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Dariye’s trial is political vendetta ex-SSG tells court

NAN-H-109

Dariye

By Sylvester Thompson

Abuja, Oct.26, 2016 (NAN) A defence witness, Mr John Gobak, has told an FCT High Court  that the continuous trial former Plateau governor, Joshua Dariye, amounts to a political vendetta.

Gobak, who made this known when he testified in the trial on Wednesday recalled that Dariye was the target of impeachment during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government.

Gobak, a former Commissioner for Special Duties 2002 and Secretary to the State Government (SSG) 2003, was led in evidence by Mr Garba Pwul (SAN).Counsel to Dariye.

The former SSG, who is current Chairman of Plateau State Agricultural Services, Training and Marketing, said “thebtarget was the defendant”.

Gobak said;“We felt that the impeachment of 2006 was rather unfortunate because Plateau State House of Assembly has thirty-four members but about four or five of them sat to impeach the governor.

“I wondered whether the constitution was suspended to allow such a thing to take place.”

He also said that the then deputy governor, Chief Michael Botmang was not impeached along with Dariye, but was rather made a governor after `Dariye was cleared out of the way’.

“This was challenged up to the Supreme Court where judgment was given nullifying the impeachment,’’ the witness said.

Upon cross-examination by the EFCC prosecuting counsel, Gobak told the court that in all his capacity as a seasoned civil servant in Plateau, he had never handled state funds.

He also explained how contracts were awarded and the procedures involved.

As a former SSG, he said, ‘money coming in from the Federal Government are channeled into the Ministry of Finance and paid into the government account.’’

He also admitted that money coming in from the Federal Government is `supposed to be used for the purpose it was meant for.’

On whether he is loyal to Dariye or not, he replied: “I am loyal to Dariye to the extent of his being loyal to the country.’’

The witness also said that he would not support the ex-governor on anything that was not right.

Dariye is standing trial for alleged diversion of Plateau ecological fund.

Judge Adebukola Banjoko adjourned the continuation of hearing till Oct.31.

SET/OFN

Edited by Felix Nwadioha

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Kalu ask court to stop EFCC, AGF from transferring case to Lagos
NAN-H-108
Kalu
By Wandoo Sombo
Abuja, Oct. 26, 2016 (NAN) Former Abia governor Orji Kalu has asked the Federal High Court, Abuja to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Attorney General of the Federation to prosecute his case in the Abuja.

Kalu , in a motion ex parte, also sought the leave of the court to apply for the issuance of an order of mandamus.

This is to compel the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, the third defendant in the suit to remit his case file which was transferred to Lagos, back to Abuja for continuation of hearing.

He made the application through his legal team comprising five Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN); Mr Awa kalu, Mr Mike Ozekhome, Mr Solomon Akuma Mr Nwufo and Mr Gordi Uche.

He further asked for an order that the leave so granted shall operate as a stay of all actions relating to or connected with the case, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

Attached to the application was a supporting affidavit of 16 paragraphs and an affidavit of urgency deposed to by Ikechukwu Njoku, a legal practitioner.

According to the deponent, the suit brought against Kalu commenced in 2007 after he left office as the executive governor of Abia.

That after he left office, the applicant did not contest any elective office because he wanted to retire to a private and quiet life in his village, Igbere in Abia.

However, due to the case brought against him by the EFCC, he temporarily relocated to Abuja to face trial alongside others charged with him.

After he entered his plea of not guilty to all the charges and was subsequently granted bail by the court, his trial was delayed by some interlocutory applications that travelled to the Supreme Court.

That in 2016, the Supreme Court ordered that the case be returned to the Abuja division of the Federal High Court for trial.

That acting in strict compliance with the judgment of the Supreme Court, the Chief judge of the Federal High Court assigned the case to Justice Anuli Chikere for trial.

The deponent further said that the court alongside the prosecution and defence team agreed for three clear dates and the matter was adjourned to Oct. 6, Oct.7, and Oct. 8,  for definite trial.

And that thereafter, all the parties left the court to prepare for the adjourned dates.

He said it was surprising that without consultation with other parties, the EFCC, the prosecuting agency asked the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for a transfer of the case to Lagos.

The applicant further stated that the chief judge yielded to their request and transferred the matter to the Lagos judicial division of the Federal High Court.

In addition, Kalu told the court that he had been standing trial since 2007 and had never failed to appear in court on any of the adjourned dates.

He expressed his willingness to face his trial before any Judge in Abuja or in Umuahia were the alleged offences were committed.

He stated further that transferring a nine-year-old case from Abuja to Lagos was for persecution and not prosecution.

While accusing the prosecuting agency of engaging in forum shopping for a convenience court to convict him, he averred that he temporarily resides in Abuja and his team of lawyers all reside in Abuja.(NAN)
WSOFN

Edited by Felux Nwadioha  (more…)

NAN-H-112

Economy

By Bukola Adewumi

Abuja, Oct. 26,2016 (NAN) Mr Ifeanyi Odedo, President of Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International Nigeria (FGBMFI), says its forthcoming convention will also project Nigeria’s huge economy to participants.

Odedo said this at the news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

“ We also plan to promote Nigeria’s huge economic potentials to our participants especially those coming from outside the country and across the states of the federation to Abuja for Africa 2016.

“ We are in contact with the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) as well as other trade and investment promotional agencies for this purpose.’’

According to him, the convention will attract over 30,000 participants from over 25 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe with the theme: “Do Business till I come.’’

He said the convention was designed to give a divine cutting edge to ongoing spiritual, social and economic reengineering of the country as the nation fights against insurgency, militancy, recession and corruption.

“The convention is coming at an auspicious time in the life of the nation and we hope to amplify the message for a complete re-orientation of our national ethos through spiritual rebirth.

He said “as Christian leaders, we have a vital role to play in restoring the fortunes of this great nation by waging war on corruption and making efforts to get Nigeria out of the woods of economic recession.’’

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for securing release of 21 abducted Chibok girls and the return of Nigeria on the economic scale as the largest economy in Africa.

Mr Victor Emmanuel, Secretary of the group, said the vision of FGBMI-Nigeria was to build a vast global movement of laymen and see men transformed by God.

He said full gospel had evolved over the time to build social capital and expand business networks among folks of like mind.

“In Nigeria, we have 3200 chapters and about 195 chapters in FCT.’’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the 2016 Africa convention is scheduled to hold from Nov 16 -19on Abuja. (NAN)

BOL/AK/IEA
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Edited by Akin Makanjuola/Idahosa Asowata

Businessmen fellowship to showcase Nigeria’s economic potentials to foreigners

NAN-HE-27

Economy

By Bukola Adewumi

Abuja, Oct. 26,2016( NAN) The Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International Nigeria (FGBMFI), has said that it is poised to showcase Nigeria’s huge economic potentials to foreign participants at its forthcoming 2016 African convention.

Mr Ifeanyi Odedo, FGBMFI President, said this at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

The convention is aimed at promoting Nigeria’s economy.

“ We plan to promote Nigeria’s huge economic potentials to our participants, especially those coming from outside the country and across states of the federation.

“ We are already in contact with the Nigeria Export Promotion Council as well as other trade and investment promotional agencies for this purpose.’’

According to him, the convention will attract over 30,000 participants from over 25 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe.

He added that the congregation was designed to give a divine cutting edge to the ongoing spiritual, social and economic re-engineering of the country.

This, Odedo said, was especially important as the country struggled to fight insurgencies, militancy, recession and corruption.

“ The convention is coming at an auspicious time in the life of the nation and we hope to amplify the message for a complete re-orientation of our national ethos through spiritual rebirth.

“ As christian leaders, we have a vital role to play in restoring the fortunes of this great nation by waging war on corruption.’’

Odedo stressed that Christian leaders should make efforts to get Nigeria out of the woods of economic recession by joining forces with government.

He, however, commended President Mohammadu Buhari for the recent release of the 21 abducted Chibok school girls.

He also congratulated the Federal Government on the recent rating of Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa by the International Monetary Fund (IFM).

Mr Victor Emmanuel, Secretary of the group, said the vision of FGBMI-Nigeria was to build a vast global movement and see men transformed by God.

He said the FGBMI had evolved over the years to a place of acquaintance to build social capital and expand business networks among folks of like mind.

According to him, the FGBMI in Nigeria has 3,200 chapters with about 195 chapters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2016 Africa convention is scheduled to hold from Nov. 16-19 in Abuja.(NAN).

BOL/EEM/IA

Edited Emmanuel Mogbede/Idris Abdulrahman

Tax defaulters risk jail term in Kwara

NAN-HE-19
Tax

By Olayinka Owolewa
Ilorin, Oct ,26, 2016 (NAN) Corporate organisations and taxable adults that fail to pay tax in Kwara stand the risk of imprisonment upon prosecution and conviction by a competent court.
The Director, Enforcement, Legal and Monitoring, Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWiRS), Dr. Isaac Gbenle, gave the warning in a statement on Wednesday in Ilorin.

He said the revenue body would commence the enforcement of relevant tax laws in November.

According to him, enforcement of road taxes will commence between the first week of November and first week of December.

He also said enforcement of Property and Tenement rates and taxes on Ccrporate organisations would start in the first week in November.

Gbenle said KWIRS had put all necessary machinery in place for the enforcement of tax policies, warning that “failure to comply will be met with prosecution”.

The director enjoined all tax payers in the state to check the status of their tax liabilities to ensure  compliance with the true elements of the law.

Gbenle advised the people to seek assistance at the Tax Payers Advocacy Unit of the KWIRS.

He said the agency had, since it took off in 2015, done assessment of tax potentials after which it embarked on collection and now moving on to the enforcement stage.

Gbenle said KWIRS was concerned about informing the people appropriately about the need to pay tax as their civic responsibilities. (NAN)

OOH/IA

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Army confirms return of missing soldiers in Borno
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Soldiers
Maiduguri, Oct. 26, 2016(NAN) The Nigerian Army said on Wednesday that a sizeable number of the 39 soldiers declared missing after last week suspected Boko Haram insurgents’ attack in the border town of Gashigar in Borno, had returned.

Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Theater Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, stated this while briefing newsmen in Maiduguri.

“It is true that about 39 soldiers were declared missing.

” I want to inform you that a sizeable number of our soldiers had returned to base,” Irabor said.

He, however, admitted that a few soldiers were yet to be found.

“I think it is only a handful that have not been found,” Irabor said declining to state their exact number.

He said that the military was engaged in an ongoing operation to uproot the terrorists from the area.

“Operations are ongoing in the area.

” I think that we will give you the details in due course, ” Irabor said.

He also said that the military was focused on rescuing the remaining Chibok girls from the Boko Haram terrorists in spite of the release of the 21 girls by the insurgents.

“We have a task before us that anyone held by the Boko Haram terrorists must be rescued.

” We will do everything possible to rescue them, ” Irabor said.

He said that the military had recorded progress in its quest to apprehend collaborators of the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East.

“So far, we have arrested 30 suspects in connection with the crime of collaborating with the terrorists.

” We have four soldiers, two policemen, vigilantes and other civilians,” Irabor said.

He said that the suspects were under going interrogation to determine their level of involvement in the crime.

Irabor, however, declined to give their identifies.

“For some reasons we can not give out their names for now.

“But we will do that at the end of the investigation, ” he said. (NAN)
ABI/MOL/AMY

Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Abdullahi Yusuf

VC urges FG to enforce ban on imported foods

NAN-H-30
Advice
Dutse, Oct. 26, 2016 (NAN) The Vice Chancellor of Federal University Dutse, Jigawa, Prof. Fatima Mukhtar, on Wednesday advised the Federal Government to enforce the ban on importation of food items.

Mukhtar gave the advice at a Special Lecture Series in a paper presented on “Agricultural Biotechnology: Opportunities and challenges.

She urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to succumb to critics on the policy banning the importation of some food products.

The vice chancellor explained that the step taken by the present administration to stop the importation of food items like rice, noting that it will help in boosting food production in the country.

According to her, the decision taken by government is a tough one but it must remain focussed for the future of the country.

“I know people have been making noise about the new policy of the government, but it must remain resolute in ensuring the country attain food security,” she said.

Mukhtar noted that the expectation was that by 2050, the population of the country must have increased to 440 million and that would pose serious challenge if action was not taken now.
The vice chancellor also advised the federal government to concentrate more on crop production that would help in providing food for the citizenry than using such land for biofuel or energy plant production. (NAN)
MS/MST/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-AE-103
Cotton
Dutse, Oct. 26, 2016 (NAN) The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University Dutse (FUD), Prof. Fatima Mukhtar, on Wednesday, urged the Federal Government to promote the use of Genetic Modification Organism (GMO) for non- consumable products as cotton for export.

Mukhtar gave this advice at a Special Lecture Series in a paper presented on ‘Agricultural Biotechnology: Opportunities and Challenges for Nigeria’ in Dutse.

She noted that there had been controversies on the use of GMO in engineering some crop production for consumption.

The Vice-Chancellor, who is also an agriculturalist, advised the government to key into biotechnology, especially in the area of cotton production for export.

She explained that a country as India was doing well on cotton production with the use of GMO.

Mukhtar opined that one method of farming would not guarantee Nigeria food security, hence the need to embrace all the available techniques to get the desired results.

The Vice Chancellor, who recalled some past government programmes as Green Revolution and Operation Feed the Nation, said the introduction of biotechnology would help the country to achieve food security.

She, therefore, tasked the nation’s scientists to further research into Genetic Engineering and enlighten the public about their findings, so as to clear the air on the controversies so far generated. (NAN)
MS/MOL/YEMI

Edited by Mustapha Lamidi

Controlled by Yemi Idris-Aduloju

NAN-H-102
Support
Isaac Aregbesola
Abuja, Oct. 26, 2016 (NAN) The General Superintendent, Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, on Wednesday,
urged Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari in his efforts to end recession in the country.

He made the call during a media interaction on the forthcoming crusade with the theme “Emancipation Crusade”, scheduled to hold on Oct.
30 at the National Stadium, Abuja.

The cleric, who was represented by Pastor Joshua Esho, the State Overseer, Deeper Life Bible Church, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said
there was need to exercise patience with the Buhari-led government.

He said “we are passing through recession but it will not continue forever because God will solve every problem.

“I am still reiterating what I have said about the policies of this government that came in not up to two years.

“Nigerians should exercise patience with the government and it is not late because they have not done half of their tenure; we are to cooperate
with the government.

“I don’t think criticism is what the government needs now. I believe it will be successful because God has something for this country.”

Kumuyi also said that the Church had declared that FCT being the heart of the nation would be visited by God through the Emancipation Crusade.

He expressed optimism that through crusade, there would be spiritual freedom, economic re-bounce and new horizon of hope for Nigeria.

“Our getting out of the dark tunnel of recession is very close, and there is nothing to worry about,” he added.

He then assured FCT residents that during the crusade, God would greatly manifest His supernatural wonders and break every bond of sin and wickedness.

He described the crusade as mother of all crusades held in the FCT “where God would set the people free from every yoke upon their lives as they approach the New Year.

“We can hear the joy of freedom at the National Stadium come Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016.

“We assure the people that this day and date will remain unforgettable and a time of outpouring of God’s supernatural power upon them.’’

He highlighted ongoing preparation for the crusade and logistics put in place to ensure

the success of the crusade, saying that participants were expected from the 10 regions
that made the Deeper Life Bible Church in the FCT.

The regions according to him include Abuja, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Lugbe Karmo, Kubwa, Kuje, Kwali, Nyanya, and Orozo.

He said that the Church had already made adequate transportation arrangements for participants.

Also, security at the venue had been guaranteed as relevant security agencies would be on ground to protection lives and property in and outside the main bowl of the stadium.

He said vehicular movement would be properly coordinated by the respective traffic agencies, while medical team would to be present at strategic points to attend to urgent medical issues.

“And we want to make mention that all participants will be thoroughly screened before gaining entrance into the venue”, he stressed. (NAN)
IAA/EEM/HA
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(Edited by Emmanuel Mogbede/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu)

Borno NURTW denies extortion by military on highways
NAN-DS-7
Denial
Maiduguri, Oct. 26, 2016(NAN) The Borno chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NUTRW) has denied media reports that soldiers on escort duty on highways collect money from drivers before performing their duty.

Some media reports had alleged that the soldiers collect up to N100,000 before escorting vehicles on Maiduguri-Dikwa- Gamboru-Ngala highway.

Malam Musa Ahamadu, the Borno NURTW secretary, told a news conference in Maiduguri on wednesday that the report was untrue.

“Anybody who told you that the soldiers are collecting money from passengers is not telling the truth.

“I challenge such person to come out and prove the allegation,” Ahamadu said.

He, said, however, that officials of the union were always at the check points to collect union fees.

“It is true that we are always around to collect union fees from the drivers.

“This money is a token amount charged for the running of the union all over the country,” Ahamadu said.

He attributed the partial closure of the highway by the military to destruction by heavy rains.

“It is true that movement from Maiduguri to Gamboru has been disrupted for some time.

“In fact, for the past 30 days the road had been closed due to its bad condition.

“The military felt bad about the prolonged closure and asked us to try and do something about it.

“So, the Chairman of the union led some members to see things for themselves and we were shocked to find out that the road was in terrible condition from Dikwa to Gamboru,” he said.

Ahamadu said that the union was able to repair the bad portion of the road using trucks of sand.

“We evacuated 18 broken down vehicles before eventually repairing the road,” the secretary said.
Ahamadu said that the prolonged closure of the highway had led to scarcity of foodstuff in Gamboru.

“We realised that an ordinary cube of Maggi was going for as much as N20, so also were other commodities.

“So, on getting the information the military decided that trucks carrying foodstuff must be given priority before others, that was why they allowed them first,” he said.

Ahamadu said it was not true that the military gave priority to the trucks because they were collecting higher amount from them.

Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Theater Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, also said that the military did not need assistance from civilians to perform their duty of escorting vehicles on the highways.

“It is absurd to say that soldiers are collecting N200,000, or even N10 from truck drivers before escorting them.

“We do not need any assistance in terms of logistics to carry out our functions.

“Even if we need such assistance we will pass our request to the appropriate quarters and not through extorting drivers.

“I think that journalists need to be balancing their reports and consider national interest,” Irabor said.(NAN)
ABI/AMY
Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf