By: Emeji k. Noble

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has said it had not dropped the criminal charge against a former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke and other persons indicted for money laundering.

In a statement in Lagos today signed by its spokesperson,Wilson Uwujaren,the Commission enjoins members of the public to disregard the report which is false and misleading.
Said he,”At no time did the Commission withdraw the charge, which is still before Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court, Lagos”.

He stated further that the only development was that the Commission took a prosecutorial decision to split the initial 14-count charge to enable separate arraignment of the defendants following a spate of adjournments that prevented the arraignment of the defendants more than one year after the case was listed.

He contended further the charges were first filed on November 28, 2018 adding that since then, every attempt to arraign the defendants had been frustrated by one excuse or the other. In more than four times that the matter was called for arraignment, it was either that Lanre Adesanya was sick and bedridden in a London Hospital or Nnamdi Okonkwo was hypertensive and on admission in a hospital or Stanley Lawson had had a domestic accident and could not appear in court.

The EFCC explained further that it was clear that “these recurring excuses were ploys to frustrate the arraignment. To get around this, the Commission took a deliberate decision, which was disclosed in open court, to separately prosecute the defendants in different courts. This explains why the four count amended charge brought against Dauda Lawal, a former executive director of First Bank, did not include other defendants, except the two who are at large( Diezani Alison-Madueke and Ben Otti). And the ingredients of the offence stated therein only pertains to Lawal’s involvement in the alleged crime, which is the receipt of $25million from the $153million 2015 Peoples Democratic Party presidential election slush fund.”

In conclusion,he declared that
the non-inclusion of other defendants in the original charge in the amended four count charge does not mean that have been exonerated by the Commission of any criminal allegation.

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]enator Dino Melaye, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for Kogi West Senatorial election, has called for the postponement of the supplementary election scheduled for November 30.
Melaye made the call while addressing newsmen at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja, where he had gone to submit another petition on the election.
He called on INEC to postpone the election, until it was able to address what he described as ‘noticeable infractions’ in the November 16 election and concerns over areas where the supplementary election would be held.
Melaye had, on November 20, submitted a petition, calling for total cancellation of the election, to which he attached 21 video CDs and other documentary evidence to prove that there was no election in the senatorial district.
He said he was at INEC office because he had yet to get a reply to his earlier petition, adding that there was also no public announcement that a panel was set up to investigate the issues raised in the petition.
Melaye said he was also there to submit additional facts to those in his earlier petition, which, according to him, were unknown to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
“What is new in what we have submitted today is that we have attached a copy of form EC8B of Ward A in Lokoja Local Government area, where INEC, during collation, had cancelled results of nine out of 23 polling units in the LGA.”
He added that results were cancelled in other polling units during collation, including Abugi, Ole and other places, but these were not captured among the areas where INEC said that supplementary poll would take place on November 30.
He said: “What we are saying is: how can INEC cancel these polling units during collation process and they will not be captured in places where rerun will take place?
“We believe this is an aberration, and the INEC chairman cannot know about it and allow it to stay.”
Melaye said there were also lots of places where elections were supposed to have been cancelled by INEC, but which were not.
These, he said, included Lokogoma and Adanko in Lokoja, where, he said, three people were killed during the November 16 election.
He said: “Unfortunately, results were returned in those places. We are saying that INEC must be neutral and cancel elections in areas where there were violence.”
Another infraction cited by Melaye was that in Koko Quarters, Aiyetoro-Gbede, Ward 1 in Ijumu LGA, the election was peaceful, result collated, declared and won by the PDP, but was now part of the areas where the supplementary would take place on Saturday.
Another error, Melaye said, was that the unit was listed under Egbeda-Ega ward, adding that he could not understand why this was so.
He said: “I want to say that with all these fractions put together, INEC must, as a matter of transparency and national interest, postpone the Saturday supplementary election.”
Melaye said he was not calling for any support or cooperation, but just wanted INEC to do the needful by cancelling elections in areas where there were cases of violence and ballot box snatching and conduct fresh elections where results were cancelled.

By:Emeji Noble

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he incumbent State President of Nigeria Union of local Government Employees, NULGE, Delta State, Comrade Eziko Okwudi, has been reelected for another four years in office as the leader of the Union in Delta State.

Comrade Okwudi was reelected on Tuesday, 26th November, 2019 along with other officials of the Union in the State, during the 7th Quadrennial Delta State Delegates Conference of NULGE held at the Labour House, Asaba.

The delegates’ conference which was declared open by the Chairman, Delta State Local Government Service Commission, Hon. Josephe Otirhue, was attended by delegates from the 25 local Government Councils in the State and observed by members of the State Local Government Service Commission, representatives of the National Leadership of NULGE and the Leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Delta State, as well as officials of the Security Agencies in the State.

Declaring Comrade Ziko Okwudi as winner of the election, the returning officer for the poll, Comrade Lambert Onuigbo, who is the National Auditor of NULG, announced that the State President NULGE, Delta State pulled a total of 205 votes to defeat his closest rival, Comrade Ijolo Ohioliwo who scored a total of 30 votes, while Comrade Emaduku Austin polled 0 votes

Others who were elected into the NULGE Delta State Executive Council included, Comrade Ogberetilino Obatarhe who was returned as the Deputy State President, Kingsley Uwaosayemi as State treasure; Comrade Areh Juliet as State Women Chairperson; Comrade Onowotu Alfred as State Auditor, as well as Comrade Perekeme Seliyibo and Comrade Onahor Lawrence who were both returned as State Trustees.

Comrade Stanley Akogba, Comrade Erhue Charles and Comrade Azikiwe Corliss were also returned elected as State Publicity Secretary, State Welfare Officer and Young Worker Representatives respectively.

In his opening remarks to declare the quadrennial delegate conference open, the Chairman, Delta State Local Government Service Commission, Hon Josephe Otirhue commended the contestants for conducting themselves in the right manner during their campaigns, saying that the campaigns were peaceful and eventful.

“I am happy to note that the contestants heeded the advice of the Commission to ensure that the campaigns were devoid of violence and rancor. You must have had your differences in the run up to this election but today is the climax and as one family we are gathered here to elect a new leadership for NULGE at the State Level.

“Unionism is togetherness and oneness with unity of purpose. As we all know, the essence of any union is to advance the interest of that group and this can only be achieved through articulate and purposeful leadership.

“The election of a new EXCO is a serious business but not a matter of life and death because after the election you remain as staff of the Unified Local Government Service of Delta State,” Hon. Otirhue admonished.

While advising the incoming EXCO to be humble, but not submissive in agitating for the welfare of members, Hon. Otirhue said that being confrontational would always lead to strife and disharmony in the system, adding that the incoming leadership of the Union in the State needs more of consultation with the management of the Commission with a view to ensuring industrial harmony in the Local Government System in the State.

Speaking after his election, the State President of NULGE Delta State, Comrade Eziko Okwud, who will formally be inaugurated at the expiration of this tenure in January 2020, expressed his appreciation to the body of workers through the delegates, for their overwhelming endorsement, pledging that the EXCO under his leadership will continue to put the interest of the workers of the Unified Local Government Workers system in the State as top priority.

In an interview with Journalists, Comrade Okwudi described the election as peaceful and impressive, even as he dedicated their victory to God and the Governor of the State, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, noting that God in his infinite mercy used the instrumentality of the person of the State Governor to stabilize and bring about sanity in the welfare of the workers of the Councils when he took over as the State President of NUGEL, at a very critical period in the life of the Union.

“You will agree with me that before now, the position and welfare of local Government workers in this state were nothing to write home about, coupled with challenges of unpaid salaries and so many other issue, but to the glory of God, His Excellency the Governor came into the picture and gave me a safe landing as the leader of the body of Council workers in the State.

“If the Governor had not guven me that safe landing, I don’t think the entire workforce of the unified Local Government Councils in Delta would have given me this massive support and votes. I think these people would have turned their back against me, hence the need for me to sincerely appreciate the Governor for the leverage given to us to excel as leaders of the body of workers in the 25 local Government councils in this State,” Comrade Okwudi noted, expressing profound gratitude for the tremendous support and cooperation of the Governor to his leadership by way of listening to all his appeals on behalf of the workers.

The highly charismatic union leader, therefore called on the workers to always keep faith with the newly elected leadership of the Union in the State, assuring that they will continue to use the mandate given to them to work and project their interest.

He said; “the new leadership has emerged, continuity, that is what we are saying and with all the support from the entire work force of the Local Government Councils in Delta State, we are not for any reason going to disappoint them and having the Governor on our side, all what we ask for in the interest of the workers will come to accomplishment.”

While extending hands of fellowship to persons that contested against him, Comrade Okwudi further described the election as a no victor, no vanquished one, even as he said that the election being all about popularity, the entire workers having decided who their leaders should be, every other person including those who opposed them during the election should come together to move the union as one indivisible entity.

The delegate election which was peaceful, was also witnessed by the National President of NULGE represented by the National Auditor, Comrade Onuigbo Lambert; State President Of NULGE Cross River State, Comrade Godwin Ayenbi who is also the Chairman, Conference of State Presidents of NUGEL, (COSPON); the State President of NULGE Bayelsa State, Comrade Akpos Ekiegha and State President of NULGE Akwa Ibom State, Comrade Barr. Martins Effiong amongst others

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has approved the suspension of 3 officers and 6 other ranks of the Nigerian Correctional Service implicated in the alleged internet fraud by an inmate.

Mr. Francis Enobore, the Public Relation Officer of NCoS disclosed this in a statement to NAN on Wednesday in Abuja.

Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal office, had arrested Emmanuel Oluwaniyi, a Deputy Controller, DC, Nigerian Correctional Service, NCS, and Hemeson Edson Edwin, also a DC, for allegedly giving exaggerated medical reports.

DAILY POST learnt that the said medical reports warranted a convicted internet fraudster, Hope Olusegun Aroke, who is serving a 24-year jail term, being given a referral to be treated outside the facility.

The fraud suspected to have been perpetrated by Hope Aroke, an inmate serving a term of imprisonment in Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Lagos.

“This is based on the preliminary report of the investigation panel earlier constituted by the CG which indicted the officers of complexity in the scandal.

Enobore said the CG who handed down the suspension order, noted that the task of correcting maladjusted persons in the society requires a measure of moral rectitude to make positive impact on offenders in custody.

He, therefore, restated the irreversible commitment of the authority to ensure that those without adequate strength of character and integrity are not allowed to taint the sanctity of the NCoS.

By: Emeji K. Noble

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has been re-elected as the governor of the state.

Governor Bello was returned elected on Monday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), having scored the highest number of votes in the keenly contested poll.

The Returning Officer for the election and Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Professor Ibrahim Umar, made the declaration at the INEC office in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

The APC candidate polled a total of 406,222 votes to beat his closest rival, Mr Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 189,704 votes.

On her part, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Natasha Akpoti, garnered a total of 9,482 votes.

Professor Umar declared the winner following the collation of results from all 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, an exercise which lasted more than 24 hours.

After several hours of collating the results from 19 LGAs, Professor Umar had announced on Sunday night that the exercise would continue on Monday morning.

Of the results collated before the exercise was suspended, it was a close battle between Bello who won 10 LGAs and Wada who claimed nine LGAs while Natasha had yet to win any local government.

At the resumption of the exercise, the results of the remaining two local governments – Ibaji and Lokoja – were collated, paving the way for the declaration of the winner of the election.

Announcing the final results of the election, the returning officer noted that a total of 1,646,350 people registered for the election while 636,202 were accredited to vote.

He explained that the margin between the winner of the election and the runner-up was 216,518 votes.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Supreme Court will on Friday give reasons why it held that the appeal by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was without merit. The court had, on October 30 dismissed the appeal by Atiku and his party against the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), which upheld second term election of President Mohammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, who led the panel that heard the appeal had, in the while giving a summary Supreme Court’s judgment on October 30, said the court will provide reasons for its decision on a later date.

The hearing notice sighted by The Nation late on Wednesday, reads:

“Take notice that the reasons for the judgment delivered on Wednesday the 30th day of October 2019 in the above named appeal (will be listed before the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday the 15th day of November, 2019 at 9.00am.

“And further take notice that in accordance with the Supreme Court Rules, this notice is deemed sufficiently served on you if it is delivered on your telephone.” The appeal referred to in the notice is: “SC 1211/2019: Atiku Abubakar & anor V. INEC & 2 ors.”