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National Confab Chairman Mourns Death Of Delegate

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National Confab Chairman Mourns Death Of Delegate

Caption: Hamma Misau caught sleeping during a session of the National Conference few days to his death

Chairman of National Conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, has expressed shock over the death of a confab delegate, Hamma Misau, a retired assistant inspector general, AIG, who died suddenly on Thursday.

Misau 67, was initially rushed to the Federal Civil Service Clinic after he took ill in his hotel room  but was later referred to the National Hospital, Abuja, where he died.

The deceased had earlier, on Monday, collapsed at the conference venue where he was attended to by the medical team and allowed to go and rest.

In a statement issued by the assistant secretary of the conference, Akpandem James, on behalf of the chairman, Kutigi sympathised with the family of the late Misau and the entire nation.

He noted, however, that it was gratifying to note that Misau died in the service of his country and prayed for eternal rest for his soul.

Misau’s corpse has been taken from the hospital by the family to Bauchi and has been buried Friday morning in accordance with Islamic rites.

The statement further stressed that the death of Misau will not affect the resumption of the conference on Monday.

“No, his death will not affect the resumption of plenary on Monday, what I think the conference will do is to observe a minute silence in his honour. This will be done first thing on Monday before the commencement of the day business because he was one of us,” James said.

It would be recalled that the secretariat had, at the inaugural meeting on March 17, requested that the delegates submitted the contact details of their medical doctors to the secretariat.

James said the measure was to ensure prompt contact of the delegates’ doctors for their medical history in the event of any emergency during the conference.

He also said that the secretariat gave consideration of seating positions to some of the delegates who had health challenges as well as the aged and those living with disabilities.

Lawmakers’ Defection: Court Strikes Out Case Against PDP

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Lawmakers’ Defection: Court Strikes Out Case Against PDP

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday declined to stop the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from declaring the seats of all the 79 lawmakers that defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, vacant.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed delivered the judgment after he dismissed a fresh motion by the APC lawmakers, asking the high court to suspend its verdict indefinitely and await the outcome of a referral application they filed before the Appeal Court in Abuja.

The trial judge, however, stressed that in line with section 68 (1) (g) of the Nigerian Constitution, only the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives had the statutory powers to sack the plaintiffs from office.

The plaintiffs had prayed the court for an order restraining the defendants from declaring their seats vacant following their defection.

Joined as co-defendants in the suit, filed in September 2013, are the PDP National Chairman,  Senate President, David Mark, House Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The lawmakers had insisted that in view of section 295 (2) of the Constitution, the high court ought to allow the appellate court to give a clearer interpretation of section 68 (1) (g) of the Constitution which bothers on the issue of defection.

But dismissing their application as unmeritorious, Justice Mohammed accused the lawmakers of deliberately attempting to ‘arrest’ his judgment six months after hearing was concluded on the matter.

On the substantive matter, the high court said it was convinced that the crux of the plaintiffs’ suit bothered on alleged threat by the former PDP chairman, Bamanga Tukur, to declare their seats vacant following their defection to the APC.

The court held that the fact that PDP does not have the powers to execute such threat reduced the suit by the lawmakers to a mere academic exercise.

Consequently, the court said there was no live issue for it to determine since PDP had filed two separate suits with a view to compelling both the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to declare the APC lawmakers’ seats vacant and compel the INEC to conduct fresh elections in their various constituencies.

“The PDP cannot declare their seats vacant, having submitted itself in other pending suits seeking to compel the Senate President and Speaker, House of Reps to declare the seats vacant. This suit is an academic exercise. It has no life of its own, so there is no adjudication and is, hereby, struck out,” Mohammed said.

6 Killed In CAR Grenade Attack

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6 Killed In CAR Grenade Attack

Six people were killed and about 10 injured on Friday in a grenade attack in Bangui, the Central African Republic, CAR, capital.

An eyewitness account said the attackers wore uniforms of Burundian peacekeepers, but they were suspected to be disguised local and Chadian Islamist extremists.

The grenade was hurled at a group of people mourning a person who had been given a funeral the day before.

The fatalities involve the same family which included a two-year-old child, a pregnant woman and an elderly man.

Hospital sources confirmed that six bodies had been placed in the morgue, while other survivors with various degrees of injuries were being treated.

Senate Passes Bill To Prohibit Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities

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Senate Passes Bill To Prohibit Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities

The Senate has passed a bill that prescribes a fine of N1 million for corporate bodies and N100,000 or six months imprisonment or both for an individual who discriminates against persons with disability.

The bill titled “Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill, 2014”, which was sponsored by Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, a senator from Kogi State, seeks to integrate such persons into the society and establish a commission for persons with disability.

Chairman of the Senate joint committee on Sports, Social Development and Women Affairs, Adamu Gumba (PDP-Bauchi), who presented the report on the bill said that over 10 per cent of Nigerians had disabilities, adding that without necessary legislation, the challenges that they encounter would be difficult to overcome.

“Over 10 per cent of Nigeria’s population is said to be disabled by sheer providence or accident and these people are daily confronted with several challenges. One of the most prominent among these challenges is gross marginalisation occasioned with discrimination on the basis of their infirmity,” he said.

Gumba recalled that the sixth National Assembly had passed a similar bill but the president withheld his assent.

He said that it was suspected that the president withheld his assent because the federal government planned to rationalise its agencies to reduce the cost of governance and that the current initiative took cognisance of the position and attempts to propose a small agency that would be cost effective.

During the clause by clause consideration of the bill, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Hayatu Gwarzo (PDP-Kano), objected to the joint committee’s amendment of clause six.

Clause six was amended to provide that “from the commencement of the bill, all future public buildings and structures either moveable or immovable should be made accessible to persons with disability.”

Gwarzo argued that the clause in the original version of the bill which called for a transitory period of five years within which all public buildings and structures be made accessible to persons with disability should be retained.

The clause generated a lot of debate but eventually the senators voted to retain the original clause.

The bill states that anyone who approves or directs the approval of a building that contravenes the building code will be liable to a fine of one million naira or two years imprisonment or both.

The joint committee, however, amended clause 30 which stipulates that five per cent employment be reserved in all public organisations for persons with disability.

The Senate took into cognisance the fact that some organisations might have only two employees.

The clause was amended to read that any organisation which had up to 50 employees should reserve five per cent slot for people with disability.

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Financial Reporting Council Bars Journalists From Hearing On CBN

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Financial Reporting Council Bars Journalists From Hearing On CBN

The Financial Reporting Council, FRC, on Thursday barred all except three media organisations from covering the on-going investigations into the alleged “display of incompetence, nonchalance, fraud, wastefulness, abuse of due process” by the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Lamido Sanusi Lamido.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the spokesperson of the Council, Mack Ogbamosa, handpicked only reporters he personally recognised or from media organisations he believed to be friendly to his agency.

Those allowed to cover the event include federal government-owned Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Channels Television and Television Continental, TVC.

At first all journalists were prevented fromgoing into the venue of the hearing by stern looking policemen and officials of the Department of Secret Service, DSS, but Ogbamosa later emerged with a list which he handed to a police officer who in turn called out names of the three preferred media establishments.

The Premium Times believes it is being punished for its report on the suspension of CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido, and the role played by the Council which also benefitted from the CBN intervention spending for which Sanusi is being investigated.

Premium Times reported last Thursday that when it visited the Council’s Abuja office to demand explanations regarding why the FRC failed to disclose in its books that it got N500 million donation from the CBN and the bankers committee, its officials declined to comment and were uncooperative.

It said, ironically, the FRC report indicted Sanusi for financial recklessness over a similar kinds of spending, as the Council received the N500 million purportedly for the construction of its International Financial Reporting Standards Academy, but that the fund did not reflect in the FRC’s budget and reports, making it unclear how the money was spent.

Besides, the FRC also failed to provide a list of donors and their contributions at a N2 billion fund raising event it organised for the proposed academy, the newspaper added.

Meanwhile, the FRC said during the investigation that the CBN did not comply with the International Financial Reporting Standard, IFRS, in its 2011/2012 financial year report.

Executive secretary of the FRC, Jim Obazee, said that CBN budgeted N50 million in 2010; it also budgeted N200 million each in 2011, 2012 for IFRS compliance, but did not comply with it.

The CBN, according to the council, also budgeted N150 million for IFRS compliance, which was reflected in the 2013 financial report, but without board approval.

Obazee, who is also the chairman of the panel, insisted that the CBN under the leadership of the suspended governor, lacked corporate governance.

He said the N500 billion Power and Airlines Intervention Fund (PAIF) claimed to have been released to the Bank of Industry, BOI was still domiciled in the bank and that the BOI also collected one per cent interest which did not reflect in its books.

He also insisted that CBN needed to explain why each department had its intervention projects, especially the governor’s office, one of which involved dashing out N10 million to building palaces for five royal fathers.

The panel frowned at donations and interventions made by CBN without board approval.
It also insisted that there is no section of CBN’s Act that empowered it to subscribe to shares of the Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation, ILMC.

The council also alleged that CBN is yet to receive the share certificate for investments made in the Bank of Industry since September 2007 and that the leadership of the CBN was not worried about the delay.

Responding, the CBN’s deputy governor, Corporate Services, Suleiman Barau, promised that the bank would henceforth be more compliant with the international reporting standard.

The former deputy governor of the CBN, Tunde Lemo, also said the bank’s numerous responsibilities distracted it from complying. He such responsibilities included consolidation of its subsidiaries as well as making sure that commercial banks comply with IFRS.

However, the suspended governor of CBN, Sanusi and the acting governor, Sarah Alade, were absent at the proceedings.

Borno Govt Donates N2.5 Million To Families Of 5 Slain Policemen

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Borno Govt Donates N2.5 Million To Families Of 5 Slain Policemen

The Borno State Emergency Relief Committee on Thursday presented the sum of N500,000 each to the families of five policemen killed in Tuesday’s suspected Boko Haram attack in Dalori, near Maiduguri.

Chairman of the committee, Bulama Gubio, presented the money when he paid a condolence visit to the commissioner of police, Lawal Tanko, in Maiduguri yesterday.

Gubio also presented assorted food items, comprising bags of rice, semovita and palm oil, among others, for onward delivery to the families of the deceased.

He also announced that the state government would pay the medical bills of the over 100 victims of Boko Haram attacks who are currently receiving treatment in three hospitals in the state capital, including the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, UMTH, which has the highest number of injured persons with 61.

The relief agency  chairman said that the gesture was to serve as a palliative aimed  at cushioning their economic hardship occasioned by the killing of the breadwinners of the concerned families.

Gubio said that the state government would provide more assistance whenever governor Kashim Shettima returned from his official trip abroad.

He commended the efforts of the police and other security agencies in fighting insurgency, and prayed for God to grant the bereaved families the fortitude to bear the loss and the deceased eternal rest.

Responding, the police commissioner expressed gratitude to the state government for the gesture and assured that the items would be distributed to the affected families judiciously.

NJC Suspends Rivers State Chief Judge

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NJC Suspends Rivers State Chief Judge

The National Judicial Council, NJC, has suspended the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice P. N. C. Agumagu, for illegally occupying the position.

A statement from the acting director of information in the NJC, Soji Oye, said the Council decided at an emergency meeting on Wednesday that Agumagu’s appointment did not comply with the provisions of Section 271 of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that a state governor must appoint a Chief Judge on the recommendation of the NJC.

The NJC stressed that it did not recommend Justice Agumagu for appointment as the state’s Chief Judge.

The suspension, according to the statement, is with immediate effect.

Besides the suspension, Justice Agumagu also risks dismissal as the NJC has queried him, asking him to explain why he should not be dismissed as a judicial officer for failing to abide by his oath of office.

The NJC action puts a twist to the saga of appointing a new Chief Judge for Rivers State. The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt last Tuesday nullified the NJC’s recommendation that Justice Daisy Okocha be appointed Chief Judge of the state.

Justice Lambo Akanbi, in his judgment, held that the “NJC recommendation is wrong”, because the council gave no reasons why it preferred Okocha to Justice Peter Agumagu.

“The governor is not a rubber stamp governor. The role of NJC is advisory; the governor has the right to accept or not; he is not a rubber stamp governor,” the judge said.

Akanbi said the Rivers Judicial Council (RJC) and NJC had the constitutional powers to advise the governor, but that the NJC was expected to collaboration with Rivers Council.

Gov Dickson Sacks 7 Commissioner

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Gov Dickson Sacks 7 Commissioner

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, has dropped seven of his commissioners Thursday, in a major cabinet reshuffle.

A statement issued by the chief press secretary to the governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, explained that the sack was due to the ongoing re-organisation of government ministries, departments and agencies as well as for the realization of the governor’s restoration agenda.

The affected commissioners are: Francis Egele, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ayakeme Massa, Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Anapurere Michael Awoli, Commissioner for Health and Nelson Belief, Commissioner for Tourism Development.

Others are Gesiye Isowo, Commissioner for Special Duties (Federal Projects), Parkinson Macmanuel, Commissioner for Science, Technology and Manpower Development and Sylvanus Abila, Commissioner for Environment.

The commissioners took immediate effect as they were directed to hand over to their permanent secretaries.

The statement further expressed the gratitude of the governor to them for their commitment to service and wished them well in all their future endeavours, noting that they could be called upon to serve the state in other capacities in future.

Senator David Iornem Arraigned For Operating Fake University

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Senator David Iornem Arraigned For Operating Fake University

Caption: David Iornem hemmed by two ICPC Operatives

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has arraigned a former senator, David Iornem, before an Abuja Federal High Court for allegedly duping some unsuspecting Nigerians of over N200million through foreign universities admission racket.

Iornem was arraigned before Justice Ahmed Mohammed, Tuesday, on a 14-count criminal charge bothering on extortion and money laundering.

Counsel to ICPC, Ebenezer Shogunle, told the court that Iornem ran two private foreign universities and duped some unsuspecting Nigerians through fraudulent admission offers.

Joined as first and second accused in the suit were the two universities, Island Open University and Commonwealth University of Belize.

Iornem was said to have conspired with one Bruce Duncan and others at large to commit the said crime.

They were alleged to have published advertisements in which they offered fraudulent admissions to unsuspecting Nigerians.

The first accused was said to have acted as consultant and academic adviser to the institutions.

The prosecutor said the universities were not accredited or authorised to operate in Belize.

“Iornem attempted to dupe the former vice chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, of $11,550 for the award of a doctorate degree in 2012,” Shogunle said.

He also accused the former legislator of fraudulently obtaining $5,000 from one Albert Oluwatoyin on the pretext that he had been offered university admission to pursue a doctoral degree in philosophy.

Iornem was said to have also collected $6,800 from one Victor Effiom for the same purpose and converted N34 million proceeds of the illegal universities to acquire a building at Jikwoyi in Abuja in 2012.

It was also alleged that he transferred $307, 000 derived from racketeering in the award of honorary degrees of Commonwealth University to acquire a 2-bedroom flat at No. 9, Offord Close in London.

The offences amount to money laundering and contraven the provisions of Section 15 (i) (a) (ii) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Justice Mohammed granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 and one surety in like sum.

He said the surety must be a civil servant not below Grade Level 08 and must swear to an affidavit of means.

Mohammed adjourned the case to May 14 for trial.

Wife, Daughter Of Iyare Motors CEO Abducted

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Wife, Daughter Of Iyare Motors CEO Abducted

From Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin

The Police Command in Edo on Wednesday confirmed the abduction of the wife and daughter of a transport magnate, Abel Omoruyi, chief executive officer of Iyare Motors, in Benin.

Spokesman of the state police command, Moses Eguavoen, a deputy superintendent of police,  said that the victims were kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

Eguavoen said that the police had received the complaint and had swung into action to effect the release of the victims.

“We are doing everything to rescue the victims unhurt and to arrest the perpetrators,” he stated.

He said that all black spots had been put under surveillance to block possible escape routes.

The woman and her daughter were said to have been kidnapped on Tuesday night in the Ugbor area of Benin on their way home after business.

A source said the abductors were armed with sophisticated weapons and were yet to make contact with the victims’ family.

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