About 300 Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government have yet to comply with the directive to deposit remittances into the Treasury Single Account, Ahmed Idris, the Accountant-General of the Federation, has said.

Speaking Tuesday after the Federation Account Allocation Committee meeting in Abuja, he said that the exact number of MDAs that had enrolled could not be ascertained yet.

“As at today, I can tell you about 600 out of about 900 MDAs have keyed in.

“For the number of accounts I cannot categorically tell you because even the MDAs and indeed the Federal Government never knew the number of accounts.

“However the accounts are going on to the Central Bank of Nigeria and I believe very soon a position will be made available on the number of accounts that have been swept up,’’ he said.

He said the aim of the policy was not to disrupt the operations of the MDAs but to help them and the government run better.

“The policy was never intended to impair the operations of MDAs; rather, it is intended to make them more efficient and to make cash available to government in a very centralised and consolidated manner.

“So, operations of MDAs are expected to move on as expected but MDAs must come forward in line with the directive and deadline given of Sept. 15 which has already expired.

“We are expecting them to come and enlist, enrol and identify users that will participate and key into their individual sub-accounts so that they can utilise their resources based on their budgets’’, he said.

Mr. Idris, however, said that the implementation of the policy experienced some problems at inception but that they were easing off with time.

He also said that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the CBN were working very closely to enlist and enrol MDAs so that they could access and utilise their resources.

President Muhammadu Buhari had given a directive that all MDAs deposit their remittances into a single account with the Central Bank of Nigeria by September 15 or be sanctioned. (NAN)

ABUJA – President Muhammadu Buhari would be amongst the several world leaders who would be in New York, United States of America this weekend for the 70th Session General Assembly meeting of the United Nations.He is due to leave Abuja, Nigeria’s capital for the meeting on Thursday.
He is expected to deliver Nigeria’s Statement to the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday.The president would be accompanied by the Governors of Sokoto, Kaduna and Niger States, the National Security Adviser, Babagana Mongonu and the Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Finance, Health, Industry, Trade and Investment.

There would also be a series of meetings and interactions with notable world leaders within and on the sidelines of the main events.

President Buhari will also hold talks and interact with the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, President Barack Obama of the United States, President Francois Hollande of France, Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Vladmir Putin of Russia, President Xi Jinping of China, Prime Minister Narenda Modi of India and others on domestic developmental issues, bilateral relations, the war against terrorism, countering violent extremism, the enhancement of global security,  peace-keeping operations, climate change and the adoption of a  post 2015 global development agenda.

Besides that, he will also address the World Leaders Summit on Violent Extremism for which he was personally invited by Mr. Ban Ki Moon during the Secretary-General’s recent visit to Nigeria.

The president will also participate in the meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, a High-Level Roundtable on South-South Cooperation organised by President Xi Jinping of China and the United Nations, and launching of an updated global health strategy for women and children in New York.

A statement from the State House, Abuja on Tuesday added that on “President Buhari’s schedule too were meetings with former President Bill Clinton of the United States, Mr. Bill Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which is assisting Nigeria in several areas including polio eradication, and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, the United Nations Special Envoy on Global Education who is one of the main drivers of the Safe Schools Initiative.”

It is expected however that the President will round off his visit to New York on Tuesday, September 29 and return to Abuja on the same day.

A former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, and his two sons – Aminu Sule Lamido and Mustapha Sule Lamido, were on Tuesday arraigned before Justice Ademola Adeniyi of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on a 27-count amended charge bordering on corruption and money laundering.

Also arraigned with them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission were Aminu Wada Abubakar, Batholomew Darlington Agoha and companies through which they perpetrated the alleged fraud.

The companies are Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminium Limited and Speeds International Limited.

Lamido and others accused had on July 9, 2015, been arraigned before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of a Federal High Court in Kano, over misappropriation of funds belonging to Jigawa State.

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday at the Abuja FHC, counsel for the EFCC, Chile Okoroma, presented the court with the amended charge, dated September 15, 2015, which added Agoha, Manager, Speeds International Limited, as one of the accused persons.

The case was, however, adjourned briefly to allow the registry assign a new charge number to the amended charge sheet, since the case was originally heard in Kano.

But when the charges were read to them, all the accused pleaded not guilty and the case was thereafter adjourned till October 21 and 22.

One of the charges read, “That you, Alhaji Sule Lamido (while being Governor of Jigawa State, Nigeria); Aminu Sule Lamido, Mustapha Sule Lamido, Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, and Speeds International Limited, between October 15 and December 18 2008 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did convert an aggregate sum of N124,649,915 paid by Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited into the account of Speeds International Limited.

Another charge read, “That you, Alhaji Sule Lamido (while being the governor of Jigawa State, Nigeria); Aminu Sule Lamido, Mustapha Sule Lamido, Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited and Speeds International Limited between January 8 and December 10, 2013 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court took possession of an aggregate sum of N101,580,300 paid by Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited into the account of Bamaina Holdings Limited.”

Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Primary for Bayelsa State, was today escorted out of the venue by security forces as the event ran into a major hitch and the accreditation of delegates was suspended.Sylva’s supporters at Samson Siasia stadiumSahara Reporters Media

The accreditation, which began as early as 9a.m. at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa, the state capital, was suspended at about 2 pm following disagreements amongst the aspirants who alleged that delegates loyal to them were being denied access to the venue.

Policemen used teargas to disperse some of the delegates who were involved in a scuffle.  The injured were rushed to the nearby Federal Medical Centre.

The development compelled Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, who chairs the seven-member APC supervisory body, to hold an emergency meeting with the 19 aspirants.

Despite lasting for two hours, the meeting could not resolve the contentious issues, and some of the aspirants left the venue with their supporters.

Timi Alaibe, one of the aspirants, called for a postponement of the primary to enable all eligible delegates to participate in the exercise and asked his supporters to leave the venue.

Governor Oshiomhole left the venue at about 5p.m., escorted by the Commander of the Joint Task Force, without addressing the remaining partly delegates as the accreditation resumed a few minutes afterwards.

Former governor Timipre Sylva was one of the three aspirants who remained to participate in the election with five other boycotting.

e Court of Appeal has dismissed the ex-parte application by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, seeking to set aside the order made on Friday by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) issuing bench warrant for Saraki’s arrest.

It said it cannot interfere with the proceedings pending at the lower court.

It will be in the interest of notice for the respondents to be put on notice.
Consequently, the ex-parte application refused and the motion on notice set down for hearing on September 29
Justice Armed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, in another ruling just delivered, refused a similar application by Saraki.

He adjourned to September 30 for the hearing of the substantive suit by Saraki, challenging the competence of charge before the CCT and the preliminary objection filed by the CCT, Code of Conduct Tribunal and Federal Ministry of Justice.

Justice Mohammed held that, in view of the constitutional and radical nature of the issues raised in the respondents’ objection, it was reasonable for the court not to waste time on interlocutory applications.

The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki will appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal tomorrow Tuesday 22nd of September 2015.

Saraki, however stated and maintained that he is ready to submit himself to due process of the law on any issue concerning him, noting that, he also believes that he has an inalienable right to resort to the same judiciary for protection when he feels his fundamental rights are about to be infringed upon.
“The Senate President is a law abiding citizen and his absence from tribunal was based on legal advice he received from his counsel that it is not necessary for him to appear before the tribunal at this stage since the jurisdiction of the tribunal and the process of initiating the matter are being challenged before the federal High Court Abuja,” a statement issued by him read.

“Following the adjournment for the determination of the motion on notice and the substantive suit before the Federal High Court to 30th of September and the appeal pending before the Court of Appeal adjourned to the 29th of September 2015, the Senate President has decided, as a law abiding citizen, to appear before the Tribunal in the interim.”

“Saraki has taken the decision to attend the Tribunal sitting to demonstrate his respect for the rule of law in spite of his personal reservation on the process of his trial and the purpose it may be intended to serve.

“Saraki wishes to assure Nigerians of his absolute belief in the judicial process and is therefore confident that the course of justice would be served at the end of this matter,” the statement said.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), has ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to arrest and bring the Senate President, Bukola Saraki before the Tribunal on Tuesday, by 10am.

Details later…Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar, gave the ruling on Monday, after Saraki for the second time, failed to show up before the Tribunal.

Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Monday, expressed joy over her new job to join the board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates.

The former finance minister, had also announced that she will also be joining US investment bank, Lazard’s sovereign advice division.

Okonjo-Iweala who tweeted via her Twitter handle, @NOIweala said: “I’m excited to join GAVI to immunize 300 million more children in the next five years and save 5 million to 6 million more lives.”

The new portfolios, however, follow her second stint as Nigeria’s finance minister, which ended in May after the Goodluck Jonathan-led government was voted out of office.

Okonjo-Iweala has spent the past three decades working on fiscal management and governance systems in Africa through 25 years at the World Bank, most recently as a managing director, and twice as finance minister in what is now the continent’s biggest economy.

She has although, recently come under sharp criticisms particularly by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, over issues bordering on alleged corruption in the last administration.

Okonjo-Iweala has argued that her work on transparency and anti-corruption as finance minister under both Mr Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo has been unfairly “brushed aside.”

the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) as displaying the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob, wondering why the tribunal would wait till now before the sudden trial.

The coalition said the trial was another plot by the presidency to further delay the proposed ministerial nominees screening, hence allow the president to continue to run the country alone.

Addressing press Monday in Abuja, the President of the coalition, Aremo Oladotun Hassan, condemned the action of the tribunal, saying the behaviour of the tribunal was an acts of desperation for power at all costs by some few oligarchists at the expense of Nigerians, accusing the president Muhammadu Buhari of being behind the trial.

He said: “We challenge the ways and manner of the sudden crude methodology and hasty wake of the CCB and CCT to have bracingly ordered the Inspector General of Police to arrest Senator Bukola Saraki, without due diligence fair-hearing exercise of its inherent powers, over allegation of 2003 declared assets, conclusively raised the suspicion, doubt and act of omission, which informed the questionable intentions, impregnated with deceits and indirect high-handedness veil of the CCT.

“This portends great danger, that for CCB to have waited this long at the peak week of September Senate Screening of President Muhammodu Buhari’s proposed ministerial nominees, another attempt to postpone and elongate the appointment of Ministers.

“We vehemently resist all attempt to drag the hallowed seat of the Senate President and Dr. Bukola Saraki into the mud and mucky waters of nepotism, witch-hunting and blackmail, predicated on politically motivated power tussle and shenanigans of the internal APC party permutations of sharing formula of offices amongst its divided tents that formed All Progressives Congress (APC), which is the nucleus genesis that caused the current show of naked fire-powers and deadly force of shame. Displaying the Hand of Esau and Voice of Jacob syndrome.”

The coalitions also condemn the call for the resignation of Saraki, adding that an accused is presumed innocent, until the contrary is proven in a competent court of law.

He therefore called on western leaders to lean their voice against the trial saying “if this precedence is allowed to sail through, it will emboldened the orchestras to cause more havoc, and no one will be insulated from this recycled style of leadership, leaving all of us in the helpless torture chamber and humiliation, in the prey hands of this political mafias and cabals.”

The embattled President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki has failed to show up at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

He is facing a 13-count charge bordering on alleged corruption and false declaration of assets, levelled against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

ABUJA –  President Muhammadu Buhari has dissociated himself from the current travails of Senate President Bukola Saraki in the hands of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over a 13-count criminal charge preferred against Saraki on account of alleged false declaration of assets, saying the courts have a duty to perform.

This came as Abuja, the nation’s capital city hosts a web of high-wire intrigues and three-fold legal fisticuffs over the issue today.

Meantime, Saraki returned to Abuja after a short trip to Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital. Saraki and a host of senators were said to be meeting in Abuja, last night over the issue. Details of the strategic meeting were not available at press time.

Also, members of Senate Unity Forum, SUF, an anti-Saraki group in the Senate were, yesterday, engaged in a marathon meeting. It was gathered that the senators who met in Abuja in an undisclosed venue, were said to have gathered to strategize ahead of the resumption of the Senate.

According to a source, the meeting was a follow up to the one held by senators loyal to Saraki, weekend.

Leave Buhari out of Saraki’s trial-Presidency

While saying that it will not tolerate claims linking President Buhari to the matter, the presidency added that the speculation that CCB and CCT only act on external influence was unfounded.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said: “There is no place in law that the Bureau and the tribunal should take instructions from any quarters.”

According to him, “as an independent institution equal to any superior court of record, the tribunal is set up by the constitution to determine the issue of default, false declaration or forgery in assets declaration.”

Shehu said that the matter was purely a judicial process and had nothing to do with the presidency. He advised the affected parties to also use the courts to acquit themselves of the allegations.

According to Shehu, the president cannot interfere with the judicial process by stopping the Judge. He reiterated President Buhari’s avowed commitment to the fight against corruption no matter whose ox is gored, saying that the President has sworn to protect the constitution.

“If anyone has an axe to grind with what they are doing, they should do it in a judicial manner by challenging those actions in a proper court of law. Let them hire a good team of lawyers to prove their innocence.

“Government has no desire to persecute anybody. The President has vowed to respect the rule of law and this is what he is doing by staying out of this matter. He has said times without number that the war against corruption has no sacred cows.  Even if the President wants to help, there is no way he can do anything. Is he going to ask the judge to stop the trial?

“It is purely a judicial process, the type of which are routinely dealt with by the CCB and the CCT. There are many cases like this that are going on. The President has sworn to an oath to protect the constitution and will not violate that oath”, Shehu said.

Three-fold legal fisticuffs

One leg of the triangular legal battles will be at the CCT, where Justice Danladi Umar will be expecting the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase and other security agencies to produce Saraki for arraignment. Saraki refused to appear before the CCT on Friday and sent his team of lawyers led by former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. J.B Daudu (SAN) to file a memorandum of conditional appearance on his behalf.  Justice Umar in issuing a bench warrant said that having sworn to protect the constitution Saraki should have shown respect to the tribunal and appeared.

The second leg will be at the Federal High Court Abuja, where Justice Ahmed Mohammed is also expecting the Ministry of Justice, the chairmen of the CCT (Justice Umar) and the CCB, Mr. Sam Saba over the charge against Saraki. Justice Mohammed had on Thursday summoned the trio to appear before him today after hearing Dr. Saraki’s ex-parte application.

And the third front is at the Court of Appeal where Saraki has gone to challenge the powers of the CCT to try him as well as the refusal of the tribunal to discharge the bench warrant for his arrest, adding that the CCT acted without jurisdiction by assuming jurisdiction over a charge that is being challenged at the Federal High Court.

Saraki returns to Abuja

Meanwhile, Saraki’s Spokesman, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, yesterday, dismissed as false, reports that Saraki was hiding. He said in a telephone chat: “No. we are just arriving Abuja from Ilorin. Why will he leave Nigeria? For what? We are in Abuja. At least you know where he lives, you can come and have dinner with him.”

Asked if the Senate President will appear before the CCT, he said: “I can’t answer that question. It is a legal matter, only his lawyer will answer but you know there are three angles to the matter. You have the Federal High Court, CCT and Court of Appeal.”

Saraki may appear before high court

A source close to the Senate President who spoke to Vanguard on grounds of anonymity, yesterday, stressed that Saraki would not be comfortable to appear before the CCT today, “having regards to the hurried way the Justice Danladi Umar-led panel issued a bench warrant against him on Friday based on a mere oral application”.

However, the source, who is part of Saraki’s legal team, but not authorised to speak on his behalf, said  his client would rather prefer to appear before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja who is presiding over the suit seeking to halt the proceeding of the CCT.

Justice Mohammed had on Thursday adjourned till today to hear Saraki’s suit against both the tribunal, the CCB, the Ministry of Justice and the deputy director in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. M.S. Hassan, who signed the charge against the Senate President.

“You will recall that whereas the CCT commenced its sitting on Friday, the same day it hurriedly issued a bench warrant against the Senate President,  Justice Mohammed of the Federal High Court had earlier on Thursday delivered a ruling that ought to have put the proceeding of the CCT in abeyance.

“Justice Mohammed was categorical when he summoned the Chairmen of both the CCT and the Code of Conduct Bureau to appear before him today to show cause. When you are asked to come and show cause, it means that you should come and adduce reasons why you should be allowed to proceed with a planned action.

“The record before the Federal High Court which is a superior court to the CCT shows that the subject matter of the ex-parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/775/15, bothers on the legal propriety of the proceeding before the tribunal.

“If a court of competent jurisdiction had asked you to come and show cause why you should be allowed to do a specific thing, and you are notified about the ruling of the court, yet you go ahead to do exactly the same thing the plaintiff is trying to prevent, does that not in itself epitomise lack of respect for a constituted authority?”

Meantime, effort to reach Saraki’s lead counsel, Mr. Daudu, SAN, yesterday, proved abortive. Similarly, repeated calls to the phone line of Mr. Mahmud Magaji, SAN, who also represented the Senate President at the tribunal on Friday, were not answered.

Senators speak

Some senators loyal to Senate President Saraki have decried Saraki’s travails, saying that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC was drifting Nigeria into a state of anarchy.

Commenting on the development, Senator Sonni Ogbuoji, PDP, Ebonyi South noted that the current travail of the President of the Senate was an indication that the APC has no programme of governance for the country but to use state apparatus to witch-hunt perceived political enemies, adding that the CCT was treating Nigeria to a “new form of Constitution”, whereby a deputy director instead of the Attorney-General of the Federation was the one that took Saraki to court.

Describing Saraki’s treatment as politically motivated, Senator Ogbuoji noted that those behind the saga were not fighting for the growth of democracy, but for their selfish interest, which he said was to the detriment of the country.

When asked whether he would advise the President of the Senate to resign in view of the dimension his opponents had taken to fight him, Senator Ogbuoji, who noted that there was no basis for anyone to demand for Saraki’s resignation, stressed that even if Saraki was eventually arrested and arraigned before the court, it would not remove him from his seat as the President of the Senate, adding that such would only be seen as a judicial process.

Also speaking, Senator Joshua Dariye (PDP, Plateau Central) who warned that the unfolding scenario was not a good development, however, suggested that the best way to handle the matter was for the warring factions to go for dialogue and resolve their differences, since the recent action against Saraki was still a fallout of the outcome of the formation of the leadership of the 8th Senate.

He said: “It is not a good development. Dialogue is the key to any success; so let them go into dialogue and settle their differences.”

Anti-Saraki senators meet

A source told Vanguard that members of the SUF, the group of Senators who are in support of the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the leadership of the Senate have continued their consultations in readiness for the fallout of the CCT trial of Saraki.

It was gathered that the SUF has decided to lie low and allow the ongoing trial get to a head, as they continue the consultations behind the scene. A source said that the senators cannot say for certainty what would happen during the week, but many of them were said to be banking on the government “handling the assignment for them.”

The SUF Senators: Abu Ibrahim, Kabiru Marafa, Ajayi Borofice, Olugbenga Ashafa, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Banabas Gemade, Ahmed Lawan and George Akume among others came up to support Senator Ahmed Lawan during the fight for the position of Senate Presidency, which Saraki won.

As members of SUF are consulting, Saraki’s supporters, mostly of the Like Minds Senators (LMS) were also moving to consolidate the Senate President’s hold on the red chamber.

According to a source, one of the forces against Saraki was pushing for an “Obasanjo option,” which would be to pull through the planned arrest and detention of the Senate President irrespective of the CCT order on the issue.

Those behind this agenda are claiming that the CCT is not lower than the High Court and that its orders can only be referred to the Court of Appeal.

It was also gathered that the position of this camp is that the CCT could be made to get Saraki “out of the way” while the issue of control of the Senate would be sorted out on resumption.

Others are, however, expressing caution that the “Obasanjo option” could look drastic and reduce the government’s democratic credentials, especially as the government is still trying to get off the fallout of the invasion of Akwa-Ibom Government House.

The source said: “The noise by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is also unsettling the plans. If the nation had remained quiet as it was before now, the authorities can go all out after the Senate President under the guise of fighting corruption,” a source close to the party said, adding that the two divides in the APC camp are weighing the best option going forward.

It was also gathered that loyalists of the Senate President have decided to hold a Unity meeting of all Senators on September 28, a day before the 29th resumption date.

CCB member faults trial

Meanwhile, there was a new dimension to the case against Saraki, yesterday, as a member of the CCB said that the entire trial was needless and in contradiction with the process stipulated in the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

The member of the Bureau noted that the Section of the Act was not complied with before the Senate President was charged before the tribunal, adding, “If it had been complied with, the man will probably not even need to get to court at all, even if  he committed all we are charging him with. Once he admits the inconsistency and regularise them”.

According to the member who spoke on condition of anonymity said if the Bureau had followed the provision of Section 3(d) of its own law, it will not rush to trial, but invite Saraki to come and defend whatever inconsistency or infraction that may have been discovered in his asset declarations, adding that the normal procedure according to Section 3(d) of the Act was that the Bureau should set up a committee to determine whether an infraction has been committed by any public officer after submitting his/her asset declaration forms.

Section 3(d) of the CCB Act states that: “The functions of the Bureau shall be ….to receive complaints about non-compliance with or breach of this Act and where the Bureau considers it necessary to do so, refer such complaints to the Code of Conduct Tribunal established by Section 20 of this Act in accordance with Section 20 to 25 of this Act.

“Provided that where the person concerned makes a written admission of such breach or non-compliance, no reference to the Tribunal shall be necessary.”

The source recalled that it is this same refusal to follow procedure stipulated in his own law that led to the collapse of the case filed by the Bureau against Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in 2011, adding that members who observed this anomaly were dissatisfied with the unilateral action of the CCB chairman, Mr. Sam Saba who did not consult with other members before referring the matter to the tribunal.

Meanwhile, Senators have kept mum since the matter came up, even as the Chairman, Ad- hoc Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West has failed to issue an official statement from the Senate, even as Senators called to speak vehemently refused to make comments.

There are also strong indications that Senate President Bukola Saraki may not honour the order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal that the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase should arrest and produce him in Court today.

Though, Senate President Saraki was said not to be in town, but when Vanguard contacted his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, he said the Senate President was in town.

Don’t be influenced IEDPU urges CCB

The Ilorin Emirate Descendant Progressive Union (IEDPU) has described Senate President Saraki’s current travails at the CCT as politically-motivated.

The union therefore cautioned the CCB against being used to achieve political gains, adding that the board should do its job devoid of external interference.

National President of IEDPU, Alhaji Abdulhamid Adi wondered why CCB failed to raise any issue concerning the Senate President’s asset declaration forms since 2003.

Alhaji Adi added that the 12 years interval to unearth the alleged issue by the CCB and the way the CCT is handling the issue is suspicious.

“I see it more or less as political persecution. It is purely political. Maybe there are some political opponents that are trying to get at him,” he said.

MEF begs NU, MBF to intervene

Also Group known as ‘Maja Elders Forum’ (MEF) has urged President Buhari to intervene.

In a statement, MEF Coordinator, Alhaji Kayode Yusuf, appealed to the Northern Union (NU) and Middle Belt Forum (MBF), the two bodies, Saraki’s biological father Olusola Saraki had brought into prominence in the nation’s socio -political landscape, to meddle in the “persecution of Bukola Saraki’s family.”

The statement which was entitled: ‘Save Bukola Saraki’s Life: a Passionate Appeal to President Buhari,’ the group believed that the recent invitation of Saraki’s wife Oluwatoyin by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and his attempted prosecution by the CCT might not be unconnected with the rising political profile of the former Governor of Kwara state.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan authorised the withdrawal of a whopping N67.2 billion in cash money from the Central Bank of Nigeria between November 2014 and February 2015 for “special services,” PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today.

The two cash withdrawals were made in the build up to the 2015 general elections.

Our sources said even more ‘curious’ large withdrawals were made from the bank during the period but we were unable to obtain documents to authenticate the claims.

But highly classified documents obtained by this newspaper, Friday, showed that at least N67.2 billion were withdrawn in cash from the banks in two tranches.

Insiders at the CBN said the huge cash were carted away in bullion vans.

One of the withdrawals was made through a memo which originated from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, allegedly based on Mr. Jonathan’s instruction.

The second memo was generated by the National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

NAPIMS is in charge of the Federal Government’s investments in the petroleum industry.

The first memo, dated November 2014, contained a request for the withdrawal of $47 million cash out of N10 billion earmarked for release for an unbudgeted “special services”.

In the memo with reference number: NSA/366/S and titled: “Request for Funds for Special Services,” an official from Mr. Dasuki’s office had drawn the CBN governor’s attention to a previous discussion and requested the release of the said funds by the bank.

The balance from the N10 billion, the memo directed, was to be paid out in Euro, while a certain Director of Finance and Administration with the name S.A Salisu, was authorised to sign and receive the haul of U.S dollars and Euro in cash, on behalf of the NSA’s office.

“Further to our discussion, you are pleased requested to provide the sum of forty seven million United States Dollars (USD47, 000,000.00) cash out of the Ten Billion Naira (N10, 000,000,000.00) and the balance in Euro to this office for special services,” the memo read in part.

“Mr. S. A. Salisu, director finance and administration is, hereby authorised to sign and collect the amount. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem,” the memo said.

It remains unknown what the “special services”, for which the funds were removed, are.

Our sources claim they were spent on “electioneering-related” matters. But that could not be independently verified Saturday.

The second memo, raised by NAPIMS, and dated February 25, 2015 conveyed an instruction to the director, Banking and Payment System Department of the CBN to urgently pay in cash, the sum of $289,202,382 (N57.2 billion) to the National Intelligence Agency, NIA.

“Upon receipt of this mandate, please pay urgently the under-listed beneficiary the cash amount indicated,” the memo said.

“Please debit CBN/JVCC Foreign Account No. 000000011658360 with the JP Morgan Chase, New York… and advise (sic) as soon as the payment is made.”.

The payment instruction in favour of the NIA was signed by one Okonkwo Godwin, General Manager, Finance, NAPIMS, with staff No. 18526, on February 25, 2015.

But sources from the CBN, who cannot be named because they were not authorised to speak on the issue said the funds were taken away at night with bullion vans under heavy security cover.

When contacted, CBN’s Director, Corporate Communications, Ibrahim Mu’azu, declined comment on the report.

Mr. Mu’azu said he did not have authority to speak to the media about the status of the bank customers’ transaction details.

However, a senior official, who asked not to be named, as he had no permission to speak on the issue in his official capacity, said the bank has details of the transaction.

“My brother, the report is true,” he told PREMIUM TIMES. “Every detail is on point. But, since they claimed the withdrawal was for security services, anything could have been referred to as such. Nobody knows.”

Mr. Jonathan could not be reached for comments. One of his former spokespersons said he no longer speak for the former President. Another said he was busy and could not speak on the matter.

They all requested anonymity, saying they don’t want to be associated with issues they know nothing about.

Violating the law

The withdrawals of the huge cash is a violation of Nigeria’s Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, which Mr. Jonathan personally assented to.

According to Part 1, Section 1 of the law, “No person or body corporate shall, except in a transaction through a financial institution, make or accept cash payment of a sum exceeding- (a) N5,000,000.00 or its equivalent, in the case of an individual; or (b)N10,000,000.00 or its equivalent in the case of a body corporate.”

Section 16 (d) of the Acts says anyone who makes or accepts cash payments exceeding the amount authorized under this Act shall upon conviction be liable to a forfeiture of 25% of the excess above the limits placed in section 1 of the Act.

The matriarch of the Awolowo family, Chief Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, is dead.

Mama, as fondly called by many, died on Saturday at age99.

HID, would have turned 100 on November 25 this year.

First Weekly is reporting that Awolowo died shortly after a meeting on Saturday with her family members.
Yeye Oodua, as she is also popularly known, was said to have been a part of the meeting for the planning of her 100th birthday.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has explained his decision to stay away from the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Friday, and has criticised the court’s decision to order his arrest.

The chairman of the tribunal, Danladi Umar, issued a bench warrant against Mr. Saraki for not appearing to face a 13-count charge of corruption, brushing aside a Federal High Court order seeking to stop Mr. Saraki’s arraignment.

The Code of Conduct Bureau had slammed a 13-count charge of corruption on Mr. Saraki.

In charge number ABT/01/15, Mr. Saraki is accused of offences ranging from anticipatory declaration of assets to making false declaration of assets in forms he filed before the Code of Conduct Bureau while he was governor of Kwara state.

The Senate President is also accused of failing to declare some assets he acquired while in office as governor, acquiring assets beyond his legitimate earnings, and operating foreign accounts while being a public officer – governor and senator.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Mr. Saraki said he refused to appear before the tribunal relying on an order issued by a Federal High Court on Thursday, directing that the case against him be halted.

He accused the tribunal of pursuing a political agenda, and said he was certain the court would give him justice.

Read his full statement:

CCT Defiance of Subsisting Court Order : Our Stand

Following the development in the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) today, Friday, September 18, 2015when the Tribunal chose to ignore the subsisting order of a Federal High Court by sitting, we hereby state our position as follows:

1. While the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, had stated and maintains that he is ready to submit himself to due process of the law on any issue concerning him, he also believes he has an inalienable right to resort to the same judiciary for protection when he feels his fundamental rights are about to be infringed upon.

2. It is for this reason that Dr. Saraki, having satisfied himself that the case filed by the CCB and the manner in which the case was filed show that he will not be given justice, resorted to the Federal High Court for the determination of the issues of competence of the prosecutor as well as compliance with the procedure stipulated in the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

3. The Federal High Court on Thursday, September 17, 2015, therefore ordered that the all parties in the case should appear before it on Monday, September 21, 2015. The implication of this ruling by a Court of competent jurisdiction is that the sitting today has been overtaken by event. It is for this reason that Dr. Saraki chose to go about with his normal official schedule.

4. Today at the Tribunal, Counsel to the Senate President, Mr. M. A. Mahmud (SAN), raised a motion stating that there is a pending constitutional matter before the Federal High Court to be decided on Monday and that the Tribunal should hold the trial until the constitutional matter is disposed of.

5. We are however dismayed that the Tribunal chose to disregard the order of the Federal High Court and the motion to suspend hearing till Monday when all parties are expected to argue their positions on the constitutional matter.

6. It is also a surprise to us that despite the application by the lead counsel to the Senate President that he will produce Dr. Saraki on Monday and the personality of the person involved as the Number three man in the country, the Tribunal insisted on issuing a warrant of arrest as if its intention is simply to embarrass Dr. Saraki. We are not unmindful of the fact that the Tribunal is acting under political influence and external pressure. This is dangerous to our democracy.

7. The conduct of the Tribunal today left nobody in doubt that it cannot do justice on the matter before it. It is also clear that today’s decision is an abuse of the rule of law which portends danger to our judicial system. The Tribunal has equally set a bad precedent in the way and manner it conducted itself during the proceedings.

8. We want to emphasise the fact that this is not part of any war against corruption but using state institutions to fight political opponents and seeking to achieve through the back door what some people cannot get through democratic process.

9. We need to caution here that in a desperate bid to settle political scores and nail imaginary enemies, we should not destroy our democratic institutions and heat the polity for selfish reasons. Let us all learn from history.

9. The Senate President is a law abiding citizen and his absence from the Tribunal today was based on the legal advice he received from his counsel that the Tribunal will respect the decision of the Federal High Court which is obviously a superior court of records. Also, he relied on a letter from the Chief Justice of Nigeria directed to the Chairman of the Tribunal last May that they are not judicial officers and are inferior to the regularsanni High Court as defined by the law and that they take official oath not judicial oath.

10. We will like to state therefore that Dr. Saraki will not do anything to undermine the judicial process and authority but he will always act to protect his fundamental human rights.

The office of the Senate President, has described the bench warrant of arrest issued on Friday by the Code of Conduct Tribunal against Dr Olusola Saraki as an abuse of the rule of law.
In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the office said it was dismayed that the tribunal chose to ignore the a subsisting order of a Federal High Court by sitting.
“ It is a surprise to us that despite the application by the lead counsel to the Senate President that he will produce Dr. Saraki on Monday and the personality of the person involved as the Number three man in the country, the Tribunal insisted on issuing a warrant of arrest as if its intention is simply to embarrass Dr. Saraki,” Olaniyonu stated.
The full text of the response to the warrant of arrest titled “CCT Defiance of Subsisting Court Order : Our Stand” is reproduced below:
Following the development in the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) today, Friday, September 18, 2015 when the Tribunal chose to ignore the subsisting order of a Federal High Court by sitting, we hereby state our position as follows:

1. While the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, had stated and maintains that he is ready to submit himself to due process of the law on any issue concerning him, he also believes he has an inalienable right to resort to the same judiciary for protection when he feels his fundamental rights are about to be infringed upon.

2. It is for this reason that Dr. Saraki, having satisfied himself that the case filed by the CCB and the manner in which the case was filed show that he will not be given justice, resorted to the Federal High Court for the determination of the issues of competence of the prosecutor as well as compliance with the procedure stipulated in the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

3. The Federal High Court on Thursday, September 17, 2015, therefore ordered that the all parties in the case should appear before it on Monday, September 21, 2015. The implication of this ruling by a Court of competent jurisdiction is that the sitting today has been overtaken by event. It is for this reason that Dr. Saraki chose to go about with his normal official schedule.

4. Today at the Tribunal, Counsel to the Senate President, Mr. M. A. Mahmud (SAN), raised a motion stating that there is a pending constitutional matter before the Federal High Court to be decided on Monday and that the Tribunal should hold the trial until the constitutional matter is disposed of.

5. We are however dismayed that the Tribunal chose to disregard the order of the Federal High Court and the motion to suspend hearing till Monday when all parties are expected to argue their positions on the constitutional matter.

6. It is also a surprise to us that despite the application by the lead counsel to the Senate President that he will produce Dr. Saraki on Monday and the personality of the person involved as the Number three man in the country, the Tribunal insisted on issuing a warrant of arrest as if its intention is simply to embarrass Dr. Saraki. We are not unmindful of the fact that the Tribunal is acting under political influence and external pressure. This is dangerous to our democracy.

7. The conduct of the Tribunal today left nobody in doubt that it cannot do justice on the matter before it. It is also clear that today’s decision is an abuse of the rule of law which portends danger to our judicial system. The Tribunal has equally set a bad precedent in the way and manner it conducted itself during the proceedings.

8. We want to emphasise the fact that this is not part of any war against corruption but using state institutions to fight political opponents and seeking to achieve through the back door what some people cannot get through democratic process.

9. We need to caution here that in a desperate bid to settle political scores and nail imaginary enemies, we should not destroy our democratic institutions and heat the polity for selfish reasons. Let us all learn from history.

10. The Senate President is a law abiding citizen who will not do anything to undermine the judicial process and authority. However, Dr. Saraki will always act to protect his fundamental human rights.

Experts have insisted that the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan remains liable for the large scale corruption trailing multi-billion Naira contracts awarded to two local firms, PPP Fluid Mechanics and Ocean Marine Securities, OMS to move crude oil from Excravos to the refineries in Warri, Port Harcourt and Bonny Island.

An online blog, PREMIUM TIMES had recently published details of the deals carried out under the regime of the immediate past regime of Jonathan, alleging that a huge sum of N509.3b was paid to the company.

The publication listed the promoters of PPP Fluid Mechanic to include Captain Idahosa Okunbor and Mr. Tunde Ayeni as having fleeced the nation in connivance with the former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

According to the blog, the deal which began in 2011 is said to have been devoid of due process as all the needed steps were sidestepped by Alison-Madueke before government came awarded the contract, at what source described as rather exorbitant.

“The cost of this contract is several times higher than it takes to transport crude oil through the more efficient pipelines which PPMC, a subsidiary of the NNPC operates. The cost of transporting a barrel of crude through the pipeline is as low as N5.97,” the publication had maintained.

Reacting to the publication, some experts in the oil and gas industry told THE NEW DIPLOMAT in confidence that the deal is nothing but a scam that was primed to milk the nation dry.

They hinged their position on the fact that the contracts were never advertised and that no competitive bidding took place for Nigerians to have equal opportunity to participate in the deal.

“Since this was not done, it is a clear violation of Nigeria’s procurement law.” One of the sources who pleaded not to be named told our correspondent.

They also stated that the contracts were needless as the last government neglected cheaper options but were awarded by sheer presidential and ministerial discretion.

PREMIUM TIMES made allusion to this fact when it stated “They were selected by a board led by Mrs. Madueke, which also had NNPC Group Managing Director at the time, Austin Oniwon, and eight others, including Yinka Omorogbe, the legal adviser to the corporation.

“These are some of the Bazaars that took place under the last government. It is unfortunate that it occurred and I want the new government to probe deep into it and recover the monies that were paid to these companies.” The source added.

According to him, the contracts were needless as the nation had (and still has) enough capacity to move its crude from the point of extraction to the points of refining.

“How they (past government officials) intentionally circumvented the process is something the current government should look into,” the source said, adding that “they should also look at the desirability or otherwise of the contracts when the nation has the capacity to do what the companies claimed they were doing.”

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Friday said the state government will consider the possibilities of collaborating with Kebbi State to explore the economic opportunities in the production and distribution of high yield quality rice and other ventures.

The governor spoke at the closing ceremony of the 2015 Annual National Women Conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island Lagos.

He recalled that his Kebbi State counterpart, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, had, during the opening ceremony of the conference on Wednesday, sought the cooperation between women in Kebbi and Lagos States in the production of high yield quality rice, saying it is one area the state would seek to explore.

“I am sure the leadership of COWLSO has taken note of this and would work towards creating the platform for this cooperation to work and further show the economic relevance of women.

“I am sure the communiqué that has emerged at this conference will encapsulate a blueprint for the economic engagement of our womenfolk, not just in Lagos State but across Nigeria,” Governor Ambode said.

He said his administration would be keen to receive the recommendations of the conference and see how they can be implemented to improve the lives of Lagosians.

“This conference marks a new beginning for COWLSO. We will remain partners in progress and also welcome your constructive criticisms to help us improve in our duty to deliver good governance to the people of Lagos State. This administration counts on your usual support and co-operation,” he said.

Declaring the conference closed, Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, made case for women to be empowered, stressing that, “there is no society that shackles more than half of its population that can develop or progress.”

He also appealed to government at all levels to invigorate efforts in educating the girl child in the North and women empowerment all over the country.

The Governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoye Tomori, said recent studies had shown that women through their various businesses have contributed immensely to the employment rate in the nation.

ABUJA – The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja has ordered the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr. Solomon Arase and other relevant security agencies in ‎the country to arrest the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

In a ruling this afternoon, the tribunal headed by Justice Danladi Umar issued a bench warrant against Saraki following his refusal to appear in court to face a 13-count criminal charge that was preferred against him by the Federal Ministry of Justice.

FG had through a deputy director in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. M.S. Hassan, asked the tribunal to order Saraki’s arrest.

‎Saraki who was billed for arraignment this morning, sent his team of lawyers to serve the tribunal with a copy of the ruling of Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, which summoned the Ministry of Justice to appear on Monday to show cause why the trial should be allowed to proceed.

Equally summoned by the court were the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar and that of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Mr. Sam Saba, as well as Mr. Hassan who signed the charge against Saraki.

Meanwhile, irked by Saraki’s absence at the tribunal for the commencement of his prosecution over alleged false declaration of assets, the Ministry of Justice prayed the Justice Umar-led panel to order for his arrest, saying “he cannot sit in the comfort of his chamber and object to his trial in absentia”.

The prosecution further maintained that Justice Mohammed lacked the powers to summon ‎the CCT and CCB chairmen, even as it accused Saraki of engaging in “forum shopping” in a desperate bid to scuttle his trial.

Meanwhile, Saraki has through his lawyer, begged the tribunal to consider his position as the Senate President and stay the execution of the arrest warrant, saying he would be available for trial on Monday.

His plea was refused by Justice Umar who maintained that the accused person, having sworn to protect the constitution, ought to have shown respect to the tribunal by appearing before it today

ABUJA – The Federal Ministry of Justice has asked the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja to issue bench warrant for the arrest of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

A deputy director in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. M.S. Hassan, applied for the arrest order following Saraki’s refusal to appear before the tribunal to enter his plea to the13- count corruption charge against him.

‎Saraki who was billed for arraignment this morning, sent his team of lawyers to serve the tribunal with a copy of the ruling of Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, which summoned the Ministry of Justice to appear on Monday to show cause why the trial should be allowed to proceed.

Equally summoned by the court were the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar and that of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Mr. Sam Saba, as well as Mr. Hassan who signed the charge against Saraki.

Meanwhile, irked by Saraki’s absence at the tribunal for the commencement of his prosecution over alleged false declaration of assets, the Ministry of Justice prayed the Justice Umar-led panel to order for his arrest, saying “he cannot sit in the comfort of his chamber and object to his trial in absentia”.

The prosecution further maintained that Justice Mohammed lacked the powers to summon ‎the CCT and CCB chairmen, even as it accused Saraki of engaging in “forum shopping” in a desperate bid to scuttle his trial.