The Nation Newspaper

Tag: withdraws

  • Senator withdraws from Bauchi governorship race

    Senator withdraws from Bauchi governorship race

    Mixed reactions have trailed the withdrawal of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed from the governorship race in Bauchi State.

    For three and half years, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain has been holding consultations with stakeholders on the ambition.

    When ministers who have ambition resigned from the Federal Executive Council (FEC), Mohammed did not resign, fueling suspicion that he has stepped down from the race.

    There was enthusiasm among the people that a people-friendly politician would take over from Governor Isa Yuguda. They felt the minister would bring his wealth of experience to bear on governance in the state.

    For his kinsmen, who believe he would emerge as the flag bearer, the withdrawal is worrisome.

    A 70 year-old indigene,  Haruna Usman Duguri ,who lost two sons to snake bites on his farms in 2013, described the withdrawal as an ill-wind.

    He said: ’’My sons  Abba  26 and Abdullahi 20 years had gone to harvest sugarcane and pick beans, were bitten by snake and they died because of lack of medical attention.  But, we have all along been thinking that, when our son, the Kauran Bauchi, becomes the governor, he will build a hospital for us or find a way of killing the snakes so that we can return to our farms again.

    “But, we are disappointed now that he can’t be our governor, and we don’t think any of the aspirants will help us,if he wins the election, even if come out here in Duguri District to vote for him”.

    Another indigene, Alhassan Ibrahim, who is from Shafa village, said: “We are all devastated because, you only benefit from government project today, if you have a ‘’big man’’ in the government who belongs to the influential group and who attract  the benefits of democracy. I

    “ was particularly hoping that, if Kauran Bauchi wins the governorship, he will help us get compensation or some form of relief from Yankari Game Reserve management for the massive destruction done to our water mellon, sugarcane, corn and other farm products by elephants yearly, since he is from here.”

  • Headship tussle: Ruling House withdraws suit against Awujale

    The Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State has explained why it listed the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, as one of the respondents in the suit it filed against the founder of the First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Otunba Subomi Balogun.

    It said it was for a “judicial declaration for Oba Adetona not to recognise or deal with Balogun as the head of the ruling house.”

    The ruling house, has, however, withdrawn the suit against the Awujale.

    It sued Balogun for “attempting to impose himself” as head of the house. Three others were joined as respondents.

    Oba Adetona was the fourth respondent. Reacting to the suit, the Awujale suspended the head of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Lateef Owoyemi, as his Otunba.”

    Addressing reporters in Idowa-Ijebu at the weekend, Owoyemi, a former Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) President, said no “harm” or “inconvenience” was meant in joining Oba Adetona in the suit. He said following the intervention of the Chief Imam of Ijebuland, Alhaji Abdulrasak Salaudeen and the 39 Olorituns in Ijebu-Ode, among others, the ruling house filed a notice to discontinue action against Oba Adetona.

    Owoyemi, who was accompanied by some members of the house, said the ruling house was “shocked” by his suspension as an Otunba.

    He said: “Our joining his majesty in the suit as the fourth defendant was only for a judicial declaration for him not to further recognise or deal with Balogun as our Olori Ebi. Our doing so was based on sound legal advice from senior legal experts. We did not mean to harm or inconvenience our royal father, who we hold in high esteem.

    “However, following the intervention of highly placed community leaders, especially Alhaji Salaudeen, as well as the Ijebu-Ode Council of Oloritun, we, last Friday, filed a notice to discontinue our action against the Awujale and brought same to the notice of the palace.”

     

  • NBTE withdraws poly’s accreditation

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) said yesterday that it was withdrawing accreditation of the programmes offered by the Crown Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, for going against the operational guidelines approved for it by the board.

    The board’s spokesman, Mr. Jacob Abang, said in a statement made available to The Nation that the institution was found to have gone against the directive of the Federal Executive Council on the operation of outreach centres in parts of the country by offering programmes not approved by the board.

    Abang quoted a letter to the proprietor of the polytechnic, dated August 2, 2013 and signed by the NBTE Executive Secretary, Dr. Masa’udu A Kazaure mni, as saying that the withdrawal of accreditation of programmes in the polytechnic became necessary in view of the petitions received from organisations, government agencies and students on the conduct and operation of the polytechnic.

    He said subsequent investigation by the board also showed that the polytechnic was operating in contravention of the Basic Minimum Academic Standards as prescribed by law and has been running National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in 30 centres across the country, particularly in Yenagoa, Kabba, Akure, Ondo and towns in Ekiti State, which is in contravention of the Federal Executive Council’s directive against operation of satellite/outreach centres by tertiary institutions.

    Mr. Abang also said the board discovered that the polytechnic was running unapproved ND programmes in Urban and Regional Planning, Quantity Surveying and Public Administration and had submitted list of students for mobilisation to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in unapproved HND Computer Science and Electrical/Electronics Engineering programmes.

    The board, he said, has directed the polytechnic to stop academic activities in its illegal satellite/outreach study centres; close down the illegal campuses/centres; report these centres to the security agencies where appropriate to ensure that they do not propagate or relocate to other addresses.

    The board also directed the institution to publish a disclaimer of names and addresses of the illegal /satellite campuses in at least two national dailies for the information of the public, as well as ensure that the institution would not engage in any further collaboration or unapproved affiliation with any person/organisation to run any programme again.

    Abang also quoted the Executive Secretary as saying that the board may only allow the institution to resume operation when it is satisfied that the institution has complied with approved standards in line with Part II, Section 15 and 16 of CAP ES LFN 2004.

    The board advised the Directorate of NYSC to put mobilisation of graduates of the polytechnic on hold. It advised the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to stop admission into the ND programmes of the institution until further notice.

  • Henry Okah’s legal team withdraws

    The lead counsel of Henry Okah’s legal team yesterday at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg announced the teams withdrawal from the terrorism case.

    Okah is the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).

    Defence counsel, Lucky Multulanta, told trial Judge Neels Claassen that they were withdrawing from the case to allow a new legal team take over the trial of the case that might go to appeal.

    “Having discussed with my client, we came to agreement that it is appropriate for us to step down from handling the matter and allow a new legal team to take over from the mitigation of sentence to the appeal court hearing.

    “My client has the right to change his legal team, and now he has decided to change the legal team representing him in this case, we are both happy about the decision,’’ Multulanta said.

    The defence counsel had asked the court to grant them postponement to call at least five witnesses from Nigeria and the United States to testify at the mitigation of sentence hearing.

    Justice Claassen granted the defence the postponement for Feb. 28 to March 4 to call their witnesses. “We have experienced a lot of frustration in getting out witnesses to come to South Africa to testify on the mitigation of sentence for my client

    “I don’t know the reason why it is difficult for the South Africa Embassy in Nigeria to issue visas to our witnesses. We have made all efforts to get the visas but up till now their visas have not been issued,’’ Multulanta said.

    Justice Claassen expressed his disappointment in the withdrawal of Okah’s legal team.

    “On the last sitting of the court I told you that there will be no further postponement in this case, now you are coming to announce your withdrawal from the case.

    “I must tell you that I am very disappointed about this decision, how am I sure that is not a deliberate attempt to further delay the administration of justice.

    “I just hope this is not a tactic to further delay the court processes, both of you may be happy about the change of the legal team, but it is against the legal procedure for you to take such decisions after several postponements.

    “Changing the mainstream at this is stage is a very serious thing to do. I have to show my displeasure about the way and manner you have handled the case,’’ Claassen said.

    The new lawyer, Gerrit Miller asked the court for an adjournment to allow him prepare and consult with his client.

    Claassen adjourned hearing in the matter to March 18 to March 20.

    “This is really the final adjourment, I will grant your application for this first and final adjournment, you must tell your client that I will no longer tolerate any further adjournment even if he decides to change his legal team again at the 11 hour,’’ Claassen said.

    Okah, the convicted fractional leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), was found guilty of a 13 count charge of conspiracy to commit terrorism by masterminding two car bomb attack in Abuja on Oct. 1, 2010.

     

  • Kano withdraws from malaria control loan

    The Kano State Government may have withdrawn from the malaria control loan obtained by the previous administration.

    Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, it was learnt, has directed the Ministry of Health to work out modalities for exiting from a $27million (about N4.212billion) loan obtained from the World Bank for a malaria control project.

    The governor noted that the directive would enable the government have enough funds for its health programmes.

    Kwankwaso spoke when he exchanged views with the World Bank Country Director in Nigeria, Marie-Francoise Marie-Nelly, who visited him at the Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

    He said: “As a matter of policy, the state government is not taking any loan. What government is getting presently is enough to manage our health challenges.”

    The governor explained that exiting from the loan does not mean discarding the programme.

    He said if it is found worthy of continuation, the government would single-handedly fund it.

    Kwankwaso recalled that during his first tenure, his administration did not take any loan, saying as far as the government of Kano State is concerned, there is no compelling need to borrow money now.

  • Kano withdraws from malaria control loan 

    KANO state governor, Engr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, has directed the Ministry of Health to work out modalities towards exiting a $27 million loan obtained from the World Bank for a malaria control project by the previous administration.

    He stated that the directive became imperative because the state has enough funds to cater for health concerns of citizens.

    The governor, who spoke while exchanging views with the World Bank Country Director in Nigeria, Marie-Francoise Marie-Nelly, during a visit said: “As matter of policy, the state government is not taking any loan. What government is getting presently is enough to manage our health challenges.”

    Kwankwaso, however, explained that exiting from the loan does not mean discarding the programme.

    He assured the government will single- handedly fund the programme if it is found worthy of continuation.

    He recalled his administration did not obtain loan during his first tenure, pointing out that Kano has no compelling need to borrow for now.

    Kwankwaso, however, maintained his administration is favourably disposed to grants and projects, which could be executed through counterpart funding.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Judge withdraws from Ondo PDP, CJ suit

    Judge withdraws from Ondo PDP, CJ suit

    An Akure High Court Judge, Justice B. F. Adeyeye, has withdrawn from a case filed by the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Olaseinde Kumuyi.

    He said the withdrawal was to prevent a likely bias.

    Through its counsel, Dapo Agbede, the party had filed the case, accusing Justice Kumuyi of partisanship.

    It alleged that the CJ participated in the ward congress of the ruling Labour Party (LP) and signed the list of the local government executives of the party.

    The PDP also alleged that Governor Olusegun Mimiko and Justice Kumuyi used the machinery of the state to frustrate it and its governorship candidate.

    But counsel to the CJ and the LP, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), said Justice Kumuyi had filed a preliminary objection, requesting that the case be thrown out because the court lacked the capacity to hear it.

    Following an argument on the preliminary objection, Justice Adeyeye reserved ruling till last Friday.

    But before the Friday ruling, counsel to the PDP, Dapo Agbede, had filed a motion, asking the judge to withdraw from the suit on the ground that he had been the counsel to the governor before he was made a judge.

    The lawyer added that Justice Adeyeye was in the legal team that helped Mimiko to reclaim his mandate from the tribunal.

    According to him, the defendants conspired to frustrate the PDP and its governorship candidate by using preliminary objection.

    The counsel to PDP averred that the judge was a personal counsel to Mimiko in many other cases before he became the governor.

    But Justice Kumuyi’s counsel argued that the motion was an attempt to intimidate the court and prevent the ruling.

    The judge said he was Mimiko’s lawyer before he became the governor and, therefore, he is withdrawing from the suit on the ground of likely bias.

    The motion prevented the judge from ruling on the preliminary objection brought by the CJ and the LP.

    The case was remitted to the court Registrar for re-assignment to another judge.