News
The African Action Congress (AAC) has expelled its National Chairman and Presidential candidate in the last general elections, Mr. Omoyele Sowore from the party.
Also affected were 28 other national officers of the party.
The AAC took the decision in ratification of its NEC approval, at its National Convention which took place at Rockview Hotel, Owerri, Imo State.
Sowore was replaced by Dr. Leonard Nzenwa, while other new officers including Mr Femi Abayomi who is now the new National Treasurer, were chosen to man the affairs of the Party.
The National Chairman, Dr Leonard Ezenwa, promised to work assiduously to restructure and reposition the party.
He said the AAC will be worked on to be able to win elections in the near future.
Dr Ezinwa disassociated the AAC from any revolution whatsoever ,saying the Party is a law abiding one that seeks the betterment of the Nation and the people.
Meanwhile a Federal High Court in Abuja recently approved the request of the Department of State Services (DSS) to detain the convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore for 45 days pending investigation.
Justice Taiwo on Thursday directed that the 45 days can be renewed if investigation is not concluded in the allegations of terrorism made against Sowore.
Justice Taiwo said the court would not ignore the facts presented by the security agency as it is such that must be investigated to be proved with a view to prosecuting him or it will be discarded.
He said the use of the word: ‘may’ in Section 27(1), 2015 of the Terrorism Prevention Act gives the court the discretion in determining the matter, adding that the word connotes ‘directory’ rather than ‘mandatory’ meaning.
Exhibits presented by the DSS includes: Digital video display of a conference between Sowore and one Nnamdi Kanu; and a digital video display of comments made by Sowore in paragraph 4 of the affidavit that members of proscribed IMN were going to join forces with him to bring down the government.
The DSS had on August 6 brought the application through its counsel, G.O. Abadua seeking to further detain Sowore, who is the publisher of Sahara Reporters for 90 days pending investigation.
Daughter of 94-year old Mr Reuben Fasoranti, national leader of Pan Yoruba Socio- Political group, Afenifere, Mrs Funke Olakunrin was Friday shot dead by suspected herdsmen along Benin/Ore expressway.
She was said to be traveling along Benin/Ore expressway when she along with others ran into the barricade mounted by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The herdsmen have been terrorising motorists along the Benin/Ore highway in recent times.
It was gathered that the assailants wanted to kidnap her alongside other occupants of the vehicle.
Reports have it that the suspected herdsmen abducted one of the occupants of the vehicle.
The deceased, however, was unlucky as she was shot dead by the suspects. It was learnt that the deceased was coming from Lagos and was on her way to Ondo town to commensurate with her mother’s family members (the Awosikas) when she met her untimely death.
Police authorities in the state confirmed the killing of the daughter of the Yoruba leader.
Spokesperson for the command, Mr Femi Joseph said the command could not confirm whether it was Fulani herdsmen or armed robbers that attacked the vehicles along the road in which the deceased was traveling.
According to Joseph, “three vehicles were attacked at Kajola along Benin/Ore in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
“There was a shootout between the suspected gunmen and police who tried to rescue the victims along the road notorious for accident and kidnapping.
“The three vehicles attacked by the assailants included a Land Cruiser SUV with Registration number AAA 147 KM, one Toyota Camry and one Young Shall Grow bus.
Joseph said “the person in the Land Cruiser was killed while eight persons were abducted in the vehicles. The police image maker said seven of the kidnapped victims were, however rescued by police.
Joseph said ”one Gerald Ibuoyikha was kidnapped by the suspected herdsmen. The seven people injured and rescued, he said, were with the Police.
Speaking with our correspondent, spokesman of Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin said “the action of Fulani herdsmen showed they have declared war on Yoruba land.
Odumakin said the Yoruba would not take this anymore and people should expect reactions over the killing of a daughter of the Afenifere leader.
“The herdsmen have shot their AK 47 into the tinny rope that tied Yoruba and Nigeria together. We will not accept this.”
Also a statement issued last night by Afenifere said “We have confirmed the death of Mrs Funke Olakunrin (58), daughter of our Leader, Fasoranti.
The statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin tagged ”Afenifere initial response said “Eyewitness accounts say she died of gunshot from Fulani herdsmen who shot her at Ore junction in Ondo state.
“She was coming from Akure when armed Fulani herdsmen came from the bush to attack her and other vehicles. Her domestic staff in the car with her sustained gunshots too.
“This is one death too many and a clear we- can- take- it -no-more death,” Odumakin said.
The spokesperson said that a comprehensive statement would be issued soon.
Meanwhile, a visit to the residence of Fasoranti showed that he was yet to be informed of the death of his daughter.
The corpse of the deceased was reportedly deposited at the state specialist hospital in Akure late last night.
Some leaders of Afenifere were seen milling around at the ljapo residence of their leader last night.
Vanguard
A company in which Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has a stake, Simmons Coopers Partners, has been linked to another firm, Ocean Trust Limited, which was fingered in an alleged N100bn scam involving Alpha Beta Consulting Limited and Alpha Beta LP.
Ocean Trust Limited, accused of being a conduit for diversion and laundering of funds by Alpha Beta, listed Simmons Coopers as its company secretary, documents exclusively obtained from Corporate Affairs Commission by Saturday PUNCH showed.
Simmons Coopers was listed as a company in which Mr Osinbajo (now Vice-President) had a stake in his asset declaration form in 2015, according to the statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu.
In a petition submitted to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in July 2018, Mr Dapo Apara, erstwhile managing director of Alpha Beta, had alleged that Alpha Beta owed Federal Government N100bn in unpaid taxes spanning over 10 years, adding that the firm usually laundered funds through another firm, Ocean Trust Limited.
He alleged that the firm was being protected by powerful politicians.
The petition by Apara’s lawyer, Mr Adetunji Adegboyega, read in part, “Over the years, the company (Alpha Beta) has been protected and shielded by some powerful politicians and people in the society which made them to always boast of being untouchable.
“But our client, feeling the need not to keep quiet again and strengthened by his belief in the fact that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is keen on fighting corruption which has been the bane of our country, is of the firm view that it is time to expose and open the can of worms called Alpha Beta Consulting.
“Our client is of the firm belief that it is time for the commission to step in and conduct a holistic investigation into activities of Alpha Beta Consulting Limited and Alpha Beta LP with a view to uncovering the massive corruption, money laundering, tax evasion, etc., going on in the company.
“Kindly note that one of the companies being used to perpetrate money laundering by the company is still another company named Ocean Trust Limited.”
Osinbajo’s reaction
When contacted on the relationship between Osinbajo’s firm, Simmons Coopers and Ocean Trust, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media, Mr Laolu Akande, said he would not comment on the matter unless Saturday PUNCH showed him the document indicating Simmons Coopers was Ocean Trust’s company secretary.
But, a source close to Osinbajo said “the Vice President has since 2014 left the firm. There is no interest there anymore.”
The source added, “And I think you should talk to EFCC about its own decisions. It does not make sense that EFCC will say it is not prosecuting or, as you say, investigating or probing (the allegations) because of what you claimed.”
However, Osinbajo in 2015 listed Simmons Coopers as one of his companies in his asset declaration form.
Where is Ocean Trust?
Saturday PUNCH, which investigated Ocean Trust Limited for three months, conducted a search at Corporate Affairs Commission. It was noted during a CAC search that the firm was registered with number 419706 on January 5, 2011, and is located at 684, Idowu Taylor Street, Victoria Island, Lagos and had Messers Gboyega Iyiola and Kunle Akinniyi as shareholders at the inception both of whom relinquished their shares two days later on January 7, 2011.
Incidentally, the property where Ocean Trust Limited is located shares the same address with office of former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State known as ‘Freedom House’.
All efforts to contact Ocean Trust Limited proved futile as investigations by our correspondents showed that the company might no longer be in operation.
Also, attempts to speak with its management turned out to be a wild goose chase. When one of our correspondents visited the company’s address at the Freedom House, Plot 684, Idowu Taylor Street, a fair-complexioned lady, who said she was an employee of Ocean Trust Limited, said the company was no longer located there.
When asked if it was true that the firm was being used to launder funds for Alpha Beta, the lady, who refused to identify herself, asked our correspondent to send an email which she would forward to her boss.
Over three weeks after one of our correspondents sent her an email, a response was still being awaited as of the time of filing this report.
A visit to Ocean Trust’s second listed address at 42 Norman Williams Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos yielded no positive result as the compound looked deserted having been overtaken by weeds.
Our correspondent met with a lady, who simply gave her name as Blessing, and confirmed that the place was being used by Ocean Trust.
She, however, said she could not speak on any issue as the place was only a correspondence office.
After a brief chat, she gave one of our reporters a phone number that she claimed belonged to an accountant with Ocean Trust.
When our correspondent called the number, a man who picked the phone said he was not a staff member of the company.
After one of our correspondents told Blessing that the ‘accountant’ denied working for Ocean Trust, she referred him to the head office on 9 Grace Anjous Street, Lekki Phase I to make an enquiry.
When one of our correspondents got to the address, a male receptionist initially confirmed that the office belonged to Ocean Trust.
However, after an introduction as a journalist, he retracted his statement and said the premises belonged to Paragon Holdings and only delivered correspondences to Ocean Trust.
He said, “Ocean Trust is not one of our partners; they used to use here to receive correspondences, but they no longer come here.
“They are not our partners again. Here, we only deal with their files, both physical and electronic.”
While questioning the receptionist on why he had earlier admitted that the place belonged to Ocean Trust, another man emerged from one of the offices in the building and said Ocean Trust was no longer in existence.
He said, “To the best of my knowledge, Ocean Trust is not functioning. We only receive correspondences for them, but in terms of business, they stopped existing before the end of the (former Lagos State Governor Babatunde) Fashola’s administration. We don’t even know who they are. They’ve folded up since.”
EFCC yet to take action
One year after Apara’s petition, EFCC has yet to take any action on the matter. EFCC spokesman, Mr Tony Orilade, had said in February that the petitioner should send a reminder as the petition could not be traced.
In a recent chat with Saturday PUNCH on why the commission had refused to respond to media inquiries for over a month, EFCC spokesman asked one of our correspondents to give him more time to react.
Efforts made thereafter to get a response from EFCC did not yield result.
As of Friday when this report was being filed, Orilade had yet to respond.
Apara, who accused the firm of tax evasion to the tune of N100bn, also said EFCC had yet to contact him a year after the petition had been submitted.
“I have still not been contacted by EFCC,” he said in response to an inquiry.
Alpha Beta’s controversies
Alpha Beta Consulting was awarded a contract by the Tinubu-led government after a recommendation by a committee comprising the then Attorney-General of Lagos State, Osinbajo (now Vice-President); Mr Wale Edun, then commissioner for finance; and a former commissioner for economic planning and budget, Mr Yemi Cardoso.
The firm was subsequently given exclusive rights to collect taxes on behalf of Lagos State and was believed to receive about 10 per cent commission from the revenue it collected for the state.
However, pro-transparency groups and opposition politicians have constantly alleged that Tinubu owns Alpha Beta.
In 2012, a Lagos-based medical doctor, Mr Dominic Adegbola, filed a Freedom of Information request to state authorities, seeking detailed information on all Alpha Beta contracts with Lagos State since 1999.
But the state’s Attorney-General then, Mr Ade Ipaye, (now Osinbajo’s chief of staff), rejected the request, insisting that the FoI was a federal law that did not apply to the states.
However, in November 2017, a state judge ruled that the FoI was applicable to Lagos State. The judge said the law was duly enacted by National Assembly and did not require domestication to take effect in states.
When one of our correspondents visited the office of Alpha Beta at Lagos Water Corporation Building, Ijora Causeway, Lagos, the company’s Head of Corporate Support Services and General Counsel, Mr Omogbemi Adelagun, said the matter was already in court and, therefore, he could not comment on the issue.
“If the matter had not been taken to court, we would have been able to react to it. So, right now, we cannot say anything until the court rules on the case,” he said.
Alpha Beta LLP had, however, said in an advertorial in response to the allegations levelled against it by its former MD that the accusations were illogical and false.
The advertorial read in part, “Alpha Beta has been visibly engaged by Lagos State Government since 2002 as a forensic, internal control and enhancement adviser.
In working with the state, Alpha Beta helped develop the state’s centralised transaction platforms, the precursor to the present-day Treasury Single Account.”
The firm said at the time it entered into the contract with Lagos State, the state was taking in the sum of N600m in internally generated revenue per month but things had since changed for the better.
Former MD heads to court
Meanwhile, Alpha Beta’s former managing director, Apara, has approached a Federal High Court, Abuja, “directing an investigation to be made by Corporate Affairs Commission into the conduct of Alpha Beta Consulting Limited.”
Apara, who said he had been and remained a director of the firm since its incorporation, with control of 30 per cent of its shares value, also alleged that the financial records of the company filed with CAC and tax authorities did not reflect the actual profits of the company or of its directors.
He alleged among others in the suit that he and shareholders of the company were being owed their remunerations.
Also praying for the takeover of the management of the company by an appointee of the court, the suit urged the court “to appoint a receiver or a receiver manager of the property of Alpha Beta Consulting Limited.”
The suit, couched as a “petition” and brought under the Companies Proceedings Rules and Order 5 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009, was filed on November 9, 2018 and marked FHC/ABJ/PET/2018.
When contacted on telephone, a former Senior Partner at Simmons Coopers, Mr Babatunde Irukera, said he had never heard of Ocean Trust Limited and wondered how Simmons Coopers could have served as its company secretary.
Irukera, who is now Executive Secretary, Consumer Protection Council and had served as managing partner at Simmons Coopers during the time in question, directed our correspondent to another partner, Mrs Victoria Alonge.
Alonge, however, said she had never heard of Ocean Trust Limited and asked Saturday PUNCHfor more time. She said Simmons Coopers had checked all its records and had not found Ocean Trust in its books, adding that it had no record with CAC.
When one of our correspondents dictated the contents of the document linking Simmons Coopers with Ocean Trust, Alonge expressed shock and asked that the document be sent to her.
She, however, maintained that Vice-President Osinbajo was a man of honour and honesty and would never hinder EFCC from doing its job.
Alonge said, “Simmons Coopers has never had any dealings with Ocean Trust. We are also doing our own investigations. We checked our Abuja records and Ocean Trust is not stated there. This is new to us and it cannot be insinuated that Osinbajo is stopping EFCC from doing its job.
“For us, there is nothing to hide. As a partner, I should be in a position to know. We are still checking our records and we haven’t found anything.”
Punch
Court of Appeal in Abuja has rejected an appeal challenging President Muhammadu Buhari’s academic qualification to stand for the last presidential election.
Mr Mohammed Idris, in the lead judgment of a unanimous decision of a three-man panel, upheld an earlier judgment by a Federal High Court in Abuja, dismissing the suit on the grounds that it was statute-barred and robbed the court of jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
Idris held that issues raised in the case have become statute-barred, the suit having not been filed at the trial court within the 14 days the cause of action arose as stipulated under section 285(9) of the Nigerian Constitution.
He noted that the cause of action did not arise on September 28, 2018 when Buhari emerged as a presidential candidate in All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election, as held by the lower court.
Justice Idris said: “I have read the affidavit filed in support of the originating summons and found out that the crux of the complaints in this case by the appellant is the submission of information said to be false to Independent National Electoral Commission in fulfilment of the condition to contest the presidential election.
Idris added that from the plaintiff’s affidavit, the cause of action arose on October 18, 2018 when Mr Buhari submitted his Form CF001, curriculum vitae and a supporting affidavit to INEC as APC’s presidential candidate.
The judge observed that the appellants filed their suit at the Federal High Court on November 5, 2018, outside the 14 days period from October 18, 2018.
He faulted the appellants’ lawyers’ argument that the cause of action arose on October 25, 2018 when INEC published publicly the details of presidential candidates.
The judge said the argument by the lawyers amounted to an afterthought, because they failed to raise the issue in their affidavit evidence, but chose to leave to the court to decide.
Idris held that the appellants’ failure to file the suit before the Federal High Court within 14 days after the cause of action arose robbed the court of the jurisdiction to hear the case on merit.
The judge further held that neither can the Federal High Court be ordered to re-hear the case nor could the Court of Appeal evoke its power under Section 15 of its Act to hear the case, because the 180 days within which a pre-election matter could be heard and determined under Section 285(1) of the Constitution, has passed.
Justice Idris said the case, having been struck out on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction, it would amount to embarking on an academic exercise for the court to proceed to consider all other issues raised in the appeal.
In the earlier part of the judgement, Idris upheld the preliminary objection filed by the respondents by striking out the appeal on the grounds that the Federal High Court’s registrar failed to transmit the record of appeal to Court of Appeal within the period stipulated by law.
The appeal by Kalu Kalu Agu, Labaran Ismail and Hassy Jyari El-Kunis was against the May 2, 2019 decision by Mr Ahmed Mohammed of Federal High Court, Abuja.
Agu, Ismail and El-Kunis, plaintiffs at the trial court, had, in an originating summons prayed the court to, among others, disqualify Buhari from contesting the presidential election on the grounds that he submitted false information regarding his academic qualification and certificate to INEC as a candidate in the February 23, 2019 poll.
They accused Buhari of falsely claiming to possess a school certificate he never had. In a judgment on May 2, 2019, Mohammed struck the suit out on grounds that it was statute-barred.
The Nation
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Niamey, Niger Republic signed African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) pact.
Buhari appended his signature to the treaty in the presence of African Heads of State and Government, delegates and representatives from the private sector, civil society and the media attending the 12th Extraordinary Summit of African Union (AU) on Launch of the Operational Phase of AfCFTA.
Speaking after signing the agreement, the president told the Summit that Nigeria will build on the event by proceeding expeditiously with the ratification of AfCFTA.
“Nigeria wishes to emphasize that free trade must also be fair trade.
“As African leaders, our attention should now focus on implementing AfCFTA in a way that develops our economies and creates jobs for our young, dynamic and hardworking population.
“I wish to assure you, that Nigeria shall sustain its strong leadership role in Africa, in the implementation of AfCFTA. We shall also continue to engage, constructively with all African countries to build the Africa that we want,’’ he said.
Buhari also congratulated Ghana on being selected to host the Secretariat of AfCFTA.
“We fully understand the potential of AfCFTA to transform trade in Africa and contribute towards solving some of the continent’s challenges, whether security, economic or corruption.
“But it is also clear to us that for AfCFTA to succeed, we need the full support and buy-in of our private sector and civil society stakeholders and the public in general.”
Buhari noted that Nigeria’s signing of AfCFTA and its Operational Launch at the 12th Extraordinary Summit was an additional major step forward on the AU’s Agenda 2063.
54 out 55 African countries sign pact
With Nigeria and Benin Republic signing the Agreement at the Summit, 54 out of 55 African countries have signed the world’s largest free trade area deal, encompassing 55 countries and 1.2 billion people.
Eritrea, according to the presidency is the only African country yet to sign the agreement.
A total of 26 African countries have deposited instruments of ratification, with Gabon being the latest after depositing her instrument of ratification during the Extraordinary Summit.
AfCFTA Agreement entered into force on May 30, 2019 thirty days after having received the twenty-second instrument of ratification on 29 April, 2019 in conformity with legal provisions.
Daily Trust
Academic Staff Union of Universities on Sunday described President Muhammadu Buhari’s policy on education as anti-masses.
It accused the All Progressives Congress government of a deliberate plan to starve public education with funds in order to deny Nigerian youths the right to know and challenge misrule.
In a release in Ibadan on Sunday and signed by Chairman, University of Ibadan Chapter of the union, Mr Deji Omole, ASUU lamented that the sacrifices of understaffed and underpaid Nigerian academia would be futile if Mr Buhari did not increase funding for education.
Omole cited University of Ibadan as an example of an institution presently groaning due to paucity of funds, insufficient staff, decayed infrastructure and bad laboratories.
According to the ASUU chief, education was not the priority of the Buhari government. Omole claimed that due to paucity of funds, over 500,000 Nigerian children who desire public university education were rejected annually due to decayed infrastructure and reduced manpower.
Omole said unless urgent steps were taken to cater to the needs of children of the Nigerian masses, many of them would fight back with crime.
“APC government’s failure to fund education is a design to kill public universities. University of Ibadan is groaning terribly due to paucity of funds.
“Retired academics cannot be replaced because government deliberately refused to make budgetary provision for growth and development.
“This crisis has led to the staff on ground being overworked leading to early deaths of many of our colleagues.
“Education is not the priority of this government. Due to paucity of funds, many universities including University of Ibadan, the nation’s premier university, cannot admit many qualified candidates into the universities.
“This is dangerous to the society as the rejected qualified and brilliant candidates may eventually take to crimes because the country has rejected them. The policy is not only wicked but criminal,” ASUU lamented.
Punch
Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram ambushed Nigerian soldiers in the northeast of the country, killing at least five and injuring more than a dozen, sources told Reuters on Sunday.
The sources said the death toll could increase as a number of soldiers were still missing after the attack on Thursday in Damboa, in Borno state in northeastern Nigeria.
The soldiers had gone to the area to clear a Boko Haram camp, but were ambushed, the sources said.
Boko Haram militants have killed thousands and displaced millions in Nigeria during the group’s decade-long insurgency against the government.
The general commanding officer, Mr Bulama Biu, a Brigadier General, confirmed a confrontation between troops and Boko Haram, but said there was “no casualty on the part of troops.”
Three military sources and three fighters with armed vigilante group Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) said the bodies of five soldiers had been recovered, and that 16 fighters, including 14 soldiers and two civilians, were injured.
The sources said multiple fighters were still missing.
Reuters
The family of late Mr Christopher Olorunfunmi Banjo on Wednesday said they would soon announce the burial arrangements for the late businessman and philanthropist, who died recently in Lagos.
Banjo, Aare Bobaseye of Ijebu-Ilodo, passed on at the age of 77, at Ikeja General Hospital, Lagos, after a protracted illness.
Mr Niyi Banjo, who spoke on behalf of the family at the residence of the deceased, told journalists that they were still deliberating on how to give their departed father a befitting burial.
Banjo said the plans would soon be made public.
He noted that the departed Olorunfunmi Banjo was a great father, a devout Christian and a senior member of Anglican church of the Pentecost, Festac Town, Lagos, Church of the Ascension, Festac town, Lagos as well as Our Saviours Anglican Church, Ikenne, Ogun State.
According to him, "my dad lived a good life of service and he would be greatly missed for his philanthropy, fatherly advice and support to all".
Following public outcry over the Ruga Settlement Projects, an idea designed “to stem the tide of herdsmen/farmers clashes across the country,” President Muhammadu Buhari is said to have suspended the project until further notice. The president, after consultations with stakeholders, it was gathered, has resolved to put away the idea for a thorough review and well acceptable approach to the menace constituted to national security by the constant clashes between herdsmen and farmers. Thisday
Former President, Mr Olusegun Obasanjo raised the alarm, yesterday, that Nigeria is fast losing its identity over what he termed as “poor management of the nation’s diversity.” Obasanjo, who spoke at the international conference organised at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, equally declared that many citizens are unhappy with Nigeria that they wish to walk away from the country. He noted that Nigeria could have ceased to exist if not for God’s grace and kindness. The conference, which had in attendance Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, had the theme: “Religion, the State and Global Politics.” While Osinbajo expressed concern that religion has been employed as one of the divisive factors to spread hate and unleash violence in the country, Abiodun called on policy makers, scholars and stakeholders to come up with more practical approaches in dealing with diverse religious ideologies so that religion will be a unifying factor to provide impetus to the nation’s socio-economic development. In his speech titled: “Towards a reunification of the sacred and secular: Religious intervention in politics,” Obasanjo said both religion and politics affect the welfare and wellbeing of the people. The former president, however, expressed dismay over the mismanagement of diversity and identity of the nation, saying such had been done with impunity. He said religion, politics and ethnicity are part of Nigeria’s diversity that must be jealously protected. “We are badly handling our diversity (such) that we are losing our identity. And, for as long as we are doing that, we are not going to get far even if we get anywhere at all. The management of our diversity must be right. “Religion is part of our diversity. Politics is part of our diversity. Ethnicity is part of our diversity. We must manage our diversity properly. But when you mismanage diversity with impunity, it is particularly annoying. It may lead to what we may not want it to lead to. "I don’t know of any Nigerian who doesn’t wish Nigeria well, but, I know of many Nigerians who are so unhappy with Nigeria that they may walk away from Nigeria.” Sun
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Sultan of Sokoto, Mr Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged federal government to take proactive measures in order to end incessant killings across the country. He stated this yesterday at Sokoto State University while inaugurating the 180,000 litre- solar water treated plant built by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in collaboration with Belema Oil and donated to the university. He added that government had to do something before it got out of hand. The Sultan said he was worried how the security in the country was being politicised, “As a former military officer, who served this country for about 31 years, things were not like this before – the killings are everywhere; Enough! It is high time the government took action before it gets out of hands,” he said. “Some unscrupulous politicians are using politics to create tension in the country for their selfish interest,” he said. He further explained that some disgruntled elements want Nigeria to explode. “I said Nigeria will not explode but they will explode. If anybody is being killed in the South-west, and East, they will say it is Fulani herdsmen. The killing is not only in the South, West or East, it is also in the North,” he added. On his part, the President and founder of Belema Oil, Mr. Jack rich Tein, said the project was part of his efforts to ameliorate the suffering of humanity through the provision of scholarship to students, portable water, critical infrastructure and youth empowerment. “You know Nigeria is a great country blessed with human and natural resources, hence a need to harness it through technology,” he added. Jack urged youth to be peaceful, saying to achieve one’s dreams or aspiration is not by violence. Also speaking, outgoing Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr Maikanti Baru, represented by Mrs. Tolulope Adefunwa, said the project was part of the corporation’s corporate social responsibility. Speaking at the event, Governor of Sokoto State, Mr Aminu Tambuwal thanked Belema Oil and NNPC for the gestures. “As a responsible government, we have rehabilitated our water plants to supply water within Sokoto metropolis and plans are on the way to build treated water plants across the 23 local government areas in the state. In a vote of thanks, Vice Chancellor of Sokoto State University, Mr Sani Dangogo, thanked Belema Oil and NNPC, saying the project has gone along way in solving the water problem of the university, and promised that the school will guide the project jealously. Thisday
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has over 400 witnesses to present at the election petition tribunal where its challenge of President Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection is being heard. The party’s lead counsel, Mr Levi Uzeugwu, said this in response to a question by the tribunal chairman, Mr Mohammed Garba, on Monday. Uzeugwu however added that if they were able to present 300 witnesses before the close of time allowed for the applicants to prove their case, they would review their position. Uzeugwu was responding to a question intended to help the tribunal arrange a timetable for the hearing of the substantive application. He had been asked by Garba to note the number of witnesses they had so that the court would decide on the duration of time to be allowed for each party to cross examine the witnesses. “We have over 400 witnesses. But if we are able to present up to 300 we will review our case,” Uzuegwu said. After a brief explanation on the need for the parties to consider the time allowed, Uzuegwu requested the court to stand down for 30 minutes to allow them decide on the witnesses they would bring and help the court in planning its schedule. The request was granted. The court had earlier reserved its ruling in the pre-hearing application brought by PDP challenging the June 11 decision of the Court, which saw the withdrawal of a motion by APC. The motion withdrawn by APC on June 11 was one of two similar motions earlier filed by the party, challenging the validity of PDP’s petition. Following an observation by PDP that the two motions were same the applicants withdrew one of the motions. PDP however objected that withdrawal because the party believed that the motion ought to have been struck out, rather than been withdrawn. PT
A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, has convicted two young men for internet related offences and sentenced them to jail. The duo of Olubayo Oluwaseyi (a.ka. Rachel Erick) and Abe Tolulope Emmanuel (a.k.a. Victoria Grant), were found guilty of fraudulent impersonation and sending pornographic and indecent pictures in the respective one-count charges filed against them by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan zonal office. The original charges were replaced with the amended charges as presented before the court on Monday due to the plea bargain agreement between them and the Commission. Olubayo’s offence was contrary to Section 22(3)(b) of Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015, and punishable under Section 22(4) of the Act. Sending pornographic and indecent picture, the charge against Abe, runs contrary to Section 24 (1)(a) of Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015, and punishable under Section 24 (1) of the Act. They however pleaded guilty to the latest charges when they were read to them. After the pleas, prosecution counsel, Mrs Iyabo Daramola, prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. Presiding judge, Mrs Patricia Ajoku, in delivering her judgment, upheld the terms in the respective plea bargain agreements as she sentenced Olubayo to six months in prison, and jailed Abe for five months. They were also ordered to restitute to their victims the money they fraudulently collected from their victims and forfeit all the items recovered from them to Federal Government.
Yoruba people in the South-Western part of Nigeria have been cautioned to stop relegating its family traditional rites and customs as this could have serious negative implications on the society.
This warning was given by the traditional leader of the ILO clan, Chief Olaiya Ilo while urging Master Adeoluwa ILO and his parents(Mr Ade Ilo) to come forward to embrace the rites and initiation of the family.
The family leader who explained that running away from such rites of their forefathers would amount to wilfully flouting traditional injunctions, assured that anyone with useful information to the whereabout of the child and his parents would be duly compensated.
According to him, "Master Adeoluwa is simply to be initiated as the next custodian of the Ojengbe family cult, which means protection, blessings and long life for him, his family and the quiet community of Ikereku Idan, a border town between Ogun and Oyo State.
Chief Olaiya Ilo said the cult had been without a custodian for some time, and this would not allow peace and normalcy with the spirit of their forefathers.
He explained that "Master Adeoluwa ILO, aged 5 years is the grandson of one of the Elders of the Family. The Oracle when consulted stated that the Custodian when found must not be allowed to delay in the performance of the rites of initiation as this might have severe repercussions, if not done".
"Doing this is without any harm, but not doing it could lead to severe repercussions", he said.