Tag: urges

Former Governor Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), has sent a birthday congratulatory message to former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, describing him as a Nigerian worth celebrating.

According to Tinubu, Anyaoku’s stewardship to the nation and the international community remains one of the few bright lights of Nigeria that gives us pride.

“Chief Anyaoku signposts what is best and possible about the average Nigerian and Nigeria as a country. He has demonstrated beyond doubt that our country is blessed and not cursed and that if true leadership exists, Nigeria can produce a dozen and more Anyaokus”.

Tinubu praised the former Secretary General for his great commitment to good governance and the rule of law, urging him never to relent in speaking up against bad government and rogue leadership. “ Your outspokenness on sensitive and important national issues has not gone without notice. Rather, these interventions have energised others to speak in similar vein. As you celebrate your 80th birthday, I urge you not to relent in speaking truth to power. Nigeria needs to be rescued and the likes of you can help expose the gang up that is passed on as governance today,” Tinubu said.

Asiwaju Tinubu prayed that God will grant Chief Anyaoku good health and long life, long enough for him to see power change hands to a new leadership that will lead Nigeria into safe waters.

In what appeared a further crack in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), National Legal Adviser Victor Kwon has asked the Court of Appeal to reinstate Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the sacked National Secretary.

He also urged the Federal High Court, Abuja to grant a stay of last Friday’s judgment, which led to Oyinlola’s removal from office.

In two applications before the High Court and the Court of Appeal, the National Legal Adviser said the PDP believed that a “ vacuum would be created in the National Working Committee (NWC), which would affect the smooth running of the party.”

His motions before the two courts contradicted the position of the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who on Monday removed Oyinlola from office.

Tukur, in a statement in Abuja, said: “Pursuant to the powers conferred on the National Chairman by Chapter V Section 35 (1), 35 (1)(b) as well as section 36(2) of the constitution of the PDP (as amended), the Deputy National Secretary of the PDP, Solomon Onwe, is hereby directed to assume duties as the Acting National Secretary of the PDP.”

But the national legal adviser said Oyinlola will “suffer more hardship if this Honourable Court does not make an order of injunction restraining the Judgment Creditors/Respondents as the pending appeal will be rendered nugatory.”

The Motion on Notice, filed by the National Legal Adviser, before the Federal High Court, was obtained by The Nation.

The Motion on Notice and the Notice of Appeal are dated January 11, 2013, but they were filed and stamped on January 14 at the two courts.

There was confusion among party chiefs yesterday.

Although Kwon approached the two courts on behalf of PDP, some NWC members did not agree with his arguments.

A member of the NWC, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “Do you mean that he made those submissions on behalf of PDP? Well, some of us have not been briefed. I will get back to you please.

“The legal advice we got from one of our counsel was that the judgment of the Federal High Court bordered on declaratory orders and Oyinlola must vacate office. We were made to believe that Oyinlola will need to fight his way back to office.”

Another party source said: “The Legal Adviser has not made the motion and notice available to all NWC members. They have not been briefed.

“Even the party leadership does not have the documents, as I speak with you. Well, we will reach out to the national legal adviser to know the truth.”

The national legal adviser made the following averments before the Federal High Court.

“That I know that in the event that the Appeal of the 2nd Judgment Debtor/Applicant is successful and the judgment of this Honourable Court is not stayed, the 1st Judgment Debtor/ Respondent (Oyinlola) will not have the immediate benefit of returning to the seat he presently occupy as National Secretary of the 2nd Judgment Debtor/ Applicant (PDP) and this will adversely affect the activities of the PDP.

He said the “2nd Judgment Debtor/ Applicant (PDP) undertakes to pay damages in the event that it is discovered that this application ought not be granted. That it will be in the greater interest of justice to grant this application.”

In a separate notice of Appeal filed at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, the National Legal Adviser averred that the PDP was dissatisfied with the judgment of Justice A. Abdul-Kafarati of the Federal High Court(No.2),Abuja delivered on Friday the 11th January 2013.

He said Justice Abdu-Kafarati “misdirected himself in law when he held that Oyinlola could not have emerged as a candidate for the Office of National Secretary at the South-West Zonal Congress of the appellant held 21st March, 2012 in violation of suits FHC/ L/ CS/ 282/2012 and FHC /L/CS/347/2012 and decisions therein given.

In highlighting the particulars of error in the judgment of Justice Abdu-Kafarati, the National Legal Adviser said Oyinlola was not a candidate of the South-West Zonal Chapter of the party.

He said Oyinlola was elected at the National Convention of the party.

He added: “The Office of National Secretary of the PDP in the 2012 National Convention was zoned to members of the party from the Southwest geopolitical zone of the country and not the South-West Zonal Chapter of the appellant (the PDP).

“Oyinlola hails from the South-West geopolitical zone of the country to which the position of the National Secretary of the PDP was zoned

“Oyinlola contested and won election for the Office of National Secretary of the PDP at the 2012 National Convention in his own right and not a nominee or candidate of the South-West Zonal Chapter of PDP.

“Other members of PDP from the Southwest geopolitical zone of the country also contested for the Office of National Secretary of PDP alongside Oyinlola notwithstanding the South-West Zonal Congress of PDP held on 21st March 2012.

“The nullified South-West Zonal Congress of PDP held on 21st March 2012 did not nominate, present or otherwise endorse Oyinlola as candidate for the Office of National Secretary of PDP.”

Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to sue Messrs Boniface Emenulo and Femi Otedola for their roles in the alleged $620,000 bribery scandal.

In a statement entitled: “Charge Farouk Lawan to court now”, Falana also asked the EFCC to, in particular, arraigned Otedola for giving bribe to the two lawmakers to de-list his companies from the list of companies indicted in the subsidy fraud.

The human rights activist said no reason has been given why they have not been arraigned despite that the police have concluded investigation into the matter and forwarded the case file to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, for prosecution and in view of the fact that Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) had been appointed to prosecute the suspects.

He recalled that a few months after the $620,000 bribery scandal broke out, two other members of the House, Herman Hembe and Chris Azubogu, who were alleged to have diverted $4,095 (less than N5million) illegally collected from the Nigerian Security Exchange Commission, were sued by the EFCC.

“Since what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, Lawan and Emenulo should be sued without any further delay,” he said.

Said Falana: “Following the unanimous resolution of the House of Representatives to probe the fuel subsidy scam last year, a committee was set up, headed by Farouk Lawan. Having led the “Integrity Group” in the House, millions of Nigerians were convinced that the committee would unearth the officially-sanctioned scam in the fuel subsidy regime.

“Apart from submitting a comprehensive memorandum, I gave an oral testimony at the public hearing conducted by the committee in Abuja.  The committee  assured me  that  there would be “no sacred cows. But to the chagrin of Nigerians, some of the indicted companies were absolved of any criminality after paying bribes running into several millions of dollars.

“One of the fuel importers, Mr. Femi Otedola, who had the names of two of his companies blacklisted, revealed in the media that he had paid $620,000 of the $3 million bribe charged by Farouk Lawan. Although Lawan initially denied the serious allegation, he later admitted that he collected $500,000  bribe when confronted with the video recording of the criminal transaction.

“Another $120,000 was said to have been collected by Emenulo, the Secretary of the House Committee on the Fuel Subsidy Scam. Both suspects were arrested by the police for interrogation. In their separate statements, they confessed that they collected $620,000 from Mr. Femi Otedola.

“Lawan further revealed that he had informed the EFCC that he was under pressure to collect the bribe. However, the claim of Lawan that the money was handed over to Adams Jagaba, the Chairman of the House Committee on Narcotic and Financial Crimes, was   denied by the latter.

“Embarrassed by the scandal, the House of Representatives restored Mr. Otedola’s companies to the list of indicted companies and removed Lawan and Emeluno from the House Committee on the Fuel Subsidy Scam. Lawan was suspended as the Chairman of the Education Committee pending the conclusion of police investigation.

“The cock and bull story of Lawan that he collected the bribe to implicate Otedola did not impress the House, which referred the scandal to the Ethics Committee of the House for further investigation. Up till now, the committee has not come up with its report, though it concluded its assignment several months ago.”

He noted that last year, Nigeria was rated as one of the most corrupt  countries in the world due to the lackadaisical handling of the cases of corruption involving influential members of the ruling class.

He said having undertaken to make the fight against corruption part of its transformation agenda, the Goodluck Jonathan administration should direct the anti-graft agencies to bring to book, those who have been indicted in the various probes on the fuel subsidy, adding that no one should attempt to deceive Nigerians by saying there is no evidence to try criminal suspects who have made confessional statements.