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Graca Machel Waives Right Over Half Of Mandela’s Estate

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Graca Machel Waives Right Over Half Of Mandela’s Estate

Nelson Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel, has waived the right to half the estate of her late husband.

South Africa’s acting Chief Justice, Dikgang Moseneke, announced Machel’s decision on behalf of the executors of Mandela’s estate.

“I confirm that Mrs Machel has formally and in writing, accepted the benefits bequeathed to her in the last will and testament of former president Mr N.R. Mandela,” Moseneke said.

Machel took ownership of four properties the couple jointly-owned in Mozambique.

She would also keep their vehicles, jewellery she received during the marriage and all money in their bank accounts or invested with other financial institutions.

Machel married Mandela as his third wife, in “community of property” statute under the law.

Moseneke explained that when a couple is married in “community of property”, they are entitled to 50 percent of the estate if one of the partners’s died.

The provisional assessment of Mandela’s estate was about 46 million South African rand.

Machel was given 90 days to decide whether she would waive her right to half of the estate.

Mandela bequeathed 1.5 million rand to the family trust in his will that was read out in Johannesburg at his death.

He also left royalties to the trust of which a percentage would be given to the African National Congress.

Mandela also bequeathed 50,000 rand each to a number of personal staff, including Zelda la Grange, his former personal assistant.

Other beneficiaries listed in the will included his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, as well as a number of schools and organisations.

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Senate Confirms Godwin Emefiele As CBN Governor

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Senate Confirms Godwin Emefiele As CBN Governor

The Senate today confirmed Godwin Emefiele as the new governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

Senate President David Mark during his confirmation observed that Emefiele is a distinguished Nigerian who will bring his many years of banking to bear in the running of the apex bank.

He said the Senate drilled him with questions concerning the smooth running of the bank which he convincingly did justice to.

Emefiele’s name was forwarded to the Senate for confirmation by President Goodluck Jonathan after the suspension of the former governor of the CBN, Lamido Sanusi Lamido.

He is expected to resume duties as the substantive governor of the bank in place of Sanusi whose tenure lapses in June 2014.

Emefiele is the group managing director, Zenith Bank Plc, a position he has held since August 2010.

Until then he was the deputy managing director of the bank, having been appointed into that position in 2001.

The new CBN governor has been on Zenith bank’s management team since inception and has held various management positions in the bank, including serving as the  executive director in charge of corporate banking, treasury, financial control and strategic planning.

Group Flays Tax Evasion In Africa By Multinationals

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Group Flays Tax Evasion In Africa By Multinationals

Civil society organisations under the aegis of Tax Justice Network Africa, have decried the evasion of tax by multinational companies in Africa which make huge profits from investments on the continent.

Speaking at a Pan African consultative meeting on the theme “fiscal justice and financing sustainable development in Africa” on Monday in Abuja, the senior programme officer of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, Kolawole Banwo, said over the years, the companies have perfected ways to avoid paying tax that are technically not illegal.

Banwo said such multinationals persuade governments to offer them tax deals as the price of their investments and hire the services of well-paid lawyers, accountants and executives who assist them in circumventing the tax systems that were created primarily to provide funding for services and democratic structures.

“Tax treatises signed with governments and incentives granted multinationals and large corporations have also been part of the avenue through which Africa losses valuable resources,” he noted.

According to him, these illicit financial flows have continued to deprive Africa and its citizens of funds for progressive and gender responsive services desperately needed by people on the continent to get quality education, adequate health care and other benefits of life in 21st century.

“Indeed, a recent study reveals that some countries in Africa lose more through illicit financial flow than they lose through corruption,” Banwo added.

The group therefore urged African leaders to take full responsibility for the continent’s development, through strategic effort to exit from aid dependency, and enhancing local capacities for domestic resource mobilization through financial inclusion, expansion of the tax base, taking measures to counter illicit financial outflows from Africa and promotion of local private sector.

It also warned regional governments against unwarranted tax incentives which are purportedly used to attract investment, stating that evidence has shown that they are not required to attract foreign investment in most African countries.

The event brought together various stakeholders on Tax Justice Advocacy across the continent including CISLAC, ActionAid, Oxfam, Christian Aid, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and other agencies of civil society.

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Photojournalists Molested For Covering Inferno At CBN Building In Lagos

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Photojournalists Molested For Covering Inferno At CBN Building In Lagos

Two photojournalists with the National Mirror Newspapers, Yinka Adeparusi and Samuel Adetimehin, were Tuesday brutalised and had their cameras broken and confiscated by men of the Nigeria Police Force while trying to report the fire incident at the premises of the Central Bank of Nigeria on Broad Street in Lagos.

Both photojournalists got to know of the fire incidents as smoke from the building billowed but on arriving at the scene to carry out their professional duty, they were molested by the security officials who ordered them to surrender their cameras at all costs, beating both severely when they refused.

Adeparusi, who is an international award winning photojournalist was later whisked away to the Area ‘A’ Police Station where he was detained before he was released.

Meanwhile, Adetimehin who was the first to be attacked was left to writhe in pain after he had received punches from the mob of policemen who made sure they all had a go at him, even after forcefully taking his camera and dismembering it.

The two photojournalists have now been placed under medical care by their employer, as they are presently suffering from the grievous bodily harm inflicted by the security agents.

However, the timely intervention of the federal, state and private fire services on Tuesday evening saved the old CBN building at Tinubu Square in Lagos from being razed down.

Head of fire prevention, Federal Fire Service in Lagos, Njoku Chika, said that the fire started at about 5.00 pm from the first floor on left wing of the five storey building which houses the administrative department of the apex bank.

“Fire services from the Federal, state, UBA, Union Bank collaborated to put out the inferno,” he said.

The CBN has assured stakeholders that the fire incident in its office in Lagos would not affect its business transaction, as it has an effective backup of all its records as part of disaster recovery infrastructure.

Majority Leader Of Edo Assembly Charged With Forgery

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Majority Leader Of Edo Assembly Charged With Forgery

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Tuesday charged the majority leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Philip Shaibu, to court for allegedly forging the tax clearance papers with which he secured re-election in 2011.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, legislator representing Etsako West Constituency II was docked on a six-count charge bothering on forgery and making false statements, contrary to Section 25 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 25 (1) (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.

Reading of the charges and plea by the accused were however deferred to April 14, 2014, to enable his counsel, Ken Mozia, respond to his bail application.

Counsel to ICPC, Igbadume Godson, had argued that the bail application should be heard along with the charges, adding that effort to serve Shaibu proved abortive, hence the delay.

However, the trial Judge, Justice Esther Edigin, adjourned the case to April 14, 2014, to enable counsel to the accuse to respond to the charges and reply to the bail application.

Nasarawa Justice Commissioner Arrested For Jumping Assembly Fence

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Nasarawa Justice Commissioner Arrested For Jumping Assembly Fence

The police in Nasarawa  State on Tuesday arrested the  state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Innocent Lagi, for scaling the fence of the State House of Assembly to serve a court order.

Lagi was at the Assembly to serve the officials with a court injunction restraining the House from summoning the chairmen of Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission, NASIEC and his commissioners to appear before it.

However, he was not allowed to enter the premises by the security officers attached to the Assembly complex causing him to jump over the fence, which prompted the legislators to order security officials to arrest him.

It was gathered that before Lagi arrived at the Assembly complex, the chairman of NASIEC, Abdullahi Modibo, and five other commissioners had already responded to questions raised by members on the conduct of the local government election exercise.

The premises was cordoned off by at least 80 security operatives, who tried to stop Lagi by locking the gate but he jumped through the fence to enforce the court order.

The commissioner was detained for about 40 minutes at the Assembly’s security post before he was whisked away in an Armoured Personnel Carrier with registration number NPF 5945AC.

Before the crisis ensued, Modibbo had admitted that he erred over the announcement of results from Obi and Akwanga local government areas, which were already declared by their respective returning officers as having been won by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidates.

According to the result announced Sunday night, the ruling party in the state, the All Progressive Congress APC, won in six local government areas while the opposition PDP dominated in four, even as the election in three local governments were declared inconclusive by the commission.

The House then directed the electoral boss to go and make proper announcement of the results from the two areas.

The Majority Leader, Godiya Akwashiki, said the House ordered for the arrest of the Attorney General because they did not know his mission as he jumped the fence to gain access into the assembly.

“We were surprised to hear that the commissioner, who knows the implications of jumping a fence, could go to the extent of jumping the fence to serve the the Assembly with a court order,” he said.

The state police public relations officer, Umaru Isma’ila, an assistant superintendent of Police, said the legislators had called the commissioner of police to report the action and that the Attorney General was invited to the command for an interview.

Fire Guts PDP Secretariat In Ekiti

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Fire Guts PDP Secretariat In Ekiti

The state secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, located in Ajilosun, Ado-Ekiti, was on Tuesday gutted by fire.

This comes barely five days after the governorship primaries that produced former Governor, Ayo Fayose as the party’s flag bearer in the June 21 Ekiti Gubernatorial election.

The cause of the fire which affected a section of the first floor of the secretariat is still unknown, but the state’s police public relations officer, Victor Babayemi, said the incident would be investigated.

Also speaking to newsmen, the party’s director of publicity, Kola Kolawole, said people with ‘evil minds’ might be responsible for the incident.

It was gathered that the destruction caused by the fire would have been more devastating, but for the timely intervention of men from the fire service.

Oil Revenue: Jonathan Confirms $10bn Not Remitted – Leadership

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Oil Revenue: Jonathan Confirms $10bn Not Remitted – Leadership

By George Agba
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in faraway Amsterdam, the Netherlands, admitted he was aware of some financial impropriety in the accounting system of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He assured, however, that the federal government was doing its best to address the situation.

The Leadership Newspaper reported that the president confirmed that $10bn was yet to be remitted by the nation’s oil corporation as claimed by the Ministry of Finance against the $20 billion suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi alleged was missing.

Speaking during an interactive session between him and the Nigerian community in Amsterdam, Jonathan said it was for this reason that he ordered a forensic audit of the corporation.

According to him, there was no way $49.8bn as alleged by Sanusi would have just missed from the country’s financial system within the period the embattled CBN governor was alleging.

To buttress his point, Jonathan observed that the same Sanusi later stood his own claim on the head when he claimed the amount was no longer $49.8bn but $12 billion before alleging that it was $20bn, adding that this amount went viral in the internet.

President Jonathan who further admitted that Nigeria as a country lacked the security architectures to contain the dreaded Boko Haram sect assured, however,  that terrorist activities in the country would be dealt with effectively.

While insurgency is a latter-day development that is alien to Nigeria as a nation, he said, it requires understanding to tackle the global problem.

Jonathan also raised hope on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) when he hinted the Nigerian community of the National Assembly’s assurance to him that the seventh National Assembly was ready to take it successfully through the legislative process, adding that the federal lawmakers were poised to proceed with debate on the PIB as soon as they were through with legislation on the 2014 budget.

On the National Conference, he said his decision to convene the national dialogue hinged on various issues, even as he said that, for the first time, a large representative of youths numbering up to 18 were conscripted to take part in a conference of such nature.

The president said while issues like marginalisation requires frantic discussions, there was no doubt that there was great hope  for a better Nigeria, despite challenges.

The Nigerian community had earlier expressed support for  President Jonathan on Sanusi’s suspension, just as they urged him to sack the suspended CBN governor.

Jonathan further dismissed the criticism of former political officeholders , saying  if such persons had done their duties well while in office the people would not be yearning for what they had already put in place.

He noted that it was unfortunate for persons who have served for eights years or more and also held different positions without achieving anything to come to the public to assume public recognition by joining in criticism.

He noted that, for him, the hope was for a better Nigeria, a bright future that keeps him going despite the crises and concocted speculations that rob the country of its normalcy at certain times.

Corruption Will Not Be Tolerated, CJN Tells New Judges

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Corruption Will Not Be Tolerated, CJN Tells New Judges

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, Monday charged the 25 new justices of the Court of Appeal to ensure zero tolerance to judicial corruption.

Mukhtar gave the charge in Abuja while delivering an address at the swearing-in ceremony of the judges at the Supreme Court.

“There shall be zero tolerance to judicial corruption and misconduct in the Nigerian judiciary and I urge you to maintain true allegiance to your oath and abide by the code of conduct for judicial officers,” she charged.

The CJN added: “I wish to further stress that the judiciary will not tolerate acts of misconduct and disloyalty from judges. Your judgments and rulings will be tried by public opinion, and you will face criticism from the media, I urge you to persevere and remain firm in fulfilling your duties.”

Mukhtar reminded them that soon they will be presiding over election cases and advised them to remain politically neutral and rise up to safeguard the country’s democracy, as public confidence in the judiciary would be built and sustained when judges contributed their best to efficiently administer justice.

She also observed that the right to implement legal authority in any matter was predicated upon public opinion and ethics.

“Public confidence in the judicial system rests on public trust and perception and the sustained propriety of the judiciary, which helps to encourage citizens’ readiness to comply with the law,” she said.

President Goodluck Jonathan on March 17 approved the appointment of 25 new justices for the Court of Appeal.

The justices are Hamma Barka (Gombe State); Joseph Jella (Taraba); Bitrus Sanga (Bauchi State); Muhammed Mustapha (Borno); Yargata Nimpar (Gombe State); Sa’idu Hussein (Kogi) and Mudashiru Oniyangi (Kwara).

Others are Amina Wambai (Niger); Rilwan Abdullahi (Nasarawa State); Tani Hassan (Kano State); Muhammed Shuaibu (Jigawa); Kadi Alkali (Kaduna State); Jamilu Tukur (Katsina State); Paul Elechi (Ebonyi) and Ugochukwu Ogakwu (Enugu State).

Also among the justices are Nonyerem Okoronkwo (Imo); Joseph Ekanem (Akwa Ibom); F.E. Oho (Delta); Abimbola Adejumo (Edo) and Bolokuromo Ugo (Bayelsa).

Others are Biobele Georgewill  (Rivers); Oludotun Adefope-Okojie (Ogun);  Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf (Oyo);  J.O.K. Oyewole (Osun) and O.E. Williams-Dawudu  (Lagos).

National Conference Delegates Adopt Rules Of Procedure

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National Conference Delegates Adopt Rules Of Procedure

Delegates at the on-going National Conference which resumed Monday, after an adjournment last Tuesday, debated and adopted the rules of procedure for the dialogue.

One of the issues that generated heated debate was the number of delegates to form the quorum during sittings, but at the end of the debate, Chairman of the Conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, ruled that the provision in the rules that one-third of all the delegates should form the quorum remained.

According to a statement issued by the conference secretariat’s assistant secretary, media and communications, James Akpandem, delegates are expected to subsequently commence the debate of President Goodluck Jonathan’s address delivered at the inauguration of the conference last Monday.

The conference will also no longer entertain prayers led by either Christian or Islamic clergymen, before and after each sitting.

Akpandem said forthwith, the second stanza of the national anthem would be adopted as the opening and closing prayers for all sittings of the conference.

He also explained that last Tuesday’s adjournment was to allow delegates study the various working documents submitted after the inaugural sitting.

In the statement, Akpandem listed the working documents already with delegates to include the report of the Constitutional Conference, 1995 (Containing the Draft Constitution) Vol. 1 and the report of the Constitutional Conference, 1995 (containing the resolutions and recommendations) Vol. 2.

“Further, they have the Report of the Political Bureau (March, 1987), the Main Report of the National Political Reform Conference, 2005 and the Implementation Guide of the National Political Reform Conference, 2005 (and) the Report of the Presidential Committee on Review of Outstanding Issues from Recent Constitutional Conferences (Main Report) July 2012,’ he added.

The delegates also have the report of the presidential committee on review of outstanding issues from recent constitutional conferences (Executive Summary) July 2012.

Akpandem said two more documents, the draft rules of procedure for the conference and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, were supplied to the delegates last Thursday.

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