Daar Communications Chairman Arrayed in Court

Raymond Dopkesi arrayed in Court for money laundering by EFCC in federal high court, Abuja on Wednesday 09, December, 2015.

Former Governor Apkabio Fired.

Appeal court today has fired former Governor Akpabio. Immediately ordering for a rerun within 90 days.
Looks like all PDP friends are been fired...

Remembering A Fallen Solider: Late President Shehu Musa Yar'Adua.

On this day, 18 years ago, Nigeria lost one of her greatest democrats and nationalists, Shehu Musa Yar'Adua. His legacy lives.

How I Helped Ohakim Secretly Buy Abuja Home For $2.29million Cash - EFCC Witness

A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of a former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, has told Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja how the former governor allegedly gave him the sum of $2, 290,000.00(Two Million, Two Hundred and Ninety Thousand Dollars) to purchase a piece of land at Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as No.60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja.
In his testimony on Monday, December 7, 2015, Abu Sule, told the court that he met the accused person in Lagos State sometime in the mid-nineties while he worked as a consultant on a project to which the accused person was a contractor. 

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo, Sule, Managing Director, Tweenex Consociate H.D. Limited, further told the court that the accused person, whom he described a ‘‘senior friend and benefactor’’, did not sever his relationship with him, after he had become governor.

In his testimony, he said: ‘‘Before 2008, Chief Ohakim had requested that I find him a house that he could buy in Asokoro. I later found a house at Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as No.60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja. Immediately, I informed him about the property and he trusted my judgment on it.

‘‘I told him the price, which was N270m and he provided the money in cash. It was $2.290m then and he paid in one tranche. I received the money from him at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, at night.”

Sule further told the court that he called one Alhaji Isah Muntair Maidabino the following day and arranged to meet him at the Unity Bank, Maitama Branch, Abuja. 

According to him, Maidabino, upon receipt of the money, decided to off-set some loans he had obtained from the bank immediately.

He added: ‘’When I collected the original documents of the property from Maidabino, I informed Chief Ohakim and also asked for the name to use on the Deeds of Assignment and Power of Attorney. After some delay, he said I should use my Company’s name. I agreed to do it because he had been my benefactor.”

When asked if the house was given to him as a gift, Sule told the court that the property had never been his.

Speaking further, he said: ‘‘I gave the original documents of the property to Chief Ohakim, but I only have photocopies.”

Both the Sales Agreement and Deeds of Assignment documents were tendered by the prosecution counsel and admitted in evidence as Exhibit EFCC 14 A and B by the court.

Testifying further, Sule also stated that the accused person instructed him to carry out the renovation of the house, which was done over a period of one and a half years before he allegedly handed over the house to him.

According to him, ‘‘in 2012, Chief Ohakim made me do a tenancy agreement, after mounting a lot of pressure on me. We gave him an offer letter and he wrote an acceptance letter to us. It was accompanied with three cheques for N20 million. We issued him a receipt and tenancy agreement.’’

The prosecution counsel also tendered copies of the various correspondences between PW2 and the accused person, which were all admitted as Exhibits EFCC 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 A and B.

When asked if he had ever written a letter demanding renewal of the rent by the accused person given that the receipt he earlier issued to him (the accused person) would have expired in April 2014, he answered in the negative.

He also told the court that the accused person had not contacted him about his tenancy since the supposed tenancy expired in April 2014.

While explaining what he spent the N20 million he collected from the accused person for, he said, ‘‘Chief Ohakim gave me the money to renovate his property on 8, Halie Sallassie Street, Asokoro. We later handed the property to him, after the renovation.’’

The defence counsel led by Awa Kalu, SAN, raised no objection to the testimonies by PW 2.

However, counsel to the defence prayed the court for the release of the accused person’s international passport, which was submitted to the court in fulfillment of the bail conditions, granted him on Thursday, July 9, 2015, to enable him travel for medical check abroad.

Justice Ademola granted interim release of the accused person’s international passport to enable him travel for four weeks to undergo medical check; but ordered that the accused person must surrender his international passport to the Court Deputy Registrar within 72 hours of returning from his medical trip abroad. The defendant’s surety must also give a written undertaking to guarantee the appearance of the accused person in court, failing which he would be held in place of the accused person.

The case has been adjourned to January 26 and 27, 2016 for continuation of trial.

One Chance Apc Change - Gov. Peter Fayose

One Chance Apc Change - Gov. Peter Fayose

Breaking News: Bayelsa Decides

Militants loyal to one of the aspirants have taken over the streets of Bayelsa state, preventing INEC officials from moving the southern Ijaw results to the INEC state headquarter. Meanwhile, the Returning officer for Southern Ijaw LGA has already announced the result at the Local government level which favoured Gov Sylva.

11 Questions For Okonjo-Iweala Over The $5billion Dollar Abacha Loots- SERAP

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has rejected the accusation of political agenda by the immediate-past Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, saying that “the issue of how over $5 billion recovered Abacha funds were spent under her watch deserves serious attention.”

In a statement on Sunday by SERAP executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation said that, “By making unfounded allegations against SERAP, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala has provided little more than an unhelpful distraction, which can only serve to undermine genuine efforts to promote transparency and accountability in Nigeria, the country that she claims to love so dearly.”

Last week, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala described the call by SERAP for her probe over the spending of the Abacha loot as a politically-sponsored action; that SERAP is compromised; that SERAP is a tool for reprehensible, corrupt vested interests; and that the returned Abacha loot was properly appropriated and channelled into roads, electricity, education, water and health across all six geo-political zones of Nigeria.

The response by the organisation reads in part: “As a public trust, SERAP has an important role to play in revealing the discrepancies between the World Bank documents and the clear lack of access of millions of Nigerians to quality education, adequate healthcare, clean water, safe roads and regular electricity supply during the period covered by the documents.”

“If she truly loves Nigeria, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala should have come out to say exactly how the over $5 billion of Abacha loot was spent under her watch. Trying to dodge responsibility for the spending of our commonwealth or attacking SERAP that is trying to get to the bottom of what happened to the funds is a betrayal of that love. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala should not be immune from accountability for what happened to Abacha recovered loot just because she is no longer in government.”

“If the aim of these allegations is to bully us into stopping our work to seek accountability on the spending of over $5 billion recovered Abacha loot, then it has failed, as SERAP will never back down in its pursuit of justice in the face of such attack.”

“These new allegations echo those that Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala made against us in March to divert attention from SERAP freedom of information suit on the spending of N30 trillion by the former government of President Goodluck Jonathan. SERAP has fully responded to these allegations. SERAP’s credibility is exemplified by the fact of several awards it has received nationally and internationally including nomination for the UN civil society award in 2008; nomination for the Ford Foundation Jubilee Transparency Award for 2011, and the Wole Soyinka Anti-Corruption Defender Award SERAP received in 2014.”

“As we continue to study the documents received from the World Bank, we have identified 11 questions that Nigerians would like Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to answer as a matter of priority”.

“First, the World Bank confirmed that of the 51 projects reviewed, 23 were described as “completed”, 26 were at various stages of completion, and 2 were described as “abandoned”. Nigerians would like Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to show us evidence of the 23 projects allegedly completed, and whether the 26 projects where actually completed; and what became of the 2 abandoned projects.”

“Second, the World Bank confirmed that 6 out of 8 health centres reviewed pertained to physical infrastructure but were not completed. Nigerians would like Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to explain why these projects were not completed on time, and whether in fact they were completed at all; as well as location of completed projects.”

“Nigerians would also like Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to explain the letter she wrote to the Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria January 9, 2005 that of the 174 health centres built with Abacha funds, 138 were fully functional and that remaining 36 were expected to be commissioned in January 2005. Nigerians would appreciate it if Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala could identify and name all the health centres mentioned in her letter.”

“Third, as regards power projects, the World Bank confirmed that payments by government to contractors could not be verified “because in most cases contact information for contractors was not available,” and that 10 of the 18 power projects pertained to physical electrical installations. Nigerians would like Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to identify and name the 10 installations, and to provide contact details of the contractors that executed the projects.”

“Fourth, the World Bank confirmed that most of the recovered funds were used to repay domestic borrowing. Nigerians would like Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to explain how much exactly was involved as a part of 2004 annual budget execution in anticipation of the repatriation of the looted funds in 2004, as well as repayment terms of the funds and from which banks.”

“Fifth, the World Bank confirmed that the government opened a special US dollar account for recovered funds with the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, to which various transfers of Abacha loot were made. The World Bank also confirmed that some $50 million was received before 2005 which was kept in the special account. Nigerians would like Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to explain how much was left in the account by the time she left office in May.”

“Sixth, the World Bank confirmed that the data on inflows of recovered funds are broadly identical but that there was one material discrepancy, which was unexplained. The Bank also said the information it received from the government ‘does not contain a reference to the transfer of $5.2 mn in August of 2006.’ Nigerians would like Mrs Okonjo-Iweala to explain the material discrepancy, and why the transfer of $5.2 mn was not disclosed to the Bank.”

“Seventh, the World Bank confirmed that Abacha returned loot was used as source of 2005 budget deficit financing, and that the funds were directed to co-financing of capital expenditure and balancing the 2005 budget. Nigerians would like Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to explain exactly the capital expenditure involved.”

“Eighth, the World Bank confirmed that the Abacha funds were used to provide additional financing for the Universal Basic Education (UBE) program in the amount of NGN24.25 bn to support basic education throughout the country. This amount was fully disbursed and fully utilized. Nigerians would like Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to identify the number and location of schools which benefited from these funds at the time.”

“Ninth, the World Bank confirmed that there were problems with collecting project-related information because of under-developed reporting and accounting standards, and absence of properly set-up databases for sectoral project portfolios; and weak administrative capacity in the ministry of finance. Nigerians would like Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to explain why this was the case under her watch.”

“Tenth, the World Bank confirmed that 13 road projects were completed including 3 of the largest road and bridge projects in each geo-political zone. Also, the Bank regretted that it was not possible to interview many contractors in order to obtain independent confirmation of amounts spent on individual projects, and record their comments on project status. Nigerians would like Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to explain exactly happened, and to identify unconfirmed individual projects, including the largest roads and bridges completed.”

“Eleventh, the World Bank confirmed that no special arrangements were made for project selection and monitoring. According to the Bank, ‘Given the weakness of general budget reporting systems at the moment, this decision greatly undermined the opportunity for tracking the returned Abacha funds and analysis of their utilization.’ Nigerians would like Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to explain why this was the case under her watch.”

Kogi decides. Results released updates

AGALI LGA
Reg Voters 2166
Accredited 931
APA 06
APC 878
PDP 12

IDA LGA:
REG VOTERS 310
Accredited 141
APC 62
CPP 01
DPP 01
PDP 70
VALID 136
REJECTED 01
TOTAL 137

YAGBA WEST LGA
375 Reg Voters
165 Accredited Voters
ADC 01
APA 02
APC 86
DPD 73
VOTERS 162
REJECTED 00
TOTAL VOTES 162

Apasu & Odaki
APC 406
PDP 281
PPA 01
UDP 01
695 valid
03 rejected
Total 698

Okehi LGA;
APC 108
PDP 0