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.

READ ALSO:

• Gov Suntai Is Incapacitated – Taraba Deputy Speaker
• 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.

The political crisis in Taraba State deepened on Wednesday morning with the dissolution of the state Executive Council by the Governor, Danbaba Suntai.

The latest development was made known 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.

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

Confirming the dissolution, Suntai’s chief press secretary, Hassan Mijinyawa, said that all commissioners had been directed to hand over to their permanent secretaries.

He said that the appointments of the SSG and chief of staff are with immediate effect.

Reacting to the move, the immediate past commissioner for information and culture, Emmanuel Bello, described the dissolution as a welcome development which would help re-shapen the Suntaiadministration “to continue to transform Taraba State until his tenure lapses in May 2015.”

In less than 72 hours since the return of Suntai on Sunday, the political temperature in the state has gone up, creating a division between those in support of the deputy governor, Garba Umar, who has been acting as governor for 10 months in the absence of his boss and those on the side of the recuperating governor.

While the Speaker of the House, Haruna Tsokwa has asked the governor to come and address the Assembly at plenary as a condition for resuming, the Majority Leader, Joseph AlbasuKunini, asked the governor to start work with immediate effect.

A group known as the Coalition of Taraba Youth Movement, has urged on the state’s House of Assembly to summon the governor, Danbaba Suntai, to address the people of the state in order to put an end to the speculations and confusion regarding his return.

President of the coalition, Abubakar Waziri, made the call at a news conference on Monday inJalingo.

Waziri noted that people of the state who had been praying for the ailing governor for the past 10 months deserved to know his true state of health.

“We want Governor Suntai to speak to the people of the state, either through the media or at the House of Assembly. The state is in a state of confusion now because the people do not know what to believe,” he said.

Suntai, flew back into the country on Sunday but has since not spoken publicly to anyone though his close associates continue to say that he is mentally alert and well enough to handle governance in Taraba state.

His family and personal aides insist that he must rest for at least 72 hours after his return, in accordance with his doctor’s advice.

However, to the surprise of many on Monday, Suntai reportedly wrote to the leadership of the State House of Assembly informing them of his readiness to resume work.

Many are doubtful that the letter actually originated from him, hence the youths in the state are calling on the governor to give a public address.

In the meantime, the acting Governor, Garba Umar has lauded the people of the state for the show of love and affection to the ailing governor when they turned out in large numbers on Sunday to welcome him.

President Goodluck Jonathan has terminated the appointment of the minister of youth development,Inuwa Abdulkadir.

The announcement of the minister’s sack is contained in a statement released to the Media by the secretary to the federal government, Anyim Pius Anyim in Abuja today.

No reason was given in the statement for the termination of Abdulkadir’s appointment.

READ ALSO:

• 17 Arrested In Oyo Over N1.7billion Pension Fraud
• Lagos Revokes Lekki-Ekpe Expressway Contract
• Jonathan Queries Festus Odimegwu, NPC Chairman
• Suntai Dissolves Cabinet, As Tension Builds In Taraba
• Taraba Youths Insist On Public Address By Gov Suntai

There are, however, speculations that his sack may be related with the political path taken by the Sokoto State Governor, Magatarkada Wamako who recommended his appointment into the federal cabinet.

It would be recalled that Governor Wamako is among the five governors who have been consulting and have also openly kicked against Jonathan’s second term options.

The Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy on Sunday handed over a Cameroonian and 11 Nigerians suspected to be oil thieves to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, inYenogoa, Bayelsa State for prosecution.

The suspects were apprehended for alleged involvement in the theft of 10,000 litres of locally refined diesel, off the waterway of Egweama community in Brass Local Government Area of the state.

The Cameroonian was identified by the Navy as the Captain of the seized vessel used by the suspects to convey the stolen product.

The vessel, registered as MV Sea Giant, had ship log, the Nigeria Port Authority bunkering permit and Certificate of Registration with the Joint Military Task Force.

Operations officer of the command, Emmanuel Enemor, presented the crew of the seized vessel to the representative of the EFCC, Ogbu Michael.

Enemor said that the suspects claimed that the petroleum products in the vessel was for running machinery on board, adding that the laboratory test on the sample showed that the product was illegally refined Automotive Gasoline Oil, AGO.

According to Enemor, the Nigerian Navy patrol team arrested the vessel off the Brass River entrance on May 16 at Egweama Community in Brass Local Government area of Bayelsa state,

“The MV Sea Giant operates under the business name and license of MOEN Marine Limited located in Victoria Island in Lagos. During interrogation, the captain confessed that the vessel came from Lagos to load AGO from a Barge at Agbara offshore,” he said.

The Borno State government has announced a plan to pay parents to send their wards to school in order to encourage mass literacy.

Governor of the State, Kashim Shettima, said at an interactive session with elders and residents ofBama- GRA communities over the weekend to chart ways to bring succour to the devastated areas.

Shettima noted that it had become imperative to encourage children within the school age-grade to be educated, especially in the Northern part of the state which has witnessed great decline inenrolment of students.

The unprovoked attacks launched against schools in the state by members of the Boko Haram sect over the last one year has made more parents scared to allow their children and wards to attend classes for fear of losing them.
But the governor has said that the over 800 blocks of classrooms burnt down by Boko Haramterrorists in various schools across the state, will be renovated and that parents who send their children to schools will be continually paid.

He however, did not name the amount to be paid to such parents.
He stressed that present insecurity experienced in the state was as a result of the increasing case of poverty backed by lack of access to education.
Shettima also announced plans to fence all communities in Maiduguri, the state capital to restrict movement, adding that the gates to each of the communities would be manned by vigilante youths who will be paid monthly stipend to safeguard their areas.
“I want to appealed to the people of this community and Borno in general, because there has been a decline in the mode of service to mankind by previous administrations which led to the neglect of providing dividends of democracy to the people, but I want to assure you that we will inculcate the culture of good governance and commitment to the socio-economic development of the state,” he said.

In his reaction, the chairman of Bama- GRA community, Ahmed Yusufari, commended the governor for his commitment to the dealing with the plights of the people of the area, adding that the community was ready to give unflinching support of the administration in developing the state and ensuring that peace is restored.