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Dasuki: ECOWAS Court Adjourns Judgement Indefinitely

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Former NSA Sambo Dasuki
Former NSA Sambo Dasuki

The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Community Court of Justice has adjourned judgment indefinitely in the case of former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki  against the Federal Government in which he challenged his unlawful detention since December 2015 in the custody of the Department of the State Security Service, DSS.

The court, presided over by Justice Friday Nwoke had on May 16 reserved judgment till Wednesday, June 29 after taking final argument from Dasuki’s lawyer, Robert Emukperuo and government lawyer, Tijani Gazali.

However, journalists, lawyers and other observers who stormed the regional court in Abuja on Wednesday were told the much awaited verdict of the court was not ready and that the new date for the judgment would be communicated to lawyers when ready.

They were turned back at the entrance of the court by security men who told them that the court management had mandated them to tell everybody that judgment was not ready, prompting the people to leave one after the other when the reality dawned on them that the court will not sit after all.

Dasuki had dragged the federal government before the ECOWAS Court praying the regional court to intervene in his detention without trial since December last year.

The ex-NSA asked the court to void the detention, the seizure of his properties and to bar government from further detaining him without a lawful court order.

In the court action he instituted, Dasuki asked the court to award in his favor a sum of N500 million as compensatory damages for his alleged unlawful invasion of his house, detention, seizure of properties and infringement on his rights.

He claimed that government had put him on trial in three different high courts on corruption charges where he was granted bail and that after his bail, he was re-arrested on December 29, 2015 and has since been held incommunicado without lawful court order.

“The critical issue that needs to be resolved is whether there is any legal justification for the detention of the applicant by the defendant”, he said, adding that the only justification in the amended statement of defence adduced by the defendant for detaining the applicant is the recourse to national security.

“They have not adduced before this court any judicial procedure that they have relied on in incarcerating the applicant.

“They have equally not relayed to the court any domestic legislation whatsoever to justify the detention of the applicant.

“My lord I submit that this is a classic case of arbitrary and illegal arrest”, Dasuki added.

But the Federal Government had argued a preliminary objection against Dasuki on the ground that he ought to have filed a contempt charge against the government for alleged disobedience to court order on the bail granted him but the ECOWAS Court ruled that the case of the plaintiff was on his fundamental rights and has nothing to do with the domestic court.

ECOWAS May be Financially Broke

While no reason was giving for the indefinite adjournment of the ruling on Dasuki’s case, the ECOWAS Court and its Parent body the ECOWAS Secretariat may be financially broke.

Recently the Vice President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Micah Wright had disclosed that one of the impediments that the court was facing was insufficient fund for its operation due to non-payment of levy by member states.

“The court and by extension the entire community is facing financial difficulties where member states are not paying up the community levy and that is the means of finance for all ECOWAS activities,” he said.

“The court is always at disadvantage when the funds are being distributed. But we have to take more initiatives to impress it upon the commission the mandate of the court is of such that the court is alone.

“The court cannot source external funding like the commission or like other institutions. We don’t want to compromise our independence and neutrality by going out to seek donor funding.”

At another occasion, the President of ECOWAS, Marcel De Souza had expressed frustration over the paucity of fund being experienced by the commission.

De Souza, spoke when he led a delegation from the commission to a courtesy visit on the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadijat Abba-Ibrahim.

He appealed to Nigeria and other member states to rescue the commission by paying up their outstanding levies.

“The community levy which represents 90 percent of our funding is no longer regularly paid by most member states; Nigeria is not alone in this regard, also Cote D’Ivoire…

“We see that the greatest challenge lies with Nigeria. The arrears that Nigeria is owing is 694,000 dollars because there was no payment made between 2015 and 2016.

“Because of the debt burden it carries, ECOWAS is now losing its credibility,” the president said.

Meanwhile President Muhammadu Buhari had assured of Nigeria’s continued commitment to meet all her obligations to the ECOWAS Commission.

President Buhari made the pledged last month (May 27, 2016) while receiving the president of the ECOWAS Commission, Marcel de Souza in the State House, Abuja.

The President was reported to have told the ECOWAS delegation that “the federal government of Nigeria would strive to show good example by meeting all its financial obligations to the sub-regional organisation.”

Edo PDP Primary: Iduoriyekemwen Wins

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Edo PDP Primary: Iduoriyekemwen Wins
Matthew Iduoriyekemwen
Matthew Iduoriyekemwen

Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, former member of the Edo State House of Assembly, has won the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship Primary conducted by the Ali Modu-Sheriff-led faction of the party on Wednesday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin.

Earlier in the day, the Police had cordoned off the entrance to the stadium apparently to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

Chris Eziken, the Edo State Police Commissioner had said he wasn’t certain if the primary election would go on as scheduled.

“I am not INEC. It is too early to find out if the primary will hold or not. You can call me back in the afternoon to find out,” Eziken had said.

But it appeared the police later allowed the party members entrance into the venue; which could be the reason voting started around 4:25 in the evening.

Iduoriyekemwen contested against Johnson Agbonayima, himself a lawmaker representing Egor and Ikpoba-Okha constituency in the House of Representatives.

Ahmed Gulak, chairman of the electoral committee declared Iduoriyekemwen winner with a total of 481 votes after his opponent Agbonayima had voluntarily stepped down.

There was no representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to observe or monitor the exercise.

Gulak expressed optimism that Iduoriyekemwen would be returned elected after the September Governorship election in the state.

Cairo Ojugbo, newly appointed national vice chairman of the Modu-Sheriff faction of the PDP, reiterated that Modu-Sheriff remained the authentic national chairman of the party, describing the exercise as the only authentic governorship primary of the PDP in Edo State.

Ojugbo said the rumours making the rounds that Modu-Sheriff was gunning for the 2019 presidential ticket of the PDP were false. He urged the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction to return under the Sheriff-led executive in order to move the party forward.

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Court Sacks Modu Sherri As PDP Chairman

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Court Sacks Modu Sherri As PDP Chairman
Ali Modu-Sheriff
Ali Modu-Sheriff

An Abuja High court has removed former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu-Sheriff, as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, declaring the process that led to his election as null and void.

 

Justice Valentine Ashi held that Sheriff’s emergence as the party’s national chairman was illegal because it was based on an amended provision of the Party’s constitution which was illegally introduced in 2014.

 

In his ruling on Wednesday, Justice Ashi said the amendment was a violation of the Electoral Act and the actions of the PDP leaders who partook in it, illegal.

 

Though no mention was made of Modu-Sheriff’s name, the court ordered that all persons who became national officers of the party by virtue of the amendment should restrain from further parading themselves as such.

 

The ongoing crisis in the PDP had split the party in two with Modu-Sheriff heading one faction while Ahmed Makarfi, former Kaduna State governor, heads the other.

 

Makarfi was appointed chairman of a caretaker committee, backed by the party’s governors and national lawmakers.

 

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it awaits another court judgment expected to be delivered by a Port Harcourt high court on July 4, in order to decide which of the PDP factions to recognize.

Former CAS, Amosu Granted N500 Million Bail

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Former CAS, Amosu Granted N500 Million Bail
Former CAS, Adesola Amosu
Former CAS, Adesola Amosu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a former Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu, before a Federal High Court in Lagos on a 26-count charge of stealing about N49.2 billion.

The retired Air Marshal was arraigned together with two order Air Force officials, Jacob Adigun and Gbadebo Olugbenga, Air Vice Marshal and Air Commodore respectively.

They pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The presiding Judge, Mohammed Idris granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N500 million each with two sureties in like sum.

The sureties must have landed property within the court’s jurisdiction and the title documents of such land should be verified by EFCC and be deposited with the court registrar. The sureties must also swear to an affidavit of means which must also be verified by the EFCC.

The accused were also ordered to deposit their international passports with the court registrar.

They are to be remanded in prison custody pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions, except Adigun who is to be remanded in EFCC custody due to his health challenges.

Thereafter the case was adjourned till July 8, 2016 for commencement of trial.

 

Drama In Ekiti As State Assembly Holds Plenary Along The Road

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Drama In Ekiti As State Assembly Holds Plenary Along The Road

Ekiti-lawmakers-hold-plenary-on-highway

The Ekiti State House of Assembly held its plenary session on Wednesday in the middle of the road in protest of the freezing of the account of Governor Ayodele Fayose by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The State Lawmakers, sitting under a canopy, displayed placards with various inscriptions, expressing their support for the governor and disappointment at what they described as disregard for the nation’s laws.

They accused the federal government of deliberately orchestrating and manipulating the EFCC and security agencies to harass and intimidate Fayose over his consistent criticism of President Buhari’s policies.

The EFCC had on June 21 frozen two Zenith Bank accounts belonging to Fayose on the allegation that N1.2 billion was traced to the accounts from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, who is currently standing trial in the $2.1 billion arms deal scandal.

Governor Fayose, through his counsel Mike Ozekhome, SAN, consequently approached the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti, seeking a mandatory order to unfreeze the accounts, saying that the action by the EFCC was a flagrant negation of the Section 308 of the Constitution, which conferred absolute immunity on the governor against civil and criminal procedure.

Presiding judge, Taiwo Taiwo, has summoned the EFCC and Zenith Bank Plc to appear in the court on July 4 to explain their side of the story.

Police Cordon Off Venue For PDP Factional Primary

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Police Cordon Off Venue For PDP Factional Primary
Ali-Modu Sheriff
Ali-Modu Sheriff

Police have cordoned off the entrance to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, which was the venue scheduled to hold the Governorship Primary of the Ali Modu-Sheriff faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP on Wednesday.

Reports by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, say Mathew Iduoriyekemwen and Johnson Agbonayinma were the two aspirants contesting the primary.

When contacted, Chris Eziken, the Edo State Police Commissioner said he wasn’t certain if the primary election would go on as scheduled.

“I am not INEC. It is too early to find out if the primary will hold or not. You can call me back in the afternoon to find out.”

Also Sam Olumekun, Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo state, when asked if the commission would monitor the exercise, said only the national headquarters could comment on the matter.

However, a member of the Caretaker Committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the primary would be held as scheduled but that they were looking for another venue.

INEC had earlier said it would take a position on which of the two PDP factions it would recognize after a Port-Harcourt high court would have delivered judgment on the matter on July 4.

The Ahmed Markafi-led PDP faction held its primary on June 20 at the same venue.

The exercise which was monitored by INEC produced Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the party’s standard-bearer in the state.

Ize-Iyamu defeated Iduoriyekemwen and Chief Solomon Edebiri at the primary, but Iduoriyekemwen later joined the Modu Sheriff faction after he faulted the process of the primary.

41 Dead, Several Others Injured After Terrorists’ Attack At Istanbul Airport

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41 Dead, Several Others Injured After Terrorists’ Attack At Istanbul Airport

Istanbul Attack

Turkey is observing a national day of mourning after a terror attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk airport killed 41 people, including 13 foreign nationals.

Officials say three attackers began shooting outside and inside the terminal late on Tuesday and blew themselves up after police fired at them. So far 23 Turks and at least 13 other foreign nationals have been identified among the dead.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said early signs suggested the so-called Islamic State was behind the attack.

Recent bombings have been linked to either IS or Kurdish separatists.

Ataturk airport has long been seen as a vulnerable target.

There are X-ray scanners at the entrance to the terminal but security checks for cars are limited.

Turkish President Recep Erdogan said the attack should serve as a turning point in the global fight against militant groups.

“The bombs that exploded in Istanbul today could have gone off at any airport in any city around the world,” he said.

The US called the attack “heinous”, saying America remained “steadfast in our support for Turkey”.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: “We grieve for the victims. We stand by Turkey”.

Speaking several hours after Tuesday’s attack, PM Yildirim said at least 36 people were killed and many wounded, some seriously, with foreigners likely to be among the victims.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag put the number of injured at 147.

Desperate relatives of those missing later gathered outside a local hospital where many victims were taken. Some expressed anger about the lack of information.

Flights in and out of the airport were suspended after the attack.

Flights have now resumed at the airport, but information boards showed about one-third had been cancelled, with many delays.

Alleged Forgery: Ekweremadu Takes Case To UN, US Congress

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Alleged Forgery: Ekweremadu Takes Case To UN, US Congress
Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President. Photograph: pulse.ng
Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu is seeking the intervention of the United Nations, United States’ Congress, United Kingdom, European Union Parliament and foreign missions in what he described as an attempt to rubbish the National Assembly.

Ekweremadu wrote the international community with regards to his arraignment with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and two others for alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rules, 2015.

He alleged that a powerful institution as the National Assembly was being ridiculed and rubbished by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

In the letter entitled, “Re: Trumped Up Charges Against the Presiding Officers of the 8th Senate: Nigerian Democracy in grave danger,” Ekweremadu claimed that their trial was an attempt to truncate Nigeria’s democracy and silence him as the leader and highest ranking member of the opposition party.

He attached copies of the court summons, and other relevant documents to the letter, asking the international community to decide whether or not the trial was worth it, justifiable or one borne out of political vendetta.

He also pointed out that neither his name nor that of Saraki featured in the petition by aggrieved members of the Senate Unity Forum, or during the investigation of the petition by the police, wondering how the government generated their names for the trial since there was no direct link to them in the investigation.

Ekweremadu stated that the principle of fair hearing was not adhered to as the police never sought his input or that of the Senate president during the course of the investigation.

The Deputy Senate president reminded the international community that an attempt had been made on his life in November 2015, and the security agencies did nothing about it even though it was duly reported.

Meanwhile, the Presidency in reaction to the letter, said it was needless arguing with the Deputy Senate President, even as the office of the Attorney General of the Federation said it would not comment on the matter since it was already in court.

FG Committed To Speedy Recovery Of Economy – Udoma

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FG Committed To Speedy Recovery Of Economy – Udoma
Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma
Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma

The Federal government is committed to strengthening the linkage between development plans and budgeting processes to ensure better implementation of projects and programmes towards speedy recovery of the economy.

Udoma Udo-Udoma, Minister for Budget and National Planning, stated this at the 2016 National Economic Society Public Lecture, on Tuesday in Abuja, adding that even though government is vigorously fighting corruption from all angles, it was also seriously committed to inclusive growth and development.

Udoma said the various agencies of government were working in synergy to achieve the common goal of economic recovery and sustainable development.

He maintained that there should be a linkage between planning and budgeting as countries that have successfully transformed their economies have done so with the use of well implemented budgets designed in accordance with their strategic plans.

He noted that failure to link policies, plans and budgets may be the single most important factor contributing to poor planning and budgeting outcomes in many developing countries.

“Countries where the planning process is fragmented and not adequately aligned with the annual budgeting process experience difficulty in implementing clear and consistent national policies. This has been the Nigerian experience”, he pointed out.

Udoma admitted that Nigeria has not done well in ensuring that budget outcomes achieved planned targets, which is why according to him, President Muhammadu Buhari took the decision to merge the National Planning Commission and the Budget Office of the Federation to form the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.

Mike Obadan, a Professor of Economics and past President of the Nigerian Economic Society, who also presented a paper titled “Strengthening the Budget-Plan link for inclusive development in Nigeria,” said with the structures on ground, Nigeria can still achieve sustainable growth and development within a short period if only government can develop the commitment and political will to implement development plans in a disciplined manner.

Obadan applauded the Buhari administration for merging the Budget Office and that of the National Planning Commission, insisting that the merger must be made to work if it is to achieve the purpose.

Badeh Wanted Me to Claim Own Property – Witness

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Badeh Wanted Me to Claim Own Property – Witness
Former CDS, Alex Badeh
Former CDS, Alex Badeh

The trial of former Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Alex Badeh, continued on Tuesday, before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja with the prosecution witness, Mustapha Yerima, further stating how he was pressured by the defendants to claim the property allegedly acquired with the proceeds of crime.

At the resumed hearing, Yerima further testified that, Salisu Yushau, an Air Commodore now retired, had invited him over to the Defence House, after his (Yushau’s) retirement to coordinate the handover of documents and discuss progress of construction of the plaza that was ongoing at the time.

“In my evidence-in-chief, I testified that PW1 (Yushau) called a meeting after he had retired from the Nigerian Air Force. The meeting held at the Defence House and we discussed progress of work in the plaza. Barrister Timothy Muje and Barrister Umar were in attendance. I had met Barrister Umar once or twice before that meeting but there isn’t much familiarity between us.

“It was after this that Barrister Muje called and asked that we both meet somewhere at Wuse II. This was the same day the EFCC invited me to their office.

“Barrister Muje handed some documents over to me but failed to give me the power of attorney which I asked him for,” Yerima said.

Under cross-examination, Yerima insisted that he was instructed by Yushau to claim the said property, when operatives of the EFCC began to investigate the matter.

“The idea that was conveyed to me by PW1 after their meeting was for me to go and claim the property as instructed”, Yerima insisted.

The matter was adjourned to June 29, 2016 for continuation of trial.

Badeh is standing trial alongside Iyalikam Nigeria Limited for alleged abuse of office during his time as Chief of Defense Staff by using the dollar equivalent of the sum of N1.4 billion, removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force, to purchase properties in choice areas of Abuja between January and December, 2013.

 

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