A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja was on Wednesday October 26, 2011, told that most of the  cheques used to withdraw money from the account of  Plateau State government during the less than six-month tenure of Michael Boatmang as governor, did not pass through the Cheque Movement Register, CMR, in the office of the Accountant –General.

Also, an attempt by the defence counsel, M. Y. Saleh, SAN, to discredit the petition addressed to the former Chairman of the EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on June 15, 2007 and signed by the Executive Governor of Plateau State , Chief Jonah Jang, requesting the EFCC to investigate and help recover about N1. 3 billion withheld by the Intercontinental Bank PLC was over ruled by the presiding Judge, Justice G.K. Olotu at the resumed hearing of the criminal case filed against Boatmang by the EFCC on Wednesday.

Boatmang who was governor of Plateau between November 13, 2006 and April 9, 2007, was re-arraigned on July 27th, 2011, on a 31 count charge bordering on corruption, money laundering and embezzlement of public funds totaling $13.3 million (1.5 billion naira)  when he served for five months as the governor of the state.

At the resumed hearing of the case, Prosecution Witness one, Mr. Adamu Garba, who is one of the investigating officers in the case, told the court that during the six months period, the state had two Accountants General: Nuhu Madaki and Nanshai Binnai. Garba also told the court that Madaki made a voluntary statement where he admitted that the cheques used to withdraw money from the Intercontinental Bank were Classified Cheques and that the money was withdrawn and handed over to the accused person; adding that the cheques were not supposed to appear in the CMR.

When the petition by Jang was tendered as exhibit, the defence counsel opposed vehemently as he said that the letter was addressed to the former Chairman of the EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and therefore can not be tendered by any other person outside the former chairman of the Commission.

But Justice Olotu who showed no sign of entertaining frivolous applications on the matter told the defence counsel that there was no need to waste time on the document. “Let us not waste time on this. This letter was addressed to the chairman of the EFCC in 2007; any other officer of the EFCC can present the same letter today. The accused person’s objection to the admissibility of the document in evidence is over ruled and marked exhibit 3”, she ruled. The statements written by the Business Manager, Intercontinental bank, Jos, Mr. Danjuma Usman, and the two Accountants General as well as the two statements of the former governor being prosecuted were equally admitted in evidence.

In the statement of the accused which was read by Mr. Garba, Boatmang had said that N100 million of the N1.3 billion for which he is being prosecuted was a loan taken from Bank PHB on the orders of the PDP leadership to prosecute the 2007 election as he said that the then President Olusegun Obasanjo gave him a mandate to ensure the victory of all the PDP candidates who stood for the 2007 election in Plateau state. He also wrote in the statement he volunteered that N750 million which was taken from Intercontinental Bank as a loan for the construction of Jos main Market was diverted to the payment of teachers salary upon approval of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

While adjourning the case till November 17 and 24, 2011, the judge warned that she would not entertain any unnecessary and frivolous applications that would delay the case. She said the two days is for the prosecution to complete and close its case.

It would be recalled that Boatmang, was first arraigned before Justice Anwuri Chikere. But the case suffered several setbacks following his ailment and transfer of judges who earlier handled the case. Aside from Justice Chikere, Justice Muhammad Umar also handled the case before he was also transferred. Justice Olotu is the third judge handling the case.

The embattled former governor became the governor of the North Central state of Plateau on November 13, 2006 after his boss, Chief Joshua Chibi Dariye was impeached from office.

The National and State Assemblies  Election Tribunal sitting in Awka has upheld the election and declaration of Senator Andy Uba of the Peoples Democratic Party as having been validly returned for Anambra South Senatorial Zone in the last general elections.

The tribunal in its  judgment delivered yesterday in Awka dismissed the petition filed by Chief Chuma Nzeribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance against the election of Uba “for lack of merit”.

The tribunal chairman, Hon. Justice Pat Onajite-Kuejubola, in the unanimous decision said that Nzeribe and his APGA failed to prove their allegations that there was falsification of election results in the zone, beyond all reasonable doubts.

It also declared that Nzeribe failed to prove that the massive irregularities he alleged in his petition substantially affected the outcome of the result of the election.

“Consequently,” Onajite-Kuejubola said, “the petition lacking in merit is hereby dismissed in its entirety.

“It is hereby declared that the declaration of return of the First respondent (Uba) by the Second Respondent (INEC) on Form EC8E from Anambra Souty Senatorial zone held on the 9^th of April 2011 remains valid and lawful,” the tribunal chairman said.

Counsel to APGA, Mr. Theophime Ogwuchi, said the tribunal erred when it refused to be convinced by the clear evidence the party used to challenge the election of Uba.

He said his clients would appeal against the judgment.

The mounting preference for steadily dwindling white collar jobs and open apathy shown by contemporary students and job seekers over Agriculture and food production all over the country has been described as one issue that affects our quest for food sufficiency if not addressed quickly soon.

This was the observation of the Awka Branch Controller of the Central bank of Nigeria, Mazi Azubuike Okoro, in a paper at a seminar on Agriculture Financing at the Anambra State University, Uli, (ANSU) Igbariam Campus. He stated that in response to the declining interest in farming in Nigeria, the apex bank has decided to venture into development projects, especially, in the area of agric financing.

 Okoro noted that, “It is important to teach our children the essence of reading and practicing agriculture and more importantly, how to access funds in order to make what they read profitable, more interesting and ultimately make them employers of labour”.

That if Nigeria continues the massive importation of food without production, there will soon be pressure on the exchange rate of the naira, which is why the CBN is engaging a tripartite agreement between the ANSU students and financial houses, while CBN will come in to guarantee the borrowing process.

The Vice Chancellor Prof. Fidelis Okeke, noted that there is need for emphasis on agriculture in the country presently, and charged the students to make use of what they learnt in promoting the school and in their own personal development.

Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Dr Chris Uzuegbunam, who disclosed that the seminar was a prelude to an international conference scheduled for next year, lamented that students greatly under utilize services provided by institutions like the CBN, because of lack of knowledge. He expressed optimism that the seminar will help agric graduates and students alike to find their feet in the outside world.

Already two students have benefited in the scheme, which enabled them to start up poultry and a fish farm.

Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman representing Kogi Central on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced the release of twenty million naira as a start-up fund for The Umajene Abatemi Initiative (TUAI).

The senator made the announcement at the formal inauguration of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of TUAI, a community-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), he initiated to execute valuable projects that will have beneficial effects on the lives of the people of his constituency.

A statement issued by Michael Jegede, his Special Assistant (SA) on Media matters at the end of the event, which took place in the National Assembly Abuja quoted the Senator as saying that he cannot afford to disappoint the people who gave him the opportunity to serve them.

“I want to thank all of you for accepting to be part of this team meant to drive the scheme that we have designed to positively change the face of Ebira land and bring succour to our people. We know that the problems in our land are numerous and the challenges are enormous. But we would do our best not to let our people down. I hereby announced the sum of twenty million naira as a start-up capital for TUAI. If this money is properly applied, no doubt, it will attract more from the initiator and donors within and outside the country,” Abatemi-Usman, a member of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) said.

In a PowerPoint presentation of the blueprint of TUAI to the board members by the Executive Secretary (ES), Hauwa Ismail, she noted that the Imitative is an important milestone in the effort of the Senator to economically empower the people. According to her, the primary objective of the NGO is to create wealth by stimulating appropriate economic activities in the various wards of each Local Government Area in Kogi Central.

Chairman of the organisation’s BoT, Stephen Yakubu, a former Secretary to Kogi State Government, expressed delight over the decision of the Senator to come up with the Initiative as a way of making positive impact on the lives of Ebira people.  

The National Assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Awka has decleard that the House committee chairman on Environment Hon Uche Ekwunife was not dully elected and retuned by INEC and called for re election in some areas affected, like Enugu Ukwu ward one, Nimo ward 1 and 2 , Umunnachi and Ezumezu village square.

The judgement delivered under tensed security autmosphere, started by 12 noon and was read by Hon Justice Y Mukhtar.

The Hon justice Onajite Kuejubola three men tribunal held that there are substantial evidence for the Tribunal to arrive at his finding and subsequently held that the election is inconclusive and ordered for re election in the affected areas .

It will be recalled that the Action Congress of Nigeria candidate Ferdinand Dozie Nwankwo had approach the Tribunal for an order to nullify the election for non compliance and irregularities during the election. The petitioner through his counsel, called in 10 witnesses which included a witness expert who carried out forensic analysis of all the materials used during the election,while the respondents called in 8. Counsel to the A C N candidate, Ken Njemanze had earlier in the trial, tendered documents, which the tribunal admitted on the grounds of their relevance to the petition.

It is pertinent to note that today marked the 180 days of this petition as enshrined by the electoral act as amended and failure on the part of the Tribunal to give the judgement today will amount to exercise in futility. Delivering the judgement, the tribunal ordered the Independent national electoral commission to conduct election in the affected areas within 3 months.