The Appeal Court sitting in Ado Ekiti on Thursday froze the bank accounts of Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose.

The three-man panel led by Justice Joseph Ikyegh set aside the judgment of Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti, who granted an order de-freezing the accounts earlier frozen by Justice M. Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Justice Boloukoromo Ugo in the lead judgment held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) could freeze the accounts in order to preserve the money, which is the source of investigation.

Justice Idris had granted an ex parte order on June 24, 2017, freezing Fayose’s accounts with the bank.

Dissatisfied, the governor approached another Federal High Court, accusing the EFCC of suppressing the facts that Fayose it had placed under investigations was a governor.

The EFCC went to the Court of Appeal to challenge the judgment and also filed a motion for stay of execution of the judgment.

The Appeal Court cited the judgment in Fawehinmi against the Social Democratic Party, which says in Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution that  the sitting governor could be investigated, only that he could not be prosecuted or invited for interrogation.

The Appeal Court also held that the fact that the EFCC did not attach the particulars of the governor and his names to the frozen accounts was not a suppression of fact.

Justice Ugo said, “In any event, this discourse of who bears the burden of proof of concealment of material facts is largely academic here given the fact that the issue does not by any means go to the jurisdiction of Idris J. to grant the order. It is rather at best one of irregularity which does not nullify his order nor entitle Taiwo J. to sit on and set it aside. The proper place for first respondent to agitate that issue, if he was truly aggrieved and there was substance in it, was to approach Idris J. himself and not Taiwo J. to discharge his order because material facts were not disclosed to Idris J.

“Investigation and preservation of public funds amounting to billions of naira allegedly corruptly acquired by the first respondent and deposited with second respondent by the  first respondent pending the prosecution of first respondent when he leaves office is exactly what appellant claimed it did by approaching and securing from Idris J. the interim freezing/attachment order.

“I do not also see conflict between section 308 or section 44 of the constitution and section 34 of the EFCC Act 2004 empowering the appellant to apply for an interim order of attachment of suspected stolen public funds as Taiwo J. suggested in his judgment.

“I can only add that the preservation order envisaged by Section 34 of EFCC Act as well as the order made by Idris J. were only in the interim and did not amount to expropriation of the funds frozen as conflict with section 44 of the constitution. The order was only preservative for the appellant to take possession and preserve the allegedly unlawfully acquired funds to be used for possible prosecution later.

“In the final analysis, I find the appeal meritorious and having resolve all three issues agitated in the appellant’s favour

“That the appeal is meritorious and having resolved all three issues agitated in the appeal in appellant’s favour, it is hereby ordered that the appeal is hereby allowed.

“That the judgment delivered by Taiwo J. Of the Federal High Court, Ekiti Judicial Division, on December 13, 2016 granting the claims of the first respondent (Fayose) in suit no: FHC/AD/CS/27/2016 is hereby set aside.”

…as court stops Omo-Agege’s arrest

The police have returned the mace which was stolen from the Senate, about 24 hours after some hoodlums invaded the Red Chamber.

A top personnel of the force handed over the mace to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Sani Omolori, on Thursday at the assembly complex in Abuja

On Wednesday, some hoodlums stormed the Upper House and disrupted proceedings by snatching the mace from the chamber.

The Senate also summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris,  and Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Lawal Daura, to appear and brief it on investigations into the invasion of its hallowed chambers on Wednesday.

It also vowed that the culprits will not go unpunished.

Meanwhile, an Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama, yesterday, restrained the Nigerian Police Force and the Department of State Service, DSS, from arresting Senator Ovie Omo-Agege over Wednesday’s invasion of the Senate and theft of the Mace which is its symbol of authority, by thugs.

Chief Judge of the High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, gave the order following an ex-parte motion the Senator who is representing Delta Central Senatorial District, filed through his team of lawyers.

Specifically, the court issued “an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents, their agents and/or servants arresting and/or detaining the applicant either in their custody or any other law enforcement agency, or its servants, agents or privies or through any person working in concert with the respondent as its agents, by whatever means or however described pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed in this suit.

“An order of interim injunction restraining the respondents, their representatives, agents or privies, howsoever described from any attempt or threat to violate the applicant’s fundamental right to personal liberty and right to freedom of movement pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed in this suit.

As well as “An order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from taking any or further steps detrimental to the applicant’s aforementioned fundamental rights to the applicant’s rights in connection with the facts stated in this matter pending the hearing of the motion on notice filed in this suit.”

The court held that the order will persist until a fundamental right enforcement suit that Omo-Agege filed before it is heard and determined.

Cited as Respondents in the suit were the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Sadiq Bello, and the Director-General of DSS, Lawal Daura.

Justice Bello adjourned hearing on the substantive suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/1522/2018, which he transferred to Justice Usman Musale of the high court in Jabi, till May 7.

…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it is working with former Presidents and political leaders in the country to install a new President in Nigeria in 2019.

Already, it said discussions had gone far among the former leaders of the country and others, on how to rescue the country from the hands of the present leaders.

The National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, gave this information while speaking at the opening ceremony of the party’s National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja on Thursday.

He was however silent on the names of the former Presidents and leaders that the PDP had met.

Secondus also told the gathering, which included governors and former Presidents of the Senate and the current Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, that discussions were also on to bring other people to join the party.

He said, “We have met with former Presidents and former leaders and they are in unison to make sure that come 2019, a new and fresh President is elected and a new government is formed in our nation.

“Because of this challenge, we have taken it upon ourselves as the leading opposition party to broaden our scope, open our doors and allow ideas to flow in for a more robust democratic development.

“We, therefore, invite our brothers, sisters, youths and women from other political parties in this platform to join us to rescue our country that is in distress socially, politically, and economically and security wise.

“In this country today over 3.1 million citizens are languishing in various IDPs across the country yet we are not at war with any country.

“Our consultations have taken us to meet with various interest groups who are willing to do business with us and I can report to you that it has been very fruitful.

“We expect in the coming days to have a broader political family working dedicatedly to rescue this democracy and our beloved country from the hands of the All Progressives Congress.”

Our correspondent gathered that to achieve the desired result, the PDP leadership was already thinking of changing the name of the party.

The decision was said to have been arrived at following a series of meetings its leadership had with defectors who were said to be interested in returning to the former ruling party.

They were said to have given some conditions, which included a little tinkering with the current name of the party.

Secondus described the snatching of the mace at the Senate by political thugs on Wednesday as a coup and asked that those behind it should be tried for treason.

The mace snatching, he said, “underscores the fact that our democracy is seriously under threat.”

He added, “..What happened in the Senate yesterday (Wednesday) is a clear assault on democracy, a coup against the legislature and should not only be condemned but those responsible should be tried for treason as demanded by the law.

“Herdsmen brazenly invade our homes and farms, rape, maim and kill our people daily, and thugs do the same in our parliament yet we have a government.”

Speaking at the meeting,  the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, who is also the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, called on Ekweremadu not to rely on the police for his protection.

He said if hoodlums could easily gain access to the National Assembly without security men stopping them,  then nobody could be said to be safe.

Facing Ekweremadu, Fayose said, “Take your security seriously. Don’t rely on the Nigerian police so that they don’t collude against you.”

Ekweremadu said he had reported the Senate incident to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

He said he could not still fathom how the hoodlums were able to beat security cordon in the area to gain access to the Senate chambers.

Among those at the meeting were the governors of Bayelsa,  Akwa Ibom, Gombe and Taraba states. – Punch.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship hopeful in Delta State, Prof Patrick Utomi, has said that the decision to bring to an end or allow the Ibori political dynasty, a powerful assemblage in the oil-rich state headed by a former governor, Chief James Ibori, will be taken by Deltans and not him in 2019.

Utomi, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard in Asaba, stated that his affair with Ibori’s successor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, was fuelled by rumour mongers, who exaggerated his comments on debt overhang in states of the country, but he insisted that there was pressing need to wrest power from Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to return Delta to the right direction.

His words: “What should be the concern is the well being of people, I would like us, in building Delta, to have a coalition that is not too sensitive to political parties, but sensitive to Delta, the need to rescue it and ordinary people, particularly, escaping the blight into which they have been cast.”

Answering a question on if he (Utomi) could terminate or end the influence of the Ibori political family, which has produced three consecutive governors of the state, he rejoined: “I do not think Pat Utomi would do anything to terminate or encourage anything.”

“The people of Delta should be able to say to themselves, are we better off the way we are? That is what determines election in America. In America, the typical mantra is, are you better than you were four years ago,” he indicated.

In his opinion, “All Deltans need to do is to drive across the board and whatever direction they face. . . Let us say that they face Edo, which was part of defunct Bendel state before the split in 1991, they should ask themselves what is the difference between Delta and Edo states today. If they also face east, across the Niger, and look at Anambra, they should ask and find out what is the difference.”

“What is particularly interesting is that the two states receive about a seventh of what Delta receives from the Federation Accounts. Recently, I gave a lecture to entrepreneurial leaders from the South-South at Port Harcourt organized by the American Embassy and Consulate in Lagos and after it, I drove to a funeral at Igbo-Ukwu area of Anambra state, I came in from Ihiala, Awka-Etiti, all those areas, and a Deltan who was in the car with me kept screaming about the rural roads without potholes in Anambra that we drove on.

“That is the truth about our reality, which those two states are receiving about seventh of what we receive in Delta and are by far in better shape than Delta. If Deltans prefer that and want it (Ibori dynasty) to continue, that is their choice. I mean, they cannot complain that they do not have a choice,” he said.

The intellectual added: “A friend of mine, who is a federal minister, told me not too long ago that democracy in Nigeria is a farce. It is not Nigerian problem; it is actually scholarship that has developed around the fact that there is a difference between participation and representation. Our democracy, quote and unquote allows people who are not supposed to lead them to represent them, that is why you can talk about a dynasty.”

He noted: “Politics takes away their opportunity for representation but it allows participation. If we are going to change this democracy, we must change this position and one of the ways I propose that we must change it is for instance to enshrine that anybody seeking political office must have at least 10 opportunities to debate with his opponent in some school compounds, on television, organized debates and let us know what the person stands for, what you have done before, bringing to the table and exactly what you plan to achieve with the resources available during the period you will serve.”

On why he turned a critic of ex-governor Uduaghan when he was out of power, while mum was his word when he was in office, the APC chieftain declared “That statement is untrue and incorrect. First of all, I think that there are things that are not properly understood. Uduaghan as governor came to me from time to time just like any other person who has been governor in Delta. People forget that when Chief James Ibori was governor, I gave the very first lecture to mark the anniversary of return to democracy in his first year at the Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun, near Warri. That was the day that the usage of the term, Resource Control, crystallized into public consciousness, May 20, 2000.”

“I did everything to support the government because I do not care about parties, I do not care about who is governor or not governor. Unfortunately, some things went wrong with the initiatives that I tried to start based on the funny politics of our state.

“When Uduaghan became governor, he was unhappy that those things happened and it led to a very warm, friendly relationship between the two of us. After he became governor, I never said anything good or bad about him. Unfortunately, he was misled by some people after I gave a talk at Agbarha-Otor on debt overhang in states. I was not even particular about Delta; I was talking about overhang in the states of the country.

“I think one of these gossips went to gossip to him that I said he left a big debt in the state, which was totally incorrect. I never said any such thing and he, in the moment of that misadvise, said some unkind things about me. So I decided to set the record straight and I once put the record straight, I walked away from the subject. I have not said anything about him anymore,” he said.

Why wont other Delta North APC governorship aspirants allow Okowa to complete the district’s 8-year tenure before power rotates again to Delta Central? Saturday Vanguard asked

He said: “I guess you have to begin with what I stand for in life, why I do anything that I do. I am not one of those people who make office seeking a way of life. I think of politics as a platform for citizens to interact and how best to create a better society and that a citizen’s involvement entails a number of basic rules that facilitate being able to build consensus for progress.”

“If you watch my politics, quote and unquote, it has been basically opposition politics since the beginning of our politics. Not because I would not have walked in into the mainstream. When former President Olusegun Obasanjo was preparing to run for presidency, he had an advisory team, I was the head of that advisory team, so I would very easily had stepped into the Obasanjo government but my fundamental interest is in institution building. If you follow me as an academic, you will find that almost all my works are on institution and economic performance.

“So a very important institution to build is the institution of representative democracy in which there is possibility of changing government so that the culture develops. That is the fundamental reason I am playing opposition politics, not for my sake, not against who are there but because it is an important institutional arrangement to build,” he informed.

The academic added: “If you have also followed me over the years, from Patito’s Gang and all the rest, I have often said that part of the reason we are not making progress in Nigeria is that too often, people who take on politics as a way of life run the risk of being disconnected from the people because they have not had the opportunity to learn. In fact, I am sure that you probably would have heard me say several times that anybody who is in public office for 12 straight years is a social parasite, whether elected or appointed. You move from commissioner to governor, from governor to senator, you do not lead people, you are living in a glass house, ivory tower and disconnected from the people.”

His words: “We must find a way of changing such things, so given this, you can gauge my involvement. When this season was starting, the last thing close to my mind was running for anything. After 2015, I had enough of a sense of unhappiness about the Nigerian political process that I thought I was going to be 60, so that is retirement. I am just going to move away from public life, but there is one purpose for me for being a human being and that is impact. How does my life impact the life of other people for good? What God will judge me on when I stand in front of him? What history will judge me by when it is written?”

Why I am in the race Continuing, he said: “And at that time I was beginning to make a number of decisions that I believe will have substantial legacy inducing impacts and even distance myself from public arena, but then came a flurry of very decent people, who said to me that my state was in a complete mess. What kind of conscience do you have? That you want to walk away from it means all these things you have been preaching are just talks.”

“I tried to dismiss them politely but they persisted, groups that got to me are not even people from Delta North, groups from Delta Central, some old boys of Government College, Ughelli. I think they had a meeting, their usual meeting, they were discussing Delta and they talked about leadership and began to say what they could do.

“In the end, they zeroed on me but they did not have access to me and started inquiring how they could get me. So one of their schoolmates, who they figured would know me, he is not even from Delta, he is from Edo state, they went to him and he called one of my friends and eventually they came to my office.

“I told them my mind and they said we all are going into this together, that history will judge you and us unkindly if we do not make this effort. I said I want to sleep on it, but before then, I had communicated to my closest friends and family that I was out of political life, that I have contributed my quota and it was left for the younger generation to build on the things I had tried to do, which is to make a difference in the world.

“I do not know if you are aware, there was a meeting of all governorship aspirants from Delta North hosted by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, during the Easter and one of the aspirants confessed that he was one of those that came to meet me to ask why I should allow our state to fall into the kind of situation it is today. That whatever it is we will do, but one thing is that the state will celebrate and world will cheer if we can announce that you are our governor.

“So this was how consideration of this whole process began to come to my consciousness as complete and total sacrifice. For me, the issue of governor is not about pride, it is about if it would provide me the opportunity to impact lives,” he asserted.

APC is somewhat buffeted by crisis in the state, do you see it as a strong platform to achieve your ambition, we probed further, the aspirant acknowledged: “One of the challenges of modern democracy is that it throws up a number of things, including you must come from this party or that party.”

He, however, said: “And I can also tell you that one of the biggest problems I have about the way of things in Nigeria is extreme partisanship that has evolved in our democracy. You see Republic presidents in USA picking democrats in their cabinets because they are considered weak in social issues, you see a democrat filling the gap and also Democratic presidents picking a Republican as Defence Secretary because democrats are considered soft on defence and stuff like that. Forget the current state of things in Amerca because we also see Republicans, who are very upset with President Donald Trump, resigning, refusing to seek election and all sorts of things.”

I do not think that it is my place to begin to talk about that, the many people who came to me to join the race are very confident that they can make it happen. So it is about plebiscite, referendum, what people say. It is the people that would say not me and there is nobody right now in Delta seeking the position of governor whose track records can compare with mine or whose capacity to understand where the world is going can compare with mine. It is not a boast but honest and factual statement. – Vanguard.

An Anambra businessman, Bobby Uzochukwu, on Friday attacked Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), on the premises of the Anambra State Federal High Court, Awka, accusing him of “selling out” by accepting to serve as the spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election bid.

The SAN was recently appointed the Director, Strategic Communications for President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 presidential campaigns.

Keyamo, who was the counsel for a defendant in the August 6, 2017 killings at St Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu, Anambra State, was addressing the press at the court complex when the businessman verbally attacked him, calling him unprintable names.

The situation abruptly ended the press session as the Senior Advocate entered his car and left.

Still fuming, Uzochukwu said he would have done “worse things” if the SAN had stayed back.

He said, “I know Keyamo. He’s my friend. I was surprised when I heard that he accepted to serve Buhari. This is betrayal of the highest order.

“We had thought Keyamo would replace the late Gani (Fawehinmi); but see what he has done, consenting to serve somebody who has no interest of the people at heart.

“I would have done more things on him this afternoon, but as you can see, he ran away.”

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the special promotion of 45 police officers for gallantry.

It also approved the promotion of 13 others who played major roles in the arrest of Chukwudumuje Onuoamadike, aka Evans, a notorious kidnapper and 21 Members of his gang.

The Head, Press and Public Relations of the commission, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Ani said the commission took the decision at its 27th Plenary Meeting in Abuja.

“The promotion and acting appointments were based on the superlative performance of the officers in the arrest of the deadly gang who terrorized Nigerians,”he said.

He said that the officers were of the Intelligence Response Team, (IRT), Special Tactical Squad (STS) and Technical Intelligence Unit.

They are under the direct supervision and coordination of the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters Abuja.

The spokesman said that the promotion and acting appointments were also necessitated by the need to match rank with schedules of duty.

He said that the chairman of the commission, Mr Mike Okiro said the new ranks would greatly motivate the officers for improved performance.

Ani said DCP Habu Sani, the Head of the IGP Monitoring Unit, who was among the officers promoted, has been directed to appear before the commission on Friday for an interactive session.

This is in line with the Commission’s policy for officers transiting to the rank of Commissioner.

He said two Assistant Commissioners of Police to Deputy Commissioners, one Chief Superintendent of Police to Assistant Commissioner of Police, one Superintendent of Police to Chief Superintendent.

While 16 Assistant Superintendents of Police were promoted to Deputy Superintendent and 24 Inspectors to Assistant Superintendents.

“One Assistant Superintendent was appointed acting Deputy Superintendent while 12 Inspectors were also appointed acting Assistant Superintendents,” he said.

He said that the acting appointments were approved for officers who were not due for promotion

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has concluded plans to establish ‘a shadow cabinet’ ahead of the forthcoming general elections in 2019.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, revealed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

According to the statement obtained by Channels tv, this was part of the resolutions reached at the end of the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) emergency meeting held on Thursday at the PDP National Secretariat in the nation’s capital.

The NEC directed the National Working Committee of the party to commence action towards the setting up of the cabinet to pilot PDP’s roadmap towards national economic recovery and good governance.

It stressed that move was necessary as part of preparations ahead of the general elections, and in line with the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.

The PDP noted that its doors remain wide open to all Nigerians, groups and like-minded political parties to foster a strong rallying point.

It said this would enhance the determined quest by Nigerians to rescue the nation from the alleged misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and enthrone good governance in the country.

The meeting further resolved that the PDP leads a strong conversation and discussion towards a formal coalition of democratic forces to guarantee Nigerians the much-desired all-inclusive platform ahead of the general elections.

It also agreed that the party deploys the instrument of its democratic structures at all levels across the country, to legitimately and urgently rally all Nigerians to vote out the ruling party and return Nigeria to the path of national cohesion, stability and prosperity for the good of all.

The NEC noted the scheduled visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the home of democracy, the United States of America.

It, however, faulted the President’s planned visit and accused the present administration of “annihilating, harassing and strangulating” opposition voices, even within the ruling APC

India’s government on Saturday approved the death penalty for child rapists, after the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl and a series of other horrific sexual assaults caused nationwide outrage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a cabinet meeting to pass the measure Saturday on his return from the Commonwealth summit, a government official told AFP.

Protests have erupted across India in recent days over the rape and killing of the young Muslim girl by a group of Hindu men in Jammu and Kashmir state, increasing pressure on Modi to take action.

The attack sent out the sort of shockwaves that shook the country after the equally horrific gang rape of a Delhi student on a bus in 2012, which made headlines around the world.

The cabinet approved the ordinance amending laws on sexual violence to allow for capital punishment for those convicted of raping children below the age of 12, the official said.

Minimum jail sentences for convicted rapists were also toughened.

“The ordinance will be sent to the president for his consent,” the official said on condition of anonymity. The president’s approval is seen as a formality.

The new decree requires trials involving child victims to be completed in two months after an arrest, unusually speedy for India where the wheels of justice turn slowly.

The order will remain in effect for a period of six months from the president’s approval, or until parliament votes the changes into law.

In recent months, four Indian states have already introduced similar legislation in local parliaments to approve the death penalty for child rapists.

India has the death penalty for the most brutal murders and terror attacks. But the sentences are rarely carried out and are often struck down on appeal by higher courts.

India carried out its last hanging in 2015 of a 1993 Mumbai bombing convict.

Fire has gutted the headquarters of Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM) located along Sokoto Road in the state capital.

Eyewitnesses said that the fire started around 10:30 am on Saturday.

Officials of the Federal Fire Service have put out the fire, which gutted part of the two-storey building – affecting the finance and legal departments, and the management of the commission has launched an investigation to determine the immediate and remote causes of the incident.

Saturday’s fire occurred amid KADSIECOM’s preparation for the conduct of chairmanship and counsellorship elections in the 23 local government areas of the state.

The elections are scheduled to take place on May 12.

Chairperson of KADSIECOM, Dr Saratu Dikko-Audu, had announced the date on February 9, during a meeting with political parties and relevant stakeholders in the polls.

The election timetable was announced after the State House of Assembly passed a bill to allow the use of electronic machines for voting during the elections.

The poll was earlier scheduled to hold in December 2017 but was cancelled indefinitely due to delay in the approval of the use of an electronic voting system by the state Assembly.

Ovie Omo-Agege, the embattled Senator representing Delta Central at the Senate says he never signed the report that recommended six months suspension for Senator Ali Ndume.

Omo-Agege, on Saturday said a lot had been said on social media about him being part of a committee that recommended six months suspension for Senator Ali Ndume, saying that being part of a committee did not necessarily mean one must approve whatever the report of the committee.

“For the purpose of setting the records straight, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege refused to sign the report that facilitated the suspension of Sen. Ali Ndume. Available facts shows that of the 13-member committee, only seven signed the report, with six of them being members of the PDP.

“The only senator elected on the platform of the APC who signed the report was Tayo Alasoadura. Not even the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Bala Na’Allah, signed the report. Ndume was elected on the platform of the APC,” Omo-Agege said on his twitter handle @OvieOmoAgege.

He said senators elected on the platform of the PDP who signed the report were Samuel Anyanwu (Chairman), Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi), Jeremiah Useni (Plateau), Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta), Matthew Urhoghide (Edo), Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia).

“Apart from Senator Bala Na’allah, APC senators who did not sign the report were Omogunwa Yele, Muhammed Shittu, Ovie Omo-Agege and Binta Garba. Please let’s be well guided with actual facts when passing sensitive information on Social Media,” he said.

The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, has expressed disappointment over the federal government’s poor attitude to the attraction of foreign investors. Sanusi said this in an interview with journalists at the on-going US-Nigeria Investment Summit 2018 taking place in Washington DC.

The event, which has its theme as “Nigeria is Open for Business”, was billed to have top Nigerian government officials and ministers in attendance. However, when Sanusi arrived at the venue, he was disappointed that the government officials were not on the ground.

The ministers who drew the ire of the king were Chief Audu Ogbeh, Agriculture; Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Science and Technology; Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Information and Culture; Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Power, Works and Housing; Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Petroleum Resources; Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Finance; and Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Steel and Solid Minerals.

Also absent were Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele; and Executive Secretary of Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Mrs. Yewande Sadiku.

According to him, “We have a meeting today with investors, we were supposed to start at 9am, but we started at 10am. When I came in, they took me to the Ambassador’s office to sit down, while investors were waiting down there. We had a list of people who were to be there – the Vice President, minsters, and some of them are in town. But they haven’t come up!

“You invite top investors, your ministers are in Washington, and they do not come to talk to the investors about Nigeria. That is not how you attract investors. If you have this forum in the Rwandan Embassy, I assure you that President Paul Kagame himself would be there telling people to come.

“Sometimes, it is about how we market ourselves, how we package ourselves. There is absolutely no reason for the Nigerian embassy to arrange a ‘Nigeria is Open for Business’ forum with ministers in town, with governors in town and not have the coordination that they are actually here to meet with these investors.

“There is no reason why we should start one hour late, and there is no reason why the public address system should not work.

“At the end of the day, this is the first point of contact of the country. He (the investor) hasn’t even come to Nigeria. So, what will be his experience in Abuja and he is saying, if I am having this experience in Washington, what will happen when I go to Abuja, when I go to Kano?

“How do I get to see the governor? Will it take me 10 hours?

“And for these people who are in Washington, they have investors to meet, they have Heads of State to meet, they have the World Bank to meet. So, one hour is a lot of time for them to be sitting down waiting for you.

“I think we need to just look at those kind of things that investors look at and have a very honest conversation – sector by sector, region by region, state by state – and what do we need to do to make those areas attractive.”

However, earlier, the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor told his audience that the country had a lot of growth opportunities. He pointed out that diversifying the economy would protect it from shocks, whenever they occur.

“If you look at all the things being done by Dangote Refinery, they would reduce our import, particularly petroleum imports, and conserve our foreign exchange,” Sanusi said.

The Emir noted that countries, such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, had taken steps to make their environments attractive to investors.

Sanusi said: “We have to realise that the problems we have, from herdsmen/farmer clashes to the security situation, actually have their roots in not focusing on the productivity of agriculture.

“The second is the power sector. Many people here today do not know that Nigeria today can produce 12,000 megawatts of electricity, we need to improve on how to evacuate and distribute.” – Thisday.

Suspected Fulani herdsmen yesterday struck again in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. About 15 Tiv farmers in Saghev district were killed.

They also set houses and shops on fire.

Attacked were Tse-Abi, Tse-Ginde, Tse-Peviv, Tse-Ikyo, Agenke and Gbenke, all in Saghev district.

The attack took place early yesterday.

Spokesman for the community, Paul Unande, said the   invaders wore military uniform and launched their attack at about 2am..

Ten bodies have so far been recovered with many others injured.

Mr. Terver Akase, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Samuel Ortom, confirmed the killing and burning of houses by herdsmen and said it was a continuation of the agenda to take over Benue by extremists and their sponsors.

Akase asked the federal government to declare the herdsmen terrorists.

He also pleaded with the security agencies to live up to their responsibility.

Police spokesman ASP Moses Yamu and Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni did not respond to phone calls and text messages to confirm the development.

This is coming as two buses conveying some persons with arms and ammunitions were yesterday intercepted by the Police in Ebonyi State.

The Toyota buses were intercepted close to  the  Onu-Ebonyi bridge  on the   Abakaliki-Ogoja Federal Highway, Izzi local government area of the state.

The occupants included seven ‘suspected Fulani herdsmen’ allegedly on their way to Taraba State, according to sources

Military uniforms were allegedly found in their luggage.

Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa and Kaduna states, are the worst hit by the wave of killings by herders.

The Ebonyi State Police Commissioner, Mr. Titus Lamorde, in a terse message to The Nation denied any arrest by his men.

“Please it is not true,” he said in an sms in response to an inquiry.

But, the spokesman for the police in the state said: “Yes, we intercepted buses carrying some persons with arms and ammunition going to Taraba but they are not herdsmen, they are Nollywood actors.

“They were wearing army uniforms and we are investigating the matter. I will give details of the matter as soon as we got every detail,” she added.

The Senior Adviser to Governor Dave Umahi  on Internal Security, Dr. Kenneth Ugballa also confirmed the incident, saying: “Yes, I heard the story  while I was away from the state  but right now I am entering the state and in a few minutes l will be at the command to find out the truth  about the incident.”

The arrested suspects reportedly told the operatives of safer highways patrol that they were going for a movie shoot in Taraba State.

They were driven to the Police Headquarters Abakaliki for further questioning.

An eyewitness told our reporter that seven Fulani herdsmen were in one of the intercepted buses.

“It was the policemen on Safer Highway Operations that stopped the buses. In their normal stop and search operation, they found firearms and army uniforms stocked in three big sacks.

“Also found were uncountable ammunitions, rifles which is above 16 in number including explosives and local charm,” the eyewitness stated.

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, returned to Nigeria after his over one week official trip to the United Kingdom.

Buhari was received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by top government officials including his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.

While in the UK, the President participated in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

During his visit, Buhari also met with the British Prime Minister, Theresa May.

He also met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Rev. Justin Welby.

Buhari also met with a national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The President, also on Sunday, met with members of the Buhari Diaspora Support Organisation led by Mr. Charles Sylvester.

He also met with the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Plc, Mr. Ben van Beurden.

The Federal Government has, finally, abolished the dichotomy that, hitherto, existed  between university and polytechnic graduates in the civil service.

Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, in a circular dated March 26, 2018, conveyed the decision of the National Council on Establishment (NCE) to all concerned and solicited their support through its implementation.

The circular indicated that NCE approved entry point of SGL 08 for Higher National Diploma (HND) holders in the civil service. It also encouraged serving HND officers to fulfill all specified conditions as contained in scheme of service and extant rules for career progression beyond SGL 14.

The dichotomy had, hitherto, restricted the polytechnic graduates to a particularly Salary Grade Level (SGL) in the civil service. It took the intervention of the National Council on Establishment (NCE) to resolve the matter in their favour.

Meanwhile, beneficiaries of the recent abolition of the disparity have commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for his support which brought an end to the Bsc/HND dichotomy era.

President of the umbrella body of the beneficiaries, the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE), Ahmad Yabagi, told journalists, at a press conference in Abuja, that the decision has opened a great career door which no adversary can shut.

He said: “We are glad that this monster called dichotomy, which has been a big threat to the development of technology in Nigeria has been defeated. “NATE has, therefore, resolved to support and partner the federal government in its quest to bequeath entrepreneurial skills to Nigerian youths as a means to turn around the economic fortune of Nigeria. He, however, appealed to the government to strengthen its monitoring system to ensure the content of the circular by the head of service of the federation is implemented by all government agencies.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s attendance of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in United Kingdom last week, was a colossal waste.

The main opposition party alleged that Nigerians were not surprised that the President returned to Nigeria on Sunday night, empty handed and with no tangible dividend.

It said this was as a result of his alleged negative comments about Nigerians and his presentation of false performance indices to his hosts.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, who stated this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, added that while other commonwealth heads of state used the occasion to negotiate businesses and showcase the potential and opportunities in their countries, President Buhari only succeeded in de-marketing his country and painting the citizens, particularly the youths, in the negative.

Ologbondiyan said, “Nigerians may recall that during his meeting with the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, President Buhari, in the quest to hide the failures of his administration and push his 2019 re-election bid, Mr. President downplayed the worsening economic and security situation in the country under his watch, but opted for self praise and brandishing unsubstantiated record of performance.

“This self-serving stance ultimately blocked all beneficial bilateral engagements that could have helped secure the much needed international interventions in those critical areas.

“Two days after, President Buhari again took the stage at the Commonwealth Business Forum in London and announced to international investors that Nigerian youths, a demography that forms the bulk of our nation’s workforce, are uneducated and lovers of freebies.

“We were therefore not surprised that no serious investor sealed any meaningful investment deal with Nigeria as dividend from the CHOGM.

But the  Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in an interview with one of our correspondents on Sunday said contrary to the opposition party’s claim, Buhari returned with bags of goodies that included agreements in oil and gas as well as support for the country’s ongoing anti-terrorism war.

The presidential aide wondered if the PDP was expecting the President to return to the country with sex and financial scandals as was obtainable when the party was in charge of the country.

Shehu said, “It is untrue to say that President Buhari came back empty-handed.

He returned with good agreements in oil and gas; military training and intelligence support in the war against terror and the UK Government is to give Nigeria counter-IED kit worth £1m, which is also in the news.

“Did the PDP expect him to come back with sex or financial scandals, or both as they did while in office?”

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, said on Sunday that he had already formed his opinion about the government of the ruling All Progressives Congress and knew exactly “where I’m going to cast my vote” when voting time comes.

But Soyinka warned Nigerians not to allow themselves to be hoodwinked by those he said took part in the destruction of the country, but were now parading themselves as messiah.

He urged Nigerians not to allow themselves to be plunged into “a zone of amnesia,” but to go back and check the track records of such people and the company they kept.

The don said it was time that the old political order in the country be broken to give way for a new generation that would take over the country and throw out of the window “the same jaded traitors and enemies of the people” that were being recycled in power.

Also, activist lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), said Nigeria was facing serious crisis of governance, and called on the people to be very careful “so that we do not allow those who destroyed the country, those who ruined the nation, to pose as the saviour of our people.”

Soyinka and Falana spoke alongside others at a public lecture on Sunday organised to mark the 80th posthumous birthday of the late human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN).

The lecture, with the theme, “Democracy for the masses through proper and effective governance,” held at Alausa, Ikeja.

Setting the tone for the discussion, Soyinka, who chaired the occasion, urged Nigerians to beware of those who called themselves the God-designated watchmen over the country’s fortune.

He said, “Don’t allow yourself to plunge into a zone of amnesia, in which you conveniently forget unpleasant realities. We’ve had Presidents in this nation, some of whom inaugurated a never-ending democratic process, which landed us eventually under the most brutal dictators that this nation has ever known. We had others also who actually supervised the sacking of ‘democratic government.’

“I’m speaking of Anambra, I’m speaking of Oyo State, a governor was kidnapped under their watch with their complicity; in another instance, thugs actually entered the House of Assembly, sacked the legislators and installed their own candidates; under the same watch. And they call themselves the God-designated watchman over the fortunes of this nation. And suddenly, here they are and I see Nigerians flocking to them and asking them once again to lead.

“Mind you, they’ve said very clearly: if it becomes a political party, count me out o; but paths are already being beaten to their doors – control by surrogation.  Even if they do not individually put themselves back in the position of power, they are already smoothening the way for their surrogates, their stooges, so that they can continue to misrule from their cozy farmsteads. So, all I’m urging is: be very vigilant.”

Soyinka said while he had already taken a stand on the current government, it would be like adding salt to an injury to allow himself to be hoodwinked by those who want to rule the country by surrogate.

He added, “For heaven’s sake, also grow up. Why do you need patronage? Why cannot a new order arise from this nation? Why can’t a new generation actually rise, throw us all out of the window and take control of their own lives by themselves? Why do we keep recycling the same jaded, traitors and enemies of the people? Why do you need to go for blessing somewhere if you’ve made up your mind that it is time to take control of your own existence? Why the constant trooping?

“I don’t understand it and that’s why I used the expression grow up for heaven’s sake. Be vigilant and take your own destiny in your hands. Once again, I don’t want to be misunderstood, I know what I think about this government when voting time comes, I know exactly where I’m going to cast my vote but I’m not going to allow anybody to hoodwink me and say I will show you the path. No, this will be adding insult to injury.”

Aligning himself with Soyinka, Falana said, “Like the chairman on the occasion, Prof. Wole Soyinka, said, this period calls for vigilance on the part of Nigerians. Our country is undergoing serious crises of governance but we must be very careful so that we do not allow those who destroyed the country, those who ruined the nation to pose as the saviour of our people.

“There’s somebody living very close to this place who has been parading himself as the saviour of our people; this guy ruled the country for 11 and a half years cumulatively – three and a half years under the military, eight years under a civilian dispensation. And he even wanted to do a third term but Nigerians rejected him. The guy is going round the country now, claiming to have solutions to our problems; I wish to say here and we are challenging him to name one thing that he did, any problem of the country that he solved.

“On the contrary, this guy wasted $16bn to generate darkness for the country. This guy formed and took over the resources of the country blindly under what he called blind trust. Nigeria is the only country in the world where a sitting President and a sitting Vice-President established private universities when the government refused to fund public universities and other tertiary institutions.

“Gani went to court to challenge the extortion of state governments and contractors by a man who realised about N7bn to set up a so-called library. Under the constitution, any gift received while you are in office, other than customary gifts, is forfeitable to the state; therefore, at the right time, this country, when it is properly organised will take over all those universities and libraries that were set up with public funds and that may be sooner than you think.”

Also, Senator Shehu Sani said though the country was out of military rule it had yet to attain true democracy. He called on the people not to vote based on political parties but to vote individuals who they could trust.

“The political ruling elite are not yet prepared to see to a democratic Nigeria. Nigeria’s political reality is about personal interest. Those who destroyed our country in the past are very much present as born agains. The integrity of one person is not enough to rule and sustain a state. We have a President who is a man of integrity but integrity is not enough for leadership,” Sani said.

But the Publisher of Sahara Reporters and presidential hopeful, Omoyele Sowoye, rejected Sani’s description of President Muhammadu Buhari as a man of integrity.

Sowore said, “I want to say very briefly that Nigeria must be regretting that when they had a chance to choose between Chief Gani Fawehinmi and a Barabbas, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, they decided to choose Obasanjo instead of choosing Gani Fawehinmi and that is why we are regretting today.”

About16 persons have been reportedly killed in the Sunday attacks on Kpanche and other communities in the Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The traditional ruler of Mozum community in the area, Alhaji Khalid Bukar, who put the number of casualties at 16, told newsmen in Lokoja that the attacks started Sunday morning and spread by afternoon to Ozugbe and Biroko, two villages under his domain, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

He said that those killed included the Madaki of Biroko, Alhaji Mohammed Umar, and four of his subjects.

Earlier, the police in Lokoja had confirmed the death of 10 persons after the attack on Kpanche.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ali Janga, told newsmen that the dead included five residents of the community and five of the bandits.

“Yes, five lives were lost in the village but operatives of the police mobile force and soldiers repelled them and succeeded in killing five bandits and recovered some weapons.”

In Borno, two female suicide bombers, also on Sunday, attacked a mosque in Bama town, killing two other persons and injuring eight worshippers.

A statement on Sunday by the state police spokesman, DSP Okon Edet, read “At about 5.40am of today (Sunday), two female suicide bombers infiltrated into the Ajilari area in Bama town, Bama Local Government Area and launched a suicide bomb attack on residents observing morning prayers.

“They detonated the IEDs strapped to their bodies, killing themselves and two other male victims.

“Eight other persons were injured and were rushed to hospital for treatment. The corpses have also been evacuated.”

He said the command had deployed men of the PMF and EOD in the area.

“The Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, assures members of the public of the commitment of the command to safeguard lives and properties at all times,” Edet said.

In another development, in Borno, the Nigerian Army said its troops on Sunday killed four Boko Haram insurgents in separate operations in the state.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.Gen. Texas Chukwu, said in a statement that three soldiers and two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force also lost their lives in the encounter.

In another encounter, Chukwu said troops of 151 Task Force Battalion of Operation Lafiya Dole while on patrol, intercepted and killed one insurgent on Ngurosoye-Bama Road, Borno.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has drawn the attention of the public to another recirculated speculation in a session of the social media alleging that a judgment was given in the Federal High Court, Lagos, presided over by Justice James Tsoho, in favour of one Barrister Tope Alabi who challenged the powers of the Corps to impound his vehicle and make him pay fines in the month of September and 2014.

In a statement released then by the Head Media Relations and Strategy, Commander Bisi Kazeem who is now the Corps Public Education Officer, FRSC, the corporation asserted that the speculations are falsehood, and also maintained that in a similar case in which the same Justice Tsoho presided over between one Bren Williams & Anor versus the FRSC,judgement was in favour of the Corps. In his words, “the judgment given at the time was that the Corps has the statutory powers to issue notice of Offence, arrest, and detain vehicles suspected to have been used to commit traffic offences”.

The Corps Public Education Officer recalled that Justice Tsoho had delivered another judgement similar to the Tope Alabi one in the case of Emmanuel Ofoegbu vs FRSC in which he held that FRSC had no powers to set deadlines for motorists to change over to new number plates and that it would be ultra vires the powers of FRSC to arrest motorists for not using the new number plates under the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, a subsidiary legislation to the FRSC Act, 2007. The Kazeem noted that this decision was challenged on Appeal and the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos held in favour of the FRSC.

Commander Kazeem also stated that the Sept 2014 judgement of Justice Tsoho in the Tope Alabi case which was challenged on Appeal is the one currently being recirculated on the social media by Nigerians.

According to the spokesman of FRSC, the latter judgment of the Court of Appeal has put the issues to rest as he states thus, “for the avoidance of doubt, there are reported Court of Appeal decisions to the effect that FRSC has powers to arrest, issue notice of offence to suspected violators and impound vehicles used to commit traffic offences and electing to pay the prescribed fines instead of challenging the notice of offence in court does not amount to usurpation of court powers”.

Recounting the judgment of Justice Ogbuinya at the Court of Appeal,Makurdi in the case of Bar Moses Ediru vs FRSC, the spokesman of FRSC recalled thus: “the imposition of fines for traffic offences is essential in our fragile society. It helps to prune the number of drivers who commit these offences with impunity.

He recalled further that in another Court of Appeal, Ilorin decision in the case of FRSC vs Okebu Gideon Esq, the Court of Appeal in March 2015. held that the Notice of offence issued to the respondent by FRSC only qualifies as a notice to the suspect and does not in any way amount to hearing by the FRSC as to constitute a usurpation of court of powers.
Kazeem therefore notifies the general public that there is a plethora of decided cases where the statutory powers conferred on the FRSC by her enabling laws have been held to be valid and that the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, 2007 as well as the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 are laws validly made pursuant to the 1999 constitution.

He concluded that all forms of indisciplined and dangerous road use by all cadres of road users must be discouraged, and assured that safety of lives and property on Nigerian roads will be guaranteed to the benefit of all.

Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council has applauded Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his innovative ideas of giving N10 million development grant to each community in the state for development purposes.

The Chairman of the council, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Sunday.

According to him, “One Community, One Project” scheme is a wonderful innovation meant to directly solve developmental needs of the people.

Ugwuanyi recently handed over first trench of cheques of N5 million each to another batch of 171 autonomous communities.

He did that after giving118 autonomous communities that had met the requirements for the release of the funds to carry out development projects of their choice.

The scheme is an extensive rural development initiative of the Ugwuanyi’s administration aimed at ensuring that development reaches the 450 autonomous communities in the state.

The monarch said that the idea would help to fast track development in the communities as well as satisfying the immediate needs of communities from the people’s stand-point.

Agubuzu, who is the traditional ruler of Ezema Olo in Ezeagu council area, revealed that his community had decided to use the grant for improvement and creation of more rural roads.

“The money will also be used to control erosion, which has affected my community for long,’’ he said.

On the rumours that the money was meant to settle traditional rulers, the chairman described those with this type of imagination as `enemies of progress’.

“How can it be, money that is given openly in the presence of the traditional rulers and the President-General of their towns; which before now all the people know the money is coming.

“Most communities like that of mine had already met and deliberated on projects to use the money to achieve.

“So, if anything goes wrong with the money, it is still the same community people that will blow the whistle to the state government,’’ he said.