NBA to Buhari: Fight corruption within ambit of law

• Demands increase of Supreme Court justices to 21

ABUJA—–The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Wednesday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that his fight against corruption is conducted within the ambit of the law.

NBA which is the umbrella body of legal practitioners in the country, decried what it termed over-zealousness by security agencies currently engaged in the prosecution of alleged corrupt persons, who it said had by their conduct, exhibited little regard for the due process of the law.

 The National President of the association, Mr. Augustine Alegeh, SAN, who spoke at a valedictory court session that was held in honour of Justice Muhammad Muntaka-Coomassie who bowed out of the ‎Supreme Court bench upon clocking the 70 years mandatory retirement age, bemoaned that recently, “security operatives moved inside a court room to arrest a suspect”.

 “We wondered why they could not wait for the person to step out of the court before executing the arrest. While we commend the ongoing effort to rid the nation of corruption, what we are saying is that the fight must be conducted within the law. ‎”The NBA does not condone corruption, our point is that the war can be conducted within the armbit of the law and civility.

 “Certainly, it can be won without breaching the principles of rule of law upon which our democracy is built”, the NBA President added. On the issue of corruption within the Judiciary, the NBA, acknowledged that there are “bad eggs” within the bar and the bench, saying it will henceforth, “petition any Judicial Officer involved in or suspected to be involved in any Corrupt or fraudulent transaction to the appropriate quarters for action”. Alegeh said:

 “The NBA condemns in its entirety the generalisation and/or ‎categorization of the Judiciary as being corrupt and an impediment to the zero corruption policy of the present administration. “While acknowledging that there may be a few bad eggs in the system, the NBA restates unequivocally that the categorization of the entire Judiciary as corrupt is a misconception and will stand solidly behind the Judiciary in any attempt to intimidate or harrass its personnel.

 Besides, the legal body used the opportunity to call for an increase of Supreme Court Justices to 21, in line with the provisions of section 230(2)(b) of the 1999 constitution, as amended. It noted that the retirement of Justice Muntaka-Coomassie ‎Wednesday has further reduced the number of Justices of the apex court to 15.

In his valedictory speech, Justice Muntaka-Coomassie, called for more funding for the Judiciary, even as he advocated for more respect for the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria during government functions.

 ‎On his part, the CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, extolled the virtues of Justice Muntaka-Coomassie who he said rendered thirty-eight years of meritorious service to the ‎Judiciary.

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Plateau re-run: INEC to prosecute under-age voters

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Wednesday that it would prosecute under-age voters in Plateau.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/q/

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Wednesday that it would prosecute under-age voters in Plateau.

Dr Godwin Kwanga, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in the state made this known in a Stakeholders’ Forum in Jos ahead of re-run elections in the state fixed for Feb. 20. Kwanga said that the state was replete with underage voters in possession of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

 The stakeholders at the forum included representatives of security agencies, politicians, media and election monitoring and observer groups. He announced that the polls would hold in Langtang South, Pankshin North and Pankshin South state constituencies.

The REC said that the menace of underage voters almost marred the last general elections in the state. According to him, the menace produced a lot of mutilated and voided votes during the April 11, 2015 polls in Quan’Pan Local Government Area. “Our experience in Quan’Pan showed that a lot of underage voters were having the PVCs and this led to a lot of cancellations. “One of the underage voters, who had PVC bearing his image and the age of 36 years, confessed to INEC officials that he was only 16 years old.

 “We looked the other way even when in the same elections, our tags were photocopied and massively reproduced by agents of political parties,’’ he said. He, however, said that unlike what happened in the April 11 polls, INEC was set to prosecute any case of underage voters in the coming rerun and supplementary polls.

 Kwanga said that card reader machines would be solely used for the Feb. 20 polls and that newly registered voters were excluded from participation. He assured that INEC would provide all political parties a level playing ground and appealed to party agents not to compromise ad hoc staff into tampering with materials to stall the polls. “I beg agents of political parties not to lure ad hoc staff to tamper with materials as it will disrupt the process.

 “Once you remove the battery from the machine, it malfunctions when you replace it, and ad hoc personnel are not trained on such duties,’’ he said. He explained that accreditations and voting would hold simultaneously between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. as against past practices. Akwanga announced that election in Langtang North would hold in 68 polling units and would be contested by only All Progressives Congress (APC) and Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP). He gave the names of their candidates as Jackson Ninmwang and Rinsmicit Emmanuel, respectively.

He said that Vincent Bulus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was excluded. “Pankshin South state constituency election will hold only in Nyelleng polling unit in Fier Area while that of Pankshin North will hold in Pyabor polling unit. “The four political parties and candidates to contest in Pankshin North state constituency are Alice Dimlong, APC; Yakubu Zetgang, LP; Tamnakat David, MPPP and Diket Plang, PDP.

“Supplementary election in Pankshin South will feature Gideon Dashe, APC; Dagak Michael, APGA; Theresa Bartuk, MPPP and Mwamsat Istifanus, PDP,“ he said.

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Achuba Sworn in as Kogi Deputy Governor

 

 

• As Gov bars journalists from inauguration

LOKOJA—Following his screening and confirmation by the Kogi State House of Assembly, Simon Achuba, has been sworn in as the Deputy Governor of the state. This came as armed security men attached to the government house in Lokoja, prevented journalists from covering the inauguration of the Deputy Governor, claiming Governor Yahaya Bello gave instruction that journalists should not be allowed into the venue of the inauguration because it was not a public function.

The new deputy governor is from Ibaji Local Government area of Kogi East senatorial district. Achuba’s confirmation followed Governor Bello’s letter to the Assembly seeking the confirmation of Achuba as his deputy. While screening Achuba, the House without asking him a single question, quickly confirmed him by asking him to ‘take a bow and go.’ The house also approved Bello’s request for 21 Special Assistants.

 Achuba, 52, a two-term House of Assembly member between 1999 and 2007, was a former Deputy Speaker in his second term. Achuba was later sworn in at the banquet hall of the government House in Lokoja. Speaking with journalists after his confirmation, Achuba said he would use his political experience to collaborate with the governor in building a virile state and development to all the sectors of the state.

 Governor bars journalists Meanwhile, journalists in the state yesterday received the shock of their lives as armed security men attached to the government house prevented them from covering the inauguration of the Deputy Governor. The journalists, mostly from the print media who were rushing from the State House of Assembly where the deputy governor was screened, could not gain access to the venue of the inauguration due to the refusal of the security men.

The security personnel who claimed they were instructed by the Governor not to allow them in because the inauguration was a private function, warned the journalists not to come in. This practice seems to be in vogue since the inception of Bello’s administration in the state, as journalists have been barred on many occasions from carrying out their legitimate duties involving the governor.

 One of the security men while exchanging arguments with journalists said: “If the programme was meant for coverage, it would have been held at the Township Stadium.” Efforts by the Chairman of Correspondents’ Chapel, Mallam Ademu Idakwo, to explain to the security men were rebuffed as they threatened to shot if journalists did not leave the premises.

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Saraki won't resign untill proven guilty- Senate Leader

 ABUJA—Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, yesterday told Nigerians that it was wrong to condemn the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, before he was even found guilty by the court.

Saraki is standing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, over alleged false assets declaration. Saraki Saraki Speaking with journalists after a closed-door meeting with the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Ndume said Saraki would not resign his position unless convicted by the court. He also dismissed insinuations that the meeting with Osinbajo had political connotation as to finding a political solution to the trials of the Senate President.

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DR Congo President awards each member of CHAN 2016 winning squad with a brand new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

• Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila presented the country's African Nations Championship (CHAN) winners with a fleet of high-end 4x4s on Tuesday.

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Breach of Contract: Fiberesima Ibinabo fined N10m

Ibinabo

The Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court slammed N10 million fine on Nollywood actress and former President Actors’ Guild of Nigeria, AGN, Ibinabo Fiberisima in a suit instituted against her and others by former beauty queen, Miss Earth Nigeria 2011/2012, Miss Munachi Chinenye Uzoma.

The court presided by Justice Adolphus Enebeli in its judgment agreed with the plaintiff, Miss Uzoma, that Fiberesima and former President Actors Guild of Nigeria and AMC Productions Ltd, cheated Uzoma and breached the contract signed 28 October, 2011.

Miss Uzoma, the winner of Miss Earth Nigeria 2011/2012, had approached the court when she discovered that Ibinabo Fiberesima and AMC Productions LTD breached a contract they signed with her in 2011.

Miss Uzoma accused Fiberisima of breach of contract for substituting her for a second runner up for a beauty pageant which Fiberisima and AMC Productions Ltd organised.

The defendants were represented by O. C. Higher King Esq.

The case was filed on 29 August, 2012 through the Chambers of L. O. Ndatigh by Linus O. Ndatigh, the claimant’s counsel.

The case has been ongoing since 2012.

After the judgment, an elated Miss Uzuoma said at last justice had been served.

She said she had passed through a lot of trauma since the incident in 2012.

She expressed gratitude to the judiciary for giving hope to the oppressed in the society.

Fiberisima could not be reached at press time for her reaction to the judgement.

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FG admits errors in 2016 budget, perpetrators face punishment

Femi Adeosun

Nigeria’s Ministry of Budget and National Planning on Tuesday said the errors in the 2016 Budget were due to lack of technical knowledge of the bureaucracy on the Zero-Based Budgeting System adopted for the first time in the country to put the appropriation plan together.

Charles Dafe, Director of Information, Ministry of National Planning said in a statement that civil servants saddled with the task of preparing the budget for their various ministries, departments and agencies were still grappling with some of the technicalities of the new Zero-Based Budgeting approach which was still new to them.

Dafe recalled that before now, government used the envelope system of budgeting.

This, he said is in contrast to the Zero-Based Budgeting approach, a system of budgeting that reverses the working process of traditional budgeting by ensuring that all expenses must be justified in the new period.

The approach, he said, is different from the envelope system which has been in use by the Federal Government since 2003 and works by providing each MDA with a maximum amount for its capital and recurrent needs for the fiscal year.

Dafe promised that government will continue to improve the competency of the bureaucrats.

“The proposals have received general commendation. However, the details were developed using the Zero-Based Budget and is a new concept to our Budget Officers different from our traditional envelope process.

“The members of staff in the Ministry of Budget and National Planning as well as those handling budget issues in all ministries and extra-ministerial agencies are grappling to master the technicalities in the ZBB template.

“As such therefore, some errors are not unexpected in the changeover to the new ZBB approach. This was the reason the ministry arranged for the proposals to be placed on the website of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning to expose them to public scrutiny.”

He also said the ministry would cooperate with the National Assembly to address issues raised in the budget while the government would thoroughly investigate and sanction any one found to have been involved in any fraudulent activity as regards the budget.

According to him, “the ministry has zero tolerance for malfeasance and whenever any wrongdoing is alleged, it will be thoroughly investigated and sanctions will be applied.

“The ministry assures the general public that it will continue to liaise with the relevant committees of the National Assembly to address any issues that have arisen, or may arise.

“Training and retraining to build capacity of the Budget Officers on the ZBB concept will be intensified in 2016.

“As we move forward, lessons are being learnt; the ministry’s experience and competency on ZBB will be improved and perfected upon.”

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Police officers to be accountable for their actions, says IGP Arase

The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has restated his commitment to make officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force more responsive and accountable for their actions and inactions.

This was made known while he was making remarks at a one day capacity building workshop at designing indicators for the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) 9 February, 2016 at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The workshop which was organised by the office of the Vice-President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Police Force in collaboration with the Munk School of Global Affairs University of Toronto, Canada is aimed at honing the skills of the officers and men of the Complaint Response Unit handling complaints of the members of the public as it affects the actions and inactions of the officers and men of the Force.

The IGP urged the participants to identify those areas that usually bring conflicts between the officers and men of the Force and members of the public with a view to resolving them.

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Allegri: Reports of Chelsea switch false

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri says there is “nothing” in reports linking him with Chelsea.

The 48-year-old Italian has been touted as a possible successor to Guus Hiddink at Stamford Bridge, with the Dutchman in interim charge of the Blues until the end of the season.

However, Allegri, who has won the Serie A title with both AC Milan and Juventus, has dismissed speculation he may be on his way to the reigning Premier League champions.

Speaking at a youth tournament on Tuesday, he told Sky Italia: “There’s nothing to it. I cannot either confirm or deny something that doesn’t exist.

“I want this matter over and done with now. What’s important for me right now is to get to the end of the season with Juventus and try and win some silverware.”

Juventus have won 17 of their last 18 matches in all competitions and are two points behind Serie A leaders Napoli, who they play on Saturday.

They are also through to the last 16 of the Champions League, where they face Bayern Munich, and in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, with Inter Milan their opponents.

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FA Cup: Westham through to fifth round

• Angelo Ogbonna scored in the final minute of stoppage time in extra time to help West Ham beat Liverpool 2-1.

Ogbonna headed home from Dimitri Payet’s late free-kick to break the deadlock between the two sides, sending the Hammers through to an FA Cup fifth-round tie with Championship side Blackburn.

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Family escapes death as truck crushes car in Benin

A family of three Wednesday morning escaped death by the whiskers when a truck carrying wood crushed their Toyota Land Cruiser jeep.

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Supreme Court Judgement: Wike had foreknowledge of the Judgement-Peterside

Peterside

 The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2015 governorship election in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, yesterday raised doubts about the fairness of the Supreme Court judgment that affirmed the election of Governor Nyesom Wike.

He said Wike had a foreknowledge of the judgment —going by his actions and utterances. Dr. Peterside told a news conference in Port Harcourt that Wike’s threat to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was “unbecoming”.

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Boko Haram: Army to shut down markets in North East

The Nigerian Army has warned that it would shut down markets hampering the on-going anti-insurgency operations in the North-East.

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Buhari didn’t refer to all Nigerians as criminals — Presidency

 The presidency has described as misconstrued the various interpretations of President Muhammadu Buhari’s comments in an interview granted to the UK’s Telegraph newspaper on February 5.

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Two Suspected ATM Fraudsters arrested in Enugu

 The Enugu State Police Command has arrested two suspected Automated Teller Machine (ATM) fraudsters while doing illegal withdrawal at a Bank located in Oji River axis of the state.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, disclosed this in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Enugu.

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Open Heart Surgery successfully carried out on 5 Patients in Anambra Hospital

Casmir Obiegbolu

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Governor Obiano Targets N2.2bn IGR, to Deploy POS in Revenue Collection

   

By Casmir Obiegbolu                                                                                                                            

The Governor of Anambra State Chief Willie Obiano has set a revenue target of N2.2bn for the state in the 2016 fiscal year.

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