Refusal to obey court order is corruption - Emir

The Emir of Gummi, Justice Lawal Gummi (retired), has warned that the refusal to obey court order is a form of corruption.

Gummi said the federal government must govern by example through living the change it promised Nigerians before assuming office in 2015.

Speaking at at the Barewa Old Boys Association annual lecture, held at the Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto, the emir said the citizens can only follow suit when the government of the day practices what it preaches.

Gummi who was the keynote speaker on, ‘The challenges of the judiciary to democracy: The Nigeria perspective', said disrespect for the rule of law, bad governance, disobedience to court orders, non-compliance with electoral regulations by political parties dwindles confidence in the justice system.

He also said that such attitudes poses as threats to Nigeria's democracy.

Describing the judiciary as the watchdog of democracy, Gummi said court orders must not be disobeyed in the name of fighting corruption.

Gummi said: “Orders of court are disobeyed at will in the name of fighting corruption. No one institution, no matter how highly placed, should flout the laws of the land, not even under the guise of fighting corruption. Refusing to obey an order of court is another form of corruption in itself."

“The executive cannot play the role of both the accuser and that of the judge at the same time. It is an aberration in a democracy. National security cannot take precedence over the rule of law; rather, it should be guided by the rule of law.

“Any democracy where the executive tries to intimidate and harass the legislature and/or the judiciary into doing its bidding is a democracy under threat. In the same vein, it is not right in a democracy for the National Assembly to make governance difficult for the executive for pecuniary reasons.

“We all agree that we need change as promised by the government, but that change must first begin with them, then, you and me," Gummi noted.

Perviously President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to continue to support the fight against corruption to accelerate Nigeria’s development.

President Buhari made the call in Abuja on Saturday, July 8, at the presentation of two books by Major General Sam Momah rtd, a former minster of science and technology.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the books, Restructuring Nigeria beyond Oil, and Pulling Nigeria off the Brink, were presented to the public to mark the 75th birthday of the author.

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Buhari, Osinbajo, Tinubu, others meet next week to determine Oshiomhole's fate

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be meeting with state governors next week to determine the fate of the embattled national chairman of the ruling party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

A prominent member of the party, who spoke on Friday, November 9 on condition of anonymity, stated that as a precursor to the meeting, the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, and Oshiomhole, met in Paris, France, on Thursday, November 8.

An APC source said: “Tinubu and Oshiomhole met in Paris on Thursday over attempts by governors and some members of the NWC to remove the party chairman. You will recall that it was Asiwaju who paved the way for the emergence of Oshiomhole as the chairman when Chief Oyegun wanted a tenure extension.

“Now that he has come under probe by the DSS and is being asked to step aside, he has run to Tinubu to save him. It remains unclear what their strategy will be to put a stop to the probe.”

A member of the party’s NWC, who craved anonymity, said: “The fact that Oshiomhole is under investigation for allegedly collecting money from aspirants is bad for the image of the APC government which claims to be fighting corruption.

“It is for this reason that the NWC members are being asked (by interested parties) to push for the suspension of the APC chairman pending the outcome of the probe. The President’s body language and actions in the coming days will determine Oshiomhole’s fate. For now, we are still considering it but we don’t want to make any hasty decision until we are sure that we have the president’s backing.”

Others expected to be at the meeting include: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Chief Bisi Akande, the minister of science and technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu and Prince Tony Momoh.

Another party source said: “The matter is receiving attention at the highest level. We cannot pretend, the situation involving our national chairman is already in public domain.

“His invitation and subsequent interrogation by the Department of State Services, is an indictment if you ask me; but you cannot pronounce a man guilty without giving him the right of fair hearing.

“The leadership meeting will take place because as you know, we don’t have a Board of Trustees in place. Mr. President as the leader of the party, who in fact, has personally taken over the process of dealing with the post-primary crisis, is convening the meeting to deal with all these issues.”

Meanwhile,the embattled national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, was expected to resume questioning at the Department of State Services (DSS) anytime he returned to the country.

This was disclosed by security sources on Thursday, November 8. According to report, President Muhammadu Buhari was aware of the investigation of the national chairman of his party by the DSS.

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Aisha Buhari honours airport cleaner in Abuja for returning lost bag

Wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, has presented an award of excellence to a janitor with Lakewood Development Company, Mary Ishaya, who returned a lost bag she picked up in the male toilet of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

NAN reports that Mrs Buhari, who presented the award at a brief reception in the State House, Abuja, urged Nigerians to “emulate the uncommon honesty and incorruptible disposition exhibited by Miss Ishaya.”

TheFederal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had on September 11, 2018 on its official tweeter handle @FAAN_Official tweeted: “We celebrate Miss Mary Ishaya who works for Lakewood Company, the cleaning contractor responsible for cleaning Abuja Airport.

Aisha Buhari and Mary Ishaya. Photo credit: 247NNU.

“She found the following valuable items in the toilet: 2,000 dollars, 140 Canadian dollars, eight pieces of coins, N21,850, two international passports, four ATM cards, four bus cards and baggage claim tags.

Mary Ishaya. Photo credit: 247NNU.

“The owner, an employee of Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Imade Uhunwagho, has since collected his valuables.”

The cleaning firm had in appreciation, promoted Miss Ishaya from being a janitor to a supervisor.

Ishaya thanked the wife of the president for recognising her action, adding that the award would encourage her to do more.

The vice chairman of the company, Jonathan Irafor, expressed gratitude to Mrs Buhari for finding Ishaya worthy of the award. According to him, the honour is not just on Ishaya alone but the entire company because that is what it preaches to to its workers.

Irafor said that the company would continue to do its best to uphold honesty, transparency and integrity in line with the change mantra of the present administration.

Meanwhile,in another report a cleaner at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos state, Charity Bassey, reportedly returned the sum of $6,000 she found in a toilet while she carried out her official tasks.

The amount which she found inside a nylon was equivalent to N2 million. She gave it to security officials at the terminal.

The cleaner, an employee of Lakewood Development Company, was working at the departure wing of the airport when she saw the nylon on the floor.

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Moves to extradite Diezani for money laundering trial in Nigeria begins - EFCC

Emerging reports have claimed that the former petroleum resources minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, is expected to be extradited from Britain as part of investigation of over N47.2 billion and $487.5million reportedly traced to the ex-minister.

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is to approach Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami with a request to file charges against Alison-Madueke based on its findings.

Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, ordered the final forfeiture of the property. According to a fact-sheet, the EFCC has concluded the investigation of the allegations against Alison-Madueke.

More than 50 suspects in some of the cases linked with her have been arraigned in court, especially the alleged N23.29billion 2015 poll bribe.

The EFCC review team felt it will be “in the interest of justice to extradite the ex-minister to Nigeria for trial” She is believed to be in Britain. Some of the investigated allegations against the ex-Minister, with substantial evidence, include the following:

Release of $1.3b NNPC cash to the Office of the national Security Adviser (ONSA) in 2014 to fight kidnapping in Niger Delta; whereabouts of $18.5billion earnings by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); $15.8billion NLNG dividends between 2000 and 2014( especially about $9b component between 2010 and 2015); $1.7billion oil contracts involving Mrs Alison-Madueke and two business associates; N23.29b 2015 poll bribery scam; $37.5m property on Banana Island; and Acquisition of many properties at home, in Britain, and in the UAE.

A source, who spoke about the matter said: “The EFCC has reached a convenient bend to request for the extradition of Diezani from the UK. Most of the cases against her have reached maturity level for her trial at home.

“The commission will formally approach the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami( SAN) to assist it to invoke the extradition treaty between Nigeria and the UK against Diezani.

“Through the office of the AGF, appropriate charges will be filed in court to commence the process for the extradition of the ex-Minister.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The extradition process is without prejudice to the ongoing investigation of Diezani in the UK.

“The US end of Diezani probe has been done. The EFCC has also hauled evidence to the UK to assist the authorities. Some detectives from the UK have visited this country too.

“For the Nigerian flank of the probe, it is necessary to extradite Diezani to answer allegations against her.”

The source, however, added that the AGF has the final say on whether or not to initiate the extradition process. He stressed that all the allegations against the former minister are within the extradition treaty between Nigeria and the UK.

“Having also alleged that the said $153.3million was ‘wired’ from NNPC, the EFCC should also publish details of the NNPC accounts from where the said $153.3 million was taken, with proof that I authorised such a transaction/transactions, acting either in my private capacity or as The Honourable Minister of Petroleum.

“Let me state for the record that as Minister of Petroleum, the operation and management of NNPC finances were outside my purview as outlined in both the Petroleum Act and the NNPC Act.

“The only involvement I had in NNPC finances was in terms of statutory matters, where the Petroleum Act prescribes that as minister, there were certain duties or actions which I had to perform or take in relation to NNPC.”

Meanwhile the sum of N7,646,700,000 illegally kept in a bank which was linked to Alison-Madueke, has been ordered to be permanently forfeited to the federal government, by a Federal High Court, The Cable reports.

The money had been linked to the former minister by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In an ex-parte application filed before Justice Chuka Obiozor, the EFCC stated that the money was included in the $153,310,000 which was looted in 2014 from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) coffers, by the former minister.

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Proposed strike: Consultations still ongoing - NUPENG

The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has said it has not taken any definite stand on the proposed nationwide industrial action by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

NUPENG's general secretary, Comrade Adamu Song, made this known via a press statement sent to journalists on Sunday, November 4.

According to him, consultations are still ongoing at different levels to reach a conclusion on the issue.

Part of the statement read: “NUPENG wishes to inform the general public that it has not taken any definite stand on the proposed nationwide industrial action.

“We are mindful of the fact that consultations are at different levels to resolve all issues at stake.

“We urge the general public to avoid unnecessary panic and confusion.

“We also urge our members to remain calm and wait for formal directive from the national secretariat of our union.”

Earlier the Nigeria Governors Forum said it could only pay N22,500 as minimum wage, a position which was rejected by the unions.

However, the minister of labour and employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has said conciliation on the national minimum wage will continue on Sunday, November 4, despite the court injunction restraining organised labour from embarking on strike.

Ngige said that this will be followed by another meeting of the National Tripartite Minimum Wage Committee meeting on Monday, November 5 at the same venue.

The minister appealed to all tripartite members to attend the meetings in the interest of the nation and finding a solution to the minimum wage impasse.

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ASUU begins indefinite strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday, November 4, announced that it has begun an indefinite strike action following the inability of the federal government to respond to their demands.

ASUU said its strike would be total as all federal and state varsities would join the strike.

The union accused the federal government of not implementing the Memorandum of Action signed with it.

Speaking after its National Executive Council meeting held at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo state on Sunday night, the national president of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, said they have waited patiently for the federal government to act, all to no avail.

Ogunyemi: “Having waited patiently for action and meaningful negotiation with reasonable men using the principle of collective bargaining that ASUU at its NEC meeting of 3rd and 4th November 2018 at the FUTA, resolved to resume the nationwide strike action it suspended in September 2017 with immediate effect.

“This strike will be total, comprehensive and indefinite. Our members shall withdraw their services until government fully implement all outstanding issues as contained in the MOA of 2017, and concludes the renegotiation of the 2009 agreements.

“We have today (Sunday) been subjected to 20 years of continued re-colonisation under alleged democracy in which all that the ruling circle have been regrouping among themselves in their various faction they called political parties," Ogunyemi said.

The ASUU national president also said that FG is not interested in public universities as the children of the top politicians and rich men in the society patronise private universities at the detriment of public institutions.

Perviously ASUU had threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if the federal government fails to implement the 2017 FGN/ASUU agreement.

Lawan Abubakar, the Bauchi zonal coordinator of ASUU, at a news conference in Jos on Thursday, September 27, expressed surprise that the federal government has yet to implement the various agreements aimed at revitalising public universities, as agreed in 2017.

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