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Budget Padding: Court Refuses To Entertain Jibrin’s Suit

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Budget Padding: Court Refuses To Entertain Jibrin’s Suit
Abdulmumin Jibrin
Abdulmumin Jibrin

The Federal High Court in Abuja, has refused to hear a fundamental rights enforcement suit brought before it by the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Jibrin Abdulmumin.

Jibrin had approached the court, begging it to shield him from being arrested or interrogated over his allegation that Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara and three other lawmakers, surreptitiously padded the 2016 budget with about N40billion.

Counsels to Jibrin, led by Mohammed Abdulhamid and Chukwuma Nwachukwu, told the court that Jibrin’s colleagues were plotting to implicate and make him “a scapegoat” after he revealed how N40bn out of N100bn allocated to the entire National Assembly, was diverted.

Joined as respondents in the suit are Speaker, his Deputy, Yusuf Lasun, the Chief Whip, Alhassan Doguwa and the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor.

Others are the Nigeria Police, the Inspector General, the Commissioner of Police for the FCT and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

However, Justice Okon Abang who is currently sitting ‎as a vacation judge, refused to hear the suit, saying that Jibrin ought to have obtained leave that would enable the court to hear his matter during vacation.

Justice Abang said that “A matter filed during court vacation is not heard as a matter of cause.

“The applicant is expected to apply and obtain the leave of court to have his matter heard during the court vacation in line with the provisions of Order 46 Rule 5 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2009.

“This applicant did not do so. I do not have jurisdiction to even grant an adjournment of this suit.   “It is expected that the applicant will do the needful to comply with the provisions of the rules of this court.”

In the suit, Jibrin also sought an order directing the Respondents, jointly and severally, to pay him N500 million as aggravated and exemplary damages for violating his rights, and to also publish a written apology to him in two prominent national dailies.

He alleged that the respondents, did not only deny him the opportunity to substantiate his allegations before other members of the House in plenary, but had sponsored an invasion of his home where a seven-month old baby and a convalescing mother were greatly harassed and humiliated.

Jibrin asked for “An order of mandatory injunction restraining the Respondents whether by themselves, officers, servants, agents, privies or howsoever named from further attempting to arrest, arresting, intimidating, threatening or infringing on the Applicant’s fundamental rights except in strict compliance with the Constitution”.

Gov. Lalong To Probe Jonah Jang’s Administration

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Gov. Lalong To Probe Jonah Jang’s Administration
Former Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang
Former Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State has set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the financial spending of the two tenures of former governor Jonah Jang.

This was contained in a press statement by Emmanuel Nanle, Director of Press and Public affairs to the governor.

Nanle stated that the Commission of Inquiry will be chaired by a Justice of the Port Harcourt division of the Court of Appeal, Stephen Adah while Sani Mavo is to serve as Secretary.

Other members of the commission are Bibiana Bawa, Ekoja Ekoja, and Samuel Agamah.

The Commission’s Terms of Reference include : “To ascertain all financial transactions, done or entered into by the Government of Plateau State of Nigeria or through any of its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), or official acting in its name from the 29th day of May 2007 to 29th May 2015.

“To ascertain and establish all financial allocations, funds, grants or monetary interventions and revenues which accrued to or in the name of the Government of Plateau State of Nigeria. Departments, Agencies (MDAs), Officials or Agents from the Federal Government of Nigeria or any International Institutions or Donor Agencies from 29th May 2007 to 29th May 2015.

“To ascertain and establish all loans granted to or obtained by the Government of Plateau State of Nigeria through any of its Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and the purpose for which such loans were obtained and whether the loans were used for such purpose.

“To ascertain whether any property belonging to the Government of Plateau State or any of its Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), Parastatals and Institutions which were sold or in any way concessioned to any person(s), or institution(s), by any Government Ministry, Department, Agency (MDAs), or officials between 29th May 2007 and 29th May 2015, followed due process or procedure and whether the proceeds of such sale or concession were paid into appropriate Government coffers.

“To ascertain whether any property or properties purchased or acquired for or in the name of the Government of Plateau State were purchased in line with due process and procedure.

“To ascertain all contracts awarded by the Government of Plateau State or any of its Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), Parastatals or Officials between 29th May 2007 and 29th May 2015, the process or procedure followed in the award of such contracts, the value of each contract (including any variations and whether such variations were necessary and done in good faith), the level of execution or completion of each of them and the amount paid to the contractor as at 29th May 2015.

“To ascertain the total amount paid by the Government of Plateau State as salaries and allowances of serving and retired State Civil Servants, Local Government Employees and Political Appointees from 29th May 2007 to 29th May 2015; And to further establish whether any person or employee of Government received multiple payments of salaries or pensions, and the role played by any person(s) toward such payments.”

It would be recalled that almost immediately after Jang handed over to Governor Lalung, there were calls from various quarters in the state for the former Governor to be probed.

Among those that called for the probe was a senator of the 4th assembly, Venmak Dangin.

Dangin had insisted that if Lalung’s administration refuses to probe Jang, the people of the state would be heavily disappointed.

Also on June 1 this year, it was reported that a group known as “Buhari Integrity Group’, BIG, called on Governor Lalong to institute legal action against the immediate past governor of the state, over what they described as misappropriation of public funds.

The group, led by Alhassan Aliyu, as part of activities to mark the one year in office of the All Progressives Congress, APC government, had submitted a communiqué to the state chairman of the, APC, Lateb Dabang, saying that public resources should not be pocketed by a few.

Sokoto Sets Up Task Force To Mobilise Graduates For FG Job Openings

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Sokoto Sets Up Task Force To Mobilise Graduates For FG Job Openings
Gov. Aminu Tambuwal
Gov. Aminu Tambuwal

Governor Aminu Tambuwal has set up a task force that will mobilize Sokoto’s unemployed graduates and other qualified individuals to ensure full participation of the state in Federal Government social intervention programmes.

A statement issued in Sokoto on Wednesday by Tambuwal’s spokesman, Imam Imam, said the task force is expected to develop strategies on how the state will participate and benefit from the various employment plans introduced by the FG.

Among such schemes include the 500,000 teachers to be recruited into the civil service, the 100,000 extension workers to be employed to boost the agricultural sector in the country, among others.

The high-powered task force is headed by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Bashir Garba, a professor, while Lawal Kebbe will serve as the Secretary.

Other members include the state commissioners of Justice, Usman Sulaiman; Budget and Economic Planning, Bala Kokani; Finance, Saidu Umar; Health,  Balarabe Kakale and Women Affairs, Kulu Sifawa.

Also to serve in the task force are commissioners of Agriculture, Umar Nagwari; Basic and Secondary Education, Jabbi Kilgori; Information, Jeli Abubakar, Local Government and Community Development; Mannir Iya and Environment Bello Sifawa.

The rest include Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Farouk Shehu; representative of the state office of the National Orientation Agency, NOA; businessman Buhari Dasuki, Nasiru Daniyan, Fabian Okoye and Bashir Gidado.

The statement added that considering the fact that the closing date for many of the FG programmes is approaching, the task force should immediately get to work to ensure no qualified and interested Sokoto indigene is left out.

Kano Plans Market For Pharmaceutical Products To Curb Drug Abuse

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Kano Plans Market For Pharmaceutical Products To Curb Drug Abuse
Governor of Kano State, AbdullahiGanduje
Governor of Kano State, AbdullahiGanduje

Kano state government plans to establish a pharmaceutical products market in the state capital, as part of initiative to curb the sale and consumption of unwholesome drugs.

The state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who announced this on Wednesday in a speech during the opening of the Pharmacy Week 2016, organized by the state branch of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, at Tahir Guest Palace, said the aim is to significantly control proliferation of hard and counterfeit drugs and medicament s.

According to him, at the moment, it is difficult for government to control drug vendors in the state who own shops all over the place and prescribe pharmaceutical products indiscriminately, saying such activities must be stopped to save the lives of the people.

His words:  “Representatives of professional bodies like Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and law enforcement agents would be stationed in the market so that all products are safe, effective, and of good quality, and are prescribed and used sensibly”.

Ganduje noted that it is more difficult to check and regulate the rampant use of herbal substances because most of the herbalists are not certified and sell their products anywhere giving wide room for abuse.

The governor tasked the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria to assist the government to control the use of herbal products.

Ganduje also assured that his administration would pay attention to manpower development in the area of Pharmacy and promised to complete all capital projects in the health sector in the state.

On his part, the National President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria,  Ahmed Ibrahim Yakasai, thanked the federal government for its determination to regularize doctorate degrees for pharmacists in Nigerian universities, describing the initiative as a significant milestone in moving the nation forward.

He described Kano state government as a pacesetter in the fight against the sale and consumption of hard drugs, assuring that the pharmaceutical society in the state would support the government effort.

Earlier, the chairman, Kano state branch of the Society, Malam Ghali Sule, explained that the week was convened to demonstrate the role of pharmacists in the health care sector, their challenges and efforts to raise funds to build a state secretariat for the association.

Obasanjo Fears For Nigeria’s Unity

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Obasanjo Fears For Nigeria’s Unity
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said that the unity of Nigeria is more threatened now than even during the Civil war.

He expressed this opinion in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during a National Summit organized by the Nigerian Union of Journalists.

Obasanjo, who was represented at the event by Peter Okebukola, a professor, said that the activities of various armed groups across the country have continued to threaten the disintegration of Nigeria.

The former president, while criticizing those calling for the breakup of the country, also charged the media to take the lead in the efforts to achieve greater national integration and development.

He said: “At no time in our history, except probably during the civil war, has Nigeria been so fractured in the feeling of oneness and belongingness by the citizenry.

“In the last four months, we have an average of twenty hotspots across the country with huge potential for national disintegration.”

Obasanjo stressed that “Our strength as a nation lies in our unity and national cohesion.

“I want to entreat you (the media) to begin to preach the gospel of unity in diversity and unity of purpose and cohesion.

“The press should mobilise the masses to strengthen the democratic process and play a crucial role in promoting a culture of tolerance, non-violence and mutual co-existence.

He added that “the Summit will only be successful if we find a niche for the press in our march to ensuring greater national cohesion, especially at this time in our history.”

Nigeria recently has witnessed resurgence in militant activities in the Niger Delta region with the destruction of oil and gas infrastructure, resulting in a drop in the nation’s revenue generation.

The Nigeria Air Force, not long ago, had to deploy fighter jets to flush out militants that were terrorizing coastal communities in the Southwest.

Also the issue of Biafra had resurfaced in the Southeast, following the arrest, detention and prosecution of Nnamdi Kalu, the leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB.

Police Seals Off PDP Convention Venue, Defends Action

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Police Seals Off PDP Convention Venue, Defends Action
The venue of the PDP convention was cordoned off by police
The venue of the PDP convention was cordoned off by police

The Nigerian Police this morning sealed off the venue of the National Convention of the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Port-Harcourt to prevent delegates from entering.

Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the Police, Don Awunah defended the action saying it was to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

The FPRO explained that the police were being proactive given that there are two warring factions in the PDP, as well as two conflicting court judgments.

Awunah said this when he appeared as a guest on a Television breakfast programme.

He said that the Police, as a neutral body, had to take charge to ensure that the situation does not degenerate.

“The situation is that we have conflicting court orders, the IG has been served a court order in Abuja, and so we have to obey the court order.

“If this court order has to be obeyed, what do we do about the venue? We take control of the venue to avoid two warring parties conflicting, to protect lives and properties in the state” he added.

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja had on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the PDP, asking it not to go ahead with the planned convention.

This was after factional Chairman of the PDP, Ali Modu-Sheriff, informed the court that the Makarfi faction planned to go ahead with the convention despite an earlier court order prohibiting it to do so.

Justice Abang also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to stay away from the proposed convention, while ordering the Inspector-General of Police to ensure that the Convention does not hold.

“Failure to comply with the order of the court will attract disciplinary action.

“The mighty will not escape just punishment. Whoever goes against the decision of this court will have themselves to blame,” Abang had warned.

Meanwhile, latest reports say that the PDP has extended the tenure of the Makarfi-led caretaker committee for one year.

The extension was agreed upon through a vote of confidence by the national delegates at the party’s secretariat in Port-Harcourt, the River State capital.

This follows the inability of the faction to go ahead with its scheduled convention as the venue had been cordoned off by the police.

Thugs Attack Protesters, Journalists In Yenagoa

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Thugs Attack Protesters, Journalists In Yenagoa
Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State
Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State

A peaceful protest by members of the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, and Medical and Health Workers Union in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital,on Tuesday, was disrupted when the protesters were attacked by violent thugs.

The thugs, wielding dangerous weapons such as clubs and machetes, manhandled the protesting workers and the journalists who covered the protest.

The protesters were demanding salary arrears owed them by the local government authorities and alleging diversion of federal government’s bailout fund in Bayelsa.

Local government workers in the state said they are being owed between five and seven months’ salary arrears despite the fact that the state government had obtained bailout funds from the federal government to offset same in the state.

Reports also had it that the Bayelsa state government had assisted the local government councils earlier in the year to offset salary arrears owed council workers.

Not to be cowed, a joint Council of NULGE and MHWUN, issued a statement saying that the protest was in line with the struggle to improve the welfare of its members in the state.

The statement signed by Tonye Jaja of NULGE and Arafat Nwibani of the health workers union read in part: “We are demanding that the affected Chairmen of Councils and Commissioner for Local Government should immediately pay from  the bailout funds to workers of the affected council to avoid unpleasant consequences an sustain the peaceful industrial atmosphere in the system.

“We unequivocally demand for the full payment of the salary of March; we demand the release of LGAs allocations to the councils immediately.”

Many of the journalists affected by the crisis also lost their valuables including cash and gadgets.

John Odhe, a reporter with the state owned newspaper, New Wave, who was affected in the clash said it was an unpleasant experience.

“It was like a movie as the as thugs descended on us and started manhandling us with planks and stones; I managed to escape,” Odhe said.

NAF Releases Video Of Airstrikes To Dispute Boko Haram’s Claim

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NAF Releases Video Of Airstrikes To Dispute Boko Haram’s Claim

NAF Releases Video OF Airstrikes In The Northeast

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has released a video to buttress it claim that the military onslaught on Boko Haram involves precision airstrikes on targets.

This is to refute claims by the insurgent group that bombs from a military jet killed many of the abducted Chibok girls.

Boko Haram had released a video on Sunday showing some of the kidnapped girls and alleging that airstrike by the military had killed most of them while 40 others had been married off to their members.

Although the Boko Haram video showed a military jet in the air and the dead bodies of the girls allegedly killed after the jet bombed their location, it did not however, show when the bomb dropped on the girls. .

But in a statement late Tuesday by Ayodele Famuyiwa, NAF’s Director of public relations and information, the Force described Boko Haram’s claims as a ruse and “another mischievous effort by the dying sect to draw public attention to itself.

Famuyiwa stated that the video by the terrorists “provided no evidence that the supposed casualties were as a result of any air to ground attack”,  adding that “the positioning of the bodies clearly defiles any natural setting of a location that has undergone aerial bombardment.”

“Besides, the impact and accompanying degree of damage to the bodies would have been more, were they to have died from air strike,” he said.

“It is therefore clear that the video is a make-up story to discredit the NAF, and more importantly, a deliberate effort to whip up sentiment among the public in order to dissuade and discontinue the use of airpower which has proved very effective as the major determinant factor in the successes recorded in the ongoing counterinsurgency operations in the North East.”

The video released by NAF clearly showed that the terrorists were being monitored.

A part showed what looked like a military truck conveying what was labeled in the video as “BHT” and two of them alighted from the truck and ran down the forest and the truck drove off.

Another part showed a group of people labeled “women in hijab and children” walking about in the forest.

NAF’s monitoring of militants in the South-South and Southwest was also shown towards the end of the video.

The video, however, did not show the actual shelling process, nor did it show the location that was shelled.

But it proves that some monitoring was carried out by NAF on Boko Haram terrorists in the Sambisa forest before airstrikes were conducted.

The NAF spokesman said that there are “measures to avoid the incidence of collateral damage” and “to ensure that only legitimate military targets are engaged”, adding that “where there are doubts about target status, we do not undertake strike missions.”

“Besides, NAF ISR platforms carry highly sophisticated equipment on-board which are able to provide pin-point accurate intelligence about target location and description as depicted in the enclosed video on our ISR operations,” he stated.

Famuyiwa assured Nigerians in the Northeast of their safety and urged them to disregard the Boko Haram video as mere propaganda.

“The NAF wishes to use this opportunity to restate its commitment to restoration of peace in the North East and other troubled areas in the country,” he said

This is the link to the video confirming precision air operation: https://youtu.be/ss3guErx3Mc

 

Buhari Regrets Nigeria’s Failure To Develop Automobile Industry

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Buhari Regrets Nigeria’s Failure To Develop Automobile Industry
President Buhari greets leader of the Association of African Automative Manufacturers
President Buhari greets leader of the Association of African Automative Manufacturers

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed regrets over Nigeria’s inability to make meaningful progress on automobile initiatives started in Bauchi, Kaduna and Ibadan.

In a statement issued by his special adviser media, Femi Adesina, President Buhari said that Nigeria identified her problems early enough but did not do much to address these problems.

The President said this when he received Executive Members of Association of Africa Automotive Manufacturers, AAAM, led by the chairman, Jeff Nemeth.

“We must avoid the mistakes made in the past by both government and manufacturers, and we are ready to get investment from all quarters, so that we can improve the lives of our people,” the president was quoted as saying.

He added that “We are making efforts to start our steel industry all over again. I see vast opportunities for both the country and those who invest here.”

Leader of the delegation, Nemeth said the Association is comprised of potential investors who are ready to unlock investment potentials on the African continent.

He called for the support of the present administration in order to realize the association’s vision and mission.

He said: “We are ready to offer strategic partnership with Nigeria. We want to promote investor-friendly regulatory frameworks and sustainable manufacturing.

“We will equally promote infrastructure development, job creation, and skills transfer.”

FIRS Seals Peter Obi’s Company Over Tax Debt

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FIRS Seals Peter Obi’s Company Over Tax Debt
Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi
Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi

The Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS, has reportedly sealed the Onitsha warehouse of Next international company, owned by former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, citing tax violations.

This is in continuation of the strict tax regime of the present administration.

Obi’s company reportedly owes FG N20.4million in tax remittances since 2006 having failed to pay Company Income Tax, Withholding Tax and Education Tax within the period.

In Kano State, the FIRS enforcement team, led by Umar Garba, sealed Sani Brothers Transport Company Limited, Triumph Nigeria Limited, Multi System Nigeria Limited and NorthWest Cable Manufacturers Limited.

The companies owe the country N12. 3million, N6.5million, N3.3million and N5.8million respectively in tax remmitances.

Also in Lagos state, the enforcement team sealed the offices of Secure ID Limited, situated at 2 Olawale Dawodu Street, Ikoyi, over a tax debt of N151million.

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