Police Force headquarters in Abuja yesterday invited President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to answer questions relating to what the Police referred to as allegations indicting him from confessions of five gang leaders arrested for participation in the April 5 Offa bank robberies and killings of 33 innocent persons.

President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed

The Police said the five gang leaders in the Offa bank robbery which left a bloody trail, that claimed the lives of nine (9) police officers, volunteered statements that they were political thugs of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed.

Fast becoming legend with his penchant for writing open letters on national issues, A-list comedian and social commentator, Francis Agoda, publicly known as I Go Dye has written yet another letter to the President, Muhammadu Buhari on why it would be a waste of money to celebrate the May 29th Democracy Day.

 

                     I Go Dye-Buhari

The humour merchant categorically stated in the letter that there’s nothing to celebrate, pointing out that, as long as corruption reigns supreme in every facet of our lives as a nation and as a people, there would never be any cause to celebrate.

I Go Dye paints a sordid picture of a country in distress and bemoans the plight of its people who have been deprived of a decent standard of living, while decrying the inability of government to come to their aid by allowing corruption to hold sway.

Read his letter in full

“

I cannot disagree with the fact that corruption is the fundamental problem mitigating against the progress of my beloved country.

First, let me take us back to how the youths have been denied a means of livelihood because of corruption. Millions of graduates have been roaming our streets, some let go of their pride and started to ride Okada just for survival, while others forsake their professional expertise to go into other vocational ventures, yet they were provisions for employment but some group of persons have been using non existing names to defraud the nation, collecting salaries which is estimated to be over 2trillion Naira within this period, as ghost workers.

What have they done to us by this action? They have increased unemployment, made it almost impossible for the youths to get married at an early age, because we have millions of unemployed youths who should have been more productive but whose destiny to early progress have been short changed.

Today, we send our children to private schools because corruption has made it impossible to invest the funds approved for our public educational institutions. We find ourselves in long queues in the hospital without enough doctors, resulting in strikes occasioned by corruption and lack of administrative standard.

Today, we privatize our power sector, yet billions of dollars was paid to support them and they keep rationing the light, because the distribution companies have refused to expand their capacity to supply light to the end users because of corruption, apportioning the bulk of the light to the those that can pay for it while the rest of us keep hoping for a better day.

Corruption has made people to sell their birth right, support and sponsor violence against this country all in a bid to be awarded security contracts and continue their exploitative endeavours of milking the country. How would one imagine the voluntary negligence of the ex service chiefs’ facing corruption charges today. We cannot feel the pain of the families who have died in the cause of protecting this nation as soldiers or military officers. Corruption is the cause of IDP camps in Nigeria today.

I stand to be corrected but I am of the firm believe that a man expecting money from the state, who is provided with the basic social amenities of food, housing, clothing and health care support cannot rise up against the state, or become available to be used as militia herdsmen, Boko Haram, militant or other related anti social vices. Corruption created violence in Nigeria today.

As a people, most especially the youths, we should realise that national pride comes first, we should not wait to be reminded, before we use our greatness to rebuild this nation, otherwise what kind of country do we want to pass over to our children’children?

The time has come for us to ask what has been happening to our collective wealth, who, how and what did they do with the money? Obviously, today we cannot sleep with our eyes closed without nursing the fear of being kidnapped or robbed by someone, who the corrupt leaders have placed in a position of low self esteem and the fear of being kidnapped or robbed by someone, who the corrupt leaders have placed in a position of low self esteem and the fear of survival has created in him the notion that crime is the only available option to compete favourably in the midst of little or no opportunity .

Corruption is killing our mothers and young children on a daily basis, because the funds meant for healthcare and proper management of our hospitals have often been diverted by someone in authority.

Today, we still have the highest mortality rate of mother and child casualties because of corruption. It’s beyond religious and ethnic boundaries, it’s an epidemic that lives with us like our shadows. It affects you, that now pay for security protection, you, that travel abroad for check up, you, that send your children abroad for education, you that sleep every day in church praying that God should provide food for your household, you, that is in the university and your script will be missing just because you refuse to settle or ball with your lecturer, the list is endless. So why should we all not fight against corruption?

Millions of Nigerians have lost hope in our educational institutions for obvious reasons of corruption, where school fees are paid and privileges are later denied that the courses or university is not accredited to offer such certificate programs. My question is, at what point will all this stop, if we continue like this?

Let’s examine the current case of law graduates from the National Open University of Nigeria who have been denied access to Law School after spending millions to acquire the legal knowledge. The money spent is not returned, privileges are denied and their hopes have been destroyed.

Corruption has made it impossible for our pensioners not to receive their life time savings after serving their father land for 35years? This issue is beyond religious beliefs, it is the major problem against our spiritual lives in this country today,

We have to speak and build our national pride, we must take patriotism as a virtue that must come first, it is so important , without it no nation can be built.

The glories of the western countries where we send our children to school and have quality living for ourselves was built by the citizens of that nation, how long shall we continue to live like third class citizens in a foreign land?

Regardless of what we enjoy today as elites and successful people, our prosperity cannot be easily transferred to all our children, let’s work to build a country devoid of corruption, a place where children, youths and our mothers will not wallow in pain of starvation and poverty.

I employ and beg all Nigerians, irrespective of where you find yourself to join anyone fighting corruption, because it’s not a personal fight, it’s a just fight to build the future for the next generation and make the world better than how we met it. 

UNITED Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, yesterday in Lagos, asked the Federal Government to name those behind the ghost workers said to have been uncovered by President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC, government.

 

Reacting to President Buhari Democracy Day speech, ULC in a statement through its President, Mr. Joe Ajaero, berated the government over alleged insensitivity to the plight of Nigerian workers, expressing shock that the President did not deem it necessary to mention the issue of national minimum wage that workers had been clamouring for.

According to ULC, “the President’s address on Democracy Day fed us with the discovery of thousands of ghost workers and the billions of Naira saved in the process.

“While this is good if it is not the usual propaganda, we believe government should go beyond that and show us the faces of the people behind the ghost workers syndrome.

“If there are ghost workers, there will be those benefiting from it, there will be accounts receiving such funds. There will be Bank Verification Number, BVN, associated with such accounts and, ultimately, there will be names linked with such BVNs.

“We believe that for the anti-corruption battle to have any meaning, this government must identify such individuals and prosecute them in the courts of law.”

ABUJA——A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Gudu, yesterday, convicted and sentenced former governor of Taraba State, Rev. Jolly Nyame, to 14 years imprisonment without the option of fine.

 

Trial Justice Adebukola Banjoko found the defendant guilty on 27 of the 41-count charge of money laundering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him.

Specifically, the court sentenced Nyame to 14 years for criminal breach of trust, two years for misappropriation, seven years for gratification and five years for obtaining valuable public property without consideration.

 

The court held that the sentence would run concurrently, even as it discharged the defendant on 14 counts of the charge.

Justice Banjoko, who gave the verdict after she turned down Nyame’s plea for leniency, said she was “morally outweighed by facts of the case.”

She said: “Citizens of Taraba had elected the defendant, a clergyman, on three separate occasions to govern them, which shows constant level of trust. The expectation must have been so high.

“As a reverend, he must have been seen as an epitome of morality, piety and everything good. How will Reverend Nyame begin to explain to people of Taraba State his actions and inactions?  How can he justify causing such a colossal loss to the state?”

Catalogue of crimes

The judge, who maintained that the defendant committed “catalogue of crimes” a month before he vacated office, “while under intense searchlight from security agencies,” said the court would be failing in its responsibility if it failed to impose the full sanction.

According to the judge, evidence before the court showed that while officials that served under the defendant were returning their loot to the EFCC after they were questioned, Nyame “was still busy committing more crime.”

The court stressed that one of such crimes included N100 million the defendant withdrew from the state’s treasury to host former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who paid a one-day visit to Taraba State in 2007.

The judge said after she carefully examined all the evidence EFCC tendered before the court, she concluded that it was “either the defendant entered into office without a corrupt mind and became corrupted, or he was corrupted ab-initio.

“There was such a crazy level of corruption in the air in Taraba State Ministry of Finance. It is, however, amazing that none of the officials was arraigned,” Justice Banjoko added.

She held that Nyame “behaved like a common thief with unbridled greed,” saying his sentence would serve as a deterrent to other public office holders.

The court directed EFCC to return all the funds it recovered in the process of its investigation into the case to the coffers of Taraba State.

The judgment came 11 years after Nyame, who held sway as governor of Taraba State from May 29, 1999, to May 29, 2007, was docked by the anti-graft agency over allegation that he looted public funds to the tune of N1.64 billion.

The prosecution, in the charge dated May 13, 2007, told the court that the former governor perpetuated the fraud between January 2005 and May 2007, through various bogus contracts.

Nyame had pleaded not guilty to the charge, which he insisted was not only incompetent but also brought against him in bad faith.

N250m contract for bulk purchase of stationery

Meanwhile, in the over 300-paged judgment that lasted over six hours, trial Justice Banjoko said there was a nexus between Nyame and the fictitious N250 million contract awarded for the bulk purchase of stationery and office equipment.

Justice Banjoko noted that Nyame had through his then Commissioner of Finance, Alhaji Abubakar Tutare, approved a memo for that contract, which was awarded to a firm, Saman Global Ventures, on January 1, 2005, sidelining key officials of the Ministry of Finance in the process.

….As APC bars Ajomale, other third term executives from re-contesting

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

 

lagos—As part of preparations towards 2019 general elections, All Progressives Congress, APC, National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, yesterday, said the party fought hard for the conduct of congress against all odds and got it for true party democracy.

                                                   Bola Tinubu

He also announced ban on members who had spent a minimum of eight years as ward, council and state executive members from seeking re-election in its congresses across the state and by extension to all APC- controlled states.

The announcement came barely 24 hours after Tinubu congratulated his party for embarking on the congresses inspite of oppositions, saying: “It is the way to go in building and upholding a truly democratic political party.”

Tinubu, who announced the ban at the party Secretariat of the Lagos chapter, at ACME Road, Ikeja, during a  stakeholders meeting with leadership and members of the party ahead of the May Congress, stressed that the decision was arrived at to inject new blood, new ideals, new development into the executives at all levels.

According to him, “The decision was to allow fresh people to occupy party offices at ward, local government and state levels with a view to taking the APC to the next level in the state.”

Tinubu commended the 68-member National Convention Committee headed by Governor Abubakar Badaru, saying:

“I congratulate the Chairman and members of the Congresses/Convention Committee of our party. Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, who is the chairman of the committee, is a man reputed to be of high character and integrity. Working with other members of the committee, I’m persuaded that our party would conduct hitch-free congresses at all levels and the national convention.

“I also congratulate our party for embarking on the congresses against all odds. This is the way to go if we are desirous of building and upholding a truly democratic political party. Our ultimate goal should be the greater interest of the party.”

Tinubu, at the meeting which was well attended said: “We fought hard against tenure elongation and now we are going to have our congresses. You sent a message through our leader, Oluyole Olusi, on behalf of Lagos that we don’t want tenure elongation. Ever since, we have worked tirelessly. Now the council has agreed that there will be congress. Congress committee members have been inaugurated yesterday (Monday) with Governor Badaru of Jigawa as the chairman.”

ABA—FORMER Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has urged members of the APC in the state to work together to ensure the party wins the governorship position in the 2019 general election.

Orji Kalu

Kalu who stated this at an APC stakeholders meeting in Umuahia decried the infighting and disunity among members of the APC in Abia and called for change, stressing that the party must put its house together to defeat the ruling PDP in the state.

He alleged that some members of the party in the state had been hobnobbing with the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu administration to undermine the APC’s resolve to win the governorship position in 2019.

He said: “We need to save the APC in Abia and give it a direction. We want to have one strong APC in Abia. We want to see one APC that belongs to all of us. If anyone goes against the party, he must be punished. Let there be peace in Abia APC. I don’t want us to be going to Abuja and reporting ourselves. Because of the time we are entering, we won’t allow this party to disintegrate in Abia.

“We made a promise to our leaders that we will win all the positions in Abia in 2019. But we can’t return APC when we are quarrelling. We can’t win when we say this man is for Nyerere Anyim, this one is for Ikechi Emenike.”

ABUJA—Police and men of Department of State Services, DSS, yesterday, laid siege to Maitama residence of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West).

Senator Dino Meleye : Policemen barricaded Senator Dino Meleye’s House at Maitama

Speaking with Vanguard  on telephone when the security agents surrounded his 11, Sangha Street, off Mississippi, Maitama,  Senator Melaye  said: “The Police have surrounded  my house.”

Melaye had earlier tweeted about the incident, saying over 30 armed security personnel had surrounded his residence.

See photos of Protesters, Policemen at Dino Meleye’s house at Maitama

On the street on which he house is situated, yesterday, there was no vehicular movement from the beginning and end of the road for all passers- by and other residents of the area as the place was  condoned off, just as the mobile police men blocked both sides of the road with pick-up vans, buses and other cars.

The policemen were led to the residence by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, John, who despite pressure from journalists refused to give reasons for the action  only said the instruction was from above.

Stop Senators from entering Melaye’s residence

They prevented Senator Melaye’s colleagues who trooped to the place to sympathise with him from entering into Melaye’s house, even when they spoke with the leader of the police team.

Senator Dino Meleye : Policemen barricaded Senator Dino Meleye House at Maitama yesterday . Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.

Some Senators who were at the place, include Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti South), Philip Adudu (PDP, FCT), Rafiu Ibrahim (APC, Kwara South), Isa Hamman Misau (APC, Bauchi Central) and Atai Aidoko (PDP, Kogi East).

Also at the place, but not allowed to see Melaye was a former Senator, Mohammed Ohiare (Kogi Central).

The number of the police was increased to more than 10 at about 4p.m., this time, Mobile Police men who came in a police van with registration number NPF 3637 D and donated by CBN and body of Banks CEOs, inscribed on both sides of the van.

Also, protesters from Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camp, Kuchigoro, Airport Road, Abuja, stormed Senator Melaye’s residence  where they vowed not to allow the Police to arrest him, whom they described as their benefactor who has been assisting them.

The arrest

Melaye was earlier, yesterday, arrested by the Police at the International Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

Senator Dino Melaye

He was picked up at the airport on his way to Morocco for an official engagement sponsored by the Federal Government after checking in.

Melaye had written  his Facebook account in the morning, saying: “I have just been arrested at the International Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport on my way to Morocco for an official engagement sponsored by the Federal Government after checking in.”

Meanwhile,  Melaye, who was arrested by Immigration officials, escaped moves by the police to secure his arrest.

It was gathered that Melaye was picked up and detained by Immigration officials at the airport, following a directive to that effect by the Nigeria Police.

NIJASPY  also gathered that the Immigration officials told Melaye that the Police had written the service requesting his arrest as he was not allowed to travel out of the country since his name was on the watchlist.

Senator Dino Meleye : Policemen barricaded Senator Dino Meleye’s House at Maitama

At this point, the lawmaker was said to have challenged the officials demanding to know at what point his name was published as a wanted person on INTERPOL’s watchlist.

Unable to provide answers to Melaye’s question, the Immigration officials, nevertheless, kept Melaye in detention awaiting the arrival of the police that gave the directive for his arrest.

But in between the time of Melaye’s arrest and detention by Immigration officials, the attention of INTERPOL’s Commissioner of Police was sought in a bid to solicit his imm

Former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Chief Olisa Agbakoba SAN, is the leader of the National Intervention Movement, which is aimed at working towards using the 2019 elections to produce a new crop of leaders for the country. In this phone interview with DAILY POST, he spoke on a wide-range of issues and harped on the need for Nigeria to be rescued from its “worst” state that the President Muhammadu Buhari government using the forthcoming 2019 elections. Sylvester Ugwuanyi brings you excerpts…

Is there any relationship between the national intervention movement and the Coalition for Nigeria Movement, CNM, being promoted by former president, Olusegun Obasanjo?

There’s no relation between both (NIM and CNM). The Obasanjo own came much later. Obasanjo’s group came over maybe six months after ours had been established. We are not the same organization. The whole idea is that we should all be able to form a strong political movement that will make the 2019 elections viable, credible and fair and produce new set of political actors. There are so many movements, there is the NIM, the Tunde Bakare movement, there is the Obasanjo movement, there is Oby Ezekwesili movement; there is that of Charlyboy.

Is the possibility that all these movements will merge into a political front in the build up to 2019?

“What is important is to work towards a common agenda. Whether we merge or not, is not the issue. The issue is that do we all agree that our political and economic condition is in a terrible state. And if so, what can we do about it, particularly for 2019. That is the main issue.

Would you say you have the same agenda with that of Obasanjo’s group?

Of course!

Some persons allege that Obasanjo is merely trying to install one of his loyalists as president come 2019, what’s your reaction to that?

I’m not interested in allegations. I’m interest in facts. The fact is that Nigeria is not in good shape today and the second fact is how can we make Nigeria a better place? Whoever is on the same page with me to stop Nigeria’s descent into anarchy is my friend. I am not interested in whether the person was a bad man in the past or whatever. My eye is focused on the goal of making Nigeria a better place by 2019 which means we have a great interest in the way the election will turn out, and we have a great interest in who becomes the Nigerian president.

A lot of people have stated that the time before 2019 is practically too short… (Cuts in)

For me, the answer to that is that it is better to do something than to sit down at home and complain. I hope you’re not suggesting that because the time is short and things are getting bad, nobody should talk. That would not be a viable alternative. So it’s best to do something, it’s best to do something. It’s best not to complain about what people are doing. It’s better to encourage them. Here is something new. Let us see how it will play out because we are all Nigerians. We all know that we have had a rough time at the hands of APC so-called change party. So, it is not whether we are merging with Obasanjo’s group or whether the time is too short. What is important is that can we achieve our goals towards 2019 successfully. And if so, how? Those are the important questions.

What really is your strategy towards making an impact in the 2019 elections?

Part of what we are doing is the fact that you are interviewing me on the issue. This goes to show that there is something different that people are looking. There is a momentum and national anger that we can really-really tap into. We have canvassed very heavily for people to make sure they have their voter card because without their voter card, they can complain all they like and remember that there are potential things we can do. The first is to make sure Nigeria gets new political actors in 2019 and for me, that is enough achievement. The icing on the cake is that we would be part of those actors to make sure that there is no derailme

By Demola Akinyemi

ILORIN-Inspector General of Police(IGP), Mr. Mr. Ibrahim Idris has ordered the transfer of the Kwara state police commissioner, Alhaji Lawan Ado with immediate effect.

IGP Ibrahim Kpotun-Idris, Governors, traditional rulers and guests during the Northern states stakeholders security summit held in Kaduna on Wednesday

Consequently, Mr. Idris has named Mr. Aminu Pai Saleh as the new police commissioner for the state.

Sources close to the state police command in Ilorin Friday told Vanguard that, the state police commissioner, Mr. Ado has been redeployed to Police College in Kaduna.‎

We reliably gathered that his transfer might not be unconnected with the recent attack of five bank robbery that happened Offa in Offa local government council of the state.

But sources at the police headquarters however told Vanguard that‎ the transfer was routine,and that it had nothing to do with the handling of Offa bank robbery.

According to the source, “If anything,the CP tried his best in his handling of Offa bank robbery incident before it was transferred,and he got commendations from everywhere,not any complain”

The attack officially claimed about 17 lives including 9 policemen while several people who also sustained serious injuries and now recuperating at both University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and General Hospital, Ilorin.

Meanwhile,no fewer than thirty persons were reportedly killed in the bloody bank robbery.

In view of the unfortunate development,the IGP also deployed two mobile units of the police force to Offa,even as some arrest had been made in connection with the attack.

Among the prime suspects in police net is Mr. Kayode Opadokun, son of the foremost activist, Chief Ayo Opadokun.

Saleh who was until his new appointment was in charge of Police College, Kaduna.

Sources added that, the new commissioner of police, Mr. Saleh would resume duty in Ilorin today(Friday)

Contacted, the state police command Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ajayi Okasanmi who confirmed the redeployment of former commissioner of police, Alhaji Ado to Police College, Kaduna however declined further comment on the new posting of his former boss.

This was made known to newsmen by the Public Relation Officer of the group, Jimmy Kadiri Imoh, expressing the group’s support for Dr. Mike Omotosho as the authentic National Chairman of Labour Party. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Speaking, Kadiri said

             

 “Voice out Vanguard is solidly behind the authentic Chairman of Labour Party, Dr. Mike Omotosho. You may recall that Omotosho led administration has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission before a Federal High court in Abuja with submissions to reconcile the challenges and delays behind INEC’s position and undemocratic disposition to the results of the recently concluded national convention held in Abuja. 

“Though, the matter is ongoing but the issues brought before the court is to ensure that INEC discharges its duty by effecting the result of the national convention held last year by the Labour Party to authenticate the position of Dr. Omotosho as national chairman of Labour Party,” 

the PRO stressed. He also highlighted several situations and particularly the petition and alleged embezzlement of funds belonging to the party, as well as his refusal to  appear before a disciplinary committee which was set up to consider the allegations against him before the 3rd October 2017 special convention. 

“Constitutionally, the party reserves the right to suspend and sack any elected office holder, whose conduct is unacceptable and unconstitutional in the party. It’s over 180 days since the necessary report was communicated to INEC, but till today the commission has refused to do the needful. Despite several reactions by groups, youth Organisations from different quarters, INEC has ignored their voices. 

Considering, the overall situation, it is obvious that prospective aspirants would be scared to run under the party’s platform, as a result of the intraparty controversies which has choked the stability of Labour party,” 

Kadiri said. However, the PRO concluded by urging INEC to stop collaborating with Alhaji Abdulsalam in destroying Labour Party and destabilizing the image of the party.

On Thursday, the party replied President Buhari, saying the youths are hardworking in whatever vocation they found themselves. L-R: Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa during the meeting of the National Working Committee and PDP Governors Forum in Asaba on Sunday night.

 In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party described as shocking, the comment by the President, noting that his remark brought the nation low in the eyes of the international community. “How can President Buhari describe Nigerian youths as lazy, when they have proven, without doubt, to be one of the most industrious sets of individuals across the world? 

“Nigerians find it extremely shocking that President Buhari could make such a false, derogatory and unpatriotic comment against our citizens at a time the nation was looking up to him to properly present our potentials to the global business community. 

“It is alarming that at every international event, the President makes it a favorite past time to de-market, paint and denigrate our dear nation and her citizens in very negative light,” the statement read in part The party blamed the Buhari administration for what it termed its failure to provide job opportunities to the teeming youths population across the country. The party added: 

“Here is a President, whose administration has in its three years of governance, contributed nothing towards providing opportunities for our youths and who has not initiated or implemented any development project or set up any industry to provide jobs for our aspiring youths. 

“Here is a President under whose watch, factories and businesses have shut down resulting in over 24 million job losses and under whom no meaningful foreign direct investment has been attracted to the country. “This is a President who daily watches Nigerian youths sweating on menial jobs under very strenuous conditions on the streets of Abuja, Jos, Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Bauchi, Calabar, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Onitsha and other major cities, yet he unsympathetically described them as lazy. 

“These are the same set of Nigerians who, upon being afforded the right opportunities in other countries of the world, are known to have excelled in various fields of endeavour. “Most disheartening is that these are the same young persons who form the highest demography of voters that put their confidence in him in 2015. Now they are receiving the short end of the stick from the President.”

 He said the security around the National Assembly complex would also be reinforced to prevent a recurrence. Senate invasion: Presidency sympatises with senate

 THE Presidency sympathized with the leadership and members of the senate for the invasion of the upper legislative chamber by suspected thugs and promised to join hands with the parliament to fish out those behind it. Meanwhile, the leadership of the senate led by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu accompanied by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, (senate), Senator Ita Enang briefed the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, on the invasion of the senate. In an interview after the closed-door meeting with the Vice President, Senator Ekweremadu said that the Vice President condemned the attack on the red chamber and promised that the presidency would join hands to ensure that the perpetrators were fished out. 

The Deputy Senate President while fielding questions on why he was at the villa said, “Well I am sure you are aware of the Senate invasion today and we have to come and brief the Vice President because the President is not in town, so it was appropriate for him to know what transpired because we run democracy we are all in one government and it is the responsibility of the President or the Vice President to ensure that there is law and order in the country 

“And once we have this kind of major development it is important that he is briefed at the earliest opportunity. So, the Senate President is out of the country, its therefore my responsibility to come over and brief the Vice President. He has sympathized with us over what happened and he is going to join forces with us to ensure that we get to the root of the matter to make sure that this will not happen again. 

“For us it’s a threat to our democracy, the invasion of the parliament is not acceptable to any person, its not acceptable to me, its not acceptable to the VP, its not acceptable to my colleagues, I believe its not also acceptable to the President so those who acted this script must be on their own. 

“All we need to do as a country is to ensure that this is forestalled and I want to appeal to the media to help us discourage this kind of brigandage so that people have to behave in a very responsible manner, but let me assure you that we are on top of the situation, we did our sitting today and we are going to continue tomorrow.”

 On whether Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who was recently suspended by the senate and accused of being behind the invasion has legal right to enter the chamber, he said, “ It was a breach of the law for him to force himself into the chambers. As I said, police is still investigating we are going to find out the details of those who aided him to come in and then some of them I believe have been arrested and we will get to the root of the matter.”

 Barely 24 hours after former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd) endorsed Social Democratic Party, SDP, for next year’s general elections,  National Working Committee, NWC, of People Democratic Party, PDP, Monday visited him in his Hilltop Mansion, in Minna, Niger State.

The Spokesman of the command, Mr Peter Adegbe, told  Newsmen in Abuja on Friday that the partnership was yielding positive results. *NYSC members According to Adegbe, the collaboration is part of the agency’s efforts at tackling drug abuse among Nigerian Youths.

 “The NYSC has been helping us in various secondary schools in the campaign against drug abuse by educating the students on the dangers of drug abuse. “We also have drug recovery force in NYSC and we have joined hands in fighting drug abuse. “Following the alarming trend of abuse of drugs, the teams have decided to visit the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Abuja, Gwagwalada campus, on April 18. “The visit will feature sensitisation of the students to the dangers of abuse of illicit drugs, psychotropic substances and to why drugs shouldn’t be an option,’’ he said.

 The spokesman said that the command would not relent in its efforts at ridding the FCT of hard drugs, adding that several campaigns had been held in this regard. He said that circulation of hard drugs was actually high in rapidly developing cities, including the FCT. He appealed to the people of the territory to join hands with the NDLEA and the NYSC to ensure a responsible society free of social vices. Adegbe said that drug abuse led to all forms of social vices and “must be tackled collectively’’. 

There was no cogent reason for Obege’s absence on Friday. The prosecuting counsel, Lough Simon, was also not in court. Samuel Ikutanwa, who held the brief of Simon, told the court that the prosecutor could not attend the sitting because of the death of his father. Ikutanwa said the development had already been communicated to the parties, adding that he was not availed with the details of proceedings on the matter. Obege’s Counsel, Mr Ayo Jonathan, told the court that his client was last seen on March 22, when he came to court for his trial. Jonathan told the court that the wife of the accused said she had not seen her husband since March 22, when he left Okene for Lokoja, saying that he wanted to conclude that Obege was missing.

 Reacting to the submission of the counsel, Ikutanwa prayed the court to issue a bench warrant against the second accused since there was no cogent reason for not being in court. Ajayi, in his ruling, issued a bench warrant against Obege, and ordered that his sureties be summoned to court. The court said that the suit could not go on due to the absence of the second accused and the prosecutor. The judge, therefore, adjourned the case till May 14 and May 15 for definite hearing. Administrator of Ijumu Local Government Council, Alhaji Taofiq Isa and four others including Obege, were arraigned before late Justice Aromeh Akogu for alleged attempt to assassinate Melaye in April 2017. Unidentified gunmen allegedly attacked the lawmaker’s residence in Ayetoro-Gbede, Ijumu Local Government, fired several shots into the compound and destroyed property. No life was lost in the attack. (NAN)