So, President Goodluck Jonathan said he was hosting 'Nigerian youths' in Lagos over the weekend at the Eko Hotel Hotel & Suites. |
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Did Jonathan Distribute Dollars To 25 Bloggers In Lagos?
GLORIA OKON:THE TRUE STORY
Gloria Okon was caught in 1985 with heroin in Nigeria and died in very controversial circumstances.
FULL NAMES (alternate names): Miss Gloria Okon
BIRTH AND EARLY DAYS
She was born in 1950.
HER ARREST
On the 22nd April, 1985, a petite society lady, Gloria Okon, was about to board a Nigeria Airways aircraft WT840 (Lagos-Kano-London) at the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano State when she was arrested with substances suspected to be heroin and other hard drugs (the National Security Organization, NSO or Nigeria’s secret intelligence agency is often mentioned in her arrest). Tucked in internally were 56.70 grammes of the substances. She was also caught with the sum of N20,000, 60 pounds sterling, $301 and 19,000 Italian lira. The customs officers and drug law enforcement agents were very excited to have nabbed her, not because they had caught her alone but because they would also be stars of the show for a while as all the arrests were being made by their counterparts at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. But their jowls of excitement were pangs of sheer agony for the 35-year-old Okon. Why?
The year was 1985 and anyone caught with drugs would face the death penalty, no stories. That was the provision of the Decree 20 put in place by the junta of General Muhammadu Buhari . She was going to die, and she knew it. Stunned and stupefied at her sudden stare at death, Okon became an unwilling and helpless star before the nation’s news-thirsty media. Newspapers and magazines contained her story and the radios gave the chilly broadcast. For many who read the story or heard the announcement, it was not a big deal they thought, she was going to be executed like others. But then, there would be a twist in Okon’s story that would turn her into the most mysterious drug pusher in Nigeria’s history. What happened next still remains very bizarre even 30 years after.
DEATH
On the 28th April, six days after her arrest, the most unexpected happened: Gloria Okon died in custody. From an ordinary ‘heroin suspect’, the sudden demise of Okon led to what is now one of the most enduring narcodramas in Nigeria. She did not just die, she died in very questionable and mysterious circumstances. The Buhari regime would not bury the case and an investigation was launched into the matter, with a judicial commission of inquiry given the complicated task of unraveling all the circumstances surrounding the very suspicious death of Okon who gave up the ghost at the Aminu Kano Hospital, Kano.
INVESTIGATIONS
The judicial commission of enquiry working on the Okon case was headed by Justice CNO Ubbaonu of the Kano High Court. It began its sitting in Kano almost three months (precisely 5th Monday, August) after she died. Other members of the panel were:
Wing Commander PG Asemota
Tunde Oloko, a university don
JI Obianwu, who was the secretary
The case was so serious that the Inspector-General Etim Inyang was mandated to ensure there is a reasonable conclusion to the case and to make sure all the mysteries are solved. The commission was to carry out three main tasks:
Make proper inquiry as to the arrest and death of Gloria Okon
Determine whether during the period of her arrest and custody, if any person(s) contributed to her death through acts incidental to the case
Make suitable recommendations
But that would never happen: on the 27th of that same August, the military regime of Buhari was toppled by General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and till date, no one knows how it all ended and the demise remains a mystery. However, it must be stated that before she died, Okon reportedly confessed and revealed a ‘big baron’, as a matter of fact, a customs official said of her revelation:
‘If carefully handled, she may lead us to the big brains behind the business.’
But before Okon could even mention the name of her mentor or sponsor, she was stone-dead. According to those who investigated her case and questioned her, the only clue she left was simply the name ‘Bassey’. Ibrahim Coomasie was the commissioner of police for Kano State and he stated that it was almost impossible to track her mentor because Okon did not give the second name of Bassey or even an address, so the investigation met a dead end. The address that was listed against her name, 21 Cole Street, Surulere, Lagos was found to be non-existent.
However, it must be pointed out that although Okon was just one of the many female carriers arrested, she was the only drug mule very willing to cooperate and say it all, revealing all information on her sponsors. But before she could utter anything, she was gone. An autopsy conducted stated the cause of death as food poisoning. There was no time Okon showed any sign of ill-health, she was quite healthy when she was arrested as the public inquiry found out but according to Misharck Okitiakpo, a customs officer who kept her in custody, Gloria Okon fell ill just a day after she was arrested. Okitiakpo also explained that on the day she was arrested (22nd), Okon made a request for rice and beans which she was given. But on the 23rd and 24th, she was rushed to the hospital after she complained.
But that is where Okitiakpo’s accounts stopped. He did not explain or was unable to explain what happened from the 25th to the 28th when Okon finally breathed her last. Okon had been in the custody of the Customs until the 25th when she was handed to the police. Therefore, it is not precisely clear whether she was poisoned while with the customs or under the police custody where she eventually died. In an interview with The Guardian in May 1985, Coomasie said Okon had changed saying:
‘…the late suspect was not talking when she was brought to the police and did not make any statement to the police, when the police took custody of Okon, she looked weird and neither ate nor talked. ’
But later, she was given some egusi soup by the police (egusi with what? Abi she drink the egusi ni, police no tell us that one). The police also said she took some bananas and tea after the egusi. Amazing food combination: egusi, banana and tea.
The mystery of Okon’s case was further deepened when no one showed up to claim her, not even one relative showed to identify her as a suspect or even her corpse. According to Babadisa Ciroma, an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) who was in charge of Okon’s interrogation said no one paid her a visit while in custody or even when she was admitted at the hospital. That was not all, 39 days after her death Okon’s corpse remained unclaimed at the Murtala Muhammed Hospital Mortuary where it was deposited. This prompted the police force Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to issue a notice that her remains might be treated as unknown if it not claimed after seven days of warning to the general public. Apparently embarrassed by the mysterious death of Okon in custody and to prevent a repeat, the government compelled state police commands to transfer suspects and exhibits in cases of hard drugs to the Force CID Headquarters in Lagos by ‘the most expedient means’.
The Nigerian nation was supposed to hear from the judicial commission of inquiry by the end of August and shed light on the case but by the end of August, a new leader was in place and he was a military president: IBB. The late lawyer Gani Fawehinmi attempted to resurrect the case but this put him on a path of direct clash with Haliru Akilu and Kunle Togun, two of IBB’s most dreaded security agents. No one was ever charged over the death of Gloria Okon.
THE CONTROVERSIES
In the absence of a conclusive investigation, so many tales have been spun by many so as to fill in the gaps. According to some, Okon never died, the corpse presented was all a ruse and part of a grand conspiracy. In June 2009, Professor Taiyemiwo Ogunade, in an interview with THE NATION said of the Okon case:
‘Gloria Okon is actually Chinyere, that’s her real name. She married Charles “Jeff” Chandler, the fellow who killed Nzeogwu and was killed a day later. Chinyere, Maryam and Princess Atta were young friends who hung out together. They all married into the military, because the military was a proud and respectable profession then. Charles Chandler, who was Tiv, married Chinyere who I think is from Imo State. IBB married Maryam from Asaba and Mamman Vatsa married the princess. So Chinyere became a widow and resorted to trading between UK and Nigeria. And then she was caught with drugs; Mamman Vatsa was the person who put Chinyere on the next available flight from Kano to London – and then claimed that she was dead by parading a dead woman picked out of the mortuary. Dele Giwa later found out that she was in London having delivered a baby by another man. He sent a French photographer to the place and they saw Maryam Babangida at the event. Kayode Soyinka brought back the photographs. Dele was sitting across the table from Kayode examining the photos taken of “Gloria Okon” (Chinyere, Richard Chandler’s wife) at the naming ceremony in London. Maryam Babangida was there. And then a letter parcel was delivered to him and he said excitedly that it must be from “Mr. President” referring to the discussions he had with IBB days earlier. The bomb exploded and severed his lower abdomen; he died a few hours later.’
Some others say Dele Giwa knew that Okon was Maryam Babangida (or even IBB)’s drug mule and wanted to blackmail IBB, which is why he was killed. Newswatch has denied any link between their late founder who was killed by a parcel bomb in 1986.
Tom Mbeke-Ekanem in his book, Beyond the Execution: Understanding the Ethnic and Military Politics in Nigeria insisted the corpse sent to Calabar to Okon’s family was a fake corpse and that the family returned it saying it was not the corpse of their daughter, but that the authorities insisted the corpse was that of Okon. The claim was that the real Okon was freed to go live overseas and replaced with an unclaimed corpse brought in from the mortuary. The crazy controversies around the case prompted the Federal Government to make attempts to unearth everything thus launching the public commission.
According to others, she was a drug mule for the former Nigerian First Lady Maryam Babangida shuttling between the USA and Britain and she was killed so she would not squeal. As it is now, the truth is hanging somewhere, and the only way I think Nigerians will eventually get to know the truth is when a government comes and re-opens the case and declassifying all the documents relating to the case. Whether that will take 10 or 100 years, no one knows. But before then, the story of Gloria Okon is one eerie chapter that will continue to haunt the world’s largest black nation.
http://naijarchives.com/gloria-okon-the-story-of-nigerias-most-mysterious-drug-pusher/
FULL NAMES (alternate names): Miss Gloria Okon
BIRTH AND EARLY DAYS
She was born in 1950.
HER ARREST
On the 22nd April, 1985, a petite society lady, Gloria Okon, was about to board a Nigeria Airways aircraft WT840 (Lagos-Kano-London) at the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano State when she was arrested with substances suspected to be heroin and other hard drugs (the National Security Organization, NSO or Nigeria’s secret intelligence agency is often mentioned in her arrest). Tucked in internally were 56.70 grammes of the substances. She was also caught with the sum of N20,000, 60 pounds sterling, $301 and 19,000 Italian lira. The customs officers and drug law enforcement agents were very excited to have nabbed her, not because they had caught her alone but because they would also be stars of the show for a while as all the arrests were being made by their counterparts at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. But their jowls of excitement were pangs of sheer agony for the 35-year-old Okon. Why?
The year was 1985 and anyone caught with drugs would face the death penalty, no stories. That was the provision of the Decree 20 put in place by the junta of General Muhammadu Buhari . She was going to die, and she knew it. Stunned and stupefied at her sudden stare at death, Okon became an unwilling and helpless star before the nation’s news-thirsty media. Newspapers and magazines contained her story and the radios gave the chilly broadcast. For many who read the story or heard the announcement, it was not a big deal they thought, she was going to be executed like others. But then, there would be a twist in Okon’s story that would turn her into the most mysterious drug pusher in Nigeria’s history. What happened next still remains very bizarre even 30 years after.
DEATH
On the 28th April, six days after her arrest, the most unexpected happened: Gloria Okon died in custody. From an ordinary ‘heroin suspect’, the sudden demise of Okon led to what is now one of the most enduring narcodramas in Nigeria. She did not just die, she died in very questionable and mysterious circumstances. The Buhari regime would not bury the case and an investigation was launched into the matter, with a judicial commission of inquiry given the complicated task of unraveling all the circumstances surrounding the very suspicious death of Okon who gave up the ghost at the Aminu Kano Hospital, Kano.
INVESTIGATIONS
The judicial commission of enquiry working on the Okon case was headed by Justice CNO Ubbaonu of the Kano High Court. It began its sitting in Kano almost three months (precisely 5th Monday, August) after she died. Other members of the panel were:
Wing Commander PG Asemota
Tunde Oloko, a university don
JI Obianwu, who was the secretary
The case was so serious that the Inspector-General Etim Inyang was mandated to ensure there is a reasonable conclusion to the case and to make sure all the mysteries are solved. The commission was to carry out three main tasks:
Make proper inquiry as to the arrest and death of Gloria Okon
Determine whether during the period of her arrest and custody, if any person(s) contributed to her death through acts incidental to the case
Make suitable recommendations
But that would never happen: on the 27th of that same August, the military regime of Buhari was toppled by General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and till date, no one knows how it all ended and the demise remains a mystery. However, it must be stated that before she died, Okon reportedly confessed and revealed a ‘big baron’, as a matter of fact, a customs official said of her revelation:
‘If carefully handled, she may lead us to the big brains behind the business.’
But before Okon could even mention the name of her mentor or sponsor, she was stone-dead. According to those who investigated her case and questioned her, the only clue she left was simply the name ‘Bassey’. Ibrahim Coomasie was the commissioner of police for Kano State and he stated that it was almost impossible to track her mentor because Okon did not give the second name of Bassey or even an address, so the investigation met a dead end. The address that was listed against her name, 21 Cole Street, Surulere, Lagos was found to be non-existent.
However, it must be pointed out that although Okon was just one of the many female carriers arrested, she was the only drug mule very willing to cooperate and say it all, revealing all information on her sponsors. But before she could utter anything, she was gone. An autopsy conducted stated the cause of death as food poisoning. There was no time Okon showed any sign of ill-health, she was quite healthy when she was arrested as the public inquiry found out but according to Misharck Okitiakpo, a customs officer who kept her in custody, Gloria Okon fell ill just a day after she was arrested. Okitiakpo also explained that on the day she was arrested (22nd), Okon made a request for rice and beans which she was given. But on the 23rd and 24th, she was rushed to the hospital after she complained.
But that is where Okitiakpo’s accounts stopped. He did not explain or was unable to explain what happened from the 25th to the 28th when Okon finally breathed her last. Okon had been in the custody of the Customs until the 25th when she was handed to the police. Therefore, it is not precisely clear whether she was poisoned while with the customs or under the police custody where she eventually died. In an interview with The Guardian in May 1985, Coomasie said Okon had changed saying:
‘…the late suspect was not talking when she was brought to the police and did not make any statement to the police, when the police took custody of Okon, she looked weird and neither ate nor talked. ’
But later, she was given some egusi soup by the police (egusi with what? Abi she drink the egusi ni, police no tell us that one). The police also said she took some bananas and tea after the egusi. Amazing food combination: egusi, banana and tea.
The mystery of Okon’s case was further deepened when no one showed up to claim her, not even one relative showed to identify her as a suspect or even her corpse. According to Babadisa Ciroma, an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) who was in charge of Okon’s interrogation said no one paid her a visit while in custody or even when she was admitted at the hospital. That was not all, 39 days after her death Okon’s corpse remained unclaimed at the Murtala Muhammed Hospital Mortuary where it was deposited. This prompted the police force Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to issue a notice that her remains might be treated as unknown if it not claimed after seven days of warning to the general public. Apparently embarrassed by the mysterious death of Okon in custody and to prevent a repeat, the government compelled state police commands to transfer suspects and exhibits in cases of hard drugs to the Force CID Headquarters in Lagos by ‘the most expedient means’.
The Nigerian nation was supposed to hear from the judicial commission of inquiry by the end of August and shed light on the case but by the end of August, a new leader was in place and he was a military president: IBB. The late lawyer Gani Fawehinmi attempted to resurrect the case but this put him on a path of direct clash with Haliru Akilu and Kunle Togun, two of IBB’s most dreaded security agents. No one was ever charged over the death of Gloria Okon.
THE CONTROVERSIES
In the absence of a conclusive investigation, so many tales have been spun by many so as to fill in the gaps. According to some, Okon never died, the corpse presented was all a ruse and part of a grand conspiracy. In June 2009, Professor Taiyemiwo Ogunade, in an interview with THE NATION said of the Okon case:
‘Gloria Okon is actually Chinyere, that’s her real name. She married Charles “Jeff” Chandler, the fellow who killed Nzeogwu and was killed a day later. Chinyere, Maryam and Princess Atta were young friends who hung out together. They all married into the military, because the military was a proud and respectable profession then. Charles Chandler, who was Tiv, married Chinyere who I think is from Imo State. IBB married Maryam from Asaba and Mamman Vatsa married the princess. So Chinyere became a widow and resorted to trading between UK and Nigeria. And then she was caught with drugs; Mamman Vatsa was the person who put Chinyere on the next available flight from Kano to London – and then claimed that she was dead by parading a dead woman picked out of the mortuary. Dele Giwa later found out that she was in London having delivered a baby by another man. He sent a French photographer to the place and they saw Maryam Babangida at the event. Kayode Soyinka brought back the photographs. Dele was sitting across the table from Kayode examining the photos taken of “Gloria Okon” (Chinyere, Richard Chandler’s wife) at the naming ceremony in London. Maryam Babangida was there. And then a letter parcel was delivered to him and he said excitedly that it must be from “Mr. President” referring to the discussions he had with IBB days earlier. The bomb exploded and severed his lower abdomen; he died a few hours later.’
Some others say Dele Giwa knew that Okon was Maryam Babangida (or even IBB)’s drug mule and wanted to blackmail IBB, which is why he was killed. Newswatch has denied any link between their late founder who was killed by a parcel bomb in 1986.
Tom Mbeke-Ekanem in his book, Beyond the Execution: Understanding the Ethnic and Military Politics in Nigeria insisted the corpse sent to Calabar to Okon’s family was a fake corpse and that the family returned it saying it was not the corpse of their daughter, but that the authorities insisted the corpse was that of Okon. The claim was that the real Okon was freed to go live overseas and replaced with an unclaimed corpse brought in from the mortuary. The crazy controversies around the case prompted the Federal Government to make attempts to unearth everything thus launching the public commission.
According to others, she was a drug mule for the former Nigerian First Lady Maryam Babangida shuttling between the USA and Britain and she was killed so she would not squeal. As it is now, the truth is hanging somewhere, and the only way I think Nigerians will eventually get to know the truth is when a government comes and re-opens the case and declassifying all the documents relating to the case. Whether that will take 10 or 100 years, no one knows. But before then, the story of Gloria Okon is one eerie chapter that will continue to haunt the world’s largest black nation.
http://naijarchives.com/gloria-okon-the-story-of-nigerias-most-mysterious-drug-pusher/
SERAP's Lawsuit Is Nothing But A Political Tool - Okonjo-Iweala
The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has blasted the civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) for instituting a lawsuit against her over her failure to provide information about how the alleged missing N30tn was spent.
According to Premium Times the minister described the suit as fake, and said it was “the latest in the campaign of falsehood and politicization of the economy by persons and groups who are getting more desperate by the day, because the economy, despite their propaganda, was still standing and will continue to stand”.
SERAP had instituted the case against the Minister for “failure to provide information about spending of the alleged missing N30trillion”, which the group said represented “some accruable income to the Federal Government in the past four years”.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, followed a Freedom of Information request by the civil society group to the Minister dated February 2.
The group’s suit followed the disclosure by former Central Bank Governor, Charles Soludo in an article that over N30trillion was missing, or stolen, or unaccounted for, or simply mismanaged under the minister’s watch.
As trustee of public funds, SERAP said Okonjo-Iweala has a legal duty to render account on the missing trillion to the beneficiaries (Nigerians) of the trust, if and when called upon to do so.
So far, the group noted, she has “failed, refused and/or neglected to provide the Plaintiff with the details of the information requested”.
But, the Minister in her reaction through a statement on Tuesday by Paul Nwabuikwu her spokesperson, said the group had brought “a politically motivated suit” against her “based on the discredited N30 trillion allegation by Professor Charles Soludo”.
Characteristically, the minister’s statement was unsparing of the civil society group with a heavy dose of tongue lashing, saying the suit “confirms that SERAP is nothing but a political tool of the opposition hiding behind the façade of advocacy”.
“Like their previous efforts, this latest one will fail because Nigerians can see through their antics. We look forward to meeting SERAP in court,” the statement declared.
It would be recalled that the refusal of Okonjo-Iweala to explain her role in the purported missing money, led the group to file a lawsuit against her.
Follow NAIJ.COM on Twitter!
JiJi.ng – Sell phones, cars, clothes, furniture to real people
Write review and get real money – Tips.naij.com
Two Reasons Jega Cannot Be Removed- Lawyers
Following the ongoing drama about plot to remove the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, some legal practitioners have given two reasons why the umpire will remain in office.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega
The Nation on Tuesday reported that legal practitioners have told President Goodluck Jonathan to shelve any plan to send the INEC chairman on terminal leave because it cannot be accomplished.
The legal experts said there is no law or regulation that compels political appointees to proceed on terminal leave; and the timing is “inauspicious and not strategic.”
Meanwhile, the legal experts’ advice emphatically said “political appointees are not subject to terminal leave”.
It is believed that with the legal obstacle, the Presidency may have dumped the option of asking Jega to go on leave even though the President had earlier stated that he has the power to remove the INEC boss, but also cleared the air that, Jega has not done anything to warrant his removal.
A government official, who did not want to be named, said Jega will not be removed or asked to go on leave, revealing that the comment of the supervising Minister of Information, Mr. Edem Duke, has caused disquiet in the cabinet.
The official said some ministers believe that Duke’s inexplicit response to questions on Jega’s fate last Friday has been heating up the polity.
Recall that Duke said though Jonathan has no plan to sack Jega, “this is not to say that, if it is time for INEC chairman to naturally exit his office, then the natural course of public service rule will not take place when he has reached the age of retirement or exhausted his tenure.”
“I think we have been having this apprehension on Jega’s fate because of the politics which beclouded non-renewal of the tenure of ex-INEC Chairman Prof. Maurice Iwu. I think in managing Iwu’s exit, those behind it did not look at the legality of the process in asking him to proceed on leave,” the source said.
The government official further revealed that the Presidency was advised against allowing Jega to go on terminal leave because the “timing of the agitation is inauspicious and non-strategic,” but another top government official has said President Jonathan will not remove or ask Jega to proceed on terminal leave, noting that he has told the nation of his position and he will stand by his words.
Recall that there have been rumoured plots to remove the INEC chairman following his parley with the country’s major opposition party, the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The call for Jega’s removal became intense when group and some alleged concerned Nigerians started raising questions about the closeness of the electoral commission boss to the opposition party although it was the opposition that initially blew the trumpet on the alleged plot to send Jega on terminal leave.
However, President Jonathan had earlier assured Nigerians and the international community that he has no plan to sack Professor Attahiru Jega, ahead of Nigeria’s general elections slated for March 28 and April 11.
Actress Addresses Her 'I Can Die For PDP' Statement
When Nollywood actress, Toyin Aimakhu made the statement, ‘I can die for PDP’ at the #MeetThePresident event on Sunday, little did she know what the aftermath would be…
Toyin Aimakhu at the #MeetThePresident event
The statement got lots of reactions from the screen diva’s fans home and abroad. While majority of the reactions scolded the actress for making such an unruly statement whether jokingly or not, only a few were behind the actress, supporting what she said.
However, the actress has released an official statement to disabuse the minds of a lot of people blaming her for saying she can dies for the Peoples Democratic Party. She says she has the right to say and do what she wants as there is something called freedom of speech and right. Toyin also added that it was just a joke, she didn’t mean the statement, and then Nigerians should learn not to be hard on celebrities. She further says you should stop envying other people’s success.
Read the engaging piece below:
Our country has given its citizens the right to freedom of speech and right to vote and be voted for, I’m most definitely not an exception. As of 1999, Nigeria has about 29 political parties, allowing every citizen to choose at their own free will. It is then left to us not to undermine the decision or choices of others as it is loathsome. We live in a world where people take pleasure in bringing other people down. I feel obliged to address the matter of me dying for the PDP.
Firstly, no one is dying for anyone and the last time I checked only Jesus had died for us with no strings attached or money promised to his family when he’s gone. He died to save us all. Haven’t pointed that out, I will like to say, I will not , in any way, for no reason whatsoever, die for a person or a political party.
Firstly, no one is dying for anyone and the last time I checked only Jesus had died for us with no strings attached or money promised to his family when he’s gone. He died to save us all. Haven’t pointed that out, I will like to say, I will not , in any way, for no reason whatsoever, die for a person or a political party.
Secondly, I personally feel it is pathetic for anyone to take my word literally when it was simply a joke. As a successful Nollywood actress, it is not unusual for people in my line of work to use the phrase ‘ha baba, walai mo love yin gaan mo le ku fun yin ni sir’ with smiles on their faces. This was me, just doing my job as a host of the event, trying to be funny, which by the way, worked. It is absurd to take my word out of context.
Furthermore, my choices, should however in no way be a channel for condemnation. Celebrities and public figures, just like every other people, are allowed to campaign, vote and support whomever and however we please. As many great political parties we have, we cannot vote for them all. It is a one man, one vote society. I love everyone as best as I can, most especially my fans ,make your choice, respect the choice of others, let it be, and most especially, do not allow the choice of others affect yours.
In conclusion, let’s try to help others grow and support them. Don’t let the success of others make you feel resentment against them or envious, simply learn from them and strive to do better.
I wish everyone safe, free and fair election.
In conclusion, let’s try to help others grow and support them. Don’t let the success of others make you feel resentment against them or envious, simply learn from them and strive to do better.
I wish everyone safe, free and fair election.
It would be recalled that just recently, in order to show support for President Jonathan, who is bidding for re-election as the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, a porn star popularly called Afrocandy made a music video.
Follow NAIJ.COM on Twitter!
BUHARI RETURNS FRIDAY
General Muhammadu Buhari, the popular presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), will return to Nigeria on Friday, following nearly 10 days in London on a campaign break. He had campaigned in 35 states before traveling out of the country.
Buhari, whose prolonged absence fueled a festival of negative rumors from his opponents, is reportedly in great health. He responded to those challenges in one television interview by challenging his detractors to a road race, saying he would like to see how long they can last against him. A source in his camp said General Buhari stubbornly stuck to his decision to rest for 10 days after the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) postponed the elections, which were initially scheduled for February 14th. A campaign team member told SaharaReporters that apart from his highly successful outing at the famous Chatham House last week where Buhari gave a powerful speech about Nigeria’s democratic hopes and challenges, he remained in in an apartment in London where he received visitors and friends. The source further stated that Buhari’s holiday break has enabled the APC to conserve its meagre resources to enable the party cope with campaign finance requirements. Since the postponement of the elections two weeks ago, President Goodluck Jonathan and his People’s Democratic Party have spent a largesse of close to $200m as gifts to traditional rulers, religious groups, youths and students, as well as on amorphous groups that are pursuing a variety of legal challenges towards getting Buhari disqualified from the race. A sizable portion of the money was dedicated to discrediting the chairman of Nigeria’s electoral commission, Attahiru Jega. The administration is known to be considering getting him out of office for refusing to bow to its wishes. Mr. Jonathan, along with former dictator Ibrahim Babangida, is also known to be considering putting into play an Interim National Government, rather than lose the presidency to someone who will look into the records. It is understood that last night, the United States and the European Union put their feet down on the issue of the Professor Jega, threatening to send President Jonathan to the International Criminal Court if anything goes wrong with Nigeria as Jonathan tries to tinker with the election outcomes. APC sources said on Tuesday they had not decided on what form Buhari’s return might take on Friday, as some people have suggested a tumultuous party. http://saharareporters.com/2015/03/03/buhari-return-nigeria-friday |
'Fuel Scarcity Will End Before Weekend'-NNPC -
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to pay with immediate effect, all outstanding monies owed to oil marketers so as to end the current fuel scarcity that has crippled the nation and caused untold hardship to millions of people.
This was just as the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (downstream) yesterday summoned top management of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) among others, to appear before it tomorrow by 2pm prompt.
The president, who restated his commitment to Nigerians, said the public should not bear the burden of needless bureaucracy, as was presently the case. He stressed that Nigerians don’t need excuses but solution, which must be provided.
The summons by the Senate Committee was issued against the backdrop of the absence of the agencies to defend their 2015 budgets before the committee.
Committee Chairman, Senator Magnus Abe and his Deputy, Mohammed Goje, said their appearance would have enabled the agencies to explain to Nigerians the cause of the present fuel scarcity and measures put in place to address it.
Infuriated by the absence of the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Joseph Dawha, and other officials at the budget defence session, Abe openly directed the committee Clerk, Mr. Anthony Ikem, to immediately write to the NNPC and other affected agencies to explain why “the corporation did not even have the decency to inform the committee of its planned absence at the budget defence session” either through a letter or a phone call.
“We invited NNPC to this session since last week. The corporation did not even have the decency to inform this committee ahead of its absence today; a very bad practice we thought it had ended with, since last year.
It’ll end before weekend –NNPC
From AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), yesterday, said the current biting fuel situation in the country will end before the end of the week.
The NNPC Group Executive Director, Commercial and Investment, Aisha Abdulrahman, who gave the assurance in Abuja, said all queues at filling stations across the country would disappear before the end of this week.
Speaking when the Supervising Minister of Information, Chief Edem Duke, led a team of reporters on an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in the filling stations, Abdulrahman said the situation had been addressed, adding that the NNPC currently had adequate stock that could last between 20 and 30 days.
She urged filling stations to complement the NNPC retail outlets by selling petrol for 24 hours to clear the fuel queues across the country.
Abdulrahman discouraged speculation, panic buying and hoarding of fuel, saying the NNPC had flooded the country with petroleum products.
On his part, Duke took a swipe at the opposition political party, denying that there was fuel scarcity.
He said all the depots across the country were wet with fuel, but that the queues in the filling stations were due to speculation and panic buying.
He lambasted the opposition for cashing in on the fuel situation to score cheap political point, even as he assured that the Jonathan’s administration would remain responsive to the welfare and economic well being of the citizenry.
“A good government cannot inflict scarcity on its people. It cannot bite its nose to spite its face, especially at a time when there is political tension.
“There is no government worth its onions that will say, rather than focus on strategies to win election, ‘let us deprive the citizenry of adequate supply of petroleum products’.
“So, when people are sitting in Dubai and issuing statements that are unfounded, I think we, as the conscience of the nation, should know better,” Duke said.
Obasanjo Predicts Victory For Buhari March 28
Nigeria’s former President, who has been recently in the news over his quit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), predicts the outcome of the upcoming presidential elections.
Olusegun Obasanjo
Many lamented over OBJ’s decision to leave the ruling party after years of service.
Several times the country ex leader blasted President Goodluck Jonathan over his performance in the office. At the same time he noted the good things about the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.
It was even alleged more that once that Obasanjo openly endorsed the former military Head of State.
Speaking in Kenya last month during his autobiography presentation, he praised Buhari calling him “smart enough”, “educated enough” and “experienced enough”. However, soon the former PDP politician debunked reports about endorsing GMB saying that he would simply be guided by “track of records” while deciding who to support.
According to the latest report by P.M. News, this time Obasanjo predicted that Buhari would win March 28.
He made a claim in Abeokuta, Ogun state March 4, Tuesday, during the meeting with a group that styles itself, Concerned Citizens of Nigeria.
He also denied the possibility of elections annulment like it was the case in 1993 and the following violence.
On its part, the group urged Obasanjo to intervene in the lingering political crisis in Nigeria before it gets worse.
According to the body:
“We have come to express our deep concern over series of dangerous political miscalculations currently going on under Jonathan administration.
“We are afraid that crisis is seriously looming and it is like another June 12 crisis is on the way and it may be very tragic for the country. We want you to as a matter of urgency intervene into the matter before it is too late sir.”
To which OBJ responded:
“You need not to worry about anything. There can never be any June 12 annulment again. Buhari is not Abiola, he is a trained and highly intelligent soldier.
READ ALSO: I Am Not Avoiding Jonathan – Obasanjo
“Oyegun is not Anenih, Osinbajo is not Kingibe. Jega is not Nwosu, Jonathan is not IBB and this time around, Obasanjo will not support any interim government.
“Obasanjo will rather support a free, fair and credible election.”
Follow NAIJ.COM on Twitter!
JiJi.ng – Sell phones, cars, clothes, furniture to real people
Write review and get real money – Tips.naij.com
APC Allegations On Poll Shift, Others Baseless —presidency - Politics - Nairaland Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / APC Allegations On Poll Shift, Others Baseless —presidency
The Presidency on Tuesday took a swipe at the leaders of the All Progressives Congress, saying they had resorted to propaganda, blackmail and deception because their imminent loss in the forthcoming general elections was staring them in the face.
The Special Adviser to the President, Dr. Reuben Abati, said this in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH in Abuja.
Abati was reacting to the statements credited to the APC that President Goodluck Jonathan was planning another poll shift, making moves to sack the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega and taking steps to freeze the accounts of some of its leaders.
The presidential spokesman described all the allegations as baseless, false and meaningless.
He said the opposition party decided to heighten its level of hideous propaganda because of the “sudden disappearance” of its presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
Abati argued that out of desperation, the APC leaders needed to occupy the media space without considering their shallow tactics.
He said that was why when the opposition leaders speak, people would notice so much incoherence and noise.
On another round of poll shift, Abati said, “Anybody who has been listening to news will see that the President has consistently said he does not see any reason why the polls will be shifted again.
“He has consistently assured the international community that government has no intention whatsoever to shift the polls because the date of the inauguration of a new government is May 29 and that that day is sacrosanct.
“Whatever postponement that has taken place is within the frame of the law and it is constitutional. The law gives a timeframe to hold elections.”
On the plot to remove Jega, the presidential spokesman said Jonathan had made it clear that the INEC boss had not committed any offence that could warrant his sack.
He expressed the hope that with the love the opposition leaders were displaying for Jega, they would be able to come out at the end of the election and accept the outcome.
Abati said, “The President himself has addressed this categorically that he has never at any time discussed the issue with anybody that he wants to sack Jega.
“He said before you can remove anybody, you have to first establish that the person has committed an offence and that there is nothing before him to indicate that Jega has committed any offence.
“The APC, because its key spokespersons seem to have talent for noise making, keep insisting that there are plans to remove Jega. The question to be asked is if there is something they know that we do not know. Is there something between them and Jega that they are so desperate?
“What it means is that at the end of the day, we do not expect that the APC will turn around and say they have no faith in the outcome of the election or that Jega did not conduct the election very well.
“The way they are packaging Jega, you will think he is even a member of their party. I hope that when eventually they lose the election, they will be honest enough to accept the outcome.”
Abati said there was no sense in the claims that Jonathan was planning to freeze the accounts of a former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State.
He explained that no individual, no matter how highly placed, had the right to freeze anybody’s accounts.
The presidential spokesman said, “That allegation is a no brainer because people like making unintelligent comments as if they never went to school.
“The President cannot just stand up and say he is freezing somebody’s account.
“When people’s accounts are frozen, it is because may be they have been indicted and a court of law has given an order to that effect.
“No one individual, no matter how powerful he is, can just wake up and say he is freezing somebody’s account.
“I am surprised that anybody will take them serious on this. If they keep saying it despite the emptiness of the claim, then it again proves the point of their desperation.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/apc-allegations-on-poll-shift-others-baseless-presidency/
The Special Adviser to the President, Dr. Reuben Abati, said this in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH in Abuja.
Abati was reacting to the statements credited to the APC that President Goodluck Jonathan was planning another poll shift, making moves to sack the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega and taking steps to freeze the accounts of some of its leaders.
The presidential spokesman described all the allegations as baseless, false and meaningless.
He said the opposition party decided to heighten its level of hideous propaganda because of the “sudden disappearance” of its presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
Abati argued that out of desperation, the APC leaders needed to occupy the media space without considering their shallow tactics.
He said that was why when the opposition leaders speak, people would notice so much incoherence and noise.
On another round of poll shift, Abati said, “Anybody who has been listening to news will see that the President has consistently said he does not see any reason why the polls will be shifted again.
“He has consistently assured the international community that government has no intention whatsoever to shift the polls because the date of the inauguration of a new government is May 29 and that that day is sacrosanct.
“Whatever postponement that has taken place is within the frame of the law and it is constitutional. The law gives a timeframe to hold elections.”
On the plot to remove Jega, the presidential spokesman said Jonathan had made it clear that the INEC boss had not committed any offence that could warrant his sack.
He expressed the hope that with the love the opposition leaders were displaying for Jega, they would be able to come out at the end of the election and accept the outcome.
Abati said, “The President himself has addressed this categorically that he has never at any time discussed the issue with anybody that he wants to sack Jega.
“He said before you can remove anybody, you have to first establish that the person has committed an offence and that there is nothing before him to indicate that Jega has committed any offence.
“The APC, because its key spokespersons seem to have talent for noise making, keep insisting that there are plans to remove Jega. The question to be asked is if there is something they know that we do not know. Is there something between them and Jega that they are so desperate?
“What it means is that at the end of the day, we do not expect that the APC will turn around and say they have no faith in the outcome of the election or that Jega did not conduct the election very well.
“The way they are packaging Jega, you will think he is even a member of their party. I hope that when eventually they lose the election, they will be honest enough to accept the outcome.”
Abati said there was no sense in the claims that Jonathan was planning to freeze the accounts of a former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State.
He explained that no individual, no matter how highly placed, had the right to freeze anybody’s accounts.
The presidential spokesman said, “That allegation is a no brainer because people like making unintelligent comments as if they never went to school.
“The President cannot just stand up and say he is freezing somebody’s account.
“When people’s accounts are frozen, it is because may be they have been indicted and a court of law has given an order to that effect.
“No one individual, no matter how powerful he is, can just wake up and say he is freezing somebody’s account.
“I am surprised that anybody will take them serious on this. If they keep saying it despite the emptiness of the claim, then it again proves the point of their desperation.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/apc-allegations-on-poll-shift-others-baseless-presidency/
Apple Inc. Buys Chinedu Echeruo’s Hopstop.com For $1 Billion - Investment -
Apple has acquired Chinedu Echeruo’s HopStop.com, The Wall Street Journal’s publication, AllThingsDigital reports. Founded in 2005, HopStop.com makes mobile applications for both iOS and Android that covers over 300 cities and that helps people get directions or find nearby subway stations and bus stops. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed as at the time of this publication.
Chinedu Echeruo, formerly an analyst at investment banks and hedge funds founded HopStop in 2005. Echeruo is now Chairman of the Board for HopStop.
HopStop has oft been compared to Israel’s Waze which was recently acquired by Google for $1 billion. The move is seen as Apple’s plan to bolster its map offering especially given Google’s recent acquisition of Waze.
A serial entrepreneur, Chinedu Echeruo grew up in Eastern Nigeria and attended Kings College, Lagos. He attended Syracuse University and the Harvard Business School in the United States and founded HopStop.com after working for several years in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Leveraged Finance groups of J.P Morgan Chase where he was involved in a broad range of M&A, Financing and Private Equity transactions. He also worked at AM Investment Partners, a $500 million volatility-driven convertible bond arbitrage hedge fund.
He founded and raised nearly $8 million for his two U.S based internet companies; Hopstop.com andTripology.com. Tripology.com was acquired in 2010 by American travel and navigation information company, Rand McNally. He was named Black Enterprise Magazine’s Small Business Innovator of the year and listed in the magazine’s Top 40 under 40 and is currently a partner and head of the Principal Investing group at Constant Capital, a West Africa based investment bank.
True to form, Echeruo is working on yet another venture but this time, focused on small businesses in Africa. Check out a video of Chinedu Echeruo below at last year’s TedxIkoyi where he talks about his latest project for small businesses in Africa; “crowd sourced business in a box.”
According to him:
“There is no reason why every entrepreneur should have to reinvent the wheel every single time in all the countries in Africa. My idea is to essentially to have one place where a budding entrepreneur can access a template for starting a business, and then customize it to suit their own situation. Essentially a business-in-a-box.”
Chinedu Echeruo, formerly an analyst at investment banks and hedge funds founded HopStop in 2005. Echeruo is now Chairman of the Board for HopStop.
HopStop has oft been compared to Israel’s Waze which was recently acquired by Google for $1 billion. The move is seen as Apple’s plan to bolster its map offering especially given Google’s recent acquisition of Waze.
A serial entrepreneur, Chinedu Echeruo grew up in Eastern Nigeria and attended Kings College, Lagos. He attended Syracuse University and the Harvard Business School in the United States and founded HopStop.com after working for several years in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Leveraged Finance groups of J.P Morgan Chase where he was involved in a broad range of M&A, Financing and Private Equity transactions. He also worked at AM Investment Partners, a $500 million volatility-driven convertible bond arbitrage hedge fund.
He founded and raised nearly $8 million for his two U.S based internet companies; Hopstop.com andTripology.com. Tripology.com was acquired in 2010 by American travel and navigation information company, Rand McNally. He was named Black Enterprise Magazine’s Small Business Innovator of the year and listed in the magazine’s Top 40 under 40 and is currently a partner and head of the Principal Investing group at Constant Capital, a West Africa based investment bank.
True to form, Echeruo is working on yet another venture but this time, focused on small businesses in Africa. Check out a video of Chinedu Echeruo below at last year’s TedxIkoyi where he talks about his latest project for small businesses in Africa; “crowd sourced business in a box.”
According to him:
“There is no reason why every entrepreneur should have to reinvent the wheel every single time in all the countries in Africa. My idea is to essentially to have one place where a budding entrepreneur can access a template for starting a business, and then customize it to suit their own situation. Essentially a business-in-a-box.”
Anti- Jega Plot Crashes As Presidency Hits Dead End. -
LEGAL experts have told the Presidency the bitter truth about Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega — he cannot be sent on terminal leave.
There are two reasons for the legal opinion. They are that:
•no law or regulation compels political appointees to proceed on terminal leave; and
•the timing is “inauspicious and not strategic”.
Faced with the legal obstacle, the Presidency may have dumped the option of asking Jega to go on leave.
Besides, President Goodluck Jonathan has said although he has the power to remove Jega, the INEC chief has not done anything to warrant his removal.
A top government official yesterday said Jega will not be removed or asked to go on leave.
But the comment of the supervising Minister of Information, Mr. Edem Duke, has caused disquiet in the cabinet.
Some ministers believe that Duke’s “inexplicit response to questions on Jega’s fate” last Friday has been heating up the polity.
Duke said although the President has no plan to sack Jega, ‘’this is not to say that, if it is time for INEC chairman to naturally exit his office, then the natural course of public service rule will not take
place when he has reached the age of retirement or exhausted his tenure.”
According to a source, the legal advice emphatically said “political appointees are not subject to terminal leave”.
The source added: “I think we have been having this apprehension on Jega’s fate because of the politics which beclouded non-renewal of the tenure of ex-INEC Chairman Prof. Maurice Iwu.
“I think in managing Iwu’s exit, those behind it did not look at the legality of the process in asking him to proceed on leave.”
The source also said the Presidency was advised against allowing Jega to go on terminal leave because the “timing of the agitation is inauspicious and non-strategic”.
A top government official said: “President Goodluck Jonathan will not remove or ask Jega to proceed on terminal leave. He has told the nation of his position and he will stand by his words.”
At INEC, however, a woman National Commissioner is still feeling bad that she was linked to the plot against Jega.
“The National Commissioner has been psychologically disturbed that she is being associated with treachery.
“Were it not for pressure, she would have addressed the press with some commissioners on why they are standing by Jega,” a source said.
Duke’s comment is said to have caused disquiet in the cabinet.
“Everyone is disturbed that Edem Duke was not circumspect enough because as a Minister of Information, he ought to know that the press will take note of what is said, intended or unsaid,” a source said, adding:
“No one is happy that the story about Jega has been bordering on alleged plot to remove or ask him to go on terminal leave by the President. We believe as cabinet members, we should also not heat up the polity or create an image crisis for this administration. If you have noticed, the debate on Jega’s fate heightened after Duke’s briefing last Friday.
“Not all members of the cabinet approved of Duke’s comments, which left a few things hanging.”
Jega has shelved today’s meeting with the 37 Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC).
Instead, the INEC chairman has deployed all National Commissioners and the 37 REC in 12 states for the mock election taking place on Saturday.
The states selected are: Ekiti and Lagos(South-West); Anambra and Ebonyi(South-East); Delta and Rivers(South-South); Kano and Kebbi(North-West); Bauchi and Taraba(North-East); and Niger and Nasarawa(North-Central).
The mock election will be used for “field testing of the functionality of the Smart Card Readers”.
A National Commissioner said: “All National Commissioners and RECs are going to take part in the mock election which we are using to measure our preparation for the general election.
“The session between INEC chairman and RECs will now hold next week to enable the commission to consider the report on the mock election.”
House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal said we cannot play the ostrich with the plot to scuttle the elections.“It is clear that some people are not interested in a free and fair election.”
Tambuwal, who spoke when he received a delegation from the Situation Room Advocacy also condemned any move to install an interim government which he said will amount to a coup because it has no place in the constitution.
Also yesterday, the House of Representatives sounded a note of warning to President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration on the danger of removing the INEC chairman before the general elections.
To show its seriousness, the threatened to initiate court action within the country and at the International Criminal Court (ICC), over supposed plots to remove Jega and shift the March 28th and April 11th elections.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of the prayers of a motion by Hon. Ali Ahmad, Chairman House Committee on Justice,
The “Motion on threat to further tamper with the status quo arrangements for the 2015 general elections” was seconded by Hon. Goni Bukar
The House urged “the political class, government of the federation and of states and security agencies to heed the warning of imminent and present danger associated with any interference with the existing schedules of the general elections”.
It said it will “hold personally accountable at domestic judicial forum or at the International Criminal Court “ any person or Organisation that foists on INEC any decision or action whatsoever, including unconstitutional attempt to remove the current INEC chairman, that has the effect of making it impracticable for the elections to hold on 28th March and 11th April, 2015”.
Arguing the motion, Ahmad said the initial postponement of the general elections for six weeks due to security concerns related to the Boko Haram insurgency has further heightened the tempo for pre-election violence.
He expressed concern on the possibility, threat and insinuation to precipitate actions that would cause further alteration to the status quo arrangement and regulation of the general elections
Ahmad said: “That such threats to tamper with the status quo may take several forms including , but not limited to, illegal removal of the current INEC Chairman.
“That there is already documented evidence from several sources that any change in status quo arrangements, especially removal of the INEC chairman, presents a possibility of violence and would occasion the sowing of seeds of a major crisis,” he said.
The lawmaker said civil society organisations and lawyers, including usually reticent Senior Advocates of Nigeria have sounded “a note of warning” and threatened a “showdown”.
According to him, such removal will be unconstitutional, “given the decision of the Supreme Court that removal of the chairman or members of such an independent electoral body as INEC pursuant to S.157 (1) of the Constitution can only be achieved when two things happen, viz: (a) for his inability to discharge the functions of the office, or ( b) for misconduct, as determined by 2/3 majority of the Senate ( Governor of Kwara State v. Ojiabor. 2007).”
Ahmad said such deliberately induced violence “ may snowball as it did in 2011 post-election period into widespread or systematic attack, persecution, arson, murder, thereby amounting to serious crimes of concern to the international community, as contained in Article 5 of the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which Nigeria is a signatory.”
However, the Deputy Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, objected to the motion, saying that it was “totally speculative” at best and should not even be entertained, not to mention being passed.
His objection was overruled by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, who called for a voice vote. It was unanimously passed by members.
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/reps-jega-polls-schedule-stay/
There are two reasons for the legal opinion. They are that:
•no law or regulation compels political appointees to proceed on terminal leave; and
•the timing is “inauspicious and not strategic”.
Faced with the legal obstacle, the Presidency may have dumped the option of asking Jega to go on leave.
Besides, President Goodluck Jonathan has said although he has the power to remove Jega, the INEC chief has not done anything to warrant his removal.
A top government official yesterday said Jega will not be removed or asked to go on leave.
But the comment of the supervising Minister of Information, Mr. Edem Duke, has caused disquiet in the cabinet.
Some ministers believe that Duke’s “inexplicit response to questions on Jega’s fate” last Friday has been heating up the polity.
Duke said although the President has no plan to sack Jega, ‘’this is not to say that, if it is time for INEC chairman to naturally exit his office, then the natural course of public service rule will not take
place when he has reached the age of retirement or exhausted his tenure.”
According to a source, the legal advice emphatically said “political appointees are not subject to terminal leave”.
The source added: “I think we have been having this apprehension on Jega’s fate because of the politics which beclouded non-renewal of the tenure of ex-INEC Chairman Prof. Maurice Iwu.
“I think in managing Iwu’s exit, those behind it did not look at the legality of the process in asking him to proceed on leave.”
The source also said the Presidency was advised against allowing Jega to go on terminal leave because the “timing of the agitation is inauspicious and non-strategic”.
A top government official said: “President Goodluck Jonathan will not remove or ask Jega to proceed on terminal leave. He has told the nation of his position and he will stand by his words.”
At INEC, however, a woman National Commissioner is still feeling bad that she was linked to the plot against Jega.
“The National Commissioner has been psychologically disturbed that she is being associated with treachery.
“Were it not for pressure, she would have addressed the press with some commissioners on why they are standing by Jega,” a source said.
Duke’s comment is said to have caused disquiet in the cabinet.
“Everyone is disturbed that Edem Duke was not circumspect enough because as a Minister of Information, he ought to know that the press will take note of what is said, intended or unsaid,” a source said, adding:
“No one is happy that the story about Jega has been bordering on alleged plot to remove or ask him to go on terminal leave by the President. We believe as cabinet members, we should also not heat up the polity or create an image crisis for this administration. If you have noticed, the debate on Jega’s fate heightened after Duke’s briefing last Friday.
“Not all members of the cabinet approved of Duke’s comments, which left a few things hanging.”
Jega has shelved today’s meeting with the 37 Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC).
Instead, the INEC chairman has deployed all National Commissioners and the 37 REC in 12 states for the mock election taking place on Saturday.
The states selected are: Ekiti and Lagos(South-West); Anambra and Ebonyi(South-East); Delta and Rivers(South-South); Kano and Kebbi(North-West); Bauchi and Taraba(North-East); and Niger and Nasarawa(North-Central).
The mock election will be used for “field testing of the functionality of the Smart Card Readers”.
A National Commissioner said: “All National Commissioners and RECs are going to take part in the mock election which we are using to measure our preparation for the general election.
“The session between INEC chairman and RECs will now hold next week to enable the commission to consider the report on the mock election.”
House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal said we cannot play the ostrich with the plot to scuttle the elections.“It is clear that some people are not interested in a free and fair election.”
Tambuwal, who spoke when he received a delegation from the Situation Room Advocacy also condemned any move to install an interim government which he said will amount to a coup because it has no place in the constitution.
Also yesterday, the House of Representatives sounded a note of warning to President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration on the danger of removing the INEC chairman before the general elections.
To show its seriousness, the threatened to initiate court action within the country and at the International Criminal Court (ICC), over supposed plots to remove Jega and shift the March 28th and April 11th elections.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of the prayers of a motion by Hon. Ali Ahmad, Chairman House Committee on Justice,
The “Motion on threat to further tamper with the status quo arrangements for the 2015 general elections” was seconded by Hon. Goni Bukar
The House urged “the political class, government of the federation and of states and security agencies to heed the warning of imminent and present danger associated with any interference with the existing schedules of the general elections”.
It said it will “hold personally accountable at domestic judicial forum or at the International Criminal Court “ any person or Organisation that foists on INEC any decision or action whatsoever, including unconstitutional attempt to remove the current INEC chairman, that has the effect of making it impracticable for the elections to hold on 28th March and 11th April, 2015”.
Arguing the motion, Ahmad said the initial postponement of the general elections for six weeks due to security concerns related to the Boko Haram insurgency has further heightened the tempo for pre-election violence.
He expressed concern on the possibility, threat and insinuation to precipitate actions that would cause further alteration to the status quo arrangement and regulation of the general elections
Ahmad said: “That such threats to tamper with the status quo may take several forms including , but not limited to, illegal removal of the current INEC Chairman.
“That there is already documented evidence from several sources that any change in status quo arrangements, especially removal of the INEC chairman, presents a possibility of violence and would occasion the sowing of seeds of a major crisis,” he said.
The lawmaker said civil society organisations and lawyers, including usually reticent Senior Advocates of Nigeria have sounded “a note of warning” and threatened a “showdown”.
According to him, such removal will be unconstitutional, “given the decision of the Supreme Court that removal of the chairman or members of such an independent electoral body as INEC pursuant to S.157 (1) of the Constitution can only be achieved when two things happen, viz: (a) for his inability to discharge the functions of the office, or ( b) for misconduct, as determined by 2/3 majority of the Senate ( Governor of Kwara State v. Ojiabor. 2007).”
Ahmad said such deliberately induced violence “ may snowball as it did in 2011 post-election period into widespread or systematic attack, persecution, arson, murder, thereby amounting to serious crimes of concern to the international community, as contained in Article 5 of the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which Nigeria is a signatory.”
However, the Deputy Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, objected to the motion, saying that it was “totally speculative” at best and should not even be entertained, not to mention being passed.
His objection was overruled by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, who called for a voice vote. It was unanimously passed by members.
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/reps-jega-polls-schedule-stay/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)