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Edo Guber Polls: It’s one person, one vote, APC tells PDP

Abeeb ALAWIYE
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Edo Guber Polls: It’s one person, one vote, APC tells PDP

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a warning to the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the September 19, governorship election in Edo State, saying the election is “One person, one vote”.

In a statement issued on Friday by Yekini Nabena, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of APC, the party said it has no interest in rolling in the mud with the PDP and engaging it in what it called “their senseless and drunken tirade.”

Nabena said PDP was intimidated by the quality, depth and political sagacity of the APC National Campaign Council deployed by the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee to organise a formidable campaign structure to ensure success of the party and its candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu during the election.

According to Nabena, Edo is not dubbed the heartbeat of the Nation for nothing.

“The Edo electorate is sensible, sophisticated and progressive. The focus of the APC is to display to the Edo electorate our pro-people credentials, infrastructure/development track record, social investments, wealth creation initiatives among others which is being replicated across APC states,” he said.

Nabena said in the statement  that APC is a party that fiercely advocates, practices and defends the principle of “One person, one vote”, saying “Come September 19 every valid vote must count.”

“We urge the PDP to concentrate on their deadbeat and empty campaign instead of the comic it has turned itself to. Edo is proudly an APC state,” Nabena concluded.

Court orders Public Defender to take over Evan’s case after 5th lawyer pulled out

Niyi OYEDEJI
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Court orders Public Defender to take over Evan’s case after 5th lawyer pulled out

JUSTICE Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court on Friday ordered the Lagos State office of the Public Defender to take over the defence for alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans after the fifth lawyer pulled out due to financial constraint.

Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), the Lagos State Attorney-General, who informed the court about the development noted that the law chambers of Ladi Williams (SAN) and Co, who represented Evans on the last court date said they have not perfected their brief.

Evans who was arraigned alongside five others on August 30, 2017, on two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping has changed lawyers at least five times during the course of his trial.

Some of the lawyers who have represented Evans include – Olukoya Ogungbeje, Noel Brown and Olanrewaju Ajanaku.

Reacting to the absence of the defence counsel, Justice Oshodi noted that Evans had developed a habit of engaging the services of lawyers who according to the judge, “disappeared halfway through trial” and this he said, has caused delays in the case.

“There are five other defendants with different counsel, the interest of the first defendant (Evans) is not superior to those of the other defendants,” Oshodi said.

“The court will not breach Section 36(6) of the 1999 Constitution by going ahead with today’s business of the court which is the hearing of the no-case submissions.”

The judge, thereafter, ordered an OPD counsel who was in court, E.E. Okonkwo, to takeover Evans’ defence.

Following the judge’s ruling, Evans co-defendants -Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, and Victor Aduba filed no-case submissions asking the court to dismiss the charges against them.

The second defendant, Uche Amadi, however, did not file a no-case submission.

 

 

 

Malabu oil scam: We did not drop charges against Ex AGF, Adoke, EFCC insists

Lukman ABOLADE
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Malabu oil scam: We did not drop charges against Ex AGF, Adoke, EFCC insists

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), says it has not dropped charges against Mohammed Adoke, a former Attorney General of the Federation(AGF) and Minister of Justice over his involvement in the Malabu-oil scam.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson  stated this in a statement on Friday following media reports that the Commission has dropped charges against the former AGF.

According to the statement, Adoke is still standing trial before two courts in the country.

“The EFCC wishes to make it abundantly clear that, Mr. Adoke is standing trial in two separate courts: Federal High Court, Abuja before Justice Inyang Ekwo in Suit Number: FHC/ABJ/CR/39/2017 and FCT High Court, Gwagwalada before Justice Idris Kutigi in Suit Number: FCT/CR/151/2020,” Oyewale wrote.

According to the statement, Adoke was re-arraigned alongside a businessman, Aliyu Abubakar on seven-count charges of money laundering.

The Commission stated that the re-arraignment was occasioned by the transfer of the case from Justice Binta Nyako to Justice Inyang Ekwo.

The anti-graft agency further noted that Adoke is still facing a separate 42-count charge bordering on the Malabu oil scam before Justice Kutigi.

However, EFCC noted that there is another subsisting case involving Malabu Oil & Gas Limited, Aliyu Abubakar, and five companies allegedly involved in money laundering charges before Justice Ekwo.

The statement read that the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/268/2016 was filed against the accused on Wednesday, July 1, 2020.

It urged media to ignore the International Criminal Police Organisation’s (Interpol) removal of Adeoke’s name from “Wanted Persons’ List”.

The removal according to the Commission, was because the ex AGF has been arrested and is already facing charges in Nigeria.

“A suspect cannot be on a “Wanted Persons’ List” and be facing trial in court at the same time,” the Commission wrote.

The ICIR reported that Adoke was arrested in December 2019 by the Interpol immediately his flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE) landed at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

He was later handed over to the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Adoke is facing prosecution over his involvement in the controversial Malabu oil deal. He is being accused of money laundering, abuse of office by the EFCC for granting Oil Prospective License (OPL) 245 to Shell and ENI.

He went on exile shortly after the 2015 general election while the Federal High Court, Abuja dismissed his case based on argument from his counsel, Ozekhome that he was arrested unduly.

Adoke has always argued that whatever action he took while in office was taken based on a presidential directive, thus, cannot be prosecuted.

Failure to name beneficiaries of COVID-19 palliatives signals mismanagement- SERAP

Ihuoma ILO
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Failure to name beneficiaries of COVID-19 palliatives signals mismanagement- SERAP

THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) says failure by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide names of beneficiaries of the COVID-19 funds and private donations violates the Framework for the Management of COVID-19 Funds in Nigeria.

Quoting the Framework put together by the Office of the Attorney General of Federation (AGF) and Ministry of Finance, SERAP said “It is mandatory for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to provide information on all COVID-19 Fund transactions to any member of the public under the FOI within seven days of receiving the request.

The Framework also states: “Failure to publish timely report of COVID-19 activities and spending in response to FOI request will constitute early warning signs of mismanagement and shall be deemed as contravention of this Guideline,” SERAP said in a Twitter message on Friday.

It stated that the ministry and the CBN have shown early warning signs of mismanagement by their refusal to make public details of spending on COVID-19 palliatives.

“Therefore, in the words of the Guideline, the failure by @FMHDSD @cenbank  to NAME BENEFICIARIES of COVID-19 funds and private donations “constitute early warning signs of mismanagement” and is “deemed a contravention of the Guideline,” it said.

The ICIR reported that SERAP  filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government and the CBN asking them to publicly identify and name Nigerians who have so far benefited from any cash payments, cash transfers, food distribution and other reliefs and palliatives during the lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states because of COVID-19.

In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/657/2020 filed  at a Federal High Court, Abuja SERAP requested for “an order for leave to apply for judicial review and an order of mandamus to compel  Sadia Umar-Farouk, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, and  Godwin Emefiele, CBN governor, to publish spending details of public funds and private sector donations to provide socio-economic benefits to the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people.”

Also in April the organization gave a seven-day ultimatum to the 36 state governors to respond to its requests to urgently provide information on spending details on COVID-19 in their respective states.

Was Access Bank in Onne, Rivers State shut down due to COVID-19 infection?

Niyi OYEDEJI
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Was Access Bank in Onne, Rivers State shut down due to COVID-19 infection?

A viral voice note on WhatsApp last June claimed that Access Bank in Onne, Rivers State has been shut down due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.

The voice note, made by an unidentified person, was later shared on Instagram by a Social Media Influencer, Tunde Ednut via his account: @tundeednut on June 29.

The post has garnered 287,953 views; 26,033 likes with 1,691 comments as of 3:00pm on Friday, July 3.

 

THE CLAIM

The transcripts of the voice note reads:

“Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well. Please o, abeg! if you don’t have anything to do in the bank, please stay in your house.

“Okay, this is what happened, you know the Access Bank branch in Onne. If you are coming into Onne, you will see Fidelity Bank, First Bank, Sterling Bank, Union bank, Polaris bank, then you will see Access  Bank and Zenith Bank.

“As I speak, NCDC has sealed Access Bank. The bank manager tests positive and he is dead. Everyone working there has been taking to the isolation centre,” a feminine voice narrated.

There are three claims from the voice note, namely:

  1. The Onne branch of Access Bank was shut down due to coronavirus.
  2. A  staff  from the branch died due to the coronavirus.
  3. The person who died is the branch manager of the bank.

 

THE FINDINGS

The ICIR contacted Abdul Imoyo, the Head of Media Relations of the Access Bank PLC. He confirmed that a staff of the bank in Onne community of Eleme local government area of Rivers state in Nigeria tested positive for coronavirus.

He also added that the Onne branch has been shut down.

In addition, Imoyo sent a  press statement, to The ICIR  stating that several measures have been put in place by the bank to minimise the spread of COVID-19.

“We have received unfortunate confirmation of the loss of our staff who until his death worked at our Onne Branch, Rivers State.

“In light of this, we have activated our COVID-19 precaution response plan as part of measures to help contain the virus. The branch has been shut down for immediate disinfection and will only be reopened once we certify that it is safe enough for services to resume”, the  statement reads in part.

Further checks by The ICIR revealed that the River State governor, Nyesom Wike, had on June 20, ordered the lockdown of Onne community of Eleme and Bonny LGAs of the state to check the spread of COVID-19 in the areas.

 

THE VERDICT

From all evidence obtained, The ICIR was able to confirm that:

  1. The Bank’s branch in Onne was shutdown due to coronavirus
  2. A staff of the bank died due to coronavirus
  3. However, The ICIR could not confirm if the dead person was the bank’s branch manager in Onne.

Therefore, two out of the three claims are TRUE.

 

Buhari could have dealt with Wike, Fayose but…. – Femi Adesina

Amos ABBA
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Buhari could have dealt with Wike, Fayose but…. – Femi Adesina

FEMI Adesina, spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed why the president did not respond to rude comments and insults to his person by Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State and Ayodele Fayose, the immediate past governor of Ekiti State.

In an article, titled “Wike vindicates Buharists” Adesina said President Buhari decided to ignore caustic comments from the opposition party chieftains and act as a father of the nation.

“The President could have dealt with them in many ways, either overtly or covertly, if not for the maturity, and the avuncular attitude of President Buhari to all state governors, it would have been easy for one to conclude that he and Wike were enemies. Sworn ones,”  Adesina wrote.

He attributed the gesture to the president’s resolve to be democratic in his leadership style rather than respond to their “anti-Buhari” stance to his policy initiatives.

Adesina stated Fayose had formed a tag team with Wike in the anti-Buhari tendencies.

Reacting to Wike’s invitation to the president to Rivers State following the approval of the refund of N148 billion to five states in the country for the repair of federal roads, the presidential spokesperson  said  the circle had changed considering the governor’s stance before the approval of the release of the refund.

He noted that Wike had always criticised every move of President Buhari prior to this development.

Rivers State got a total of  N78.9 billion out of the N148 billion  approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC),  as refund of to five states in the country for the repair of Federal roads.

“The Wike we knew was either usually crying wolf where there was none, alleging that the Federal Government wanted to kill him, or claiming that he was not answerable to the central government at Abuja in any way.

“Or even pontificating that the President and his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), had failed the country in diverse ways,” Adesina said.

“In January 2018, there had been vicious killings in some parts of the country and when the President decided to embark on sympathy and solidarity visits to the states. All the Governors were receptive, except Wike, who said the visit was a smokescreen, meant to revive the dying APC in Rivers State,” he added.

He stated that President Buhari’s decision was based on what was right irrespective of personal inclinations, despite Wike’s combative approach to his policies.

“Some people say it is N78.9 billion that is working, and the Governor is clearly inebriated by that windfall. But I don’t think so,” he said.

Two medical staff, 3 others test positive for COVID -19 in Calabar teaching hospital

Lukman ABOLADE
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Two medical staff, 3 others test positive for COVID -19 in Calabar teaching hospital

 THE University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) has confirmed that two of its medical staff and three other persons have tested positive for COVD-19 in a recent test by the hospital.

The UCTH made this known through a memorandum signed by Ikpeme Ikpeme Medical Director, dated July 3 and sighted by The ICIR.

Ikpeme revealed that the tests were carried out by the hospital through the use of the Polymerase Chain  (PCR) Technique.

According to him, the test facilities are of NCDC accredited laboratory located at Alex Ekweme University Teaching Hospital, Abakiliki, Ebonyi State capital.

He disclosed that the management of the UCTH has notified the Cross River State Government and other agencies of the state government of the cases.

Ikpeme added that the medical staffs are gradually recovering from the viral disease hence urged other staff not to panic, adding that the the public should cooperate with health agencies because the number of COVID-19 cases could increase due to the recent easing of lockdown in the state and other parts of the country.

“We, therefore, urge everyone to take personal responsibility and co-operate with government and institutions in the ongoing fight against the disease,” he said.

“Especially with the relaxation of the lockdown which can potentially translate into an increase in the number of cases,” Ikpeme noted

The management of UCTH had recently raised an alarm over claim by the state government that Cross Rivers State was COVID-19 free.

The Medical Director said the hospital would work directly with the National Centre for Disease Control(NCDC) rather than the state government.

We have Madagascar herb plant, not much progress made on it- Minister

Ihuoma ILO
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We have Madagascar herb plant, not much progress made on it- Minister

OSAGIE Ehanire, Nigeria’s Minister of Health says the plant from which Madagascar herb, called COVID-Organics, touted as cure to coronavirus disease is grown in Nigeria.

Ehanire, however said that the  herb plantation which was developed to produce anti-malaria drug has not made much progress.

According to the Minister, the Madagascar herbal drink is developed from artemisia plant which has the capacity to treat malaria.

The Minister stated that “preliminary results of the analysis of the so-called Madagascar herbs or organics done by the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) shows that it is the same as the plant called Artemisia anua, which is grown in the NIPRD farm in Abuja.”

“Some years ago, the government imported this plant and has a plantation of it in trying to develop its production of the artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), Ehanire said on Thursday during the daily press briefing on COVID-19.

“The plantation is still there, but the process has not gone that much further.”

He added that the Ministry has started to examine what has held the progress on using the plantation to develop anti-malaria drug in the country.

“We are looking into seeing what has held it up, but the plant is here; it was intended for producing anti-malarial, and the type we have here has a very high yield of artemisinin, which is the active ingredient,” Ehanire said.

“The species we have here have been tested and they have a very high concentration of artemisinin.

He added that Nigeria would go on with further research to ascertain if the herb can work against Coronavirus.

“To see whether it works against the coronavirus disease is what further research will have to bring.”

He maintained that the Madagascar herb is one component of the malaria treatment medicine.

“The so-called Madagascar herb is one component of the malaria treatment medicine,” Ehanire said.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who received in May Nigeria’s portions of the herbal remedy from President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau ordered that the drug should go through the verification process which other remedies for COVID-19 are being subjected to.

 

 

 

Nigerian law school spent N36m on dressing allowance, paid cleaner N32m – Auditor General

Seun DUROJAIYE
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Nigerian law school spent N36m on dressing allowance, paid cleaner N32m – Auditor General

THE office of the Auditor-General of the Federation said it has uncovered some financial misappropriation in the financial records of the Nigerian Law School between 2013 and 2015.

According to the Audit Report, the Nigerian Law School management illegally paid N32 million to the account of an unnamed cleaner over a period of 12 months.

The Audit report also uncovered the payment of N36 million as dressing allowance of 52 workers to the account of a single member of staff in violation of Nigeria’s Financial Act.

According to the 2015 Audit Report which is currently being examined by Senate Public Accounts Committee , the management of the Nigerian Law School was also queried for the expense of N34.3 million as training of staff without approval from Federal Government.

“The examination of payment records revealed that the Nigerian Law School several times paid N36 million to staff as dressing allowance in 2013 alone,” the report read.

“The Management could not substantiate these payments with any approval from Salaries and Wages Commission to enable the audit team to determine the genuineness of these payments to staff. No appropriation in this request,” it added.

Nine queries were issued by the Office of Auditor-General of Federation to the management of Nigerian Law School in 2015, following the recorded anomalies.

Isa Chiroma, Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, leading the management of the legal academic institution, appeared before the Senate panel on Thursday to defend the queries.

Chiroma argued that he was not the Director General of the institution when the illegal expenses were processed but settled to get to the bottom of the matter.

Chiroma resumed as Director General in February 2018.

 

Lawmakers call for national survey on cancer, treatment facilities

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
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Lawmakers call for national survey on cancer, treatment facilities

 

THE HOUSE of Representatives on Thursday called on the Federal Ministry of Health to commission a national survey to generate reliable data on the different forms of cancers Nigerians are suffering from and also ensure treatment facilities are made available.

Samuel Adejare, an All Progressives Congress (APC) legislator from Lagos State, speaking on the floor of the House wondered why Nigeria with a population of about 200 million people would rely on only eight machines for treatment.

The lawmakers lamented the limited number of functional radiotherapy machines used in managing the disease across the country and absence of adequate data on the disease.

According to the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that monitors regular proceedings of the lawmakers, the National Assembly members called on the Ministry of Health, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), other relevant stakeholders and development partners to harness a multi- sectoral effort to improve cancer care in Nigeria.

While urging the health ministry to facilitate the establishment of independent standard comprehensive cancer centres in the country, the lawmakers directed committees on healthcare services and health institutions to follow up on this.

The Nigeria National Cancer Control Plan 2018-2022, says cancer is responsible for 72,000 deaths annually in the country, with about 102,000 new cases every year.

Prostate cancer tops the greatest threat for the Nigerian men while breast cancer is a major threat to women, according to the plan.

In April 2019, Francis Faduyile, former president of the NMA disclosed that only four cancer treatment centres were functional in the country.

Faduyile, in an interview published by The Punch, identified eight radiotherapy centres where cancer patients could be treated.

 He lamented that cancer treatment service was in shortage and had increased deaths including medical tourism.

“We have eight teaching hospitals in Nigeria with radiotherapy centres – Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba; University College Hospital, Ibadan; National Hospital Abuja, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria; University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu; University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin; Usman Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital, Sokoto; and the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe – but about four of them are not in a functional state currently.

“The cancer treatment centre in the University College Hospital, Ibadan; Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe; the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin and that of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, are not functioning at the moment,” Faduyile had stated.

Professor Chris Bode, the Chief Medical Director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), had said some cancer patients who could not afford medical tourism and could not wait for the long period to be attended to eventually died.

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