Jonathan should address Obasanjo’s allegations – Falana, Adedoyin

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), said on Thursday that President Goodluck Jonathan should address the allegations levelled against  him by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Obasanjo, in a letter to Jonathan dated December 2 but leaked to the media on Wednesday, had  among others, accused Jonathan of incompetence,  abuse of office, corruption and gross mismanagement of the resources of the nation.

Falana said in a statement on Thursday that while Obasanjo’s allegations against the President must not be swept under the carpet,  the ex-President lacked the moral authority to tutor Jonathan on any of the subjects raised.

“No doubt, the allegations which lacerated the controversial letter are weighty. Instead of dismissing the contents of the letter the Presidency should respond to the allegations raised therein seriatim. In particular, the allegation that the Federal Government is setting up a Presidential Strike Force to carry out terrorist attacks on political opponents should not be swept under the carpet,” Falana said.

The rights lawyer, who picked hole in Obasanjo’s 18-page letter, urged Nigerians to take advantage “of the intra-class war going on in the ruling party to get organised and take their political destiny in their own hands.”

Controversial letter: Jonathan, Obasanjo meet in Kenya

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday met behind closed doors in the  Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya.

The meeting held less than 24 hours after an 18-page   letter Obasanjo    sent to Jonathan went public.

Both leaders were in Nairobi for  Kenya’s  50th independence anniversary which was held inside the Safaricom Stadium.

The former President had in the letter accused Jonathan of  condoning corruption and engaging in acts  that were capable of destroying the country.

Before  the event, Obasanjo had made an  appearance at Jonathan’s hotel on a day the  media were awash with the letter  titled “Before it is too late.”

The former President’s arrival was said  to have been heralded by the surprise visit to Jonathan by Obasanjo’s daughter identified simply as Funke.

A source told The PUNCH  that a few minutes after that, Obasanjo arrived to the surprise of Jonathan’s aides.

Assembly takeover: Rivers APC vows to appeal judgment

THE Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has vowed to appeal against the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja that nullified the takeover of the functions of the State House of Assembly by the National Assembly.

The state APC said it rejected the court ruling delivered by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, adding that the judgement was capable of causing a breakdown of law and order in the state.

In a statement signed by the Senior Special Adviser to the Interim State Chairman, APC Rivers State, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, the APC added that the decision of the High Court was not in the interest of the people of the state.

It noted that the anti-Amaechi lawmakers had concluded plans to impeach the Governor  Rotimi Amaechi, his deputy, Mr. Tele Ikuru, as a result of the court ruling.

Supreme Court reverses Bode George fraud conviction

More than three years after serving a two-year jail term in Kirikiri Maximum Prison for contract splitting, the Supreme Court in Abuja on Friday reversed the conviction of the former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George.

The judges of the apex court, headed by Afolabi Fabiyi, in their judgment, ruled that the charges of contract splitting, on which the EFCC arraigned and secured the conviction of the politician, was unknown to law of the land.

This development came less than three days after former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, accused President Goodluck Jonathan of encouraging corruption.

The apex court ruled that the EFCC, which prosecuted George, did not sufficiently prove that the defendant had an intention to commit fraud at the Nigeria Port Authority.

George and other board members of the NPA, where the politician was  the chairman, were convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment byJustice Oyewole of a Lagos High Court for contract splitting.

PUNCH

Jonathan shouldn’t take Nigeria back to Abacha days – APC

The All Progressives Congress has urged the Jonathan administration not to take Nigeria back to the dreaded and calamitous days of the late Gen. Sani Abacha, when perceived opponents of the government were targets of rampaging murderous gangs and Nigeria was turned to a pariah nation through unbridled human rights abuses.

In a statement issued in Osogbo on Friday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party expressed serious concern over the allegations that the Jonathan administration is training snipers at the same facility where the Abacha killer squad was trained; talks of abuse and misuse of the military and other security apparatus for personal and political interest as well as the reported placing of 1,000 people under a ’political watch-list’
It said the party is constrained to take the allegations very seriously because it emanated from no less a personality than former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in an open letter he wrote to his fellow party man, President Jonathan, which has now been widely circulated in the traditional and Social Media..
”All Nigerians must be worried by these weighty allegations, coming less than 15 years after the long-suffering people had collectively vowed ‘never again’ to a regime like Abacha’s that sent many innocent souls to their early graves and dispatched many citizens into forced exile for merely holding views that were opposed to that of the late dictator’s government.

FG/ASUU sign agreement, varsities to reopen soon

After five months and 10 days that the public universities have been on strike, the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities on Wednesday finally signed a fresh  agreement.

The fresh pact is the review of the Federal Government/ASUU 2012 Memorandum of Understanding reached on the 2009 agreement.

Both parties, however, refused to reveal the details of the agreement to journalists who witnessed the signing of the agreement.

The meeting was almost boycotted by the union until the intervention of stakeholders.

ASUU had on Tuesday vowed not to attend the meeting because there was no commitment and proper invitation from the government.

The union had demanded for proof of the payment of the N200bn into a Central Bank of Nigeria account for public universities, non-victimisation clause, review of the agreement in 2014 and that a representative of government, preferably the Attorney-General of the Federation to sign the agreement as conditions to call off the strike which began on July 1.

Obasanjo bombs Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan is under  a fresh attack . This time, it  is a stinker  from a former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

 The Balogun of Owu, Abeokuta, did not make an impromptu speech at a public forum, he took his time to pen what he felt to be Jonathan’s  failings.

In  an 18-page  letter to  the President, Obasanjo  accused  him, among other things, of  not honouring his words  and  taking actions calculated at destroying Nigeria.

The  letter dated December 2, 2013 and titled, “Before it is too late”  became public  knowledge on Wednesday. Only on Monday, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, said Jonathan was paying lip service to  the anti-corruption campaign  in the country.

In the letter, Obasanjo accused the President of  pursuing “ selfish personal and political interests based on advise from his “self-centred aides.”

He also alleged that the President had  failed  to deliver on his promises to Nigerians and to  curb insurgency and corruption in the country.

PDP warns Aregbesola against demolition of secretariat

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa, has warned Governor Rauf Aregbesola against going ahead to demolish the secretariat of the party in Osogbo, the state capital.

Olaoluwa gave the warning on Wednesday in an interview with journalists at the sideline of the meeting of PDP in Osun Central Senatorial District, which held at the party secretariat.

Members of the party from the Osun Central Senatorial District assured the party of their support in the 2014 governorship election.

The PDP chairman said that the party had re-filed the suit challenging the planned demolition of structure within the party secretariat, asking the governor to obey the rule of law rather than seeking to take actions which could trigger chaos in the state.

He said, “We have re-filed the suit in which we are challenging their plan to demolish our secretariat. Since he professes to obey the rule of law, I believe he will restrain himself from doing what could lead to the breakdown of law and order.

On the purported slight of Nigeria at Madiba’s funeral

Fellow Liberians: As I speak to you today, I am most gratified by the calibre of the delegations of our own African Governments, Foreign Governments, partners and local partners as well, who have come to join us to celebrate this triumph of democracy in our country. I am particularly touched by those you see – our dear brothers, the delegation from the United States, headed by the wife of President George Bush and my friend, our mediator, who has been with us so long and brought us to this day. We pay homage to all of you. We respect you.

We welcome you. Bien vene a tous. My dear Brothers and Sisters of West Africa: You have died for us; you have given refuge to thousands of our citizens; you have denied yourselves by utilising your scarce resources to assist us; you have agonised for us, and you have prayed for us. We thank you, and may God bless you for your support to Liberia as well as for your continuing commitment to promote peace, security, stability, and bilateral cooperation within our sub-region – and beyond.”

I won’t step down, Tukur insists

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday vowed that he would not step down from office despite the calls by some aggrieved governors of the party for his removal.

While saying that he is not moved by those calls, Tukur said there was no basis for him to resign.

He spoke with State House correspondents shortly after meeting Vice President Namadi Sambo behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He reiterated his position that though those opposing his style of leadership referred to him as a virus, Tukur said “he is a virus for good governance and discipline.”

He said, “There is no basis for me to resign. I am not moved by the various accusations leveled against me.

“They even say that I am a virus. Yes, I agree that I am a virus, but a virus for discipline; a virus for good governance, virus for positive change and virus for all things that are good.

“Do you resign when you know that you are doing good things? Do you resign simply because a few people are angry that you are doing positive things and they are not comfortable with such good things?”

Tukur however expressed the conviction that the aggrieved governors who defected to the All Progressives Congress would still return to the party as party leaders would not foreclose dialogue with them.

“Even in your home, if your wife run away, you would always look for ways of talking to her hoping that she would see reason and return home,” he said.

PUNCH NG

FG to close N’Assembly complex for one year

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved a contract of N40.2bn for the construction of the Phase III, Part III of the National Assembly complex and the upgrading of the assembly’s two chambers.

To pave the way for the smooth implementation of the project, the two chambers would be closed to legislative duties for 12 months.

The approval was given by FEC on Wednesday at its weekly meeting presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo.

President Goodluck Jonathan was away in South Africa where he participated in the funeral rites for the country’s former President, Dr. Nelson Mandela.

Minister of Information,  Mr. Labaran Maku; and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Muhammed, briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting.

We won’t return to PDP, Wamakko tells President

The meeting President Goodluck Jonathan had with Peoples Democratic Party governors on Sunday which was aimed at resolving the crisis in the ruling party ended  again in a deadlock in the early hours of Monday.

 Contrary to expectation, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State  and his  Sokoto State  counterpart, Aliyu Wamakko, who had earlier announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress, stuck to their guns at the end of the meeting.

Wamakko told State House correspondents at about 2.15 am on Monday that he used the opportunity of the meeting to formally inform the President of the defection of five PDP governors, including himself, to the  APC.

He  explained  that   Kwankwaso   and himself  only attended the meeting out of respect for the President, who invited them.

 Wamakko said, “The  meeting went on very well because some of us came here as governors. In the PDP matter, our position has been known.

 “On behalf of the five of us, I have already briefed Mr. President of our position as G-5,  that we are no longer in the PDP mainstream and that we are already in another party.

 “But as a President of this country, if he calls us, we will come and listen to him and respect him as a leader of our country, otherwise what we had there was mostly a PDP affair.”

Admission crisis hits varsities, only two schools meet deadline

Forty days after the deadline set by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s to tertiary institutions to complete the 2013/2014 admission, only two universities have fully complied with the directive, The PUNCH exclusively gathered on Monday.

The schools are the University of Benin, Edo State and the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State.

The non-compliance, analysts say, may result in admission crisis in the institutions, especially with the ongoing strike by lecturers in the nation’s public universities.

Over 1.5 million candidates wrote this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

The Fourth Combined Policy Committee’s meeting on admissions to tertiary institutions, chaired by the former Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai, fixed October 31 as the deadline for the schools to complete the 2013/2014 admission exercise.

The committee, comprising heads of tertiary institutions, met in Abuja on June 18 and fixed the deadline.

Curiously, the board has begun the sale of application forms for the 2014/2015 admission and the examination holds in April 2014.

Jonathan encouraging corruption – Tambuwal

The Speaker of  the House of  Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, on Monday  said that  President  Goodluck Jonathan’s “body language” did not indicate that  he had the political will  to stem  corruption in the country.

 He also decried  Jonathan’s penchant for setting up committees to probe corruption allegations and what he termed “the culture of undue secrecy surrounding the operation of government.”

Tambuwal listed the oil subsidy and  Security and Exchange Commission scandals, the Pension scam as well as the Oduaghate, to  buttress his allegation of  Jonathan’s perceived  paying of lip service to the war against graft.

The speaker  also  came hard on  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  accusing it of being corrupt.

He was reacting to issues raised during the question and answer session at an event organised by the Nigerian Bar Association to mark the 2013 International Anti-corruption Day in Abuja.

But the Presidency  said  it was unfortunate that a man occupying a high office  as the speaker could  judge the President by body language.

Tambuwal  had said, “The Executive, by  constituting committees to investigate what ordinarily would have been investigated by the EFCC, the ICPC (Independent Corrupt Practices and Other-Related Offences Commission) and the  Code of Conduct Bureau, is engaged in a duplication of effort.

We’re waiting for sack letters, say defiant lecturers

Striking lecturers in the nation’s public universities on Monday made good their decision not to return to work as directed by the Federal Government.

The striking teachers also refused to sign the attendance registers in their respective institutions as ordered by the government.

They said they were only waiting for the sack letters the Federal Government threatened to give them if they did not return to work.

In many of the universities visited by our correspondents, only administrative offices opened for business while the lecture rooms were empty. Particularly, lecturers’ offices remained shut.

Among some of the universities visited by our correspondents were the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Calabar, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, and the University of Uyo.

Others are Obafemi Awolwo University, Ile-Ife, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye.

My experience in hands of armed robbers —Karen Igho

On-air personality and Big Brother Africa 2012 winner, Karen Igho, in this Interview with JOAN OMIONAWELE, talks about life after BBA, career and other issues. Excerpts
How has it been after BBA?
It’s been wonderful. I give God all the glory. There have been tough times, but I have managed to scale through.

You have remained in the news for various reasons, how have you strived to be relevant?
 Well, I thank God for that; it’s just me being me.

2013 has been lots of glitz for you through endorsements and shows... how are you handling it?
I have been handling it good so far. It hasn’t been easy. I’m always up and down, at times, I have no time to rest, but through God’s grace, I have remained strong.

You were robbed recently, what exactly happened?
 It happened in Elegushi beach. My friends and I were robbed of so many things. They probably would have stolen the car if it didn’t have security. It was a Range Rover but no be my car o!. I’m thankful that we all came out unhurt and pray  never to experience such again.

How has your latest track ‘Jump and Pass’ with your younger brother, Jason aka Kido, fared in the market?
 It has fared great and we are hoping to release the video soon.

PDP crisis: Jonathan, governors meeting ends in stalemate

The peace meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and Peoples Democratic Party governors ended in a stalemate in the early hours of Monday.

While Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State told journalists that he attended the meeting alongside his Kano counterpart, Rabiu Kwankwaso to formally inform the President of their defection to the All Progressive Congress, Governor Godswill Akpabio said no such issue was discussed at the meeting.
Akpabio, who is the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, however said Wamakko was at liberty to leave the party as thousands of the party members in Sokoto State will remain in the party.

PUNCH NG

FG not sincere, strike continues –ASUU

PUBLIC university lecturers on Sunday insisted  that they would not return to the classrooms  on Monday (today).

They also accused the Federal Government of insincerity in its bid to resolve its dispute with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge, confirmed this on Sunday via a Short Message Service  to an enquiry by The PUNCH.

The Federal Government had through the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie,  deferred its earlier ultimatum to the lecturers to resume work on Monday (today) or risk being sacked. The shift  was to enable them to participate in the burial of Prof. Festus Iyayi, a former president of ASUU on Saturday.

Before this , the Supervising  Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, had advised  the striking lecturers to return to work on or before December 4 or face dismissal.

But ASUU had in a news bulletin to its chapters  after its  meeting in Ekpoma, Edo State on Sunday,  said   the Federal Government had not met its  conditions for suspending the over five months’ strike.