Tag: President

Alleged fraud: NBA President docked, gets bail

…Court rejects request to transfer case to Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the President of the Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA ), Mr Paul Usoro (SAN), at the Federal High Court, Lagos, for an alleged N1.4billion fraud.

Usoro pleaded not guilty to a 10-count charge of fraudulent conversion of N1.4bn said to belong to the Akwa Ibom State Government.

The NBA President’s arraignment followed Justice Muslim Hassan’s rejection of his application for the case to be transferred to Abuja.

The case continues on February 5

Details later…

December 18, 2018
Alleged N1.4b fraud: NBA president speaks on alleged ‘resignation’ plans

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Paul Usoro has said he would not resign his position despite the pending fraud case against him.

The EFCC, last week, filed an alleged N1.4 billion fraud charge against Usoro before the Federal High Court in Lagos.

It was announced that Usoro will be arraigned today.

But, addressing reporters in Abuja at the weekend, the NBA president said he would remain in office despite attempt to force him to quit.

Usoro, who said he was presenting the communique of the just held NBA National Executive Committee (NBA) meeting, assured that he would attend court today, when the case against him is fixed for hearing.

Saying he has not been served with the charge, the NBA President added that he was not comfortable about the leakage of the charge against him to the media.

Usoro, who addressed the news conference alone, did not dispute the existence of the charge against him. He said he is innocent and that the case is intended to force him out of office.

The NBA president, in a reaction to the question whether he will resign in view of the charge against him, said: “I will not resign. No, I am not in doubt that a charge has been filed against me. I only said, in my earlier statement, that I have not been served with the charge. I do not doubt the existence of the charge.

“This matter was presented before the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NBA and we had a very successful meeting. And nobody raised the issue as regard whether I should leave.

“I have already made it quite clear, if you have read my statement on what my position is as far as this matter is concerned. The National Executive Committee adopted that my address, as far as that matter is concerned, and they believed that that matter is rested.

“You see, I have seen it happened a number of times, and I believe all of you have also seen it happened, that some of these incidents are hyped up simply to drive people out of office. You are aware of that. And this has happened, not once, not twice.

“We have seen it happened in the case of the Senate President (Bukola Saraki). Ultimately, what happened? The Senate President was absolved of any criminality. What would have happened assuming the Senate President had resigned?

“We have also seen it happened and somebody was hounded that way, and he resigned. And at the end, he was found not to have done it. It is also very possible that in this particular instance, that was what the people wanted and that was why that was that hype. All of you are aware of it that there were plenty of leakages in regard to this matter, just before the NEC meeting.

“I am personally convinced that the reason why there was so much of the leakage was to instigate NEC possibly to get me out of office. Well, that did not succeed. So, we went to NEC and I presented the things that we want to do as the national officers are concerned.

NEC is quite happy with it.

“The lawyers are very happy with it. And we are focused on delivering those things that we want to do as far as the NBA is concerned. We will continue to do those things that would elevate the welfare and the essence of our lawyers, as well as promoting and preserving the rule of law. And that is what we will continue to do,” Usoro said.

December 10, 2018
2019: I’ll sell 90% of NNPC if elected president – Atiku

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said he will sell the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and retain just 10 per cent of the company for the Federal Government.

Atiku said this in an interview with ‘The African Report’, a monthly publication.

The former Vice-President, who presided over the National Council on Privatisation during his time, said the NNPC was supposed to have become more profitable by now.

On whether he would sell the NNPC and keep 10 per cent shares for the government, he said, “Yes, I would want to go ahead. There is no doubt about that. The government should have a very minor shareholding. Nigeria is in dire need of funds to develop its infrastructure and other sectors of the economy.”

The PDP Presidential candidate said Nigeria ought to have been producing far more than two million barrels of oil per day.

Speaking further on the privatisation of the national oil company, he said, “Without a stable regulatory framework, the oil and gas companies will find it difficult to invest more in Nigeria.

“At the time, we pushed for the passage of the new law. We expected that Nigeria would be able to export up to four million barrels per day but here we are still at less than two million barrels per day.”

November 17, 2018
You can’t ‘combine’ functions of president, petroleum minister, Court tells Buhari

The Federal High Court in Abuja has declared that President Muhammadu Buhari cannot legally double as the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

The court made the declaration on Thursday while giving judgment in a suit filed last year by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN).

Agbakoba had, in the suit, urged the court to restrain Buhari from continuing to hold the office of the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

The SAN had contended that Section 138 of the 1999 Constitution forbids the President from “holding any other executive office or paid employment.”

In a statement on Friday by his office, Agbakoba said the court in deciding the case held that Buhari had not violated Section 138, since he is not directly in charge of the day-to-day running of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

The court, according to the statement, said there would have been a violation if Buhari had not appointed someone else – Dr. Ibe Kachikwu – to oversee the day-to-day running of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

The court explained that the phrase “hold” in Section 138 of the constitution “meant to preside, act, to possess, occupy or conduct the actual day to day running of the office.”

“Merely proclaiming/announcing that he (the President) was the Minister of Petroleum is not enough to conclude that he holds the office of minister,” the court reportedly declared.

In the suit, Agbakoba had said as a legal practitioner with 40 years experience and having checked the Constitution, he was convinced that “Buhari cannot legally hold the office of the Minister of Petroleum Resources” and thus urged the court to sack him.

He contended that Buhari was not screened for the ministerial job by the Senate as required by the constitution.

He urged the court to determine “whether, by virtue of Section 147(2) of the 1999 Constitution, the President can hold the office of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, without confirmation by the Senate of the National Assembly?”

In a 14-paragraph affidavit, which he personally deposed to in support of his suit, Agbakoba explained that the lawsuit was informed by the recent management crisis which engulfed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, on account of disagreements between the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, and the Group Managing Director of the NNPC.

“I verily believe that the governance chaos in the NNPC could not have occurred if the President is not also the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

“I am aware that the NNPC provides up to 90 per cent of the revenue accruing to Nigeria.”

November 17, 2018
2019: Atiku will crash fuel price if elected president – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party, on Thursday, revealed that its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has a pricing template that will crash the pump price of fuel in the country, if elected Nigeria’s president.

PDP made this known in a statement, signed Kola Ologbodiyan, its National Publicity Secretary and shared on its verified Twitter handle, @OfficialPDPNig.

In the statement, President Muhammadu Buhari was accused of being insensitive to the plights of the masses, by increasing the prices of diesel and kerosene.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation on Wednesday dispelled the rumour of an impending review of the pump prices of petroleum products, especially Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol.

Part of the PDP statement read, “Our Presidential candidate, Atiku, has worked out a pricing template that will immediately crash the pump price of fuel in the country, since the @MBuhari-led @OfficialAPCNg administration, in its insensitivity, has failed to do the needful in the last three years.

“We completely reject the @MBuhari-led FG’s increase of the official prices of diesel and kerosene. Such increment will bring more economic pressure on the already impoverished nation, as most businesses and homes across the country heavily rely on these products for sustenance.”

PDP said, it has found out that given the current subsidy arrangement, the pump price of fuel should be between, N87 and N99.

“Our party is talking with top international players in the oil and gas industry, and these engagements have shown that the appropriate pump price of fuel in the Nigerian market, under the current subsidy regimes of the Buhari Presidency, should be within the borders of N87 to N90.

“With the current price template of crude oil in the international market, the @MBuhari administration has no justification to keep the pump price of fuel at N145 per liter and watch Nigerians groan under the weight of high prices.”

The party went on to reassure Nigerians that its presidential candidate was working on a blueprint that will “end sleazes, ensure appropriate pricing template and free resources to guarantee the availability of product on a national pricing regime.”

November 1, 2018
Why I chose to let go of Atiku’s ‘sins,’ endorse him for president – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday explained why he decided to leg go of the misdoings of his esrtwhile deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Obasanjo spoke when Atiku Abubakar and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party visited him at his Abeokuta home.
He said he believed Atiku has ‘re-discovered and re-positioned himself’ and is now good enough to enjoy his support in the next election.
Obasanjo said, “Let me start by congratulating President-to-be, Atiku Abubakar, for his success at the recent PDP Primary and I took note of his gracious remarks in his acceptance speech that it all started here.
“Yes, when it started, it was meant for Atiku to succeed Obasanjo. In the presence of these distinguished leaders of goodwill today, let me say it openly that we have reviewed what went wrong on the side of Atiku. And in all honesty, my former Vice-President has re-discovered and re-positioned himself. As I have repeatedly said, it is not so much what you did against me that was the issue but what you did against the Party, the Government and the country.
“I took the stand I had taken based on the character and attributes you exhibited in the position you found yourself. I strongly believe that I was right. It was in the overall interest of everyone and everything to take such a position.
“From what transpired in the last couple of hours or so, you have shown remorse; you have asked for forgiveness and you have indicated that you have learnt some good lessons and you will mend fences and make amends as necessary and as desirable.
“Whenever or wherever you might have offended me, as a Christian who asks for God’s forgiveness of my sins and inadequacies on daily basis, I forgive and I sincerely advise you to learn from the past and do what is right and it will be well with you. Obviously, you have mended fences with the Party and fully reconciled with the Party. That’s why today, you are the Presidential Candidate of the Party. In addition to appreciating all that the Party has done for you, may I advise you to work together with all those who contested for the Party’s flag with you as a team for your campaign.
“There are still areas, nationally and internationally, where you have to mend fences and make amends. You will know how to handle what is already out and what may yet be put out by the opposition. But, I am convinced that if you continue with the attitude that brought you here with these distinguished leaders of goodwill, with remorse and contrite heart, the rest of the coast within and outside the country can be cleared. And if there is anything I can do and you want me to do in that respect, I will do.
“I am sure with the right attitude for change where necessary, and by putting lessons learned by you to work, you will get the understanding, cooperation, support and mandate – all at the national level. With Nigerians voting for you, it will mean that you secure their forgiveness and regain their confidence. It will be with the hope or assurance of a Paul on the road to Damascus Conversion. After all, change and conversion are of man. I believe that with a contrite heart, change is possible in everybody’s life and situation.
“For me, relatively and of all the aspirants in the PDP, you have the widest and greatest exposure, experience, outreach and possibly the best machinery and preparation for seeing the tough and likely dirty campaign ahead through. From what I personally know of you, you have capacity to perform better than the incumbent. You surely understand the economy better; you have business experience, which can make your administration business-friendly and boost the economy and provide jobs.
“You have better outreach nationally and internationally and that can translate to better management of foreign affairs. You are more accessible and less inflexible and more open to all parts of the country in many ways. As Pastor Bakare, one-time running mate of the incumbent President said, “You are a wazobia man.” And that should help you in confronting the confrontable and shunning nepotism.
“As you know, along the road to where you are today, many leaders and ordinary people cooperated and overtly and covertly worked hard. On your behalf, I thank them all. May their coast continue to be expanded. And when you become Nigerian President which, insha-Allah, you will be, remember what we did together in government – we ran an administration by Nigerians for all Nigerians where merit and performance count more than blood relationship, friendship or kith and kin. Although some time and ground have been lost, you should endeavour to start from where we stopped and recover some lost ground, if not time.
“Please uphold truth, integrity, principles, morality and fight corruption, crimes and insurgency. The fundamental law of the land, our constitution must be scrupulously defended. I make one demand and one demand on you today, I need you to say before God and man that you will always remain irrevocably committed to upholding ALL the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the whole country will remain your single indivisible constituency.
“Constitutionalism, popular participation and inclusiveness are pre-conditions for reversing the deficits of the past three and half years. They will ensure abiding faith in our indivisibility, oneness and faith in the survival of all against none.
“The fundamentals for our development, economic growth and progress are hard and soft infrastructure. Remember to always give adequate places in your administration to our youth and women.
“All the authorities involved with the preparation, all processes and conduct of the election must ensure that the election is free, fair and credible.
“Once again, congratulations and I wish you well. My distinguished brothers and leaders of goodwill, thank you for making this happen. I will now count on you to encourage all hands to be on the deck to take Nigeria to the level God has created it to be – autopilot level.”

October 11, 2018
2019: Nigeria needs a president who understands economy – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday harped on his argument that Nigeria requires a President with a sound knowledge of the economy to make a headway.
This, he said, was what a former German Chancellor, the late Helmut Schmidt, who was one of his international friends, told him during a discussion about African countries.
He argued that there was no way that a President with a poor knowledge of the economy could meet the needs of the citizens, adding that even Jesus Christ understood the economy.
Obasanjo spoke in Lagos at this year’s edition of Foursquare Gospel Church annual public lecture, which held at the church’s national headquarters in Yaba.
He chaired the lecture with the theme, “The trying triangle of economy, faith and politics – Looking through the eye of the needle.”
The lecture was delivered by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev. Fr. Matthew Kukah.
Commenting on the lecture, the former President said even if Kukah was right in his description of politics as a game, politics must be the most serious game created by man.
He said he agreed with Kukah that even Jesus Christ had a good knowledge of the economy.
Obasanjo said he believed that for Nigeria to get it right, the country must strike a balance among economy, faith and politics.
He said, “There is no doubt at all that if we have to get it right the three (economy, faith and politics) must go together.
“One of my international friends, the late Helmut Schmidt, who was a former Chancellor of Germany – he died at the age of 96 about three years ago, I was at the burial – and he said if we in Africa have to make it, all our political leaders must have good grounding in economy.
“As a fact from Bishop Kukah, even Jesus Christ understood the economy and if you have a leader who does not understand economics, then you cannot have a leader that will satisfy the need of the people, the physical and the material needs of the people.”

October 9, 2018
No President in the world can be as irresponsible as the Nigerian president – Bishop Kukah

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said that no President of any country in the world can be as irresponsible in the usage of power as a Nigerian president.
He made this known in Akure, Ondo State on Friday while delivering the annual Ulefunta/Oyemekun Festival lecture entitled “Building blocks for a good society” held at the Francis Idibiye Lecture hall of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).
According to Kukah, the structure of the Nigerian presidential office makes the holders of the office extremely powerful, so much that he can deploy power the way he want.
“No president in the world has the kind of power the Nigerian president has and as such, no president in the world can be as irresponsible as the Nigerian president. His power is so much that he can give oil bloc to his girlfriend and many others. You thus can’t be a man of honour and live in a country like Nigeria and not be angry,” he said.
Kukah said that from the first Nigerian Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa to President Muhammadu Buhari, virtually all of them were dragged into the presidential office, maintaining that this was unlike the presidency of the United States of America where the president does not emerge by circumstance.
“What is the problem? It is the dilemma of leadership. In America, there are basic expectations of what a president should be. For instance, he must have gone through Harvard as an institution, he must have language and track records, not even wealth. You can’t surprise the system. Here in Nigeria, local government chairman wants to be governor; the governor wants to be president and the president doesn’t want to go! Many states have two governors representing them at the National Assembly. Governors have control and monopoly of resources of state and they use same resources to oppress them,” he said.
Kukah, who said that the Nigerian society is in ferment, maintained that although Instability, the type that Nigeria faces as a country is inevitable in any system, however said that developing mechanisms that will confront the instability is the hallmark of great countries.
“In Nigeria, it is not a question of looking for trouble because trouble is already here. The Nigerian state has no capacity to protect itself and there is no loyalty to Nigeria from its citizens but to those who help individuals to get to positions in the system,” he said.
Kukah however singled two former Nigerian leaders out of the leadership rot, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alhaji Aminu Kano, whom he called “architects of a good society.”
“Awolowo, for his major quintessential evidence as somebody who already figured out what he would do with power if he got it. He understood the building blocks for an egalitarian society. Aminu Kano single handedly took on the feudal class in Northern society and had a deep understanding of society, even as he textually talked about a free society in a way and manner that didn’t offend religion,” he said.
While stating that it is not enough for a people to have the building blocks of a good society alone, Kukah also maintained that Nigeria has not been able to build a good society because the country has not obeyed the rules of design.
“We have to understand the building blocks of society which is not too different from the rules of building a house. A good society is not different from the building blocks of society. When a building collapses, it didn’t collapse in a day. It began to collapse a long time ago. For us to build a good society, we have to have eyes that monitor the needs, growth and development and feelings of that society. Then you can be sure of the quality of that society,” he said.
While reviewing the lecture, Professor Kole Omotoso, lauded Kukah for what he called a very profound lecture and said that the only point of departure he had in the lecture was Kukah’s submission that education has the potential to remedy the problems of Nigeria’s existence.
Guests at the occasion included the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, the chairman of the occasion, and many others.

October 6, 2018
Rape cases abound in places where there are beautiful women – President

President Rodrigo Duterte of Philippines was on Friday criticised for sending a “very dangerous and distorted message’’ that women are raped because they are beautiful.

Duterte, who has been slammed for joking about rape in the past, was defending his claims that he had eradicated crime in his southern home city of Davao during a speech in the central province of Cebu.

“They said that Davao had many rape cases,’’ he said; arguing that, “For as long as there are many beautiful women there are plenty of rape cases as well.”

Presidential spokesman, Harry Roque, said the statement should not be taken seriously since Duterte was known to make jokes.

“I don’t think we should give too much weight on what the president says by way of a joke,” he said, adding that people outside of the northern region of Luzon usually have a “different sense of humour’’ and “don’t really take things as seriously.’’

Gabriela, a women’s rights group in the Philippines, warned the “the latest flamboyant display of misogyny’’ by Duterte places more Filipino women at risk of rape.

“President Duterte sends yet again a very dangerous and distorted message in his latest rape remark, that a woman’s beauty is a cause of rape,’’ the group said in a statement.

“A person who finds pleasure in the mass killings of innocent people and who finds humour in demeaning women and enabling rapists is not fit to be president,’’ the group said.

August 31, 2018
Buhari touched lives of Nigerians better than any president since 1960 – Keyamo

Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), on Thursday, declared that no President, since 1960, has touched the lives of the poor and vulnerable Nigerians than President Muhammadu Buhari.

Keyamo, the Director Media, Buhari Campaign Organisation made this known in Ilorin at the inauguration of Buhari/Osinbajo Project 2019.

Keyamo who delivered a lecture at the occasion said that no government in the country has recovered stolen money that belonged to Nigerians as president Buhari.

He said the previous administrations established the worst system of government, based on sharing formula of the nation’s treasury.

“They operated a system that ignored physical infrastructure in the country, that ignored the plight of the poor, the weak and the vulnerable in Nigeria.

“If you compare what accrued to the country in 16 years and what were done with the money earned in three years and infrastructure built by Buhari, you will see the difference.

“In 16 years, all they did in the South East was Onisha-Owerri road, whereas in three years, President Buhari is doing four major road construction in the region,” Keyamo said.

He noted that what Buhari has done was to take the bullet from the rich to protect the poor.

“You have a president who has fought for you, why can’t you fight for him.

“This is the time he needs you more to fight for him. It is reciprocal and that is why we must remind ourselves today why we must stand firmly behind him in 2019.

“I can tell that there is no government in the history of this country since 1960 that has addressed the plights the poor, the vulnerable in the last three years than this government,” he said.

He listed the administration’s intervention programmes for the poor and vulnerable which included the N5, 000 monthly stipends, feeding of over eight million school pupils and soft loans of between N250, 000 and N350, 000 to small business owners.

“These social intervention programmes show that Buhari’s government is touching the lives of the poor than the rich,” he said.

According to him, before Buhari came on board, over 24 state governments were unable to pay salaries of their workers.

He said the administration, with prudent management of resources, approved bailout funds to the states to clear the arrears and address their critical challenges.

“We should not go back to that era of nonpayment of salary and suffering of the masses,” Keyamo added.

He also called on the people of Kwara that the time has come to free themselves from slavery, from oppression and subjugation.

“You must fight for your liberation before you can be liberated, we must come together to salvage the state form the oppressor.

“No man is god, no to hegemony in Kwara, you must stand firm, this is the time Kwara people are living Egypt for the promised land,” he said.

The inauguration was attended by chieftains of APC in Kwara including Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, Sen. Simeon Ajibola and Comrade Musbau Esinrogunjo.

Others are Prof. Oba Abdulrahim and APC caretaker committee chairman, Hon Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa.

August 23, 2018