9th Assembly: Reps members speak on Gbajabiamila ‘buying’ votes with green cards

POLITICS

9th Assembly: Reps members speak on Gbajabiamila ‘buying’ votes with green cards

A group of lawmakers have spoken up over accusation of vote buying against the Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila

We reported that a House of Representatives group, G7, are seeking legal redress over alleged proof of vote-buying and gross impunity by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Sani Omolori.

Omolori, who supervised the June 11 election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the House of Representatives, is being accused of having condoned impunity among the lawmakers.

Making references to photographic images and video evidence being released to back up their claims, the group asserted that they are only embarking on a principled struggle, adding that while the members have no personal grudges against any person or political party, they will not condone any illegitimacy in the election of the person or persons who will lead the House of Representatives.

But, reacting, a House of Representatives member Khadijah Bukar Abba on Monday said that Gbajabiamila did not induce his colleagues financially to vote for him.

Abba, the acting spokesman of the House, spoke shortly after the inauguration of four adhoc committees by the Speaker on Monday.

Also Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, who stood in for the ad Committee Chairman, said Gbajabiamila had no reason to induce any lawmaker as he worked hard enough to deserve the seat.

Ihonvbere said: “For us, we have conducted a democratic election that was held and aired live. At the end, winners emerged and we all witnessed the losers congratulating the winner on the floor.

“To us as a House, everything is now in the past and we are focused on the serious legislative business we are are here to carry out, to make the House and the country better.

“As far as we are concerned, nobody received money, nobody was enticed to vote. As a matter of fact, no one campaigned intensely robust more than Gbajabiamila, and it went beyond the call of duty to explain what he has to offer.

“At times he went to parts of the country with over 120 lawmakers, with that kind of work, he needed to buy no vote”.

 

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Constituency projects: ICPC to storm Kano, Benue, other states

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Constituency projects: ICPC to storm Kano, Benue, other states

 

The Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it is set to commence tracking of its first phase of constituency projects in 12 states.

This was contained in a brief statement signed by the commission’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the initiative launched on April 2, 2019 by ICPC, is aimed at ensuring satisfactory execution of all constituency projects as well as obtaining value for money.

Members of the Steering Committee for the initiative included Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Budget Office of the Federation, and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

Other members are Premium Times, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) among others.

According to Okoduwa, the first phase of the exercise will commence in 12 states across the six geo-political zones of the country.

“At least five projects have been identified for tracking in each state.

“The zones and states include North Central; Kogi and Benue, Northeast, Adamawa and Bauchi while others are Northwest, Sokoto and Kano.

“Southeast has Imo and Enugu, Southwest, Lagos and Osun; South-South, Akwa Ibom and Edo.”

 

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N69bn alleged fraud: Chief Judge transfers Fayose’s trial to another judge

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N69bn alleged fraud: Chief Judge transfers Fayose’s trial to another judge

 

The Chief Judge (CJ) of the Federal High Court on Friday transferred the trial of the former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, charged with alleged N6.9 billion fraud, to a new judge.

The CJ, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, transferred the case from the former judge, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, to Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke.

The action, followed a petition by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking a transfer of the case.

Fayose was arraigned on Oct. 22, 2018, by the EFCC, alongside a company, Spotless Investment Ltd, on 11 counts bordering on fraud and money laundering offence.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail on Oct. 24, 2018, in the sum of N50 million with sureties in like sum, while the prosecution opened trial on Nov. 19, and had so far called 13 witnesses out of 15 listed.

On March 20, a drama ensued in court midway into the trial, between the trial judge, and EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs, SAN.

The judge raised concerns on the manner of prosecution by counsel, and had noted that the prosecutor was not doing a good job, adding that he was not competent to evaluate the court’s ruling.

On his part, the prosecutor expressed his displeasure on the grounds that he had always dispensed his duties diligently and had never been derogated by any court.

Meanwhile, at the last proceedings on May 10, the 13th prosecution witness, Mr Adewale Aladegbola, a former driver of a bullion van, had given evidences which the prosecutor described as being contrary to his extrajudicial statement to the commission.

On this premise, the prosecutor informed the court that his witness appeared “hostile” and urged the court to adjourn the case to enable him make necessary application on the situation.

Continuation of trial was billed to resume on June 10.

However, the CJ conveyed the transfer of the case from Justice Olatoregun to Justice Aneke, by a letter dated May 23, a copy of which was obtained by newsmen,NAN reports.

The CJ said: “I refer to the petition of EFCC on this case and your Lordship’s comments thereto.

“It is apparent that the prosecution has lost confidence in the judge trying this case and justice must not only be done but must be seen to have been done, I hereby transfer this case to Hon. Justice C. J. Aneke for hearing.”

A new date for the case before Aneke has however not been confirmed.

The matter will consequently begin afresh before the new judge, as the defendant will take his plea again.

During the trial before Olatoregun, the prosecution had called witnesses, from Zenith Bank, Diamond Bank, as well as a former Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro.

According to the charge, on June 17, 2014, Fayose and Agbele were said to have taken possession of the sum of N1.2 billion, for purposes of funding his gubernatorial election campaign in Ekiti State, which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of five million dollars, (about N1.8 billion) from the then Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial institution and which sum exceeded the amount allowed by law.

He was also alleged to have retained the sum of N300 million in his Zenith Bank account and took control of the aggregate sums of about N622 million which sum he ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

Fayose was alleged to have procured De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd, to retain in their Zenith and FCMB accounts, the aggregate sums of N851 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

Besides, the accused was alleged to have used about N1.6 billion to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja, which he reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

The accused was also alleged to have used the sum of N200 million, to acquire a property in Abuja, in the name of his elder sister, Moji Oladeji, which sum he ought to know also forms crime proceeds.

The offence contravened the provisions of sections 15(1), 15 (2), 15 (3), 16(2)(b), 16 (d), and 18 (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.

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President Buhari failed in scurity, corruption, economy – N’Delta group

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President Buhari failed in scurity, corruption, economy – N’Delta group

A Niger Delta group, the Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade, CHURAC, has taken an appriasal of the first term of the current federal government, stating that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed in his three focal areas of security, fighting corruption and the economy.

The group stressed that the president failed in his terms of his performances in office, warning that “the country should not continue in this miserable path in his second term”.

It claimed that Buhari’s first tenure has been characterised by economic repression, ethnocentrism, nepotism, lack of parity in the composition of government, gross abuse of human rights, persecution of old-time enemies as well as political rivals in the name of anti-corruption war as well as unbridled abuse of all known democratic ethos.

This was contained in a statement signed and made available to newsmen in Warri by the CHURAC’s national president, Cleric E. Alaowei, Esq, ahead of President Buhari’s inauguration for second term in office on Wednesday.

CHURAC said further, “The vain-glory and ego-boasting achievements in the four years of office by President Muhammadu Buhari is rather a mishmash of economic disaster, which has been ennobled as achievements by the sugar-coated propaganda of image laundering being anchored in the present Government.

“However, in the real sense, the Government’s celebrated achievements are democratic attrition to the nation.”

“This APC led-Government after mesmerizing Nigerians with its edited but failed to be executed 2015 campaign promises to entrust the Party with their votes, has shown that it’s four years was far worst than the PDP’s sixteen years rule.

“One eventful but excuses-coated four years have gone down the drain, yet this APC Government of propaganda has not formulated and or implemented any policy to recoup Nigerians of the mass feelings of distrust and gross incompetence displayed by the Government to pilot the affairs of the nation.

“High point of the Government’s shenanigan is its decision to go back to the APC’s vomit when the later was in opposition.

“The then opposition party, (APC), now groping around for help at the alter of governance, spared no minute in rebuking and reproving the PDP led-Government over the removal of fuel subsidy.

“We are surprised why this APC led-Government find the fuel subsidy removal parody as its best democracy gift to the economically pauperised and beleaguered Nigerians in his first term?

“Despite the social pariahs former President Jonathon’s Government was being subjected to, the Buhari’s Government is virtually doing everything left on the table of governance by the immediate past PDP led-Government.

“Prominent among those areas are the railway and road constructions which the present Government is celebrating as its achievements.

“The few self-serving, jingoistic and esoteric policies of this Government have not only polarised the Country along ethnic/religious lines but it has also plunged the Country into economic recess thereby elicited an unprecedented double digits inflationary rates.

“There is hardship everywhere in the Country although the Presidency said the Government has delivered in its first term. The question is: what are the achievements in Buhari’s first term?

“Insecurity is worst compared to the PDP’s era. The Government’s lackadaisical attitude in confronting the identified causes of the various ethno-religious crisis headlong has escalated the scourge of insecurity.

“While Fulani herdsmen are being tagged as the world’s fourth dangerous terrorist group by the International Terrorism Index, the same people who are waging a genocidal war against other Nigerians are being pampered by the Government of Mohammadu Buhari.

“Also, a good number of Boko Haram members who arrested and tried by the previous government of Goodluck Jonathan were released by the Government of the day who were alleged to have been granted amnesty. However, the same acclaimed repented terrorists have gone back to the trenches to embolden the Boko Haram jihads.

“Similarly, another factor that seemed to be escalating insecurity in the land under this Government was the Buhari’s ill-conceived decision to appoint top security positions from only one ethnic group/religion together with his resolve to keep them in office despite the fact they have overstayed their statutory years in office.

“On corruption, though it is fighting the menace with a determined vigor, the Government’s lukewarm attitude to the official corruption involving his appointees and political associates has proven to be a major setback to his avowal.

“Nigeria under Buhari is more corrupt than the Jonathan’s government. This position has been testified by the Transparency International through its yearly analysis of official corruption among countries in the world. Its Global Corruption Perception Index on Nigeria being released in 2018 and 2019 has shown that the Country has moved from its earlier position in 2014 when Buhari took over the Government.

“Transparency International rating of the Country’s Global Corruption Perception Index of 2017 but was released in 2018 which placed Nigeria at 148th position. However, in the 2018 report which was released in 2019, Nigeria moved to 144th from 148th in Transparency International latest corruption perception index worldwide.

“The Country made the four notch jump without improving its score of 27 out of a possible 100 as recorded in 2017. This is ironically an upward movement from its earlier position of 136th in 2014 under the PDP government.

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