Abuja court explains Ikpeazu's sacking

A Federal High Court in Abuja has explained the sacking of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State by Justice Okon Abang.

The Chief Registrar of the court, Emmanuel Gakko explained that Ikpeazu was sacked because he was found to have submitted false tax information to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

He said that Ikpeazu's sacking had nothing to do with forgery as the subject matter of the case before Justice Abang had to do with the Form CF001 which he submitted to INEC containing alleged false information.

“The court held that the information in Form CF.001 as shown by him (Ikpeazu) in the affidavit accompanied with other documents to INEC are false and has nothing to do with forgery.

“The court, therefore, made consequential orders under the doctrine of ‘lis pendens’, which disallows any transfer of rights or interest in any subject matter that is being litigated upon during the pendency of litigation in respect of the said subject-matter.

“The court accordingly declared Dr Ogah as the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries and should be issued with the Certificate of Return accordingly.”

Gakko said that the clarification became necessary given the
“misrepresentation of facts as published in some electronic and print media and comments by both legal practitioners and laymen on the correct facts of the cases involving the Abia State Governor and the judgment of Hon. Justice O. E. Abang and Hon. Justice A. L. Allagoa.”

Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Owerri had entertained a suit filed by Sir Friday Nwosu bothering on alleged forgery or falsification of tax certificate and receipts for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 by Dr Ikpeazu.

Justice Allagoa had dismissed that suit because the plaintiff failed to prove the allegation.

Read More

Turkey coup: FG advises Nigerians to stay calm, law abiding

As events unfolded during Saturday's attempted coup in which over 60 persons were killed, Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyema urged Nigerians in Turkey to stay safe, calm and law abiding as the Federal Government was monitoring events there.

He expressed FG's goodwill to the Turkish people.

Photo: CNN

Read More

VP Osinbajo upon touchdown at Kigali airport (Photo)

Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo being received upon arrival at the airport in Kigali, Rwanda, for the 27th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union.

Read More

Osinbajo at breakfast meeting with President of Ghana (Photo)

Nigeria's Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo attends a Breakfast SDGs Meeting organized by Ghanaian President, J D Mahama in Kigali, Rwanda prior to the African Union, AU Summit 2016 opening on Sunday.

Read More

Dino Melaye storms Lagos, shares photos of his walk along Bourdilon

Senator Dino Melaye flew into  Lagos on Saturday, July 16, 2016 and headed straight for Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, where the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has his residence.

Dino Melaye’s visit to Bourdilon is apparently to dare the lion in his den, having been threatened by some Tinubu loyalists in Lagos.

Melaye announced his arrival in Lagos upon touch down at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

“Just landed lagos. Waiting for those who said I should not enter Eko,”  he said on Facebook.

Once he was on Bourdilon Melaye wrote again on Facebook.

“This is Dino walking freely on Bourdillon in Lagos. I walk down the street right now. Eyin da?”

He also shared photos of his arrival at Lagos airport and of himself taking a walk along Bourdilon Road in Ikoyi, Lagos.

See the photos.

Read More

TY Bello shares chilling moments with soldiers, C-JTF and Borno IDPs (Photos)

Photographer and singer, TY Bello has shared some of her chilling moments during a recent visit to Nigerian troops fighting terrorism, the Civilian JTFs helping them and the thousands of persons displaced by Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State.

Here's some of what she shared.

I remember being in the convoy of the army to Dikwa . Because the land is so flat for the first time I was able to understand the Massive SCALE of people displaced and living in camps . It was tents all the way into and across the horizon . 
I was intimidated by this scale but I wasn't surprised . Every town and village on the 40 kilometer drive down was destroyed .. Every thing ! Every building burnt down and raided with bullet holes .., every car .. Burnt. Or rocket blown to shreds ..Every street light and communication mast pulled down . EVERY! 
There was a dark feeling driving down that road . knowing that just recently no one dared to .it was also sad to see signs of people attempting to flee by foot and some unsuccessfully .. So many abandoned wheel barrows with prayer mats and other personal effects . 
Many people have reached out to me to ask how they can help . Oh I promise you that any involvement or contribution will make such a difference . 
I remember the heaviness I felt after the first day I made photographs at the camp. I was intimidated by the number of people who needed help and wondered if this images could deliver truly Meaningful solutions .. I wished I was a doctor or had access to billions . 
But then in occurred to me . My portraits may reach out to potential volunteers and donors . .. And the hope of that helped find meaning in the work again . 
This was a spontaneous move for me .. I just closed my eyes and went in .. I then realized how naive I was in my estimates of what we are dealing with as a nation . 
I'm in talks with some of the authorities and organizations on ground to figure out the best way to point people to a way to contribute .. Directly . 
I observed that those on ground in distributing aid are working round the clock but are clearly over whelmed .. It's just the SCALE ... There's pressure on authentic Channels for distributing aid and this is the first call I'm making .. People with experience in building systems structures and efficient distribution channels. That can bring ideas that can strengthen what exists so people can give ,knowing it will reach the people that need it immediately .

Read More

EFCC quizzes Doyin Okupe over alleged N162m graft

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has for the second time in three weeks quizzed a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe over alleged N162m graft.

Okupe who was first grilled on June 22, was also at the EFCC this week to explain why he received N162m from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA and the Chanchaga Local Government Area of Bauchi State in the run up to  the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Presidential primaries in 2014 and the general elections in 2015.

Vanguard reports that Okupe has been reporting at the anti graft agency since his grilling on June 22, 2016 over fresh findings bordering on illegal payments received from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki as well as strange payments to his companies by a local council in Bauchi state.

An EFCC source told Vanguard that Okupe has been explaining why he received N50 million cash from the former NSA, without record or accountability.

“We also got evidence that a company that is owned by Okupe known as Romic Soil Fix International Limited, received N63 million from Chanchaga Local Government Council of Bauchi State and another N13.5m from the same council for reasons that are not stated.

“Another company that is linked to Okupe, Abraham Telecoms Limited, received N35.5 million from the NSA through the CBN.”

The EFCC, is particularly interested in the coincidence of these payments made by Chanchaga LG to Romic on 21st of November, 2014 during the PDP primary elections and 13th February 2015, just before the general elections.

“Okupe has not been able to explain the receipts and has been asked to be reporting at regular intervals. We decided not to detain him because he claimed to have a heart condition and presented a medical report to back the claim,” said the source.

Read More