The chairman, Senate committee on petroleum (downstream), Magnus Abe, has criticised the attack on the Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, Otelemaba Amachree on Tuesday.

He described the attack as a shame and a slap on democracy.

A fracas ensued between five – man anti-Rotimi Amaechi group of the assembly and the remaining 27 members just as the Speaker and the Majority Leader, Chidi Lloyd, arrived at the Assembly for the day’s sitting.
It was gathered that the anti – Amaechi group, arrived with some hoodlums and started beating up Amachree and Lloyd and, breaking the mace in the process.
It is believed that the move of the five members who are on the side of Nyesom Wike, a minister in Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet and a sworn enemy of the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, is part of a grand plan to impeach the Speaker.

With the Speaker and Lloyd wounded and ferried to the hospital, others members of the House fled the assembly complex momentarily allowing the five anti Amaechi members sit and attempt to impeach Amachree.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on Tuesday, walked out on the ministers of education and labour, RuqquayatuRuf’ai and Emeka Wogu, during a meeting organised by the joint National Assembly committee on education in Abuja.

ASUU had called an indefinite strike last week Monday to protest government’s refusal to stick to its part of a truce and the joint committee had organised a meeting with the body, as well as the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP and the Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Education, COEASU, to a dialogue on the way forward.

At the gathering of all concerned parties, the committee askedASUU to excuse it, while it interacted with ASUP and COEASU, which had commenced strike action about eight weeks ago.

This request was viewed as a slight by ASUU and its team left the National Assembly Complex in annoyance.

The lawmakers condemned the actions of the ASUUrepresentatives, describing it as a disregard for the parliament.

Sunny Ugbuoji, a senator from Ebonyi State, said of the incident:

“ASUU has walked out on us and this should be said in plain terms. What meeting can be more important than this meeting.”

House of Representative member,  Farouk Lawan, also criticised the move, saying that ASUU should have been patient to hear from the members and the ministers, noting that no other meeting could be more important.

He, however, urged the committee chairmen not to relent in rescheduling another meeting with ASUU in the interest of the students who were still at home.

The chairman of the Senate committee on education, UcheChukwumerije, said the committee would intensify its negotiation with the government to ensure that the issues at stake were resolved.

He appealed to ASUP to call off its eight-week old strike, saying that the committee was in talks with the federal government on the way forward and gave a deadline of two weeks for all pending issues to be resolved.

The ASUP President, Chibuzor Asomugha, promised to table the committee’s request before a meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC, of the body.

On his part, the President of COEASU, Emmanuel Nkoro, appealed to the committee and the ministers to look into his association’s demands to avert any strike action.

The two ministers assured the unions that the federal government was looking into the issues raised with a view to reaching an amicable resolution.

The Taraba State acting governor, Garba Umar, has sacked the secretary to the state government, Emmanuel Njiwah, five commissioners and two special advisers for allegedly mismanagingN400 million flood mitigating grant.

A statement signed by the press secretary to the Governor, KefasSule, said the sack followed the recommendations of a report of the ad-hoc committee of the State House of Assembly set up to probe the utilisation of the funds.

“They were indicted by the House of Assembly for failing to properly account for the N400 million Federal Government intervention fund for the 2012 flood disaster in Taraba,” the statement said.

It added: “The affected functionaries are to individually refund the various sums of money misappropriated by them or face prosecution.”

The commissioners affected are: Anthony Jellason, Agriculture;Rabo Usman, Water Resources; Yakubu Agbaizo, Education; JonahAgyo, Works and Christy Green, Women Affairs.

Others are Joshua Augustine, Special Adviser, Revenue, andManasseh Kaura, Special Adviser, Border Development.

The statement stated that the Commissioner for Health, MustaphaHamman-Gabdo, had earlier tendered his resignation, which was accepted by the governor.

The N400 million grant was allocated to the state by the Federal Government to cater for its flood victims.

The Senate on Tuesday rejected the six-year single term proposed for the President and governors by the Senate committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution.

The lawmakers said the six-year single term proposal would stifle the power of the people to make elected officials accountable through periodic elections.

In his remark, Isa Galaudu from Kebbi State said that the proposal was retrogressive and would not be useful to assess the performance of elected officials while in office.

“It is retrogressive because it won’t give motivation and punishment for good or poor performance,” he said.

Ahmed Lawan from Yobe said any attempt to alter the current tenure arrangement would be disastrous to the nation.

“Six-year single term is an investment in disaster, the four-year two terms should be maintained as power to re-elect resides with the people,” Lawan said.

The senate also supported financial autonomy for local government councils through the abolition of the states/local government joint accounts.

Clever Ikisikpo. A senator from Bayelsa State in his contribution said autonomy for local government councils would fasten development at the grassroots,”.

The Senate, however, remains divided on the issue of creation of state police. Some senators who support it said it would strengthen community policing to further guaranty the safety of lives and property.

Victor Lar representing Plateau said there was the need to reconsider the creation of state police due to the high crime rate in the country.

Others, however, warned that past experience indicate that state police could be abused by state chief executives.

READ ALSO:

• Restore Telecom Services In Yobe, Gov. Giadem Pleads
• Reps Take Over Rivers Assembly Functions
• Senator Condemns Rivers Assembly Fracas
• ASUU Walks Out On Ministers, NASS Committee
• N400m Flood Grant: Taraba Sacks SSG, Commissioners, Others

However, Abdulminu Hasan from Jigawa State argued that Nigeria was not yet mature for the creation of state police.

Debates on the constitution amendment would continue on Wednesday while voting on the recommendations has been reserved for Thursday.

A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has adjourned ruling on the “no case” submission by the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Limited, WaleBabalakin, to September 23, 2013.

Babalakin and four others are charged with conspiracy to commit felony laundering about N4.7 billion.

At the last adjourned date, Babalakin’s counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, prayed the court to quash the charge against his clients on the grounds that the fiat issued by the attorney general of Lagos State in 2004 on which basis the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC preferred the charges, had become obsolete as the Criminal Procedure Law 2003 which was relied on in granting it had been repealed.

Tayo Oyetibo who appeared for the second defendant also informed the court of an application dated January 20, 2013 and a written address of same date, in which he prayed the court to quash the charges against his client.

Like the first defendant’s counsel, Oyetibo also challenged the use of the fiat to institute the case, adding that the proof of evidence did not support the charge against his client.

However, the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, in a counter-affidavit dated February 12, 2013 told the court to disregard the submissions made by Babalakin’s counsel that the fiat used to initiate charges against his client was obsolete and so was unreliable.

“It is not the Criminal Justice Law that governs who can prosecute criminal cases in Lagos state but sections 174 and 211 of the 1999 Constitution,” Jacobs argued.

This section, he argued, did not give a monopoly right to institute a criminal suit against any person to the attorney General of the federation or a state.

Jacobs said that agencies such as the EFCC, the Police, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have powers to prefer criminal charges against anyone in any court of law within the federation.

At the resumed hearing of the case today, A.A. Layonu, counsel to the defendant, told the court that the first defendant was not present in court, citing “serious” ill-health.

When the presiding judge, juctice  Adeniyi Onigbanjo asked ifBabalakin was within the court premises, his counsel replied that he was within the vicinity of the court but could not attend the sitting owing to a mobility challenge that would require the use of a wheel chair for him to be brought into the court room.

Tayo Olukotun, who held brief for Rotimi Jacobs said the prosecution was not informed about Babalakin’s absence until thedefence counsel told the court.

Justice Onigbanjo then adjourned ruling on the no case submission to September 23, 2013.

Babalakin was arraigned by the EFCC, alongside Alex Okoh and three companies: Stabilini Vision Limited, Bi-Courtney Limited andRenix Nigeria Limited on January 17, 2013, on a 27-count criminal charge.

The Yobe State government has ordered the closure of all secondary schools across the state, following the massacre of 29 students and a teacher by suspected Islamist extremists on Saturday.

Visiting the school on Sunday, governor Ibrahim Gaidam described the attack as “cold-blooded murder…callous and devoid of any shred of humanity”.

He ordered that all secondary schools be closed until the start of a new academic term in September, to allow state and federal government officials as well as community leaders to work on ways to guarantee the safety of schools.

According to him, all boarding schools in the state will be fenced, even as the Joint Task Force will provide the needed security in all the schools in the state.

Gaidam also called on the Chief of Defense Staff to consider the restoration of GSM services in the state, to enable those willing to give relevant information have access to security agents.

“Lack of (Global System for Mobile Communications) service has prevented patriotic citizens who have hitherto been collaborating with security agents from reporting suspicious movements in theirneighbourhoods,” he said.

The governor said that residents saw the insurgents who carried out the last two attacks in Damaturu, the state capital but could not reach security forces to alert them.

Earlier, the state education commissioner, Mohammed Lamin, briefed the governor that the casualty figure of those slain in the attack had risen to 33, as two more students and another person who were receiving treatment at the Potsikum General Hospital, later died.

The Government Secondary School, Mamudo, was torched by men believed to be members of the Boko Haram sect, at about 3:am last Saturday.

Survivors said the attackers stormed the school’s premises with gallons of petrol while students were still asleep and set their dormitories afire, burning alive many students. They also shot at some who tried to escape.

Several of these kinds of unprovoked attack on students have occurred in Borno and Yobe states since 2010.

The Boko Haram sect blamed for the attacks have an Islamic name which when translated means: “Western education is forbidden”.

By: Juliet Alohan

The European Union has promised to commence an investigation into the Malabu oil deal scandal. This follows a letter by international extractive industry advocacy groups, Publish What You Pay (PWYP) and Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC) have written the Italian and the Netherlands governments urging them to urgently institute an investigation into the Malabu oil deal scandal,LEADERSHIP has learnt.

Copies of the letters dated July 5, 2013, and exclusively obtained by LEADERSHIP, were addressed to Italian Prime Minister, Mr EnricoLetta, and copied the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Emma Bonino, Minister of Economy and Finance, Fabrizio Saccomanni, as well as the Minster of Justice, Annamaria Cancellieri, with the caption “Urgent Need for Italian Investigation and Diplomatic Engagement.”

A similar letter was also addressed to the Netherlands Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, and copied the Minister of Foreign Affairs,Frans Timmermans and the Minister of Security and Justice, IvoUpstelten, with the title “Urgent Need for Investigation and Diplomatic Engagement.”

The letter to the Italian Prime Minister which acknowledged Italy’s championing of essential transparency initiatives, noted that companies involved in questionable and obscure deal-making are not being held to account for their role in the loss of hundreds of millions of pounds of revenue to Nigeria, money that should be used for development.

In particular, the advocacy groups informed the Prime Minister that Nigerians are highly concerned about the role of ENI, an Italian oil company, in the purchase in 2011 of the OPL-245 oil block in Nigeria.

“As a result of this deal made by ENI with Shell and the Nigerian government, US$800 million of ENI/Shell money has made its way through JP Morgan Chase to Malabu Oil and Gas, a company substantially owned and controlled by Chief Dan Etete, a convicted money-launderer and former Minister of Petroleum of Nigeria, Eteteawarded this company the oil block in 1998 in opaque circumstances when he was in office,” the letter read in part.

The letter jointly signed by the National Coordinator, PWYP Nigeria, Faith Nwadishi, and the National Coordinator Zero-Corruption Coalition,      Babatunde Oluajo, further reads: “We ask that the Italian government follows up on its worthy commitment to counter corruption by supporting a full and thorough Italian investigation of the OPL 245 case as it concerns an Italian company and one in which the Italian Government holds shares.

“We also ask that Italy supports, encourages and cooperates with Nigerian investigations into the case. In the course of an effective investigation in Nigeria, Italy or elsewhere in the world, a request for mutual legal assistance would be very likely. Italy should commit to providing that assistance if asked and seek an assurance from Nigeria that any request from Italy would be responded to promptly and that there would be no political interference from any Nigerian officials.”

In the letter to the Hague, the advocacy groups also raised concerned about the role of Shell, the Dutch oil company, in the purchase in 2011 of OPL-245 oil block in Nigeria.

Requesting the Dutch government to support a full and thorough Dutch investigation of the OPL-245 case as it concerns a Dutch company, the group also urged the Netherlands to support and cooperate with Nigerian investigations into the case in the course of an effective investigation.

“Your leadership on this issue is essential and would represent a strong and specific complement to Netherlands’s transparency agenda. We also believe that combating corruption is essential to efforts to undermine recruitment by terrorist groups, whose numbers are reportedly being swelled in countries such as Nigeria in a reaction to corruption,” the letter stated.

In a meeting with the EU delegation to Nigeria, in Abuja, Nwadishipointed out that the new EU accounting directive, if complied with in Nigeria, will further improve transparency in the payments by oil companies and other multinationals to Nigerian government.

She told the Delegation of their determination to demand for the implementation of key outstanding remedial actions highlighted in the various oil and gas audit reports of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) to enable Nigeria block gaps that currently allow theft and opacity in the oil industry.

In his response, First Secretary, Trade Counsellor, EU Delegation To Nigeria, Massimo De Luca, who promised to support investigation into the Malabu oil deal, said “investigations would be necessary to either establish the complexity on the part of ENI and Shell in the deal or exonerate them.

Luca said the EU will support the implementation of the Dodd Frank Law in Nigeria, a law mainly to support transparency in the extractive industry, with a view to boosting transparency in the countries oil sector.

While noting the need to pursue best practice across the oil and gas value chain, he said “an investigation will reveal whether or notENI/Shell acted corruptibly or aided and abated corruption in theOPL 245 oil block deal.”

Fred Ajudua has filed an interlocutory application at the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, seeking for his case to be transferred to another judge, thus, causing a setback in his on-going trial.

His counsel, Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, expressed fears on Monday at the resumed hearing of the case that his client may not get a fair trial if the presiding judge, Justice Olubunmi Oyewole was left to handle the matter.

He accused the judge of being biased towards Ajudua.

The prosecuting counsel, Oluwemimo Ogunde, asked the court for seven days to respond appropriately to the application, as he only received the request last Friday.

Justice Oyewole expressed displeasure at the delay in the commencement of trial before adjourning the case to September 24, 2013,

The court had at the last hearing dismissed Ajudua’s application for bail and his motion to quash the charges on the grounds that one of his victims had announced his intention to discontinue with the case.

He has since been remanded at the Kirikiri prison.

Ajudua was re-arraigned on June 11, after eight years of absconding from trial on charges of defrauding two foreigners,Messrs Remy Gina and Pierre Vijgen, of $1.69million.

The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has condemned a claim by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that its governors shunned last weekend’s flag-off of the reconstruction of the Lagos-IbadanExpressway by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The ACN’s national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed, in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday explained that only the governors of Lagos, Oyo and Ogun were invited to the ceremony.

He said that it was therefore inaccurate to give the impression that all the ACN governors were expected to be there.

‘How then could anyone who believes in the truth, and nothing but the truth, infer in a public statement that the Governors shunned the ceremony because of politics? How difficult is it for a self-respecting party spokesman to check the veracity of the information at his disposal before feeding such to the public? Mohammed asked.

The party said the acting national publicity secretary of the PDP, Tony Okeke, had  embarrassed his party and its leadership by now verifying facts before issuing statements.

READ ALSO:

• Senate Reject 6 Years Single Term For President
• Court Defers Ruling On Babalakin’s No Case Submission
• Boko Haram: Yobe Shuts Secondary Schools
• EU, Italy, Netherlands To Probe Malabu Oil Deal – Leadership
• Fred Ajudua Accuses Judge Of Bias, Stalls Trial

”Is it possible that a spokesman for a ruling party does not know that deputy governors can stand in for their principals even at statutory meetings like the National Council of State and the National Economic Council?” The ACN queried.

Throwing more light on the issue, Mohammed said while Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, personally attended the flag-off, the governors of Lagos and Oyo sent their deputies to represent them because both of them were out of the country at the time.

Human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo,  has filed a suit at the  Federal High Court Lagos against the West African Examination Council, WAEC, over its refusal to produce the certified true copy of the result of Hope Uzodinma, the chairman, Senate committee on aviation.

Keyamo said that he had written to WAEC on May 14, 2013, requesting the body to produce an original copy of Uzodinma’s result in pursuance Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI), which states that: “Where information is applied for under this Act, the public institution to which the application is made shall…make the information available to the applicant.”

Uzodinma claims to be an alumnus of the Mgbidi Boys High School, Imo State from where he allegedly obtained his West African Senior School Certificate in 1982.

However, Keyamo said inquiry and investigation into the names and persons that graduated in that year has revealed that Senator Hope Uzodinma was not a graduate of the school in 1982.

It is this discovery that has necessitated the need to verify the claims of HopeUzodinma, which only a Certified True Copy of his West African Senior School Certificate can prove.

In an application before the court, Keyamo is asking the court for “an order granting leave to the applicant to apply for Judicial Review for an Order of Mandamus compelling the respondent (WAEC) to produce the Certified True Copy of the West African Senior School Certificate of Hope Uzodinma to the Applicant, in accordance with Section 1(1), (2), & (4) of The Freedom Of Information (FOI) Act, 2011,” and for any such order as is deemed fit by the court.

Uzodinma had previously been involved in a forgery scandal where he was accused of claiming to have graduated from the Washington University, St. Loius, Missouri, United States, from where he said he bagged a degree in Arts/Criminology.

But the Hope Uzodinma Campaign Organisation, HUCO, debunked the allegation; saying that contrary to media reports, its principal, attended Washington International University in the United States and obtained a degree in InternationalStuies and Diplomacy.

“Senator Hope Uzodinma did not attend Washington University, St. Loius, Missouri, United States and did not obtain any certificate from the said university. For clarity and avoidance of doubt, the distinguished senator attended Washington International University in the United States on a part time basis and obtained a Bachelors of Arts Degree in International Studies and Diplomacy,” the director-general of the Campaign Organisation, Nze Ignatius Umuna said.

Find below some particulars of the suit by Keyamo

IN THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF NIGERIA
HOLDEN AT LAGOS

SUIT NO: FHC/L/CS/921/2013

IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION FOR  JUDICIAL REVIEW  BY FESTUSKEYAMO FOR AN ORDER OF MANDAMUS

BETWEEN:

FESTUS KEYAMO                                                              …….                APPLICANT

AND

WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL                  ……..              RESPONDENT

MOTION EXPARTE
BROUGHT UNDER:

1.    ORDER 34 RULE 1 (1)(a) AND RULE 3 (1) AND (2) OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT (CIVIL PROCEDURE) RULES 2009
2.    SECTION 1(1) ,(2), (3) & 4 OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (FOI) ACT, 2011.
3.    UNDER THE INHERENT JURISDICTION OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT

TAKE NOTICE that this Honorable Court will be moved on …… day of ………. 2013 at the hour of 9 0’clock in the forenoon or so soon thereafter as counsel may be heard on behalf of the Applicant for the following reliefs:

1.      AN ORDER granting leave to the Applicant to apply for Judicial Review for an Order of Mandamus compelling the Respondent to produce the Certified True Copy of the West African Senior School Certificate of Hope Uzodinma to the Applicant, in accordance with Section 1(1), (2), & (4) of The Freedom Of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.

2.      AND FOR SUCH FURTHER ORDER OR OTHER ORDERS as this Honorable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this Application.

Dated this 1st day of July, 2013

IN THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF NIGERIA
HOLDEN AT LAGOS

SUIT NO: FHC/L/CS/921/2013

IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION FOR  JUDICIAL REVIEW  BY FESTUSKEYAMO FOR AN ORDER OF MANDAMUS

BETWEEN:

FESTUS KEYAMO                                                              …….                APPLICANT

AND

WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL                  ……..              RESPONDENT

STATEMENT PURSUANT TO ORDER 34 RULE 2 (a) OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT (CIVIL PROCEDURE) RULES 2009.

1.            NAMES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF THE APPLICANT
FESTUS KEYAMO.
FESTUS KEYAMO CHAMBERS
1, FESTUS KEYAMO LANE
OFF ADEBAYO MOKUOLU STREET,
OFF GBAGADA EXPRESSWAY,
BEHIND HOTEL NEWCASTLE,
ANTHONY VILLAGE,
LAGOS STATE.

2.        RELIEFS SOUGHT BY THE APPLICANT

a.  AN ORDER granting leave to the Applicant to apply for Judicial Review for an Order of Mandamus compelling the Respondent to produce the Certified True Copy of the West African Senior School Certificate of Hope Uzodinma to the Applicant, in accordance with Section 1(1), (2), & (4) Of The Freedom Of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.

b.  AND FOR SUCH FURTHER ORDER OR OTHER ORDERS as this Honorable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this Application.

3.            GROUNDS UPON WHICH THE RELIEFS ARE SOUGHT:

a.  The Applicant pursuant to Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2011 has with a letter dated 14th May, 2013 applied to the Respondent to produce the Certified True Copy of the West African Senior School Certificate of Hope Uzodinmato the Applicant.

b.    The Respondent has ignored and/or refused to produce the Certified True Copy of the West African Senior School Certificate of Hope Uzodinma to the Applicant in accordance with Section 4 of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2011.

4.            FACTS LEADING TO THIS APPLICATION:

a.    The Applicant is a legal practitioner, solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, who is passionately involved in legal activities for the protection of human rights and in the fight against corruption in public places in Nigeria.

b.    Hope Uzodinma, a Senator of the Federal republic of Nigeria has always claimed to be an Alumni of Mgbidi Boys High School, Imo State from where he allegedly obtained his West African Senior School Certificate in 1982.

c.    The said Hope Uzodinma claimed to have graduated from the Mgbidi Boys High School, Imo State in 1982.

d.    That inquiry and investigation into the names and persons that graduated in that year has revealed that Senator Hope Uzodinma was not a graduate of the school in 1982.

c.  Consequent upon the legal activities of the Applicant, there has arisen a need to verify the claims of Hope Uzodinma by the Certified True Copy of his West African Senior School Certificate.

d.  The Applicant is an active legal practitioner and a senior member of Nigeria Bar Association that has resolved to fight and expose corruption in public places in Nigeria and is passionately involved in legal activities for the protection of human right.

e.  By a letter dated 14th day of May, 2013 served on the Respondent on the 24thday of June, 2013  the Applicant has applied for the production of the Certified True Copy of the West African Senior School Certificate of Senator Hope Uzodinma. Attached a marked exhibit “A” is the acknowledged copy of the said letter dated 14thMay, 2013.

f.    On the 1st day of July, 2013 at 10.00am Festus Afeiyodion, a Counsel in Chambers visited the Respondent’s office with a view of collecting the Certified True Copy of the West African Senior School Certificate of Senator Hope Uzodinmabut he was left unattended to till the close of work.

g.  The Respondent has ignored and/or refused to produce the Certified True Copy of the West African Senior School Certificate of Hope Uzodinma.

Dated this 1st day of July, 2013