TheNewsGuru

Tag: Invitation

  • Police honours Fani-Kayode’s request, reschedule invitation

    Sequel to his request for extension of time, the police have directed a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, to report for questioning on September 4, 2018 in respect of a petition against him.

    The force in a letter dated August 23, 2018 and signed by CP Habu Sani of the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, conceded to the two demands of Fani-Kayode’s lawyers by agreeing on a new date.

    It also disclosed that the invitation to the former minister was in respect of criminal complaints by a law firm, Apex Solicitors.

    The letter read, “I refer to your letter No KACCL/OR/372/18 dated 27th August, 2018 wherein you requested for rescheduling of appointment in respect of the above subject.

    “Graciously the interview is now rescheduled for Tuesday the 4th day of September, 2018 by 1200hrs.”

    “You are however to note that, the invitation is in respect of criminal complaints lodged by Apex Solicitors (Legal Practitioners and Consultants) and your cooperation in this regard is expected, please,” the police stated.

    The police had in a letter titled, “Conspiracy, Criminal Defamation, Inciting Publication, Injurious Falsehood and Conduct Likely to Cause a Breach of the Peace,” asked the former Minister of Aviation to appear for an interview on Tuesday.

    But Fani-Kayode’s lawyer, Kayode Ajulo and Co., had responded that the invitation letter was “too vague and ambiguous” and that he could only honour the invitation by September 4 or September 5.

  • PDP blasts IG for snubbing Senate invitation

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the repeated snub of Senate’s invitation by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, and described the attitude as “an assault on Nigeria’s democracy”.

    Recall that Idris, who was expected to appear before the Senate on Tuesday, failed to show up. It was the third time the Police boss was failing to honour such invitation.

    Irked by that behaviour, the Senate on Tuesday passed a vote of no confidence on the IGP and declared him unfit to hold any public office.

    The PDP, in its reaction to the development, said that it was “very wrong” for the IGP to ignore the invitation, saying that he had missed a chance to share ideas with the lawmakers on ways to tackle the insecurity in the nation,

    “His (IGP)’s refusal to honour the invitation is a deliberate assault on Nigeria’s democracy; it is a willful denigration of the National Assembly and a recourse to totalitarianism,” the party said in a statement signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary.

    The PDP said that it was “unfortunate” that Idris had, for the third time, shunned the Senate invitation over the worsening security situation in the nation.

    “Never in our democratic history as a people and as a nation, has a service chief treated the National Assembly with disdain like the current IGP.

    “All over the world, the legislature is a bastion of democracy and our constitution, in recognition of this, provides a special place for our National Assembly, as the representatives of the people, to serve as a check on the executive arm.

    “We, therefore, condemn this offensive on our democracy by IGP Idris. We also condemn the deliberate insult being heaped on each of our legislators by appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari,’’ the party said.

    The PDP urged the President of the Senate and other senators to protect the institution of the legislature and the country’s democracy by not limiting their action only to finding Ibrahim Idris as “unfit” to hold public office.

    “The Senate should take the next step within their legislative instrument and powers to restore the respect and dignity which the generality of Nigerians and the 1999 Constitution (as amended), bestowed on them,” the statement said.

  • BREAKING: Senate vows to punish police IG for ignoring third invitation

    BREAKING: Senate vows to punish police IG for ignoring third invitation

    Embarrassed by the continuous disregard for the Nigerian senate, senators have suggested that a drastic decision should be reached on The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who has for the third time, failed to appear before the Senate.

    Idris had been summoned to address the Senate on the alleged inhuman treatment of Senator Dino Melaye during his arrest and detention by the police over alleged gun-running; and the spate of killings by armed herdsmen and militias across the country.

    While the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations), Mr. Joshak Habila, had been sent to represent the police boss the previous times, there was no representation on Wednesday (today).

    The Majority Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, who said efforts by him to reach out to the IG in two days failed, described the non-appearance as “unusual and unfortunate.”

    Also, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha called for a closed session for the lawmakers to determine the action to be taken by the Senate against the IG.

    “We need to take a very drastic action. We cannot take this embarrassment any longer. This is a national disgrace,” he said.

    Similarly, Senator Isa Misau pointed out that a senator is superior to the IG by the provisions of the Constitution and could be invited by any of the lawmakers.

    He also noted that sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution empowers the legislature to summon the Police boss.

    According to him, the development is embarrassing to the country and also to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Commenting, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe said Nigeria’s democracy was dying in bits and that the IG’s non-appearance was an abuse of government power.

  • Alleged 5.6bn fraud: Ex-Plateau Gov, Jonah Jang honours ICPC invitation

    Alleged 5.6bn fraud: Ex-Plateau Gov, Jonah Jang honours ICPC invitation

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says former Governor of Plateau, Sen. Jonah Jang, has honoured its invitation for questioning over an alleged N5.6 billion fraud.

    In a statement on its website, the commission said it had concluded interactions with the ex-governor, while investigation continues “on other strands of the matter’’. It did not give further details.

    Recall that the commission, on March 22, threatened to declare Jang wanted for allegedly spurning its invitation.

    The ICPC, through a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, said Jang had been evasive since October 2017, when it opened investigation into alleged corruption-related activities during his tenure.

    Jang reacted through a statement by his media aide, Mr Clinton Garuba, on March 23, that there had “never been a time the commission invited him”.

    Jang currently represents Plateau North in the Senate under the PDP.

  • Why I refused to honour DSS’s illegal invitation – Pastor El-Buba

    The Senior Pastor of Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministry International, Jos, Pastor Isa El-Buba has revealed why he refused to honour the invitation of the Department of State Security, DSS on Monday.

    Recall that the cleric evaded arrest by the SSS in Jos on Monday night insisting that the planned arrest was illegal.

    Isa El- Buba stated this Tuesday evening in an interview with journalists in Jos.

    Mr. El-Buba in the interview held at his Ministry towers said a deputy director of the state service stormed his fellowship headquarters on Monday night while he was preparing for a midnight service, but he refused to honour the invitation because, ”the invitation was not authorised in writing.”

    “I demanded for a letter of invitation and was not given, so I became suspicious of their mission in the night to my office.”

    According to Mr. El-Buba, the operatives, who came in two trucks made seveal attempts at his residence to pick him to Abuja under the cover of the night.

    The cleric also said as far as he was concerned, he had done nothing wrong to warrant his arrest. He insisted that he would continue to preach good governance at all levels of government no matter the threats from security agencies.

     

  • Malabu oil deal: Honour Reps’ invitation if you are clean – CACOL tells Jonathan

    Malabu oil deal: Honour Reps’ invitation if you are clean – CACOL tells Jonathan

    The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL has called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to respond to the House of Representatives’ formal invitation over his alleged role in the controversial $1.1bn Malabu oil deal.

    The group said the former Nigerian leader presided over the most corrupt administration in the history of Nigeria.

    It noted that the ex-president cannot sweep the allegations under the carpet.

    Debo Adeniran, leader of CACOL said, “Now that his name has come up in the record of the probe, he cannot wish it away.

    “He must be made to realize that it will continue to remain in the record and no matter how long it takes; it’s just going to be a matter of time for him to be made to answer for questions about a lot of atrocities committed under his watch. If he believes his hands are clean, then why the fear to appear?

    “And if on the other hand, his refusal is borne out sheer contempt for the House, he perhaps needs to be reminded that the constitutional immunity does not cover former presidents and so the instrumentality of the law is ever so alive and potent and could always be applied if and when it becomes necessary. The refusal itself is quite unstatemanly.

    “It is so sad that even though some names of Nigeria’s top public officials’ had appeared atop many investigative submissions in many foreign lands over this scandalous deal and causing various ad hoc committees to be set up by both legislative chambers at different times, right from the days of Obasanjo’s reign down to this day, nothing concrete has been achieved so far.

    “There is no disputing the fact that GEJ presided over the most corrupt and reckless government ever in the political history of this country. Under his watch, massive looting and squandering of the country’s wealth at the most alarming scale took place.

    “It will be recalled that, directly under his watch, both indicted members of Jonathan’s cabinet in persons of Bello Adoke and Deziani Alison-Madueke, ministers of justice and petroleum respectively, blatantly shunned the House of Representatives probe panel’s invitation to them to appear for questioning over the matter.

    “So, Jonathan has no moral justification to refuse to answer the call of the representatives of the citizens of Nigeria to provide answers to activities that took place during his rule.

    “We, therefore, strongly advise the former President to honour the invitation of the legislative house without further delay if he places any value on his name. Eventually, the truth will come out and it will prevail.”

  • Corruption: Arrest lawmakers ignoring your invitation, Sagay tells EFCC, Magu

    Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest any lawmaker that refused to honour its invitation.

    He insisted that the National Assembly must recognise EFCC as an institution and that no law says an arrest warrant must be sent to it before a lawmaker can appear before the EFCC.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the EFCC had on June 20 invited the Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District, Senator Stella Oduah but she refused to honour the invitation.

    She was invited over petitions in connection to the purchase of two armoured BMW vehicles at N255m by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, during her tenure as Aviation Minister.

    Sagay in reaction said, “The EFCC is an institution; so, recognising Magu or not is totally irrelevant and until the Supreme Court says Magu is no longer chairman or acting chairman.

    “The Senate cannot refuse to recognise Magu or the EFCC as an institution.

    “If the EFCC invites you, you must go. There is no law that says invitation letters must come through the leadership of the National Assembly.

    “The EFCC can inform the leadership as a matter of courtesy but letters should go directly to the person being invited.

    “The danger now is that if they keep insisting on this, the EFCC will arrest her”.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the National Assembly leadership had earlier told members to ignore invitations from the anti-graft agency.

  • N13bn Ikoyi loot: I won’t honour your invitation, CBN Governor, Emefiele tells Reps

    Sequel to his invitation by the House of Representatives Committee On National Security and Intelligence to testify in the ongoing investigation into the $43.4m (N13bn) recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from an apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has said he won’t appear before the committee.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Committee is chaired by Hon. Aminu Sani-Jaji.

    The committee had thrice summoned Emefiele; the suspended Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Dr. Ayo Oke; the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu; and the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.) to testify.

    The third sitting of the committee was Wednesday (yesterday).

    But, like in two previous occasions, all the officials shunned the committee on Wednesday.

    However, Emefiele wrote the lawmakers to say that he did not think it was appropriate for him to come because he would be in breach of the National Security Agencies Act.

    In the letter, which was read out to members by Sani-Jaji, the CBN governor argued that the Act prohibited the disclosure of security information publicly.

    He noted that security information was ‘classified information’, which the law barred him from releasing to the public.

    The CBN governor further argued that a committee chaired by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, had already investigated the cash recovery.

    But the lawmakers were enraged and berated Emefiele for acting like ‘someone who lacks the capacity to differentiate between a legislature and the executive arm of government’.

    Sani-Jaji stated, “This CBN governor doesn’t even know that there is something called separation of powers.”