TWO FEARED KILLED, 8 INJURED IN PETROL TANKER FIRE IN AWKA, ANAMBRA

No fewer than two persons were confirmed dead and six others injured, when a tanker bearing PMS (petrol) fell at AmaObia Roundabout in Awka and went up in flames on Saturday night.

Eyewitnesses report that at least eight vehicles and some residential buildings within the vicinity were also destroyed in the inferno. It was gathered that the fire occurred in front of the AmaObia Fire Service and near the Police Headquarters, Anambra Governor’s Lodge and other public buildings.

Narrating his experience, one of the victims, Mr Paul Igwemma, whose car got burnt in the fire, said the tanker was negotiating a bend when it fell and subsequently burst into flames.

Igwemma, who was full of praises to God, said he had to abandon his vehicle and ran for his dear life. “I saw the vehicle trying to negotiate to this direction and all of a sudden the tank fell and hit the pavement of the roundabout so I immediately out of my car.

“Few seconds after, there was an explosion accompanied by fire and as you can see, my car is burnt beyond recognition, together with about ten other vehicles,” he said. An eyewitness, Mary Anyaora, who was seen weeping at the scene, said the number of casualties could still be more.

Anyaora said that many more people were still trapped in their buildings and might not be able to escape from the fire. She said that the effect of the fire could have been minimal, if there was an immediate intervention from the Fire Service.

Confirming the incident, Mr Andrew Kumapayi, Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), blamed the incident on careless driving on the part of the tanker driver. Kumapayi said that two persons died, while six others sustained injuries with eight vehicles burnt beyond recognition.

“The driver did not stop when the tank fell, the incident happened in front of the Fire Service and fire fighters were still making efforts to put out the fire,” he said. The fire was reported to be still raging at the time of filing the report, while men of the fire service were seen battling to put it out. 
(NAN)

HOW GOV. ABUBAKAR DIVERTED N400 BILLION USING GHOST WORKERS - RT. HON. DOGARA

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has uncovered massive fraud and theft perpetrated by Bauchi State government under Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar to the tune of N400 billion from May 2015 when he assumed office to date.

Newsmen gathered that while speaking at a campaign rally in Dass, headquarters of Dass local government area on Friday, Hon Dogara presented documented evidence to a mammoth crowd of his constituents showing how thousands of non-existent people were said to have been employed in 2015 shortly after the governor came into office.

The Speaker challenged Governor Abubakar to take him to court and promised that he will defend the allegations and added that as a lawyer he knows the law and would not level false allegations against anyone if he does not have evidence.

A perusal of one of the documents indicates that not fewer than 1,200 people were said to have been employed and added into the state's payroll beginning from July 2015.

However, one of the ghost employees by name, Bappale Adamu, was said to have been born in 1899, which is 120 years ago and started work with the Bauchi state government on July 24, 2015 and will retire from the service in 2023.

Another startling revelation showed that all the 1,200 workers, though have different names and dates of birth, have the same Bank Verification Number (BVN), meaning that their entire salary was being paid into one and same bank account under different names.

The salaries vary from N39,000 to N86,000 and above.

The speaker also wondered how Bauchi State monthly salary skyrocketed from N2.6 billion per month in May 2015 to N7 billion without recruitment of additional workers, especially as the governor had early in his administration, fired thousands of political appointees engaged by former governor Isa Yuguda, which should have reduced the state's wage bill drastically.

He also accused the governor of diverting billions of local government funds in the last 3 1/2 years.

The Speaker also recalled how the governor chased away contractors renovating Dass Central Mosque but failed to renovate it after repeated promises and revealed how he personally paid for the renovation of the mosque.

It would be recalled that the Bauchi state Government had owed workers more than one year salaries following series of verifications allegedly to remove ghost workers from the state’s payroll by the present administration at its inception in 2015, but sadly, shortly after that, the monthly salary bill increased from N2.6 billion to about N7 billion.

In August 2016, political leaders and stakeholders from the state led by the Speaker sought President Mohammadu Buhari’s intervention on the non-payment of salaries which didn’t yield any result and has been the major source of disagreement between the Speaker, political leaders, stakeholders and the Bauchi state Governor.

RIVERS APC SAGA: PDP HAILS SUPREME COURT’S RULING ON RIVERS APC

The @OfficialPDPNig hails the judgment of the Supreme Court, upholding the law in nullifying the legally defective primaries of the @OfficialAPCNg in Rivers state, as victory for democracy and the rule of law. 

The party commends the apex court for its courage in delivering the landmark judgment, which has saved the nation from a serious constitutional crisis that could have marred the 2019 general elections and detract from our overall electoral system.

The judgment of the Supreme Court serves as a huge lesson to politicians and political parties, to eschew impunity and always conduct their affairs in a manner that is in tandem with the provision of the law.

The courage displayed by the Supreme Court in delivering the judgment at this critical time in our national life has also restored the confidence of Nigerians in the institution of the Judiciary and our democratic order.

JUST IN: COURT ORDERS ARREST OF CCB CHAIRMAN OVER El RUFAI'S ASSETS DECLARATION

A Kaduna state high court on Friday, February 8, issued a warrant of arrest against the chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, for contempt.
The warrant of arrest was issued by Justice Mario Mohammed after the chairman had ignored several summons by the court in a suit between Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufa’i and Today’s publishing Company Limited, and one other.

A warrant form obtained directed that police personnel and authorities should arrest the CCB chairman and produce him before the court on February 13.
Earlier, Today Publishing company, the publisher of The Union Newspapers had filed application requesting the court to subpoena CCB chairman to produce assets declaration of El-Rufai in court after several failed efforts it made to obtain it from the CCB.
Justice Mohammed granted the approval based on the application filed by Counsel to The Union Newspapers, Mr J.N. Egwuonwu (SAN), during the continuation of defence at previous sitting.

Egwuonwu represented by Hiifan Andrew Abuul had written application to the court to Subpoena CCB to tender the asset declaration of the Governor before the court.
News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), reports that the governor had gone to the court over a report carried by the newspaper in which it allegedly stated that he had declared N90 billion in his CCB assets declaration form.

HON JUSTICE TANKO MUHAMMAD TO CHAIR MAIDEN WORKSHOP FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

The Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad will on Monday and Tuesday chair the maiden workshop for Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of other courts on issues relating to “secured transactions in movable assets.”

The workshop, being the first of its kind, is being jointly organised by the National Judicial Council (NJI), the National Collateral Registry (NCR) and the Juris Law Office (JLO).

The head of JLO, Professor Niyi Ayoola-Daniels, explained that the workshop is intended to bring the Justices and judges up to date on the salient provisions of the Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act, 2017 (The Act) and Part III of the Central Bank of Nigeria Regulation on Registration of Security Interests in Movable Property by Banks and Other Financial Institution Regulation No. 1 of 2015 (The Regulation).

Ayoola -Daneil said the workshop is part of efforts by the government to ensure that the nation’s Judiciary is abreast of the provisions of the law to allow for its effective application.

He said the Act alone and the Regulation will not guarantee “best practices” and ”Rule of Law” in secured transactions in movable assets in Nigeria without effective application by a well knowledgeable and sound Judiciary on the subject matter”.

He said the workshop, with the theme: “Leveraging on movable asset for credit delivery In Nigeria: Legal and regulatory framework,” is slated for Abuja between February 11 and 12, 2019.

Ayoola-Daniels said the workshop aims “to acquaint Justices and judges with appropriate legal and regulatory framework of the secured transactions in Movable Assets Act and its contribution to the national economy.

He said the Acting CJN will also deliver the keynote address, while the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele is scheduled to give the opening remarks.

Ayoola-Daniels added: “Also expected to participate at the workshop are Supreme Court Justices, Court of Appeal Justices, Chief Judge and Judges of the Federal High Court as well as Judges of the High Courts from many states across the country.

“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, key government officials, captains of industry, and officials of the World Bank/ International Finance Corporation (IFC).

“The Central Bank of Nigeria, in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), established the National Collateral Registry (NCR) in 2016 in line with the Bank’s mandate on sustainable economic inclusive growth and financial inclusion. The NCR is a financial infrastructure that seeks to deepen credit delivery to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through enhanced acceptability of movable assets such as equipment, machinery, vehicles, crops, livestock, account receivables, inventories, and jewelleries,” he said.

UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC (UBA) JOB RECRUITMENT (MULTIPLE POSITIONS)

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EFCC NEWSFLASH: CORRUPT ELEMENTS NOW STASH LOOT IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES – MAGU

      Ibrahim Magu

The tone of Nigeria’s anti-corruption war changed dramatically yesterday when the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, disclosed that corrupt and influential Nigerians had turned their attention from Europe and America but now stash their loot in African countries considered as safe havens.

Ibrahim Magu made the stunning revelation at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria’s EFCC and Nigerien High Authority against Corruption and Related Crimes, HALCIA, in Niamey, the country’s capital.

Magu said that unlike in the past when Nigeria’s looters of public treasury took their loot to safe havens in Europe, America and some islands, such elements had now found some African countries more attractive to hide their illicit cash and property.

Magu said: “From available intelligence and our investigations, it has been revealed that looters from Nigeria now go to Ghana, Egypt, Cameroun, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Niger Republic, Morocco, and Seychelles and so on, to stash their loots. This has led to a sharp increase in the number of Nigerians buying properties in African countries.

“In fact, some corrupt Nigerians even go to the extent of changing their names and acquiring the destination countries’ international passports in collusion with corrupt public officers in their countries of residence in order to hide their identities and evade detection.

But he vowed to turn the heat on the looters until the war against corruption was won by the government and the culprits sent to jail to serve as a deterrent to others.

The MoU, according to the EFCC in Abuja on Friday, is geared towards strengthening collaborative efforts between the Nigerian front row anti-corruption agency and its Niger Republic counterpart.

The signing of the document was the climax of a two-day working visit by the Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu to the West African country.

But Magu begged the Nigerien authorities to help Nigeria confront the growing illicit cash movement along the borders of the two countries by identifying the owners of huge cash owned by some Nigerians in that country’s financial system and sharing the information with the EFCC to enable the agency to determine whether it is part of the proceeds of crime or not.

He also pleaded with them to assist Nigeria by identifying the numerous property owned by Nigerians including the details of the owners in order to enable the commission to ascertain if such Nigerians acquired them with looted funds or proceeds of crime

Other request by the EFCC boss to the Nigerien government included: Stopping moves by persons who plan to move funds during the elections hrough the usual medium to destabilise the political stage in Nigeria, increased clampdown on Nigerians who are involved in cyber crime and handing over their details to Nigeria and assisting the EFCC in the arrest of persons on its ‘Wanted Persons List’ who might have absconded through Niger Republic.

 President of HALCIA, Gousmane, said there was no better time than now for EFCC and the agency to sign the MoU for stronger collaboration between Nigeria and The Niger Republic in the fight against corruption.

He said: “We are ready and willing to partner with Nigeria. Nigeria has the experience and the human capacity and with President Muhammadu Buhari who is a renowned anti-corruption icon, we have no choice but to leverage on Nigeria for capacity building in taming the corruption monster,” Gousmane said.

One of the side attractions of the visit was Gousmane’s presentation of a horse as a special gift to Magu.

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RIVERS APC SAGA: SUPREME COURT AFFIRMS JUDGEMENT OF LOWER COURT

The Supreme Court has affirmed the judgement of Justice Chiwendu Nworgu on the congress conducted by the All Progressives Congress, APC in Rivers state.

The Supreme Court also addressed the issue of representation and held that Chinweikpe Chieme of the Senator Magnus Abe group of the APC is the legal representative of the APC in the state.

The apex court, therefore, upheld the appeal of Ibrahim Umar and twenty-two other aggrieved members of the APC that they were restrained from participating in the ward, local government and state congresses of the party.

With this, the imbroglio in the Rivers state chapter of the APC continues.

Details later…

I WON’T SHARE MY RETURNING OFFICER ROLE WITH ANYONE - INEC CHAIRMAN

Prof Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has vowed not to share his role as returning officer of the presidential elections with anyone.

Prof Yakubu said this on Thursday during an interactive meeting with Catholic Bishops in Abuja.

He was speaking in reaction to comments still trailing the appointment of Amina Zakari who is reportedly related to President Muhammadu Buhari as the head of the committee on collation centre.

Zakari’s appointment was misconstrued in some quarters to mean she would be involved in the collation process.

Prof Yakubu, however, said he remains the only returning officer who would announce results for the presidential election.

“The chairman of INEC is the chief returning officer for the presidential election and I am not going to share that responsibility with anyone,” he said.

He also urged Nigerians to always draw the attention of the commission to any infraction in the national voter register for rectification

Prof Yakubu said: “We have been doing so consistently. After the last one, we received only a few comments from the states, I think 48,000 out of 84 million registered voters.

“Part of the difficulty is that we are very careful if someone says that one person is dead, because of the experience the commission had in 2015.

“We received a letter from one particular political party that a candidate was dead and they submitted a death certificate obtained from a government hospital. They also went to court, swore to an affidavit and his family also attested to the fact that the candidate was dead. They filed all these documents at the commission. A week later, the supposedly dead candidate turned up and said he was alive.”