The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

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  • PEPT: Tribunal Rejects Request Of SAN Briefed By Apapa To Represent LP

    PEPT: Tribunal Rejects Request Of SAN Briefed By Apapa To Represent LP

    There was a mild drama at the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday as the resumed Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal stopped a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oba Maduabuchi, from representing the Labour Party.

    At the pre-hearing session, Maduabuchi tried to make a legal representation for the party, which is contesting the outcome of the February 25 election with its candidate, Peter Obi.

    Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on March 1, was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Maduabuchi told the court that he was briefed by the party to represent them. This is after another senior advocate, Awa Kalu, had made an appearance for the party.

    He was however stopped by the panel who insisted that the legal representation for the petitioners is one.

    The chairman of the panel told Maduabuchi that he did not file the petition and as such cannot represent the party.

    Justice Haruna Tsammani noted that the SAN that being a Senior Advocate, ought to have advised his client properly.

    He was asked to either sit and observe the proceedings or take his leave.

    He opted for the second option and left the courtroom.

    Peter Obi also made representation for himself and his political party.

    Channels TV

  • NASS Has Approved Buhari’s $800m Loan Request But It Won’t Be Utilized By This Administration – Rep Ahmad

    NASS Has Approved Buhari’s $800m Loan Request But It Won’t Be Utilized By This Administration – Rep Ahmad

    A member, House of Representatives Committee on Loans, Aids and Debt Management, Abubakar Yunusa Ahmad, says federal lawmakers have approved the $800 million loan request of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The lawmaker however argued that the loan would not be utilised by the Buhari administration, saying the incoming government would deploy its own approach to utilise the loan.

    “The $800 million — there were so many talks that we did, especially we in the loan committee and we advised them: ‘First, leave this thing to the incoming government,’” Ahmad who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday said.

    “But since the loan has been granted, we can collect. If we cannot use it, maybe when the incoming government comes, they may have a different approach to issues, maybe unlike this government that is there.

    “Thank God, I won’t say it clearly but it was on social media that probably they intended not to use any of Buhari’s ministers because they have already taken them to have underperformed.

    “So, the issue is, we have granted that loan, it is approved, so we want Nigerians to take it but it is not going to be utilised by this outgoing government. Now, if the incoming government comes, we will see also their own template.”

    Buhari had earlier sent a letter to the Senate seeking approval to take a loan to the tune of $800 million from the World Bank to cushion the effects of subsidy removal.

    This follows the Federal Government’s April announcement of an $800 million World Bank grant targeting 50 million vulnerable Nigerians or 10 million households, as part of its subsidy palliatives measures.

    However, the request was met with rejection in some quarters, especially among the civil society organisations.

    In a statement earlier in the week, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) lamented what it described as the nonchalant attitude displayed by the Buhari administration towards the country’s crippling debt crisis.

    Also, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the World Bank President Mr David Malpass to use his “good offices to suspend any disbursement of the $800m loan to the Federal Government and to request the incoming administration to provide satisfactory explanations for the loan.”

    SERAP urged Mr Malpass and the World Bank “to reopen discussion on the reportedly approved $800m loan with the incoming administration to clarify the details on the rationale and use of the loan because the term of office of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari ends in May 2023.”

    Channels TV

  • Otti reacts to court judgment sacking him as Governor-Elect

    Otti reacts to court judgment sacking him as Governor-Elect

    Abia Governor -elect, Dr Alex Otti, has urged Abians not to panic over his purported sack by a Federal High Court in Kano, saying there is no cause for alarm over the kangaroo judgement.

    Otti who spoke with Vanguard in Abia, said arrangements for his swearing- in on May 29 were on full gear as planned, declaring that the antics of the enemies of democracy cannot truncate the will of Abians.

    This is as the Labour Party has dismissed the said judgment as a waste of time.

    Vanguard

  • Graft: EFCC Probes Gov Matawalle Over ‘N70bn Fraud’

    Graft: EFCC Probes Gov Matawalle Over ‘N70bn Fraud’

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says the outgoing Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle is under investigation for alleged N70bn fraud.

    The Commission, in a statement on Thursday, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) powerbroker is being investigated over allegation of monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70billion.

    “The money which was sourced as loan from an old generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects across the local government areas of the state, was allegedly diverted by the governor through proxies and contractors who received payment for contracts that were not executed,” the statement partly read in part.

    “The Commission’s investigations so far reveal that more than 100 companies have received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state.”

    The EFCC said some of the contractors had been invited and quizzed, adding that they made “startling revelations on how they were allegedly compelled by the governor to return the funds received from the state coffers back to him through his aides after converting the same to United States Dollars”.

    “They confirmed that they did not render any service to Zamfara State but were allegedly directed to convert the monies paid to them into United States Dollar and return to the State governor through some of his commissioners, notably the Commissioners in charge of Finance and Local Government Affairs.”

    “As part of the extensive investigation of contracts award by the Matawalle administration, especially for phantom projects in the local government areas, the Commission has recovered a sum of N300million from a company, Fezel Nigeria Limited. The funds were traced to the Zamafara Investment Company.

    “In Nigeria state governors and their deputies enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution while in office, a reason the EFCC has yet to arrest Governor Matawalle.”

    Matawalle, who lost his re-election bid in the 2023 governorship election in the state in March, would complete his single term tenure of four years on May 29, 2023.

    Channels TV

  • Alleged Certificate Forgery: Enugu Governor-elect, Mbah, Sues NYSC, Demands N20bn

    …Alleges fraudulent misrepresentation of facts

    Details have emerged on the lawsuit instituted by the Governor-elect of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, against the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and its Director, Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad, as he demands N20 billion in general and exemplary damages against the Defendants “jointly/severally; for conspiracy, deceit, and misrepresentation of facts”.

    Recall that Justice Inyang Ekwo had on Monday, upon a motion ex-parte by Mbah’s counsel, Emeka Ozoani (SAN), sequel to the lawsuit, made “An order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants and Respondents whether by themselves, their directors, officers, servants, legal representatives, counsel or any other person or persons howsoever described and connected, from issuing, publishing or continued to issue, publish disclaimer to the effect that the NYSC certificate of National Service dated 6th January, 2003, certificate No. A808297 issued to the Plaintiff Barrister Mbah Peter Ndubuisi, in accordance with Section 11 of the NYSC Decree No. 51 of 1993 was not issued by NYSC pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed in this suit”.

    However, it has emerged that besides the N20 billion damages pressed, Mbah, in the writ of summons by his counsel, is equally seeking a declaration that he participated in the NYSC scheme for one calendar year vide a call-up letter number FRN/2001/800351; Lagos code LA/01/1532 and upon completion was issued certificate of National Service No. A808297.

    The writ also seeks: “A declaration that the Defendants (NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification) conspired by fraudulent design, suppressed and misrepresented facts in supposition that the Plaintiff’s certificate of National Service with number A808297 was not issued by the Defendants, a fact they knew or ought to know as untrue, incorrect, which act constitutes an act of conspiracy.

    “A declaration that the Defendants were negligent and maliciously misrepresented facts, which facts the Defendants know or ought to know as untrue and ought reasonably to have foreseen that damages would flow from such negligent misrepresentation of material facts.

    “A declaration that the predominant purpose of the deceitful misrepresentation… was intended albeit to inflict damages in legal profession, politics, business, as it was to unlawfully profit the defendants.

    “An order that the Plaintiff’s certificate of National Service number A808297 is authentic and was validly issued by the 1st defendant.

    “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants either jointly/severally, their officers, servants in whatsoever manner and howsoever called from disclaiming/resiling/repudiating the certificate of National Service No. A808297 issued to the plaintiff, Barrister Peter Ndubuisi Mbah”.

    Meanwhile, in the affidavit in support of the Motion on Notice deposed by Grace Udeagha, a legal practitioner, the Governor-elect’s lawyers, Emeka Ozoani (SAN) and Co., stated, among others, that Mbah, “after graduating in Law from the University of East London in 2000, returned to Nigeria and as prerequisite to practice as a barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, applied and was admitted into the Bar Part I programme of the Nigerian Law School”.

    She further deposed: “That the plaintiff upon completing the Bar Part I exam had to wait for the Bar Part II programme. He was advised that instead of idling away to proceed on the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps Programme.

    “That the plaintiff in view of the above was called up for the NYSC and was deployed to Lagos State, with the following particulars: Mbah Peter Ndubuisi; Call up letter No 01134613; reference No NYSC/FRN/2001/800351….

    “The Plaintiff/Applicant by letter dated 11th March, 2002, addressed to the Director, NYSC, Lagos State, Udeh & Associates accepted the Plaintiff’s posting/service vide Lagos State NYSC code LA/01/1532, NYSC No. NYSC/FRN/O1/800351…

    “That the plaintiff in the course of his NYSC programme aforesaid and after six months of NYSC, the Nigerian law School scheduled the commencement of the Bar Part II programme usually called Bar Final for which the Plaintiff was offered admission to the Nigerian Law School. By a letter dated 20th June 2002, the plaintiff applied to the State Director, NYSC, for deferment of NYSC year 2001/2002 (annexed and marked as exhibit H.

    “Pursuant to paragraph 12 and by a letter dated 01/10/02 from the NYSC Directorate headquarters vide Ref: NYSC/DHQ/CM/M/27 approved the Plaintiff’s application for deferment of NYSC Ref: LA/01/1532 of 6th August, 2002 (annexed and marked as exhibit I).

    “That the Plaintiff by a letter of 3/04/2003 written in long hand through the State Director, Lagos State, to the Director-General, NYSC, National Directorate headquarters, Garki Abuja, applied for re-mobilisation, having successfully completed his Bar Final exam (letter dated 24/4/2003 annexed and marked exhibit J)”.

    Continuing, Udeagha further deposed that by a letter from the Director, Lagos State NYSC Ref LA/01/1532/T dated 24/4/2003, to the Director-General, National Directorate headquarters, Area 3, Garki Abuja, the National Directorate headquarters wrote back stating, “I am directed to refer to your letter of 24th April, Reference No. LA/01/1532/T on the above subject matter and to request you to re-instate the corps member to continue his service year from where he stopped, with effect from May 2003”.

    She explained that the “T” was inserted as the last alphabet in the referencing implied “Temporary).

    She also deposed: “That pursuant to paragraph 16, the law firm of Udeh & Associates accepted the Plaintiff and he resumed duty on 27/05/2003. The said letter of acceptance and assumption of duty in the law firm of Udeh & Associates is hereby annexed and marked as exhibit M.

    “That the plaintiff upon acceptance by the law firm of Udeh & Associates and assumption of duty in the said office was regularly issued with clearance letters to enable him receive monthly allowances. The letters were issued in chronological order thus: Letter dated 26th June for payment of allowance for the month of May and June, 2003; Letter dated 29th August, 2003, for payment for the months of July and August, 2003; letter dated 8th September, 2003 for payment of September, 2003.

    “That the final letter issued to the plaintiff was dated 16th September, 2003. In the said letter, the plaintiff was recommended most unreservedly as a fit and proper person to be discharged from service. These letters numbered from (a-d) are hereby annexed and marked as exhibits N-N3.

    “That the plaintiff upon completion of his NYSC service, was issued the NYSC certificate No. A808297 dated 6th January, 2003, certifying that he completed the one year of NYSC from 7th January, 2002 to 6th January 2003”.

    This Day

  • JUST IN: Court nullifies Alex Otti’s candidature, LP candidates in Abia, Kano

    JUST IN: Court nullifies Alex Otti’s candidature, LP candidates in Abia, Kano

    A Federal High Court sitting in Kano, presided over by Justice M N Yunusa has nullified the candidature of the Abia State Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti and all the candidates of the Labour Party in Abia and Kano States.

    The court ruled that their emergence was not in compliance with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.

    A copy of the judgement delivered by the court was made available to newsmen on Friday.

    The Court in Suit No FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 filed by Mr Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ruled that the failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30 days before their primaries renders the process invalid.

    “The party that has not complied with the provisions of the electoral act cannot be said to have a candidate in an election and cannot be declared winner of an election; this being so, the votes credited to the 1st defendant is a wasted vote,” the Judge ruled. Vanguard

  • FACT CHECK: Peter Obi’s legal team members not only Igbos, as claimed by Twitter users

    FACT CHECK: Peter Obi’s legal team members not only Igbos, as claimed by Twitter users

    Claim: Peter Obi’s legal team comprises only Igbo lawyers and is the same legal team representing the IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu.

    Verdict: FALSE. Our findings show that the assertion that Mr Obi’s legal team comprises only Igbo lawyers is false. They are also the same representatives as that of Nnamdi Kanu.

    Full Text

    Following the February 25, 2023, general election, displeased candidates have gone to court to challenge the result. One of these candidates is Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP). Thus, the presidential election tribunal commenced its hearing on May 8, 2023.

    On Wednesday, May 10, 2023, a Twitter user, Sarki (@Waspapping) in a tweet asserted that Mr Obi’s legal team are all Igbos and are the same people representing the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

    “I heard all the lawyers representing Peter Obi in court are Igbos and are also the same lawyers representing Nnamdi Kanu,” part of the tweet reads.

    The user also suggested that Mr Obi is tribalistic, seeing he had an all-Igbo presidential campaign team during the election, even in Northern states.

    The user made these assertions mocking Mr Obi’s unified Nigeria goal.

    As of Saturday, May 13, the tweet generated 206 retweets, 143 quotes, 1,149 likes and 17 bookmarks.

    In reaction to this in the comment section, a Twitter User, Aisha Daraja (@PweedyTofer), believed this assertion exclaiming, “Ahafff, I knew it”.

    Another User Dan_Borno (@DanBornoReal), said it is normal to have your tribal person lead your team, noting it’s the same with the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu.

    “The senior lawyer leading Tinubu’s court case is a Yoruba man. It’s normal. But because Peter Obi’s lawyer leading his case is an Igbo man, it’s now a big problem. Your sentiment is from another planet. I wish you a quick recovery,” Dan_Borno wrote.

    Another Twitter user Panaf Olu Ojedokun (@employlawone), countered the assertion, noting it is a false narrative as two legal team members are his classmates who are not Igbos.

    The sensitive nature of issues around the election tribunal and the mixed reactions prompted us to verify.

    Verification

    A keyword search led to news reports by Tribune Online, The Guardian etc., containing members of Mr Obi’s legal team.

    The list of Peter Obi’s lawyers, as seen on the copy of the petition filed on March 20, 2023, also shows members of his legal team are not all Igbos.

    This list contains a combination of different tribes, even though the majority is Igbo. Dayo Ashonibare, Abiola Kolawole, J.S. Okutepa from Kogi State and Agbo Madaki are on this list.

    Also, the list published by the LP shows a mixed legal team, contrary to the assertion by this Twitter user.

    Comparing the names of Mr Obi’s legal team members and that of the publicly named lawyers of Mr Kanu, which include Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Chukwuma Umeh (SAN) and Aloy Ejimakor, we realised they are not the same.

    On a similar assertion concerning the Director Generals (DG) of the presidential campaign council of the LP, available reports show that Doyin Okupe was initially appointed the Director General of Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed’s campaign but resigned after being convicted for money laundering. Akin Osuntokun subsequently replaced him.

    Looking at the list of the party’s presidential campaign organisation, it is also a mixed team with Northerners heading the North West and East region, contrary to the assertion by the Twitter user.

    Conclusion

    Our findings show that the assertion that Mr Obi’s team of lawyers and campaign DGs are all Igbos is false. These lawyers are also not the same as that of Nnamdi Kanu.

    Dubawa

  • Guinness World Records Releases Fresh Statement On Hilda Baci’s Attempt

    Guinness World Records has released an official statement on Nigerian chef Hilda Bassey Effiong popularly known as Hilda Baci.

    Baci, the Akwa Ibom native surpassed the record for the longest cooking time by an individual, held by an Indian chef, Lata Tondon, who had completed the task in 87 hours, 45 minutes, and 00 secs in Rewa, in 2019.

    The statement which was published on the body’s official website on Tuesday read, “She’s hoping to snap up the record title for the longest cooking marathon (individual) which currently belongs to Lata Tondon (India) with a time of 87 hr 45 min”.

    “Hilda began cooking on Thursday and continued through to Monday, reportedly whipping up 55 recipes and more than 100 meals in a whopping 100-hour stint.

    “Officials on our records team look forward to reviewing the evidence and hope to be able to verify Hilda’s efforts as a new record very soon,” it also read.

    According to the British reference body, one of its spokespersons said: “are looking forward to receiving the evidence for its Records Management Team to review before we can confirm the record is official.”

    She was initially scheduled to stop at 4pm yesterday culminating in her former 96-hour target surpassing the current Guinness World Record holder but eventually surpassed the 96-hour target and has now achieved a 100-hour record time. Channels TV

  • FG opposes bill to stop doctors’ migration

    FG opposes bill to stop doctors’ migration

    The Federal Government, Monday, kicked against the bill before the National Assembly seeking to control the migration of doctors for greener pastures abroad.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, expressed the objection while fielding questions from State House correspondents at the end of the extraordinary Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Responding to a question on the threat of doctors to go on a five-day warning strike over what they perceived as the attempt to compulsorily keep medical and dental graduates in the country for five years before granting the licence to practice, Ngige said the bill will go against extant Labour laws.

    The sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives, Ganiyu Johnson, representing Lagos State, had explained that the move was to check the mass exodus of medical professionals from the country.

    The legislation is titied: “A Bill for an Act to amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M379, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to mandate any Nigeria-trained medical or dental practitioner to practise in Nigeria for a minimum of five years before being granted a full licence by the council to make quality health services available to Nigeria; and for related matters.”

    Following the introduction of the bill, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had vowed that it will resist any attempt to enslave Nigerian medical doctors under any guise.

    The association has announced a plan to embark on a five-day warning strike with the immediate withdrawal of the bill as one of its demands.

    Other demands are an immediate increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to the tune of 200 per cent of the current gross salaries of doctors, the immediate implementation of CONMESS, domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act, and review of hazard allowance by all the state governments as well as private tertiary health institutions where any form of residency training is done; among others.

    But Senator Ngige said, “Nobody can say they (doctors) will not get a practising licence till after five years. It will run counter to the laws of the land that have established the progression in the practice of medicine.

    “I am a medical doctor. When you graduate from medical school, you go on a one-year apprenticeship called housemanship or internship as the case maybe. After your internship, you are now given a full licence because prior to that, what you have is a provisional licence of registration with the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

    “So, after that intensive training, you were signed off by consultants and you became a fully qualified medical doctor to attend to human beings and to work without any supervision again. Supervision then is voluntary.

    “Resident Doctors are those who have that full licence and they want to acquire post-graduate speciality and speciality is known like surgeon, gynecologists, obstetrics, paediatrics and internal medicine of family medicine. So, they are doctors in training.

    “The Bill in National Assembly cannot stop anybody from getting a full licence. That bill is a private members’ bill.

    “In the National Assembly, they attend to private members’ bills and executive bills. Executive bills emanate from the government into the National Assembly with the stamp of the executive.

    “It is either sent by the Attorney General of the Federation or by the President but usually from the Attorney General of the Federation. So, it’s not an executive bill, it’s a private members bill.

    “That bill is moved by the man from Lagos. So, members of his constituency can tell him this is worrying us. Can’t we check these doctors this way by you going to speak than put up a document?

    “That document is as far as I am concerned not workable. Ab initio, I don’t support it and I will never support it. Like I said before, it is like killing a fly with a sledgehammer.

    “They should think of other ways if they are trying to check brain drain, there should be other ways.

    “If a doctor has read on scholarship, you bond him, if a doctor has read on bursary you can bond him. If a doctor is trained like we are doing now on little or nothing which is like scholarship again because N50,000 a session per medical student is nothing when their counterparts oversees pay seventy thousand pounds for a session.

    “So, I don’t support that bill but can bond them if you want.”

    On warning strike threatened by NARD, the Minister said it is not necessary since government was already engaged with the NMA, their umbrella body.

    Ngige explained: “On the demand for 200 percent salary increase, the NMA is the father of all doctors in Nigeria and they have about four or five affiliates of which the resident doctors is an association affiliating there.

    “You have the Medical and Dental Consultants Association (MEDCAN), they are the consultants who are training these medical doctors to become specialists. You also have general medical practitioners association and you also have doctors working in the private sector

    “So, NMA is the father of all including me. So, NMA is discussing with the Federal Ministry of Health, salaries income and wages commission and the Ministry of Labour and we know that NMA has accepted a salary increase between 25 and 30 per cent across board for their members.

    “So, I don’t know the logic by which people who are members of NMA are now coming up to say pay us 200 percent increase. I don’t understand it.

    “I have called the NMA President to contact them because on the issue of remuneration negotiation, it’s NMA that the government deals with. So, I have told the President of NMA to contact them and we will engage them. They should not go on any strike, it’s not necessary.”

    Ngige also said that FEC approved the Universal Implementation of the Employee Compensation Act (ECA) 2010 following a memorandum presented by his ministry.

    He explained that the law is operated by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), noting that it is a replacement of the old Employee Compensation Act that was known as “Workmen Compensation.”

    According to him, the Council has approved it for universal implementation, “meaning that apart from private sector, that is already implementing, the public sector, which is government; federal, state and local governments, have now to adopt this for the protection of their workers.”

    He further stated: “The Act provides that the worker who is injured or had an accident or contacted a disease or disabled or dead in the course of work, should be compensated, remunerated and even the family, pay something when the man is no longer there. It didn’t make provision for some of the children to be schooled or educated, up to the age of 21.

    “So today is a good day for the Nigerian workers because the decent work agenda that is contained in Convention102 of the ILO has a major branch on what they call workers’ protection in the course of work.

    “So this is the law and Nigeria has today directed that all workers in the ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government should be covered with a percentage contribution. It’s an insurance premium, 1% of remuneration. You pay it and it insures your worker against these workplace accident injuries.

    “That is what the Council passed today and directed the Minister of Finance and the Budget Office of the Federation to make provision for it in annual budget as social contributions. Under the subject of Social Contributions in our annual appropriation, as of today, you only have two items there; number one is Pension Contribution of employers. Second one is the Health Insurance Scheme by the employer.”

    Vanguard

  • Seun Kuti spends first night in custody, rejects writing statement

    Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, did not put down any statement on his first day in detention, according to sources.

    It is normal practise for those under interrogation to write statement while being grilled by detectives.

    But the musician, who is currently being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for assaulting a policeman in Lagos State, insisted on seeing Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), before writing any statement.

    Falana had sent Mr. Femi Akinyemi, one of the lawyers in his chambers to represent him when Kuti turned himself in at the Lagos Police Command headquarters, Ikeja, on Monday.

    But all through the time he was under interrogation, Kuti refused to put anything in writing.

    “He was moved to Panti after hours of interrogation at the command headquarters,” a police source told Daily Trust.

    The source added that Kuti might be charged before a Lagos high court on Tuesday.

    Earlier, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, who is also a counsel to Kuti, had said he was not allowed to witness the musician’s interrogation.

    The lawyer also kicked against the manner in which Kuti was handcuffed while his photographs wee taken.

    He had said his client was driven to detention by heavily armed police officers.

    “Mr. Kuti is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved by the State. Therefore, the decision of the police to subject him to the media parade violates section 9 of the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, which has prohibited any form of parade of criminal suspects in Nigeria in Lagos State. The Police is supposed to enforce the Law, but prefers to disrespect and break it so casually and randomly. A Police institution that has no respect for the law it exists to enforce is not a good example to alleged law breakers.”

    “The decision of the police to handcuff Mr. Kuti is equally illegal as it constitutes a violation of Section 5 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law. After handcuffing him, the Police then drove him in a long convoy of heavily armed personnel from Ikeja to Panti Lagos, where he was again displayed for viewing to the men and officers of that police formation, and is currently held,” Olumide-Fusiak said in a statement.

    Kuti’s travail started after he was captured slapping a policeman whom he had an argument with.

    In a video, which went viral at the weekend, Kuti was seen shouting at the policeman, “You dey craze! You dey mad!”

    The video had triggered outrage and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, ordered his arrest.

    Policemen had stormed the musician’s residence at Allen Avenue in Ikeja to effect his arrest but they did not meet him at home.

    On Monday,  accompanied by his lawyer and a family representative, the youngest son of Fela showed up at the Lagos police headquarters.

    Daily Trust

  • Don’t grant Emefiele study leave to flee Nigeria, Gov Matawalle tells Buhari

    Don’t grant Emefiele study leave to flee Nigeria, Gov Matawalle tells Buhari

    The outgoing governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to grant ‘study leave’ to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, a few days before the inauguration of a new administration.

    Mr Matawalle, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, alleged that the reason Mr Emefiele allegedly sought such study leave was “apparently in a bid to evade rendering accounts.”

    “CBN Governor Emefiele superintended over the management of the country’s financial and monetary systems. He is the one who initiated and implemented the recent disastrous Naira swap policy, the Naira confiscation program, which put Nigerians through untold woes and trauma and set our economy backwards.

    “This same Emefiele now wants to proceed on study leave when he has some 10 months left of his tenure apparently in a bid to evade rendering accounts. This is unacceptable. President Buhari should not countenance this,” the Zamfara governor wrote.

    Neither Mr Emefiele nor the CBN has announced that the former has sought such study leave despite reports in the media.

    On Sunday, presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu said he was unaware of such study leave.

    “Emefiele must stay at his job to give full accounts of all that transpired under his watch to the incoming administration. He must answer all the questions the new regime may have for him particularly when he still has some months left of his tenure,” the Zamfara governor wrote in his Monday statement.

    Read the full statement below.

    My plea with President Muhammadu Buhari to halt all study leaves, foreign transfers, postings of officers critical to take-off of incoming administration

    Beyond the remarkable achievements of his administration in all sectors, President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated that he is a patriot, democrat and a man of impeccable integrity and character. Perhaps more than ever before, this has been on display even in the twilight of his administration. President Buhari has about two weeks left of his eventful tenure.

    Last week, he and his family officially moved out of their residence at Aso Rock Presidential Villa into a place called the Glass House, also within the precinct of the Villa.

    And we witnessed an astonishingly respectable spectacle of First Lady Aisha Buhari taking Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, round the Presidential Villa, their soon-to-be- abode.

    President Buhari and his wife Aisha Buhari have shown good faith and shown they want a seamless orderly and peaceful transfer of power to the incoming administration. They are eager to ensure that the new regime takes off smoothly and speedily and in a manner devoid of any encumbrance in the interest of our country. This is the right thing to do and I commend President Buhari and his wife for their statesmanly conduct.

    The President and his wife have demonstrated good faith.

    However, other officers in government have acted in a different manner. They are behaving as if they want to put spanners in the work for the incoming regime. President Buhari should not allow this. He should frown on any attempt by any person seeking to damage the good job he has done.

    This is the import of this press statement today. I want, here and now, to urge President Buhari to not approve any study leave or whatever kind of leave for any officer critical to the take-off of the incoming administration of Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu. One of such persons that has been speculated in the media to have sought a study leave is Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele. If the leave has been approved, as reported in the media, the President should cancel it in the interest of peaceful transfer of power, accountability and good governance. CBN Governor Emefiele superintended over the management of the country’s financial and monetary systems. He is the one who initiated and implemented the recent disastrous Naira swap policy, the Naira confiscation program, which put Nigerians through untold woes and trauma and set our economy backwards.

    Two of my brother-governors and I took the Federal Government to court over this ill-advised policy and fought resolutely until we got a respite for our people from Emefiele and company.

    This same Emefiele now wants to proceed on study leave when he has some 10 months left of his tenure apparently in a bid to evade rendering accounts. This is unacceptable. President Buhari should not countenance this. Emefiele must stay at his job to give full accounts of all that transpired under his watch to the incoming administration. He must answer all the questions the new regime may have for him particularly when he still has some months left of his tenure.

    I also want to use this opportunity to appeal to President Buhari to also not approve foreign postings or grant any foreign travels for any officer at any level in the outgoing government who may be critical or strategic to the smooth take-off of the incoming government. I’m aware that some officers in the outgoing government are moving to surreptitiously leave the country at this critical time they are needed to answer to specific questions, though I would not want to mention their names here.

    President Buhari should not heed their inordinate and unpatriotic plan. These plans are dangerous and devilish. They show clearly that these officers have something to hide. This must be halted immediately. Any plan to evade rendering accounts is neither in the interest of accountability, transparency and anti-corruption, which President Buhari had championed in government, nor in the interest of an unencumbered take-off of the incoming administration. It’s also not in the interest of the country, which the president has always promoted and championed. This is my appeal and why I have decided to speak out as a patriotic Nigerian and concerned governor.

    Thank you.

    Bello Matawalle
    Governor of Zamfara State
    May 15, 2023

    Premium Times

  • JUST IN: Court restrains NYSC from denying issuance of certificate to Enugu Governor-Elect, Mbah

    JUST IN: Court restrains NYSC from denying issuance of certificate to Enugu Governor-Elect, Mbah

    The Federal High Court, Abuja has restrained the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC) from further publishing a disclaimer, denying the issuance of certificate dated Jan.6, 2003 to the Enugu state Governor-elect, Mr Peter Mbah.

    Ruling on an ex parte application moved by Mr Emeka Ozoani, SAN, on behalf of Mbah, Justice Inyang Ekwo also barred the NYSC Director, Corps Certification, Mr Ibrahim Muhammad from continuing to issue a disclaimer to the effect that Mbah’s NYSC certificate was not issued by the NYSC.

    Ozoani brought the motion under Section 13(1) & (2) of the Federal High Court Act Cap F12, Vol. 6, Law of Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and Order 26 Rule 6(1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019.

    Justice Ekwo granted prayer one on the motion paper.

    The judge, however refused to grant prayer two saying that it was far reaching but rather ordered the plaintiff to put the defendants on notice.

    He said that the second prayer was an issue to be adjudicated upon in the substantive suit.

    Consequently, the trial judge ordered the applicant to serve the defendants with court processes within two days of the order.

    The motion ex parte was predicated on 10 grounds.

    He said that after graduating in law from the University of East London in 2000, retuned to Nigeria and as a pre-requisite to practice as barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, applied and was admitted into the Bar part 1 programme of the Nigerian Law School.

    Mbah said upon completing the bar part I exam, he had to wait for the bar part 2 programme, and was advised that instead of spending time idling around, he should proceed to the mandatory one year NYSC programme.

    He said he was called up for NYSC and was deployed initially to Nigerian Ports Authority Apapa for his primary assignment but was rejected by NPA, before securing the law firm of Ude & Associates.

    “The plaintiff in the course of his service year and after six months of NYSC, applied and was granted approval to defer the NYSC in order to enable him complete the bar final exam.

    “Thereafter, the plaintiff was remobilized to finish the NYSC programme, which he did complete.”

    Mbah averred that upon completion of the NYSC, he was issued the certificate of National Service No. A.808297 dated Jan.6 2003.

    Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until May 22 for hearing of the motion on notice.

    Recall that the NYSC had on Feb. 1 written a letter signed by Mr Ibrahim Muhammed saying that the NYSC certificate belonging to Mbah was not issued by the corps.

    NAN also reports that Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) won the Enugu state governorship election held in March 18.

    Vanguard