The Nation Newspaper

Tag: sparks

  • Buhari’s travel ban on 50 VIPs sparks legal battle

    FROM party offices and the media, the battle to reverse Executive Order 6 under which 50 prominent Nigerians have been banned from travelling has moved to the Court of Appeal.

    Two lawyers yesterday filed an appeal seeking to set aside Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu’s October 11 judgement validating the Order.

    They are asking the Court of Appeal in Abuja to set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court upholding the constitutionality of the Presidential Order..

    But the President’s camp scoffed at the moves against the Order, saying corruption was fighting back.

    The Order empowers the Federal Government to take steps, in liaison with investigative agencies, to temporarily seize property linked with corruption, pending investigation and conclusion of trial to prevent the dissipation of such assets.

    Justice Ojukwu held that it was within the powers of the President, as granted by the Constitution, to issue Executive Orders for the execution of Executive policies, as long as such orders do not offend the doctrine of separation of powers.

    In a notice of appeal, the plaintiffs in the suit, Kenneth Udeze and Ikenga Ugochinyere, faulted the decision.

    They also filed a motion of injunction pending appeal, with which they seek to restrain the President and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) or their agents from giving effect to Executive Order No 6, pending the determination of the appeal.

    In the notice of appeal, they argued that Justice Ojukwu erred in law and thereby caused a miscarriage of justice when she declared  that the Executive Order No. 6 of 2018 did not violate the rights of citizens to own property and that the Judge erred in law also when she unilaterally varied and modified the express terms of Executive Order No. 6 by issuing judicial caution, that the powers of the AGF must be exercised in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, instead of nullifying the Executive Order.

    They argued that the lower court does not have the powers to issue advisory opinion on what the law ought to be as in the present circumstances and added that the Executive Order 6 violates the doctrine of separation of powers and all tenets of the constitutional democracy.

    The appellants noted that the trial Judge shut her eyes against the materials placed before the court and deliberately failed and/or refused to make specific findings of fact on the issue they submitted before the court, in view of the fact that, “none of the persons listed at the First Schedule of the said Presidential Executive Order No. 6 of 2018 has been found guilty as charged, as their respective trials are still ongoing in various courts in Nigeria”.

    Some activists are hailing the Order. They said the implementation of the Order would deal a fatal blow to corruption.

    The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) and a human rights activist, Dele Igbinedion, made the claims in separate statements.

    CACOL praised President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the Executive Order 6, Igbinedion said those without skeletons in their cupboards should have nothing to worry about.

    CACOL, in a statement by its Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said tackling corruption required drastic measures.

    “When we view the precarious situation into which corruption has thrown this nation and its people, we will better appreciate why drastic and precarious situation calls for a measure of drastic steps/ actions,” it said.

    The group faulted those criticising the Federal Government for the order, saying that most democratic countries of the world have such provisions in their statute books.

    CACOL said pending when all the laws needed to fight corruption are enacted and institutions strengthened, the President should be encouraged to deploy his powers such as the Executive Order 6.

    “We commend the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari for taking advantage of such provisions and enjoin him to judiciously and expeditiously utilise same in a manner that is completely devoid of witch-hunting or any form of undue flagellations while, constantly, holding our public office holders to account, irrespective of whose ox is gored,” CACOL said.

    Igbinedion said the President’s action was “courageous, commendable and salutary”.

    To him, the President has dealt a fatal blow to corruption, corrupt people, corrupt tendencies and corrupt enrichment from political office.

    “It has been suggested that the Order 06 is unconstitutional, restrictive of human liberty and ultimately illegal. But all that posturing and postulation has been wiped away, broken-hearted, by the recent decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    “It is now accepted, subject to any contrary decision of a higher court, that the Presidential Executive Order 06 is valid, constitutional, legal and applaudable. It is also enforceable pronto, and enforce it, the President has ordered. Amen.

    “Some have also claimed that the Order is targeted at political opponents, said the activist, who added that those who embrace this “position fail to explain how their argument stands up in the presence of apolitical persons and even members of the President’s political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the list”.

    “But whatever the argument for or against, the Presidential Executive Order does not and cannot affect ordinary, hardworking Nigerians. So, fear not, my friends. For too long have corrupt people and their corruption held Nigeria and Nigerians by the jugular. It is now uhuru!

    “Only corrupt former and present political office holders need to tremble in fear over Order 06. Anyone who is not corrupt should walk tall, happy and rejoice. Indeed, a Daniel is come to judgment,” Igbinedion said.

    The Buhari Campaign Orgainsation (BCO) also described as absurd the barrage of criticisms trailing the travel ban on 50 prominent citizens facing corruption charges.

    The BCO described the criticisms as “a clear case of corruption fighting back.”

    The group noted that if the President’s directive on the full implementation of the Executive Order 6 would send shivers down the spines of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition camps to the extent of generating negative reactions from them, then they truly have skeletons in their cupboards.

    In a statement by its Director of Communications and Strategic Planning, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, the BCO said: “This is a clear case of corruption fighting back. No wonder Nigeria has not been progressing because a good chunk of its people encourage corruption.

    “We cannot continue living with corruption because it denied Nigeria development, respect and promoted insecurity, poverty, and even disunity among its citizens. President Buhari should be given due regards rather than degradation for taking such a decisive action.

    “The origin of this kind of uproar and criticisms is quite known. Nigerians had been in the dark for so long that whenever any leader tries to stop the criminality in high places committed against them, the perpetrators of the act would weave all sort of sentiments to blindfold them the more.

    “The government placed a travel ban on 50 persons who directly or indirectly subjected Nigerians to unemployment and deprived them of their daily source of livelihood and the opposition with their shrill voices are condemning a president who is true to his words on tackling corruption.

    “Even though some who are on the list are not members of the opposition, as long as it is Buhari, he hasn’t done any good. Unfortunately for them, they will have to put up with this for another four years because right now the war on corruption has taken centre stage.”

  • Death of civil servant sparks row in Bayelsa

    The controversial death of a staff member of Bayelsa State Water Board, Mr. Peter Ogiero, has sparked a row between the family of the deceased and the state government.

    Ogiero, an engineer, was said to have committed suicide on Tuesday over unpaid 13- month salaries.

    The Commissioner for Water Resources, Chief Kuroghofa Benwari, however, explained that the deceased did not commit suicide because of unpaid salaries, adding that he died after a protracted illness.

    He said no regular employee of the ministry was owed salaries apart from about 100 casual workers who were owed 11- month- salaries.

    He said the salary problems of the affected workers was being addressed by the state government, adding that Gov Dickson had intensified efforts, them.s

    The commissioner blamed the report on the activities of opponents of the state government in order to damage the reputation of the governor.

    Sources told The Nation that the father of four gave up to frustration over what they called his unpaid salaries and decided to kill himself.

    The deceased was said to have developed stroke about one year ago when he could not care for himself and his family members.

    His wife was said to have abandoned him and relocated to her village with their three children.

    It was learnt that one of his sons Wilson, who depended solely on alms for survival had stayed with Ogiero till his death.

    A family source who spoke in confidence said: “Ogiero’s condition was pathetic. His death was tragic and painful. He took his life by drinking an insecticide. He was so frustrated that he felt life was  unkind to him. He was hopeless and helpless.”

    At  Ogiero’s residence in Okaka area of Yenagoa  metropolis on Thursday, his relations looked dejected, saying their late brother lived in penury and died out of frustration.

    When The Nation visited the residence of the deceased in Yenagoa, one of his family members who gave her name simply as Tina Ogiero was laid up with stroke for 12 months before he died.

    She said: “The stroke was caused by too much of thinking due to the fact  he was being owed months’ salaries. At a point, when his wife could no longer bear the situation, she had to run away from home with their three children to their village.

    “We  had hoped that the state government would pay his salary, but all to no avail. We tried to manage with the little money given to us by the deceased’s sister, uncle and some of his colleagues. But at a point, the money was not coming and we found it really difficult to buy his drugs and food.While we were hoping for better days, unknown to us, he had his own plans to free himself from his frustration. On the day of the incident, we had gone to purchase his drugs and foods, but returned to see him lying on the ground, gasping for breath. That was how my uncle died; we discovered that he  he drank insecticide to take his own life out of frustration and poverty.”

  • Nigerian ‘Ronaldo’ sparks club vs country row

    Nigerian ‘Ronaldo’ sparks club vs country row

    A club versus country row is brewing following the inclusion of AS Trencín duo Moses Simon and Kingsley Madu on the list of nine foreign-based professionals nominated to attend the Flying Eagles’ training camp after the Christmas break.

    The players’ commitment to the national teams’ cause is not in doubt, as both had earlier stated that they will join the Dream Team VI and Flying Eagles’ screening exercise.

    However, feelers received from Slovakia indicate that their club have not authorized them to partake in the camps.

    The decision-makers at AS Trencín want both Nigeria youth internationals to have a good rest before they return to Slovakia latest January 6 for the start of training ahead of the second stanza of the Fortuna League.

    ”My understanding is that Moses Simon actually will not be joining any of the camps at this stage, as his club feels he needs to rest,” a top source close to the winger told SL10.ng.

    Fondly called Ronaldo by his admirers, Moses Simon scored six goals in 19 Super Liga appearances for AS Trencin before the winter break.

    AS Trencin have already concluded plans to take part in 11 exhibition games before the resumption of the league at the end of February.

  • Murder sparks India-Nigeria diplomatic storm

    Christian Nwaneli stood outside the Nigeria High Commission in New Delhi, India, waiting to settle a business dispute with his Indian business partner.

    Nwaneli, a Nigerian, wanted the embassy to help him retrieve thousands of United States dollars his partner owed him.

    But the Indian partner did not turn up. Instead, Nwaneli received a text message asking him to come to Gurgaon, 30 kilometres south of Delhi, for the money.

    “I chose not to go for security reasons… I will never come back to India. It’s better to trade with the Chinese,” Nwaneli told Al Jazeera.

    Tensions between Nigerians and Indians have escalated since a Nigerian, Obodo Uzoma Simeon, was found dead in Goa, a popular tourist destination, in the country’s west. Simeon was stabbed to death on October 31 in Panaji, Goa state’s capital.

    Goa police were quick to lodge a murder case. However, the killing led to widespread protests by Nigerian expatriates, snowballing into a major law and order problem.

    About 200 angry members of the community blocked a highway while the body was being taken for post-mortem examination.

    The police brought the situation under control and registered cases of rioting, arson and destruction of public property against 51 Nigerians and a Ghanaian.

    “Forty people have been arrested and a few others were detained for their involvement in rioting and other unlawful activities,” Kishan Kumar, director-general of Goa Police, told Al Jazeera.

    “We are committed to serve people better and will allow no local or foreigner to take the law into their hands.”

    For months, Goan police have been investigating suspected Nigerian links to drug gangs.

    Last week, the Goa government submitted a report about Simeon’s murder to the Ministry of External Affairs, stating that he was killed because of “in-fighting between drug-related gangs,” and that a local, named Surender Por, had been arrested for murder.

    There are only 50,000 Nigerians living in India, but there are over a million Indians living in Nigeria. Thousands of Indians living there will be thrown out on the streets if the forcible eviction of Nigerians in Goa does not stop, said Jacob Nwadibia, administrative attaché of the Nigerian High Commission in New Delhi.

  • Murder of 25-year- old graduate sparks anger in Delta

    Controversy has trailed the alleged killing of a 25-year-old Microbiology graduate of the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Miss Radah Elsie Agbaje, at Boji-Boji Owa in Ika North East Local Government Area of the state.

    The victim was allegedly killed in the night of October 10, around Meme Street, barely weeks after she graduated with a second class upper degree from DELSU.

    Her mother, Mrs. Rose Dolore Ironsi, said: “My daughter was stabbed all over her face. Her eyes were battered; she was stabbed in the eye. Her jaw was slit; they used a weapon to cut her chest.”

    Our investigation showed that her death has pitted her parents against the Owa-Uyibo Police Division in the state over perceived shoddy handling of the case.

    It was learnt that Miss Agbaje was sleeping in a room in her aunt’s home when her killers broke in through the roof and murdered her in the presence of an eyewitness, who was sleeping in the room with her.

    Speaking with our reporter, her mother, Mrs. Ironsi, lamented that the police failed to quiz the witness, with whom the deceased had a running battle before her death.

    Mrs. Ironsi was also unimpressed with the armed robbery theory of the police, stressing that her late daughter’s three mobile telephones, those of the witness and other valuables were not left intact in the house.

    She said: “According to the suspect (name withheld), who share the same room with my daughter and was on the same bed with her the day she was murdered, the incident started about 2am.

    “She said they were armed robbers. She said they were two gunmen. She said they beat them up. I asked her if they beat them with a gun, she said no that they flogged them.”

  • Keshi: Gero sparks competition

    Keshi: Gero sparks competition

    Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi, has stated that he expects Flying Eagles striker, Alhaji Gero, to bring more competition to the Eagles attack.

    Gero, is one of four inclusions to the team who thrashed Cote d’Ivoire 4-1 in a first leg African Nations Championship(CHAN) qualifier, played at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna earlier this month.

    The big Flying Eagles centre-forward according to Keshi is an exciting prospect with a lot of qualities.

    “I saw a lot of qualities in him that was why I invited him,” Keshi remarked.

    “I expect him to bring in competition to those who are already in the team.”

    Gero will compete against Kano Pillars ace Gambo Mohammed and Sunshine Stars Dele Olorundare, who is the Nigeria league’s leading scorer with 11 goals, for a place in the Eagles frontline for the return leg match in Abidjan on July 27.

    Meanwhile, Keshi has demanded total concentration from his players ahead of the CHAN qualifier in Abidjan.

    Keshi, who started his career overseas in Cote d’ Ivoire, said the people are passionate about football and they will do anything to defeat Nigeria, hence the need to forget the 4-1 win in Kaduna and concentrate on the return leg.

    “The win in Kaduna is history and if you have been following the media you will see that they have been making remarks that they can also beat us well. We must be ready for their antics and forget the past, ” he urged.

    The team are training at the Goal Project because the Ivorians have already informed CAF that the return leg will be played on artificial turf.

    Twenty three players trained on Tuesday morning with only Godfrey Oboabona exempted by because he has had a hectic schedule with Sunshine Stars. He will join his teammates on Wednesday morning as the players battle for the 20 slots that the coach will take to Abidjan for the match.

  • Presidency’s attack sparks $1b rice mills fraud claim

    Presidency’s attack sparks $1b rice mills fraud claim

    The Presidency yesterday lashed out at some opposition leaders for their criticism of the government.

    But, its attack sparked a furious reaction, with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) accusing the Federal Government of fraud in its $1 billion rice mills project.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, berated opposition leaders for assuming that the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration is bereft of ideas.

    Okupe specifically named former Head of State Gen. Muhammed Buhari, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande and ACN National Leader Asiwjau Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the thorn in the flesh of the government.

    But, the National Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, dismissed Okupe’s claim as the cry of a desperate, sinking and terrified political party —the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) .

    Mohammed said the presidential spokesman presented spurious statistics and lies to disparage opposition leaders.

    Okupe berated the opposition leaders for alleged insincerity at a press conference in Lagos.

    He said they have a “penchant to use every platform to denigrate this nation and its government”.

    He said opposition leaders were confusing innocent members of the public “and deceptively present themselves as possessing what it takes to move Nigeria forward”.

    He said the merger being put together by the opposition “is made up of PDP renegades, moribund and lack-lustre ANPP, which had existed for 13 years without any meaningful impact on the polity, and the ACN, which is a one-man owned and controlled political party with no form of any internal democratic credential whatsoever and totally devoid of any form of modern liberalism”.

    He accused Tinubu and Gen. Buhari of being unfair to President Jonathan.

    His words: “The present National Chairman of the ACN, Chief Bisi Akande as Governor of Osun State during the same period, denied workers of a N5,500 minimum wage and eventually laid off over 9,000 workers during his four-year reign. Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who was then NLC President and now Governor of Edo State, led workers on protest march in Osun State during the period but Chief Akande remained adamant. Where then is the credential of these people to talk about job creation, promotion of workers interest and democratic etiquette?

    “As I speak with you, Ekiti and Osun states, which are being governed by these opposition political parties, are embroiled in one form of industrial crisis or the other as a result of the insensitive, cruel and anti-workers policies of their present governors.

    “These sets of politicians who want to desperately supplant Jonathan’s administration are promoting an incongruous alliance of political weaklings and dysfunctional Lilliputians out primarily to foster their ego and psyche being repeatedly frustrated political power mongers; forgetting that one million giant ants can never muster the required strength to lift a concrete pole not to talk of a nationally entrenched pillar and structurally established institution like the PDP.”

    He alleged that the ACN always outsourced its presidential candidate from the ranks of the PDP.

    He added:”In 2003, their choice was Vice President Atiku Abubakar who now knows them better. In 2011, it was a protégé of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu who fitted the slot, although he was later betrayed and sacrificed on the altar of self-interest.

    “Presently, the debates within the factionalised alliance suggest that they will not mind fielding another PDP stalwart as its presidential flag bearer.

    “It is clear that a party that consistently over a period of 12 years has been unable to find any suitable member from its own rank and file as presidential candidate has clearly exhibited its own structural and ideological weakness and its unsuitability as an organisation capable of providing national leadership and can therefore not run an efficient or competent federal government in a country like Nigeria.”

    On power, he said: “We assure Nigerians that all hands are on deck to ensure delivery of uninterrupted power supply within the shortest possible time. You will recall that this administration inherited five major problems in this sector and these are: Low generating capacity due to failure to invest in the power sector for over 20 years; comatose NIPP projects; poor and inadequate gas infrastructure and supply; dysfunctional and inefficient transmision and distribution capabilities; and non achievements of the much desired privatisation agenda.

    “Of all the above five, the Jonathan administration has nearly completely resolved four out of these five challenges, leaving only the fourth item to which sufficient attention is also being dedicated. It is projected that within the next 12 months, the problems affecting transmission and distribution will be substantially resolved.”

    On infrastructure, Okupe said: “Nigerians are already reaping the benefits of government’s investment especially, on ongoing road rehabilitation projects, some of which are on the verge of completion. Notable of these are the Kano-Maiduguri, Port Harcourt-Enugu, and the Benin-Ore road which now takes commuters less than three hours as against 13 to 17 hours previously.

    “The second Niger Bridge will be completed in the next 24 months, other things being equal.”

    He added: “To ensure that Nigeria has in place industrial capacity for international quality grade milled rice that can compete with imports, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance concluded arrangements to facilitate the acquisition of 100 large scale integrated rice mills, with a total capacity of 2.1 million MT, to be located across the country, owned and operated by the private sector. This is being acquired under a low interest rate facility of $ 1 billion from the China EXIM Bank. For the first time in history, Nigeria will have the full industrial capacity to mill and replace all the rice it currently imports – and become an exporter of finished rice to other African countries.”

    Reacting, Mohammed said Okupe got it all wrong. He said: “I will start with Tinubu, Buhari, Akande and ACN that he disparaged.

    “If truly ACN is a one-man party and that one-man party can win six governorship seat, 20 senators, 69 members in the House of Representatives, and about 170 assembly members all over Nigeria, I will rather belong to that kind of party.

    “If, as Okupe said, Gen. Buhari is a political liability like the Asiwaju and such a man could be able to win 12 million votes with such political liability, I will rather belong to the same party as that man.

    “As for Chief Bisi Akande, even his detractors admit that he has the most purposeful, most transparent and most people-oriented administration and his legacy still stands today.

    “On the figure Okupe is brandishing; they are fictitious, suspicious and completely misleading. How can anybody tell Nigerians that in year 2012, in which Nigeria experienced the worst flood that washed away many rice farms, that Nigeria actually recorded 140 per cent increase in rice production?

    “He (Okupe) said government is taking $1 billion facility from the China Exim Bank for 100 large scale integrated rice mills with a total capacity for 2.1 million metric tonnes. In other words, each rice mill is costing $8 million. But we know that a private farmer in Jigawa State is getting a similar rice mill in higher capacity for only $1.7 million. So why the discrepancy?

    “Is the Federal Government fleecing Nigerians of over $6 million on each rice mill? We will, in due course, furnish Nigerians with accurate figures and numbers in respect of the volume being imported and at what cost.”