The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja would deliver judgment on July 20, 2023, in the suit filed by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu against the Department of State Services (DSS).

The date was fixed by Justice Binta Nyako on Tuesday after Kanu’s counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and lawyer to the DSS, A.M. Danlami, adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the suit.

Kanu in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/ 2341/2022 is seeking a court order mandating the DSS to allow him unhindered access to his doctors.

The court had earlier on Feb. 1, granted Kanu, the permission to apply for an order of mandamus he sought after an ex-parte motion moved by Ozekhome to the effect but in a preliminary objection filed by the DSS, the secret police urged the court to dismiss the suit for want of jurisdiction.

At the resumed hearing, Ozekhome told the court that if Kanu dies in detention it would cause a national commotion, and therefore prayed the court to allow his client access to his doctors in the presence of the security operatives.

He further argued that a defendant, based on the provisions of the law, should stand his trial and not be in a wheelchair while being prosecuted.

“We asked if we could see his medical report and they are refusing and if he dies, this will cause national commotion,” he said.

Ozekhome added that the DSS has also failed to honour previous court judgenents delivered in favour of the IPOB leader.

“In the judgment, the court awarded the sum of N500 million damages against the respondents for illegal rendition of the defendant from Keyan to Nigeria,” he argued.

Besides, he said a Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had exonerated him in a judgment when it dismissed the remaining seven counts after Justice Nyako struck out eight counts from the 15-count charge earlier preferred against him

“What we they lose to allow an independent doctor to examine him in their presence. “We rely on all the processes to humbly request you to grant our omnibus prayers,” he said.

Ozekhome also countered the allegations that Kanu jumped bail on April 25, 2017 after the court granted him bail, arguing that his client rather escaped a military invasion at his residence, said as soon as he got to Israel, he deposed to an affidavit to the effect.

“We filed a counter of five paragraphs. In the instant case, there are two respondents, but in the suit they referred to, there were three respondents.

“So on the issue of parties, they failed.

“On subject matter, this suit is seeking an order of judicial review by way of mandamus but in the other suit, it was filed for the enforcement of his fundamental rights and not judicial reviews.

“The former suit sought 11 reliefs but ours has two reliefs,” he said.

However, the lawyer for the DSS, Danlami urged the court to dismiss Kanu’s plea for lack of jurisdiction.

The lawyer said in their counter affidavit with four exhibits, one of the exhibit showed that Kanu was physically and clinically sound.

“We urge my lord to dismiss this suit in the interest of justice and national interest,” he said.

After listening to the parties, Justice Nyako adjourned the matter until July 20 for judgment.

A former Kaduna central lawmaker, Shehu Sani has taken a jibe at the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sani, while praising the present administration led by President Bola Tinubu noted that Buhari era was boring.

He stated that Buhari can now see how power can be put to use to reawaken the spirit of the nation.

He argued that the former president’s era was ridden with a lack of vision and emptiness, maintaining that it was controlled by a parasitic cabal.

The former lawmaker insisted that Buhari claimed the previous government was highly corrupt, but during his tenure, he harbored and cultivated the most larcenous and opaque Federal Cabinet in Nigeria’s history.

Speaking via Twitter, he wrote,

“Wherever he is, the former President is watching how power can be effectively used to reawaken and reinforce the spirit of a nation. A contrast to his boring era that was characterized by deficiency of vision, subservience to a parasitic cabal and notorious for its emptiness.

“He called all the previous Governments kwarapt while he cultivated, incubated and harboured the most larcenous and opaque Federal Cabinet in Nigeria’s history.

A committee has been set up to consider the demands of the Federal Government (FG), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and given an eight-week deadline to decide on the minimum wage.

Recall the decision to set up a committee was collectively made on June 5, 2023, as part of the resolution by the unions and the FG following the fuel subsidy removal.

The Special Adviser to the President on Communications, Special Duties, and Strategy, Dele Alake, the President TUC Festus Osifo, and President of NLC Comrade Joe Ajaero disclosing that a Presidential Steering Committee to which several sub-committees would report on various aspects of the demands has been created.

Ajaero said that there are long-term and short-term effects of subsidy removal and in those key areas, several sub-committees will be created to report on the various demands before the end of August.

He said “The purpose of the meeting today is actually to put together the framework, what we submitted as our demand, how will they be delivered and so we are looking at that framework, the government came with what they think will work, we also made some input. From this night, we are going to continue the work to have that framework together.

“This meeting is intended to give life to those agreements that were reached. We have set up committees in those key areas to work on them to ensure we wrap up in the next eight weeks.”

“We agreed that anything we are putting together we are going to conclude everything in eight weeks. Everything must be rolled out within that time not something that we are going to leave endlessly.”

Highlighting some of its current challenges and how to tackle them, he said “The issue of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), we need experts, people that are willing to invest, the help of national oil company, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to come up with what they need to do and the time with which they are going to deliver

“These are some workings that are required beyond this meeting, and a technical committee will be incorporated into the Presidential committee but we must conclude everything maximum in eight weeks.

‘’So those technical committees, some will submit their reports in one week when they submit in one week, we implement when they submit in two weeks, we also implement but the last should not exceed eight weeks, and by June 26th, 2023, we will convene here again.”

Traders in the Alaba International market in Ojo Local Government Area, of Lagos State have come out to recount their ordeal following a demolition exercise that took place in the market last Sunday.

Naija News reports that the leadership of some sections of the market have claimed that they were not informed about the exercise as asserted by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).

It would be recalled that the agency had on Sunday, June 18th,2023, stormed the market and demolished over 30 structures claiming they were old structures and the demolition exercise was to avert any building collapse of any sort.

However, traders in the market have cried out saying the demolition exercise was unlawful because they were not pre-informed.

Speaking at the demolition site, the President-General of Alaba Amalgamated Council of Sectional Heads, Hon. Geoffrey Udochukwu Mbonu, denied that the LASBCA gave them prior notice.

He said they only learnt about a proposed demolition plan and came with armed policemen to the market on Friday, June 16th, without seeing the leadership of the market.

Expressing his displeasure about the incident, Mbonu noted that the government took them unawares by carrying out the exercise unexpectedly

He further stated that “We are under a local government, where huge revenue is generated, we pay tax and what the government did was to demolish our buildings alongside, the victims’ wares within the space of two days.”

Narrating how their ordeal started, Mbonu was quoted by The Sun to have disclosed that officials of the LSSBCA came around on Friday, June 16th,2023, and without any notice or asking for the market leadership, they saw armed policemen on Sunday and the demolishing commenced.

He said the leadership is not against the government doing its work, but it expected some communication and notice of a sort.

Explaining some of the offences for which the affected buildings were demolished, he said structures were erected on waterways, thereby obstructing drainages and causing flooding, especially during the rainy seasons, adding that ” Lagos has been a swampy area and Igbo traders have always contributed to the development in the State.”

Mbonu said that each time the officials came they asked for authorization papers and never issued a notice of demolition, adding that ”The buildings marked close to the canal which have been certified dilapidated and distressed had been marked for years but, they asked for papers each time they came. What about the new buildings that are not close to the canal, that LASBCA has equally destroyed, our secretariat and other new structures?

“Authorization paper implies. If your building is in a very bad condition you will be told to break it. Lagos state is a swampy area, when they came last year, what they asked for was paper.

He emphasized that they said it’s distressed buildings and those blocking the free flow of water through the provided waterways”.What about other buildings that are newly built and it’s brought down? Government need to review the exercise carried out by LASBCA.

” It was about two weeks ago they came with armed policemen to the market, I saw them, they didn’t contact the leadership of the market about demolition. This market is under the Local Government They only spoke about it on Friday, June 16th,2023. They didn’t give traders time to vacate the place. The demolition took place with our goods and documents destroyed.”

Mbonu added that he understands that there is a developer that has discussed with the Local Government and the State to acquire some land in that area, this is why they are demolishing some of the buildings to have enough space to put up the type of building they want erected.

‘‘There are building close to the canal, if that is what they are talking about it would be a different thing. What about structures that are far from the canal? The developer has shifted from the canal to acquire more space for the type of structure he wants to put up.

“This is one of the biggest markets in West Africa that should not be toiled with. Revenue generation in Alaba is enormous. The tiers of government are supposed to carry, Alaba traders along in their decision because they are Nigerians.

“I am the leader of one of the sections demolished by the government. My office is gone, and the secretariat we built recently has been demolished.

“As traders, we were not aware of the imminent demolition of certain structures in the market. We are not against the government but the treatment meted on us without being informed for us to have time to even removed our goods. The market is now porous with the openings. They have exposed our properties, and with the demolition, they didn’t provide any security that would safeguard our properties,” he added.

Also, the President of Alaba International Market Association, electronics section, Chief Camillus Amajuoyi said the demolition took place unexpectedly, with both old and new structures affected by the demolishing exercise.

He explained that “The LASBCA issued a notice on Friday, June 16th, they came with armed policemen, So I made some calls I called Ojo Local Government Chairman to inform him of the development.

“I inquired if he was aware that properties are being destroyed in Alaba. The Ojo LG chairman said he was aware, he stated that the properties that would be destroyed were the ones marked for years.

Amajuoyi stated that they were shocked to see the extent of demolition going on, and when ”I called the LG boss, he said they are demolishing to prevent disasters and to save lives. They don’t want buildings to collapse on anybody.

”There have been rumours that some developers have bought that portion of Alaba, nine years ago.

“I got the information about two weeks ago and with the ongoing demolition, I have called for peace and calm.

“No violence, I spoke to my people to maintain peace and calmness. While we go through the right channels in addressing the situation. Alaba is a collection of 16 sections, no individual can occupy it.

”I have called the Ojo LG chairman, explaining the challenge that these people have gone overboard and he has not visited the site to see what is the situation of things.”

Nigerian comedian, Bowoto Jephta, popularly known as Akpororo, has said that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, will spend eight years to recover his ‘stolen mandate’ from Bola Tinubu, the All Progressive Candidate, (APC) at the 2023 general elections.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu winner of the presidential elections with 8,794,726 votes, while Obi who came third with 6,101,533 votes.

The former Anambra State Governor, however, rejected the results and headed to court to challenge and reclaim his ‘stolen mandate.’

Speaking about the on-going electoral tribunal in a recent show, Akpororo said that the LP candidate will likely spend the next eight years going to court to retrieve his stolen mandate.
Speaking in Pidgin, Akpororo said, “Peter Obi still dey go court abi? no worry, that court na eight years him go spend.”

No leader or President in the history of our country has effected so many positive changes and reforms and appointed so many credible, decisive, courageous and effective people into key positions in his administration within THREE weeks of being sworn into office as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT).

Today even his most ardent critics and those that bent over backwards to stop, discredit, denigrate, humiliate and destroy him during the presidential campaign are commending him.

He has made those of us that recognised and appreciated his value and potentials, had faith in him, risked all, stood with him and fought for him proud and most importantly we have been vindicated.

Thanks to BAT Nigeria now has a new lease of life and the light of God has began to dispel the thick darkness and tangible cloud of stagnation, retrograde and retrogressive policies, monumental corruption, vicious persecution, selective application of justice, abuse of power, incompehensible incompetence and wholesale and malicious impunity that we have witnessed over the last few years.

Today where are those that deprived the Nigerian people of all their money and threw them into penury in the name of printing new notes just to stop Tinubu from emerging as President?

Where are those that mocked and poured scorn on him on television, in the newspapers, on social media and in international forums and that consistently portrayed him as being shallow, superficial, dangerous, incompetent, unreliable and evil to the Nigerian people and the international community?

Where are those that said he was too old to be President, that he takes hard drugs and that he is a drug baron, thief, international criminal and a mafia don?

Where are those that said he cannot put a sentence together, that he talks hullabaloo and gibberish and that swearing him in would be tantamount to inviting the military to take power and lead to a coup?

Where are those that said he is incurably and terminally ill and that he is so broken, befuddled, confused, incapacitated and debilitated by sickness, senility and old age that he could not possibly perform well as President and Commander in Chief or make the right decisions and choices?

I say shame on them all!

I also say kudos to BAT and glory hallelujah to the Living God who saw fit to provide Nigeria with a second chance by making him President.

(FFK)

The immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom is currently in custody of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Our correspondent gathered that the ex-Governor was invited by the anti-graft body for questioning over his stewardship.

Ortom, however, drove into the Makurdi zonal office of the agency, which is located at Alor Gordon street in the state capital at exactly 10:08am.

He walked straight into the building.

The former governor’s media aide, Terver Akase, and Principal Special Assistant on Special Duties, Abraham Kwanhgu, were sighted with him.

He had not left the premises as of 11:25am when this report was filed.

Recall how Ortom handed over a debt profile of N187.7 billion to the administration of Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia.

Ortom at a brief ceremony held at the old banquet hall of Government House in Makurdi, told Alia that the handover notes in three volumes were summary of his eight years administration.

The governor explained that the total income of the state during his eight years sojourn amounted to N734.9billion as at April 2023 while the total debt incurred by the state within the period stood at N187.7billion inclusive of unpaid salary, pension arrears, loans and bonds among others.

He also intimated his successor of a debt swap/reduction arrangement between the state and the Federal Government to the tune of N97.716billion.

Ortom explained that with an expected inflow of N48billion, after discount, the negotiated debt swap would be reduced to N45.2billion, thereby bringing down the state’s total debt profile.

He further disclosed that his administration already secured an approval of N41billion loan and a N20billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) facility, urging the Alia’s administration to press for the release of the money when sworn in.

We are aware of the seemingly unending gross mismanagement and massive fraud in the Oil and Gas Sector of Nigeria (Upstream and Downstream) which has extended to recent massive crude oil theft by some multinational oil companies. We are also very much aware of the dire negative consequences of these vices on Nigeria’s Economy, Social Stability and National Security.

We also know as a fact that the seemingly unending desire and determination by successive Leaders of the Federal Government of Nigeria to bow to external pressures to remove the so-called subsidy on petroleum products in Nigeria is as a result of this massive fraud and crude oil theft in the Nigerian sector which has continued to deny Nigerians of needed foreign earnings for critical national development. The resulting astronomical increases in pump prices of the petroleum products are currently making life so unbearable for Nigerians.

While we sincerely appreciate and commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for patriotically and courageously attempting to confront these vices in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector with a view to eliminating them, we however wish to state that from our extensive knowledge of and experience in the operations and management of the Petroleum Sector of Nigeria, it will be practically impossible for him or indeed any President of Nigeria, to achieve this patriotic mission by mere reaching an agreement with Organised Labour Unions on implementation of some palliatives.

As a matter of fact, we strongly disagree with substantial part of the proposals so far presented by President Tinubu’s team and the Leaders of the two Labour Unions for addressing the crisis in the Petroleum Sector. Honestly, it is unbelievable that for many years now our labour leaders will continue to refuse to embark on nationwide strike actions if the Federal Government refuses to allow their members who are very competent and capable of operating and maintaining the four petroleum refineries, to continue to do so.

It is an undeniable fact that these four Refineries had no major operational or technical faults before they were shut down by Directives of some persons in Government. The many so-called Turn Around Maintenance or Rehabilitation of these four Refineries for many years now by different Regimes are also major scams just like the fuel subsidy scam President Tinubu seeks to end.

Therefore, as first major action to be taken by President Tinubu to restoring sanity to our Petroleum Sector, we are strongly advising him to immediately assume the position of Substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources. He must never fall to any pressure or blackmail from anywhere for him to appoint anyone else as the Substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources lest the rot and fraud in the sector will worsen and jeopardise Nigeria’s Peace, Order and National Security.

Secondly, there is very urgent need to repeal the Petroleum Industry Act which has regrettably laid the smooth and protective foundation for these vices to continue to thrive in the Sector and also gave birth to an NNPCL that is the worst thing to happen to the Nigerian Petroleum Sector. It is suicidal for any developing nation to fully privatise its critical national resource like Petroleum and allow so-called international market forces and individuals to determine its survival.

Finally, we are requesting that the Nigerian Petroleum Sector reverses back to its 1970s Status as State Owned and Managed and operate Joint Venture Partnership with IOCs in line with the laudable OPEC’s Vision and Mission; Nigeria being one of the leading members. The sad fact that a few unpatriotic and corrupt top Nigerians in corridor of powers and in NNPC abused the powers of their offices to cause gross mismanagement and massive fraud in the sector is not enough reason to embark on jeopardising our National Security and Economy by allowing a very few individuals to now own and control this massive wealth and petroleum resources of our country as the PIA now allows to do under the guise of Privatisation

Comrade (Engr) Igbini Odafe Emmanuel
National President
VATLAD

laments difficulties in getting documents from INEC

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his party will on Thursday, June 22 close their case in their joint petition challenging the declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

The petitioners, according to a pre-hearing report were supposed to close their case on Tuesday but, their lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN) brought to the notice of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) that they lost two days out of the days allotted to them and asked that the two days be returned them.

The petitioners, who told the court during the pre-hearing session that they would call 100 witnesses have called only 25 witnesses so far.

Speaking with newsmen, Counsel to the petitioners said that they might call additional five witnesses to have a round figure of having called 30 witnesses.

Uche said that some of the documents to be tendered in the remaining two days would take the place of the remaining 70 witnesses.

“We are closing our case on Thursday, it was supposed to end today (Tuesday) but because we lost two days, one of which was the June 12 public holiday, the court graciously extended our time by two days”, Uche told newsmen after the proceedings.

Earlier in the proceedings, the petitioners lamented the difficulties encountered in getting Certified True Copies (CTC) of documents out of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in aid of their joint petition challenging Tinubu’s election.

At the resumed hearing of the petition, Counsel to Atiku and his party told the court that getting materials from INEC is like getting weapons from an opponent

He told the Court that getting documents from INEC is very difficult, but commended the legal team of the electoral body, headed by Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) for their assistance in getting some of the documents from INEC.

Uche applied for a stand-down in the proceedings to enable the petitioners to mark the deluge of documents made available to them Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, counsel to INEC, Kemi Pinhero (SAN) told the court in his submissions that INEC officials brought the documents from all over the country and that the petitioners are yet to pay for the certification of the documents.

He said, it is incumbent on the petitioners to prepare a schedule of documents they wish to tender.

The court rose for about ten minutes to enable parties in the petition to put heads together and find a way forward on what to do with the documents and when parties came back, Uche reported to the court that they have agreed that the petitioners go back with the documents, prepare a schedule of documents and mark them for tendering on Wednesday.

The five member panel of Justices of the court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned till Wednesday, June 21 for continuation of hearing in the petition.