EXCLUSIVE: SEYCHELLES BEGINS PROBE OF SARAKI , WIFE , FOR ALLEGED MONEY LAUNDERING

Dr Bukola Saraki

Report by Premium Times indicates that authorities in Seychelles have opened a criminal investigation into the multi-million dollar assets which Senate President Bukola Saraki and his wife, Toyin, are believed to hold through offshore shell companies in tax havens, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

Bukola and Toyin Saraki are being targeted by financial intelligence operatives for their “suspicious” use of offshore shell companies as uncovered in the Panama Papers investigation published in 2016, according to new records obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and shared with PREMIUM TIMES and other partners.

Investigators at the Seychelles Financial Intelligence Unit said they are interested in determining whether or not Mrs Saraki stood as a front for her husband in the ownership of some of the offshore holdings linked to the family when a trove of offshore assets managed by Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca, was leaked to the media.

The investigators are also working to determine if the transactions undertaken with the shell companies were used to launder funds or carry out other suspicious activities in violation of Nigeria’s code of conduct regulations, detectives from that country’s FIU asked Mossack Fonseca to furnish them with all documents relating to Sandon Developments Ltd, a firm registered in Seychelles under Toyin Saraki’s name.

Mossack Fonseca responded to the request on April 29, 2016, by forwarding a link to the PREMIUM TIMES article on the Panama Papers as well as all documents relating to Sandon Ltd, including international passports and business activities.

The status of the investigation, however remained unclear as there is no record of any update about it since Mossack Fonseca responded to the authorities’ requests at the end of April 2016. 

Mrs Saraki registered Sandon Ltd in 2011 and used it to buy a family property at #8 Whittaker Street, Belgravia, London SW1W 8JQ. 

Mr Saraki denied links to the offshore assets in 2016, saying they belonged to his wife’s family. But information obtained by PREMIUM TIMES at the time indicated that the Senate President merely used his wife as a front, and Seychelles authorities also found the denial unconvincing.

The revelations were amongst the findings of a lengthy investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and more than 100 other global news organizations – including PREMIUM TIMES.

PREMIUM TIMES was the only Nigerian publication involved in the investigation, which lasted a year before the first set of stories started running on April 3. 

For two weeks, Yusuph Olaniyonu, a spokesperson for Mr Saraki, did not return PREMIUM TIMES requests for comments about the criminal investigation of his principal and spouse in Seychelles. 

Nigerian authorities had previously stated that they were investigating Mr Saraki’s offshore assets that were not declared in contravention of the law, but no charges have been brought against him. 

Offshore shell entities are not necessarily fraudulent. There are legitimate uses for them by businesspersons across the world, but several other people, including criminals, have used them for untoward activities. 

When Mrs Saraki registered Sandon Ltd on January 12, 2011 in Seychelles, she listed Babatunde Morakinyo, a long-term personal aide and friend of Mr Saraki, as a shareholder. 

Mr Morakinyo was amongst the top aides of Mr Saraki who were identified by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as laundering billions of naira in suspected bribes from the Paris Club refund to Nigerian states in 2017.

While incorporating that Sandon Ltd, documents show, Mrs Saraki bought a curious service from Mossack Fonseca, the Panamanian firm under which she tucked the hidden assets. 

PREMIUM TIMES further reported at the time that Sarakis used nominee directors in order to perhaps avoid being identified as the beneficial owner of Sandon. Nominee directors are sometimes used in tax havens to conceal real owners of companies and assets. 

She then made an undertaking indemnifying the Panamanian company “in respect of all claims, demands, actions, suits, proceedings, costs and expenses whatsoever as may be incurred or become payable by you in respect of or arising out of any member or employee or associate of your company or associated companies holding any office, directorship or shareholdings in the company or by reason of or in consequence of any act or decision made by any such person or company in connection with the management and/or administration of the said company.”

Shortly after the company was incorporated, Mrs. Saraki used it, in July 2011, to buy the property on Whuttaker Street, Belgravia, London SW1W 8JQ. 

The property, acquired from Renocon Property Limited, a company registered in the British Virgin Island, was never disclosed to Nigerian authorities as required by the country’s code of conduct law. 

The revelations came at the time Mr Saraki was being tried by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for failing to properly declare his local assets when he became governor in 2003, 2007 and when he moved to the Senate in 2011, having completed the two terms allowed under the Constitution. In June 2017, the CCT found Mr. Saraki not guilty on all the 18 counts of false assets filings as brought against him by the Nigerian government. 

The Nigerian government challenged the ruling at the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the conclusion of the tribunal on all but three counts in a December 12 ruling. Mr Saraki appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver its judgment in the appeal on July 6.

Credit: PREMIUM TIMES

PhD SCANDAL: UNILAG DISCLAIMS OSUN POLY RECTOR’S BSc DEGREE

The University of Lagos, Akoka, says the embattled rector of Igbajo Polytechnic, Igbajo, Osun State, Akinola Olaolu, did not obtain a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from the institution.

The Principal Assistant Registrar, Communications Unit, University of Lagos, Mrs Taiwo Oloyede, said the institution did not have a record of him.

This is just as Prof. Chibuzo Nwoke, the Vice-Chancellor of Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Ile Ife, Osun State, where the rector worked in 2012, said Olaolu’s credentials were fraudulent.

He noted that Olaolu left the institution over the questionable credentials.

Both Oloyede and Nwoke spoke on Wednesday while responding to enquiries from our correspondent.

Our correspondent reported that Olaolu came into the school in December 2015 as a deputy rector to the former rector, Tanimowo Oke.

However, because Olaolu claimed to have a PhD in Economics from the University of Ibadan, his arrival reportedly led to the removal of Oke, who had a master’s degree as of then.

More than eight months after his arrival, he was reported to have refused to produce his purported PhD certificate, as he submitted only a notification of result to obtain the job.

When journalists contacted the UI with a copy of the notification of result, the Director of Public Communications, Mr Olatunji Oladejo, said the varsity had no record of the rector.

The UI spokesperson said Olaolu’s purported matriculation number was fraudulent, adding that he did not have any record in the school’s thesis bank.

The rector’s purported thesis supervisor, Prof. Ademola Ariyo, also revealed that there was no record of Olaolu in the Department of Economics where he claimed to have bagged the doctorate.

When our correspondent confronted the rector with UI’s position on the notification of result, he said he had just obtained his certificate from the school.

Our correspondent obtained a copy of the alleged certificate through a source and sent it to UI for verification.

The university’s spokesperson, Oladejo, said the school’s vice-chancellor, registrar and the head of the postgraduate school had seen the document, adding that it was fraudulent.

He said, “Fake result indeed. I know Mr Akinola Olaolu very well. He does not have any certificate. It is not only his PhD that is fake; even his B.Sc and Msc Economics are fake. It was because of this that he left Oduduwa Univesity, Ile Ife. He has only B.Sc in Biology. He should be arrested immediately. If the management of the school is in doubt, they should contact me.”

Our correspondent got a copy of Olaolu’s purported curriculum vitae, in which he truly claimed to have worked at the Oduduwa University as an associate professor at the Department of Economics and Business Administration, among other claims.

Although Ajayi had yet to respond to an enquiry from our correspondent on a professional networking platform, LinkedIn, the Oduduwa varsity VC, Nwoke, confirmed that Olaolu worked in the school.

He, however, said he resigned some months after his employment.

He said, “He was not an associate professor. He was employed in 2012 but we discovered that the first degree in Economics, the masters and PhD… all of them were fake.

“When he knew that the system was on him, he resigned. His letter of resignation of appointment, which is before me now, read, ‘In view of the difficulties I have had and still have in presenting appropriate certifications for Economics, I hereby resign my appointment with effect from October 2012.’

“At one time, he claimed that he had a PhD from South Africa and another from somewhere else. But we discovered that his certificates were signed on Sunday. I don’t think he spent up to a year here.”

Nwoke said while applying for the job at the school, Olaolu claimed to have had a B.Sc in Economics (University of Lagos) in 1983; a Postgraduate Diploma in Finance and Accounting (University of Jos) in 1987; a Master of Business Administration (University of Ibadan) in 1996; a Master of Science in Economics (University of Ibadan) 1998; and a PhD in Business Administration (University of South Africa) in view.

The credentials and dates tallied with the CV in our correspondent’s possession.

Also, a copy of Olaolu’s B.Sc in Economics notification of result, which was obtained by our correspondent, was sent to UNILAG for verification.

The school’s spokesperson, Oloyede, denied him.

“It has been verified from our records that Dr O.A. Olaolu did not graduate from the University of Lagos. Thank you,” a text message she sent to our correspondent on Wednesday read.

The Director of Public Communications, University of Ibadan, Oladejo, said his institution was checking its records to ascertain if the MBA and M.Sc claims were true.

Relevant responses is still being expected from the University of Oxford, where he allegedly claimed to have obtained a General Certificate of Education Examination in January 1972; and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), where he allegedly claimed to have attained professional level in January 1994.

Meanwhile, our correspondent learnt that some policemen attached to the Osun State Police Command demanded N10,000 to travel to UI to investigate the PhD claim.

A source said the police insisted that without the money, they would not do anything on the case.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Folashade Odoro, who had been repeatedly contacted by our correspondent, said she was still not aware of the case.

“It is when I am informed that I can talk. Nobody has told me anything,” she said.

Credit: Punchng.com 

CRISIS AS WORKERS FAULT OSUN POLY RECTOR’S DOCTORATE DEGREE

The Acting Rector, Igbajo Polytechnic, Igbajo, Osun State, Dr Akinola Olaolu, is in the eye of the storm as it seems that the crisis in the institution will not end soon.

Aside the problem over his style of leadership in the polytechnic, Olaolu’s claim to a doctorate is being called into question as workers of the institution claimed that there was nothing to suggest that he had a PhD.

There had been a clash between students of the institution and policemen from the Osun State Police Command, leading to over 20 students being reportedly hospitalised.

Since the clash, which the workers said was an offshoot of the certificate scandal, the scrutiny under which the doctorate’s claim had come, had assumed a life of its own.

Olaolu had claimed that he obtained a Doctorate of Philosophy degree  in Economics at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, but not a few people at the school had faulted the claim.

Olaolu, who took over the helms of affair at the school in 2016, allegedly said he was awarded the PhD in 2003 by the Postgraduate School, University of Ibadan.

A notification of the higher degree result, which he reportedly submitted to get the job, showed his matriculation number as SI. 39561 and was signed by one Mrs T.F. Oladiti for the Deputy Registrar/Secretary of the institution.

The notification read, “I have the pleasure of informing you that on the recommendation of the Faculty of the Social Sciences, Postgraduate Committee and the Board of the Postgraduate School, the Senate has approved the recommendation of the examiners that the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) of this university be conferred on you. The effective date of the award is November 26, 2003. On behalf of the vice-chancellor, I congratulate you on your success in the examination.”

PUNCH Metro gathered that the document was the only evidence that Olaolu presented, as he explained that he had not been issued a certificate by the University of Ibadan more than 13 years after he graduated.

Our correspondent obtained a copy of the notification, which was confirmed as Olaolu’s document by a former registrar of the polytechnic, Bisi Odebunmi.

It was PUNCH Metro that sent a copy to UI for verification and after about two weeks, the Director, Public Communications, University of Ibadan, Mr Olatunji Oladejo, disclaimed the result, saying there was no record of it at the varsity

He said, “The university has thoroughly investigated the matter and our findings are presented as follows: that the name, Mr. Olaolu Akinola Olugbenga, which you sent to me to work on, does not exist in the database of the university.

“The matriculation number, 39561, purportedly allocated to Mr Olaolu Akinola Olugbenga, could not be verified. The signature in the notification of result presented to the university for verification was misrepresented. The name, Olaolu Akinola Olugbenga, could not be found in the thesis bank of the Department of Economics, formerly under the Faculty of Social Sciences, now under the Faculty of Economics.

“Students of the university have registration files opened for them after being offered provisional admission. There is no record of his studentship with the university.  In order words, he did not obtain his PhD from the university; there were a lot of discrepancies.”

It was later gathered that Olaolu was employed in Igbajo Polytechnic in December 2015 as a deputy rector to the former Rector, Tanimowo Oke.

His appointment letter, dated December 17, 2015, which was obtained by PUNCH Metroand signed by the Chairman, Governing Council, Prof. Olu Odeyemi, mandated Olaolu to present his original certificate.

However, Olaolu was reported to have resumed without presenting the certificate.

On August 23, 2016, more than eight months after he was issued the offer letter, the school management reportedly wrote him a reminder on the subject.

“Kindly present the originals and photocopies of your credentials as directed in your appointment letter of December 17, 2015, by the governing council. This process is necessary to update your records,” the letter, signed by the then registrar, Odebunmi, stated.

Odebunmi, who spoke to our correspondent, said Olaolu did not reply the letter till he left the system.

He said, “When he resumed, he presented just the notification of result. Later, I wrote a letter to him to present his certificates. He did not respond till I left the system.”

The school governing body was alleged to have rebuffed calls to investigate the issue until in 2017.

The school management was said to have set up a four man committee, headed by one Mr. E. O. Ojekunle, in September 2017.

Records obtained by our correspondent showed that the panel was asked to investigate the contention over Olaolu’s doctorate and alleged sexual harassment, among others.

The records showed that he was cleared of the sexual harassment allegation.

However, on the certificate, the committee said the rector claimed not to have any original certificates of both his first and second degrees.

The report said, “He said during his PhD programme, his financier ran into financial challenges which prevented him from being registered for his programme and was as a result not issued a certificate. He affirmed that Prof. Ademola Oyejide and Prof. Ademola Ariyo were his thesis supervisors.

“He added that when this issue came up, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, gave him a sum of N400,000 as loan to defray his financial liabilities and obtain the certificate. He was asked to produce evidence of the payments and he promised to furnish the committee later.

“He asserted that all documentations of his dissertation, including the soft copy, were no longer available. He stressed, however, that the publishers had promised to dismantle the available copy with a view to producing six new copies for him. He added that the vice-chancellor during his studentship had retired, but he had been contacted and promised to do something about the issue.

“Engr. Ojekunle said the committee had records of all graduates of the University of Ibadan from 2000 to 2008, including that of postgraduate schools. The documents were given to the acting rector to go through and locate his name therein for confirmation. The acting rector searched through and told the panel that his name was not there because he did not register at that time. He said his record had yet to be documented because he still owed the university, and that was why he had obtained the N400,000 loan to enable him to effect necessary payment.

“Mr. Igbaroola asked whether the acting rector had been conferred with a PhD degree. The acting rector said no. The committee advised the acting rector to get the records straightened as quickly as possible and affirmed that records obtained from the University of Ibadan did not show that he obtained a doctorate from the institution.

“When the acting rector was asked to present evidence of payment to the University of Ibadan for the processing of his certificates, he responded that he was not with the receipt at that moment but would forward same without delay.

“He was asked to present his credentials and the committee observed that original certificates of both first and second degrees of his academic qualifications were not available but he promised to present them shortly.

“It was highlighted that any certificate he would present should bear official stamp of the university.”

At the second meeting of the committee on October 30, 2017, Olaolu was reported to have come up with more excuses on why he could not produce his evidence of payment for processing of his PhD certificate, including the claim that his scripts had been moved to UI’s library’s archive.

When also asked to present his first and second certificates for sighting, he was said to have presented only notification of results.

“All evidence available to the committee showed that there is no record of the acting rector’s doctorate degree at the University of Ibadan. The acting rector has no original certificate of his first and second degrees,” the report of the committee read in part.

A source at the University of Ibadan said the institution received a letter of enquiry on the matter from the  Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

She said the enquiries had been “formally” replied to, adding that the UI denied Olaolu’s certificate.

It was learnt that Prof. Oyejide, whom the rector claimed supervised his thesis, had retired from the school.

The second alleged supervisor, Prof. Ariyo, said checks of files of PhD students in the department did not show the rector’s name.

He said, “We have searched our records; we can’t find the matriculation number or the name. And I don’t know anybody by that name in the department. It cannot be correct that I co-supervised a thesis with Prof. Ademola Oyejide in 2003; the last time I was on the same committee with Prof. Oyejide was in 1998.”

Rector, IGPOLY respond

The former rector of Igbajo Polytechnic (Tanimowo) said he left the school about three years ago.

He said, “I am not aware of any case of certificate fraud. The issue of the certificate never came up.”

Tanimowo later sent our correspondent a text message, which read, “No negative story must be written about IGPOLY. I am still a stakeholder; the situation can be remedied.”

The Owa of Igbajoland and visitor to the school, Oba Adeniyi Fashade, said, “Actually, I don’t know anything about the certificate issue. The board of governors is handling it. The board chairman will tell you exactly what is happening. It is when they have issues that they cannot resolve that they come to me.”

Olaolu, however, said he had just obtained his PhD certificate from UI, adding that he was ready to present it to the polytechnic.

He said, “I have collected my PhD certificate from the UI and I have evidence that I attended UI and defended my thesis. You can go to the library to find out about my thesis: it’s on Real Options. I collected it late because I owed. I am waiting for whoever will publish it so that we can go to court. I finished in 2002, but my certificate reads 2003 because it was the following year that the UI convocation held.”

When told that the school had denied him, he said he was ready for a meet but adding that he would only allow “sighting” of the document.

“I wouldn’t know the section that you or they (UI) went to. It is only when I see the nature of their denial that I will know what to say. But I have documents to show and prove that I was admitted there, I registered there and I picked three degrees from there – an MBA, a B.Sc in Economics and a PhD,” he added.

Our correspondent gathered that the Igbajo Polytechnic conveyed a meeting of its governing council and board of trustees last Thursday and Friday, respectively.

The Chairman of the Governing Council (Odeyemi) told our correspondent that the council had received a photocopy of the rector’s certificate.

He said, “The rector did not give us the original certificate of his PhD, but we asked him to bring it, which he has done. We had meetings on Thursday and Friday and he presented a certificate from UI.

“But in another week or so, we will conduct an interview. We have advertised publicly and many people have applied.

“We have asked that everybody  applying for permanent positions should come for interviews. It is at that point that we will confirm whatever document anybody is bringing. But as of Thursday, he gave a certificate from UI signed by a former vice-chancellor, Prof. Falashe, whom I know personally.

“He is still in acting capacity. He had wanted us to confirm the appointment, but we have not because we have not authenticated his credentials. Moreover, he does not need a PhD to be the rector.

“It is true we set up a committee which said it did not see his name (in UI’s records), but here is a man who two days ago gave us a duly signed certificate. The next thing is to go to UI and find out if the certificate is authentic or not.”

ICPC, NBTE react

The spokesperson for the ICPC, Rasheedat Okoduwa, said the agency had started investigation into the case.

“The ICPC received a petition on the matter and it is investigating it. I am not at liberty to give further information,” a text message she sent to our correspondent read.

The Head of Media, National Board for Technical Education, Jacob Abang, said the agency did not have the power to investigate the alleged academic fraud.

He said, “It is not our responsibility to go about ascertaining the qualifications that people have. We can only react if there is a petition against a worker of a polytechnic over his qualification.”

Meanwhile, a statement reportedly issued by one Chief Tunde Omikunle on behalf of the school said there was no rift between the rector and the polytechnic staff members.

“Our campus and Igbajo town and environs have remained calm…

“We like to assure the public, parents and students that both the governing council and the board of trustees are satisfied with the performance of the rector and his team,” the statement said.

Credit: Punchng.com 

JUNE 12: THE INTRIGUES BEHIND ANNULMENT, BY HUMPHREY NWOSU, ELECTORAL COMMISSION CHAIR ON JUNE 17, 2018

•I barged into NSDSC meeting to argue poll should hold

•Abacha challenged me: Who do you think you are?

•We had expected national honours for a job well done By Charles Kumolu, Deputy Features Editor

ILLUSIONARY! This adjective better explains the thinking that recent developments regarding the June 12, 1993 presidential election have responded to every nagging question on the matter. •Humphrey Nwosu No! The activities of the past few weeks do not translate into a requiem for the factors that made the poll a stillborn. Even if President Muhammadu Buhari had declared the late presumed  winner of the poll, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (fondly called MKO), an ex-President posthumously, the gesture wouldn’t have addressed all about June 12. As gratifying   as that could have been, it would have only succeeded in expanding the already large scope of the issues surrounding that historical event. This is not a conjecture or an ill-intentioned observation, but the stark reality. It is so because June 12 has ceased from being just a historical event to becoming history in itself, which is told to suit the interest of any narrator. Anyone who doubts this perspective should remember the old cliché that history is sometimes whatever the winner decides to write. The winner in this context is not the late Abiola, but those alive telling the June 12 story from whatever perspective. Therefore, whether Buhari grants Abiola all the benefits accruable to a former President or not, June 12 has become an eternal angle in the Nigerian conversation. For generations to come, its complexities will prick conscience and   sadly remind the nation of an opportunity bungled. No matter who tells the June 12 story, more strands would remain untreated and unexplored. And more questions would pop up begging for answers. Simply put, when you think you have heard the most authentic account of that event, you will find yourself evaluating all you think   you know. Indeed, such is expected considering the legion of state and non-state actors, who made it what it is. For reasons still considered self-serving, the dramatis personae brazenly altered the course of Nigeria’s history in a manner that left the country permanently on edge. By doing so, the nation’s survival was perpetually left at the mercy of sociopolitical and economic connections, instead of an orderly system that guarantees a future for all. That is the tragedy of June 12, an election many believed could have launched Nigeria on the path of seriousness. While its symbolisms are defining, its place in the nation’s narrative is only disputed by a few. Little wonder many stories are being told by several non-state actors since the President  honoured Abiola. Whether all the narratives represent the true account of the events of June 12 is an issue for another day. Today’s subject is the account of a state actor, Prof Humphrey Nwosu, who was not just a witness to history but also a creator of history. As the Chairman of then – National Electoral Commission, NEC, he could pass for a repository of all the happenstances of that period. As the umpire of that widely adjudged credible exercise, his account could shine light on some grey areas or trigger more debates on the matter. Whichever, Sunday Vanguard is of the view that Nwosu’s June 12 story, as encapsulated in his book: ‘Laying the Foundation for Nigeria’s Democracy: My Account of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election’, offers a compelling insight into the conduct and the annulment of the poll. Based on an authoritative understanding of the scenario, Nwosu, in the 392-page book, reveals and analyses  the forces that killed June 12. 18 days to election Some sections of the book, which respond to certain issues recently raised in different fora, reads:  “The Transition Council, 18 days to the presidential election, requested me to brief it on the preparation made by NEC to ensure the conduct of free and fair election. Consequently, on May 24, 1993, in company of the Secretary of the Commission, Aliyu Umar, and Director of Legal Services, DLS, Mallam Buhari Bello, briefed the Transition Council on the preparation made by NEC. We illustrated the extent of our readiness with maps, diagrams, samples of voting cards, analysed the virtues and advantages of Modified Open Ballot System over the Open Ballot System and the conventional balloting system used in previous elections in Nigeria. The council expressed its satisfaction over the detailed arrangements made for the successes of the June 12, 1993 election. The Council and its Chairman, Chief Ernest Shonekan, personally recommended our work. Less than 35 hours to poll “Before the Chairman’s broadcast, which was aired during the Nigerian Television Authority’s 9;00m news was concluded, two legal officers of NEC, Director of Legal Services, Buhari Bello and his Assistant, Tony Ojukwu, arrived in my residence at Mambilla Street, Maitama, Abuja. It was around  9:30 pm.  They came in to inform me of the “Bomb Shell”—the sad news that Abuja High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Bassey Ikpeme had issued an interim injunction restraining NEC from conducting the presidential election on June 12, 1993. This was at the instance of   Suit No. FCT/HC/M/299/93 between one Abimbola Davies for himself, and representing the members of a so-called Association of Better Nigeria, ABN, and National Electoral Commission of Nigeria, Attorney General of the Federation, National Defence and Security Council, and then – President of Nigeria. “The June 12 presidential election was less than 35 hours away from that period the news was broken to me. The crisis caused by this unnecessary and this obstructive order of the court required calling for an emergency meeting of the commission. However, this could not be done because the National Commissioners were already in the states within their respective zones to ensure the conduct of a hitch-free election. “Meanwhile, I encouraged   my two legal officers, who were worried by the High Court order which was given around  9 pm  on June 10, that I will do everything humanly possible to ensure the election took place as scheduled. Furthermore, the Director of Legal Services reminded me of the provision of Section 19 of Decree 13 Presidential Election Basic Constitutional and Transitional Decree 1993. “I directed the DLS to draft a   Press Release to assure Nigerians that the presidential election of June 12 will go on as scheduled in spite of the Interim Order that emanated from Abuja High Court. I tried to reach the President “I tried to reach the President through the telephone. The line was continuously ringing engaged. Meanwhile there was a collection of many senior officers of the commission who appeared confused and worried about our next possible line of action in order to save June 12 presidential election. “As I was unable to contact the President, I decided to visit the residence of the Attorney General of the Federation. On my arrival, he appeared surprised as he was not expecting me. He was conferring with Barrister Philip Umeadi,SAN, who was the same Counsel for Abimbola Davies and his Association for Better Nigeria. Immediately Barrister Umeadi, an experienced Senior Advocate of Nigeria who knew me very well, saw me, he uttered, `Humphrey, I do not want to do anything with NEC’, and left me alone with the Attorney General of Federation. He entered one of the rooms in the Attorney General’s residence. Meeting of NDSC “There and then I directed Buhari Bello to accompany me to the meeting of the NDSC scheduled for  10 am.  Initially he was reluctant to attend partly on the grounds that he was not properly and formally dressed as a lawyer and partly because NEC was not invited to the meeting, and then the tight security at Aso Rock. “The President and all members of NDSC,including the Vice President, Admiral Aikhomu, Minister of Defence, Gen Sani Abacha, General Aliyu, all the Service Chiefs, including the Inspector General of Police, General   Joshua Dogonyaro, Brigadier General Akilu, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Aliyu Mohammed, were present in that meeting. “From the expression on their faces they were not expecting us to attend the meeting. “The President turned to us and asked what was the purpose. I explained to the President and members of the Council that our visit was in connection with the June 12 presidential election. That our position is that the election should go on as scheduled. I stated, among other things, that, by the virtue of Section 19 of Decree 13 of 1993, the said order of the honourable court shall have no effect on the date or timing of holding the presidential election on June 12, 1993. “The President, after weighing the arguments on both sides of the divide, was convinced that NEC’s position was quite tenable and that the Abuja High Court order would not stop us from conducting the June 12 presidential election. We were about sharing a smile of victory when we heard shuffling of papers and legs. And as we looked up, we heard the collective voice of the military colleagues of the President saying, `We are not a banana Republic. No one should tell us what to do. Postpone the election at least for one week to prove that we are a sovereign nation’. “I assured him, the President, that we had concluded a near perfect arrangement to ensure a hitch-free presidential election  tomorrow. Furthermore, if the postponement had to be done, it should be postponed not for one week but for three months as all the voting cards would be abandoned and fresh ones printed. Otherwise the ensuing election would be the most rigged exercise in Nigerian electoral history. I told the President that if he allowed the election to take place and thereafter hand over to a democratically elected President, he would go down in history as our greatest President. “ For him not to allow the election to go on will be giving credence to all those in the wider society and the media who had accused him of a hidden agenda. Our advice might have pleased the President and displeased some of his colleagues who did not want the election to take place. They wondered why he should listen to a civilian official who was not even a member of the ruling council. It is, therefore, because the President accepted our advice and considered the wider interest of the nation, that he gave me the directive to go ahead with the June 12 presidential election. Opposition against the result  “The election was held in all local government areas in the country except in two Ogoni LGAs in Rivers State. In the two local government areas in Rivers State, election failed to take place not because of the unpreparedness of our commission, but because the people refused to come out to vote for different grudges against the Federal Government. “Undoubtedly, with almost all the results known, the opposition against the election rose very high within the hierarchy of some senior military officials. While the majority of the National Commissioners were already congratulating themselves and the Chairman for conducting the freest and fairest presidential election in Nigeria’s electoral history, they were looking forward to receiving national honours for a job well done. The tension in the armed forces and the restlessness of the civil society led to the spate of court injunctions. Nyako, Dongonyaro, Aliyu, Mohammed, Akilu,  David Mark “We issued a press statement stating among other things that in deference to the multiplicity of court orders and counter orders from various jurisdictions all over Nigeria that we would immediately file an appeal before the Court of Appeal in Kaduna with a view to vacating all injunctions or orders so as to complete all the processes of the announcement of the winner of the presidential election. ‘’Perhaps, as a result of the above development, the expanded meeting of the NDSC, which included the Chairman of the Transition Council, Chief Ernest Shonekan, was held on June 16, 1993. I was invited to brief the Council on the ensuing spate of court injunctions and counter injunctions. Before I entered Aso Rock, I saw Colonel Abubakar Umar, a former governor of Kaduna State. He is an accomplished officer and a very patriotic Nigerian. He congratulated us on the excellent work we had done for Nigeria. I told him that many of his senior colleagues in the army were against the election and wanted it cancelled, but he assured us of his personal support. ‘’On my entry into the venue of the meeting, I quickly glanced at the faces of members of the council. Most of their faces were grim, fearful and hostile. It was General Sani Abacha who quickly asked: `Did you expect us to know the outcome of the election like ordinary members of the public through your so-called scoreboard?’ There and then, I briefed the members about June 12, 1993, presidential election. I told them about the orderly, peaceful and successful conduct of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.   I informed them that through our effective communication machinery, transparent and simple collation procedure, all results had been affirmed with the exception of that of Taraba State. They were further told that the spate of court injunctions and counter injunctions were violations of Section 21(I) of Decree 13. Abacha committee on outcome of poll ‘’Despite our thorough briefing and satisfactory answers to the questions, no one congratulated the Commission for the successful conduct of the presidential election. Rather, there were expressions of concern to put closure to the whole matter. The other person, who before, during and after the election gave us support and wanted the outcome of the election to be concluded in keeping with the provisions of the law was the Vice President, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu. “However, the NDSC set up a committee, headed by General Sani Abacha, to handle the outcome of the election. The other members included Admiral Murtala Nyako, Generals Dongonyaro, Aliyu, Mohammed, Akilu, Brigadier David Mark, Attorney General of the Federation, Clement Akpamgbo, the NEC Chairman, Humphery Nwosu. “The main term of reference of the committee was to find an immediate solution to the outcome of the presidential election. I wondered in my mind, with the elections concluded, what else would be the solution other than allowing NEC, in keeping with the law, to announce the result. Who do you think you are? ‘’We met in General Sani Abacha’s guest house in Abuja. A subcommittee made up of the NEC Chairman, Brigadier General Akilu,   the Attorney General, Clement Akpamgbo, was set up. In attendance at the series of meetings we held to find a solution were the Secretary of the Commission, Alhaji Aliyu Umar, a National Commissioner, and Professor Felix Ideriah, who was also the Chief Returning Officer for the June 12, 1993 presidential election, and Mallam Buhari Bello, the Director of Legal Services of NEC. ‘’ From our own angle in NEC, there was nothing to discuss other than the successful conclusion of the election by declaring the winner.   We returned to the guest house of General Sani Abacha, the venue of the committee’s meeting. I presented to the committee two options. I could hardly conclude the submission when General Sani Abacha shouted on me to stop. He uttered, `Who do you think you are? You conducted a presidential election the court prohibited. You helped to cause the current confusion without the support of the members of your commission’.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/06/june-12-intrigues-behind-annulment-humphrey-nwosu-electoral-commission-chair/

OAU SEX-FOR-MARKS SCANDAL : PARENTS, NANS WANT SACKED PROFESSOR PROSECUTED, COMMEND UNIVERSITY

OAU

The parents and students of higher institutions in the country have called on the authority of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, to immediately prosecute the sacked lecturer of the institution, Professor Richard Akindele.

Prof Akindele, formerly of Department of Management and Accounting, was on Wednesday sacked by the university for being found guilty of all the sexual allegation charges levelled against him by his female student, Monica Osagie.

Osagie, a master degree student of the university had accused the lecturer of sexual harassment on her with the purpose of awarding her undue marks.

When contacted for reaction on the development, the National President of Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria, PTAN, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, said OAU had done very well for sacking the lecturer so as to serve as punishment to him as well as a deterrent to other lecturers who may be nurturing similar habit.

“But the university should not hesitate to prosecute him in a court of competent jurisdiction in order to face the full wrath of the law,” he added.

Haruna, however, urged universities across the country to constitute Parent-Forum and make them active so as to be able to monitor closely the activities of their children in relations to the happenings in schools.

On his part, the National President, National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Mr. Aruna Kadiri, also said, while he advocated the prosecution of the sacked lecturer, he commended the management of OAU for the action taken.

He said it was a bold step that would greatly save the image of the university.

He said the management knew that NANS as a body had been watching the entire investigation processes with keen interest and therefore had no option than to allow justice to prevail on the matter.

According to him, NANS had on several times warned the management that it must not sweep the matter under the carpet as doing so would have made the entire students come hard on the university.

“So, what OAU has done on this matter is well commendable and NANS appreciates it as a union. It will serve as a warning to every other lecturer that they cannot just be harassing our ladies in any form,” he said.

He, however, said that female students dressed indecently as usually claims by some male lecturers were not a ticket for such a student to be sexually harassed, noting that teachers are to impart not‎ only academic knowledge on students but also moral education.

SEX FOR MARK'S SCANDAL: OAU SACKS PROFESSOR INVOLVED

Prof. Richard Akindele

 

The Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has dismissed Professor Richard Akindele from the services of the University for gross misconduct.

Vice Chancellor of OAU, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, disclosed this to reporters after the meeting of the Council on Wednesday in Ile Ife, Osun State.

He revealed that the Council, after its findings, concluded that Professor Akindele had an inappropriate relationship with one of his students, Miss Monica Osagie, a claim to which he admitted.

The Council also discovered that the don had offered to change Osagie’s 33 per cent result to a pass mark, in consideration for sexual favours.

According to the vice chancellor, this was established in an audio recording that went viral in early April which Akindele also admitted to.

He informed journalists that from the evidence, Miss Osagie had no idea that she scored 45 per cent pass mark as claimed by the erring professor, although the student later found out she did not fail the course.

Professor Ogunbodede noted that the Council, from all findings, found out that Professor Akindele operated in a position of power and authority over Miss Osagie and as such sexually harassed her.

He added that Professor Akindele was found to be liable for all allegations of misconduct levelled against him with all the evidence at the Council’s disposal.

The VC pointed out that this led to the dismissal of the academic from the services of the university, to serve as a deterrent to others.

He disclosed further that the university has taken further steps to ensure total elimination of sexual harassment in the OAU community.

According to Ogunbodede, the institution has a legal duty to prevent sexual and gender-based harassment within the school and to ensure that both men and women are protected from the menace.

To achieve this, he said the university has put a strategic implementation framework for sexual harassment policy in place.

The vice chancellor explained that this would ensure effective and rapid redress mechanisms to incidents of sexual harassment, just as a whistleblower policy is also being developed by the university.

ARMEDMEN ABDUCT, ABDUCT NNPC OFFICIAL IN RIVERS

A group of hoodlums have kidnapped and killed a senior official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation identified as John Ihenacho.

Ihenacho was said to have been abducted by the hoodlums in Ndoki community in Oyigbo Local Government Area last week before he was killed by his captors, who had earlier collected ransom.

It was learnt that the victim was later buried in a shallow grave, even as sources said that ransom was paid in foreign currency.

However, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, said some of the suspected kidnappers had been arrested.

Omoni told our correspondent in a telephone interview that it was during the interrogation of the suspect that they confessed to the crime and took security operatives to where the late NNPC official was buried.

“I can confirm to you that we have arrested some of the suspects involved in the crime and investigation is ongoing. The State Police Command is after other members of the kidnap gang that killed the NNPC official,” the state police spokesman added.

PRESIDENT BUHARI TO SIGN 2018 BUDGET ON WEDNESDAY

President M. Buhari

 
President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to sign the 2018 appropriation bill into law on Wednesday, June 2018.

The weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting for this Wednesday might also not hold due to the budget signing and Public holidays of Friday and Monday.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, at the end of FEC meeting last week informed journalists that President Buhari will sign the 2018 budget this week.

The Presidency had received the appropriation bill from the National Assembly on May 25 after it was signed by the lawmakers.

President Buhari presented a budget proposal of N8.612 trillion to the lawmakers earlier in 2017 with hopes that the bill would be passed in December of that year, but it took six months for that to happen with the lawmakers accusing ministries, departments, and agencies of frustrating the passage by failing to submit the breakdowns of their budget proposals.

The National Assembly, however, increased the proposal by N508billion bringing it to N9.12 trillion from the original estimate of N8.6 trillion.

During the budget presentation, the President had noted that the Appropriation Bill will consolidate on the achievements of the previous budget and that 2018 is expected to be a year of better outcomes.

MASSOB LEADER UWAZURUIKE, JAILED BY COURT FOR CONTEMPT

Founder of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has been sentenced to one month in prison by a High Court in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

The court order, which was served to the police last Thursday, signed by J.C. Okoro Esq. and dated June 6, 2018, indicates that Uwazuruike will be in prison custody for one month for contempt of court.

News report has it that upon reading through the Motion On Notice filed on July 6, 2017, praying for an order of court to commit the plaintiff in the substantive suit, Uwazuruike, to prison for disobeying the order of court made on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 and after due consideration of the unchallenged oral evidence of the 1st defendant, Chigozie Iheama and exhibits tendered in the contempt proceedings, the presiding judge, Justice Kemakolam Ojiako, ruled that:

“The plaintiff, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, is hereby found guilty of contempt to the said order of court made on April 2, 2014.

“That the plaintiff, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, is hereby sentenced to prison custody and shall be so detained for a period of one month from the date of his commitment to prison.”

Uwazuruike, his agents and proxies have also been restrained from entering into the said land subject matter until the suit is determined. This judgement is coming after Uwazuruike dragged Iheama to court in 2013 over a land transaction issue in suit No. HOW/265/2013. According to Iheama, from 2013 to 2017 that the case was on, Uwazuruike had refused to appear in court in a matter he is the plaintiff.

However before the matter was transferred to the present court, the former judge, Justice Florence Duruoha Igwe, was hearing contempt proceedings against Uwazuruike for defying the orders of court for parties to maintain status quo and commencing building on the disputed land. Iheama alleged that plots by the MASSOB leader to frustrate justice, did not stop when the matter was transferred to the court of Justice Kemakolam Ojiako.

“Consequent order of the court to seal the property by chaining and padlocking the gates was subverted by Uwazuruike who instead removed the gate and sealed up the area with a block wall, making it impossible for court officials to enforce the order,” he said.

On his own part, Uwazuruike had, however, argued that he was not under obligation to be in court as the case was a civil matter. But Iheama differed, saying that the case at hand was the contempt proceedings and not the substantive suit.

While Justice Ojiako noted in his ruling that “the substantive proceeding is adjourned to the July 10, 2018, to await the outcome of the Motion for Stay of proceedings,” counsel to the MASSOB leader, Emma Chukwuka, said that hearing on the appealed suit comes up on October 2, 2018.

WHY WE CANNOT INVESTIGATE OBASANJO’S $16 BILLION POWER PROJECT – SAGAY

 Prof. Itse  Sagay

Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), has said his committee cannot investigate the failed $16 billion National Integrated Power Project carried out during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

However, Sagay speaking to Independent said his committee had not looked into the project because it did not have the mandate to do so. He said investigation and prosecution were the responsibilities of anti-corruption agencies.

He said: “When the time comes, we will meet with Buhari on the power project. It is an issue that we were not seriously thinking about in my committee.

“As I said, the anti-corruption agencies are the ones who have all the facts and figures.

“So, we will meet them and give them the initiatives, but if this thing becomes a political issue, it may be necessary to dig in, get the facts and take the appropriate action.

“If anybody wants to make capital of politics by running down the government – which is the most upright government we have had since Murtala Mohammed government – then, this government may have to show that it is a government of principle and a government that has a will to suppress corruption, and those who challenge it will face the music.

“It is not that we don’t want to look into the issue of the $16 billion power project because of the former president but the truth is that my committee doesn’t have that power.

“We don’t do investigation or prosecution. Our work is mainly that of a think-tank. In other words, we do activities to give the anti-corruption agencies greater capacity to make them more effective.

“We make proposals to the government to help the fight against corruption. For example, we have been engaged in training of judges and prosecutors both at the federal and state levels.

“We have been engaged in preparing manuals for prosecutors to use, preparing sentencing guidelines for judges to use.

“We also draft the bill on proceeds of crime which will give the agencies power to seize assets that they suspect have been acquired by crime or illegitimately, putting anyone claiming it under the obligation of establishing how he got it.

“We have a draft of that; it is with the National Assembly. We have a special crimes court which would have done more effectively what the Chief Justice has done by saying that certain courts should be set aside for crimes, particularly corruption.

“Of course, we also write regular advice to the president over issues that we think are pertinent towards the fight against corruption,” he said.