The National/State Assemblies Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi, Benue State presided over by Justice M. L. Abimbola has fixed Monday, October 31st, 2011 for hearing a petition brought before it by Rt. Hon. Terngu Tsegba, PDP against the electoral victory of the Senate Minority leader, Dr. George Akume, ACN at the recently concluded National Assembly polls in March/April 2011.
The decision came following the conclusion of a pre-trial conference during which the respondent’s application dated 29th September, 2011 and filled on September 30th 2011 seeking to struck out certain portion of the petitioner’s witnesses statement on oath was held in abeyance.
When the application was moved by counsel to the Benue North West Senator, Joe Abaagu, Esq. the petitioner’s counsel S. A. Udaga prayed the tribunal to stand down the application to enable him reply. It was agreed that the application be put on abeyance and any objection to it be taking on point of tendering evidence since the application bothered on witness statement on oath for want of time.
The petitioner has been granted two days beginning from Monday October 31st 2011 to make and close his case.
The first and second respondent applicants have two days for defense while the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has been given 1 day.
It would be recalled that before the justice Abimbola panel was constituted, an earlier panel that was constituted at the inception of elections tribunals to try cases of election petitions disqualified itself from entertaining the matter upon application by counsel to Senator Akume.
The new panel is made up of Justice M. L. Abimbola as chairman while Justices Y. A. Bashir and K. C. Nwankpa are members.
…
Meanwhile in a related development, the National/State Assembly petition tribunal dismissed two separate petitions challenging the election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ezekiel Adaji representing Otukpo/Ohimini federal constituencies in the National Assembly.
Delivering the two separate judgment, chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ansellem Nwaigwe held that the petitioners, Hon. Nelson Alapa, ANPP and Hon. Musa Alechenu, ACN failed to seek the leave of the tribunal for pre-trial conference.
According to the chairman, since there was no other time left under which any application could be raised, the two petitions are considered to be abandoned.
The two petitions were dismissed as abandoned.
Justice Nwaigwe said he was guided by the proceedings of the appeal tribunal in Makurdi which had earlier nullify the pre-trial conference in the case of Prof. Steve Ugbah, ACN against Benue state governor, Gabriel Suswam PDP.
Kenneth Ikonne, Hon. Ezekiel Adaji’s counsel described the verdict as the manifestation of sound judgment which according to him is expanded to cover new issues in jurisprudence.
No cost was attached to the judgment. Ikonne said it was in the spirit of reconciliation.
TRENTON, NJ—An Israeli citizen living in Brooklyn, N.Y., admitted today to brokering three illegal kidney transplants for payments of $120,000 or more before he was caught conspiring to organize another black market sale, New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Levy Izhak Rosenbaum, a/k/a “Isaac Rosenbaum,” 60, pleaded guilty today to an information charging him with three counts of acquiring, receiving, and otherwise transferring human organs for valuable consideration for use in human transplantation; and one count of conspiracy to do the same. Rosenbaum was originally charged with the conspiracy by Complaint in July 2009.
The defendant entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson in Trenton federal court. Rosenbaum’s convictions are the first under the federal statute involving the black market sales of kidneys from paid donors.
“Rosenbaum admitted he was not new to the human kidney business when he was caught brokering what he thought was a black market deal,” U.S. Attorney Fishman said. “A black market in human organs is not only a grave threat to public health, it reserves lifesaving treatment for those who can best afford it at the expense of those who cannot. We will not tolerate such an affront to human dignity.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Rosenbaum admitted that from January 2006 through February 2009, he conspired with others to provide a service, in exchange for large payments, to individuals seeking kidney transplants by obtaining kidneys from paid donors. Specifically, Rosenbaum admitted to arranging three transplants on behalf of New Jersey residents that took place in December 2006, September 2008 and February 2009. Rosenbaum admitted that he was paid approximately $120,000, $150,000 and $140,000, respectively on behalf of these three recipients.
Rosenbaum’s kidney business was exposed through the use of cooperating criminal defendant Solomon Dwek and an undercover FBI agent (the “UC”) who was posing as an employee of Dwek and who represented to Rosenbaum that her uncle was in need of a kidney transplant. Dwek and the UC first met with Rosenbaum in mid-February 2008 at which time Rosenbaum informed them that “[i]t’s illegal to buy and sell organs,” but assured them that “I’m doing this a long time.” Rosenbaum explained to Dwek and the UC that he would help the recipient and the donor concoct a fictitious story to make it appear that the transplant was the product of a genuine donation and that he would be in charge of babysitting the donor upon the donor’s arrival from overseas. Rosenbaum also informed Dwek and the CW that he would charge $150,000 to arrange the transplant, explaining that the high price was due in part to payments that would be made to individuals in Israel for their assistance in locating the donor.
Rosenbaum met with Dwek and the UC again in August 2008, at which time Rosenbaum required that a blood sample be taken from the UC’s uncle to ensure a donor with the appropriate blood type was located. Rosenbaum related that he had an associate he paid in cash who would take the blood sample, and reiterated that he would help coordinate the cover story between the recipient and donor, assuring them that “so far I’ve never had a failure.” During the meeting, Rosenbaum informed Dwek and the UC that the price had risen to $160,000. He also accepted four blank checks totaling $10,000 from Dwek as a down payment and informed Dwek that the checks would be made payable to a charitable organization, the name of which Rosenbaum would fill in on the checks before depositing them.
At a July 2009 meeting, Rosenbaum informed the UC that he had been arranging kidney transplants like the one to be done on behalf of her uncle for a period of 10 years, the most recent only two weeks earlier.
During his guilty plea, Rosenbaum admitted he had informed the FBI agent and the three kidney recipients that he could locate individuals who were willing to donate their kidneys in exchange for money. Rosenbaum admitted he typically located individuals in Israel willing to be paid for giving up their kidneys and that he would be responsible for arranging the paid donors’ travel to the United States as well as their accommodations in the United States before and after the transplant surgery. Rosenbaum admitted that he arranged for blood samples to be drawn from the potential recipients so that appropriate donors could be located. He also acknowledged that he assisted each paid donor and recipient with fabricating cover stories in order to fool hospital employees into believing that the transplant in question was the product of a genuine donation.
Each of the charges to which Rosenbaum pleaded guilty carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Rosenbaum also agreed to forfeit approximately $420,000 by the date of sentencing—consisting of the $410,000 he accepted for brokering the transplants and the $10,000 down payment he accepted from Dwek.
Judge Thompson continued Rosenbaum’s release on bail pending sentencing, and he remains under house arrest with electronic monitoring. Sentencing is currently scheduled for Feb. 2, 2012.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward, and IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Victor W. Lessoff, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McCarren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Ronald Kleinberg and Richard Finkel Esqs., New York
Former Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Dora Akunyili, has made a strong case for the adoption of the NAFDAC model in the global war against fake drugs.
She made the recommendation in a paper delivered yesterday at the third edition of the World Health Summit held at Charité Universitätsmedizin in Berlin, Germany.
In a paper entitled Counterfeiting Medicines, Curbing the Rise in Global Trade, Akunyili said: “In Nigeria, counterfeit drug merchants operated unchallenged for over three decades until 2001 when I was appointed Director General of NAFDAC. I declared a war using novel effective strategies which included the use of public enlightenment campaigns and establishment of an effective quality assurance system, via strict inspectorate and enforcement activities. We also tackled the problem at source and established collaboration with other countries. Despite many challenges, such as corruption and conflict of interest/insecure and unfriendly environment, we remained undeterred until we ran most drug counterfeiters out of business. Fake drugs in Nigeria dropped from an average of 41% in 2001 to 16.7% in 2006. This figure definitely went lower than 10% by the end of 2008 when I left NAFDAC but could not be confirmed because a structured study had not been commissioned. I believe our sustained success in Nigeria can be replicated in other developing countries.”
Akunyili, who is also Nigeria’s immediate past Minister of Information and Communications, called for global cooperation in the war against fake drugs “since drug counterfeiting involves transnational criminal networks, and can only be dismantled through international collaboration. We must improve information sharing and pay attention to various international trade instruments and cross border controls.”
She regretted that the international community has not given drug counterfeiting the attention it deserves as evidenced by not having a harmonised definition for counterfeit medicine. “We need an International Convention on Counterfeiting of Pharmaceuticals, just as we have for narcotics and psychotropic substances. This will ensure harmonised regulation of pharmaceutical products moving in international commerce,” she stated.
Held from October 23 to 26, the third World Health Summit featured the cream of the world’s intellectuals and was described by French President Nicolas Sarkozy as “the foremost global meeting of its kind to convene leaders from academia, economy, industry, governments, international organisations and civil society around the pressing health issues of our time.”
In Akwa Ibom State, reports say tertiary institutions are on strike due to non-payment of salaries to workers and other financially related dissatisfactions. A couple of weeks ago, leaders of Labor Unions issued ultimatum to the State that unless State workers are paid salaries owed to them in addition to the minimum wage of N18,000 a month, workers would have no alternative but to indulge on a strike. Akwa Ibom State, it appears, is swamped with financial woes. Anyone who hears this may think the State Government has plundered into a state of penury. But that is not the case. In fact, Akwa Ibom is now the richest State in Nigeria, followed by River State. So what is the problem?
The reason Akwa Ibom State is now in a state of pecuniary embarrassment is due to the way Godswill Akpabio is looting the treasury to pay-off people in the country—from the judiciary, the presidency, all the way to the legislative sector—in order to stay in power as a State Governor, a position in which he bamboozled his way through at the last gubernatorial election. Emerging reports say Akpabio is now crossing the party line to bribe his political opponents. In order to be granted the favor he is courting from his political opponents, Akpabio is said to be ready to entrust the treasury of Akwa Ibom State as a pledge to those he has contacted.
Sources have confirmed how Akpabio has been having secret meetings with national leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria, or ACN, including a meeting with ACN’s heavy weights, such as Tinubu, former governor Segun Osoba, and Chief Akande, who is the National Chairman of ACN. A source has confirmed that at Lagos and Abuja airports, several people witnessed how Akpabio prostrated before Akande, asking for his support. The question is what type of support is Akpabio seeking from the leaders of ACN?
Reliable sources have confirmed how they heard Akpabio told Akande; “I need your support. I will be a better boy than Akpan Udoedehe. Akpan Udoedehe is not a boy you can trust. He is a liar, who will betray you before you know it. Oga, I will pay you anything. I have money. Money, you know is not the problem. Help me withdraw the appeal in the Supreme Court. Oga, I will do everything for you. Akwa Ibom has money. I have money. Just tell me how you want me to pay you, if you want it in dollars, I will pay, if you want in Euro, I will pay. I beg, Oga, you don’t have to give me your answer now, but think about it.”
Reports have confirmed that after Chief Akande had his ears full of Akpabio, he calmly told him; “Governor, stand up. I have heard you. But I am sorry to tell you this; ACN is not for sale. Please forget the offer and let’s pretend that you never discussed the matter with me. But let me tell you one thing; ACN stands on the principle of justice and equity. Our party (ACN) will pursue the case in the Supreme Court. If the Court says that what was decided at the Tribunal in Uyo and at the Appeal Court in Calabar is what should stand as the law of the land, then ACN will have no choice but to obey the ruling of the highest court in the land. If on the other hand the Supreme Court rules otherwise, I also expect you to abide by, show respect for, and obey the law. That is all I can tell you now.”
Senator Akpan Udoedehe’s reaction
After I heard the story, I contacted Senator Akpan Udoedehe by telephone at his home in Abuja for its veracity. The following is his response;
“Yes, I have heard the story and even much more than what you are telling me. Let me begin by saying; shame on Godswill Akpabio!! I wonder why you doubt the story. You know that Akpabio is a bastard and the way he behaves is the way all bastards behave. You also know that all bastards are liars. Let me tell you why I say he is a bastard. All his brothers are fathered by four different men. What makes this strange is that all four men are from the same (Akpabio) family. For instance, Nsentip’s father is the same man who fathered Aniedi (Akpabio?), who is the General Manager of Akwa Ibom Property Development. Now, just imagine a man, whose mother was known to keep it “all in the family” talking about my father, who was a well-known business and political leader in his days. If I were Godswill Akpabio, and had the type of wayward mother he had, I never would dare say anything against the parents of others.”
“His bastardized sense of belonging is the reason he gives himself up to people and always refers to himself as a “boy.” Just imagine a whole State Governor, prostrating before another man and calling himself a “boy.” Of course he is a boy, and that is why he behaves, lies, and talk in a careless manner as he always does. I am a “man,” not a “boy.” Maybe that is why Chief Akande, Tinubu, Osoba, and others were quick to send him out of their faces. When he told them that he will be a better “boy” than Akpan Udoedehe, they probably said to themselves “oh, no, who wants to make a deal with a boy?”
“And let me tell you one other thing; Mr. Ben Bruce (of the N40 billion contract to build the Tropicana) told
President Jonathan that Akpabio said to him (Bruce) that Akpan Udoedehe is a devil who bathes himself every day with human blood using the male private parts as his shampoo. Just imagine that kind of lies! Well, only a bastard would lie that way. I am happy that all the prominent people in the country—people that he used to tell lies on me—have finally realized that Akpabio has a mental issue to deal with. People are now beginning to understand that the man is not only a pathological liar, but sick in the head”
“Regarding the story you heard as to whether Akpabio has been begging the leaders of ACN to rescue him and withdraw the appeal I and ACN filed against him at the Supreme Court, all I can tell you is yes, it is true; you can also quote me on this. He promised those gentlemen and others in similar positions, billions of naira if they would block the course of justice on his behalf. If those people were greedy enough to accept his offer, where do you think the money would come from? Of course, the money would be removed from the treasury of Akwa Ibom State. People are suffering and in abject poverty, no employment, starvation is everywhere, the State is in a state of stagnation, yet Akpabio is going from one end of the country to another, donating the money, which couldbe used in helping the people. Can you imagine that kind of insanity?”
Our attention has been drawn to a mischievous story titled: “Gubernatorial
Race: Gov. Sylva Threatens to Kill President Jonathan, His Wife… If”,
published by your online medium, Huhuonline.com on 25 October 2011.
In the story, you wickedly alleged that Governor Sylva had during a phone
conversation with former Bayelsa State Commissioner of Health, “Dr. Eruani
Azipanu” threatened to kill Mr. President and his wife should he be denied
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial ticket for the February
2012 election.
You also went further in your vicious tale to state that Governor Sylva in
the said call admitted to be one of the financiers of the dreaded militant
sect, Boko Haram, and that he threatened to unleash them on the state if
he is removed as Governor! This call, you further claimed, was the reason
for the recent emergency meeting of the Nation Security Council and a
beefing up of security around the President.
No doubt, it is election time once again in Bayelsa State during which any
means is fair by those who believe that the best way they can rule Bayelsa
is to hijack power through the back door and not by the popular mandate
freely given by the people. It is also given that the owners of
Huhuonline.com have sold their souls to those people bent on ruling
Bayelsa at all cost and therefore owe their paymasters a duty of
concocting and publishing unsubstantiated stories about the Governor, no
matter how ridiculous.
Nonetheless, this latest story by Huhuonline.com is, to say the least,
crude, bizarre and diabolical. It is only evil minds that can speculate
evil of that magnitude. The story is fiction at its amateurish lowest.
It is completely stripped of every sense of decency and decorum.
Huhuonline.com has simply taken all the known ethics of journalism or
citizens journalism to the pigs.
That story though meant to paint Governor Sylva black in public view is
also not fair to President Goodluck Jonathan whom its promoter or group of
promoters are desperately seeking his attention.
It is unthinkable and shocking that that a private phone conversation
between the governor and a former commissioner has now become the major
tool for Huhuonline.com’s obsession with speculation and blackmail.
Governor Sylva enjoys warm brotherly relationship with President Jonathan.
The Governor was in the frontline of the campaign for a Jonathan
presidency, convinced that Dr. Jonathan has what it takes to transform
Nigeria. If this story is one of the several attempts to put a wedge
between Jonathan and Sylva, its promoters should know that they have
failed again.
To pause and ponder a little, not even a fool will dare pull a phone call
and threaten to kill the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and his wife. The consequences are too
grave to imagine.
Since the reality of our emerging security challenges dawned on us all,
President Jonathan has risen to the occasion and had on several occasions
called emergency meetings of the Security Council to fashion out innovate
security responses. To say the last emergency Security Council meeting,
which was well advertised in the media, was to respond to a telephone
conversation is absurd and unfair to Mr. President.
Governor Sylva is a man of peace, patriotism and great achievement. His
role in the Niger Delta Amnesty Initiative is well documented. He abhors
violence and will never use that road for his political ambition. It is
simply cheap and amateurish to link him with Boko Haram.
Elections in Nigeria are not conducted on the Internet. Let the promoters
of this story sell themselves to the Bayelsa people. Governor Sylva has
endeared himself to the people of Bayelsa State through his laudable
development, people-oriented programmes. He is focused on the
consolidation of his development agenda for the state. By the Grace of
God, Sylva is the Governor today through popular mandate. He is seeking
another popular mandate. By the grace of God, the will of the people will
prevail.
God Bless Bayelsa!
DOIFIE OLA
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
Bayelsa State, NIGERIA
Delta State was created on the 27th of August, 1991 from the defunct Bendel State. At the inception of Delta State it was made up of 12 Local Government Areas (LGA) but presently comprises of 25. The State is divided into three Senatorial Districts, which are Delta North, Delta South and Delta Central. Delta State has 29 constituencies and 29 members in the State Houses of Assembly.
DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, OGHARA
The cultural configuration of the state makes it look like a mini-Nigeria. It is multi-ethnic with the Urhobos occupying predominantly Delta central senatorial zone and small part of Delta South; Ijaws, Itsekiris and Isokos making up substantial part of Delta south and Anioma people Delta North. Governing Delta state has many challenges and opportunities analysts who follow developments in the state say. Rich in oil and gas, accounting for 40% of Nigeria’s crude and gas deposits makes an important state in terms of economic contribution to the country.
Since coming into office over four years, Delta State is currently governed by the administration of Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan. Assisted by the State Executive Council, Dr Uduaghan has since assumption of office, competently and ingeniously tackled the challenges of governance to the delight of Deltans, Nigerians and perceptive members of the business community globally. The governor anchored the vision and policy thrust of his administration on a three-point agenda of peace and Security, Human Capital Development and Infrastructure development. The series of successes and achievements recorded by the administration of Dr. Uduaghan are strewn along these lines of governance.
On the administration’s peace and security programme, Delta State since the inception of the Uduaghan administration has witnessed (and continues to enjoy) relative peace and security of lives, properties and investments in the oil-rich state. The perception of violence, hostage-taking and disruption of production activities hitherto associated with the State has given way to prevailing peace and security following the deft interventions of the Governor. It is noteworthy that his first task in less than 48 hours after assumption of office was the constitution of security and waterways committee that is mandated to monitor and report movement and activities in the hitherto restive riverine areas and thereby prevent any breach of the peace and security. Delta has remained distinct, peaceful and secured within the larger Niger delta region of Nigeria.
More than the peace in the riverine areas of the state, the administration by adopting a pan-Delta state outlook has greatly reduced suspicion and ethnic rivalry that had long been source of tension and crisis. The Uduaghan administration by being inclusive, equitable and fair ended feeling of marginalization and exclusion that pervaded the state. By allowing every section to get its due and by running a government that seem to be doing so, Deltans across the divide embrace and support the administration. And to drive home his message Governor Uduaghan publicly declared that “ the policy of my administration is that every part of the state shall gets its due. The big ethnic groups will get its due, the small its due; we will not give what belongs to the big to another and the other way round”. In keeping to his words Governor Uduaghan has been able to endear himself to all and the success of this programme was central in making Delta the most peaceful state in the zone.
DELTA CITY TAXIS SCHEME
In terms of the Human Capital Development agenda of administration, the peace and security success the Uduaghan administration is vigorously complemented by human development initiatives. The capacity of the state’s human resource is being strengthened across board including educational empowerment, beneficial health programmes for the generality of the masses, skill acquisition and improvement for the workforce as well as introduction of several welfare packages for workers, among others. For instance the free maternal healthcare programme of the administration covers over 150,000 women who enjoy free health care from conception of their babies. This programme is so successful, many government owned hospitals are bursting with pressure from women who ordinarily patronize private clinics and sometimes quarks now find that they can get good care in hospital for free. The programme introduced in November 2007 maternal mortality dropped from 456/100,000 live births to 301/100,000 in so short a time.
DUALISATION OF UGHELLI ROADS
In addition to pursuing free maternal health care, the government has re-invigorated the Rural Health Scheme, which has touched a lot of rural poor and the needy. The scheme introduced in 2005 but under present administration has been pursued with more determination and not unsurprisingly, its impact has been astounding. The scheme which covers 194 communities has since 2007 treated 51,000 persons with 3,022 surgeries performed. By taking medical treatment to the poor, has brought enormous relief to the people in the communities.
OLOMU BRIDGE
Beyond the medical system which has helped the people a lot, education in Delta state is virtually free. The policy of the administration is to ensure that every Deltan not matter their economic power is able to go to school and the proper education. It is in this regard that over 700,000 young people in schools across the state from primary to tertiary institutions like the State-owned University with three campuses at Abraka, Oleh and Asaba; three Polytechnics at Oghara, Ogwashi-Uku and Ozoro; and three Colleges of Education at Agbor, Warri and Mosogar, and one Federal College of Education (Technical) at Asaba, pay little or no fee at all. This is ouo make tside the bursary allowances that are paid to all Deltans irrespective of the institutions they attend in the country.
THE RUNWAY OF ASABA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
By adopting this policy, the burden has been greatly lifted from the shoulders of parents and guardians who find that they have little pressure to face in training their wards. While the pressure is less on the people, the government has not been relenting in taking up the challenge to put more infrastructures on the ground and expand opportunities for the people to have access to education. It is to this end that the administration has approved the establishment of four more polytechnics in Aboh, Abigborodo, Sapele and Brutu, all riverine areas, which offers great opportunities to those who were unable to access middle education and important skill to compete in world that is knowledge. The philosophy of the administration is that nobody should be denied a chance to acquire education not matter what.
DELTA STATE NEW SECRETARIAT COMPLEX
To further address the challenges facing the poor in its human capital development the administration introduced mass transit air-conditioned buses, at 40% subsized fare even during period of fuel scarcity. The immediate benefit of this is that transport fare in the state quickly came down and as such Delta state is perhaps one of the few states with the cheapest transport fare in the country. More than that people who before now never really enjoyed air-condition buses to long distance journey now do so in relative comfort. Within the state market women, students and farmers enjoy a new lease of life and comfort never before available to them.
NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSE COMPLEX ASABA
In tackling the challenges facing the people, especially the poor, the administration has strategically used the the micro-credit schemes to empower the people, and create a culture of enterprise amongst the people. Since its introduction two and half years ago, the Micro-credit apart of making it possible for 85,000 micro entrepreneurs to emerge and this cuts across women, men and young adults, who were group in clusters, has since Governor Uduaghan win the CBN award two years in a row for its successes in implementing this programme. Encouraged by the acceptance and the high returns by the people the administration in the 2011 budget put in 1.5 billion Naira to be disbursed through micro-finance banks in the state. What this means is that more people are going to benefit from this scheme this year than before, and poverty reduction will continue its downward slide in the state.
ASABA EVENT AND CULTURAL CENTRE
The other social policy and empowerment programme introduced by the administration that had been yielding dividends is the youth empowerment programme through agriculture (YETA). A programme launched in 2009 has seen 1500 youths trained and given marching support in terms of financial, capacity building and land to them. In doing so many young people are beginning to see agriculture as a vocation they can take to instead of waiting for white collar jobs that may never come.
On infrastructure development, the Uduaghan Administration has been visionary. It is almost completed the new international airport at Asaba, which should be one of the best in the country on completion at the end of the year. The government is also building a second and longer runway at Osubi airport, warri, to accommodate big aircraft, which means that Delta state will apart from Lagos and Abuja have two airports, but in this case the two airports owned by state government. The government in partnership with the private sector is building Warri Industrial Park, covering an area of 300 hectares of land area with site work and ground breaking expected early next year. The Government in partnership with the NNPC has attracted a private sector investment of about 16 billion dollars to Koko Free Trade zone. The investors will build a fertilizer plant, a petrochemical plant and a Central Process facility (CPF). The project is at early works and it is expected that site activity will begin early next year.
The Uduaghan administration has attracted over 40 billion Naira private sector investment to build Delta Tourism Park at Udu and Ogwashiukwu. There is also the multi-billion Naira OFN/Delta poultry farm which should promises to be the second biggest poultry farm in the country after Obasanjo farm.
The government is also setting up with the private sector an ICT park in Asaba, site work is expected to begin later this year. So far the state government is dualising the 167 kilometre Ughelli-Asaba dual carriage way, a federal government owned road, but which the government in line with its strategic thrust decided to take up. Since coming into office three years ago, the state government has constructed 483.6 kilometre of truck roads, 669.02 kilometre of drainage works.
Furthermore, on the infrastructure development the state government since coming into office three years ago has put in 15 billion Naira into the NIPP of the federal government and is going to invest 21 billion Naira in the state independent power project. Royce Rolls, the manufacturer of the turbine will soon conclude the factory testing of the machine preparatory towards shipping it to Nigeria.
Civil works has commenced in anticipation of the arrival of the turbine. By addressing the immediate issue of today and laying foundation for tomorrow the state government is line with its strategic vision of Delta without oil is moving inexorably moving in the direction that will make the economy of the state vibrant and the people active stakeholders of its future. Looking beyond oil and gas Governor Uduaghan has been active in international scene where he has become a roving ambassador of the state in promoting climate change and low carbon economy. Governor Uduaghan because of his strong advocacy was invited by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California to join the Global Governors Forum to propagate the issue of climate change at sub-national level/ state level. Governor Uduaghan from his activities in this forum was made founding member of R20 a group of sub-national governments interested in promoting green economy and renewable energy. From doing this, Governor Uduaghan was elected Vice Chairman for Africa and Middle East, has drawn the attention of the international community and oil companies to the need to end gas flare and protect the environment. Chevron for instance has committed itself to ending gas flare by December 2011. Multilateral institutions like the UNDP are partnering with the state government on environmental mitigation and remediation.
Ultimately the vision of the administration to build a sustainable economy, peaceful, harmonious for its people and neigbours, relevant nationally and internationally is on the course.
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 9th 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.
A coalition of civil society organizations led by SERAP has raised alarm that an Abuja Federal High Court judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, was planning to bungle its case seeking a court order compelling the Federal Government to publish the controversial Okigbo panel report which allegedly detailed the mismanagement of a whooping 12.4billion dollars of oil revenues accrued primarily to two special accounts during the Ibrahim Babangida government.
The alarm followed the absence in court of Justice Gabriel Kolawole, scheduled to deliver its judgment last Friday and on its decision to adjourn the judgment in the case sine die (indefinitely). SERAP argued that, although, the adjournment was just the second in the last three months, it contended that it was a dangerous one to the case in view of the provision of section 194 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
he section provides that: “Every court established under this Constitution shall deliver its decision in writing not later than ninety days after the conclusion of evidence and final addresses and furnish all parties to the case or matter determined with duly authenticated copies of the decision within seven days of the delivery thereof.” The judgment in the case was initially scheduled for 28th July, 2011.
But on the day in question, Justice Kolawole declared that the judgment was not ready. He subsequently adjourned the case till 21st October to deliver the judgment which amounts to 85 days after the conclusion of evidence and final addresses in the case. Except the judgment is deliver between Monday and Wednesday this week, the entire proceedings and any judgment given after the statutory 90 days would amount to nullity. But the judge has however adjourned the case sine die.
It would be recalled that eminent economist and scholar, Dr. Pius Okigbo, was appointed chairman of a committee to probe the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria and he released a report critical of the government’s role in mismanaging 12.4billion dollars of oil revenues accrued primarily to two special accounts. That reports is popularly known as the Okigbo Report. The Pius Okigbo panel report on the 1991 $12.4b Gulf War windfall was neither made public nor was any white paper released on it.
Infact, it was said to be missing by the Obasanjo administration.
The report allegedly indicted former military President Ibrahim Babangida who was accused of mismanaging the windfall. A coalition of civil society organizations led by SERAP claimed they found the report and petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) to probe Babangida for alleged mismanagement of the fund. The organization had urged Adoke to implement the recommendations of the late Pius Okigbo panel report which indicted Babangida over the allegations of corruption and mismanagement of the fund.
They were concerned that since the report was submitted to the late General Sani Abacha’s regime on the 29th August 1994. Successive administrations had failed to act on it. It was at this juncture that the civil society organizations invoked the original jurisdiction of the courts to compel the government to publish and implement the recommendations of the panel report.
…same judge is planning to kill Nigerian football –NANF
As if planned, the National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) has raised an alarm against the same Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja of planning to kill Nigerian football with the refusal to undertake the contempt charges against the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
NANF in a release in Abuja at the weekend said, there are two motions before him to stay the execution of the judgment on the NPL as filed by Davidson Owumi. The NFF went on to do the kangaroo election that brought in Victor Baribote as a result of his refusal to hear the motion. The judge had resisted the joinder of the NANF and the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) in the suit. As soon as his judgment was given, a stay of execution of that judgment was filed by Owumi’s counsel, Ameh SAN, and the counsel of the NANF and NFA also filed stay of execution. Till date, Justice Kolawole is yet to give a date to address the motions of stay of execution.
We appreciate that he has the discretion to stay his judgment. We also know too that it is trite legal practice that once a notice of appeal is filed, the judgment should not be carried out. Yet, the NFF in desperation went on to carry out the judgment by crowning in a selection process their acolyte, Victor Baribote, not even in tandem with the extant rules and regulations governing such conducts.
This was done even against legal advice from the office of the sports minister. Why is the judge finding it difficult to take the contempt issue filed against the NFF and Baribote? Why did the NFF/Baribote even when served the processes went on to make the court look like a jester? Why did the NFF swore to two conflicting affidavits about itself making Nigerian courts become a toy?
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.
