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Tag: summon

  • Senate fumes over IG’s failure to honour summon

    THE Senate yesterday expressed displeasure over the failure of Inspector General (IG) Ibrahim Idris to honour its invitation.

    The upper chamber mandated its leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan and Chairman, Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abu Ibrahim, to take up the matter with President Muhammadu Buhari with a view to informing him how seriously the Senate took the IG’s action.

    The resolution about the police boss’ failure to address Senate in plenary was taken during a closed session.

    The way and manner to handle the IGP was said to have been the focus of the Executive Session.

    But, a dint of drama was added to the non-appearance of the police boss.

    It was listed as “Security briefing” in the Order Paper.

    “Briefing by the Inspector General of Police (IGP): The inhuman treatment of distinguished Senator Dino Melaye and killings across the country.

    ‘That the Senate do receive the Inspector General of Police to brief this Distinguished Senate on the inhuman treated of Distinguished Senator Dino Melaye over a matter that is pending before a competent law court and killings across the country.”

    Immediate the Senate Leader in whose name the matter was listed read it, Senate President Bukola Saraki mandated the Clerk to fetch Idris.

    It turned out that the police boss was nowhere near the National Assembly complex when the Clerk reported that he could not find the IGP.

    It was discovered that Idris drafted the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Research and Planning, Vincent Chukwu, to stand in for him.

    Saraki said: ‘The Clerk has just reported to me that the IG is not present. He saw Ita Enang (Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters). Maybe a DIG is there.”

    The Senate President threw the absence of Idris to the floor for discussion.

    It took what appeared a “decade” for any of the senators to summon the courage to speak on the controversial issue.

    There was a palpable cloud of silence in the chamber as the lawmakers were observed looking at one another.

    Senator Abu Ibrahim offered what seemed explanation of the absence of the IGP.

    “I tried yesterday to reach the IG, but unfortunately, I couldn’t reach him,” Ibrahim began.

    He continued: “After the last sitting when it was directed that the IGP should come, the Clerk to the Senate wrote to the IGP. I met the DIG, who was sent by the IG at the office of the Presidential Adviser to the National Assembly Matters and we implored the DIG to make sure that the IGP honours the invitation of the Senate today at 11a.

     

  • NERFUND’s collapse: Reps summon CBN, NDIC, BoI chiefs

    NERFUND’s collapse: Reps summon CBN, NDIC, BoI chiefs

    Three Chief Executive Officers of financial institutions, including the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, are to appear before the House of Representatives ad hoc Committee investigating the status of the N17billion non-performing loans of the defunct National Economic Reconstruction  Fund (NERFUND).

    The invitation, involving Umaru Ibrahim of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC),  and Olukayode Pitan of the Bank of Industry  (BoI), as well as the Executive Officers of participating Money Deposit Banks, followed the closure of the premises of NERFUND despite the mandate of the House that the planned closure of the Fund be put on hold until the conclusion of the House’s investigation.

    While Emefiele is expected to explain why it failed to recover the N17billion loans despite the provisions of the law, the BoI chief, is to explain the roles ascribed to it on the activities of NERFUND by the law.

    The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who appeared before the Ayodele Oladimeji – led committee yesterday however insisted that NERFUND was not merged with BoI.

    At the hearing, Oladimeji expressed fears over the fate of the newly inaugurated Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), BoI, Bank of Agriculture  (BoA) and others, if NERFUND could be ran aground by its operators.

    He said the House of Representatives will not allow the fate of NERFUND to befall DBN and the others, wondering why the Fund, with an initial capital of N300m could not survive, while share capital for commercial banks was N12.5million (citing Zenith Bank among others) when NERFUND was founded in 1989.

    Oladimeji said following the resolution of the House on the need to investigate the Fund, it was alleged that loans were given to acolytes of management staff of the agency which contributed largely to its collapse.

    The lawmaker also sought explaination to allegations of a N500million facility extended to staff of the agency at one per cent interest for a 20 year tenure.

    He expressed regret that NERFUND’s premises was locked when his Committee went on a fact-finding mission to the agency on 5th December, 2017 with its assets allegedly  transfered to BoI in contravention of the law.

    He sort for explanation behind the resignation of the entire workforce of the agency and why the 49 junior workers pleaded with the Ministry of Finance to explore means of being reabsorbed into other agencies of government.

    The Committee also expressed skepticism over the role of BoI in the recovery of the non-performing loans, while the Act setting NERFUND up has clear provisions on how the CBN should debit the account of participating banks on any loan default.

    “With all the precautions taken by the Act, NERFUND was not supposed to be distressed, what has the CBN done to recover the loans through the participating banks as prescribed by the Act.

    The committee queried if the fate that befell NERFUND will not happen to other agencies like DBN and BoI, saying merging NERFUND with BoI was illegal.  Oladimeji assured that the committee will not allow DBN, BoI and the others to collapse  like NERFUND did..

    Director (Home Finance ) Olubunmi Siyanbola represented the Permanent Secretary (PS), who was supposed to represent the Minister said NERFUND was not merged with BoI, though the process to wound down the agency began in 2013.

    She explained that BoI’s role was to recover the non-performing loans, adding that its involvement was due to the resignation of the entire workers of the agency.

    She said: “NERFUND had 82 workers but the entire 33 senoir management staff resigned in August 2016 on the verge of the presentation of the report of the Presidential Committee that investigated the Fund.

    “Because the agency has no board, the Federal government constituted an Interim Management Committee (IMV) to oversee its affairs and by  October 2017, the entire 49 junior workers also resigned after which they pleaded that we assist in their absorption into other Federal government agencies.

    “The IMC was only involved in debt recoveries because loan disbursement stopped long ago”.

    The Committee however mandated the Minister to make her formal presentation on the subject matter to it as soon as possible while adding that key participants in the NERFUND saga must appear before it to explain their roles in the collapse of the agency.

  • NECA sues Reps to court for frequent summon of CEOs

    NECA sues Reps to court for frequent summon of CEOs

    Employers are not happy that company chiefs are being summoned frequently by lawmakers.

    Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has sued the House of Representatives to court over the matter.

    According to the group, the actions of the lawmakers have been undermining business sustainability and growth.

    NECA is specifically praying the court to interpret Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, which the lawmakers rely on to summon the CEOs in the name of oversight functions.

    At a briefing in Lagos, its Director-General, Mr. Olusegun Oshinowo, accused members of the House, especially its committees, of disregarding court processes.

    He contended that the continued disregard of court processes and persistent summons of chief executives of organised businesses to National Assembly was a disregard of the rule of law, and legislative rascality.

    Oshinowo singled out the House of Representatives Committees on Labour, Employment & Productivity; Steel; Telecommunications; Public Safety and National Security; Ad-Hoc  Committee  on  the   Abuse  of  Pioneer  Status   by  Companies and Ad-Hoc Committee Investigating Operational Activities of Telecommunications Equipment and Service Companies/Vendors in Nigeria, as the most guilty.

    He lamented that petitions to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, over the activities of the committees had not been addressed till date, noting that to worsen the situation, members of the committees, instead of attending to CEOs directly, chose always to act through consultants.

    He said:  “All efforts at exploring the avenue of dialogue, advocacy and lobbying as evidenced through our several correspondences to the House and submissions at hearings and visits to the National Assembly seem to have been ineffective in protecting the economic rights and interest of businesses in this environment.”

    Oshinowo said the legislators only listen to themselves and have become law unto themselves. “Therefore, we are left with no option but to seek judicial solace to protect enterprise rights and provide some reliefs to businesses by staving off  the negative attitude of the legislators.

    “Despite on-going court processes, organised businesses are still being inundated with torrents of summons/invitations and requests from the House of Representatives. Recently, the afore-mentioned committees have been very active in their disregard of court processes.

    “In one instance, a company is currently being hounded with invitations from about seven committees of the House of Representatives on issues they could ordinarily have sorted out with regulatory institutions that supervise activities in that sector of the economy,” he said.

    Oshinowo said NECA expects speaker of the House of Representatives, who is a lawyer himself, and by extension, all the committees and adhoc committees within the House of Representatives and the Clerk of the National Assembly, among others, who are all restrained by the sub-judice status of this case to exercise caution until the determination of the matter.

    Oshinowo said: “We are even taken aback by the House Committees’ non respect for its own Standing Order IX Rule 5 on rules of debate, which provides as follows: “Reference shall not be made to any matter on which a judicial decision is pending, in such a way as might in the speaker’s opinion prejudice the interest of parties thereto”

  • Sagay to senators: you’ve no power to summon me

    Sagay to senators: you’ve no power to summon me

    Lawmakers descend on presidential committee chair

    Ndume suspended 

    The Presidency was holding out an olive branch to the National Assembly yesterday.

    But there were signs that their cat and mouse relationship could get out of hand.

    The Senate summoned  Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption Chairman Prof. Itse Sagay over some “uncomplimentary” remarks after it suspended Senator Ali Ndume for making false allegations against Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki and Senator Dino Melaye.

    President Muhammadu Buhari set up a committee to improve the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature.

    The Senate has refused to confirm 27 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) over the retention of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu and Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal.

    The Senate yesterday resolved to invite Sagay to appear before its Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Committee to explain why he allegedly described senators as “childish and irresponsible” for asking President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu within two weeks.

    Sagay is also to explain why he allegedly said that the Senate is “filled with people of questionable character who put personal interest ahead of the nation”.

    The lawmakers would like the professor of jurisprudence to name the questionable characters in the Senate.

    The resolution followed a motion of privilege by Senate Deputy Leader Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South) who told the Senate that Sagay infringed on his integrity, character and privilege as a Senator.

    Na’Allah referred to a publication by a national daily which quoted Sagay to have said: “But the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), described the Senate’s action, calling on Buhari to sack Magu in two weeks, as childish and irresponsible.

    “Sagay told one of our correspondents in a telephone interview that the Senate was filled with people of questionable character, who put their personal interest ahead of that of the nation.”

    Na’Allah said: “There is no dispute as to the fact that today, distinguished Senator Na’Allah is  a senator. If somebody in the standing of Prof. Sagay made this comment, it means this Senate  is under obligation to invite Itse Sagay to come and name the questionable people that fills this Senate. It is very important at this stage of our political development. It is very important.

    “Let me say with the greatest respect that if due diligence has been done in respect of who the person and personality of Prof. Sagay is, I am absolutely sure that he will not have been appointed in that position.

    “But let me say with due respect that I, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, am not a person of questionable integrity. Let me equally say that no senator here is a person of questionable integrity.

    “For somebody in Itse Sagay’s position to come and call this Senate irresponsible and that we are childish and persons of questionable character, it behoves on this Senate to call upon him to appear before the Ethics and Privileges committee to say who are of questionable integrity because we came here by name and he should name names and Nigerians are entitled to know and we should know the basis of that.

    “We will argue about this matter here and there but in conclusion the public will have the benefit of knowing where the irresponsibility lies and I hope I have made my point.”

    Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North), who also felt maligned by Sagay’s alleged comments, said:

    “I believe that if there is anything that this administration needs, is cordiality, a relationship between the legislature and the executive. It therefore behoves every presidential aide from ministers to the least in the ladder to behave responsibly to encourage and sustain the very cordial relationship between the National Assembly and the administration. Mr. President, we are elected people just like the president is an elected president.

    “The Nigerian public has every right to criticise us, call us to order where we erred, proffer suggestions and way out where they think we need that. But I take special and serious exception when a presidential aide, instead of trying to bring people together, the two sides of government, would speak in this manner that is so divisive and unnecessarily creating tensions between the two arms of government and dragging and pulling down this administration from achieving those very noble and laudable campaign promises.

    “I, therefore, take this opportunity to advise presidential aides, if you have to speak when you have to speak, if you must speak, to use the language that will bring the executive and the legislature into some understanding for us to achieve what Nigerians need most.

    “We are not above board and I want to emphasise this, Nigerians have the right to speak because they brought us here, but a presidential aide hasn’t got that right. He can only proffer suggestions on the way out. I therefore believe that what the deputy leader has raised is serious; it is fundamental and I hope it will be an eye opener.”

    Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North) who prayed the Senate to ignore Sagay “because it is in his character to cause confusion” said:

    “I want to create three scenarios so that this Senate will be able to understand the person we are talking of and for us to know if there is any need at all to invite him.

    “Mr President, if you remember last year when the Supreme Court of Nigeria gave a ruling in a matter staying proceedings in an action, Prof. Sagay came out and cast aspersions on the judges of the Supreme Court and said everything he wanted to say about the judges of the Supreme Court that served in that panel.

    “The Nigerian Bar Association then under Barrister Alegheh, SAN  came out to apologise on behalf of NBA; he took on the NBA; he said all sorts of things about NBA.

    “The same Prof. Sagay when he was a professor of law in University of Benin and a woman, Prof. Alele Williams, was appointed a Vice chancellor for the University of Benin from Delta. Prof Itse Sagay with two other professors became intransigent and tried to pull down the  administration of this woman because a woman was appointed a first woman vice chancellor in Nigeria and that led to the government of Ibrahim Babaginda to sack him and the other two.

    “That’s another Prof. Sagay. The same Prof. Sagay when he was asked to deliver a speech in Delta State after the creation of Delta State that the good people of Delta North where I represent, Sagay said the fact that we have a state capital we therefore have no right to aspire to the position of governorship of Delta State.

    “I want to appeal, it is his trade mark, it is his trademark and like my friend said, if they had done some screening about him, there won’t have been any need to have appointed him. He doesn’t thrive where there is peace; his best is when there is confusion and trouble. He creates problems everywhere and that is why I have created three scenarios.

    “I want to appeal, let us not waste our time on Professor Sagay. Let us face important issues, national issues than to talk about Prof Sagay because he will continue. If a man at almost 80 years, if not more than 80, is behaving like that, it is his trademark you cannot change him now.

    “Let us just leave him; it is his trademark and those who appointed him, if they decide to bring him, he will continue to cause trouble, cause confusion and that is his trademark.”

    Senate President Bukola Saraki referred the matter to the Ethics Committee, which is to report back in four weeks.

    Saraki said: “I think this matter will be referred to the committee on Ethics and Privileges and to report back in four weeks.”

  • ‘Legislators lack powers to summon judges’

    A rights’ group, Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), has faulted plans by the Senate Committee on Judiciary to summon judges arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS).

    It said the legislature had no oversight powers over judicial officers in line with the principle of separation of powers.

    In a statement by its National Coordinator Mr. Chinos Obiagwu, LEDAP said only the National Judicial Council (NJC) was empowered by the Constitution to discipline judges and justices of superior courts.

    The group said any interference by the legislature or the executive in the affairs of the judiciary would be unlawful.

    LEDAP said: “The 1999 Constitution, unlike the legal framework of past military regimes, has consolidated the independence of the judiciary and established the NJC as the only body responsible for management of the judiciary.

    “There are a lot of corruption issues and corrupt politicians in the legislature and executive, which should preoccupy the senators. The scandal arising from the padding of the budget, which has been going on for many years in the legislature with connivance of the executive, as well as bogus and secretive huge allowances and emoluments claimed by legislators are more damaging economic crimes against the people that the Senate should address rather than intimidating a few judges alleged to be corrupt.

    “There are several court orders directing the National Assembly to disclose salaries and emoluments of its members, and details of constituency allowances claimed yearly by legislators. It has refused to obey these judgments of the courts.

    “The legislators appropriate nearly a quarter of the national wealth to themselves and account to no one. Nigerian legislators, adjudged as the most corrupt and most expensive in the world, has no legal or moral right to superintend over alleged corruption in the judiciary.”

  • Summon: Senate threatens to arrest AGF

    Summon: Senate threatens to arrest AGF

    The Senate yesterday threatened to invoke necessary legislative powers including arrest warrant to drag the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Ababukar Malami, to appear before it.

    The resolution followed explanation by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator David Umaru, on the circumstances surrounding the failure of Malami to honour the invitation of his committee.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, said that the Senate would be guided by Constitutional provisions to deal with the AGF if he failed once again to honour the invitation of the upper chamber.

    Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution attached to the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, had told the committee that it lacked the power to summon Malami since the AGF was not an appointee of the Senate.

    Obono-Obla who represented the AGF at a sitting of the committee insisted before he was walked out of the meeting that Malami did not commit any offence by dragging Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu to court over alleged forgery of Senate standing rule.

    Umaru who came under personal explanation said: “The resolution of the Senate was for the committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to invite the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to appear before it and explain the reason behind attempts to prefer charges against the principal officers of this hallowed chamber.

    “In line with the directive, we invited the Honourable Attorney General, first on the 23rd of June and on that date he did not appear but a letter was received by our committee to the effect that he needed more time to articulate its position and that he was out of the country.

    “The committee obliged him, we scheduled another meeting for the 30th of June, on that day,  the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice did not appear before the committee.

    “However, somebody who claimed to be Mr. Oblar appeared to say that he was appearing on behalf of the minister.

    “The committee therefore told him that he was not an invitee and that we will not attend to him and we asked him to leave.

    “I have being informed by Senator Ita Enag (Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters) and I have received lots of attempts to reach me by the Hon. Attorney General. Senator Ita Enag have informed me that the Attorney General regrets his inability to respond to our petition and that he requests time to appear before us.

    “I think it is important for the distinguished colleagues to be informed about this development and for us to request for more time to give him the opportunity to appear since he has indicated his willingness to appear before the committee.”

    Saraki who did not allow debate of the matter said insisted that the AGF must appear before the committee in line with the resolution of the Senate.

    He noted that failure to comply with the resolution of the Senate to appear before the committee necessary constitutional steps would be taken to enforce Senate resolution.

    The Senate President noted that they would have no choice than to follow strictly what he Constitution dictates if the AGF failed to honour the Senate.

    Saraki said, “We all heard the explanation of the chairman Judiciary. What he is trying to get across to us here is to tell us the status of the situation because what we have been reading in the papers was of great concern where the number one judicial officer of the country will be the one that will be flouting the Constitution.

    “Section 89 (c) of the Constitution is very clear. But it appears from what you are saying that the Attorney General is requesting for one more chance to be given to appear before you.

    “The Senate is always in the progress of development; as such we will do that and ensure that he does come this time.

    “Otherwise, we will have no choice than to follow the constitution strictly.

    “So, you will report back to us before the end of the week to let us know the status of that situation.

    “If that does not happen, we will go ahead and go in line with the Constitution very clearly.”

  • Kogi crisis: Reps summon AGF, Police chief

    The House of Representatives yesterday summoned the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase, following the crisis in the Kogi State House of Assembly.

    While Malami is to appear before a 22-member Ad Hoc Committee, headed by the Majority leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, to explain why he advised the IGP to discountenance the House’s directive to seal the Assembly, the IGP is to explain why he sought the AGF’s advice after being given a directive by the National Assembly.

    The committee is to investigate the matter and report in two weeks.

    The resolution followed the passage of a motion sponsored under Matters of Urgent National Importance by Ossai Nicholas Ossai.

    The lawmaker noted that the three arms of government have separate functions and that the House took a position on the Assembly crisis to forestall violence and loss of lives.

    He said he wondered why the AGF would advise the IGP against the resolution of the National Assembly.

    Contributing to the motion, Gbajabiamila said members had a responsibility to protect the institution (House of Representatives).

    He said the AGF was wrong, adding that Section 11 of the constitution empowered the National Assembly to do what it did.

    According to him, the effect of what the AGF is saying is that the gate of the Assembly should be opened to allow five members of the 25 to sit.

    “I believe the AGF has erred by inviting the police to open the House,” he said.

    Minority leader Leo Ogor, quoting Section 36, said the AGF should be invited as the No. 1 law officer, adding that the security and well-being of the country is paramount.

    Pally Iriase, who led the delegation to Kogi State, said contrary to reports at the time the House ruled to take over legislative functions of Kogi Assembly, no matter was in court.

    The Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, noted that the issue should be treated with seriousness because it’s a sensitive matter.

    Aliyu Madaki (APC, Kano) said the AGF created the problem in Kogi State as it was the minister, who advised the Presidency on what to do on the issue in the first place.

    “Please, please, this man (AGF) should go and read his books well,” he said.

    Tajudeen Yusuf said the AGF had no power to direct the IGP to unseal the Assembly and that the Eighth National Assembly should reject executive recklessness.

    Edward Pajok wondered why it took the IGP several weeks to carry out the directive he was given by the House to seal the Assembly, and why he sought the advice of the AGF.

    While some lawmakers asked for removal of the AGF, others were unhappy and expressed disappointment at the utterance of the AGF.

    Mohammed Kazaure (APC, Jigawa) said: “If he thinks we don’t know our job, let us invite him here to teach us.”

  • Police summon el-Rufai as security agents clamp down on APC leaders, supporters

    Police summon el-Rufai as security agents clamp down on APC leaders, supporters

    •Arrests violate peace accord – Buhari
    •Says accord must be worth its letters

    Leaders and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in different parts of the country are under siege  from security agents over today’s  presidential and National Assembly elections, even before the first ballot is cast.

    The police yesterday summoned  the party’s governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the party’s senatorial candidate for Kaduna North, Mr.Suleiman Hunkuyi,  and Chairman of the party campaign council in the state, Alhaji Lawal Yakawada, for questioning.

    The party’s presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday protested the development and warned that the clampdown was in bad faith and constituted a violation of the two Abuja Peace Accords he signed with President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Already in security custody  are an APC member of the House of Representatives from Ondo State, Hon. Eniolorunda Omosule, the APC agent at the Port Harcourt office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Emma Edeeyah, and four leaders of the party in Akoko Edo 1 of Edo State.

    The Kaduna  State Police Command, in a letter to the APC, summoned El-Rufai, Hunkuyi and Yakawada to  the command for questioning.

    The letter was  signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the CID.

    Apart from the letter,the police also placed several phone calls to the party’s secretariat, asking the men  appear before them.

    The Publicity Secretary of the party in Kaduna, Samuel Aruwan, said that the intention of the police was to keep the trio  till after the election.

    The APC had earlier raised an alarm that it had it on good record that there was a plan to begin a clampdown on its top members.

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State told newsmen in Benin yesterday that more APC members in the state had been pencilled down for arrest with a view to keeping them out of circulation during the elections.

    He accused  Works Minister Mike Onolemenmen of donating 14 Hilux vans to the 4 Brigade of the army in the state as part of the plot to use the military to intimidate the opposition.

    Former Ekiti State governor, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, said “there has been a lot of intimidation, a lot of attacks, a lot of violence perpetuated against the members of the APC and we hope that the security agencies will be up to the task to see that it does not continue tomorrow (today).”

    General  Buhari  deplored the situation yesterday and expressed disappointment that all these happened after he and President Jonathan “signed a new accord reinforcing our commitment to violent-free elections.”

    The first peace accord was signed by the duo along with nine other party leaders, on January 14th 2015, to “show our commitment to free, fair and credible elections in our dear country.”

    He said: “I take these accords very seriously, and this has reflected in the issues-based campaign which I ran all through the period of the electioneering, despite the provocative and sleazy campaign directed at my person and  party.

    “But recent developments across the country, ahead of Saturday’s elections, run against the contents and spirit of the peace accords.

    “For example, the ink with which we signed the new peace accord had barely dried when we started hearing reports of violence directed against members of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as glaring acts of harassment and intimidation being carried out against the opposition by security agents across the country.

    “Shots were fired at the convoy of the Director-General of my campaign organisation, His Excellency Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, in Rumuolumeni, Obio Akpor area of Port Harcourt, a few hours after the second peace accord was signed, leaving two persons injured.

    “I do hope this is not a confirmation of the information reaching my party that some notorious security agents have been deployed to Port Harcourt to restrict the movement of Gov. Amaechi.

    “In Ondo State, a serving APC member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Eniolorunda Omosule, was arrested and detained by the police for no reason other than to keep him away until after elections, while we have heard reports of an alleged meeting in Ibadan between the commissioners of police in the South-west and PDP officials.

    “In Imo, we have read of how more than 30 armed mobile policemen were unleashed on some APC youths at Mbutu in the Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, with the policemen firing indiscriminately, smashing doors and windows and arresting some of the youths, while there are alleged plans to deploy troops clothed in DSS uniforms to the South-west to help the PDP to rig the elections.

    “These are worrisome developments, more so because they involve security agencies, which are supposed to be neutral and professional in carrying out their constitutional duties of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians, irrespective of their party affiliations.”

    Gen. Buhari urged his supporters to shun all acts of violence, even in the face of the worst kind of provocations and declared that “the wordings of the accords must mean something if indeed they are the paper they are writing on.

    “The new peace accord we signed on Thursday called on the INEC and all security agencies to ensure strict adherence to their constitutional roles. This is the minimum requirement for us to have credible elections. When those who are being paid to protect Nigerians turn around to unleash violence on them, it portends great danger for the polity.”

    He asked  the President to immediately call the errant security agencies to order, in the spirit of the peace accords and  to make it  “clear that any security agent who engages in acts that are inimical to the success of the elections will face the full wrath of the law.”

    The police and the INEC  in Rivers State denied knowledge of  Deeyah’s arrest.

    The President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Legborsi  Saro Pyagbara, last night  called for the release of  his  fellow Ogoni, Deeyah.

    The state  Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, who doubles as the Director of Communications of APC’s Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside’s Greater Together Campaign Organisation, however, insisted that Deeyah was arrested yesterday morning by the police.

    Semenitari said: “Emmanuel Deeyah, the Rivers State APC representative in the INEC Headquarters in Port Harcourt has been arrested at the Rivers State Office of the INEC, where he was present at the distribution of materials.

    “The APC in Rivers State is worried about this (Deeyah’s arrest), as it confirms our fears that the Federal Government does not want elections to hold in Rivers State.

    “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had risen from a meeting with instructions that all APC chieftains and as many members as possible should be arrested. Arrests began  Thursday night, with massive arrests planned for  yesterday, up till 5 a.m. today. The idea is to keep as many APC members as possible away from today’s elections.”

    The MOSOP president  said Deeyah, a former member of the House of Representatives , is  “believed to be detained by the Anti-Cult Unit of the Nigeria Police Force.”

    Otunba  Adebayo,speaking in an interview in Iyin Ekiti decried the high level of intimidation and harassment against members of the APC.

    He said the security agencies should be neutral  in the elections.

    Governor Oshiomhole, at a press conference in Benin said  security agents were out  to arrest and harass top leaders of the APC  in the state.

    The alarm followed  alleged attempt by plain clothes soldiers to arrest the  State Youth Leader of APC, Osakpamwan Eriyo, on allegation of gun running.

    He was only left alone  following  the resistance put up by some APC youths.

    Osakpamwan, who, confirmed the report, said the soldiers invaded his hotel with a view to  putting  him out of circulation until the elections are over.

    A  member of the state House of Assembly, representing Akoko-Edo 1 Consitutency, Kabiru Adjoto, said four APC leaders in his constituency had been arrested and their whereabouts unknown.

    Governor Oshiomhole said  more  leaders of the APC had been pencilled down for arrest.

    Oshiomhole  denounced the

  • Missing NNPC $20 billion: Reps to summon Price Water Coopers

    Missing NNPC $20 billion: Reps to summon Price Water Coopers

    •NNPC report cooked – APC

    Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s firm of external auditors, Price Water Coopers, is to be invited by the House of Representatives to shed light on its report recently submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The chairman of the House of Representative Committee on Public Accounts, Solomon Adeola, who announced this said  the firm has some explanations to make on its report which  indicted the NNPC for ‘only $1.48billion’ as against the $20billion alleged to be missing from the account of the corporation.

    The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed has also dismissed the auditors’ report as “cooked up.”

    Speaking at a town hall meeting in Ikeja as part of his campaign for election as senator representing Lagos West Mr. Adeola said the Auditor General of the federation Mr. Ukura Samuel who commented on the report has no locus standi to do so as he was not the one that appointed Price Water House Coopers in the first place and would not have been privy to the terms of reference and rules of engagement given to the auditing firm.

    “The Auditor General did not appoint the auditing firm that submitted the report. What he gave the public in his press conference is a summarised version of the report and not the full report. We in the House Committee will be requesting for the full report. The firm was appointed by the Ministry of Finance and not the Auditor General,” he stated adding that as far as the House is concerned the report raised more questions than answers to the missing Nigerian money.

    The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee said the House needs to know the details of how out of $20billion, NNPC was only indicted for $1.48billion adding that Nigerians would want to know the details of what happened to the balance of $18.52billion in clear terms.

    “One is not surprised that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs.  Deiziani Alison-Madueke  has quickly ordered payment of the acknowledged missing  $1.48billion as this looks an easy way to bury the issue but Nigerians demand full accountability on this vexed issue” he said.

    And speaking to reporters in Abuja on the auditors’ report, the APC spokesman insisted that whether the missing money from the treasury is $1.48bn or more, the NNPC is corrupt.

    He said: “You see, the thing we have always been saying about NNPC accounting is that it is not transparent. There is nobody that can probe NNPC account because they receive, they spend, they keep.

    “And one of the things we have been advocating is that NNPC should restrict itself solely to one thing: operation. We should have another body for regulation.

    “But a situation whereby the same person takes receipt, issues licenses and spends, what do you want to audit? You audit the book that I gave you so the book has been cooked from the beginning.

    “But even if it has been cooked and they couldn’t uncook it and they are saying now it is $4b or $1.6b or $1.6b,it  is more than what the Osun state government receives  in a year. It is more than that because $1.6b is almost N300bn. Osun doesn’t receive that in two years.”

    He said that Nigeria needs public sector reform to fight corruption.

    Alhaji Mohammed  also called for the introduction of a new code of conduct ,saying: “What you need to do to fight corruption is political will. Once the head is corrupt, it goes down.

    “You reward discipline, and punish indiscipline. You reward honesty, and punish dishonesty. You reward hard work and punish idleness. You institute merit base system of reward and will be harsh on anybody who is corrupt.”

  • Reps summon commission over alleged chaotic voter cards’ delivery

    THE House of Representatives has resolved to invite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to appear before its Committee on Electoral Matters with progress reports on the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards’ in all the states where the exercise is ongoing.

    INEC is also to explain to the lawmakers the modalities for distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards’ in all other states before the 2015 elections.

    This was sequel to a motion brought under urgent public importance by a member, Yakub Abiodun Balogun (APC, Lagos), on the alleged haphazard distribution of Permanent Voter Cards by the INEC and the imminent disenfranchisement of eligible voters in some states.

    Lawmakers supported the passage of the motion at plenary when the Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal, who presided, called for a vote.