The immediate past governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, has been released from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

An aide to the former governor, who craved anonymity, said Ortom was released around 7:30pm on Tuesday after several hours of “intense” interrogation at the anti-graft agency’s zonal office in Makurdi.

Politics Nigeria reported that Ortom was grilled by officials of the anti-graft agency over alleged misappropriation of public funds during his tenure as governor of Benue.

Reacting to Ortom’s ordeal with the EFCC, his party, the PDP in Benue said while Ortom was not the first former governor to be grilled by the agency, his case “is remarkably distinct for the lack of rancour and acrimony which usually attends such appearances”.

The party expressed satisfaction with Ortom’s conduct and declared that he has “no skeletons” in his cupboard.

Ndigbo in All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos has affirmed Joe Igbokwe, former special adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on drainage and water resources, as its leader.

State Co-ordinator, Chief Chris Ekwilo, spoke at a news conference in Lagos yesterday.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the affirmation followed a call by another Igbo group in the party, asking Igbokwe to step down.

NAN recalls an Ndigbo chieftain, Uche Dimgba, at a news conference, alleged Igbokwe was incompetent, saying the body needed a replacement to spearhead its activities.

Dimgba said Igbokwe’s inability to mobilise people in the grassroots hampered them from securing victory in elections.

Ekwilo, a founding member of APC in the state, maintained Igbokwe remained the leader and the face of Ndigbo in the state.

He affirmed Igbokwe had done well in representing Ndigbo in Sanwo-Olu’s exco, saying the people were behind him.

“We draw attention of the public and our party leadership that Dimgba has been removed as state coordinator of Ndigbo in APC, Lagos State.

“However, he went ahead to form what he calls ‘Authentic Ndigbo in APC Lagos State’. We alert the public of his mischievous intention to malign Igbokwe.

“We want to appeal to the public to disregard what he does since he no longer represents Ndigbo.

“Dimgba was removed as state co-ordinator on January 14, and replaced by his deputy, Chris Ekwilo ,” he said.

Ekwilo reiterated he was state co-ordinator of Ndigbo in APC, Lagos State, and write up from Dimgba should be disregarded.

He noted Dimgba was removed from office when they discovered his loyalty to APC was in question.

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George has said that President Bola Tinubu has started well as Nigeria’s President.

The PDP chieftain stated this in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday.

He noted that Tinubu’s early days as the president is better than his time as the Lagos State governor between May 1999 and May 2007.

George who insisted that he remains a loyal party member of the PDP stated that he is not an enemy of the president.

He described Tinubu as a power broker.

The chieftain, however, insisted that the President must manage the people and the country’s resources well.

He stated, “The major difference between Bola and I is his methodology, his managerial style, is unlike me.

“I have a background in the military and I am a logistician in the military. You don’t carry your men to war without adequately doing your serious planning, intelligence gathering.”

Giving an assessment of Tinubu’s administration in the last three weeks, George said, “It is not a 100-meter race. He (Tinubu) is to manage his people and manage the resources of this country for the betterment of this country. He is just starting.”

The PDP stalwart said, “It’s not perfect but reasonable. At least, it is better than what we had known before when he was in Lagos. Maybe he was much younger at that time and no experience but now, Lagos is not Abuja.”

President Bola Tinubu has reversed his decision regarding the dissolution of the boards of two government agencies.

A clarification was provided on Tuesday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) regarding the exemption of specific boards from the dissolution process.

The SGF announced that the boards of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC) are exempted from the process.

The agencies play crucial roles in the country’s fight against drug abuse and the regulation of food and drug safety.

The initial decision to dissolve the boards of all government agencies was announced by the SGF’s office.

However, Willie Bassey, the Director of Information at the SGF’s office, said NAFDAC and the NDLEA have been excluded from the announcement.

“Further to the directive on the dissolution of Boards of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions and Government-owned Companies, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has clarified that the Boards of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC) are exempted from such dissolution,” said Bassey.

Fresh reconciliation moves by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, suffered a setback as key stakeholders including Atiku Abubakar, his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, former governor, Nyesom Wike and his G-5 team among other stakeholders were visibly absent.

The PDP went into the last general elections with a divided house, after it failed to resolve issues that arose from the nomination of its presidential and vice presidential candidates as well as a call by aggrieved members led by the G-5 governors for the ouster of former national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

Its National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, while setting the tone for the meeting, held at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, said before it went into a close session that the parley was convened to douse tension and kickstart reconciliation within the party in the aftermath of the election.

He said its members contributed to the outcome of the 2023 general elections and should be wary of pointing fingers on others.

He said the party would not apportion blames, suspend, expel or accuse anybody of playing pro or anti party activities during the last general elections.

“This party believe that Atiku Abubakar won the election, but we are in court, and without prejudice to what the court will decide, we will keep it aside. Let me acknowledge that this is not a NEC meeting, but an interactive meeting with the aim to jump starting a reconciliation process.

“We are here today and everyone knows what happened in 2023. We contributed both individually and collectively. If you rise to speak, I beg you to spell out your own role in 2023 elections, either positive or negative before you jump to accuse someone else either negative or positive.”

Acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagun, said the meeting was in continuation of the National Working Committee ( NWC) consultation with critical stakeholders, in a bid to chart theway forward for the party after the last election.

“This meeting will give us the opportunity to review the outcome of the last general elections and to share ideas about how to strengthen the party to face the challenges ahead.

“We have had series of meetings with the members of the National Ex officio, state Chairmen, select BoT and members of the National Assembly. This is a continuation of that meeting and it was borne out of what has happened during those meetings and we said there was need for us to call this one.”

Says He Doesn’t Have Amazon’s Mandate To Represent Obi/LP

On Tuesday, the expert witness for the Labour Party from Amazon Web Services Incorporated USA returned to the witness stand for her cross-examination, making it a contentious day at the Presidential Election Petitions Court.

The witness Clareta Ogar, who identified herself as a cloud engineer and cloud architect, had earlier told the court that there were no glitches on February 25, 2023, when the presidential election held that could have affected the e-transmission of results.

She was put through a series of questions that got the proceedings heated up at some point when the counsel for the respondents tried to establish what her link with the organization she claims she works for is. Reference was made to her appointment verification letter which bears the name Employee Resource Centre and not Amazon Web Services, AWS, Inc; and also that there is no identification card from the company confirming her as an employee.

An attempt by the Labour Party counsel to intervene by insisting the witness had responded appropriately led to a reprimand by the Justices who cautioned him for disrupting proceedings. The Presiding Justice said “You are going about this as if you are in parliament. You are a senior counsel Ikwueto, there are juniors behind you”. The next most senior member on the panel, Justice Stephen Adah said, “Please don’t interject if you don’t want us to take meaner action against you”

But Ikwueto insisted he only was trying to help the court, and the court directed the respondents to proceed with the cross-examination

In response to why the witness did not tender her identification card, she responded that AWS does not issue identification cards, and that all employment verifications from Amazon Web Services are issued by Employee Resource Centre of the company.

She also denied being in court as a representative of the company she works for and on the mandate of Amazon Web Services, but as an expert subpoenaed witness to speak as a cloud engineer.

This led to further questioning on how she got the report she submitted before the court, and she responded that they are public information posted on the AWS Amazon.

Asked whether the report she submitted is a product of Amazon, but she claimed ownership of it on the ground that she was the one that submitted it before the court

The court also noted, based on her admittance that the subpoena that compelled her appearance was not delivered to the company she works for, but to her in person

This led to a digging into the background of the witness, who confirmed that she is a member of the Labour Party and that she contested for a House of Reps election in her constituency in Cross River State, which she lost but denied allusions that she is a Labour Party activist

On further questioning, the witness confirmed that she had sued INEC after it failed to publish her name in the final list of candidates; and that her main complaint was that she could not upload her information on the INEC website due to network failure. She however refused to accept that network failure is a form of network glitch

The respondents’ counsel also read out information showing periods in which the Amazon cloud services suffered glitches globally on February 27, 2017. While the witness confirmed that the glitch actually occurred, she held on to the position that the health status report as at the day of the presidential election on February 25, 2023 showed there was no glitch on the infrastructure that hosted applications and accounts including that of INEC.

Also at the proceedings on Tuesday, the chairman of INEC, Prof Yakubu Mahmood responded to the subpoena served on him on May 30 and that of June 13, 2023, by producing some documents through two senior officials of the Commission.

The Deputy Director, Department of Certification and Complaints of INEC, Mrs Moronkeji Tairu tendered the documents contained in the subpoena dated May 30 issued on the INEC chairman.

She said, some of the documents required by the petitioners are not in the Commission and that some of the documents come from INEC’s offices across the states and that because of lack of logistics, those documents could not be produced as of Tuesday and added that, the Subpoena dated May 30 was served on the Commission on Monday.

While assuring that the rest documents would be made available within the week, the INEC official presented documents on INEC’s manual for election officers.

Lead counsel to the petitioners, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN) informed the court that INEC refused service of the Subpoena all the while and all efforts to serve the Commission proved abortive until Monday.

The court cautioned that Mr Uzoukwu’s continuous reference to his meeting with INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, could not be relied upon as a subsisting law which the court could regard as a legal compelling force.

The court highlighted that there is an existing legal process of applying for documents with clearly spelt punishment for refusing or obstructing the process but the Labour party counsels have not thoroughly followed the process but has continued to wrongly relied on the assurances made in person by Mr Yakubu.

The documents in question include the state collation sheets of the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Also, the Deputy Director, ICT department of INEC, Dr. Lawrence Bayode also presented some documents contained in the June 16 subpoena issued on the INEC Chairman and informed the court that the rest of the documents are work in progress.

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

DSS insists CBN ex-boss not denied access to family, lawyers

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), yesterday, reserved judgment in the enforcement of a fundamental rights suit filed by suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, till July 13.

Justice Hamza Muazu fixed the date after listening to submissions made by parties in the matter.

Counsel to Emefiele, Joseph Daudu (SAN) had argued that contrary to the preliminary objection raised against the originating summons on notice by the respondents, the court has the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

According to him, the offences listed against the plaintiff are state offences that could be entertained by the court.

Lawyer to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Tijjani Ghazali (SAN), informed the court that the first respondent is challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case brought before it by the applicant.

He stressed that Emefiele’s arrest and detention is an administrative decision of an arm of the executive, adding that jurisdiction is determined by the reliefs sought by an applicant.

He, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the application, submitting that the allegation of unlawful detention is unfounded, as the plaintiff is being detained on the order of an FCT Chief Magistrate’s Court.

Counsel to the second and third respondents, I. Awo, told the court that there was a subsisting order to detain the applicant and, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the application with cost.

The presiding judge, consequently, fixed July 13 for ruling.

President Bola Tinubu had, on June 10, suspended Emefiele from office. Shortly after, the secret service announced that he is in its custody.

The Federal Government had also explained that the suspension was to allow an “ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy.”

BUT DSS has refuted allegation by Emefiele that he had been denied access to his family and lawyers.

The agency’s spokesman, Dr. Peter Afunanya, made the rebuttal, yesterday, in a statement, titled: “The DSS operates within its mandate.”

According to Afunanya, the celebration of news of a court order to allow Emefiele’s lawyers and family access to him is “quite unnecessary.”

He said: “He was never denied access. Ever since he was taken into custody, his family has continually accessed him. Same with medical officials. The impression that the Service is going to act on the prompting of the court is not correct.”

[Guardian]

A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has asked Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to publish details of the buildings that were demolished by the state government at Alaba International Market, located in Ojo LGA of the Lagos.

Ezekwesili noted that publishing details of each of the buildings demolished would prove that the demolition of the structures was not a political attack against Igbo community at Alaba Market.

“I have a Policy advice for @jidesanwoolu that would be helpful for all sides and the public.

“Mr Governor, please immediately publish details of each destroyed building and the dateline of Due Process rules that were exhausted by your Government before it was “removed”.

“It will be wise for the Governor to take this counsel on Transparency and Full Disclosure since it would provide evidence to the public that this is not a vengeful political attack against the predominant Igbo community in Alaba Market,” she tweeted on Tuesday via her Twitter handle @obyezeks.

Ezekwesili also advised the Lagos State government and President Bola Tinubu, not to fan embers of discord, adding that politics of vendetta does not do anyone good.

“Let me also use this opportunity to really again advise the @followlasg and its cheerleaders including @officialABAT to be careful in persisting to brew a terribly toxic atmosphere against fellow citizens since before, during and after the 2023 elections.

“Governance by maliciousness does no one any good. A word is sufficient for only the wise,” she added.

THE WHISTLER recalls that the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) had on Sunday, demolished 17 distressed structures at the market, which is dominated by people of Igbo extraction.

On Friday, LASBCA had given final warnings and vacation notices to the occupants of the affected buildings.

According to LASBCA, vacation notices were first issued in 2016, noting that others were issued in 2020, 2022 and 2023.

“These buildings marked within this ALABA International Market would have been included in the list of 349 distressed buildings earlier published in different national newspapers this year but because the occupants were always harassing our officers, it was impossible to capture the details of the structures and include them in the publication,” the General Manager of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki, had said on Friday.

“What we have done now is a joint exercise carried out by both the Lagos Task Force officers and the demolition gang of Lagos State Building Control Agency. The buildings would be demolished”, he noted.

Acknowledging the impact the demolition of the distressed buildings, which were used for commercial purpose would have on commercial activities within the market, Oki had said the buildings had to go to avoid putting the lives of innocent persons at risk.

“We know that this area is a commercial centre and one of the busiest markets in Lagos State but despite this, we cannot fold our arms and allow irregularities to continue to thrive in the market where the lives of innocent persons would be put at risk because of the failure of a few set of individuals who have refused to do the needful,” he had said.

However, some traders had alleged that the buildings were demolished because Igbos did not vote for Sanwo-Olu, in the 2023 governorship election, a claim which has been dismissed by Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the state.

Speaking with THE WHISTLER on Monday, the President of Ohanaeze in the state, Chief Ogbonna Aguene, noted that the demolition of the buildings had no political undertone, adding that vacation notices were given beforehand to the occupants.

An Appeal Court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has set aside a bench warrant of arrest issued against the former Governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi and two others.

The others are the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 elections, Tonye Cole and the Commissioner for Power in the Amaechi administration, Austine Wokocha.

The ruling followed an appeal filed by Amaechi and the others seeking the setting side of the order by a lower court.

His appeal was considered by a panel of three judges, of which two of them agreed that the order be set aside, while the other, departed.

Justice Abdul-azeez Waziri, who read the ruling that was prepared by the presiding Judge of the Court, Joseph Ikyegh, said the order by the lower court was made in defiance of the Court of Appeal.

He read that the order of arrest was given when there was already an application before the Appeal Court by Amaechi challenging the service of information on him pursuant to Section 313 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law in the state.

Reacting to the ruling, lawyer to Amaechi, Achinike Wobodo said a lower court was supposed to have respected the hierarchy of court placements in the nation’s judiciary.

On his part, one of the state government lawyers, Alphansus Sibi, accepted the position of the Appeal Court in good fate.

The warrant of arrest was issued last month by a High Court in Port Harcourt in a criminal case instituted by the Rivers State State Government.

The case involved the sell of public assets including the state’s gas turbines by the Amaechi administration to Sahara Energy, a company that is owned by Cole, a businessman turned politician.

The United Kingdom (UK) Monday simplified trading rules and cut tariffs on products from developing countries, including Nigeria, saving businesses and consumers millions of pounds a year.

The UK’s new post-Brexit Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) scheme, which entered into force yesterday, according to a statement by the British Deputy High Commission in Nigeria, covers 65 countries, including Nigeria.

It said with the new scheme, over 99% of goods exported from Nigeria would automatically be eligible for duty-free access to the UK.

It added that Nigeria would receive enhanced preferential access for almost 3,000 products.

“4.5% removed on cocoa paste, 26.5% removed on fruit juices, & 14% removed on prepared tomatoes”, the statement said.

The scheme, according to the statement, removes or reduces tariffs and simplifies trading rules so that more products qualify for the scheme, making it more generous than the EU scheme the UK was previously a member of.

The scheme will benefit developing countries looking to diversify and increase exports, driving their prosperity and creating jobs.

Minister for International Trade Nigel Huddleston who launched the scheme while on a visit to Ethiopia’s largest industrial business park, Bole Lemi, said: “This DCTS scheme is a brilliant example of the UK taking advantage of its status as an independent trading nation and I am excited to see it implemented today.”

Speaking on the launch, UK Deputy British High Commissioner in Lagos, Ben Llewellyn-Jones said: “Nigeria is one of the UK’s most important partners in Africa and the UK government is committed to working with Nigerian businesses and exporters to boost trade between our two great nations. The UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme harnesses the power of trade to help Nigeria and other emerging economies grow and prosper.

“One major benefit of this new UK trading scheme is that it abolishes tariffs on over 3000 everyday products that Nigeria currently exports including cocoa, cotton, plantain, flowers, fertilisers, tomatoes, frozen shrimps and sesame. The overarching aim of the new scheme is to grow trade with developing countries, boosting the economy and supporting jobs in those countries, as well as in ours.”