as they fear that they might not have done enough to merit retaining their positions or portfolios.

    Sentry also gathered that unlike in 2015, the constitution of President Buhari’s cabinet this time around will be swift.

    Though some ministers, particularly those that President Buhari is believed to have a soft spot for, are said to be confident that they will retain their places in the new cabinet, they are nonetheless “reaching out.” Trust this column to ‘disclose everything disclosable’ as the lobbying gets intense in the weeks ahead.

  • Buhari to voters: Keep up enthusiasm during supplementary elections

    President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerians to come out en masse and participate in the supplementary elections scheduled for 17 states on Saturday, March 23, 2019.

    President Buhari, who thanked voters for re-electing him for a second term in office, said he would never forget their sacrifices in defying harsh weather conditions to vote for him.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said: ‘‘I was deeply overwhelmed by your show of incredible confidence in me, and I will never let you down. Thank you for your sincere show of support for me.’’

    President Buhari, however, appealed to voters not to get tired of coming out to vote in the supplementary elections, adding ‘‘these elections are no less important than others before them.’’

    Read also: Judgment: Wild jubilation in Adeleke’s home town in Osun

    He appealed to voters to vote for the candidates they believe will deliver on promises because it is their “constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights.’’

    Buhari also dismissed rumours and insinuations that he was forcing voters to elect candidates other than those they preferred.

    Describing the rumours as baseless, the President said at no time did he give instructions that the electorate should vote particular candidates.

    ‘‘I believe in the will of the people, and I cannot, therefore, put pressure on voters to elect leaders they don’t like,’’ the President said emphatically.

    President Buhari also called on INEC and security agencies to ensure that the supplementary elections are conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law and constitution.

    The President assured Nigerians that he is ready to work with elected representatives of the people regardless of party platforms on which they are elected.

    President Buhari said he will work in the best interest of the country and democracy.

  • Attah: Import of Buhari’s victory for Nigeria

    FORMER Governor Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom State has described the 2019 general elections and the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari as the triumph of the will of the common man and a death knell for the three power blocs that have constantly exerted their manipulative influence on the country.

    This, he added, would provide the opportunity for the President to set the stage for the much-talked about restructuring.

    Obong Attah, who spoke at a press conference in Lagos yesterday, said Buhari’s second term would bring to an end the influence of the two major parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as well as that of retired military officers that have been directing the political game from behind the scene.

    The former governor said Nigerians would not have been able to withstand the arrogance and the orgy of excesses that the PDP would unleash on the country, if its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had won the election. He said it took Atiku’s candidature in 2019 to galvanise the party to give Buhari a run for his money and that with the former vice president not likely to run in 2023, the party’s fortune is going to change for the worse.

    For the APC, Attah said it is President Buhari that has been holding the party together and that in the no distant future Nigerians are going to be singing its dirge. He said in the last four years nobody can say that the President was a truly party man in the conventional sense and that in his second term “it is my conviction that he is going to pay even less attention to the party”.

    He added: “There was yet a third group – the military block. They did not hide their support for Atiku and the PDP. They openly showed their hand and have been spanked. Their influence therefore is bound to wane. It is my prediction that from now on we are going to witness less and less of those pilgrimages to Abeokuta and Minna.  With this loss of influence, it is also safe to say that the military oligarchy is dead.

    “These were the three power blocks that constantly exerted their manipulative wiles on the country. If they did not approve of you, be as wise as Solomon, as brave as David, as strong as Sampson, you will not get anywhere and that is what has kept Nigeria down. The system has never allowed us to put forward our most capable.

    “Buhari’s victory is the death knell to these power blocks. It has started the process of dismembering these menacing Behemoths, pulling out their fangs, blunting the ir claws and neutralising their sting. Buhari’s victory has returned power to the common man. Positions negotiated in Abuja and Lagos over the heads of the people can no longer be guaranteed. His victory has therefore given Nigeria a long- delayed but much needed opportunity for a new life; an opportunity to chart a new course. That is why for me his victory represents not only the triumph of the common man, but indeed also a great blessing for Nigeria.”

    With this state of affairs, Attah said an opportunity has now been created for fresh hands to take over the leadership of the country. He said: “Nigeria can now look forward to a new birth. The phoenix can now rise out of the ashes and attain its destined glory.

    “If Atiku had won, it is possible that he would have atikulated this country to the next level – to borrow from the slogan of both parties. But I also had the fear that if Atiku wins and the PDP gets back in the saddle, this country would be plunged into an orgy of intolerable excesses.”

    The elder statesman said now that Buhari has won, he must take steps to put a stop to all agitations to split up the country, by restructuring the polity. He said: “He must see to it that we re-enact and reinstate the terms and conditions of the agreement that caused all the various peoples of this country, at independence, to agree to come together and form one country – federalism. Anything short of this is to court a disaster of unimaginable magnitude. The popular word today that describes this is restructuring. My prediction is that unless this is done, by the end of his tenure in the next four years, there may not be a country called Nigeria as we know it today.”

    Attah was categorical that there would be no Nigeria without restructuring. He added: “What is going to happen is that agitation for break up is going to get more violent, more virulent and the country will scatter. Certainly, Buhari would not allow that to happen.”

    The former governor said the entire process of restructuring may not happen within the next four years, because it would a lot of negotiation to arrive at an agreement. He added: “It would be like the quest for independence, some said we were ready, while others insisted we were not ready. But we must agree that restructuring is something we can do, so that there will be a Nigeria.”

    Attah said an effort was made before the general elections to convince President Buhari that it had become absolutely necessary to restructure the country. He said as interim chairman of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), he led a delegation that presented a 16-point agenda to the President, which centred on the Niger Delta and restructuring at the national level.

    Nevertheless, he admitted that the group committed a blunder by identifying itself with a candidate. He said: “We made the same mistake that the military bloc made; we identified ourselves with a candidate. So, we were seen as a party, even though we are not a political party. We would have been in a better position if we had asked each of the candidates to restructure after they win the election.”

    Secondly, former Governor Attah said the Buhari-led administration must work relentlessly to see that in the shortest possible time every hamlet, every corner of the country enjoys 24 hours constant supply of electric power. He added: “In today’s world, it is not a luxury but an absolute necessity.”

    He also urged the President to forge ahead with his fight against corruption. His words: “The fact still remains that if we do not kill corruption, corruption will kill us. This time the fight must be total and unsparing.”

    The elder statesman urged President Buhari to put a stop to all the killings, “whether by herdsmen, Libyan mercenaries, marauders, cattle rustlers or whoever”. Attah also wants Buhari to facilitate the release of the abducted Dapchi school girl, Leah Sharibu, and totally annihilate Boko Haram.

     

  • Buhari lists transparency, inclusiveness as policy thrust in next four years

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday gave an insight into what will shape his administration in next dispensation.

    He told Nigerians that his government will pursue inclusive and transparent policies to guarantee security and economic safety of all.

    The President, who received a delegation of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by Mr. Chris Isiguzo at the State House, said: “As I look to the next four years, I will remain committed to a safe and secure nation; creating an inclusive and diversified economy; and a governance system that is free of corrupt practices.   In all these areas, we will remain transparent in implementing our policies.’’

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the President told the visiting NUJ leadership to rally their members in devising a means to control the spread of false information.

    According to him, those who “create alternative reality’’ on social media are steadily eroding the credibility of journalism.

    The statement reads: “Your profession today is undergoing a fundamental shift. For better or worse, the digital space is now becoming the major outlet for ‘news’. This space is difficult to regulate and police. In many instances, the participants in this medium are not trained or professional journalists.

    “The stories they present are neither factual nor true. However, through the digital platform, they are able to reach millions and create an alternate reality in their minds. I am sure you will all agree that the biggest threat to the sustainability and credibility of your profession is the uncontrolled and unregulated news platforms operating in the cyber space.’’

    The President noted that some misleading information in the social media were created and posted by people who lived outside the country.

    ”Many of the perpetrators of these acts do not even live within our shores. However, they have been able to damage the reputation of hard working Nigerian journalists while at the same time promoting conflict and divisions within our society,’’ the statement added.

    President Buhari commended journalists for the effective coverage of the 2019 elections, pointing out that many, out of patriotism, went beyond their call of duty and took risks to ensure full and balanced reporting of the election, assuring the NUJ that security agencies will do their best to protect reporters, especially in hostile environments.

    Isiguzo congratulated the President on winning the 2019 Presidential Elections, attributing the victory to his integrity and commitment to the development of the nation.

    The NUJ leader said the union was concerned by the growing number of media casualties in Nigeria, and across the continent, in carrying out their duties, urging Federal and State governments to take effective measures in protecting journalists.

    He said: “Sir, we also wish to encourage your administration to evolve better ways of impacting positively on the lives of Nigerians who feel marginalised from the mainstream of Nigeria’s social, economic and political activities.”

    In a chat with State House reporters, Isiguzo said: “Basically, we have come to congratulate the president on his re-election as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and of course, to also make it clear to him that to whom so much is given, much more is also expected from him.

    “He’s gone through the first-four years; by May 29, he will be through with that and he’s been given yet another mandate to lead Nigeria for another four years and we also made it clear to him that some of the major challenges that we have had in the past four years, this is an opportunity for him to correct them especially when it comes to the area of inclusiveness, carrying everybody along.”

     

  • Census: Buhari to decide on date, says NPC boss 

    The Acting Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Alh. Hassan Bashir on Thursday said the commission is pushing hard to get the consent of President Muhammadu Buhari to conduct the next population census.

    Briefing newsmen on the commencement of the fieldwork for the continuation of the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise which precedes any population census, Bashir said: “we are waiting for the confirmation and proclamation from President Muhammadu Buhari before we know the date for the next census.

    “Until there is a proper planning, the nation will not be able to plan effectively. We are proud to say that Mr. President is doing very well in the provision of infrastructure. We are convinced that he will continue to provide infrastructure for the commission.”

    Census, the NPS boss said will serve as a guide in identifying human elements that can be exploited for development process and formation of people responsive welfare Programme.

    He maintained that the EAD was the bedrock of the census and formed the basis for the planning and execution of the census project.

    He explained that the EAD exercise involve the division of the country into small geographical areas to facilitate enumeration and scientifically verify doubts and contentions.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the EAD exercise is not the enumeration of persons living in the country and its outcome will not in any way determine the population of any community, local government or state,” he said.

    He emphasized the need for the training the trainers exercise saying, “The quality of the personnel for the EAD has great impact on the outcome.”

    Bashir said the commission was not leaving any stone unturned in order to ensure that the EAD was carried out meticulously, professionally and scientifically.

    NPC is still maintaining that to conduct the proposed population census, over N220 billion will be required due to logistics.

    It would be recalled that the former NPC boss told newsmen about two years back that about N220 billion will be needed to conduct the next census.

    About N22.5 billion according to findings will also be needed to carry out the demarcation of 112 EAD across the country.

    The EAD started on Thursday, March 21, according to Bashir and ends on April 13, 2019 across 23 states of the federation.

    Bashir went further that: “It is in recognition of this fact that the Commission has adopted a meticulous and gradual approach to the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise. After each phase, a stock taking is done, the quality of job executed, as well as, the personnel involved in the fieldwork are reviewed. The Commission has so far demarcated 112 Local Government Areas in all the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory under the previous Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercises.

    “The Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) will be commencing today and will take place in one LGA in 18 States out of the 23 selected States of the Federation. The mairggjcgtateseharaely, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, Adamawa and Taraba are, due to 3663mm, stepped down till Saturday  30lh March, 2019.”

    On the budgetary provision for the proposed census, the NPC Director General, Dr. Ghaji Bello told newsmen that: “I agree with you that there is no provision for the Census in the 2019 budget. Normally, it is done within a wide service vote, which is directly under the presidency. When proclamation is made by President Muhammadu Buhar, we are hopeful, having put the elections behind us, we are of the view and we are pushing very hard that Mr. President will graciously look at the commission favorably so that we can have the next census because without the census there will be no planning.”

     

     

  • Industrialists to Buhari, others: use sector to drive growth

    Some industrialists have charged President Muhammadu  Buhari and the on coming governors to leverage on  the industrial sector to drive growth.

    Rising from a roundtable organised by polythene bag producers in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, they said the sector should be in the forefront of government plans to achieve rapid growth.

    According to them, addressing the declining fortunes of the sector was imperative to reposition the economy for improved productivity and competitiveness.

    One of the industrialists, Chief Gboyega Alebiosu, said as part of halting the decline of the industrial sector, it was important for the President and governors-elect to hit the ground running by ensuring constant electricity supply.

    Alebiosu said lack of steady and reliable electricity supply remained one of the biggest challenges hindering the growth of factories in the country; that the in-coming administration should prioritise the power sector in the next four years.

    The industrialist clarified that the purpose of the roundtable was not to criticise government, but to set a roadmap for it to address the myriad of challenges holding the industrial sector down in order to drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

    “We want to set a roadmap for the in-coming government; we don’t want a situation where government will come in and operate in a vacuum. They should have a document and position on how to drive the industrial sector of the economy,” Alebiosu explained.

    He said after the roundtable,  a comprehensive policy document would be presented to the government on how to drive industrial growth.

    Another industrialist, Mr. Samuel Olaoye, said to boost the manufacturing sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the next four years, the President and governors-elect should be committed to developing new industrial zones.

    He said the development of new industrial zones had become necessary in view of the fact that industries in Nigeria have had to face headwinds over the past few years, both globally and domestically.

    “In the short term, a range of industries, from building materials to fertilisers, are facing challenges. Nevertheless, the government needs to work on a number of measures to stimulate the sector and place it at the centre of the country’s economic recovery,” Olaoye said.

    He listed some of the measures to include strengthening the manufacturing sector by focusing on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) development, value-added industries and improved financing channels.

    “Governments must also improve the alignment between the skills of young graduates and the demands of the industrial workplace,” Olaoye said, urging the Federal and state governments to initiate programmes that will increase the nation’s overall economic growth.

    A lawyer, Mr. Kehinde Williams, said another critical area of focus to revive the industrial sector and spur growth was the promotion of special economic zones and industrial areas.

    He said there was a need for the in-coming government to review the law setting up the special economic zones to improve the tax and investment incentives offered to investors.

    “Free economic zones encourage international firms to enjoy strategic advantages. Nigeria must emulate other developing countries to provide and offer tax and Customs duty advantages that promote the development of export-oriented operations.

    “Nigeria’s industrial sector should take greater advantage of them to boost the economy,” Williams recommended.

  • Buhari’s reliance on God gave him victory, says ex-NYSC DG

    Ex-director general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Col Peter Obasa (retired) yesterday attributed President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in the recently concluded election to his reliance on God and his belief in his mission.

    The retired army officer added that “no doubts, he has won God’s favour. He battled through the turbulent period of the early years of his presidency, a period during which most Nigerians wrote him off.”

    Col Obasa made a passionate appeal to President Buhari to pay his gratuity and pension, 35 years after he was compulsorily retired by the military.

    The 81-year old retired military spoke with reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    The former NYSC boss who served between 1979 and 1984, said that he had received no letter of dismissal from the Army to have informed nonpayment of his entitlement.

    “I made my appeal to Mr. President, in the name of Almighty God, in the names of all that are holy, in the names of all that are good, true, and are just, to give me justice of the type that will attract the approval of God”, he said.

    The octogenarian, who presented a book, titled, House of Exile, during the press conference, chronicled his experiences in 1984, his prison accounts, the nation’s democracy, and judiciary.

    “The Federal Republic of Nigeria official gazette, No 56 of November 6, 1986, under Ministry of Defence, Nigerian Army officers, voluntary/compulsory and dismissal page 1340 declares that I was compulsorily retired from the army. Under that condition, I should be entitled to my gratuity and pension. The Army has denied me both.

    “They claim that I was dismissed. If that was the case,  a letter to that effect would have been served on me, and the army would have withdrawn my officer’s sword, ceremonial dress, mess jacket and service suit. I received no letter, and am still in possession of the items mentioned above.

    “Like President Buhari, I am favoured by God. I fought through the tumultuous and terrifying period of my trial and more than seven years in incarceration, and I am here by the special grace of God to ask for true justice. The world wrote me off, some claiming that I would not exit the jail house. How wrong they are. God Almighty fights for the innocent”, he said.

    Retired Colonel Obasa described his trial by the Supreme Military Council (SMC), headed by General Muhammadu Buhari, as illegalities of 1984, saying that the SMC promulgated decrees that had retroactive effect.

    Said he:  “The laws were backdated by three years. This is immoral and illegal. The God of creation made laws which he handed over to Moses. Those laws became effective from the time they were read to the Israelites.

    “The SMC took over the roles of the executive, legislative and judiciary, the accuser, the prosecutor and the judge. This is illegal. The Nigerian Bar Association condemned this and prohibited its members from appearing before the tribunals to defend accused persons.

    “The process of trial was gravely flawed.  Trials were in secret. The public was denied access to the tribunals and it was only when judgements were passed that the world became informed of the verdict.

    “All statements from suspects were extracted under duress. This is illegal

    “Accused persons were compelled long before trial began to sign away the contents of their accounts under duress by the same characters who came to testify at the tribunal that the accused willingly signed away everything. This is illegal.

    “Falsified documents (as exhibits) were brought into the tribunal by the Special Investigation Panel. This too is illegal.

    “Accused people were incarcerated in solitary confinement, denied access to their family and prevented from reaching anything that would enhance their defence. This is illegal.

    “They made it impossible for accused persons to explain clearly how they came about what they had. Everything went under the label of “kickback”. This is illegal.

    “False witnesses were press-ganged to testify against accused persons. This is illegal.

    “From the beginning to the end in my case, the truth was undermined and justice was perverted. This too is illegal”.