Sunday 24 April 2016
Photos: Fayose returns from China
Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, arrived
Nigeria from China this afternoon. He is pictured above driving himself
out of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport MMIA.
Saraki Might Win CCT Case Against Him - Report
At the ongoing cross-examination of the star witness in the trial of Senator Bukola Saraki, Mr. Michael Wetkas, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has admitted, based on questions from Saraki’s counsel, that the EFCC did not investigate the accuracy of some of the exhibits presented as proof in the trial of the Senate President.
Saraki’s
defense team, led by a former Attorney-General of the Federal, Mr. Kanu
Agabi, have poked several holes in the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT)
case against the Senate President in their thorough scrutiny of Mr.
Wetkas’ testimony.
For
example, Mr. Wetkas has acknowledged that neither he nor his team
investigated Exhibits 11, 12 and 13 of the charges leveled against the
Senate President. An online news portal, The Nation, owned by Mr Tinubu,
the Southwest leader of APC that Saraki fingered as being behind his
ordeal, reported that Mr. Wetkas said the petitions pertaining to the
three exhibits were not investigated by him.
Exhibit
11, which was dated May 22nd, 2012, contained a petition written by the
Kwara Freedom Network inviting the EFCC to investigate the Kwara State
Universal Basic Education Board.
The
witness, while giving evidence in chief, told the tribunal that the
petition by the Kwara Freedom Network triggered the investigation.
“Exhibit
12 was dated on May 7, 2011 but was addressed to the Chairman of the
EFCC asking the anti-graft agency to investigate the Kwara State
Government on borrowings for projects described as phoney. Exhibit 13
was a petition dated June 7, 2012, which dwelt on the mismanagement of
local government revenue in Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.”
It
was also observed that the EFCC did not interrogate the Accountant
General of Kwara State to clarify the allegations levelled against
Senator Saraki. The EFFC witness said that interrogating the Accountant
General was not part of his investigation, despite the fact that a
careful investigation into the petition required such an enquiry.
The
EFCC’s witness also stated that his team did not also get any
verifiable document to back the petition written against Senator
Saraki.
Also
under cross-examination, the witness admitted that investigating the
assets declared by the defendant did not form part of his schedule of
duty. He also admitted that Exhibits 3, 4 and 5, being the asset
declaration forms of the defendant, were duly examined and stamped by
the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and not the EFCC, his employer. He
added that there was nowhere in the petition he investigated where
Saraki’s assets declaration was in contention, bringing into question
why the the Senate President has been dragged before the Code of Conduct
Tribunal, a body that is solely meant to hold public servants
accountable on their asset declarations.
As
more and more holes are drilled into EFFC’s star witness’ account, if
the law is followed, a mistrial might be declared, leaving the Senate
President vindicated of the 13-count charge that he has been on trial
for.
Florence Otedola aka DJ Cuppy meets Anthony Joshua
Female Permanent Secretary, Director, Others Kidnapped
They are the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs. Adebimpe Ogunlumade; the Director, State Audit in the ministry, Mr. Tajudeen Badejoko; and the permanent secretary’s driver, Mr. Oladapo Ajani Arogundade, who were all returning from Abuja.
The fourth occupant of the car said to be the state’s Auditor General reportedly escaped as the gunmen struck at Obajana on the highway.
The Head of the Osun State Civil Service, Mr. Sunday Owoeye, has confirmed the abduction.
Shedding light on the development, Mr. Owoeye said: “Preliminary information available to us indicates that the gunmen accosted them between Obajana and Lokoja the Kogi State capital and forced them to stop before the three officials were violently whisked away.
“The officials were returning from Abuja where they attended the briefing on the State and Local Government Reforms Project; a World Bank and European Union Programme.”
He said security agencies nationwide, particularly in Kogi State, “have been alerted to ensure speedy and safe release of the victims.”
Owoeye also appealed to Nigerians with useful information to contact the security agencies.
The victims were marched into a nearby bush by the kidnappers soon after the abduction. The vehicle in which they were traveling was abandoned by the road side.
Check Out Ebuka-Obi and His Wife's Beautiful Wedding Cake
Another Crisis Looms In Senate As Saraki Rejects New Clerk
A fresh storm is brewing in the Senate after last Thursday’s rejection by Senate President Bukola Saraki of the appointment of Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori as Acting Clerk of the National Assembly.
Saraki’s action have pitched him on a collision course with National Assembly Service Commission which made the new appointment.
Also, many Senators are shocked by Saraki's action which they saw as unnecessary.
Saraki had ordered the withdrawal of the letter of the appointment to the new Clerk because, according to him, the Commission sidetracked due process in taking the decision.
Many senators said Saraki and his chief of staff did not even consult anyone, but acted on their own.
“When the news broke on Friday, many of us were hearing about the correspondence for the first time. The issue of who becomes the Clerk of the National Assembly is strictly the business of the civil service and there is a commission in charge of such matters,” a senator told The Nation.
“To tell you the truth, the last is yet to be heard of that matter. Many of us will not support such interference. And already, questions are being asked as some of the principal officers are also saying they were not aware of the decision to reject the appointment,” he added.
A Principal officer of the Senate said Saraki’s letter rejecting Sani-Omolori’s appointment was not discussed with other principal officers before it was sent to the commission.
“The issue will be revisited once we return next week (this week)," he stressed.
The Nation also learnt that some Senators and House of Reps members from Sani-Omolori’s home state of Kogi, are also not in agreement with the Senate President’s position on the matter.
A well placed source said Saraki’s letter was the culmination of weeks of intrigues over who becomes the acting clerk of the National Assembly.
While Saraki had wanted Efeturi all along, and had done everything possible to ensure his emergence, it was learnt that the commission for certain reasons, decided to give the position to Sani-Omolori.
The source said, “One major reason why Efeturi didn’t get the job was that he was not properly appointed as the deputy Clerk. Sani-Omolori’s appointment is in a bid to correct past politicisation of purely civil service procedures. The commission was well guided in its choice and that will be proven soon.”
50 Cents' son sheds tears of joy when he meets his father for the first time
Beyonce releases new album 'Lemonade' on Tidal
"The 12-song album, the singer's sixth, arrived with a short film and is a "conceptual project based on every woman's journey of self-knowledge and healing," Tidal said in a statement.
The album features guest appearances by Kendrick Lamar, Jack White, James Blake and the Weeknd, among others.
Before the album's release, Beyoncé teased a mysterious, hour-long HBO special titled Lemonade. In the special, Beyoncé invokes her ancestral roots, dealing with emotionally hefty issues of race and misogyny.
Her proud mum, Tina Lawson, took to her IG page to toast to the release of the album.
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