Again, Bombs Rock Maiduguri

Two bombs exploded at the main store of the Disease Control Unit (epidemiological) of the Borno State Ministry of Health on Wednesday. Drugs, vaccines and other property worth millions of naira were destroyed. The bombs were suspected to have been planted by members of the Boko Haram sect.

The explosions occurred at about 7:30pm, setting the place on fire. The bombs were also said to have destroyed vaccines, drugs and property belonging to private business men in a nearby warehouse.

An eyewitness said he was sitting at about 7:30pm when he heard an explosion, saying that the stores went up in flames after the explosion.

When our correspondent visited the scene of the explosion yesterday morning, the stores were still burning while fire fighters were busy trying to put out the fire.

A trader whose store was also affected, Mohammed Mustapha, told our correspondent that he lost over N25 million worth of goods to the inferno.

He said: "The fire destroyed Chinese carpet, blanket, wrappers and other materials I kept in the store. It also destroyed the store of my neighbor who sells food stuff."

Our correspondent further learnt that another bomb also exploded in the Saint Patrick Catholic Church, opposite Borno State secretariat. The bomb uprooted electric poles and cables and destroyed the bishop's office.

It was gathered that the explosion occurred at about 3:05pm.

When our correspondent contacted the state police public relations officer, ASP Lawal Abdulahi, for confirmation, he said he was waiting for the DPO in charge of the area to brief him. He added that he would get back to newsmen in due course.

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Kaduna disburses money to victims of election crisis

The Kaduna State government has commenced the disbursement of money to the families who were displaced as a result of the April post-election crisis. The victims are currently staying at various refugee camps across the state.

Speaking at the refugee camp located at the Army depot in Zaria where the displaced persons received money from the state government on Wednesday, the chairman of the Committee on Rehabilitation and Settlement, Saidu Adamu, said the government would do its best to provide basic essentials so that the displaced could be able to reintegrate into the larger society, adding that the gesture was to enable them find houses to rent and not compensation.

The assistance came as a reaction to the passionate appeal to the government by the internally displaced persons through their representatives who indicated willingness to leave the camps once they had money to pay rent. Representatives of the various ethnic groups at the camps expressed their appreciation to the state government and assured that the money would be judiciously utilised.

According to Mr Adamu, who is the immediate past commissioner of information in the state, the monetary assistance was to enable the victims who were staying in the camps and had no any other place to live, use the little money to start life again.

"The governor has already inaugurated the Judicial Commission of Inquiry and is saddled with the responsibilities of trying to know the causes of the problems; how many people lost their life, property and houses," he said. "After the submission of their report, government would take another decision on what ought to be done for those of you who lost everything. Our mission is to give you a minor assistance to enable you be in other houses before the main committee comes up with a comprehensive report."

He expressed appreciation to the Depot Commandant who together with his officers and men, took very good care of the displaced persons and ensured that they were protected and fed.

He said there were so many displaced persons across the state and government would ensure that every affected household received the assistance.

Earlier at the Mando camp near Kaduna, the chairman of the committee in company of other members, Red Cross officials and clergies, appealed to the victims in their hundreds to ensure that they compiled a good record of the authentic victims staying within the camp before the actual disbursement of money would commence.

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N10bn loan: Bankole resists EFCC arrest

Dimeji Bankole, outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, on Friday resisted efforts made for his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Hafiz Ringim, Inspector-General of Police’s intervention was said to averted what would have resulted in a bloodbath between the security personnel attached to Bankole who resisted the arrest of their boss and the ones dispatched by the EFCC to effect the arrest.

The EFCC source said the commission, which has been on the trail of the embattled speaker since the news of the alleged sleaze broke out about two weeks ago, had stationed its men at his private and official residences to monitor his activities.

The source stressed that when the commission got wind of Bankole’s alleged plan to run out of the country immediately after the expiration of his tenure as the speaker, said that the commission had since placed him on its watch-list.

According to the source, the EFCC operatives, on the order of Farida Waziri, the commission’s chairman swooped down on his private residence in Asokoro as early as 8: am Friday morning, with a view to arresting him.

The embattled speaker has before now consistently shunned several invitations extended to him by the commission over his involvement in the N10bn loan scandal that has shattered the peace of the lower House.

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House clears former speaker Etteh of wrongdoing

After four turbulent years that featured some of the most brazen scandals in Nigeria's legislative history, the House of Representatives ended its sixth session on a farcical note yesterday by overturning a 2007 corruption charge that ousted former speaker, Patricia Olubunmi Etteh. Ms Etteh, who was forced to resign after three months on an allegation of spending N648million to upgrade her official residence and her deputy's, did no wrong and had no case to answer, the House ruled in its final resolution for the session.

"There is no record or proceedings of the House where Patricia Olubunmi Etteh was ever indicted," read a motion hastily put up at the request of Ms Etteh. The motion was unanimously approved by the House.

Ms Etteh was the Speaker of the House of Representatives between June 6 and October 30, 2007 when she was forced to resign with her deputy, Babangida Nguroje. She was first elected to represent Ayedaade/Isokan/Irewole Federal Constituency of Osun State in 1999 under the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD) and then crossed to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2003 and got elected again in 2007.

The declaration was the highpoint of a dramatic, and at some point, emotional valedictory session, in which members delivered speeches framed by the reality that while more than 260 of them will not return, a few have left for the Senate, and one is now a governor in Zamfara State.

John Agoda, a three-term lawmaker from Delta state who lost re-election, wept as he addressed his colleagues, speaking of how his life had been shaped by an uninterrupted 12 years in the lower chamber.

"I wake up and carry my constitution"

"I have been here since 1999, and my life has been used to that for 12 years. Every morning I wake up and carry my constitution," Mr Agoda said before sobbing.

Ms Etteh, one of the earliest to speak, sang and recounted the allegations that led to her removal as Speaker in 2007. She urged her colleagues to proclaim her innocence since she had never been indicted after four years.

"I am saying this before this House and Almighty God that a kobo of this House or the government is not in my account," she said, ironically drawing applause from the same colleagues who moved against her.

"I came here in 1999; I have never stolen one kobo that belongs either to this House or the government. What happened happened, (and) the rest is now history."

Ms Etteh said any decision taken while she was in charge, was a joint decision, repeatedly challenging her colleagues to provide evidence to the contrary.

"A committee was set and till date, I have not heard anything. I have not been indicted. I want this House to pass a resolution before closing; if I am guilty, they should not hide it," she added.

The House subsequently passed the resolution clearing her of wrongdoing, but offered no apology for her loss of the speakership, or the allegations.

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Interparty clash claims two in Oyo

A violent clash between members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and those of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Oyo State has led to the death of two people in Igboho, Orelope Local Government Council.

The deceased, identified as Yekini Atunwa and Tajudeen Popoola, were said to be members of the PDP and ACN, respectively.

An eyewitness explained that the clash broke late Tuesday when some PDP supporters allegedly attacked supporters of the state deputy governor, Moses Adeyemo and the Oyo North senatorial candidate of the party, Wale Okediran who were gathered to welcome Mr. Adeyemo.

The attack led to bloodbath, which left no fewer than 20 persons seriously injured while several others barely escaped with gunshot wounds.

A source said the ACN members, who were going to receive the deputy governor, sang anti-PDP songs and rained abuses on the former ruling party in the state, which was said to have infuriated their attackers.

A free-for-all followed in which the PDP members allegedly attacked a convoy of the ACN leaders. Guns boomed and the people around had to run for dear lives.

The killed members were not so lucky as they were mowed down in the crossfire.

Despite the presence of heavily armed policemen, drafted to quell the fight and maintain law and order in the town, the situation was said to be tense still.

Baba Adisa Bolanta, Commissioner of Police in the state, confirmed the incident and the death, but said the command was yet to make an arrest.

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New revenue sharing formula coming Q1, 2012

Agitations over the current revenue sharing formula which is perceived as inequitable may end early next year when the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) plans to roll out a better and consistent disbursement plan.

The plan, which was disclosed Thursday by the Commission, follows intense pressure on the commission by the state governors and local government chairmen for a new revenue formula. In recent years, states had persistently requested for higher resources than what the federal government gets, having consistently argued that they perform more responsibilities than the federal government .

Eliam Mbam, RMAFC Chairman in Abuja, on Thursday explained that the much awaited formula is being delayed due to the intense process involved in looking into series of documents, making consultations and going to the field to verify some of the indices.

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U.S Offers to patner jonathan on Nigerias growth

THE United States (U.S.) government has expressed its readiness to work with President Goodluck Jonathan just as the Africans and Americans prepare for the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) summit next week in Lusaka, Zambia.

Recalling his participation last Sunday at the inauguration of President Jonathan, which he personally attended, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, disclosed on Wednesday afternoon: “I returned Monday from Nigeria, where I had the honour to lead the presidential delegation to the inauguration of President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s new president.”

According to Carson, “that event signified substantial progress in Nigeria’s democratic development and a new beginning for the Nigerian people. We in Washington look forward to working with President Jonathan and the people of Nigeria to help them build on the 2011 elections to create a just, strong, and more prosperous future for all Nigerians.”

Speaking to the press in Washington DC, as many Nigerians and their friends around the world await the composition of a new cabinet, Carson commended the progress of Nigeria’s electoral and democratic transition.

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Bankole weeps, apologises at valedictory session

Outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole yesterday shed tears while speaking at the valedictory session of the sixth House. Wearing his usual white caftan with white cap to fit, Bankole could not hold his tears as he addressed the House for the last time as Speaker.

“It’s been a hell of a ride in the past three and half years but there is no circumstance a man or woman may find themselves which God cannot test you. They will come but it’s how you handle it and overcome it that matters,” Bankole said while wiping tears away from his eyes.

While apologising to his colleagues for any wrong he might have done them, Bankole said he meant well in the decisions he took given the exigencies of the time.

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Libya: Fleeing Nigerian, Ghanaian migrants flood Niger

Nigerian and Ghanaian migrants fleeing form violence in Libya have reportedly arrived in Agadez, Niger Republic, on a truck.
R

eports had it that Niger’s city of Agadez had been transformed from a bustling trade hub in the middle of the Sahara desert into a refugee centre for the thousands of African migrants fleeing the violence in Libya.

According to reports monitored on British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), for the last two months, a large convoy of trucks had been driving into town each week, with the flow now eased to about 10 vehicles packed with between 1,500 and 3,000 people.

Figures from the beginning of May put the number of migrant arrivals over the Sahara from Libya at 65,000.

The figure said to be more than six times the number of migrants had landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa from Libya in the same period.

The atmospheric heat in Niger already risen to 48-degree was said to have caused exhaustion of fleeing migrants consequent upon their gruelling trip.

Many of them were said to be thirsty and hungry as they unloaded the luggage they managed to bring with them on the journey which took them more than a week.

A Ghana refugee, Ibrahim Harun Hafiz, recounting his experience said: “On our way, we saw a truck that caught fire, all of its occupants got burned.

“On our way, we saw a truck that caught fire, all of its occupants got burned. Next, we found another truck which had had an accident in which 40 people died straight away, while many got severe injuries.”

Another, Abdulaziz Abdullah, a Ghanaian mechanic who worked for four years in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, said: “The journey is between life and death. Many people did not make it to Niger because of hunger.

“If I showed you a [recent] photo of myself, you wouldn’t recognise me. But I thank God I’m alive, though I’ve lost everything.”

He said he decided to join the convoys heading south after his home, near a military camp in Tripoli, but was bombed on March 28 and he lost all his workshop equipment.

The trucks transporting the migrants was organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Tripoli and various West African embassies who liaised with the Libyan authorities to guarantee their safety for the trip.

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Again, JAMB shifts 2011 UTME date to June 18

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced Saturday, June 18, 2011 as the new date for the conduct of the 2011 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor ‘Dibu Ojerinde, who announced the shift in date in Abuja, on Wednesday, said the new date, as approved by the Federal Government, was to avoid a clash in date with the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO)’s Senior Secondary School Examinations (SSCE).

The board had earlier set Saturday, 11th June, 2011 for the conduct of the 2011 UTME.

It will be recalled that JAMB had first shifted the date of the conduct of the examination from April, 2011 to allow for the conduct of the 2011 general election.

But new change in date, the Nigerian Tribune learnt, was as a result of pressure from parents of some of the candidates who were currently sitting for the NECO examinations and had registered to participate in the forthcoming UTME.

A statement by the JAMB Public Relations Officer, Mr Timothy Oyedeji, quoted the JAMB boss as saying that “the change has become inevitable as a result of the clash in date (i.e. 11th June, 2011) earlier fixed with the ongoing NECO examinations.”

He said: “For instance, sizeable students who have applied to write UTME would also be sitting for the National Examinations Council’s Biology (Practicals) on Friday, 10th June, 2011, and as such, may not be able to travel after their NECO examinations to sit for the scheduled 2011 UTME on Saturday, 11th June, 2011.”

Ojerinde said the government was mindful of the fact that the board had been inundated with requests from parents of children who chose towns outside their present’s locations to reconsider and shift the date to June 18, 2011 as against the earlier fixed date for the 2011 UTME.

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Reps to buy cars for N800,000 each

OUTGOING members of the House of Representatives are to go each with the Peugeot 407 cars earlier bought by the House leadership at N2.3 billion, the Nigerian Tribune has learnt.

Interested lawmakers are expected to pay between N800,000 and N850,000 for each of the cars, which were bought brand new.

It will be recalled that the purchase of the vehicles generated furore between the House leadership and the members who threatened to impeach the speaker on allegation of underhand dealing in the transaction.

Anti-corruption bodies were also drafted to investigate the alleged fraud in the purchase of the automobiles and office equipment for the representatives.

However, the House will today hold a valedictory session, which was earlier slated for Wednesday. The House will officially close for its sixth session on Saturday.

The speaker, who announced the outcome of a closed-door meeting earlier, said members at the executive session deliberated on the audit of the House official vehicles and office equipment and that the deliberation was satisfactory.

At a plenary session on Wednesday, the House passed the anti-terrorism bill, after adopting the harmonised version of the bill which deals with offences relating to conduct carried out or purposes connected with terrorism.

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Jonathan urges support from party leaders

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, called on leaders of all major political parties in the country to join hands with his government for the transformation of Nigeria.

In an opening remark at the meeting between him and leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Labour Party (LP) at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Jonathan said despite their political differences, the major political leaders must work with the government to ensure that Nigerians get the dividends of democracy.

“No matter who is the president, no matter who is the governor, what Nigerians are interested in is to have food on the table. There should be infrastructure, there should be security and there should be good governance. And I know that not only the ruling party can make this possible. For me to succeed, to give Nigerians what they want, we must run a stable government. It needs the cooperation of all the political parties; all the leaders”.

He said: “I want to plead with you that I will not want to run a government of opposition party or main party, I want us to collectively run a Nigerian government; a government that will take the interest of the country to heart and work towards solving our problems; the problems that are dear to our people”.

The president told the political leaders: “Our interests are the interests of Nigeria. I am not going to play politics of discrimination. I want to assure you that I do not intend to run an opposition government. Let’s cooperate for the interests of our people,” stressing that whatever the points of differences are among the different political groups, they should be able to resolve them without rancour.

“That is why I called you to assure you that I will run a Nigerian government. I want to assure you that our interest is Nigeria’s interest and I know that the interest of every politician, irrespective of political party, is the interest of the country. I am not going to play politics of discrimination,” he stated further.

The meeting, which is part of the president’s consultation platform, was however shunned by the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari’s Congress for Progress Change (CPC). Not a single member of the party attended the meeting.

While recounting the nation’s democratic journey, the president said he was hopeful that Nigeria was beginning to stabilise politically; noting that it was through their collective effort that the present leadership of the country emerged.

While emphasising the importance of the meeting with the different political parties, President Jonathan said: “If it is possible and not at variance with your parties, I suggest we meet periodically so that things that are dear to our country will be discussed”.

The president said the successful conduct of the April polls had placed a greater responsibility on Nigeria on the continental and international level, especially regarding the quest of Africa to occupy a permanent seat on United Nations Security Council (UN-SC) and noted that “if we have a stable polity, our leadership role will increase and our citizens’ status will increase. The party of Mr. President cannot do it alone”

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N10bn scam: Bankole writes EFCC, disowns Clerk’s letter •As Reps fault EFCC summons to him

SPEAKER, House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, has written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), denying any knowledge of his summoning on Tuesday for interrogation over the alleged N10 billion scam rocking the chamber.

The letter, dated May 31, was signed on behalf of his Chief of Staff, Morris Ekpeyong.

Ekpeyong, who claimed to be writing on behalf of his boss, said Bankole had not received any correspondence directly from the commission.
He was silent on the letter written by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Sanni Omolori.

Bankole further said in the new letter that he was not aware of the date fixed for his appearance because he was not informed of any.

He said he could not have been honouring an appointment he was not aware had been fixed for him, though the Clerk, in his letter to the commission, had claimed to be writing on his instruction.

The commission, however, said on Wednesday that it was keeping his game plan on the alleged scam to its chest, adding that the corruption case was still alive despite the failure of the speaker to appear for interrogation.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, explained reason behind the failure of Bankole to honour the summons by the EFCC, as it faults the procedures adopted by the anti-graft commission for interrogating him.

The House said it was never briefed by the EFCC that it summoned Bankole for a chat, just as it found out that the speaker never received any letter of summons from the anti-graft commission until newspapers began to trumpet such.

A memo written by the Office of the Speaker and addressed to EFCC said the House was opposed to the procedure of inviting the speaker through newspapers, noting also that a lot had been written on the issue which were far from the truth.

According to the memo, “no letter has ever been addressed to or received by Honourable Dimeji Bankole from your office, even though a lot has been written concerning him on the pages of newspapers in connection with your office and the above subject matter in recent times.”

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Okorocha wades into MASSOB/Police clash

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has waded into the fracas between the police and members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB.

Okorochas has equally urged Imo people to go about their normal businesses without fear of molestation as his administration has already discussed the matter with the security chiefs in the state.

The Governor stated this after swearing-in the new Secretary to the Government of Imo State, SGI, Professor Anthony Gozie Anwukah, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Prince Eze Madumere, the Principal Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Obi Paschal Chigozie, and the Senior Special Assistant (Media), Mr. Chinedu Offor.

While saying that Imo had always remained a very peaceful state, the Governor also reiterated his campaign promise of giving free education to all children of school age.

“In line with this policy thrust of my administration, I am donating my entire monthly salary into the education fund. This is my little sacrifice to ensure that all Imo children acquire education”, Okorocha said.

He appealed to all public officers to make some sacrifice towards the crusade of rescuing Imo from its present decay, adding that he would not look kindly on any civil servant that delay files on his table.

Responding on behalf of other appointees, Professor Anwukah promised that they will work tirelessly towards the realization of the present administration’s dream of rescuing Imo from its present state.

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Bombings: ACN urges Jonathan to summon national security summit

THE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to summon a national security summit to give stakeholders a forum to proffer solutions to the incessant bombings now ravaging the country.

The party noted that the problem should be treated as a national emergency.

The ACN in a statement issued in Lagos, on Tuesday, by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while reacting to the latest spate of bombings in Abuja, Bauchi and Zaria that left many dead and injured, said such a summit should involve all those who have positive contributions to make to end the epidemic of explosions, irrespective of their political leaning.

It noted that it had become obvious that the government alone could not stop the explosions, that led to hundreds of innocent Nigerians dead or maimed.

‘’After every bomb attack, the government will vow to get the culprits and punish them. Then more explosions will occur and the government will repeat its vow. This is not reassuring to the people of Nigeria as well as foreigners who may want to do business in the country.

‘’Therefore, it is now clear that, in spite of its best efforts, the government alone cannot stop the bombers. It is time for all patriots to all put heads together to identify the culprits and their grievances, and seek the way forward,’’ it said.

The party observed that the way the explosions went off on the outskirts of Abuja, as well as in Zaria and Bauchi, shortly after the inauguration of President Jonathan, showed that the only reason the inauguration itself was spared was because of the lock-down of Abuja and the shutdown of telecommunications services as part of stringent security measures put in place during the ceremony.

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CBN grants new licences to 17 banks •As Akingbola seeks to stop sale of Intercontinental Bank

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted new international banking licences to nine banks, national licenses to six others and regional licenses to two banks.

Those in the international category included the Access Bank; Diamond Bank; Fidelity Bank; FirstBank Plc; First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank).

Others are Skye Bank; Zenith Bank and the United Bank for Africa (UBA).

Those who got the national banking license were Citi Bank; Ecobank Nigeria; Stanbic IBTC Standard Chartered ; Sterling Bank and Unity Bank, while Wema Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank (ETB) will play as regional banks.

It will be recalled that the apex bank stopped issuing universal banking licences last year and said it would enforce new minimum capital requirements for different categories of bank, in a bid to avoid a repeat of near collapse of several banks in 2009.

International banks require a minimum capital of N50 billion under the new regime, while national banks require minimum capital of N25 billion.

Regional banks, which can operate in only six to 12 of the 36 states of the federation, are required to have N10 billion.

Meanwhile, the CBN has said the rescued banks have until the end of September to reach recapitalisation deals with new investors or face liquidation.

The apex bank had, in 2009, injected N620 billion into nine banks deemed by auditors to have become so weakly capitalised that they posed a risk to the entire banking system in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Dr Erastus Akingbola and an erstwhile Executive Director of the bank, Bayo Dada, have secured an ex parte order from a Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Okechukwu Okeke, stopping the planned sale of the bank to Access Bank.

The court equally restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from disposing or altering the shareholding structure of Intercontinental Bank in favour of Access Bank.

The court also restrained Intercontinental Bank and Access Bank from taking further step(s) on the purported memorandum of understanding (MoU) for business combinations signed by the two banks.

According to the judge, while ruling on the ex parte motion on Tuesday, the orders were to subsist, pending the hearing and determination of the suit filed by Akingbola and Dada.

The duo of Akingbola and Dada, in the fresh suit, was challenging the propriety of the MoU signed by Intercontinental Bank and Access Bank without recourse to them as shareholders of Intercontinental Bank.

The court had, after entertaining arguments from the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Onyebuchi Aniakor, restrained Access Bank, its agents, servants or privies from acquiring the shares or taking over the business operations of Intercontinental Bank and its assets, pursuant to the purported MoU.

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Jonathan signs FOI Bill into law •Adeyemi lauds Jonathan

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has signed the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) 2011 into law.

The bill, which was passed by the outgoing National Assembly, was conveyed to the presidency on Friday, May 27, 2011.

Jonathan's signature on the document ended the long journey of the bill which started 11 years ago when it first made its appearance on the floor of the National Assembly.

According to a statement signed by Justin Abuah, Deputy Director (Information) Office of the Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity) in Abuja, on Tuesday, the president assented to it on Saturday, May 28.

The statement pointed out that the objective of the Act is to make public records and information more freely available, and to also protect public records and information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the protection of personal privacy.

The Freedom of Information Act also seeks to protect serving public officers from any adverse consequence of disclosing certain kinds of official information without authorisation and to establish procedures for the achievement of these purposes, it added.

However, President Jonathan withheld his assent to the National Assembly Service Commission repeal and re-enactment bill passed into law by the National Assembly last month and returned same to the National Assembly.

The president made his reservation on the bill known through a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, saying he could not assent to the bill because of his reservation about the proposed administrative structure.

He made particular reference to the second schedule, which he described as being at variance with the structure of similar commissions in the federation.

The president’s letter reads: “Upon careful consideration of this bill, I found that I have reservation about the proposed administrative structure as contained in the second schedule which is at variance with the structure of similar commissions in the federation.

“I, therefore, wish to remit the bill to the honourable House so that you can have another look at the said structure with a view to reviewing it and re-presenting the bill for my assent.”

Meanwhile,

CHAIRMAN, Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator Smart Adeyemi, on Tuesday, commended President Goodluck Jona-than for signing the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, saying that with the act, the president has commenced his transformation project for the country.

The harmonised version of the bill was passed by the National Assembly on Thursday, last week and consequently forwarded to the president for his assent.

Adeyemi, a two-time national president of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said the signing of the bill into law was an indication of good governance and sincerity of purpose which the president promised.

According to him, “l congratulate the media practitioners and the whole country, as the bill would make the policies and spending of government open for the country to see and would minimise corruption.

“Besides, it is also good for the socio-economic and political emancipation of the country. l commend the president for signing the bill.”

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Lagos loses bid to re-open case against al-Mustapha, others

The Lagos State government has lost out in its bid to re-open its case in the ongoing trial of Major Hamza al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha and two others who are currently facing trial over their alleged involvement in the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

This was sequel to a ruling by Justice Mojisola Dada of a Lagos High Court which declared the application null and void.

The judge, in her ruling on the application, also held that the application was lacking in merit and that attempts by the prosecution to make the court reason along with it, was an attempt to defeat the order of court.

Justice Dada also declared that the said application amounted to prosecutorial rascality, adding that, “it was an insult and an affront on the court to have ordered a case closed after five months and four adjournments for one witness who happens to be a very high officer in the police and a lawyer; and such officer refused to come to court after being repeatedly asked to come to give his witness.

Speaking further, the judge said, “and for the prosecution to have told the court that the court rushed to close its case is an affront to justice especially when an order of the court is not being respected by Lawal Pedro (SAN), lead counsel for the prosecution, who happens to come from the Ministry of Justice.

“The court is not an extension of the Ministry of Justice. The court restates the earlier order and asks the prosecution to submit their response to the no case submission of the defendants,” she said.

Justice Dada then adjourned the matter till June 23, 2011 for adoption of written addresses on the accuseds’ no case submission.

The judge had earlier closed the case of the prosecution due to its inability to produce witnesses in court.

However, in a twist of event, the prosecution in an application dated April 13, 2011 brought by the Solicitor General of Lagos State, Mr Lawal Pedro( SAN) sought the court’s leave to re-open the case.

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I’m ready to face EFCC, says Shekarau

Ibrahim Shekarau, the immediate past governor of Kano State said yesterday he was ready to answer questions from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over his stewardship of the state in the last eight years.

The former governor, who spoke through his spokesperson, Sule Yau yesterday in Kano, while faulting allegations made by the new governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, that his administration left a liability of N77.4 billion and $209.2 million for its successor.

Mr Shekarau also accused the new governor of going out of his ways to smear his reputation.

“He is not afraid of EFCC, he is ready when invited to answer any question, because we have nothing to hide; we have no skeleton in our cupboard,” Mr Yau said. “Is it possible to write a cheque of N3 billion and withdraw it at a go from any bank in Nigeria? The EFCC will even ask you questions if you make a withdrawal of as low as N10 million. As I have stated, they are on a vengeance mission, it shows that they have nothing to offer the people of Kano State. This administration is out to castigate our government and that is their mission instead of them to add to our achievements.”

Mr Yau spoke while reacting to a claim by Mr Kwankwaso that the sum of N3 million disappeared under mysterious circumstances from the Kano State Pension Fund. He further dismissed allegations made by Mr Kwankwaso over the N77.4 billion debt burden allegedly left behind by Mr Shekarau. Faulting Mr Kwankwaso’s claim that he inherited an empty treasury, Mr Sule said the last administration left over N4 billion in the coffers of the state.

No legacy of borrowings

He also said that his administration did not borrow any money, adding that it is unfortunate that the new government is in a hurry to discredit whatever they have achieved in the last eight years.

“I want to state categorically that the government of Shekarau has never borrowed a kobo from 2003 to 2011. I challenge those making this frivolous accusations name the banks and the country they said we borrowed money from,” he said.

“Everybody knows the background of Kwankwaso, he is a very vindictive person we are going to see the worst in the next four years. They are not in government to make progress because they know they will not perform that is why they want to use the debt issue as an excuse. This is the same man who came to Government House in the morning and signed the handing over note only for him to go outside hours later and said another thing. You can see the kind of person he is.”

Mr Sule equally faulted an alarm raised by Mr Kwankwaso that the Shekarau government expended the sum of N4 billion on hotel bills.

He, however, admitted that the government spent N3. 5billion to accommodate government guests in ten hotels spread within the Kano metropolis as against three hotels identified by Mr Kwankwaso’s transitional committee.

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Boko Haram Militants Kill Shehu of Borno's Brother

Boko Haram made real on Monday night its threat to take its offensive beyond state government officials, as gunmen suspected to be its members shot dead Abbah Anas, the younger brother of the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Garbai El-kanemi.

Abbah, 30, a senior officer of the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps (NCDC), was killed in his home in the Gangamari area of Maiduguri.

The gunmen stormed the home at about 9 p.m. and opened fired on the victim, who sat in front of the home.

They fled, leaving him in his pool of blood.

Police Public Relations Officer, Lawal Abdullahi, confirmed the killing and said the gunmen will soon be tracked down and prosecuted.

Abdullahi appealed to the residents of the state to help the police fish out the serial killers.

Abbah was laid to rest at about 11 a.m. on Tuesday, as sympathisers thronged the home of El-kanemi to commiserate with him.

Tension remains thick in Borno with heavily armed policemen and soldiers mounting the streets with sand bags.

They search vehicles and ask pedestrians to raise their hands above their heads at check points.

In its reaction, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) urged President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently summon a national security summit to give stakeholders a forum to proffer solutions to the incessant bombings ravaging the country.

A statement issued by ACN National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, said the problem should be treated as a national emergency.

Mohammed noted that the bomb blasts on Sunday and Monday in Abuja, Bauchi, and Zaria left many dead and injured.

The party warned that it is obvious that the government alone cannot stop the explosions, which have left hundreds of innocent Nigerians dead or maimed, and which risk scaring away foreign investors at a time Abuja says it is embarking on a journey to transform the country in all spheres.

"After every bomb attack, the government will vow to get the culprits and punish them. Then more explosions will occur and the government will repeat its vow. This is not reassuring to the people of Nigeria as well as foreigners who may want to do business in the country.

"Therefore, it is now clear that, in spite of its best efforts, the government alone cannot stop the bombers. It is time for all patriots to put heads together to identify the culprits and their grievances, and seek the way forward," Mohammed said.

The ACN noted that the way the explosions went off on the outskirts of Abuja as well as in Zaria and Bauchi shortly after the inauguration of Jonathan shows that the only reason the inauguration itself was spared was because of the lock-down of Abuja and the shutdown of telecommunications services as part of stringent security measures during the ceremony.

"But what happens now that the lock down of Abuja has been lifted and telecoms services restored? Is it not worrisome that those behind the explosions have continued to target public institutions and security agencies?

"Is it now becoming clear that these terrorists can now strike at a place and time of their own choosing, if they can detonate explosives in such high-security areas as military barracks?"

The ACN expressed concern that these explosions have recently been concentrated in the Northern part of the country not usually prone to such, despite incessant ethno-religious crises there, and wondered why this is so.

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