[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Rivers State took a new dimension on Friday when some suspected loyalists of the APC on Friday stormed the Rivers State High Court in Port-Harcourt, killing at least two persons and destroying court property estimated in millions of naira.The attackers breached the court security around 11 a.m. in violent bid to stop a judge from sitting on an interlocutory motion brought by a faction of the party in the state.

The injunction was sought by the faction said to be loyal to Magnus Abe, a serving APC senator from the state. Mr Abe’s faction has been sparring with the faction believed loyal to Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transport and immediate-past Governor of the state, for the control of the party’s political structure.
Mr Amaechi’s faction is said to be in favour of allowing the party congresses proceed as scheduled for Saturday. But Mr Abe’s group was against this arrangement and sought a court order to overturn it.Preliminary hearing on the injunction was slated for Friday morning, and Mr Amaechi’s loyalists reportedly got wind of the proceeding and decided to take a protest to the court. Properties worth millions were believed to have been destroyed in a fracas that ensued after hoodlums from both sides clashed at the court’s premises.The violence, however, failed to stop Chiwendu Nworgu, the presiding judge, from granting the injunction forbidding the congress from holding tomorrow.
Governor Nyesom Wike in his response has declared that the devastating attack on Rivers State Judiciary on Friday is an attempt by the Police and the All Progressive Congress (APC ) to overthrow the Rivers state government.
The governor spoke on Friday after he inspected the Rivers State High Court Complex destroyed by the Police and supporters of the APC from the faction of the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. The APC and Police damaged several courtrooms, ransacked the court library , destroyed vehicles and looted shops . Hundreds of expended bullets littered the High Court Complex. Governor Wike said it is unfortunate that the Nigeria Police connived with leaders of the APC to close the courts and stop it from dispensing justice to Rivers people.
“This is very unfortunate. Do not trivialize this invasion by saying it is just an attack by the APC on the judiciary. This is a complete coup by the Nigerian Police and the APC to overthrow the Rivers State Government. “We have said it before and we have been vindicated by this callous joint invasion of the Rivers State Judiciary”. He regretted that the Rivers State Police Commissioner decided to copy the Inspector General of Police in the exhibition of recklessness and lawlessness against an arm of Government carrying out its lawful duty. “We cannot continue to rely on the police to defend us. We must all stand up to defend democracy. What has happened is a sign of what APC and Police have planned. “APC Federal Government is not prepared for election. Therefore, they want to truncate the nation’s democracy. They are fomenting trouble to create an avenue for the military to take over. “The APC Federal Government sponsored Senator Omo-Agege at the Federal High Court. Nobody invaded the court. This action by the Police and APC is not acceptable”, he said.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nigerian government says it has recovered over N7.8 billion, $378 million and £27,800 (all amounting to more than N200 billion) from the whistleblowing programme in less than two years.

The whistle blowing programme was launched in December 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari through the ministry of finance.Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s vice president, reeled out the figures at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Week, held at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja, on Monday, May 7, 2018. Osinbajo said President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government is committed to ensuring openness and transparency in the affairs of the nation.

He said: “One of the remarkable things about the Open Government Partnership is that it was designed to function as a partnership between the governments and the private sector. Without this coalition-building, I doubt that much progress would be achievable. Regardless of whether the goal is improving infrastructure or fighting corruption, it is clear, as it has always been, that governments cannot do it alone.”

“The skills, experience, resources, and technology that the private sector brings to the table, are often invaluable and in many instances represent the difference between success and failure. We ought to equally acknowledge that there is a limit to what civil society by itself can accomplish by itself, without building bridges with the public sector that is very often the target of its work. What our experience with OGP in Nigeria has proven, is that it is possible to build a coalition of like-minded reformers drawn from government and non-state actors.

“In addition to joining the OGP, and developing a National Action Plan in 2016, the Federal Government also established a Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), housed in the Federal Ministry of Finance, and oversees the Whistleblowing Programme we launched in December 2016. That programme had seen recoveries of N7.8 billion, $378 million and 27,800 pounds sterling, as at March 2018.”

The vice president further explained that the presidential initiative cleaned up the federal payroll and pensions systems, across all ministries, departments and agencies and saved more than N200 billion by eliminating ghost workers.

Open Government Partnership – OGP

Nigeria joined the OGP at the London Anti-Corruption Summit in May 2016 and became the 70th member country.

The Open Government Partnership (OGP), is an international multi-stakeholder initiative, focused on improving transparency, accountability, citizen participation and responsiveness to citizens through technology and innovation.

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] Federal High Court in Lagos has granted fresh interim orders to the EFCC to seize 8.4 million dollars (N3.02 billion) and about N7.4 billion found in bank accounts linked to a former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission secured the order by Justice Mojisola Olatoregun through an ex parte application (without notice) on April 20. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC had earlier failed in its bid to get the funds permanently forfeited to the Federal Government on April 13.

Justice Olatoregun had dismissed the application by the anti-graft agency following objection by the defence counsel, Mr Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN).

In the new interim order, EFCC joined as defendants Patience Jonathan, Globus Integrated Services Ltd, Finchley Top Homes Ltd, Am-Pm Global Network Ltd, Pagmat Oil And Gas Ltd and Magel Resort Ltd and Esther Oba.

After issuing the interim forfeiture orders, Justice Olatoregun ordered the EFCC to “publish same in the Punch Newspaper and any other major national dailies for interested parties to show cause why a final order should not be made.

She adjourned the case until May 11.

In its application before the court, the EFCC claimed that its investigations revealed that the funds found in the bank accounts linked to Patience emanated from the coffers of Bayelsa. It said the funds were moved at a time when the former First Lady served as a permanent secretary in one of the ministries in the state. An investigator with the EFCC, Huleji Tukura, who deposed to a supporting affidavit, said  Patience first opened a bank account and then “procured” a former aide to former President Jonathan,Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, to fund the account with “proceeds of unlawful activities.”

The commission urged the court to grant the order as prayed.

[dropcap]J[/dropcap]ustice Bilikisu Aliyu of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday admitted several documents as exhibits against a former Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Gesila Khan, and one other official, Peter Popnen, being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged bribery in the sum of N185,842,000.00k.

Some of the documents presented by the EFCC and which were admitted as exhibits by the court are: an architectural plan of  two buildings not declared by 1st defendant in her assets declaration form; a response from INEC dated 26 April, 2016;  a  forensic laboratory report of hand writing specimen  of the  2nd defendant;  a  forensic report of hand writing specimen of the 1st defendant;  a response from Fidelity bank dated 21 April, 2016; a Deed of Conveyance of the 1st defendant and an Assets Declaration Form and INEC Identity Card of the 1st defendant

Prosecution counsel,  Ademiju Olatunji presented her first witness,  Taiwo Idonnuegbe, a staff of Fidelity Bank,  before the court.  In his testimony, PW1 told the court that he paid the sum of N185,842,000.00k  to the 1st and 2nd defendants on 27 March 2015 by an instruction from his Divisional Head, while working at the Trans-Amadi (Port Harcourt) branch of the bank.  According to him, the money was brought from Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Port Harcourt’s branch at 8:00pm and the 2nd defendant signed and collected the money and reportedly gave same to Gesila in her office.

An attempt to tender the receipt of payment of the money to the 1st and 2nd defendants by the prosecution counsel was opposed by the lead defence counsel,  S. Larry [SAN], who argued that the 1st defendant did not have any contact with the  PW1 and the receipt. He also said that the handwriting of his client was not the same on the receipt.

Another prosecution witness, Adoke Usman, an operative of EFCC,  told the court,  that he was part of an Adhoc-Committee that investigated Rivers State INEC staff in April 2016.  According to Usman, the recovered footage from Fidelity bank’s CCTV showed where the 2nd defendant loaded the money into a Toyota  Hilux vehicle.  Also, he tendered two forensic examiner report for each of the defendants

Justice Bilkisu Aliyu adjourned the matter to Wednesday, 9 May 2018, and Thursday, 10 May, 2018 for continuation of trial.

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]eputy governor of Ekiti State, Professor Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola Eleka, has been elected as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the July 14 governorship election in the state.
Olusola, a professor of Building Technology from the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State is from Ekiti South Senatorial District of the state. He scored a total of 1,191 to defeat his only co-contestant, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, who ran against him in the contest.The third contestant and the Senator representing Ekiti South District, Mrs. Biodun Olujimi, had earlier stepped down from the race to join forces with Prince Adeyeye.
The chairman of the Ekiti State Congress Committee of the PDP and governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who conducted the election, announced that Professor Kolapo Olusola polled a total of 1,190 votes out of the total valid votes of 1,961 valid votes, while Prince Adedayo Adeyeye polled a total of 771 votes. There were seven void votes.
Governor Okowa described the election as keenly contested, and congratulated Ekiti State, Professor Olusola and Prince Adeyeye for the peaceful conduct of the exercise.
He thanked members of his committee as well as the people of Ekiti State for their peaceful conduct, and made a veiled reference to the rancorous primary of the APC, saying “if you think it’s easy, think back a few days ago.”
Voting ended at 5:05pm and the committee chaired by Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta state, gave the aspirants the opportunity to comment about the poll before collation began.
Reacting to his emergence as the candidate, Professor Olusola thanked the delegates for preferring him, and particularly expressed gratitude to his boss, Governor Ayodele Fayose, “for standing solidly behind me.” Olusola also congratulated Prince Adeyeye, whom he described as “a man with a penchant for internal democracy” for what he said was “a keenly contested exercise.” He said he was reaffirming his readiness for the challenge to serve the people of Ekiti State as the candidate of the party and subsequently as the governor of the state. Fayose, while reacting to the outcome of the contest, said: “I appreciate God and thank the committee for doing a good job. I thank Prince Adeyeye and Senator Olujimi for their courage.“In journeys like this, there would be a divide. They are leaders of the party irrespective of what has happened before this primary. They should join hands with the party to win the ultimate which is the July 14 election. I commend all the delegates for exercising their civic right.I urge all the political parties to emulate the PDP in organising a peaceful, credible, free and fair primary.