A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on Wednesday restrained the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from recognising Tony Nwoye as the party’s candidate for the November 16 Anambra governorship election.

The court, presided over by Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, gave the order following an originating summons filed by the Anambra state factional chairman of PDP, Ejike Oguebego.

The court also restrained PDP and INEC from accepting the outcome of the primary election conducted by Ken Emeakayi’s faction of the party.

It said PDP and INEC should stop further action pending the hearing of the motion for an interlocutory injunction and motion to set aside the interim order.

The court adjourned the case to August 30 for hearing.

The party had recognised and given certificate of return to Nwoye who won the primary election conducted by the Emeakayi faction.

Andy Uba had emerged factional winner in another primary election held concurrently by INEC’srecognised chairman of the state’s chapter of the party, Oguebeo.

But the national leadership of the party gave recognition to Nwoye and had summoned Uba andOguebego to appear before the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, for holding a rival primary election for the governorship poll.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the only governorship primary election recognised by the party was the primary election conducted by the electoral panel under the leadership of Governor IbrahimShema of Katsina,” the party’s acting national publicity secretary, Tony Okeke said.

Okeke added that the holding of the other primary was  “a clear breach of our party’s constitution and is therefore totally unacceptable and cannot be condoned.”

For the first time, all 25,000 candidates who sat for the entrance examination for the new academic year into the University of Liberia, the country’s  main public institution, have failed.

It is an evidence of the President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s recent comment that the education system was still “in a mess”, and that much needed to be done to improve it.

“None of the 25,000 students who sat the test (obtained) the required points,” said university vice-president, Ansu Sonii said.

The university’s president, Emmet A. Dennis said the poor results forced the institution to lower it’s admission standards to take in 1,600 students in both undergraduate and post-graduates students for the new term which begins next month.

He said that the results from the exams, though alarming, were real and added that there is a need for repeated engagements in addressing the low-rated education in the country.

Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, was worried about the development which she termed “embarrassing” and has  made an impromptu call at the university to discuss the failure, her office said in a statement.

Worried by the mass failure and comparing their performances with other countries, the president urged the country to see the poor performance of the candidates as a “national emergency”, adding that all Liberians, irrespective of political background, must tackle the issue of dire standards in schools.

“The problem is not just taking the test and failing. The problem is where they are coming from — so we have to go into those high schools, into those elementary schools and see what is lacking and what we can do about it,” Sirleaf stated.

Sirleaf, who was awarded the Nobel peace prize for her part in ending Liberia’s ruinous civil war in 2003, has been criticized for her failure to improve teaching since she took office in 2006.

Liberia’s education minister, Etmonia David-Tarpeh expressed shock that not a single candidate out of 25,000 students passed the admission test to the university, one of two state-run universities.

She told the BBC she would meet university officials to discuss the results.

‘I know there are a lot of weaknesses in the schools but for a whole group of people to take exams and every single one of them to fail, I have my doubts about that,’ she said.

The Liberian parliament’s education committee chairman Bill Tuaway, blamed poor teaching for the failure, the first time in Liberia’s history that no student has passed.

“This is a clear indication that the quality of education in Liberia is very bad. This shows how our teachers don’t teach well,” he told reporters in Monrovia.

Although Liberia has been peaceful for a decade now, its education system has not recovered from 14-year of civil war, which forced many professionals, including teachers, to flee the country.

The Deputy Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Tanko Maikarfi has declared that Governor Danbaba Suntai is incapacitated and too I’ll to govern the state.

The Deputy Speaker explained that this informed the decision of the House to ask Suntai to return abroad for medical care and for the acting governor, Umar to continue in office.

Speaker of the House of Assembly had announced this afternoon a resolution by members that Governor Suntai return abroad to continue his medical treatment as he was not yet well enough to return to work.

The Speaker announced the decision at a press briefing after a meeting of members of the House who had visited the governor Wednesday night.

The Speaker also said that the House decided that the acting Governor, Garba Umar should continue in that capacity until a time when Suntai is fit enough to take over the affairs of the state.

In an exclusive telephone interview with www.icirnigeria.org after the press conference, Maikarfi said that 16 out of the 24 members members signed the resolution to ask the governor to go back to conclude his treatment.

“A total of 16 out of 24 members signed the resolution the our principal should finish his treatment and that the acting governor should continue to manage the affairs of the state,” he said.

Maikarfi who said he was speaking from the Government House where the acting governor operates from, disclosed that members of the House decided that Suntai was not well enough to govern the state after a visit to him on Wednesday night.

“I can tell you what they do not want us to say, that the governor is incapacitated. He cannot walk, he cannot stand and cannot address anyone for more than three minutes,” the Deputy Speaker stated.

He added that the House only performed it’s constitutional responsibility decision its decision had been transmitted to both Suntai and the acting governor

Reminded that the governor been shown in a video where he purported addressed the state,Maikarfi dismissed the video, maintaining that anyone who saw Suntai would have no doubt that he was too incapacitated to handle the affairs of a state.

A video Of Suntai swearing in a new cabinet was released on Wednesday. It shows the governor as very frail and in need of rest. He was barely able to speak audibly or shake hands with people.

Suntai also scarcely wore a smile throughout the video and looked pitifully tensed and uncomfortable.

The dissolution of the Taraba state cabinet was announced on Wednesday by the special adviser to the governor on media and publicity, Sylvanus Giwa.

Apart from sacking the cabinet, the governor also removed the secretary to the state government,SSG, and appointed Timothy Gibon Kataps in his stead.

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Similarly, the former Chief of Staff was replaced with Aminu Jika, who is handling the position for a second time.

Meanwhile, the acting governor has dismissed the dissolution of the cabinet insisting that he is still in charge of the state’s affairs and would continue to discharge his duty in that capacity until told otherwise by the State Assembly.

“I am waiting to hear from them. As I speak to you, if the assembly tells me to revert to the position of deputy, I will comply,” Umar said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the election of Olusegun Mimiko of the Labour Party,  LP, as governor of Ondo State.

A panel of seven, presided by Justice Sylvester Nguta, held that the appeal filed against Mimiko’sre-election was unsustainable.

Nguta held that the decision of the Akure division of the Appeal Court on the matter was apt, adding that the apex court would not upturn an appellate decision which was given according to evidence brought before it.

According to Nguta, the appellant did not sufficiently prove his allegations against the conduct of the election.

“The appellant failed to prove the allegations of substantial non-compliance of the 2012 election with Electoral Act 2010 as amended beyond reasonable doubt, ” the court ruled.

Nguta said the appellant also failed to provide cogent evidence of the voter register he claimed was manipulated just as he was unable to prove allegations of fraud, irregularities and violent disruption of the election.

“In the circumstance, the appeal fails and it is therefore dismissed; the decision of the AkureDivision of the Appeal court on the matter is thereby upheld,” he decided.

Rotimi Akeredolu, candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria,  ACN, had challenged the July 2 decision of the Appeal Court which upheld the October 20, 2012 re-election Mimiko of theLabour party,  LP.

Akeredolu claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission,  INEC conspired with Mimikoto illegally inject about 90,000 fake voters in the voter register used for the election.

He further alleged that the Electoral body failed to display the voter register before the election as mandated by the Electoral Act.

According to him, the election ought not to have been held as the processes leading to casting of votes were fraudulent.

The INEC returning officer and vice chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, AdebiyiDaramola, announced Mimiko to have won the election with 260,199 votes from the 18 Local Government Areas of the state,  while Akeredolu polled a total of 143,512 votes.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has suspended Andy Ubah, a serving senator and four other members of the faction of the party in Anambra State following their refusal to honour an invitation to appear before its National Working Committee, NWC, to defend their actions.

Others suspended members include factional chairman of the Anambra chapter of the party, EjikeOguebego, Chris Ubah, brother to the senator, Benji Udeozor, and Tonia Nwankwu.

A statement announcing their suspension which was signed by the party’s acting national secretary, Remi Akintoye, was addressed to all five men.

The decision of the party’s leadership to suspend them followed a meeting of the NWC where the events of the Anambra state primaries were reviewed.

Two separate elections were held in the state last Saturday – one by the Ken Emeakayi – faction and the other by the Oguebego-led faction, producing   Andy Ubah and Tony Nwoye as winners.

However, the party’s leadership has given recognition to Nwoye as the party’s flag bearer for the November 16 gubernatorial election in spite of a Federal High Court ruling to disregard the results of the elections until it determines a case filed before it.

The PDP’s acting national publicity secretary, Tony Okeke stated that the only governorship primary election recognised by the party was the primary election conducted by the electoral panel under the leadership of Ibrahim Shema, governor of Katsina State and  that holding any other election is a clear breach of the party’s constitution and would not be tolerated.

An invitation to the Ubah brothers and others to explain the holding of a parallel primary was ignored, leading to their suspension.

An Abuja Federal High Court will on September 18, 2013 deliver judgment in a case of N787 million fraud and subversion of due process filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against former Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, BridgetSokan and six other officials of the agency.

At a sitting on Thursday, the trial judge, Justice Adamu Bello, apologised for the delay in delivering ruling on a no case submission brought by the accused persons.

He explained that his inability to deliver the ruling on November 6, 2012 was due to the overwhelming volume of cases before him.

“I have to seek your consent in summoning you all in spite of the break to re-adopt your addresses before I can proceed in delivering this ruling”, Bello said.

In re-adopting his response to all the written addresses brought by the accused persons, the prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu urged the court to be guided by the fact that the only legal requirement for consideration at this stage was whether there are legally admissible evidence and material entitling the accused persons to respond to the accusation against them by way of defense.

He further prayed the court to call upon the accused persons to enter into their defense as there is legally admissible evidence for them to do so.

Earlier, the team of defense lawyers which include Caleb Muftwang, I.K. Ijeoma, R.Okotie Ebohand  Oluwole Aladoyin gave a brief of their written addresses as regarding their dates of submission and went on to re-adopt same in support of their no case submission.

One after another, they urged the court to discharge their clients as, according to them, there was no case against them.

The case which has lingered for five years has seen the EFCC calling up several witnesses including Ahmed Modibo Mohammed, former executive secretary of UBEC; Shamsudeen Umar, assistant manager, Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC; Usman Tahir who was part of the investigation team from EFCC and Ben Agweye, a forensic expert.

From their testimony, four of the six companies that bided for the supply of plastic chairs and desk to all junior secondary schools in the federation had no evidence of registration with the CAC.

They further stated that there was no competitive bidding process leading to the award of contract, neither was there any newspaper advertisement in line with extant procurement regulations.

It was also revealed by the evaluation report that over N787 million was paid as mobilization fee representing 85% of the contract sum as against the 25% in the contract agreement.

The other accused persons who were first arraigned on May 18, 2009 on a 63-count charge of fraudulent inducement, criminal conspiracy and subversion of due processes in the award of contract and other offences are Molkat Manasseh Mutfwang, Andrew Ekpunobi and Michael Aule.

Others are the companies used in perpetrating the fraud, including Intermarkets USA;Intermarkets Nigeria Limited and Alexander John Cozman, a foreign contractor.

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has been shut following a violent protest that erupted Tuesday.

Speaker of the Assembly, Musa Mohammed who addressed journalists at a news conference said no further sitting would be held until the security of the lawmakers is guaranteed.

It was gathered that youths in their numbers stormed the Assembly complex, throwing stones and other items at the lawmakers after a session with the state governor, Tanko Al-Makura.

The youths alleged that the legislators were disturbing and harassing the governor for political reasons and asked the law makers to allow him a free hand in ruling the state.

Confusion reigned at the assembly complex as lawmakers took to their heels to escape the wrath of the youths who saw the invitation of the governor as part of a process of intimidating the governor.

The lawmakers had summoned the governor to explain his non-compliance and implementation of resolutions previously passed by the House.

Four items were slated to be addressed by Al Makura but only two could be dealt with before 6.00 pm when the rules of the House bars reaching resolutions on issue.

One of the resolutions Al Makura had failed deal with concerned the state university. The House had passed a resolution asking the governor to reinstate the management of the university under the leadership of Shamsudeen Amali which was sacked in February this year.

Another issue is the refusal of Al-Makura to recall all staff of the state owned transport agency,Nasarawa Express and that of the state owned newspaper company.

The lawmakers had also ordered that the immediate accounts of the state owned transport agency be frozen until the governor appears before them.

There was also the issue of the governor failing to sign into law some bills passed by the House.

Acting on Section 100, sub-section 4-5 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the House majority vote overrode the governor with a two thirds majority and assented to two bill s- a bill to regulate the activities of the state traditional rulers and a bill to establish the state rehabilitation board.

The bills were earlier passed by the legislators but were not assented by the governor months after they were passed.

Also angered by the comment of the governor’s Special Adviser on Inter-Party Affairs, HajaraDanyaro, alleging that the lawmakers were given N300 million as leave grant, the lawmakers ordered that the governor’s aid should equally appear before the House to prove her claim.

Two days ago, the Nasarawa state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, alleged a planned attack on the state lawmakers for summoning the governor.

In a statement signed by the state chairman of the party, Yunana Iliya, the party said that members of the state ruling party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, had hired thugs to attack the assembly members and urged security operatives in the state to provide them with adequate security.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested 17 persons for stealing N1.7billion meant for pensioners in primary schools in all 33 local governments in Oyo State.

Those arrested include , former executive secretary of the state Local Government Pension Board, Muili Hakeem Aderemi; Iyabo Giwa, former treasurer; Adeshina Jimoh Ayoade, former cashier;Oguntayo Banji, former internal auditor and Adebiyi Olasunbo Musendiq, former admin officer.

Others are: Salewa Adedeji; Kareem Rasheed;Johnson Bosede; Adeduntan Johnson; OlomideOlaide; Oyebamiji Akinlolu; Muili Adedamola; Adewale Kehinde; Saka. M. Ikeola; Oluokun Funmilayo;Oyetunji Taiwo and Olujimi Philip Adebayo.

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• Supreme Court Upholds Mimiko’s Re-election
• PDP Suspends Andy Ubah, Oguebego, 3 Others
• Court Rules On N787 Million UBEC Fraud Case In Sept
• Nasarawa Assembly Shut After Youths Protest

The spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, inna statement said that the suspects had illegally withdrawn  N1.7 billion from the sum of N4.1 billion received from both state and federal governments for teachers pension.

Items including houses and landed property are said to have been recovered from the suspects.

The EFCC spokesman said they will all be charged ton court as soon as investigations are concluded in the matter.

The Lagos State government on Tuesday revoked the concession agreement reached for the Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway with the Lekki Concession Company.

The decision followed the approval of the state’s lawmakers to allow the government the right to acquire the existing concession rights and toll revenue benefits held by the concessionaire.

Governor  Babatunde Fashola had in a supplementary budget proposal letter to the State House of Assembly dated August 19, 2013, requested the it to amend the 2013 budget, owing to unforeseen developments in terms of the state’s internally generated revenue.

Fashola in the letter said: “The proposal for further amendment is largely predicated by the need to fund the acquisition of existing concession, right and toll revenue benefit held by the LekkiConcession Company, LCC, the concessionaire for the Eti-Osa-Lekki- Epe expressway.

“This will effectively accelerate the transfer of ownership of the road to the state, leaving the state with wider policy options with regards to that important infrastructure.

“This will entail increase in the overall budget size by N7.5bn. This is against the background of a projected shortfall of N22.5bn in budgeted internally generated revenue, IGR, which now need to be covered by the additional borrowings,” the governor said.

The House gave its approval for the requests in the proposal read on the floor by the Clerk, GaniyuAbiru.

The commissioners for budget and economic planning, Ben Akabueze; Finance, Ayo Gbeleyi as well as works and infrastructure, Obafemi Hamzat, were at the House to defend the proposal.

The LCC was mandated under a 30-year build, operate and transfer agreement to upgrade, expand and maintain the about 50-kilometre road (Phase I), and construct another 20km of coastal road (Phase II) along the Lekki corridor.

But the firm and the state government came under severe attacks when they introduced what the residents considered as high tolls on the road in 2011 after significant progress was made in the first phase.

Users of the expanded road have had pay between N50 for motorcycles to N120 for saloon cars and tricycles; N150 for sports utility vehicles, minibuses and pick-up trucks; N80 for commercial mini-buses and N250 and N350 for light trucks and heavy trucks and buses with two or more heavy axles, respectively.

With the development, residents and motorists may no longer pay the toll to access the multibillionnaira road or abide with a new toll fee that may be fixed by the state government.

President Goodluck Jonathan has queried the chairman of the National Population Commission, NPC, Festus Odimegwu barely 24 hours after the minister of Youth Development, Inuwa Abdul-Kadir was sacked.

The query might be connected to recent comments made by the NPC chairman regarding figures of the 2006 census which he said were cooked up.

Odimegwu had alleged that no credible census had been conducted in Nigeria since 1816. According to him, census figures were regularly distorted for selfish reasons.

“No census has been credible in Nigeria since 1816. Even the one conducted in 2006 is not credible. I have the records and evidence produced by scholars and professors of repute,” he said.

Odimegwu added: “Nigeria has run on falsehood for too long. We must stop this falsehood and put a stop to all of these. Because the 2006 census was not correct, the former board of NPC was unable to publish the figures. If they try it, there will be uproar.”

The Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso had not taken these remarks lightly and had drawn the attention of the President to the comments, even faulting Odimegwu’s appointment.

Kano State had been declared the most populous state in the country following the census.

“We are not happy about that appointment and think that it was a mistake. Festus shouldn’t be there in the first place and my guess is that he’s taking a lot of his products (referring to alcoholic beverages) because he cannot be the chairman of NPC and at the same time be attacking what his predecessor had done,” said Kwankwaso.

Odimegwu was given an ultimatum to respond to the query, ascertaining whether or not he made the comments attributed to him.