The Nation Newspaper

Tag: seek

  • Ondo ACN, Accord seek substituted service of petition on Mimiko, LP

    The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Accord and their governorship candidates in the October 20 election in Ondo State at the weekend filed ex-parte applications urging the Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Akure, to order a substituted service of their petitions on Governor Olusegun Mimiko and the Labour Party (LP).

    The application filed by Kola Olawoye, Titiloye Charles and Victor Olatoyegun, counsel to the ACN and its candidate in the election, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), said all attempts to serve Mimiko and the LP have failed in the past one week.

    It supported its application with a seven-paragraph affidavit report of the tribunal’s bailiff, Adebusi Adekunjor.

    The bailiff said he went to the Governor’s Office in Alagbaka and the LP Secretariat on Oyemekun Road on November 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, but was not able to serve the respondents.

    He said the LP Secretariat was locked and he was told at the Governor’s Office that Mimiko was not around.

    ACN and Accord urged the tribunal to order a substituted service of their petitions, since it was “glaring” that the respondents were “evading” service.

    The tribunal is yet to fix a date for hearing of the applications.

    Also at the weekend, an ACN chieftain, Mr. Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, criticised a statement credited to Accord State Chairman, Mr. Ajibola Falaiye, on the petition filed by the party’s candidate in the October 20 election, Mr Olawale Ojo.

    Ojo is seeking the nullification of the election on the grounds that he was “illegally” excluded from participating by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Falaiye told reporters last week that Ojo did not follow the party’s procedure before filing the petition.

    Ogunleye, who is the director of the Aketi Campaign Organisation (ACO) in Akure North/South Federal Constituency, said Falaiye should be arrested and prosecuted for misleading the public through false information.

    He said: “Did Falaiye not sign the nomination form of his party’s candidate in the election? Why is he now saying his party did not present a candidate for the election?

    “What section of the Electoral Act or Constitution empowers INEC to disqualify any candidate? Did Falaiye not support the party’s candidate when he filed a suit to compel INEC to publish his name? Did INEC give reasons through any correspondence to the Accord for its action?

    “The purported expulsion of Ojo from the party is laughable. On what grounds was he expelled? Did he get fair hearing? Is the action of Falaiye and his co-travellers contained in their party’s constitution?”

    Ogunleye said the Accord leadership was living in an illusion by believing that Mimiko would join their party.

    He said they were being deceived just as ACN was in 2007 and urged the Accord leadership to let the law take its course on the petition at the tribunal.

  • WEMA MD, others seek support for community poly

    WEMA MD, others seek support for community poly

    Managing Director of WEMA Bank Mr. Segun Oloketuyi, Executive Vice Chairman of Industrial and General Insurance company (IGI) Mr. Remi Olowude, and other dignitaries are rallying financial support for Igbajo Polytechnic. The institution is a private initiative by the Osun State town.

    They made the call at a fund raising dinner in Lagos, on Friday. Oloketuyi extolled Igbajo Polytechnic, its administration and the community it is situated. “The Igbajo Polytechnic initiative is the first of its kind in Nigeria and is still the only community polytechnic in Nigeria till date . . . Research has shown that an educated and literate workforce is important to the growth of any nation. The more the intellectual capital you have, the better your chances of successes. Communities that generate a wealth of intellect tend to produce better economic returns. Therefore the Igbajo Polytechnic initiative is an investment in economic future of the community,” he said.

    Olowude said: “For all lovers of good education, the establishment of Igbajo Polytechnic is a dream come true. The vision of the polytechnic is to become one of the foremost in the production of first rate graduates in the sciences, the arts, and technology blended with strong moral responsibility. Support for this institution is not limited to the rich, but should involve us all.”

    The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the polytechnic Chief Ade Fadahunsi said private higher institutions are confronting the challenges created by inadequacies of the public universities.He said it is necessary to explore avenues of funding to meet the huge cost of running Igbajo Polytechnic.”

    He implored corporate bodies, individual donors and international organisations to rise to the civic responsibility of helping to educate the Nigerian youth. He lauded the traditional head, Owa of Igbajo, and the Igbajo community for their commitment.

    Rector, Adedapo Oke spoke on the attainments of the institution. “We have 500 ordinary national diploma students. And since we will be expanding next year to include higher national diploma in our curriculum, I envisage that the population of students will increase to 600.”

  • Boko Haram: Police seek public help to nail senators

    Boko Haram: Police seek public help to nail senators

    Senators Ahmad Khalif Zannah and Ali Ndume are under security watch for their alleged link with Boko Haram, Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar said yesterday.

    Abubakar urged members of the public to give information that could help in the investigation of the senators.

    “The senators are still under security watch and we need evidence before we can make progress. So, we are calling on people who have evidence on these senators to come forward. Our investigators need evidence to enable them prosecute the suspects.”

    Zannah represents Borno Central. Ndume represents Borno South in the Senate. The Boko Haram sect is widely believed to have sprouted from Borno State, which has lost huge human and material resources to incessant bombings by the insurgent group, which campaigns against western education.

    Abubakar, who spoke at the Force Headquarters, Abuja added that investigation into the bribe-for-fuel subsidy clearance involving House of Representatives member Farouk Lawan, was still on.

    Lawan was alleged to have compromised his integrity while he presided over the ad hoc committee of the House that investigated payment of fuel subsidy to some real and imaginary importers.

    Opening a two-day seminar for state and zonal heads of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Abubakar emphasised regular training and capacity building for police investigators.

    Disturbed by unresolved murders, rape and kidnapping, the police chief urged heads of the various CIDs to be alive to their responsibilities.

    But he cautioned the officers to respect the fundamental human rights of the citizenry while carrying out investigations.

    According to him, torture must not be one of the tools of investigation. Besides, those being investigated for bailable offences must be given bail without delay.

    “We need to partner the Nigerian people for a 21st century policing whereby things are done professionally, in accordance with the rule of law and respect for the dignity of the human person,” Abubakar said.

    Zanna has filed a N5billion suit against the Minister of Defence and three others for alleged libel and mental trauma when the Joint Task Force (JTF) claimed that a suspected Boko Haram Commander, Shuaibu Mohammed Bama, was arrested at his residence in Maiduguri.

    Other defendants are the Chief of Defence Staff, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the spokesman for the JTF, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa.

    Zanna, who is still being investigated by the State Security Service (SSS), deposed to a 19-point affidavit in support of the action in which he insisted that Bama was not arrested in his house.

    In the writ of summons filed by his counsel, Mr. Gbenga Olagundoye, the senator is “claiming N5billion jointly and severally against the defendants (including aggravated damages) for libel”.

    The senator said that the words “ published concerning me, meant and were understood to mean that:

    “I harbored a wanted Boko Haram terror Suspect in my house and therefore I am a supporter of the terrorists group Boko Haram

    “That the clear innuendo in the words complained of, bore and were understood to bear the meaning which I have just stated by the facts that pleading in the foregoing paragraph by way of innuendo with the following particulars:

    “That Boko Haram is a notorious terrorist group operating in Nigeria and who had been held responsible by the public for a series of terrorist activities, bombings and killings both of civilians as well as military, police and other Para-military personnel.

    “That it is generally believed by members of the public that the Boko Haram secretly receives materials aid and other support from some members of the society.

    “That the publication complained of falsely portrayed me as one of he persons who aid and support the Boko Haram in their terrorist activities.

    “That as a person who has always publicly condemned the destructive activities of the Boko Haram, I am a hypocrite

    “That the publication complained of was calculated to disparage me and to lower my estimation in the eyes of the general public and in fact, my reputation has been seriously damaged by the words complained of.”

    Zanna said the JTF declaration has caused him considerable distress and urged the court to grant him the damages he sought.

  • Enugu seeks partnership on agric

    The Enugu State government has said that it would partner the private sector to boost food production in the state.

    The state Commissioner for Agriculture,Prof Martin Anikwe, said this in Enugu while declaring open a one-day farmers’ workshop on the use and application of liquid fertilisers (AG-ZYME), a product of Zenith Energy Enzymes Ltd.

    He said that government was no longer keen in subsidising agricultural inputs, but to allow the big players, input dealers and producers to synergise and ensure food sufficiency.

    Anikwe said that government interference had affected food production activities in the state.

    On the new liquid organic fertilisers, the commissioner urged farmers to embrace the product as it would guarantee bumper harvests and food sufficiency.

    “What we recommend actually is what we call an integrated nutrient management approach, where we use different kinds of nutrients to serve our crops and animals.

    “So it is not fair to say that we should abandon every other type of fertiliser that we have been using in the market.

    ‘’All we are saying is that we should embrace A-Zyme. All of them have different kinds of merit, so we support all of them.’’

    In his remarks, the National Vice President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Chief Ike Ubaka, said that the association would partner with government to educate its members on the new product.

  • 5000 Kogi flood victims seek refuge in Enugu

    Over 5,000 flood victims from Elele, Ekanyi, Obale, Odeke and Affa in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State are seeking refuge in neighbouring Idah and Uzo-Uwani local government areas of Enugu State, following flooding in their communities on Friday.

    The victims crossed over to the Enugu boundary communities of Ogurugu, Ojjor and Iggah on Saturday using wooden canoes.

    They left without their property, which had been submerged.

    Last week, the people of Elele, Odobo, Nwajala and Ejule sought refuge in Iggah, following flooding in their communities.

    Many of the victims now reside in primary school classrooms.

    Residents of Idah council have taken some of the victims into their homes, but many of them are stranded.

    As at yesterday afternoon, Ekanyi and Affa residents were still arriving at Ogurugu, which has become a major host of the victims.

    Some Ogurugu indigenes are afraid that there could be an epidemic outbreak, owing to the massive influx of people and inadequate facilities to cater for them.

    Ibaji Local Government Chairman Dave Ogwu said the council had been deserted, following the destruction of houses, property, farmland and crops worth billions of naira.

    He urged emergency management agencies to assist the victims, who “have become refugees in Enugu State”.

    Ogwu said the situation was beyond the council’s control.

    He said Governor Idris Wada is scheduled to visit the victims tomorrow.

    Uzo-Uwani Council Chairman Mr. Cornel Onwubuya and his Idah counterpart, Chief Maximus Ukwuta, urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and similar agencies to provide shelter, food, drugs and clothing to the victims.

    They said many of them left homes with nothing.

    The Red Cross Society yesterday said it received reports of the “refugee situation” in Uzo-Uwani council and has directed its Enugu office to move to the area.

  • Ijaw seek direct allocation of 13 percent

    Ijaw youths in Delta State have urged the Federal Government to pay the 13 per cent derivation fund to oil bearing communities in the region.

    They threatened to put out “oil flow stations” in their land, unless their demand is met.

    The Delta Ijaw Oil Producing Areas Youth Assembly (DIOPAYA) of Gbaramatu, Egbema and Ogulagha kingdoms were reacting to the dissolution of the board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

    They said the payment of the money to the government favours the development of the state capitals to the detriment of the oil-producing communities.

    DIOPAYA’s President Joseph Wurayai and Secretary Jackson Timiyan, in a statement in Warri, said DESOPADEC, which draws 50 per cent of the derivation fund, failed to make any impact in the oil-producing communities.

    They said: “Consequently, we resolved that the 13 per cent derivation fund should be allocated directly to the oil-producing communities, so as to save them from the overwhelming injustice that is meted out on them.

    “This will allow these communities develop at their own pace and encourage the inhabitants to jealously guard the oil facilities on their land.”