lHE GUARDIAN, Monda)! April.f ,2011
NEWS 111
Agbakoba seeks NAPEP officials' trial over N417m alleged scam
Judge hands off forgery suit against Suswam From Simeon Nwakaudu, Makurdi 'T1-IE suit filed by the defeatJ. ed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, Terver Kakih, agai nst the nomination of Governor Gabriel Suswam as the governorship cand idate o f the pa rty in Benue State has suffered a m ajor setback as the trial judge at the Federal High Cou rt, Makurdi, Abimbola Obaseki, returned the case to the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court for re-assignment. Kakih is cha ll e ng ing th e no m ination of Sus warn by the PDP on the grou nd that the governor forged his West African Examination Council (WAEC) and General Certificate of Examination
Greed, bane of Nigeria's growth, says Orubebe From Abosede Musari, Ab uja
A ,fI NISTER of Niger Delta IVlAffairs, Godsday Orubebe, has identified greed as the bane of the country's development According to rlim, Nigena is not mOving forward because of corruption, a situation in which people use their positions to acquire money than they need. The ministe r made the su~ mission while delivering a sermon yesterday at the Prayerlink Evangelical Ministries in Abuja Orubebe, who is also the founder of Glory Sanctuary Christian Centre, spoke on ',he God of All Possibilities." He enjoined the congregation to trust God for all their needs and to imbibe the spirit of giving. . Hiswords: "Govemment upon governmen~ dlere are greedy people. people steal money they don't even need. Even when they know they would win election, they still ng. That is why Nigeria is not moving forward." Orubebe charged Christians to participate in the elections by voting, stressing that "God is the only one that puts people in positions of authority."
(GeE), hence he was not q ualified to Oy the flag of the party in the April 19 governorsh ip election. The pre-election suit was filed at t he Federal High Court, Ab uja, but the co urt transferred the suit to the Federal High Cou rt, Makurdi fo r determination. AnnounCing her position in court at the weekend, Obaseki stated that her decision was premised on the petition written against her by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), cla iming that she exh ibited
bias against the party in her ruli ng on cases involving the ACN. She st.1ted that since the ACN mention ed the Kakih vs Suswam sui t in their petition, it wou ld be in the best interest of justice if she returned the case back to the Chief Judge of the Federal Hig h Court fo r re-assignment to another judge. In an interview after the ruling, counsel to Ka lah, Chima Okereke, regretted that the judge returned the suit to the Chief Judge when the peti-
tion of the ACN only mentioned the Kakih \IS Suswam suit in passing, poi n ting out that both litigants were not even ACN m embers. Okereke said: "This is a pre-election matter and we have about two weeks to the gove rnorship election. The co u rt did not appreciate where we
are coming fro m." However, counse l to Suswam, Jibrin ' Okutepa , desc r ibed th e petition against Obaseki as an attempt to intim id ate the judiC iary.
He said returning the case file to·the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court was the best decision under the circumstance, since some litigants questioned the integrity of the judge. Okutepa said the act of petitio ni ng agalrtst judge.£ was dangero u s and niiist be nipped in the bud in order to check the erosion of confidence in the judiciary. He sa id that Governor Suswam was ready to meet with the p laintiffs wherever the case was re-ass igned to.
By Bertram Nwannekanma DJRMER President of the CNigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), yesterday callei'l for the prosecution of officials of National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and Keke NAPEP Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (KORAN) over the handling of the tricycles project in which N417 mil· lion has been allegedly stolen. Agbakoba, in a petition addressed to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Moha m med Adoke (SAN), demanded a fu ll investigation and prosecution of those involved. The petition, sent on behalf of his client, Autobahn Techniques limited, was also to · the addressed Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit and the Heads of Operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Agbakoba stated that in 2002, Autobahn form ulated and proposed to the Federal Government the idea c;>f poverty alleviation in the country by providing motorised tricycles for commeraal transport bUSIness to create employment and generate business for the masses. According to him, the project, which required the bulk purchase of motorised tricycles for sale and distribution, recorded successes in its first two phases in 2002 and 2003, but that the third phase ran into difficulties due to KORAN's internal strife, making Alhaji Bashiru Adisa Akinola, a fuctional president, to allegedly connive with the management of NAPEP to convert part of the proceeds amounting to N417 million.
Court hears suit against Alao-Akala's candidature today From !yabo lawai, I b~dan "l"H ECourt of Appeal sitting in J.l badan has fiXed today for heari ng in the suit filed by some aggrieved governorshi p asp irants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the candidature of Governor Adebayo AlaoAkala in the gubernatorial race. The aggrieved leaders, former Minister of Power and Steel, Wole Oyelese and erstwhile Deputy Governor, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, had gone to court to challenge the emergence of Alao-Akala in the congress of the PDP, which they described as incondusive. Justice Jonathan Shakarho of the Federal High Court had earlier granted an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEe) from recognising Alao-Akala as the PDP candiaate, but later vacated the order. Miffed by the action of-the cou~ the plaintiflS petitioned the National Judidal Council (NJC), accusi ng Justice Shal<arho of collecting N50 million from Alae-Akala to vacate the interim order. The aggrieved cand idates, through their counsel, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN~ had proceeded to the appellate court to challenge the iJecision of the lower
court. But when the matter came up last Thursday, counsel to Alao-
ACN supporter killed in Dyo Akala and the PDP, Ch ief Richard Akinjide (SAN) and Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) respectively, urged the court to suspend hearing of the a]Jpea l pending the o utcome of the mvestigation of the allegation of bribery levelled against Shakarho. They argued that the appellate court oughtto follow the example of the lower court by adjourning sine dine to allow the National ludicial Council come up With report of its investigation of the allegation of N50 million bribery leveled against him by one of the appellants. But the appellate court, presided over by Justice Sidi Bage, said the court would be failing in its duties if it refused to aIfow Akeredolu move the motion on the application he had already filed and to which respondents have responded. Bage said: "We will rail in our duties if we do not let them move their motion. As far as the court is concerned, the application can be m oved fo r now. So, we don't go into a bigger iss ue of fair hearing. The application has been 61ed and it is necessary it was heard. We must hear him and t.1ke the counter affidavit." Ayorinde had reminded the
court that the petition to the NJC reCjuired the commission to perform a statutory duty of investigating a criminal allegation against Justice Shakarno. Now, the appellants want the appellate court to look at the same matter. If the NfC finds that the conduct of the lower court was imrroper and discipline the tria judge and your Lordships find that the orders were properly done, then there wi ll be a conOict in administration of justice." Ayori nde added. But Akeredolu (SAN) faulted the argumen t of the two lawyers and urged the court to rusregard them. The court adjourned proceedingtiUtoday. Meanwhile, a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Oyo State was on Saturday feared killed in Ogbomoso, the country home of Alao-Akala, by suspected supporters of the ru li ng Peoples Dem ocratic Party (PDP~
The ACN chieftain, Mr. Isiaka Ademola, was killed in Gbede
area of Surulere Local Council when some PDP supporters stormed the polling unit and al legedly unleashed mayhem on members of the opposition. Trouble broke out when one of the PDP chieftains, who artived the polling.centre around 11:00 a.m., oraered his thugs to attack some of the voters who are perceived as rivals. The ACN su pporters alongside Ademola were said to be on the queue when the PDP supporters artived the polli ng unit and unleashed mayhem on the voters. Ademola, who was allegedly attacked with machetes tiy the hoodlums, died afterwards as a result of injuries sustained. Four others who were also injured d uring the crisis however survived as they were treated at a nearby private hospital. . When contacted, the st.1te Police Public Relations Officer, Olatunji Ajimuda confirmed the incident but clarified that the attackers were being traced to the CAN, contrary to claims that they were supporters of the ruling party.
IVEIIV (SUMMER 2011)
OW S E L LI N
C lassic Slip- on in Ostrich Leg
Imo fanners protest against Addax From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri ('CORES of farmland owners ~ nder the aegis Okaka Oil we ll Head/Exte nsion Landlords, Awo- Omamma, Oru East Local Cou ncil of Jmo State, at dle weekend, stoi'med the premises of The Guardian to protest alleged insensitivity of Addax Petroleum to paying for their land the company acquired. TIlirty-Three landlords were involved in the protest. The proteste rs have petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan over the matter, according to their leader, Me Godwin offor and samuel Amah, secretary. They alleged that despite the two parties' agreement at Pine Wood Hotel, Owerri in 2008, Addax Petroleum had fa iled to keep its part of the 'deal that wou ld have seen them compensated for the land acquired· by dle firm. The landlords disclosed that the matter -started in 2007 when oil deposits were discovered in their farmland, which they resolved to relinquish to the company on certain terms after the latter approached them. The Guardian went to the oil firm's base in lzombe, oguta ·'->tocal Council to get their side of the issue, but its officials decl ined to speak on the matter
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