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  • Why I dumped YPP for APC, by Ubah

    Why I dumped YPP for APC, by Ubah

    Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South) has explained why he dumped the Young Progressives Party (YPP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He said he took the decision to get the South East into the mainstream of national politics.

    Ubah was elected into the Upper Chamber in 2019 under the platform of YPP.

    Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele with six other Senators presented the new entrant to the National Chairman of the ruling APC, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at the party’s National Secretariat.

    Addressing the Ganduje-led National Working Committee (NWC), the new entrant said his defection was informed by the need to get the entire Igbo nation into the mainstream of national politics.

    Ubah, who was full of praises for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administrative prowess, said he was also impressed with his large heart to integrate the southeast region into his government despite the opposition from the region to his aspiration.

    He cited the appointment of Senator Dave Umahi as a frontline Minister despite the poor electoral performance of the zone during the last presidential election.

    According to the Chairman of Capital One Oil: “It gladdens my heart to see the calibre of men that are here today to welcome me. We have been on this for long and we consummated this a few weeks ago in the United Kingdom.

    “I want to take the message to my people that we have a new Sheriff in Bola Tinubu. I want to be sincere. It has always been difficult for the Igbo nation to get key appointments in the federal government because of our sentiments.

    “Seventy per cent of us who are multi-millionaires in the southeast made our money from Lagos. Tinubu can integrate all. It gladdens my heart that Tinubu is rewarding those who didn’t vote for him with Dave Umahi as Minister.

    “I consulted widely before joining APC. I left YPP to join APC. It is the same “progress”! It isn’t about talking but about doing. Mr. President, take it from me that I am going to deliver.

    “President Tinubu has assured me that he will support me. I want to thank you for this reception that you have given me.”

    Read Also: BREAKING: Ifeanyi Ubah dumps YPP, joins APC

    Receiving Ubah into the ruling party, the APC National Chairman described the former YPP chieftain as an asset to the APC, who will be useful in liberating the southeast and bringing the zone to join mainstream politics.

    Ganduje admitted that the cry of marginalization by the southeast was genuine but blamed leaders in the zone for the development.

    He noted that the division among the eminent politicians in the region was responsible for the political polarisation, stressing that there was no wisdom in a situation where five states in the zone were shared by four political parties.

    “Today is a day that we can’t forget. Since I assumed office, this is the biggest fish the party net has picked. Sometimes it is a shark or whale put together.

    “We have introduced some reforms into the party: One, to make it active not only during the election but to widen its membership. It is disturbing that marginalisation is a common concept. When we hear that people are being marginalised, we develop interest. I have met some senior politicians south-southeast the common thing is to complain about marginalisation. The absence of southeast in the Villa is a fact.

    “You have five states, three controlled by three different political parties: PDP, APGA, LP. We have 4 parties controlling 5 states and I said, let us discuss this. Is that a sign of wisdom? Now it is the time of Liberation and already we have two states in the southeast. With this juggernaut, this is the answer to liberate the southeast zone of Nigeria. With time, other states will join the APC.”

  • Ubah: I’ll add value in the Senate

    Senator-elect for Anambra South Ifeanyi Ubah has said he is going to the Senate to add value to legislative business.

    Ubah spoke in Abuja at Senator Ahmed Lawan’s declaration of intent to vie for senate president. He described Lawan as the best to lead the ninth senate.

    The Senator-elect said he won the election on the strength of his acceptability without party office in Anambra State.

    On the speculation that he was dumping the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Ubah said it was not yet time for him to leave the party that gave him the platform to go to the Senate.

    Ubah promised to use his experience and influence to add value and glamour to the ninth Senate. He also promised to provide quality representation for his constituents.

    He said: “I am not defecting from YPP. I am still in YPP. In party business, you can’t determine what would happen next. Sometime you just wake up one day and you will start seeing one problem or the other. For me today, I am in YPP and I hope to remain in the party.

    “YPP is bringing a revolution of change to Nigeria. I must join a progressive group in the senate since I cannot be alone. YPP is the party to beat in this country. I won my election without the party having office in any part of Anambra State.”

  • PDP suspends Ubah, refers Kashamu to disciplinary panel

    PDP suspends Ubah, refers Kashamu to disciplinary panel

    THE national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah for one month.

    The party has also referred Senator Buruji Kashamu to its disciplinary committee for action.

    Briefing reporters in Abuja yesterday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said Ubah, who was a governorship aspirant in Anambra State, got suspended for disregarding a query issued to him by the party’s leadership.

    On Kashamu, Adeyeye said the PDP leadership had queried the senator representing Ogun East over some of his actions, which the party considered inappropriate and detrimental to its stability.

    Adeyeye said: “This week, we had some disciplinary issues regarding the issue of Anambra governorship primaries, in which one of the aspirants had launched a major attack against the party’s leadership in the media.

    “I am talking in the person of Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, who not being satisfied with the decision of the governorship appeal panel, decided to launch a vitriolic attack on the leadership of the party and those who were involved in the conduct of the primary.

    “The National Caretaker Committee took a decision to issue him a query, asking him to retract the statement and to offer apology to those who have been disparaged by his remarks in the press.

    “He chose not to answer the query. Of course, the query was issued under the relevant sections of the constitution of the PDP. But he decided not to answer the query; consequent upon which the National Caretaker Committee today decided to suspend him for a period of one month and to refer the matter to the National Disciplinary Committee for further necessary action.”

    On Kashamu, Adeyeye said: “He too was issued a query by the National Caretaker Committee some weeks ago. In his own case, he replied the query and denied some of the allegations made against him. He was basically saying that he is not responsible for some of those things for which he was accused of.

    “Consequently, the National Caretaker Committee also took a decision to refer his case to the National Disciplinary Committee for further necessary action”

    According to the party spokesman, the disciplinary committee is expected to submit its report within two weeks.

    Ubah was suspended for launching media attacks on members of the primary election committee set up by the party to conduct the Anambra State governorship primaries. Mr. Oseloka Obaze won the primary election.

    The oil magnate had described the primary election as a “sham” and accused the PDP leadership of doctoring the delegates’ list for the primaries.

    According to him, the list of accredited delegates used for the primary election was different from the one the party submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Ubah had accused the chairman of the primary election committee, Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi of manipulating the exercise by unilaterally pruning the number of delegates.

    He had challenged Obaze’s victory on the ground that the latter was still awaiting the party’s decision on his waiver application at the time the primary election was conducted.

    “I was robbed of the PDP governorship ticket at the primary election and all my efforts to get redress from the leadership of the party, including the Appeal Panel and the Board of Trustees (BoT) failed to yield result,” Ubah had said.

    Apparently, Kashamu is being investigated for challenging the decision on the party leadership dissolving Ogun State executive committee in court.

    The party had, a few weeks ago, dissolved the state’s executive committee loyal to Kashamu and had set up a caretaker committee in its place.

    Kashamu had kicked against the party’s decision, an action that attracted a query from the party’s leadership.

    In response, the senator said the query was contemptuous of a subsisting court judgment relating to the leadership crisis in the Ogun State chapter.

  • PDP screens Oduah, Ubah, Ikpeazu, others for Anambra poll

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday screened Senator Stella Oduah, oil magnate, Dr. Patrick Ubah and House of Representatives member, Lynda Ikpeazu, for the November 18 Anambra State governorship election.

    Others also screened include a former Minister of State, John Okechukwu Emeka, Dr. Alex Obiogolu, Oseloka Henry Obaze and Mr. Akolisa Ufodike.

    The screening, which held yesterday at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, witnessed a mild drama as the committee complained about indiscipline among the aspirants.

    Committee Chairman Adamu Maina Waziri said it was unfortunate that some aspirants showed up at the venue 90 minutes behind schedule.

    Waziri, a former Police Affairs Minister, fingered Oduah and Ubah as the late comers.

    He expressed the committee’s displeasure at their action.

    The committee chairman urged the aspirants to display the spirit of sportsmanship in the overall interest of the party, adding that the PDP has everything to lose if another party wins the election.

    Waziri assured the aspirants justice and fairness in the screening, remind that in line with the party’s constitution, none of them would be required to pay above the N6 million nomination fees.

    According to him, the party decided to waive the fees for women aspirants to enable them take active interest in partisan politics.

    Also, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said the PDP would welcome back some of its high profile defectors to the party in the days ahead.

    Okowa spoke yesterday while inspecting the Eagles Square in Abuja, venue for the party’s convention billed to hold on Saturday.

    The Delta governor said necessary arrangements had been put in place for the convention.

    He said: “We just came to see what is on the ground. I believe our people will be safe because we have everything under control. We are not expecting any hitches at all.

    “We are doing very well as a party and as a committee. In this kind of planning, you will have some challenges here and there, but there are solutions for everyone. We are confident that we are on the right track, and it shall be well on Saturday.

    “This is a new PDP. With the excitement we saw after the Supreme Court victory, we did see among Nigerians and not only PDP followers, I believe a lot of people who thought the party was going to implode will realise that we are back alive and ready to offer what it takes to better the lives of Nigerians.

    “Many of our members, who left earlier due to one form of disagreement or the other, will return to their party because the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) has constituted a Reconciliation Committee as well as a Contact and Mobilisation Committee to reach out to them.

    “From the way things are going presently in this country, I believe Nigerians will realise that PDP is the only alternative that can bring Nigeria out of her current economic challenges.”

    Also, the party’s National Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, assured members that the disagreements in the Southwest had been resolved.

  • AGF, EFCC get court’s nod to prosecute Ubah, Capital Oil

    AGF, EFCC get court’s nod to prosecute Ubah, Capital Oil

    •Appeal Court voids purported clearance by AGF, House of Reps, others

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja which among others, prohibited  investigation and prosecution of businessman Ifeanyi Ubah and his firm, Capital Oil and Gas Limited over their alleged complicity in the massive petroleum subsidy scam recorded under the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

    The court, in a unanimous judgment by a three-man panel, voided the purported clearance jointly issued Ubah and his firm via separate letters written by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and a report by the ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives (that probed the oil subsidy scam).

    The judgment was on an appeal  initiated by the Chairman of the EFCC and AGF against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja delivered on July 25, 2013 in a fundamental rights enforcement suit  filed by Ubah and his firm. It was prosecuted by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), with Ajibola Oluyede and Babs Akinwumi representing Ubah and Capital Oil.

    Court documents revealed that trouble started for Ubah and his firm when the Presidential Committee on the Verification and Reconciliation of subsidy payments to petroleum marketers queried the payment of about N43.291billion subsidy payment to them on the ground that the process leading to the payment was suspicious.

    The case was referred to the Police’s Special Fraud Unit, ‘D’ Department, Force CID, Lagos for investigation. It issued two interim reports dated November 2, 2012 and November 3, 2012, claiming that the transactions involving Ubah and his firm were suspicious.

    Ubah and Capital Oil, who queried the composition of the Presidential Committee on the ground that it was headed by former Access Bank Managing Director, Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede, with another board member, Cosmas Maduka, as member (a bank with which they had financial dispute), had the two police interim reports set aside by a judgment of the Federal High Court on February 18, 2013.

    For unexplained reasons, the police, on February 28, 2013 issued a third report exonerating Ubah and his firm. The House of Reps’ ad-hoc committee gave a similar verdict in its report of April 18, 2012. The AGF, in a legal advice to the EFCC Chairman and the IGP, dated October 2014 exonerated Ubah and his company from criminal liability.

    Based on the AGF’s advice, the EFCC Chairman issued a report dated February 25, 2015 confirming that there was no criminal liability established against Ubah and his firm.

    The AGF followed up with three letters dated March 12, 2015, addressed to the Ministry of Finance, the Debt Management Office and the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), notifying them that the EFCC has discontinued any investigation into the case and has issued Ubah and his firm clearance letter.

    But, in the Court of Appeal judgment, delivered on May 12, a copy of which The Nation obtained last Friday, Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, who read the lead judgment, said those letters were mere opinions of the authors, not sufficient to confer a status of innocence on a criminal suspect, who has not been tried in court.

    Justice Agim said such letters can also not deter relevant investigative agencies from reopening investigation on the case, because a legal advice by the office of the AGF on a case file sent to it by the police after investigation, was not the same as the exercise of the AGF’s power to take over or discontinue criminal proceedings under Section 174(1)(a) and (c) of the Constitution.

    The judge said Ubah and his firm’s reliance on the letters “and two recent judgments of the Federal High Court, they quickly procured upon obtaining those documents (the letters by AGF, IGP and EFCC Chairman), are all aimed at circumventing and defeating the decisions of this court in IGP v. Ubah, Aig-Imoghuede v. Ubah and Maduka v. Ubah (three decisions of the court’s Lagos division which set aside the February 18, 2013 judgment given by the Federal High Court, Lagos.

    Justice Agim noted that the fact that the office of the AGF and the Chairman of the EFCC have continued to prosecute the appeal despite the letters purportedly written by them in favour of Ubah and his firm, was an indication that “the current holders of those offices have refused to ratify or adopt the letters written by their predecessors.”

    The judge added: “I have held herein that the said report of the ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives is of no legal effect and that in any case, it did not absolve the 1st and 2nd respondents (Ubah and his firm) from complicity in the massive fraud in the petroleum subsidy payments.

    “I have also held herein that the investigation report in exhibit CAPOIL 4 (the 3rd police investigation report) exonerating the 1st and 2nd respondents from complicity in the commission of the said crimes conflicts with the elaborate findings of facts showing their commission of the offences in exhibits CAPOIL 1 and 2 (the 1st and 2nd police investigation reports) and that this justifies the further investigation of the matters by the appellants.

    Justice Agim noted that one of the allegations raised by then Chairman of Access Bank, Dr. Cosmas Maduka against Ubah and his firm before the Presidential Committee that investigated the subsidy fraud was that they “fraudulently obtained clearance of imported petroleum products when the original copy of the bill of lading for the products was still in the possession of the consignee, Access Bank that financed the letters of credit for the importation.”

    He also noted that the second police investigation report on the case, marked: exhibit CAPOIL 2 contains findings of facts of Ubah and his firm’s involvement in petroleum subsidy payment fraud.

    “Exhibit CAPOIL 4 (third police investigation report) and exhibit PA3 (the report of the ad-hoc committee of the House of Reps) relied on by the 1st and 2nd respondents all agree that there was massive fraud in petroleum subsidy payments involving petroleum marketing companies, tank farm owners and Federal Government officials.

    “There was therefore, a reasonable basis for the suspicion of the 1st and 2nd respondents of committing the said offences.

    “The fuel subsidy fraud involved corruption and fraud on a very massive scale, involving many oil marketing companies and officials of government regulatory agencies, resulting in the looting and stealing of trillions of naira from the Federal Government of Nigeria and threatening the security and economy of Nigeria.

    “This fact is common knowledge and is not open to question. The petroleum subsidy fraud is a serious and very complicated fraud that has dealt a devastating blow on the security and well-being of the people. “

    Justice Agim, who likened the massive fraud that was perpetrated in the name of petroleum subsidy to terrorism and treason, castigated trial court judges, who chose to yield their platforms to suspects being investigated for complicity in such grave offences.

    “Yet, the trial court and other courts have determined applications for the enforcement of fundamental human rights of persons being investigated for committing this and similar type of offences in such a manner as to prevent or frustrate such investigation by issuing injunctions to stop ongoing process and prevent even future processes without regard to the very serious nature of the crime alleged to have been committed and its far reaching destructive effect on society.

    “Such legal processes initiated by suspects to pre-empt the due investigation of the allegations against them amount to gross abuses of the legal process and court processes.

    These pre-emptive legal processes initiated by persons suspected of committing very serious offences such as petroleum subsidy fraud, theft of public funds and properties, terrorism, treason, etc to prevent the initiation or continuation of the due criminal processes of investigation of the allegation against them is not a legitimate or genuine use of the court process.

    Justice Agim frowned at the conflicting roles played in the case by relevant government agencies including the police, the office of the AGF and the EFCC, who at different points, issued letters of clearance to Ubah and his firm.

    Justices Peter Olabisi Ige and Tani Yusuf Hassan, who were members of the three-man panel, agreed with Justice Agim’s views in the judgment.

  • Ubah diverted N11b PMS to cause artificial scarcity, says DSS

    Ubah diverted N11b PMS to cause artificial scarcity, says DSS

    •Court rules tomorrow on whether to free businessman

    The Department of State Services (DSS) said yesterday that detained businessman, Ifeanyi Ubah, planned to plunge the nation into economic and social crises by creating artificial scarcity of petroleum product with his alleged diversion of the over 80 million litres stored in his facility.

    The DSS said the alleged diversion was stealing and an attempt to cripple the economy since petroleum is the main source of the nation’s revenue.

    The service said the act is punishable by death under the Petroleum Product and Distribution (Anti-Sabotage) Act, 2004.

    A lawyer to the DSS, G. Agbadua, said these while arguing a counter-affidavit filed by his client in opposition to an application by Ubah, seeking the vacation of an order granted to the DSS on May 10 for his detention for 14 days pending the completion of investigation.

    Ubah has been in DSS’ custody since his arrest on May 10, following complaint by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). NNPC alleged that the businessman diverted the over 80 million litres kept in the tank farm of his company, Capital Oil and Gas Limited based in Lagos.

    The DSS said Ubah’s continued detention is based on the order granted by Justice Haliru Yusuf of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Jabi, an order which Ubah has applied to be set aside.

    The businessman argued, among others, that the court was misled by the DSS, which allegedly suppressed material facts from the court.

    Agbadua, in a written address he adopted yesterday, contended that, as against the argument by Ubah that the diversion was purely a civil case, his action was criminal and was allegedly intended to threaten the nation’s economy.

    Justifying the DSS’ involvement in the case, Agbadua argued that the alleged offence falls within such issues that the DSS could investigate. He said the act was not only punishable under the Petroleum Product and Distribution (Anti-Sabotage) Act, 2004, but also under Section 383 of the Criminal Code.

    Agbadua said: “The action of the respondent (Ubah) to sabotage the distribution of petroleum products is a capital offence under the Petroleum Product and Distribution (Anti-Sabotage) Act, 2004.

    “The act of the respondent was capable of plunging the country into chaos as a result of scarcity of product had the NNPC not taken a proactive step to forestall such situation.

    “This clearly brings the action of the respondent under the provision of the Petroleum Product and Distribution (Anti-Sabotage) Act, 2004.

    “The punishment of sabotage under this Act attracts death penalty.  It is clear that the respondent was arrested for the conversion of the property of NNPC. It is not just an ordinary stealing, it is stealing of the lifeblood of the nation,” Agbadua said.

    He said the gravity of the alleged offence informed why a diligent investigation was required to ensure prompt prosecution of the respondent, a position which informed why the applicant (DSS) sought the permission of the court to detain him pending the conclusion of investigation.

    The DSS explained its involvement in the case in its counter-affidavit, in which it said that “the respondent was arrested on reasonable suspicion of his involvement in the commission of crime. He converted PMS belonging to the NNPC kept in the custody of his tank farm to his personal use.

    “The respondent refused to return the PMS to NNPC after repeated demands. The PMS is worth over N11billion. The action of the respondent is affecting the distribution of petroleum products to the populace.”

    Arguing Ubah’s application earlier, his lawyer, Mrs. Ifeoma Esom, prayed the court to either set aside its order of May 10 or order her client’s release because his continued detention was unjustified.

    She argued that the issue on which he was being held was purely civil and contractual, and in respect of which provisions have been made for penalty in the case of default.

    Mrs. Esom stated that Capital Oil and Gas has been one of the largest “throughputs provider” for the NNPC for a long time and that providers of such services are allowed to either convert or divert products kept with it as long as it can re-deliver the product within seven days or to pay penalty for non-redelivery.

    “The failure to re-deliver is expressly stated by the contract to be a mere breach of contract, remediable by the payment of penalty to the owner.

    “There can therefore be no issue of crime in conversion of products under a throughput contract (regardless of the ordinary connotations of those words,” Mrs. Esom said.

    After listening to the lawyers, Justice Yusuf adjourned to May 25 for ruling.

  • ‘N11b fuel theft’: Court orders DSS to produce Ubah

    ‘N11b fuel theft’: Court orders DSS to produce Ubah

    The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to produce Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited Ifeanyi Ubah on Friday.

    Justice Mohammed Idris ruled on an ex-parte application by Ubah through his counsel, Mrs. Ifeoma Esom.

    The businessman is praying the court to compel DSS to release him from its custody.

    Esom argued that unless the court orders the applicant to be produced in court within 48 hours, the DSS and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will continue to keep him in their custody.

    She said they ought “coerce him into acceding to whatever conditions they impose on him in exchange for his freedom”.

    The EFCC, the DSS Director-General, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) are among the respondents.

    DSS arrested Ubah for alleged “economic sabotage” and “illegal sale of petroleum products stored in his tank farm by the NNPC”.

    “So far, it has been established that the products stolen amount to over N11billion,” the DSS said in a statement.

    In a supporting affidavit to Ubah’s application, Capital Oil’s Secretary, George Oranuba, said the DSS acted in disregard of “the constitutional doctrine of separation of power and sanctity of the judicial process”.

    According to him, the arrest was over allegations made by the NNPC and AMCON, which were already subject of a lawsuit.

    “Notwithstanding the pendency of this suit and the service of the originating process as aforesaid, the respondents again invited Ubah to report to their offices in respect of the same allegations made by the NNPC and AMCON, which is the subject matter of the instant suit,” Oranuba said.

    Oranuba said a “throughput agreement” between Capital Oil and NNPC allows for “conversion and diversion of products by ‘operators’ so long as the operator is prepared to re-deliver the products within seven days of demand by the products owner or to pay a penalty for non-redelivery”.

    According to him, the failure to re-deliver was a “mere” breach of contract, which can be remedied by the payment of penalty to the owner, and was not a criminal act.

    “The throughput agreement expressly states that any penalty due for non-re-delivery is to be treated as a debt and I verily believe that law enforcement agencies are not allowed to operate as debt collectors,” the deponent said.

    Oranuba said NNPC was indebted to Capitol Oil in “excess of N13 billion”, yet the company did not call law enforcement agencies to collect the debt.

    The DSS claimed Ubah had further engaged “in other activities inimical to national security and public order”.

    “In furtherance of his gimmicks to undermine the government and people of Nigeria, he has incited members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), a critical player in the downstream sub-sector of the petroleum industry, to refuse/stop the lifting of products,” it said.

    But, the PTD wing of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) faulted the DSS over the allegation, saying no individual or institution can be allowed to use tanker drivers to cause economic sabotage.

     

  • ‘Fuel supply sabotage’: NUPENG wing faults DSS allegation on Ubah

    The Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ (PTD) wing of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) yesterday faulted the Department of State Security Services (DSS) over allegation of collaboration with the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Ifeanyi Ubah, to disrupt distribution of petroleum products.

    It said no individual or institution can be allowed to use tanker drivers to cause any economic sabotage.

    The union, which made the clarifications in a statement by its national chairman, Otunba Salmon Oladiti, dismissed the allegation as ”baseless, unfounded  and totally untrue”.

    The DSS linked Ubah’s arrest to alleged plans to incite members of the PTD, a critical player in the downstream sub-sector of the petroleum Industry, to refuse/stop the lifting of products.

    But the tanker drivers, through their chairman, said there was no way its members could be used for economic sabotage.

    Oladiti said the union has no relationship with the firm’s chief, ‘’ beyond the precinct of promoting, projecting and protecting the security of jobs and welfare of our members”.

    The statement said: “We read from an online publication the arrest of Ifeanyi Ubah for stealing and diversion of petroleum products worth N11 billion and further allegation of inciting Petroleum Tanker Drivers to cause economic sabotage.

    ‘’The leadership of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers wishes to categorically deny the allegation of Ifeanyi Ubah or any other individual, inciting the tanker drivers to cause any economic sabotage.  The allegation is baseless, unfounded and totally untrue.

    ‘’Our responsibility as a trade union is solely to promote, project and protect the job security and welfare of workers, most especially the petroleum tanker drivers in Nigeria.

    ‘’We have no further relationship with any capitalist/ employer beyond the precinct of promoting, projecting and protecting the security of jobs and welfare of our members.’’

    The union further restated its commitment to the war against corruption by the federal government and its determination to sustain what it called “a good brand of integrity and excellent service to the nation”.

    ‘’We unequivocally support the ongoing war against corruption by the current government and any capitalist/employer found culpable of stealing, diversion or embezzlement of government funds should be appropriately dealt with in accordance with the law.

    ‘’The PTDs’ branch of NUPENG has over the years built a good brand of integrity and excellent service to the nation and we will not allow anyone or institution, no matter how highly placed to bring this beautiful brand our forebears toiled to build into disrepute.’’

  • Ubah, Oduah remain senators

    Ubah, Oduah remain senators

    A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday upheld the candidacy of former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, Senator Andy Ubah and others for last year’s national and state legislative elections in Anambra State.

    Justice Adeniyi Ademola, in a judgment yesterday, held that the list of candidates, containing the names of Oduah, Andy Ubah and others, submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party, was the authentic list of candidates.

    The judgment was on a suit by Senator Annie Okonkwo, Chukwunedum Chris Ubah and 42 others, who were listed as candidates in the list submitted to the INEC by the Anambra State Executive Committee of the PDP led by Ejike Oguebego.

    The plaintiffs had, among others, challenged the decision of the INEC to substitute their names earlier published on the INEC’s website prior to the election, for those contained in the list submitted to it by the party’s NWC.

    They urged the court to void the INEC’s decision to replace their names with those of Oduah, Andy Ubah and others.

    In his judgment yesterday, Justice Ademola resolved the four issues he identified for determination against the plaintiffs.

    The judge faulted the plaintiffs’ contention that the INEC, having published their names first, could not replace them with a list of other people without a valid order of court.

    Justice Ademola said the mere publication of the plaitiffs’ names on the INEC’s website was without any legal consequences and did not qualify them to be regarded as the authentic candidates of the party.

    “The state Executive of a party or any organ of the party at the state level lacks the power to sponsor candidates. It is only the primary election conducted by the National Executive or their delegates that can validly conduct primary to produce its candidates,” the judge said.

    Justice Ademola, who referred to the January 29, 2016 judgment and February 24, 2016 ruling of the Supreme Court on similar issues, involving parties in the case, held that the apex court’s judgment and ruling were not in favour of the plaintiffs in this case.

    The judge, who also referred to an earlier judgment by the late Justice Evoh Chukwu (also of the Federal High Court, Abuja), said the judgment only upheld the legitimacy of the Ejike Oguebego-led state Executive of the PDP in Anambra.

    Justice Ademola held that the fact that Justice Chukwu’s judgment upheld the legitimacy of Oguebego-state EXCO of the PDP in Anambra State did not confer on it the power to nominate candidates for the party.

    He said political parties, being national organisations, the power to nominate/select candidates for a party resides with its National Executive Council, not the state Executive Council.

    He dismissed the suit, but made no order as to cost.

  • Family stops Obi from suing Ubah

    Family stops Obi from suing Ubah

    HEARTLAND goalkeeper, Ebele Obi, older brother of Chelsea’s Mikel, has told AfricanFootball.com he will no longer drag FC Ifeanyi Ubah billionaire owner to court after he assaulted him at the end of a league game.
    Ubah punched Ebele after a league game involving IfeanyiUbah and Heartland which led to sanctions from LMC on both parties.
    The former Rangers captain told AfricanFootball.com that some lawyers had started the process to sue Ifeanyi Ubah, but he has now stopped them following a decision at the family meeting in Anambra State.
    “I am not going to press charges against Ifeanyi Ubah again. Lawyers have started the procedure, but I will have to tell them to withdraw,” he informed AfricanFootball.com
    “This decision was taken after a long family meeting in our village in Anambra with my father, mum, wife, brother and sisters in attendance.
    “My dad said I should withdraw the case in the name of almighty God who we serve and that I should let God handle the case.”