The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has declared that 21,947 personnel will be deployed for the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States.
While the election in Kogi State is billed for November 21, Bayelsa State will have hers on
December 5.
INEC has penciled down 12,120 personnel for the Kogi State election while 9827 will be deployed to Bayelsa State.
The Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hameed Ali has voiced his optimism that the N944b target given the Service by the Federal Government for the year 2015 will be met.
Col Ali spoke to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday during his familiarization tour of some government agencies which included, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), National Copyright Commission, National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and Nigeria Prisons Service.
His words ;
“The fact is that we are behind what we are supposed to realise, but we are hopeful that this is our ember months and I believe by the time October return comes in, we will expect a rise in what we have been able to gather. We are hopeful that November will bring some good tidings and also by December we should be able to round up to meet our target, which is N944 billion."
Owing to prevailing economic realities, Nigeria cannot afford a large cabinet at the moment, says President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari said this while receiving the screened and approved list of Ministers-designate from Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that although the Constitution demands a minister from each of the 36 states, the nation's lean resources could not afford to pay them.
“The Constitution said there must be one member of the cabinet from all the states but the Constitution did not say I must have 36 ministries,” he said.
Feelers from the Presidency indicate that the ministers-designate will begin a retreat on Wednesday to prepare them for the onerous task ahead.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday berated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for its untidy prosecution of the fraud and money laundering case against former Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye and others.
The EFCC had added 11 counts to the original 24 counts and also brought in additional defendants and witnesses.
The prosecution had added new defendants who had not been served with the fresh charges, namely, Global Services Limited, Cluster Logistic Limited, Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, Crew Investment & Construction Company Limited.
Although he admitted the charges as being properly filed, Justice Kolawole berated the prosecution for filing them only 24 hours to the date of hearing.
He said ; “I am only concerned that the state only realised in less than 24 hours to the date of hearing that it needed to bring an amended charge by not only increasing the counts from 24 in the original charge to 35 in the amended charge and to increase the number of counts from three to six.
“This is, in my view, a rather untidy manner in handling criminal prosecution. I daresay that it is in force with opinion expressed by the honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria that prosecution of corruption cases are often delayed because the investigation is often driven by arrest-led investigation rather than investigation-led arrest.
“By this, it seems that it was after the defendants herein were arrested and charged to court that investigation carried out showed that the state needs to bring charges against three other defendants and increase the number of counts.”
Justice Kolawole then fixed Wednesday November 25 for the re-arraignment of the defendants while he ordered the prosecution to immediately serve the fresh charges on the defendants.
Barrister Esther Uzoma, counsel to erstwhile Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, on Tuesday faulted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on an alleged order by Justice Gabriel Kolawole that she produced her client in court.
In a statement which she issued in Abuja, Barr Uzoma said ;
“The EFCC should come clean on the matter of my client, Dr. Abdulrasheed Maina. When I appeared before His Lordship, Justice Kolawole, on July 21, I made it clear that the EFCC was yet to file any charge as well as serve any summons on Dr. Maina.
“It is trite law that you cannot say an accused is on the run when there is no charge preferred against him or any invitation extended to him.
“During the hearing for the bail application, counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN),wanted the court to direct me to produce Maina in court at the next sitting which I argued that there are clear procedures,which the EFCC is familiar with and should follow.
“Naturally, the court agreed with my submission on the position of law. Therefore, it is misleading for the EFCC in its statement of Monday to mislead the public that there exists an order for Maina to be produced in court when there is no invitation extended to him talk-less of a charge preferred against him by the commission.”
EFCC had on Monday declared Maina wanted over his alleged role in fraudulent biometric contracts resulting in the mismanagement of over two billion naira pension funds.
Amidst fears that MTN might have to pay its $5.2b fine before its license would be renewed, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC on Tuesday extended the operating license of the mobile telecommunications giant.
MTN has been in talks with the Federal Government over the modalities for the payment of the fine imposed on it for failing to deactivate unregistered SIM cards.
Nigeria requires telecoms operators to verify the identity of their subscribers given fears that unregistered SIM cards can be used to perpetrate criminal activities.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday formally received the list of 36 ministerial nominees screened and approved by the Senate.
The list was presented to Buhari by Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Saraki who arrived the Presidential Villa around 3pm was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang and the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Suleiman Kawu.
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