Order IGP to unseal our office - Peace Corps begs Buhari

The national commandant of the Peace Corps ofNigeria has appealed to President Muhammadu Buharito order the IGP to unseal their officeDickson Akoh said the PCN has secured over 15 valid
court judgement against the Police and other securityagencies in Nigeria
- According to Akoh, the organisation pays as much asN13.5 million as rent annually on the sealed office


The Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) has urged
President Muhammad Buhari to prevail on the
Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris,
to unseal its corporate headquarters, in line with
various court orders to that effect.
The Corps also claimed it had secured over 15
valid court judgement against the Police and
other security agencies in Nigeria, which none
has been appealed against.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, June 13, the
national commandant of PCN, Dickson Akoh said
the organisation pays as much as N13.5 million
as rent annually on the sealed office.
Akoh said his group remains a non-
confrontational and law abiding organisation
and has explored all lawful means, including
seeking political solutions to its ordeal, but to no

avail.


"In view of the landmark ruling yesterday coupled with
other previous judgement and the resolution of the House of
Representatives, we wish to renew our appeal, as part of
our last resort, to President Muhammadu Buhari, to please
direct the Inspector General of Police to order his men to
vacate the premises of the headquarters of our organisation
in the interest of equity, fairness and justice," Akoh said.
"We are also appealing to the Attorney-General of the
Federation, the National Human Rights Commission, Civil
Society Organisations, Human Rights Activists and other
well-meaning Nigerians to urgently intervene in this regard,
especially in prevailing on the Nigeria Police to respect the
rule of law as a frontline Law Enforcement Agency," he
said.
He said the police and its allies have achieved
their overall intent by stopping the Nigerian
Peace Corps Establishment Bill from seeing the
light of the day.
Akoh said: "The clamp down and the purported charges
against me and indeed this organisation were essentially to
stop Mr President from assenting to the NPC Bill and
stopping the Legislative Arm of Government from doing the
needful."
Akoh noted that his organisation and his person
have not committed any known crime under the
laws of Nigeria, vowing to present himself for
prosecution when the Police comply with court

orders.

He said: "We are ever ready to defend ourselves before
any court of law as it is our wish to clear ourselves of any
allegation.
"In a civilized society where the Rule of Law is supreme and
respected by institutions of government and individuals, it is
expected that the Police comply with valid Court Orders and
subsequently come before the Court to prove its allegations
against us, if any at all".
The Peace Corps boss also expressed regrets after
securing over 15 valid court judgement, the
Police and other security agencies have
continued to clampdown on his organisation,
this, he said would only paint the country in bad
light before the international community.
"The action of the IGP in disobeying valid court orders with
brazen impunity and his selective victimization of innocent
Nigerians must be quite disturbing to all lovers of
democracy.
"The truth is that, he is only courting more enemies for this
administration that is known for its strong aversion to all
manner of impunity, which is injurious to our President,
who is doing all that is humanly possible to place Nigeria
on the path of economic and political recovery," Akoh

stated.

NLC protests Mimiko’s return to Labour Party

The NLC has said it will reject plans by a formergovernor of Ondo state to return to its party, Labour
Party- The congress said there would be no room toaccommodate Mimiko in the party- They said Olusegun Mimiko plans to use Labour Partyto launder his sagging political image"

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the
Labour Party (LP) has said they will reject every
attempt by a former Ondo state governor,
Olusegun Mimiko, to return to the party.
The national chairman of LP, Mike Omotosho
said with the former governor’s political
antecedents, there would be no room to
accommodate Mimiko in the party.
Vanguard reports that Omotosho said Nigerian
workers wish to put a disclaimer to this "ill-fated

adventure."

He said: " The Nigerian Labour Congress is fully aware of
plans by Mimiko to destabilise the current gains made by
workers to reclaim and reposition the party. It is very
obvious that the sole purpose of Mimiko’s re-approach to
the Labour Party is to use the workers’ party to launder his
sagging political image.”
“Nigerians would recall that Mimiko abandoned
the Labour Party for the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) a few days to Labour Party’s October
2015 National Convention.
Such a treachery and betrayal of a party that gave the
former governor succour in the darkest hour of his political
career especially as manifest in his two term victory on the
ticket of the party is to say the least, cheap and callous
June 14
It also revealed paucity of knowledge of the philosophy of
the Labour Party as a people’s rooted party and dearth of
class consciousness on his part.
While the leadership of NLC continues to work to rebuild
the Labour Party especially through the instrumentality of
our political commission, we urge all workers and indeed
genuine lovers of popular democracy to ignore the political
theatrics of people like the former Governor of Ondo state,"
Omotosho said.

European Commission: US tariffs on Spanish olive 'unacceptable'

According to the international news

The European Commission, the executive arm of the

European Union, has censured a decision by the United States

to impose high tariffs on the import of olive from Spain,

saying the “unacceptable” move would eventually hurt

American consumers.

“The decision by the United States Department of

Commerce to impose unreasonably high and

prohibitive duties, anti-subsidy and anti-dumping

duties, on Spanish olives is simply unacceptable,” a

Commission spokesman said on Wednesday, adding,

“This is a protectionist measure targeting a high-

quality and successful EU product popular with US

consumers.”

Washington has yet to officially confirm the new tariffs on

Spanish olive but many expect it to be rubber-stamped by the

US International Trade Commission in July.

The tariffs come amid some unprecedented tensions between

the European Union and the United States over President

Donald Trump’s controversial metal tariffs. The EU failed to

gain a permanent exemption from the tariffs, which are

expected to hurt many jobs in the continent.

The EU has announced that it would impose its own tariffs on

American products and says a series of such tariffs on US

imports, including bourbon and jeans, would be implemented

as of July to target 2.8 billion euros' worth of American

imports.

Many fear Trump’s consistent threats for imposing more tariffs

on trade with the European Union would trigger a trade war

between the two sides of the Atlantic.

European powers had hoped that a recent summit of the G7

group of industrialized countries in Canada could provide an

opportunity to mend ties with the US. However, Trump dashed

those hopes by pulling out of a joint communiqué of the

summit and mocked a call in the statement for “free, fair and

mutually beneficial trade”.

“Fair trade is now to be called fool trade if it is not reciprocal,”

read a Monday posting on Twitter from the US president, who

has repeatedly criticized key allies for maintaining a large

trade deficit with the United States.

Federal High Court sacks Kogi senator from National Assembly

Atai Aidoko, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
senator representing Kogi East in the upper legislative
chamber, has been sacked by Justice Gabriel Kolawole
of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

8
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, June 13, the
judge held that Aidoko was not properly
nominated by the PDP for the March 2015
election, The Nation reports
gathers that Kolawole also ordered that
the clerk of the National Assembly should
immediately swear in Aidoko’s challenger, Air
Marshall Isaac Alfa.
The judge also ordered that a fresh certificate of
return should be issued to Alfa, by the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC); as it declared him the winner of the
December 7, 2014 PDP primaries for the National
Assembly.

Spanish minister resigns over tax fine

According to the international news surce




Spain’s culture minister
resigned on Wednesday from a week-old
government following local media reports that
he had avoided paying taxes while working as
a TV journalist 10 years ago.
Maxim Huerta, who was named to the cabinet
of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez last week,
said he had paid a fine related to his declared
income in 2006 and 2008, and was
“absolutely innocent”.
“I have paid the fine twice, at the time and
now, here,” he told a news conference in
Madrid, saying the penalty had resulted from
a change in the tax authority’s criteria.
Huerta added that he was fully up to date
with his tax payments.
Sanchez toppled his predecessor, Mariano
Rajoy, in a confidence vote over a long-
running corruption scandal.
El Confidencial newspaper had reported that
Huerta had been found to have avoided
paying tax amounting to more than 200,000
euros (176,180.51 pounds).
Spaniards have been enthusiastic so far in
their reception of Sanchez’s Socialist
government, which broke with six years of
right-wing domination and contains more
women than men in ministerial posts for the
first time in the country’s history.
His party rebounded in opinion polls after
taking power, overtaking rivals which had
poached its voters in recent years, including
market-friendly Ciudadanos and anti-austerity
Podemos.
Despite these encouraging signs, Sanchez will
have his work cut out to make any major
policy changes, as he controls less than a
quarter of the seats in parliament.

Spain’s new PM appoints two gay ministers to cabinet

Cabinet now has more women and gay men
than heterosexual men

Spain’s newly installed government has appointed two
openly gay men as cabinet ministers.
It’s the first time the country has had such a large LGBT
representation in the government’s cabinet office.
Mariano Rajoy, the previous prime minister, stepped down
last week. He left following a vote of no confidence. He
was replaced by Pedro Sanchez, who put together a new
cabinet team.

Gay ex judge and a journalist take up
positions in cabinet

Fernando Grande Marlaska has taken up the role of
Spain’s new interior minister, and Maxim Huerta, is
Spain’s new minister of culture and sports.

Marlaska is a former judge and hard liner against the now-

disbanded Basque terrorist group ETA. He will of Spain’s

local and regional police forces as well as the national

Guardia Civil.

Huerta is a journalist and award-winning author, and his

role will be to oversee Spain’s museums, libraries, arts,

and cultural programming needs. He will also be in charge

of the nation’s various sports bodies and programs.

Huerta’s appointment has proved controversial. He

immediately faced calls for his resignation over claims

that he had previously insulted women, Catalans and

sports fans.

In a tweet from 2010, Mr Huerta said: “I shit on damned

[Catalan] independence.” The Times newspaper reported.

Prime minister Sanchez has also appointed 11 women to

the cabinet, which means Spain now has one of the most

Female and LGBT friendly governments in the world.

King Felipe VI swore all 17 new cabinet ministers into

office.

Europe now has at least five openly LGBT leaders,

including the prime ministers of Belgium, Iceland, Ireland

(Taoiseach), Luxembourg and Serbia.

New George Kerevan book: Spanish corruption drove Catalan push for indy

According to international news source 


HATRED of the corruption in Spanish politics was a main
driver for the Catalan independence movement, according to a
new book by The National columnist George Kerevan and the
author and Scottish activist Chris Bambery.
Entitled Catalonia Reborn: How Catalonia Took on the Corrupt
Spanish State and the Legacy of Franco, the book is a
sustained indictment of the Spanish government’s dealings
with Catalonia, made all the more devastating by the detailed
factual nature of the work.


The book could not be more timely, given the collapse of the
Spanish government led by Mariano Rajoy and his Partido
Popular (PP), and the fact that nine Catalan leaders remain in
Spanish jails while four colleagues are in exile fighting
extradition to Spain, including Clara Ponsati here in Scotland .
Speaking just minutes after the King Felipe of Spain’s brother-
in-law, Inaki Urdangarin, was sent to jail for nearly six years
following a fraud case, Kerevan said: “From the royals
downward, I was amazed at the extent of the corruption in the
most kleptomaniac state in Europe.
“The people with money needed Rajoy and the PP to stay in
power to protect them and stop Catalonia rocking the boat,
even though there was a lot of corruption in Catalonia too.
While Spain did nothing, the Catalans threw out all the people
who were corrupt locally and wanted to leave Spain so they
could clean things up.”

Spain's new government agrees to raise pensions in line with inflation

According to international news love Spanks government has reached the Agreement to raise retirement pensions 


MADRID (Reuters) - Spain’s government has
reached a preliminary deal to raise retirement
pensions in line with inflation, suggesting its
new Socialist leaders may take a less
restrictive approach to spending after years of
austerity under their predecessors.
The multi-party commission that controls
social spending had agreed to the raise,
though full details were still to be decided, the
Socialist party said in a tweet late on Tuesday.
“Now the right must allow that all pensions
rise with inflation, also in times of crisis,” it
said.
Since 2014, retirement pensions have risen by
a below-inflation 0.25 percent per year.
Consumer prices rose 2.1 percent year-on-
year in May according to data from the
National Statistics Institute on Wednesday, the
sharpest increase since April 2017.
Spain’s conservative People’s Party (PP),
forced out after six years in government in a
no-confidence vote that followed a slew of
corruption cases involving PP members, kept
a tight rein on spending to cut one of the euro
zone’s highest public deficits.
The welfare system’s backup fund was
decimated by around five years of recession
following a burst real estate bubble in 2008,
while an aging population means funds are
still being drained from public coffers faster
than they can be replenished.
Spain has around 8.7 million retirees claiming
a pension and a falling birth rate has
prompted concerns of a potential pensions
time bomb and calls for a deeper reform of
the system than that passed in 2013.
Spain cut its public deficit to just over 3
percent of economic output last year, in line
with European Commission targets, from
almost 11 percent in 2012 through unpopular
spending cuts and tax hikes.
Proponents of pension hikes argue that strong
growth since the slump ended in 2013 has
helped ease budget pressures.
Agreed raises during times of economic
downturns were still being debated as part of
the agreement, Labour Minister Magdalena
Valerio said on Wednesday.

Lawmakers threaten electricity firms with court action over excessive billing

Lawmakers in Nigeria have risen with one voice
against electricity firms who come up with excessive
bills for their customers
- The House of Representatives accused some power
Distribution Companies (DISCOs) of refusing to
provide meters to their power consumers
- The lawmakers further alleged that most DISCOs give
faulty prepaid meters the do wrong readings at the
end of the month
The House of Representatives on Tuesday, June
12, kicked against excessive bills issued to
electricity consumers in Kano and Kaduna.
Israel Ajibola, the chairman, House ad hoc
Committee on Curbing Excessive Electricity
Charges, informed lawmakers in Kano about the
development. Ajibola said this in an interactive
session organised by Kano/Kaduna Electricity
Distribution Companies (DISCOs).
He said the House had been met with allegations
of excessive billing, and alongside DISCO’s
refusal to provide meter, preferring to give high
bills to customers, Guardian reports.


Ajibola mentioned other complaints bordering on
non-adherence to the connection/ reconnection
laws and installation of tampered pre-paid
meters. He went on to say that the committee
was constituted to do a fact-finding mission
across the six geopolitical zones, in a bid to
verify the authenticity of the claims.
He expressed concern that Kaduna DISCO was
not represented at the forum, adding that the
Head of Media and Publicity, who represented
Kaduna DISCO, lacked the technical knowledge to
respond effectively to questions.
According to him, the committee’s
recommendation would determine the position
on the bill sponsored by the House leader, Femi
Gbajabiamila. The bill is seeking to criminalise
estimated billing system as presently being
operated by the distribution companies.
Power consumers who spoke at the session
demanded the immediate revocation of the
distribution companies in the country and also
kicked against the outrageous billing system,
which the DISCOs are forcing them to bear.
Yunusa Murtala, a stakeholder, spoke on the
unbundling of Power Holden Company of Nigeria
(PHCN) and accused Kano Electricity Company
(KEDCO) of issuing faulty meters to consumers.


Another stakeholder, Abubakar Dangora,
complained of excessive tariff by KEDCO in the
rural communities, especially consumers with
lower-consuming appliances.
Raul Sing, the chief operations officer of KEDCO,
said the company has distributed over 70,000
pre-paid meters to consumers in Kano, Katsina
and Jigawa states, adding that KEDCO has always
operated within the confines of the set rules.

Why ex-governor Joshua Dariye was sentenced to 14 years for misappropriating Plateau funds (details)

Joshua Dariye, a serving senator representing Plateau
Central Senatorial District and former governor of
Plateau state, was accused of embezzling N1.162
billion ecological funds belonging to his state.
He was charged to court by the anti-graft agency,
EFCC, in 2007, Premium Times reports.
NAIJ.com gathered that the trial which stalled for
over eight years following Dariye’s protracted
attempt to prevent his prosecution continued
after the Supreme Court ordered the senator to
proceed with his case in 2015.
On Tuesday, June 12, Justice Adebukola Banjoko
delivered the final judgment on the protracted
case.
Here is a detail of how the case that led to the
conviction of the former governor unfolded:
Dariye’s Defence
Starting with the issues raised by Dariye’s
counsel, Justice Banjoko said Dariye’s lawyers,
led by former Attorney General of the
Federation, Kanu Agabi, contended that the
charge against the defendant was defective for a
number of reasons.
According to Agabi, the fact that the charge sheet
against his client did not indicate that the
diverted funds were taken “dishonestly” meant
that a case of fraudulent intention could not be
proven against Dariye.

Agabi also submitted that the prosecution had a

duty to present all the participants in the said

diversion, to court as witnesses.

He further argued that failure of the prosecution

to present all the participants rendered their

evidence defective.

Agabi also submitted that the prosecution ought

to have been bound by the findings of the

Plateau State Assembly committee which found

no case against the defendant.

Similarly, Agabi said the case against his client

should have been viewed with the principle of

“estoppel” which requires that once a ruling is

delivered regarding a given issue, no other court

should commence trial on a case of similar

composition with the one already decided upon

by the sister court.

Agabi cited a previous ruling where six bankers

were tried for their alleged involvement in the

said transfer while Dariye served as governor.

He contended that since the Federal High Court

in Kaduna acquitted the bankers for lack of

evidence, the trial of Dariye on the same

diversion amounts to an abuse of court process.

According to Agabi, the fate that befell the

bankers should also be advanced on his client.

Agabi further argued that the pieces of evidence

adduced by the same prosecution in both trials

were incoherent.

EFCC’s Argument

On their part, the prosecution, led by Rotimi

Jacobs asked the court to determine whether

having recourse to the evidence adduced in

court, the prosecution was yet to prove its case

against the defendant.

Jacobs responded to Agabi’s submissions

regarding the bankers. He cited English Criminal

laws to prove that the principle of estoppel did

not apply to criminal cases.

He also argued that the shreds of evidence

presented in Dariye’s case were conclusive for

the case in which they were brought and in

compliance with section 173 of the evidence act.

Judge’s response

Justice Banjoko said the issues raised by the

defence included fundamental matters that

needed to be analysed.

She cited parts of the judgement from the

previous ruling mentioned by Agabi.

The judge said the ruling of the federal court

acquitting the bankers was premised on the fact

that the prosecution did not include the principal

actor in the case of misappropriation.

Reading through the previous judgement,

Banjoko said the failure of the EFCC to include

Dariye in the charge meant that “no iota of evidence

was adduced in court to show that the cheques (acted upon

by the bankers) were fraudulently procured.”

“I am unable to see how the disbursement has shown any

dishonest misappropriation. Did Mr Dariye misappropriate

it for himself? If so, no evidence was shown,” Banjoko

stated while reading through the previous

judgement by the federal high court judge, Liman

J.

“It is clear from the above that the facts and evidence of

misappropriation were not brought to the fore,” Banjoko

said.

She said that the decision of the federal court to

discharge the bankers was accurate except that it

was due to the absence of Dariye in that trial.

Premium Times reports that Dariye was not

included in the 2005 trial of the bankers and

their bank because he was in office as governor

of Plateau state and then enjoyed immunity from

prosecution.

Although the bankers were acquitted, the bank

was found guilty as charged.

Reacting to Agabi’s argument that the

prosecution ought to have presented same

witnesses as those adduced during the trial of

the bankers, Justice Banjoko said it is not

inconceivable to deduce that the class of

evidence to prove a case of misappropriation was

not the same as the class of evidence to prove the

offence of aiding the said diversion.

On the controversial acquitting of Dariye by the

Plateau State House of Assembly committee,

Banjoko said the committee had recognised its

inability to proceed with investigations into the

offence against Dariye following the filing of the

matter in court.

She said the committee noted that the matter had

become subjudice and was about suspending its

investigation before it dramatically announced a

decision, discharging Dariye from allegations

against him.

“That conclusion was gotten from the air,” Banjoko said.

Regarding the allegations that the statements

made by the defendant were given in duress, the

judge said the defendant’s counsel should have

raised the objection ahead of his final address to

the court.

“Learned silk ought to have advanced his objection during

the trial,” Banjoko said.

The main offence

Going into the substantive matter, Banjoko

narrated the developments that followed an

earlier investigation by Peter Clark, a detective

constable with the Metropolitan police of the

United Kingdom.

She said Clark’s investigation led to the discovery

of £816,000 pounds traced to Dariye abroad.

After a diligent investigation, Dariye was invited

for questioning, then granted bail in December

2004 with an undertaken to return to the UK for

further questions.

Despite promising the security agency that he

would return, NAIJ.com gathered that Dariye

never went back to respond to the interrogations

of the metro police. He is still being sought by

the UK authorities.

Shortly after Dariye left office in 2007, his trial in

Nigeria began in earnest and prevented the

defendant’s extradition to the UK.

In Nigeria, Dariye was accused of distributing the

Plateau State ecological funds to various groups,

including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The diverted funds were transferred to a secret

account with the name Ebenezer Rethnam,

domiciled with a defunct bank. Although the said

account was reportedly opened secretly and

managed with a waiver that prevented its owner

from submitting an identification photograph,

Justice Banjoko said the evidence in court

indicates clearly that Ebenezer Rethnam and

Dariye were the same.

She mentioned some of the diverted funds

channeled through the bank from the Plateau

state account at the CBN.

Banjoko noted the submissions of a defence

witness who confirmed part of the money was

diverted to the PDP.

She condemned the submissions of the defence

witness who told the court that he viewed no

wrong in Dariye’s disbursement of public funds

to the PDP, since “his party was the one in

power.”

“From his statement, it shows that he has no knowledge of

party funds of even his own party. Funds of Plateau state

government and that of the PDP are exclusive. They never

mix. His submission is quite disturbing and shocking and is

an embarrassment to the party,” Banjoko said.

After listing an array of such dubious

disbursement of funds, Banjoko said Dariye

should have even attempted to explain his

actions by entering the witness box.

“It is expected that he should have entered the witness box

and explain why the disbursements were made. He said

nothing.”

The historic sentence; the verdict

“In the absence of concrete evidence justifying these

payments, it can safely be described as misappropriation,”

Banjoko said.

Justice Banjoko found Dariye guilty of 15 out of

the 23-count charge brought against him.

Thus, Dariye was convicted for two main

categories of offences, namely criminal breach of

trust which attracts a two-year sentence for each

affected count and criminal misappropriation

which has a penalty of 14 years.

The sentences are to run concurrently which

means he will spend a maximum of 14 years in

jails.

Drama as Dariye interrupts his lawyer, begs for mercy

Shortly before the verdict was read, Dariye’s

lawyer, Paul Erokoro, described his client’s

actions as the product of ignorance.

Erokoro blamed the military system and the bank

for the actions of his client.

According to Erokoro, Dariye who is a chartered

accountant was misguided when he approached

the bank for financial assistance.

Responding, Jacobs, EFCC’s lawyer, drew the

attention of the court to the many years of legal

battle embarked upon by the defendant.

As he was speaking, Dariye, in a dramatic move,

suddenly stood up and asked the prosecution

lawyer to be merciful.

“Be merciful. You are a Christian, your name is Jacob,” he

said

The judge noted the efforts of Erokoro but added

that “there should not be compromise in corruption.

Corruption is corruption.”

Meet Nigerian tough female judge Adebukola Banjoko who has sent 2 powerful ex-governors to jail for 28 years

The name, Adebukola Banjoko, is rapidly becoming a
symbol of fearless and impartial justice in the
Nigerian judiciary.
In what can be considered an unprecedentedly
fearless and bold move, Justice Adebukola
Banjoko has successfully convicted and sent two
former governors to jail: Jolly Nyame, former
governor of Taraba, and Joshua Dariye, former
governor of Plateau state.
On Wednesday, May 30, Justice Banjoko
sentenced Nyame to 14 years in prison without
an option of fine.

Nyame was found guilty of 27 out of 41 counts of

alleged diversion of public funds while he served

as governor of Taraba state.

He was charged by the Economic and Financial

Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly diverting

N1.64 billion while he served as governor

between 1999 and 2007.

On Tuesday, June 12, Justice Banjoko delivered

another landmark judgement. She sentenced

Joshua Dariye, a former governor of Plateau

state, to 14 years in prison.

Dariye was charged for diverting N1.162 billion

while he served as governor of the North-central

state.

He was brought to court on a 23-count charge

for the alleged offence by the Economic and

Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2007.

While delivering the judgement, Justice Banjoko

noted the efforts of Erokoro, Dariye’s lawyer but

stated: “There should not be compromise in corruption.

Corruption is corruption.”

Justice Banjoko, considered a fearless judge by

her peers and observers, urged the parties and

Nigerians to separate the judge from the

judgement.

Photos of former governor sentenced to 14 years imprisonment crying in court

Joshua Dariye, former Plateau governor sentenced to
14 years imprisonment broke down in tears in court
- Justice Adebukola Banjoko had convicted the ex-
governor on 15 out the 23 count charges preferred
against him
- Dariye now a senator was found guilty for a N1.16bn
fraud and for criminal breach of trust
Former Plateau governor, Joshua Dariye, broke
down in tears on Tuesday, June 12, as he was
sentenced to 14 years imprisonment by Justice
Adebukola Banjoko in a judgment which took her
almost eight hours to read.
Meanwhile, photos published by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) show
the the former governor weeping and making use
of a white handkerchief.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that

Dariye who is also a senator was chastised for

being irresponsible and betraying the public

trust. He was found guilty for a N1.16bn fraud

and for criminal breach of trust. In addition, he

was jailed two years for misappropriation of

public funds. Both sentences will run

concurrently.

After the judgment that lasted about eight hours,

Justice Banjoko said that:

“I can’t imagine such brazen act, is it the transfer of as

much as about half a billion naira from the state’s

ecological fund into a personal venture account; there’s a

litany and trail of woes, which also affects the people of Jos

- the beautiful Tin City, where everybody wanted to be, and

to find out that its ecological fund was misappropriated is

the shocking aspect.

“There’s a deep sense of irresponsibility; the defendant was

in fact richer than his state. This is a trauma of the trial;

and there should be no compromise to corruption, by

whatever shade or colour, or region, rich or poor;

corruption will forever be corruption.

“Every case is different on its own, and I have no personal

animosity, I’m just doing my job the way I know how to,

and not only the Ecological Funds [were misappropriated],

but funds from the Plateau state government.”

Hours after the conclusion of GCFR posthumous award to Late MKO Abiola, President Muhammadu

Hours after the conclusion of GCFR posthumous
award to Late MKO Abiola, President Muhammadu
Buhari, has approved the renewal of the tenure of six
chief executive officers of federal agencies.
Buhari also approved the appointment of two
new chief executive officers of federal agencies
and one senior special assistant.
The appointments are:
1. Renewal of Appointments:
Federal Road Safety Corps - Dr. Boboye Olayemi
Oyeyemi MFR
Corps marshal/ chief executive officer.
Second and final term of four (4) years with
effect, from 24th July, 2018.
National Hospital, Abuja - Dr. Jafaru Alunua Momoh
Chief medical director
Second and final term of four years, with effect,
from 5th July, 2018.
National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu State - Dr.
Nwadinigwe Cajetan Uwatoronye
Medical director
Second and final term of four years, with effect,
from 30th May, 2018.
Energy Commission of Nigeria - Prof. Eli Jidere Bala
Director general.
Second and final term of five years with effect
from 6th May, 2018.
National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) - Dr.
Mohammed Jibrin.
Director general.
Second and final term of four years with effect
from 9th April, 2018.
National Agency for Science and Engineering
Infrastructure - Prof. Mohammed Haruna.
Executive vice chairman
Second and final term of five years with effect
from 3rd April, 2018.
2. The new appointments are:
Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe,
Gombe state - Dr. Ali Adamu - Provost
Initial period of four (4) years with effect from
25th May, 2018
Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarrawa state. - Dr.
Yaya Baba Adamu
Medical Director
Initial period of four (4) years with effect from
1stApril, 2018
3. The president also approved the appointment
of Yahaya Lawal as senior special sssistant to the
president on Foreign Affairs and International
Relations. The appointment is with effect from
April 1, 2018.

Breaking: President Buhari announces new appointments

Hours after the conclusion of GCFR posthumous
award to Late MKO Abiola, President Muhammadu
Buhari, has approved the renewal of the tenure of six
chief executive officers of federal agencies.
Buhari also approved the appointment of two
new chief executive officers of federal agencies
and one senior special assistant.
The appointments are:
1. Renewal of Appointments:
Federal Road Safety Corps - Dr. Boboye Olayemi
Oyeyemi MFR
Corps marshal/ chief executive officer.
Second and final term of four (4) years with
effect, from 24th July, 2018.
National Hospital, Abuja - Dr. Jafaru Alunua Momoh
Chief medical director
Second and final term of four years, with effect,
from 5th July, 2018.
National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu State - Dr.
Nwadinigwe Cajetan Uwatoronye
Medical director
Second and final term of four years, with effect,
from 30th May, 2018.
Energy Commission of Nigeria - Prof. Eli Jidere Bala
Director general.
Second and final term of five years with effect
from 6th May, 2018.
National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) - Dr.
Mohammed Jibrin.
Director general.
Second and final term of four years with effect
from 9th April, 2018.
National Agency for Science and Engineering
Infrastructure - Prof. Mohammed Haruna.
Executive vice chairman
Second and final term of five years with effect
from 3rd April, 2018.
2. The new appointments are:
Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe,
Gombe state - Dr. Ali Adamu - Provost
Initial period of four (4) years with effect from
25th May, 2018
Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarrawa state. - Dr.
Yaya Baba Adamu
Medical Director
Initial period of four (4) years with effect from
1stApril, 2018
3. The president also approved the appointment
of Yahaya Lawal as senior special sssistant to the
president on Foreign Affairs and International
Relations. The appointment is with effect from
April 1, 2018.

Obasanjo should be investigated and sent to jail if found guilty of any offence - Oshiomole

Former governor of Edo state, Oshiomole, called for
the investigation of ex-President Obasanjo
- He said the former president should be sent to jail if
found guilty of any offence
- Oshiomole lambasted the ex-president for claiming
that President Buhari wanted to frame and arrest him
Former Edo state governor and a top contender
for the office of the national chairman of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams
Oshiomole, has said that former President
Olusegun Obasanjo should be arrested and sent
to jail if found guilty of any offence.
Oshiomhole spoke in a pre-June 12 event he
organized in honour of late Chief Gani
Fawehinmi SAN and acclaimed winner if the
June 12 1993 Presidential Election, Bashorun
MKO Abiola, The Nation reports.
The former governor dismissed reports credited
to ex-President Obasanjo that President Buhari
wanted to frame and arrest him.


He added that when Obasanjo was in power, he
also arrested and detained people, thinking that
he would be president forever.
Oshiomhole said Chief Obasanjo should be
investigated and sent to jail if found to have
dipped his hands in the pie.
He said: “Gani is not here today, but his spirit is here.
Falana is here and today, I am standing. Even the president
who was in charge then, he is now complaining that they
want to harass him. He was harassing me and he got me
arrested. He thought he himself would not be arrested?
“If I were the president, I would arrest him. We are all
Nigerians. I remember one day I told him, I said ‘President
Obasanjo, we made you president. You did not make me a
Nigerian. You are our creation; I am not your creation. You
must listen’.
“But he thought he would be in power forever and he tried
to take us on the way to Zimbabwe. He was a reluctant
Head of State, became president for two terms and he
wanted to do a third term because a cockroach licking
palm oil would never lick enough.
“I remember when I was accused by former president
Obasanjo of behaving as if I was an alternate president;
that I was running the NLC like a parallel government, that
I wanted to overthrow his government. A small man like
me, completely powerless.
“If I am dark like this, it is because of Obasanjo’s teargas.
When I now hear these same people saying they are trying
to arrest them, why shouldn’t they be arrested? He should
be arrested if he has committed any offence. He arrested
many of us.
“So, if we are celebrating Chief Gani Fawehinmi, we have
compelling reasons to do so. In all of these, we didn’t pay
any money to Gani or Falana. They defended us pro bono.
“The late Abiola would be smiling not just for the honour
done him by the president, but that Frank Kokori who was
very young then, deployed the instrumentality of oil
workers to support the progressive mission of the civil
society.
“It is not the position you occupy, but the role that you play
that will define your place in history. This man was never
an NLC president, but he is the only unionist invited to the
investiture.
“So, we just consulted among ourselves, few of us who
benefited from Gani’s leadership by using the instrument of
the law to confront evil leaders. At the NLC, we were so
efficient at causing troubles, but too poor to procure the
services of legal titans like Gani and Falana, but who would
always come and defend us pro bono. So, we felt that on the
eve of his investiture, we should gather and celebrate him.
“On June 12, the late Abacha asked us to tell Abiola to do a
national broadcast to renounce his mandate. Pascal Bafyau
advised him to take the bail conditions because he got
information that the regime was ready to keep him in jail
indefinitely, but Abiola said he wouldn’t mind dying, that if
you are already in the river, you can no longer complain of
being wet.
“Abiola died, but Abacha also died and today,
Abiola’s children can go anywhere and say I am
Abiola. But I am not sure of other persons”.

EFCC boss threatened to deal with me - Senator Nwaoboshi

The senator representing Delta North in the National
Assembly, Barrister Peter Nwaoboshi, has raised an
alarm
- Nwaoboshi is currently being prosecuted by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
- The senator however says what he is being
persecuted for is pure business transaction
The senator representing Delta North in the
National Assembly, Barrister Peter Nwaoboshi,
has said what he is being persecuted for by the
EFCC is pure business transaction.
Nwaoboshi who made the claim while addressing
selected journalists in Asaba on Monday, June
11, said he would never be muzzled, cowed or
intimidated by anybody to keep quiet and betray
the leadership of the National Assembly since he
did not launder money except that EFCC boss,
Ibrahim Magu once threatened him.

He disclosed that his persecution by Magu’s EFCC
is because of his position and stand at the
National Assembly meant to curtail dictatorship
in Nigeria, allow rule of law to prevail, sustain
our democracy, allow dissenting voices and
encourage investors
Nwaoboshi who is the chairman of the Senate
committee on Niger Delta affairs, maintained
that the issue that led to his being arrested,
detained and arraigned in the court by EFCC, has
nothing to do with fraud and corruption,
His words: “If anybody thinks he can muzzle me or cow
me, he is wasting his time because I can never be cowed, I
can never be intimidated and I believe that justice will be
done; I believe in God and I will be vindicated at the end.
“I want you to be upright in your report. I never laundered
money; I am a pure business man. My company is paying
the loan, servicing it. When we finish the matter, Nigerians
will know whether money borrowed from bank and
guaranteed is a laundered one.”

Meanwhile, Senate president, Bukola Saraki, has
thanked Nigerians all over the country for their
support and encouragement towards the work of
the 8th Senate, since it was inaugurated three
years ago.
In a statement issued from Saudi Arabia where
he is on lesser hajj, Saraki acknowledged that the
achievements of the Senate would not have been
possible without the backing of Nigerians, who
have played a more active role in the activities of
the legislature since June 9, 2015.

FLASHBACK: Full results of June 12 1993 election that gave Abiola victory

Moshood Kashimawo Abiola won the mandate of the
people on June 12, 1993, when Nigerians of all walks of
life shunned religious and ethnic affiliations to cast
their votes for him.

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However, the election, which is still regarded as
the freest and fairest in Nigeria, was annulled by
the then military president, General Ibrahim
Babangida.
adegokblog.com brings the full results of the election.
MKO Abiola won in 19 states and the Federal
Capital Territory, while his opponent, Bashir
Tofa, won in 11 states.

Recall that NAIJ.com previously reported that
President Muhammadu Buhari announced that
June 12 would be celebrated as the new
Democracy Day.
The president also announced that the late Chief
Moshood Abiola who was adjudged the winner of
the cancelled June 12, 1993 election will be
posthumously awarded the highest Honour in
the land, GCFR.
See full results below:

List of MKO Abiola's businesses ruined after June 12 presidential election

Without disputation, late MKO Abiola was a successful
businessman during his days, but so much turned
against him after his great financial fame and political
ambition went down the drain when in 1993 he was
denied the right to the presidential seat by the then
military head of states, General Sani Abacha.
MKO Abiola's investments cut across major
sectors in Nigeria's economy, such as banking,
telecommunication, education, aviation, oil and
gas. Most of these were at best drastically
affected and at worst put to an end with the
supposedly ill-fated June 12 presidential election.
Almost all his businesses collapsed twenty-five
years after his death. A list of some of Abiola's
defunct businesses are listed below, Vanguard
reports.

Habib Bank
The bank, which got its license to operate in
1982, was founded by Abiola and late Shehu
Musa Yar’Adua. It was formed in partnership
with Habib Bank of Pakistan, which holds 40
percent shareholding of the bank.
The bank lost its operating license in 2011 owing
to its inability to cope with the recapitalisation
scheme instituted by the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) the same year.
Summit Oil
Summit Oil was an oil and gas firm formed by
the late business tycoon in 1990. The company
obtained Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL 205) and
was located at the Anambra basin, north of the
Niger Delta. Summit Oil was a top contributor to
Nigeria's oil and gas industry at the time.
However, after Abiola death, not much came out
from the OPL 205 in terms of actual production
even till presently. Economic experts report that
its license would have expired by now, with little
or no activity going on at the firm.
Concord Airlines
With so much expectation and funfair in the
Nigerian aviation industry, Concord Airline came
into existence in 1990. The airline, which had
close to four fokker27 aircraft and Abiola’s
private jet in its fleet, flew high with the
popularity of its owner.
Regrettably, before it could be counted among
the serious players in the sector, it flew into the
crisis that came after the 1993 presidential
election and met its doom.
Abiola Bookshop
What now remains of the once famous bookshop
located at No. 362 Herbert Macaulay Way in
Yaba area of Lagos, is a building, which
according to many, has not felt the stroke of
paint brush for many years. Visitors at the
bookshop reported that the premises is unkempt
and looks like a place left uncatered for.

Concord Press
Concord Press came to the media space in the
early 1980s. It rose to eminence soon after it was
established, with its sale of copies of daily news
amounting to more than 400,000 per day. It was
also a victim of ill-luck as it saw its fall soon
after the June 12 presidential election.
Banuso Fisheries, Berec Batteries and ITT company
The above-named investments which dealt in
animal husbandry, energy and communications
respectively, were also hugely affected after the
presidential election in 1993 went against late
MKO Abiola.
Meanwhile, adegokblog.com reported that late Chief
MKO Abiola made his supposed inaugural speech
on Saturday, June 11. This move by Abiola cost
him his freedom and chance to rule as Nigeria's
president.

Why IBB annulled June 12 election - Ezeife opens up

Chukwuemeka Ezeife has said that the declaration of
June 12 as democracy day by President Muhammadu
Buhari is self-serving
- Ezeife said Ibrahim Babangida was under threat to
annul the election
- According to Ezeife, Nigerians and her leaders are
yet to learn from lessons of June 12
A former governor of Anambra state,
Chukwuemeka Ezeife, has given details into the
annulment of the June 12, 1993 which produced
late Moshood Abiola as president-elect.
Ezeife said Ibrahim Babangida who was the
military head of state at the time was under
threat to annul the election.
Vanguard reports that the former governor said
that many Nigerians were shocked over honour
awarded Abiola by President Muhammadu
Buhari over the price paid for the election
results. Ezeife alleged that many Nigerians have
known the government for negative things.
Calling for the honour of electoral umpire at that
time, Ezeife said Nigerians and her leaders are
yet to learn from lessons of June 12.


Ezeife: “ We have not learnt any lessons from June 12. But
what I am hearing now, it is as if nothing happened,
anything can repeat itself many times over before we learn
a lesson."
"It was a traumatic period especially for those of
us who were directly involved. As for the
importance of it, as you know a Muslim/Muslim
ticket cleared the whole thing including Kano
where the opponent came.
" So, nobody knows the whole truth but I was close to
Babangida and he was telling me that the military were
opposed to (the declaration of Moshood Abiola as winner of
the election). He said ‘will you like me to be killed?’ as if he
had recognised the victory of Abiola and that if he (Abiola)
is made president, people will kill him and kill the new
president.
"So I said this one it is your job to do it but protect yourself
as you do it. Of course he tried it didn’t work.
"So if we stand 20 years from now and look at this decision,
it will be commended, many people will commend it,
nobody will be opposing it. And now nobody is against the
President except that most people don’t believe that it was
done in the interest of the nation. Some people think it is
some plot to harvest Yoruba votes in 2019. It may not be
and it may also be.”

Describing the declaration of June 12 as Nigeria’s
democracy, the former Anambra state governor
said President Buhari’s actions are self-serving.
“This is too positive to be expected from there. What
normally you see is some negative actions that are not
popular but this one is a good one. That is where one
problem exists. Somebody conducted that election that was
so good and I think that it is the problem where we are
thinking narrowly or about our self-interest.
"If we are looking at June 12 and we recognize the
significance of June 12, the person who was the INEC man
who conducted that kind of election should have been
remembered along with Abiola and Kingibe and other
person. That is one indication that the look was not
comprehensive by its own merit.”
"I think a good decision should be applauded but should be
done well. I am sure any mistake can even be corrected
now. Of course I am not a lawyer, I have heard of
posthumous award and I don’t know what was wrong with
this one.
"But in a place where things are working, the government,
executive especially and the legislature will take glory in
doing the right thing and then do it together. But this one
was not done so. I have read comments but as I said I am
not a lawyer so I am not vast to comment in being able to
comment on that,” Ezeife concluded.
Meanwhile,  previously reported that an
elder statesman and a leader of the Afenifere
group, Ayo Adebanjo, has said that Nigerians
from the southwest region will not be deceived
by the declaration.

Adebanjo said the declaration of June 12 as
democracy day is a political gimmick ahead of
the 2019 presidential election. He said even
though some people in the southwest have been
praising the move, it would not swing votes in
the president’s favour.

Key suspects of Offa robbery transferred to southwest for firearms recovery

Gang leaders of Offa robbery have been moved back
to southwest from Abuja by the police
- The move, according to the police, will enable them
in the investigations for the recovery of firearms used
in the robbery
- The gang leaders have also reportedly disclosed their
hideouts in five states in the southwest to the police
The Nigeria Police Force has moved the key
suspects of the April 5, 2018, Offa bank robbery
from the police headquarters in Abuja back to
the southwest to enable the recovery of firearms
used in the deadly robbery.
According to a report by The Punch, the gang
leaders have also revealed to the police five
hideouts where this firearms are hidden in
Kwara, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Ekiti states.
Adegokblog .com gathers that those moved to the
southwest for the firearms recovery are Ayoade
Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola
Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran,
Kunle Ogunleye, 35, a.k.a Arrow, and Michael
Adikwu.


A source who spoke to the press said the gang
leaders are assisting police by leading them to
places where the firearms are being kept.
The source said: “We announced during the press
briefing in Abuja that we had arrested 22 suspects and we
paraded 15 while seven suspects are helping us in the
investigation and recovery of arms in the Southwest.
“When we are through with the investigation, we would
present all the suspects to the public. Opadokun and others
are alive and helping us with the investigation. Reports of
their death are false information emanating from the social
media.”
Police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, is yet to
comment on this.


Recall that NAIJ.com earlier reported that Senate
president Bukola Saraki was invited by the police
over the deadly robbery that took place at Offa in
Kwara state.
The Senate president was invited to answer to
allegations surrounding his links to the armed
robbers behind the deadly robbery in April.
Jimoh Moshood, the force public relations officer
disclosed this in Abuja on Sunday, June 3, while
parading 22 suspects in custody for the robbery

FG sets 2019 as deadline for teachers’ qualification - Minister Adamu

The minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu,
says unqualified teachers would have negative impact
on the performance of students


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- He says it is embarrassment that there are many
qualified people without jobs while jobs are given to
people who are not qualified
- Governor Ayo Fayose promotes 45,000 workers
The minister of education, Malam Adamu
Adamu, has urged teachers to ensure they were
qualified, licensed and registered before 2019 or
be flushed out of the classrooms.
Adamu gave the warning while monitoring the
2018 Batch A teacher Professional Qualifying
Examination (PQE) in Abuja on Saturday, June 9.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that
the no fewer than 22,000 would-be teachers sat
for the Computer Based Teachers PQE nationwide
which held from June 7 to 9.


Adamu, represented by Sonny Echono, the
permanent secretary, stressed that if teachers
were not qualified and properly equipped, the
products who are the students would also fall
short and ultimately the country will suffer.
“The person at the centre of it all is the teacher, not the
pupils and if the teachers are not qualified and properly
equipped then how can they give our children the best.
“So as a government we are insisting that we must raise the
standards; we must become like other countries of the
world.
“We have set a deadline for ourselves and we are going to
enforce it.
“If by 2019 you are not a qualified, certified and registered
teacher, you will be removed from our classrooms and we
will give the job to those who are qualified.
“It is an embarrassment to us that we have so many
qualified people without job and we are given the job to
people who are not qualified. It is insane.
”In the past, we did not have the right numbers, so we
appreciate that those not qualified helped us to meet that
shortfall, that is why we have given this time of grace, ” he
said.
He urged the teachers to continue to improve
themselves while their employers would do their
part to continue to train an retrain them.
The minister noted that some people were
opposing the use of computer based test, which
he said was not going to be scrapped.
According to him, all over the world, even
primary school pupils are using tablets and
devices.
Adamu said that the world was not going to wait
for Nigeria, calling on everyone to be vanguards
of upgrading the standards in our schools.
He said that there were some logistics
problems during the exercise, however, the
officials had been able to overcome them.
“We are overwhelmed by the number of teachers writing
the examination, which is a good problem to have.


“If we need to do a third diet, we will to it to accommodate
everybody,” he said.
Prof Josiah Ajiboye, registrar, Teachers
Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), said that
the examination was written in 42 centres across
the 36 states of the federation and the FCT
simultaneously.
Ajiboye, however, said that some states started
the examination on Thursday, June 7, due to the
number of candidates in those states sitting for
the examination.
He listed the states include Bauchi, Enugu,
Kaduna, Kano and Taraba.
”In Kaduna state, we have about 6,000 candidates, in Kano
about 2,000 candidates, in Enugu 3,600, and Taraba about
2,000 candidates.
“The examination will last for 60 minutes to answer 60
questions.
“We have been getting situation reports from the states
that all is moving smoothly."
Ajiboye said that the CBT exam was set based on
the different qualification of the teachers, which
include NCE, degree, masters and PhD holders.
He stressed that by 2019 any teacher who was
found in the classrooms not qualified, licensed
and registered by TRCN would be flushed out.
Meanwhile, the Ekiti state Head of Service,
(HOS), Gbenga Faseluka, has been given one
week to distribute promotion letters to the over
45,000 civil servants who recently sat for
qualifying interview and passed.
Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti gave the one-week
ultimatum on Saturday, June 9, to Faseluka in
Ado Ekiti.
He also said that his administration was set to
fulfil an earlier promise of employing over 2,000
new hands into the state public service.

Nigerian pastor arrested for tearing and burning Quran in Kogi

A Nigerian pastor and his accomplice have landed in
trouble after they were reportedly caught destroying
a Quran in Ankpa, Kogi state.
The pastor who is yet-to-be identified and his
accomplice were caught red-handed tearing and
burning the Quran near the town’s central
mosque on Friday, May 8.
Their action made some residents apprehend and
beat them up and they almost got served with
jungle justice, but for the timely arrival of the
police. They were later dragged to the palace of
the King of Ankpa before being transferred to
Lokoja, the state capital.

The pastor and his accomplice: Photo credit: Gossipmill
As at the time of filling this report, the reason for
their action is yet to be ascertained.


In his testimony, the man mentioned that his
father is a district superintendent of a church in
Abuja which name he refused to mention for
security reasons. He also claimed that the former
governor of Ebonyi state, Dr Sam Egwu, is his
uncle.


As seen in the video which circulated on social
media, the man is vast in the Arabic recitations
and is captured bowing down in the video,
saying Allah is the greatest.

Recognition accorded to MKO Abiola and the June 12 struggle is long overdue - Shehu Sani

The senator representing Kaduna-central, Shehu Sani
lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for conferring
the honour of the Grand Commander of the Federal
Republic (GCFR) on late MKO Abiola
- The APC senator also criticised some names that
made it to the list of persons invited to late MKO
Abiola’s GCFR inauguration
- Sani pointed out that most of the invitees betrayed
Abiola in the course of June 12 battle
Senator Shehu Sani, on Saturday, June 9, praised
President Muhammadu Buhari for conferring the
honour of the Grand Commander of the Federal
Republic (GCFR) on late MKO Abiola, presumed
winner of the June 12, 1993 election, The Cable
reports
NAIJ.com gathered that the senator representing
Kaduna-central, in reaction to the news said
Buhari had done “what many of his predecessors
failed to do.”
However, he, added that the timing of the award
gives room for concerns that the move has a
political undertone.


Sani also faulted some names that made it to the
list of persons invited by the president to
Abiola’s GCFR inauguration.
He said: “The recognition accorded to Chief MKO Abiola
and the June 12 struggle by the PMB administration is
commendable. It’s long overdue. PMB has done what many
of his predecessors failed to do.”
“However, the timing of the recognition in an election year
raised issues that the recognition was not without motive. It
is a Golden box of honour containing a note of electoral
expectation from the South west.
“Honoring June 12 is appreciated but exploiting Abiola’s
name for 2019 election will splash oil on the pearl.
“Some of those invited and honored by the villa in the name
Abiola or June 12 were people who betrayed Abiola and
abandoned the struggle even when chief MKO was alive,
others even disowned, condemned and denied him in his
hours of need. There are judases of June 12 now honoured
in the name of Abiola”.
The Kaduna state noted the recognition of the
democracy heroes was not enough, adding that
the government must live up to the ideals of the
honourees.
Sani also said the south-west should not base
their votes for Buhari in 2019 on the honour the
president granted Abiola.
“The greatest honour the government can do to the spirit of
June 12 is to habitually respect the rights of Nigerians to
differ and to dissent without persecution, obey court orders
and prosecute the war against corruption without
discrimination,” he said.
“Honoring democracy heroes will make no meaning if we
don’t live up to the principles and noble ideals they were
identified with and upon which they lived and sacrificed
their lives for.
“Honoring Chief MKO Abiola and the June 12 struggle
shouldn’t be the only reason the south west or any other
part of Nigeria should re elect the Present Government; the
government must strive hard to end the mindless bloodshed
and violence in the country and must respect the rule of law
and rid itself of budding autocratic tendencies.


“There is the need for the National Democratic Coallition,
NADECO to reconvene immediately to guide the President
and the Parliament on how best to honour the June 12
struggle, to avoid the coronation of traitors along with
heroes,” he added.

previously reported that the federal
government announced modalities for the
conferment of national honours on late
multibillionaire businessman and politician,
Moshood Abiola; late prominent lawyer, Gani
Fawehinmi and politician, Babagana Kingibe.
The presidency disclosed this in a statement
signed by Boss Mustapha, secretary to the
government of the federation on Friday, June 8.

FG denies witch-hunting past leaders

The federal government has denied alleged plot to
frame and jail former President Olusegun Obasanjo
- The federal government said the Muhammadu
Buhari's administration is too busy to be witch-
hunting past leaders
The federal government of Nigeria has denied
the allegation by former President Olusegun
Obasanjo that the administration of President
Muhammadu Buhari is plotting to frame him and
have him locked up in jail.
The minister of information and culture, Lai
Mohammed, in a statement issued on Friday,
June 8, said the Buhari administration is too
busy clearing up the mess of the past leaders and
has no plan to witch-hunt anybody, Tribune
reports.
Mohammed said: ”This administration will never
engage in a frame-up of innocent citizens. That is neither in
the character of President Muhammadu Buhari nor in that
of his administration. Only the guilty should be worried. To
paraphrase an African proverb, a man who has no wife
cannot lose an inlaw to the cold hands of death.

”The administration is also strongly committed to the tenets
of democracy, including freedom of speech and the right to
dissent. But we understand that those who, in their time,
were untethered to those principles would find it hard to
believe."
The minister also said he was curious that the
allegation of witchunting is coming barely a day
after President Buhari declared June 12 a
Democracy Day.
He said: "Apparently, the impact of this proclamation
was too much to bear by those who, through acts of
omission or commission, helped to deepen the wounds
inflicted by the blow of injustice that followed an election
that was widely acclaimed to be free, fair and credible,
hence they felt the need for a red herring that will distract
the nation.
"Added to that is the frustration brought about by the fact
that the contraption they have so much hyped as a freeway
to power has failed to gain traction. Faced with this double
tragedy, even the strongest of men may begin to succumb to
a figment of their imagination. They may start crying wolf
where there is none."

Meanwhile, former vice president, Atiku
Abubakar has reacted to the allegation by former
president, Olusegun Obasanjo.
Atiku, in a statement released on Friday, June 8,
said such actions would only aggravate the
already heated polity in the land and urged
President Buhari to call the security agencies to
order.

Atiku warns Buhari against arresting Obasanjo

Atiku Abubakar has warned President Muhammadu
Buhari against arresting Olusegun Obasanjo
- Atiku claimed such steps would only aggravate the
already over heated polity
- He urged the president to call the security agencies
to order in order to douse the tension in the land
Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar has
reacted to the allegation by former president,
Olusegun Obasanjo, that the administration of
Muhammadu Buhari is plotting to frame him up
and lock him in jail for a long time.
Atiku, in a statement released on Friday, June 8,
said such actions would only aggravate the
already heated polity in the land and urged
President Buhari to call the security agencies to
order, Vanguard reports.
The statement reads: "I have received with serious
concern the purported alert raised by former President
Olusegun Obasanjo of an alleged plot by the government to
arrest him on trumped up charges.


"I am disturbed by this turn of events in our dear country
considering the huge price that was paid for us to have
democracy. I wish to advice that government and its agents
should retrace their steps to avoid aggravating the already
over heated polity.
"The alert by President Obasanjo is coming against the
backdrop of earlier alerts by some leaders, especially those
of the opposition of deliberate and orchestrated attempt to
intimidate and frame them up.
"I wish to state without equivocation that President
Obasanjo is a historical figure in Nigeria’s democracy and
that the primary purpose of government is to provide
security of lives and property of all citizens and residents
irrespective of their status, political affiliation, religious
inclination and ethnic leanings.
"Our nation has lost so much precious lives and property
that we can no longer afford to travel that road again.
"I wish to appeal to President Buhari to call the security
agencies to order in order to douse the tension in the land."

Recall that adegokblog.com earlier reported that former
president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has alleged that
there is a plot by the President Muhammadu
Buhari administration to detain him indefinitely
based on false charges.
Obasanjo in a statement by his media aide,
Kehinde Akinyemi, on Friday, June 8, claimed
that the government was planning to use fake
documents and witnesses against him.
The former president said the plot against him
would unfold in two stages among which is to
cause the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) to reopen investigation into
the activities of his administration.