says I remain loyal
The Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has tendered an unreserved apology to the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, over the embarrassment that the ongoing political crisis must have caused in the state.
Aiyedatiwa, who said the crisis was being caused or fueled by some political contenders in the state, reiterated that he remained loyal to the governor and his administration.
The deputy governor stated this while speaking with journalists in his office in Akure, the state capital.
He said, “I am deeply saddened by the embarrassment and discomfort that Mr. Governor has faced due to the barrage of negative news in the state as a result of the events of the last few months. I tender my sincere apology to Mr. Governor on this as our leader in the state.”
Details later…
..rejects Atiku’s motion to file fresh evidence
Says Scoring 25% of votes in FCT not mandatory
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election.
The apex court in its ruling dismissed the appeals by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart Peter Obi.
Also, the Supreme Court has dismissed the application of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar to present fresh evidence to support his appeal at the court.
Atiku had sought the leave of the apex court to submit Tinubu’s credentials obtained from the Chicago State University to prove the president forged the documents he submitted to INEC.
The matters were, however, heard on Monday by a seven-man panel led by Justice John Okoro.
The argument for and against the admissibility of the fresh documents by Atiku dominated the proceedings.
Urging the court to admit the documents, the lead counsel for Atiku, Chris Uche, SAN described the allegation of forgery against the president as a grave constitutional matter that the apex court should look into.
But the counsel to Tinubu, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, urged the court not to admit the fresh documents, adding that INEC was not a party to it.
Reading the lead judgment on Thursday, Okoro said the application was filed after the 180 days prescribed by the law lapsed.
He said the court cannot activate section 22 of the Supreme Court Act to admit fresh evidence.
He said, ” The leave cannot be granted. We do not have the vires to grant it. There is no paragraph in the petition that indicates forgery. It would float on the appeal if it should be admitted.
“They (petitioners) were tardy and not diligent enough. This does not fit into the determination of this appeal. It is hereby refused and dismissed. “
The Supreme Court further agreed with the Court of Appeal that the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is like other states.
The presiding justice of the panel, John Okoro, asked, “Are you saying if someone scores 25% votes in 30 states but not in Abuja, he should not be president? Is that how you interpret the law?
“That is not the law. Supreme Court agrees with the Court of Appeal,” he added.
The Federal Government will on Friday stop the salaries of any public officer whose records cannot be verified on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.
This was made known in a statement signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, and made available to journalists by her Director of Communications, Mohammed Ahmed, on Wednesday.
The PUNCH had exclusively reported that an extension was given to workers to verify their details after which their October 2023 salaries would be seized.
According to the statement, a two-week verification, which would end on Friday, was put in place as an act of magnanimity for officers who did not participate in the earlier verifications.
The statement said, “Adequate arrangements were put in place for a smooth exercise in designated areas of the FCT, however, the officers’ impatience and lack of orderliness in the first two days made the exercise rowdy. This has been duly addressed and the two-week exercise, scheduled to end on Friday, October 27, 2023, is progressing very well.
“The verification of records of all civil servants will be finalised at the end of the ongoing exercise and any officer whose record could not be verified will be delisted from the payroll of government.”
It recalled that in 2013, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, being the repository of official records and information on all public servants, was saddled with the responsibility of cleansing the record on the payroll.
Leveraging technology, the statement added that the office opened a verification portal in April 2017 and directed all public servants to carry out online updates of their records.
The office, it added, carried out aggressive sensitisation and publicity via official, conventional, and social media.
According to the statement, an initial period of three months was given for compliance, which was extended to one year, May 2018, to enable all officers to update their records.
The statement added, “Sequel to another wide publicity accompanied by numerous pre-verification sensitisation visits by IPPIS staff to ministries, extra-ministerial Departments, and Agencies nationwide, the second phase of the exercise, the physical verification, commenced in 2018.
“In this regard, 500 staff from the OHCSF were trained and deployed, in well-communicated and coordinated phases, to the 36 states of the federation and the FCT between 2018 and 2019 to enable officers to carry out the physical verification in their states and save them to from travelling to Abuja.”
The statement maintained that some erring officers’ pleas to be given the last opportunity to comply were granted, adding that the portal was, therefore, reopened from October 3 to13, 2023, for them to update their records, and now till Friday, October 27, 2023, before action would be taken on defaulters.
Rise in government workers
The PUNCH observed that the number of workers on the Federal Government’s payroll rose from 1.14 million in June 2020 to 1.5 million in August, showing an increase of 360,000 workers in about three years.
Data obtained from the website of the IPPIS website showed that there were 696 MDAs and 1.14 million workers in 2020.
The website page read, “There are 696 MDAS on IPPIS Platform as at June, 2020. The department is responsible for processing and payment of salary to over one million (1,139,633) Federal Government employees across the 696 MDAs.
“IPPIS’ aim is to enrol into the platform, all Federal Government MDAs that draw personnel cost fund from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Since inception of the IPPIS project in April 2007, the department have saved the Federal Government of Nigeria billions of naira by eliminating thousands of ghost workers.”
In August 2023, the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze, revealed that the Federal Government’s personnel cost was over N5tn, with 1.5 million workers on its payroll.
This increase occurred despite the identification of about 70,000 ghost workers in June 2022.
The Federal Government-backed Integration Personnel and Payroll Information System exposed and eliminated about 70,000 ghost workers in the civil service system, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr. Dasuki Arabi, said.
He said the government had saved at least N220bn via IPPIS.
The DG also said IPPIS had led to the reduction of the Federal Civil Service personnel to 720,000.
Arabi said, “With the introduction of IPPIS, about 70,000 ghost workers have been eliminated from the payroll. We have a one-shot opportunity to look at IPPIS and say, as of today, we have 720,000 public servants working for Nigeria.
“We’ve been able to reduce more than N220bn wastage through wrong management of IPPIS on payroll by ministries, departments and agencies of government. We have reduced the budget deficits and changed the budget composition.”
The PUNCH also learnt that in July 2021, the Federal Government suspended the salaries of 300 workers across various MDAs in the federal civil service over their failure to update their records on the IPPIS.
By July 2022, it was reported that 61,446 civil servants from various MDAs had been verified on the IPPIS, while 3,657 civil servants were reported to the Independent and Corrupt Practices and Related Offenses Commission for prosecution over failure to get verified on the platform.
Personnel costs were expected to gulp about N14.87tn in three years, according to data obtained from the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper 2024-2026.
The amount budgeted for personnel costs also increased from N4.34tn spent in 2022 to N5.51tn in the proposed 2024 budget.
This showed an increase of N1.17tn or 26.96 per cent in three years, signalling a slight rise in the cost of paying salaries.
Experts and organisations have warned that the Federal Government’s personnel cost was rising at a fast pace.
According to them, this was disturbing, as the country still wallowed in increasing debts and lagged behind in the area of infrastructure.
In May 2021, the Federal Government, through the former Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, had said that it was working to reduce the high cost of governance by doing away with unnecessary expenditures, which may include salary cuts for workers.
The PUNCH earlier reported that the Federal Government planned to spend 61.63 per cent of its planned 2024 expenses on personnel and debt service costs.
The personnel and pension costs of N7.78tn (as earlier claimed by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, but not in line with what was contained in the MTEF/FSP 2024-2026) and the debt service cost of N8.25tn made up N16.03tn out of the N26.01tn 2024 budget.
The PUNCH also observed that the government would spend more on debt servicing than it would spend on paying the salaries and pensions of its workers.
In the MTEF/FSP 2024-2026, the Federal Government blamed its projected N9.05tn budget deficit on the proposed salary review of federal employees and increased pension obligations, among others.
The document read, “The budget deficit is projected to be N9.05tn in 2024, down from N11.60tn budgeted in 2023. This represents about 53 per cent of total FGN revenues and 3.83 per cent of the estimated GDP.
“The high projected level of fiscal deficit in 2024 is partly attributable to the proposed salary review of Federal workers across board, increased pension obligations resulting from payments into the redemption fund, pension protection fund, an increase in pensions in line with the new minimum wage, and higher debt service cost.”
Nigeria has emerged first among a list of top twenty-nine countries with the most daily time spent on social media across the world.
Brazil and South Africa came second and third, respectively, behind Nigeria while Japan was ranked at the bottom in the ranking conducted by the World of Statistics.
The ranking platform showed that Nigeria has an average of 4 hours, and 20 minutes of time spent on social media per day. Brazil and South Africa, on the other hand, were ranked with an average of 3 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 hours, 44 minutes, respectively.
Japan which came last on the list was ranked with just an average of 49 minutes on social media daily.
Below is the full list of the ranking released on Wednesday by the World of Statistics through its official X handle.
?? Nigeria – 04:20
?? Brazil – 03:44
?? South Africa – 03:44
?? Philippines – 03:42
?? Colombia – 03:35
?? Ghana – 03:23
?? Kenya – 03:22
?? Argentina – 03:18
?? Mexico – 03:17
?? Indonesia – 03:07
?? UAE – 02:50
?? Turkey – 02:47
?? India – 02:44
?? Portugal – 02:22
?? Russia – 02:17
?? USA – 02:11
?? Sweden – 02:08
?? Ireland – 02:02
?? China – 02:01
?? Australia – 02:00
?? Canada – 01:59
?? Spain – 01:56
?? Denmark – 01:52
?? UK – 01:52
?? Germany – 01:41
Netherlands – 01:35
?? Austria – 01:30
?? South Korea – 01:11
?? Japan – 00:49
[NaijaNews]
The House of Representatives has said the Federal Government is not buoyant enough to afford free WAEC, NECO and JAMB for the 2023/2024 secondary academic session.
The House rejected the motion that sought to compel the federal government to make the 2023/2024 secondary school examination free for Nigerian students.
The lawmakers kicked against the motion by Anamero Dekeri, who called on the federal government to make WAEC, NECO and JAMB free for this academic session.
Naija News reports that this development is coming at a time when lawmakers are being criticised for a planned purchase of exotic cars worth billions of naira as official vehicles.
In the motion, Dekeri suggested that the monies the federal government saved from the removal of petroleum subsidy should be used to help families that are struggling.
The lawmaker said the Ministry of Education should make the examinations free.
Dekeri stated, “Urge the Ministry of Education to declare 2023 and 2024 WAEC, NECO and JAMB examinations registration free, to enable the common man to have a direct benefit of fuel subsidy removal palliatives.”
However, the motion was kicked against by members of the House of Representatives.
The Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, moved an amendment that lawmakers should instead fund the free examination. But the amendment was countered by Ado Doguwa, who said members are already paying the fees.
After a long debate, Awaji Abiante moved a motion for the House to step it down, and it was adopted unanimously.
The Department of State Service (DSS) Wednesday evening freed Abdulrasheed Bawa, the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“DSS confirms release of former EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, a few hours ago (today 25th October, 2023),” DSS said in a statement.
Bawa reunited with his family amid celebration shortly after his release from DSS custody after 134 days in detention.
The former EFCC chairman was arrested by the DSS in mid-June following his suspension by President Bola Tinubu.
Although DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya said Bawa arrived DSS office to honour an ‘invitation’, he was not allowed to leave until after four months.
Afunanya said the ‘invitation’ by the Nigerian secret police relates to some investigative activities concerning Bawa’s tenure as EFCC chairman.
The Presidency and the DSS did not disclose the outcome of its investigation on Bawa as of the time of filing this report.
Bawa’s removal from office follows a similar pattern that previous EFCC heads – Ibrahim Magu, Ibrahim Lamorde and Farida Waziri – have been removed.
President Tinubu, a week ago, appointed a new EFCC chairman Ola Olukoyede to replace Bawa.
The Nigerian Senate confirmed Olukayode as chairman and Muhammad Hammajoda as the Secretary of the anti-graft agency.
The parents of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, on Wednesday, told the Coroner’s Inquest that is looking into the cause of death of their son that he stopped going to shows for six months because of fear of the constant beating, harassment and bullying he got from his former label owner, Azeez Fashola, also better known as Naira Marley and his ally, Sammy Larry.
They also claimed he told them that he was being attacked because he said he didn’t want Naira Marley’s brother, Tunde Fashola, to be his manager anymore.
The father of the late singer, Joseph Aloba, said, “Mohbad was scared of going out for six months. He said he did not know if the substance he drank at the NDLEA will appear at the airport.”
He said the day Mohbad was inflicted with injury, he saw Naira Marley and his boys and claimed that Mohbad said it was customary for them to attack him.
On her own part, the mother said, “My son told us that there was a show that Naira Marley forced him to attend which he declined because it was Sammy Larry that was the organiser of that show.
“Whenever Mohbad was with me, he was always full of fear; he said it was Naira Marley who collected all the money for the shows he performed because the three-year contract that he signed with him had not elapsed.
“He always mentioned Naira Marley and Sammy Larry, and he was always shaking. I begged him several times to allow me to speak with them, but he refused, saying he didn’t want them to kill me.
“The last time he travelled for a show, after he came back, he mentioned to me that Naira Marley came to attack him, he reported the case to the police but I don’t know if the police invited Naira Marley,” the mother said.
She said she didn’t know that her son was a musician until she and Mohbad reconnected in 2019 at Ayobo after she had left him with his father when he was three years old.
Abosede said Mohbad was her second child and that he had two other siblings but when she and his father separated, she was not allowed to take the children with her except the last one because he was very young. She claimed he didn’t even stay long with her before the father took him away from her.
Mohbad’s mother said it was her younger sister who brought Mohbad and his friends to visit her and then they exchanged numbers.
She said when he told her that he sang, I told him that wasn’t the prophecy I got when I was pregnant with him. “You were supposed to be a pastor, I told him but he played with me and then left,” he recalled.
“After he left that night, somebody came to me and showed me a video that was circulating online that they were beating him and he was crying and said that Naira Marley wanted to kill him.
‘The following day, I got a call again that the deceased had been hospitalised. By the time I got there, they said he had been discharged and he was ok healthwise.
“Mohbad told me on the third day that he was inside the studio when he got a call that something was happening at Azeez Fashola (Naira Marley) house that the NDLEA came to raid his house,” she said.
The witness also stated that it was the information that the deceased heard that made him rush down to Naira Marley’s house because Zinoleesky, the deceased’s younger brother, Adutra Aloba, and the deceased’s wife, Omowunmi Aloba, were staying at Naira Marley’s house.
She also explained that by the time the deceased got to Naira Marley’s house, the NDLEA had taken Zinolesky and others away.
“The deceased followed the NDLEA to their office and he asked why they took his friends away he became thirsty due to the argument between him and the NDLEA, then he was given water, he later discovered that he was not feeling ok again after drinking the water.
“I asked him why he was shouting on the Internet, he said Naira Marley wanted to kill him. I asked him why does Naira Marley want to kill you, he said I shouldn’t worry, that I cannot understand.
“I and one Iya Lode went to Naira Marley’s house and on seeing Naira Marley, he explained that the deceased spoiled his name. I and his father apologised to him, but he still wrote a statement that he (Naira Marley) wanted to kill him.
“I was at the deceased’s house on Saturday when the deceased told me that he had a show on Sunday, September 10, 2023, at Ikorodu but the following Tuesday I received a call that the deceased was dead,” she said.
At the conclusion of her testimony, she said that for all the things she told the court, her son had warned her not to say it because they would kill her.
Earlier, the father of the late singer, Joseph Aloba, told the coroner’s inquest at Ikorodu that the reason they buried Mohbad the next day was that the mortuary rejected him.
He said that he was the one who pointed out where Mohbad was buried.
Aloba said the place where Mohbad was buried was his (deceased) land.
He also told the coroner that on the day his son died, when he got to the house he went straight upstairs to his room where he saw blood-soaked clothes before he was told that the deceased was in the living room.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has released a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, Daily Trust can confirm.
Bawa has been in custody since June when President Bola Tinubu suspended him.
Willie Bassey, Director of Information at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, had said Bawa was suspended as a result of weighty allegations of abuse of office levelled against him.
Former governor of Zamfara State and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, had accused Bawa of demanding $2 million bribe from him, an allegation which he denied.
Bassey had said suspension was to allow for proper investigation into his conduct while in office.
Peter Afunanya, DSS spokesman, said Bawa was released on Wednesday.
“DSS confirms release of former EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, a few hours ago (today 25th October, 2023)”
A video of Bawa being welcomed by his wives and children has since gone viral.
Sources familiar with the development told Daily Trust that top former and serving government functionaries had pleaded with the President to order DSS to release Bawa.
“Yes, he was released today after much pressure from who is who in the society,” one of the security sources, who pleaded anonymity said.
Another source said he was released after the secret police concluded their investigations with him.
Daily Trust recalls that Bawa’s house and office in the nation’s capital were earlier ransacked by the operatives of DSS after which he also celebrated his last Eid-el-kabir in the secret police net.
[DailyTrust]
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of nine (9) new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The appointment is for a term of five (5) years each, which is also subject to the confirmation of the Nigerian Senate.
Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu’s media aide, noted that the appointment is justified based on powers vested in him by Section 154 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, Amended) and Section 6 of the Electoral Act (2022).
The new appointees include Mr. Isah Shaka Ehimeakne — Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Bamidele Agbede — Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Jani Adamu Bello — Gombe State Resident Electoral Commissioner and Dr. Taiye Ilayasu — Kwara State Resident Electoral Commissioner
Others are Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi — Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Yahaya Bello — Nasarawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Mohammed Yalwa — Niger State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha — Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner and Mr. Abubakar Fawa Dambo — Zamfara State Resident Electoral Commissioner
Ngelale said the President expects the new appointees to abide by the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct in the discharge of their duties, in accordance with his determination to facilitate the establishment of a new and sustainable standard of transparent, fair, and conflict-free electoral conduct in Nigeria
[DailyPost]
There is no three-month tenure extension for the ambassadors recently recalled by the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified yesterday.
Also, the Federal Government has placed embargo on foreign missions’ accounts to check frivolous spending by envoys.
The Ministry stated that the envoys’ October 31 exit date remained sacrosanct, adding that Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, who issued the notice, acted on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It was learnt that non-career ambassadors had initiated moves to remain on their duty posts till December 31.
But the Presidency was not convinced on the excuse given to extend their stay, following alleged suspicious actions of some of the envoys to mop up funds.
The Federal Government has placed embargo on last minutes expenditure by the envoys.
As part of the recalibration of the nation’s Foreign Policy, President Tinubu had directed non-career envoys to return home.
Those affected have been lobbying traditional rulers, businessmen and influential politicians to remain in their host countries.
Tuggar, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, said there was no directive to extend the exit date of recalled ambassadors.
He said the report that recalled envoys have had their diplomatic duties extended by three months is unknown to the minister.
According to him: “Some of the envoys have either signaled their host governments of leaving or have left and returned to the country already.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recall still stands and all envoys are expected to be back in Nigeria by the 31st of October as earlier communicated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, acting on the directive of the President.
“This is a routine matter to recalibrate Nigeria’s foreign policy and international relations in line with the 4Ds (Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora) foreign policy strategy under the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.”
On the embargo on expenditures by the outgoing ambassadors, a source said the Federal Government took the step to curtail alleged moves by some of them to mop up funds in their embassies.
The source added: “On the issue of the embargo on expenditures, it has been done. Some of the requests are not in line with routine expenditures. They are suspicious and look like last minute mop ups.
“Some of the envoys have continuously mounted tremendous pressures on the Heads of Chanceries and Accountants to pay them without recourse to due diligence. They have gone a step further to ask that personnel and capital budgets be turned into overhead budgets.”
According to the source, payment of exit allowances to the recalled ambassadors has started.
He said: ”All payments have been completed. The payments, which started on the night of 24th October, 2023 were completed yesterday (25th of October, 2023).
“However, due to the difference in time zones and banking systems, it may not have reflected in some missions.”
A non-career ambassadors disclosed that the umbrella association of the group had written to the President to extend the deadline for their recall.
He said although the ambassadors also appreciated the President’s decision to recall them to “reengineer the foreign policy of his administration,” they asked for a three-month grace on their duty posts.
The envoy, who spoke in confidence, said: “We drew the attention of Mr. President to the fact that the deadline of October 31brings a major challenge to our children’s education.
“Most schools resumed some weeks ago, and our children are about half way into the school term. We don’t want any school calendar transition to cause setback for our children who will return to school in Nigeria.
“We have asked the President to extend the deadline for our return from October 31st to December 31st, 2023.”
[Nation]
More...
President Bola Tinubu has expressed grief over the passing of Alhaji Adamu Fika, elder statesman and one-time Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, who died on Tuesday at the age of 90.
President Tinubu, in mourning the Wazirin Fika, recalled the salient roles he played in nurturing the enduring institution responsible for the articulation and implementation of public policies at a trying time for the Federal Civil Service.
He said the late Fika's contributions both as Head of Service and chairman of different civil service reform panels were indelible in the annals of Nigeria's history.
“Alhaji Adamu Fika’s life of service to Nigeria saw him hold various important positions, before his elevation to the Office of Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; a post he held until his retirement," the President said.
Condoling with the government and people of Yobe State, President Tinubu said Alhaji Fika left behind a legacy of accomplishments, integrity, passion for service, and commitment worthy of emulation by public servants and other compatriots.
“May Allah forgive his sins and grant him Aljannah Firdaus,” the President prayed.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
October 25, 2023
While trying to controversially obtain billions of dollars from Nigeria through the courts, P&ID had access to Nigeria’s internal documents which it should not have had access to, a British court found.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the court also ruled that the contract and arbitration for which the firm wanted Nigeria’s money was fraudulently obtained.
Robin Knowles, a High Court judge in London, ruled that the 2010 gas contract at the centre of the long-running saga involving Nigeria and Process & Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID) was fraudulent.
The ruling comes after a decade of legal wrangling that put Africa’s largest economy at risk of having to pay $11 billion in compensation.
In 2017, an arbitration tribunal ordered Nigeria to pay $6.6 billion to P&ID following the collapse of a contract between the group and Nigeria’s petroleum ministry. The award increased to $11 billion with interest.
On Monday, Mr Knowles overseeing the appeal at the high court in London said the awards “were obtained by fraud” and “the way in which they were procured was, contrary to public policy”.
Interestingly and beyond the corruption-tainted contract, the judge indicted P&ID for improper retention of Nigeria’s Internal Legal Documents that it had received during the arbitration.
Mr Knowles said P&ID retained the documents (rather than returning them unread) so as to monitor Nigeria’s position and awareness as the arbitration continued.
“This included monitoring whether Nigeria had become aware of the deception being practised by P&ID on the Tribunal and on Nigeria as a party before the Tribunal,” the judge said.
He added that Nigeria’s right to confidential access to legal advice was utterly compromised throughout all or most of the Arbitration. “It is now apparent that through the course of the Arbitration, P&ID was provided with many of Nigeria’s internal legal documents,” the judge said.
Specifically, there was a flow of over 40 of Nigeria’s Internal Legal Documents to P&ID during the period of the arbitration from commencement on 22 August 2012 to Final award on 31 January 2017.
Details of the contents of these internal legal documents were revealed in the 140-page judgement delivered by Mr Knowles on Monday.
Between 2012 and 2017, these materials monitored by P&ID showed that Nigeria had no awareness that its former legal adviser, Grace Taiga, had been bribed when the gas contract came about and that bribery or corrupt payments continued to buy her silence. Ms Taiga was a former legal adviser to Nigeria’s petroleum ministry.
“Indeed they were bribing or making corrupt payments to keep the truth concealed and (through retention of Nigeria’s Internal Legal Documents) monitoring Nigeria’s awareness of the truth,” the judge said.
P&ID argued that its retention of Nigeria’s internal legal documents “did not cause any substantial injustice within section 68, because it had no effect whatsoever on the Awards, irrespective of how or from whom the documents were obtained.”
The judge, however, rejected the argument saying they did not cause substantial injustice because they gave P&ID no relevant advantage in the arbitration but it shows the effect of a dishonest course of conduct.
“The Court will be realistic here about what proof is possible in terms of showing the effect of a dishonest course of conduct. The nature and contents of the documents, and the scale, continuity and circumstances of P&ID’s conduct were such that, in my judgement, Nigeria’s right to confidential access to legal advice was utterly compromised throughout all or most of the Arbitration.”
Nigeria says the internal legal documents with which P&ID was provided in the course of the arbitration were subject to the confidentiality between lawyer and client known as legal professional privilege. This is a privilege recognised in Nigeria and England & Wales.
The judge agreed with Nigeria. He said: “I have reviewed these internal documents and at least some were plainly subject to legal professional privilege: they were confidential to Nigeria and P&ID was not entitled to see them.”
P&ID’s improper retention of Nigeria’s Internal Legal Documents, received at various points during the arbitration, enabled P&ID to track Nigeria’s internal consideration of merits, strategy and settlement during the arbitration, court papers show.
In addition, P&ID’s improper retention of Nigeria’s Internal Legal Documents also allowed it to monitor whether Nigeria had become aware of the fact that the tribunal and Nigeria were being deceived.
In concluding the matter, Mr Knowles said: “I will be referring a copy of this judgement to the Bar Standards Board in the case of Mr Trevor Burke KC and to both the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board in the case of Mr Seamus Andrew.
“I trust that these two regulators of the legal profession in England & Wales will consider the professional consequences of the conduct of Mr Burke KC and Mr Andrew (P&ID) lawyers in relation to Nigeria’s Internal Legal Documents.”
[Premium Times]
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed the name of Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the list of candidates for the November 11 governorship election.
INEC also removed the name of Sylva’s ruining mate, Joshua Maciver, from the list.
This was observed in the amended list of candidates released released by the Commission
The amended list was signed by the Secretary of INEC, Rose Oriaran-Anthony,
The column containing the names of APC candidates and his ruining mate was left empty in the list on the INEC website, with the words “court order” written.
The Commission also listed Ahumbe Chiazor as the running mate and Uchechukwu Ishiodu as the governorship candidate for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the state election of Imo.
In the revised document, Oriaran-Anthony clarified that the Commission’s actions complied with court orders on the lists supplied to it.
According to her, the Commission received a court order regarding the APC’s nominee for the Bayelsa governorship race after it was published.
“By virtue of the provision of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Commission is bound to enforce the orders of the court on the nomination of candidates by political parties in the state.
“The Amended list of candidates in respect of the 2023 Bayelsa State governorship election is hereby amended pursuant to the court orders served on the commission,” Oriaran-Anthony said.
She further reminded Imo voters that in compliance with Section 32 of the Electoral Act of 2022 and the timetable and schedule of activities for the election, INEC released the final list of candidates for the state governorship election on June 9.
She said after the publication, the Commission was served with an order of court for including the PRP and its candidate on the 2023 Imo State governorship election list.
The ICIR reported that a Federal High Court in Abuja disqualified Sylva from participating in the Bayelsa State Governorship Election.
In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023, Demesuoyefa Kolomo, a member of the All Progressives Congress in the state, asked the court to determine Sylva’s eligibility for the election, given his past terms as governor of Bayelsa from May 29, 2007, to April 15, 2008, and from May 27, 2008, to January 27, 2012.
But, in his affidavit, Sylva stated he was elected once as the state’s governor, disputing the 2007 election’s occurrence. While citing an April 2008 court of appeal ruling that nullified the 2007 election, the former minister also emphasised his constitutional and legal right to contest the most-coveted seat in the state.
However, delivering judgment on Monday, October 9, the presiding judge, Donatus Okorowo, held that Sylva, having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor, would breach the 1999 constitution if allowed to contest again.
Okorowo also said Sylva, who served as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, would spend more than eight years in office if allowed to participate in the election and eventually win.
Okorowo highlighted that the drafters of the nation’s constitution explicitly stipulated that a person should not be elected governor more than twice.
He further mentioned that all parties involved in the case acknowledged that Sylva had been elected into office twice.
Okorowo stated that if Sylva could contest the next election, any citizen could contest for a political office as often as they wish.
In less than a month (on November 11), Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo state residents will elect a new governor as INEC conducts the states’ off-cycle governorship poll.
The states are three of six states in Nigeria with off-season governorship polls.
The current governor of Imo State’s term expires on January 14, 2024; Kogi and Bayelsa States had respective terms that expire on January 26, 2024, and February 13 of the same year.
The ICIR, in this report, presented the top candidates in the three states and their chances.
[ICIR]
Nigeria burns pangolin scales and animal skins in a historic step to counter wildlife trafficking
Admin- In a bid to counter wildlife trade, Nigeria recently publicly destroyed seized pangolin scales, leopard, python and crocodile skins.
- Nearly 4 tonnes of seized pangolin scales and 110 kilograms of dried skins from a variety of protected species were incinerated.
- Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world, for the use of their scales and their meat is considered a delicacy by some.
In a groundbreaking move, Nigeria has publicly destroyed tonnes of seized wildlife products, including pangolin scales and leopard, python and crocodile skins. The public display echoes similar events in Kenya and elsewhere on the continent and marks Nigeria's renewed commitment to combatting wildlife trafficking and safeguarding the nation's biodiversity.
The event was the first of its kind in Nigeria and was intended to send a strong message to traffickers and consumers of the illegal trade, and to safeguard the nation's biodiversity, according to conservation officials.
"By destroying these pangolin scales and skins, we're crushing the illegal trade that preys on our wildlife. Our commitment is unwavering, and we will not compromise on the protection of our endangered species," said Kolawole Gbenga, head of conservation monitoring at the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (Nesrea).
The incineration ceremony took place in Abuja on 17 October, according to local media, and pictures were posted on the Nesrea Facebook site. The event was presided over by representatives from various government agencies, local and international environmental NGOs, and wildlife conservation experts.
Nesrea said it had collaborated with the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI) Foundation, with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Together, they burned nearly four tonnes of seized pangolin scales and 110 kilogrammes of dried skins from a variety of protected species.
Gbenga also said that Nigeria is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The international agreement seeks to ensure that the global trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of species.
The international community would see that Nigeria is serious about combatting the illegal wildlife trade, improving the battered image of Nigeria, which has become a transit point for illicit trade in animal products.
According to CITES, pangolins are among the world's endangered "Big Five", together with elephants, rhinos, sharks and tigers.
The pangolin is the world's most trafficked mammal and is hunted primarily for its scales, which are in high demand in traditional Asian medicine. The meat is also a delicacy in some Asian cultures and is consumed as "bush meat" in some parts of Africa.
In some areas, the pangolin is also killed for superstitious reasons, as its sighting is believed to signify the onset of drought, further driving the mammal into extinction.
Each of the eight pangolin species, including four from Asia and four from Africa, holds a place in Appendix I of the CITES, ensuring that they receive the highest level of legal protection. With the severe depletion of the four Asian pangolin species, the demand in Asian markets is now being met by a growing supply of trafficked African pangolins and their parts.
While existing CITES rules impose restrictions on the trade of Asian species, they do permit regulated trade in the four African species. However, illegal trade is threatening this species dangerously close to extinction, with two of the four African pangolin species listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (or IUCN) Red List.
In recent years, Nigeria has become a busy transit hub for pangolin-scale trafficking from the four remaining African species.
According to recent research by the University of Cambridge, pangolin scales intercepted by Nigerian officials between 2010 and 2021 amounted to a staggering 190 407 kilogrammes. This translates to around 800 000 dead pangolins.
Ivory tusks have also been found among the impounded scales, which signals trafficking is far more complex and well-organised than previously thought.
According to Gbenga, Nigerian authorities recognise the urgency of protecting this species and have taken significant steps to address the trafficking of pangolins through its borders.
"We have adopted the first National Strategy to Combat Wildlife and Forest Crime. Subsequently, the government has also established the Wildlife Law Enforcement Task Force, of which Nesrea is the operational lead, to work closely with other key stakeholders and the Federal Ministry of Environment in addressing wildlife crime in the country," he explained.
He added that the Nigerian government, through Nesrea, also uses the Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act and the National Environmental (Protection of Endangered Species in Domestic and International Trade) Regulations 2023 to combat wildlife crime.
Nigeria joins other African countries, notably Kenya, which held its first public burning of ivory tusks in 1989. That event, the first of its kind, was presided over by then president Daniel Arap Moi. In 2016, President Uhuru Kenyatta presided over a similar burning of ivory tusks at Nairobi National Park in a move designed to send a message to poachers and consumers alike.
Nathan Gichohi, a senior ecologist at the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) based at the Tsavo-Mokomazi landscape, supported and endorsed Nigeria's move:
"It's a very good thing to destroy the pangolin scales. Because for one, if they are not destroyed, they will end up in the illegal market. This is what usually happens with all trafficked wildlife trophies. If they are not destroyed, of course, they will end up in the illegal market," Gichohi said.
The AWF has also partnered with UNODC to curb illegal wildlife trade in the international arena.
"It's a question of working with the consumer countries, together with international instruments like CITES and those other multilateral agreements so that the consumer market is closed," he said.
Other African countries that have burnt items seized from illegal wildlife traders include Gabon, Tanzania and South Africa.
This is a significant step for these countries, as illegal wildlife trade has often been linked to illicit financial flows. From bribes to money laundering, the list is endless.
According to the 2020 UNODC report, it's estimated that between 2016 and 2018, the illegal income generated from trafficking ivory was around $400 million, and for rhino horn, it was about $230 million.
The bulk of this money is made at the retail level, where the products are processed and sold to the final buyers. In reality, the actual illegal financial flows, which involve moving money across borders, could be far higher and as an unknown percentage funds criminal and terror networks inside host countries, Nigeria and other African countries are now looking to crack down harder.
[news24]