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Tag: removal

  • Southern Forum, Middle Belt leaders seek removal of INEC chair

    Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum yesterday called for the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), claiming that next year’s elections may not be free and fair.

    The group said “the bug of nepotism and sectionalism that this administration is renowned for has also eaten up the leadership of the commission.”

    Those at a news conference in Abuja on behalf the group are:  Chief Edwin Clark, representing the South-South, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, South-West, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, South-East, Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, Middle Belt and Air Commodore Nkanga Idongesit (South-South), among others.

    Ikanga, Chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum, (PANDF) who read the group’s position said retaining the service chiefs who ought to have retired and keeping Yakubu as INEC boss is suspicious.

    Ikanga flayed Minister of Defence Mansur Dan-Ali for suggesting that states that have enacted the anti-open grazing law to scrap it, describing it as an obnoxious directive.

    The Forum admonished the Federal Government to arrest the killer herdsmen instead of shielding them.

    The PANDEF leader said, “The shielding of Fulani killer-herdsmen remains the strongest flashpoint of invitation to chaos and anarchy in our country as people would not continue to fold their arms forever as they are being killed with government unwilling to lift a finger in their defence.

    Commenting on the police invitation to the Senate President,Bukola Saraki over the April 5 Offa bank robberies, the forum frowned on what it called the media trial of the senator, insisting that the police threw away professionalism by their conduct.

    “While we recognize and defend the right of the police to investigate crimes and interrogate anyone linked to such no matter their status, we are miffed at the conduct of the police throwing professionalism overboard by conducting media trial of the Senate President and a sitting governor without having proper investigation of the serious criminal allegations,” it stated.

    The group commended President Buhari for according June 12 its rightful place in history, adding that the gesture would truly count “when we begin to re-enact the true spirit of June 12 by holding free, fair and peaceful election as a norm and not accidental occurrence in our country.”

    The Forum demanded the release of Leah Sharibu from Boko haram custody

  • Residents seek removal of abandoned bulldozer from street

    Residents of Ajuwon in Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State have appealed to the government for the removal of a bulldozer abandoned in the entrance of Shoyebi close, since 2013.

    The Nation gathered that the bulldozer was abandoned, after a construction company completed the road project in the area since 2013.

    A resident, Pastor Babatunde Egbeyemi, said a letter had been written to the Community Development Association (CDA), which claimed that it was working on the issue.

    He lamented that residents and others could not access the close with their vehicles.

    “The Lagos state government constructed the road; they must call the contractor to order and get the bulldozer off the road,” he said.

    Another resident, Michael Amao, called on the construction company to remove the bulldozer.

    He explained that leaving the bulldozer is risky, noting that in case of emergency, no vehicle can come for rescue.

    “If there is fire in the close for example, no truck can gain access into the close because the bulldozer has blocked the entrance. There is just a little portion that we have to pass through the close. The space is narrow and there is a gutter by the side, which children can fall into.”

    Lamenting that leaving their vehicles on other streets was not safe, Amao said.

    “When we park our cars on other streets, we not only have to walk distance to our houses, we also park the cars at our own risk because they are not within our line of sight.”

    Emmanuel Ogeh said residents had been parking their vehicles on the road side in the past five years.

    “The bulldozer is obstructing us from driving into Shoyebi close; we have to always park our vehicles on other streets which are quite distance from us. The landlord association in the area has also told us that they are working on it but the road is still blocked. We want the government to act urgently and come to our rescue,” he said.

     

  • Fayemi canvasses removal of mining from exclusive list

    Fayemi canvasses removal of mining from exclusive list

    Minister of Mines and Steel Development Dr. Kayode Fayemi has canvassed an urgent review of the country’s laws to allow states play more prominent roles in mining issues as a necessary step in making the mineral and mining sector more profitable.

    Minister stated this in his keynote address at the fifth annual lecture of the School of Management Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), on Friday.

    Fayemi, in the lecture, titled: “Mineral resource management for national cohesion and progress”, said the present situation where state governments were not adequately involved in the administration of mineral titles despite bearing the brunt of impact of resource exploitation, grossly affect growth of the sector.

    He said the country needed to take a cue from her experience in the oil rich Niger Delta, where oil riches rather than cementing national cohesion, became a source of discord and a toxic bone of contention in the polity and where decades of oil exploitation have resulted in a legacy of ecological degradation, trans generational poverty and violence.

    “The critical difference between resource-rich performers and resource-rich underperformers is simply resource management. We must now end this grossly self-destructive culture of governmental, economic and political irresponsibility,” he said.

    Although the minister said the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has put in place some administrative measures to involve the states and ensure they take advantage of the resources in their domains, he maintained that a review of the laws giving the Federal Government exclusive rights over mining must be effected in order for states to play more prominent roles.

    Fayemi, however, assured that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has the political will and the preparedness to do what is necessary in this regard.

    The minister also said government needs to create about two million jobs annually in the next decade in order to effectively tackle the menace of unemployment among its teeming youths. He added that mining would help in in the realisation of this massive job creation through the ongoing reforms in the sector.

     

  • Fed Govt seeks removal of obstacles to loot recovery

    The Federal Government and other stakeholders have called for the removal of obstacles to the recovery of looted funds from foreign countries.

    They want those who facilitate illicit financial flows (IFF) to be held accountable, as well as an end to international tax evasion and trade mis-invoicing.

    Countries holding monies looted from Nigeria were also urged to simplify their legal procedures that make recovery difficult.

    These were part of the “Abuja Declaration on promoting international cooperation to combat IFF and  enhancing asset recovery (AR) to foster sustainable development” made at the end of a three-day conference held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.

    The Conference tagged ‘Abuja IFF/AR’ was organised by the Federal Government through the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), the ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs, in partnership with some development partners, such as the Government of the Kingdom of Norway.

    Participants included government officials, experts, lawyers, lawmakers, business executives drawn from Africa and other parts of the world, as well as members of the diplomatic corps, regional bodies, intergovernmental organisations, United Nations agencies, among others.

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo opened the conference; ministers of finance and foreign affairs Kemi Adeosun and Geoffrey Onyeama, as well as Attorney-General of the Federation Abubabar Malami (SAN) were among the speakers.

    Participants affirmed that international tax evasion is a significant element of illicit financial flows, including substantial sums of money lost through transfer mispricing by multinational companies.

    They underscored the need for collective effort to strengthen international cooperation and mutual assistance in addressing the challenges of transfer and trade mispricing.

    According to the declaration, there is the need for financial institutions to subject accounts held by certain persons to greater scrutiny and monitoring, including senior government officials, leaders of political parties, executives at state-owned enterprises and others with access to large amount of state assets and the power to direct them.

    Speakers called on countries to prevent, detect and deter in a more effective manner the international transfer of proceeds of crime and funds of illicit origin.

    They also called for enhancement of compliance by financial and designated non-financial institutions to identify, trace, seize, recover and return the proceeds of crime and funds of illicit origin, including enhanced due diligence on financial flows from identified high risk jurisdictions.

    Developed countries were urged to consider waiving or reducing to the barest minimum reasonable expenses deducted when recovering assets, particularly when the requesting state is a developing country.

    The declaration urged asset holders to bear in mind that the return of illicitly acquired funds contributes to inclusive growth and sustainable development.

    The declaration reads in part: “Participants reiterated the need for countries to ensure that there are adequate mechanisms in place to manage and preserve the value and condition of assets pending the conclusion of confiscation proceedings.

    “IFF when tracked should not remain in the custody of enabling financial institutions but should be transferred into escrow account, preferably in development banks pending return to countries of origin;

    “Participants also underscored that the non-repatriation of IFF from destination countries to source countries in a timely and collaborative manner is a denial of human rights as it deprives developing countries of resources required to progressively realise the right to development and implement social investment programmes aimed at alleviating poverty.”

  • Alleged removal plot: Fayose free to entertain himself, says Fayemi

    Alleged removal plot: Fayose free to entertain himself, says Fayemi

    •Governor’s aide: you are living in fool’s paradise

    Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has said his successor, Ayo Fayose, is running a comedy show following the allegation that he (Fayemi) is plotting to use the judiciary to unseat him.

    Fayemi, who is minister of Mines and Steel Development, said he was not prepared to respond to the antics of Fayose, saying he would not allow his personality to be dragged into the mud.

    The former governor spoke at the weekend in a chat with reporters in Ado-Ekiti when he visited the family of his late deputy, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, on her father’s death, Chief Festus Obafemi Famuagun.

    The minister was accompanied by his wife, Erelu Bisi, his former deputy, who has just been appointed chairman, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Dupe Adelabu, some All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains and aides.

    Fayose last week accused Fayemi of enlisting some Supreme Court judges in a plot to reverse the June 21, 2014 governorship election.

    Fayemi said he would not want to dignify Fayose with any reply, adding that he will  not stop the governor from entertaining the world with his comedy.

    He said: “I have told you severally that I won’t discuss the present Government of Ekiti State on any issue. And on this issue, I won’t dignify him with a response.

    “This is a free world, as you know anybody can propagate any giddy or ideal as he deems fit. I don’t belong to the mud and I don’t want to be dragged into the mud.

    “He is free to say whatever he likes and just let him continue to entertain the people or himself.

    “You know that I would never join issues with Governor Fayose. He is entitled to his opinion and he is free to entertain himself. So, let him continue to entertain himself. At the appropriate time, he would meet his comeuppance.

    “I don’t belong in the mud. So, he cannot drag me to the mud. Truth is always constant and I know posterity is there to judge.”

    Speaking on the life and times of Pa Famuagun, Fayemi said his death was a personal loss to him, describing him as a close confidant. He said the deceased’s wise counsel and candor would be missed.

    Fayemi added: “Pa Famuagun was not just a father, he was a confidant. We thank God for his life because he served God and humanity. Even at old age, he kept on sending messages to me and asking after everybody.

    “His death to me was like losing a loved one. But we will emulate his good virtues and this I believe was the best we can do to honour him.”

    But the Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to

    Fayose, Mr. Lere Olayinka, said Fayemi never won any election in Ekiti and that he is only a democrat by court appointment.

    He said: “He will continue to live in the fool’s paradise concerning his scandalous defeat in the June 21, 2014 governorship election.”

    Olayinka, who was reacting to Fayemi’s statement on Saturday that “at the appropriate time, he (Governor Fayose) would meet his comeuppance (punishment),” described Fayemi as a “serial betrayal of confidence whose political future will remain bleak, having betrayed his number one political benefactor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.”

    “If there is anyone that deserves to meet both physical and divine punishment, that person is Kayode Fayemi, who plunged Ekiti State intodebt by stealing the state blind and betrayed someone like Asiwaju Tinubu, who made him governor,” Olayinka said.

    He added: “Since Fayemi has never won any election in Ekiti and he became governor through judicial manipulation, he can never appreciate democracy. Even the primary election that gave him the Action Congress (AC) governorship ticket in 2006 was manipulated in his favour.”

    The governor’s spokesperson, who challenged Fayemi to file his case at the Supreme Court, said: “We will meet him there and surely, he will be defeated as usual.”

  • Senate panel seeks subsidy removal, price deregulation

    Senate panel seeks subsidy removal, price deregulation

    How can the  domstream oil sector be sanitised? It is by the removal of subsidy and total deregulation of fuel price says the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream).

    According to the committee’s chairman, Senator Marafa Kabir Garba, the refineries are not working because some people are making a killing from subsidy.

    Subsidy retention he said, would lead to job losses and also inhibit the building of indigenous capacity and expertise.

    Garba told The Nation that the sector  would grow when the twin problems of  subsidy and non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) were solved.

    He said: “What the downstream requires is total deregulation and the passage of the PIB that is under consideration at the moment. We are currently considering the governance aspect of the PIB, which will deal with the regulatory aspect of the oil industry. We intend to make it like a one-stop shop where investors can have  easy access to the industry without the multiplicity of bodies that regulate the sector.

    “We will strengthen the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and make it stronger, such that investors will walk in and go out from there with all they require as far as the petroleum industry is concerned.

    “The laws governing the oil industry are old and archaic. These contributed to the failure of a lot of things that pertain to the industry. That informed the decision of the government to introduce the PIB, but after several Assemblies of the National Assembly, the bill has never seen the light of the day. Discussions, deliberations go on for four years without success. But this National Assembly said it is determined to do it. We are giving it a different approach, we have broken it into parts – the Governance, Fiscals and Community/Socials. The Governance Bill will see the light of  day in the next few weeks, either at end of this month or early next month (April). From there, we will go to the fiscals that relate to monetary aspect of the industry, and from there, we go to the community and social issues.

    “As far as the Senate is concerned, we are doing everything possible under the leadership of Senate President Bukola Saraki, who took it upon himself and promised Nigerians that this time around the bill will be passed. Once that is done, the downstream sector will have a breathe of life.”

    On passage of the three parts of the PIB, Marafa said: “We will be able to pass the three parts of the bill before end of the year God willing. The Fiscal aspect has gone through the first reading, so it is coming up for second reading and if that is done, in the next three to four months, that aspect will be passed. Before we pass the Fiscal aspect of the bill, the community aspect would have gone through the first reading. We will give it all the necessary attention it requires.”

    On the resistance to removal of subsidy and total deregulation of the downstream by labour and civil society groups, Marafa said as a nation, we had to make deliberate and precious decision on what we intend to achieve, adding that just a few days ago, the Senate ordered investigation into the subsidy matter again.

    He said: “The the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) alone collected over N5 trillion on subsidies from 2006 to 2015. The labour and civil society, among others, should come and let all stakeholders reason together on what fuel subsidy is all about. What value do Nigerians get from the subsidy compared to the amount of money that goes into it? If you combine the subsidy collected by NNPC with that of major and independent marketers, among others, it totals about N9 trillion in a scope 10 years, which is over and above our national budget.’’

    He continued: “Does the common man really get the right value from subsidy? If such huge funds were sunk into other sectors such as health, agriculture, roads, railway systems, would it not have benefitted the common man more? It would be better and with more value addition. The labour will always fight for increased salary for workers but where is the money? Subsidy on diesel aspect of petroleum products was removed and heaven didn’t fall.

    “Also, it is regulation that is keeping our refineries from working because people are feeding fat from subsidy. The same issue applies to the power sector, as long as people continue to import and Nigerians continue to buy generators, it will be difficult for the power sector to work. If you check the cost of the number of generators we buy in Nigeria, it is enough to generate enough electricity for the country. But because we as a people are sentimental about full deregulation of the downstream, we continue to lose by exporting value and jobs through export of our crude oil, import and subsidy of refined petroleum.”

  • ‘We’ve approached court for Kekemeke’s removal’

    ‘We’ve approached court for Kekemeke’s removal’

    •Party chair: I’m not aware of any suit stopping me

    Some members of Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) have sued their chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    They urged the court to stop him from parading himself as the party chairman.

    The party members said they decided to approach the court since the chairman, who had  allegedly been removed by the State Executive Committee on August 20, was still parading himself in that position.

    The suit was filed by Publicity Secretary Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, Youth Leader Olutayo Babalayo and Akoko Southwest APC Chairman  Daodu Bolakale.

    But Kekemeke said he was not aware of any suit.

    A statement issued by Adesanya and the acting state chairman, Ade Adetimehin, in Akure, queried Kekemeke on why he should summon a meeting of the State Executive Committee for today.

    The statement insisted that since the executive committee passed a vote of no confidence on the chairman, the acting committee put in place has the legitimate right to called for a meeting.

    In the suit, the party members sought for an order of interlocutory injunction retraining Kekemeke from further parading himself as the APC chairman.

    They sought an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police and the Department of State Service (DSS) from dealing with him.

    But Kekemeke said he had not been served any court order and that “those making the noise” were just wasting their time.

    He said: “As a lawyer, I am not aware of any suit that stopped me from parading myself as the chairman.

    “Even if they have sued me, there is no any court order restraining me from parading myself as the chairman. So, it does not make sense.

    “I have just met with the party chairmen at the local governments level and they pass their vote of confidence on me.”

     

  • EFCC decries NBA president’s call for removal of agency’s power prosecution

    EFCC decries NBA president’s call for removal of agency’s power prosecution

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday faulted the suggestion by Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) that the anti-graft agency be stripped of prosecutorial powers.

    It said Mahmoud’s suggestion appeared perfectly in sync with a cleverly disguised campaign by powerful forces that are uncomfortable with the reinvigorated anti-graft campaign of the EFCC.

    The agency noted that the NBA president was the federal attorney-general’s counsel in the trial of ex-Delta State Governor James Ibori at the Federal High Court in Asaba – a case which EFCC lost in questionable circumstances.

    It said the same ingredients from that case were used to fetch Ibori a 13-year jail term in the United Kingdom.

    The EFCC, which gave its position in a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the recommendation of the NBA president was self-serving.

    It said the suggestion was in line with a larger plot to emasculate the agency.

    The statement said: “As the Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, has repeatedly stated in his public pronouncements, the agency is open to suggestions that will improve its operations, as it cannot pretend to have a monopoly of ideas on how to fight corruption.

    “Nevertheless, the commission views with concern, the call by the NBA president that the EFCC be stripped of its prosecutorial powers. According to him, “we need to define its mandate more narrowly and more clearly… I strongly recommend that the EFCC be limited to investigation… while prosecution should be handled by an independent resource prosecution agency”.

    “The commission’s discomfort over this seeming innocuous proposition stem from the fact Mahmoud was silent on the reason for his position.

    “More importantly, the commission cannot comprehend how the redefinition of EFCC’s mandate in narrow terms, ultimately whittling it down, fits into the clamour by Nigerians and the vision of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for a vibrant and courageous anti-corruption agency.

    “Instead, Mahmoud’s suggestion appears perfectly in sync with a cleverly disguised campaign by powerful forces that are uncomfortable with the reinvigorated anti-graft campaign of the EFCC and are hell-bent on emasculating the agency by stripping it of powers to prosecute with the tame excuse that an agency that investigates cannot also prosecute.

    “The question Nigerians must ask the Mahmoud-led NBA is what is wrong with EFCC prosecution? Mahmoud is in a position to answer this question. He was the federal attorney-general’s counsel in the trial of ex-Delta State governor, James Ibori, at the Federal High Court, Asaba, a case which EFCC lost in questionable circumstances.

    “But the same ingredients from that case were used to fetch Ibori a 13-year jail term in London.  Mahmoud is also the commission’s counsel in the appeal against the infamous perpetual injunction from arrest and prosecution by former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili, which is still pending before the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, many years after it was filed.

    “It is too much of a strange coincidence that the suggestion to strip the EFCC of its prosecutorial powers is being floated a few months after the commission, in unprecedented fashion, arraigned some senior lawyers for corruption.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the commission has recorded more convictions in the last one year than all the states and federal ministries of justices combined.

    “Against this background, the campaign appears to be self-serving, intended to create a cabal of untouchables, which can be investigated but may never be prosecuted.

    “The EFCC, however, wishes to reassure Nigerians that there will be no sacred cows in the renewed fight against corruption in Nigeria.”

    Notwithstanding, the EFCC said it was a good omen that the NBA president has pledged to fight judicial corruption.

    It added: “The 56th Annual General Conference of the Nigeria Bar Association came to an end August 26, in Port Harcourt, with the bar making pronouncements on major issues of national importance.

    ” One of the new commitments as articulated by the new president, Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud, is to reinvent the association by reclaiming its moral high ground through a campaign for ethical rectitude by members of the bar.”

  • Adamawa to probe alleged kidney removal

    The Adamawa State government has raised a six-man panel to probe the alleged removal of a man’s kidney in a private clinic in Yola, the state capital.

    Information Officer of the Ministry of Information Abubakar Muhammad confirmed this to reporters yesterday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the patient, Malam Isah Hamma, who is in a critical condition at the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, alleged that his only kidney was removed at the Jimeta Clinic by Dr Hassan Yakubu, who operated on him.

    Hamma, who spoke through his uncle, Malam Umaru Hammaseyo, said he underwent operation on July 8 for abdominal pain. He paid N50,000 for the operation.

    After the operation, his condition worsened leading to his referral to the Federal Medical Centre in Gombe where it was discovered that his kidney had been removed.

    He is on dialysis, and needs N48,000 weekly for treatment.

    Hamma called for justice and support from relevant authorities and the public to save him.

    The management of Jimeta clinic was yet to react to the development, and nurses on duty said they were not competent to speak on the matter.

  • Ekiti monarch files appeal against removal

    The Owa of Odo Ayedun in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Oba Solomon Ilesanmi Ajibade, has filed a stay of execution and appeal against the judgment of a state High Court, which ordered his removal from the throne.

    His selection and appointment as the Owa was challenged by a claimant to the royal seat, Adekunle Adeniyi, whose prayers were granted by the court sitting in Ikole Ekiti.

    But Oba Ajibade, in a statement day, maintained that since he had filed a stay of execution and an appeal at the Ado-Ekiti Division of the Court of Appeal, he still remains the Owa.

    “There is nothing to celebrate by the petitioner in the judgment given by the lower court,” he said.

    He urged the people of Odo Ayedun to be peaceful and remain calm, noting that the peaceful coexistence of the community remains paramount to him.

    Oba Ajibade emphasised that the law enforcement agents have been mobilised to deal with any person that want to capitalise on the kingship crisis to cause chaos and anarchy in the community.

    The monarch warned against unauthorised installation of chiefs in Odo Ayedun, insisting that he still reserves the powers to appoint chiefs.

    He said: “We are aware of the recent development in our community, Odo Ayedun Ekiti as a result of a judgment rendered by a High Court in respect of the obaship of Odo Ayedun Ekiti in Ikole Local Government, which was misinterpreted by the petitioner.

    “We have appealed against that ruling at the Court of Appeal and we have also filed a stay of execution of the judgment delivered by the lower court .

    “Therefore, there is nothing to celebrate by the petitioner in the judgment given at a lower court by the mischief makers in the community.

    “Since there are grounds for appeal up to the Supreme Court, the petitioner should know that he is into a long haul.

    “I, therefore, appeal to all and sundry in Odo Ayedun community to be law-abiding since our peaceful coexistence is of paramount importance to me as the crowned king of Odo Ayedun Ekiti.”