We are not against GEJ- Governors reply Clark

The 36 state governors under the aegis of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, yesterday dismissed allegations by Elder Statesman and prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark that they had formed an opposition to the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government.
According to the governors, they were not fighting the President, just as they stressed that as an elder, they were not prepared to join issues with the former Federal Commissioner for Information.
Addressing journalists at the end of their meeting, held at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro Abuja, Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, however, tongue lashed the Federal Government over its attitude towards the management of Excess Crude Account, ECA. This came just as the governors vowed not to further accept adjournments of the case pending at the Supreme Court.
Asked to react to Chief Clark’s allegation of forming an opposition to the Federal Government and whether they were fighting President Jonathan, Amaechi said: “No. Chief Edwin Clark is an elder statesman, we are not going to respond to him.”
Clark last Thursday alleged that the governors had become more dictatorial than former military governors and using the forum as an opposition Party to the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government. There have been several moves by the Federal Government to have an out of Court resolution of the excess crude account crisis with the governors, but all moves have been futile because against the governors had repeatedly described the action of the Federal Government on the account as illegal.
Vote of Confidence on Amaechi
At the end of the meeting which was the first this year, the governors also “declared their confidence in the Chairman and endorsed his leadership as head of the Forum.”
Amaechi said: “Forum decries the present attitude of the Federal Government on Excess Crude Account and resolves to take no further adjournments in the subsisting case in court but to seek a final resolution of the matter from the Supreme Court.
“Forum agreed to hold a two-day retreat to deliberate on the current state of security of the country.
“On the rising incidents of Polio in the country, Forum unanimously agreed to lead the efforts to eradicate polio by instituting the following:
“A monthly campaign to be headed by Governors in all 36 states of the federation to promote healthy environmental habits;
“Governors from non-polio states will support their counterparts in affected states by joining them in their states during upcoming national polio campaign;
“To meet with Presidential Task Force on Polio Eradication in order to identify current funding gaps and challenges against polio eradication in Nigeria.
“The Forum remains resolute in the development of our different states for the benefit of the nation and our citizens.”
On when the security summit will be held, he said, “the committee is working on it. When the committee brings in their report we will fix a date.”
On the health situation of Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State and as one of the governors who visited him, Amaechi said: “I talked with him, put him on the phone to an editor of Vanguard who is my friend. It was real.”
At the meeting were governors of Nasarawa, Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, Rivers, Imo, Taraba, Anambra, Bauchi and Adamawa. Others were deputy governors of Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, Kwara, Jigawa, Niger and Benue.

Nobody Can Stop Jonathan From Re-contesting In 2015 – Clark

Ijaw National Leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, yesterday, declared that nobody could stop President Goodluck Jonathan from seeking a second term in office, saying only the Nigerian electorate could decide his fate in 2015.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the opening of the Southern Leaders Conference in Enugu, Chief Clark said it would be wrong for the South to return power to the North in 2015 when the incumbent president had all the rights to re-contest.
He said since the North had ruled the nation for 38 years and the South had done only 13 years, there was need for the purpose of equity, justice and fairplay, for power to still remain in the South
His words: “The Constitution provided for two terms. In 1979, Shehu Shagari from the North was president until 1983 when he got his second term but Buhari for reasons best known to them, they thought that at the end of his second ruling he will hand over to Ekwueme or to Akinloye. They then staged a coup and drove him (Shagari) away and imprisoned all the politicians.  Who took over? Another Northerner.

“Then Ibrahim Babangida said we have had enough. He took over from Muhammadu Buhari. Babangida handed over to Ernest Shonekan, he didn’t even rule for only three months and Sanni Abacha overthrew Shonekan. Even when MKO Abiola was elected in 1993 he was not allowed to rule even one day. MKO Abiola was driven away and killed – one of the wealthiest men in Africa.  Abdulsalami Abubakar also ruled after Abacha died.

“Then Obasanjo came and ruled for eight years and Umaru Yar’Adua was also going to rule for eight years.  Why would Jonathan not be allowed to rule for eight years?
“Well, that is not what we have come here to discuss but quote me, the Constitution of Nigeria says a president will contest election for two terms and remain in office for eight years, four years each.  Jonathan came in as president because his master (Yar’Adua) died. And somebody has to feel that position and you don’t count that period as if he has contested election.  Swearing-in has nothing to do with that provision of the election. Jonathan has every right to re-contest in 2015 to complete his eight years. Nobody can stop him.”
Also speaking at the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA) attended by over 120 delegates from the South East, South West and South South, the convener and Chairman of the forum , Dr. Alex Ekwueme enumerated the gains of the meeting, the second of its kind, to include collective bargain and speaking with one voice in the nation polity, just like the monolithic north does.
Ekuweme recalled that after the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates on January 1, 1914, the Northern Nigeria continued to be administered as one unit whereas the Southern Nigeria was constituted of the colony of Lagos, the western and Eastern provinces, respectively.
The second republic Vice President further narrated that part of the reason why he was denied the Presidential candidate of the party he founded in 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was because of his “hard-line posture” in securing power shift and 13% derivation for the southern states during the General Sani Abacha’s midwived Constitutional conference of 1994-1995.
Ekwueme said that during the conference, the northern delegates summoned a meeting amongst them where they resolved to maintain status quo of retaining power in the north and he took a proactive step to ensure that the southern delegates sojourn to the conference was not a sheer waste of time and so he summoned a counter southern delegates meeting.
He said: “I therefore took immediate step to organize a Southern delegates’ caucus. In this initative I had the support of late Dr. Tunji Otegbeye and High Chief Dr. Emmanuel Nsan all under my leadership and chairmanship. The immediate task of the southern delegates’ caucus was to devise a strategy that would prevent continuation of the status quo, that is, continue retention of power by the Northern elements on return to civilian rule.
“We mounted a proposal for constitutional provision for alternating or oscillating the presidency of Nigeria between the North and the South after each five-year single term, a provision more popularly referred to as rotational Presidency.
“The proposal was strongly resisted by many northern delegates who eventually accepted it provided it was enriched in the political parties’ constitutions rather than in the national constitution. The unworkability of the political party constitutional provision arrangement was then demonstrated beyond all doubt.
“When opposition to the rotational presidency persisted, it was pointed out that if the purpose of the 1914 amalgamation was to ensure that the south was always under the leadership of the north, then it might become necessary to consider the option of de-amalgamation. With this show of brinkmanship, both sides opted to retreat in the interest of Nigeria continued existence and unity and rotational presidency was endorsed by consensus and became part of the draft 1995 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Ekwueme further traced the history of power rotation, saying the first hiccup was which zone, North or South, would produce the Presidency to start with, adding that since the idea of rotation was muted to check the prolonged northern rulership, it made sense to start with the South.
“At that point we changed our sloganeering from rotational presidency to power shift so as to put the question beyond doubt. It was this power shift that the subsequent leading party, the PDP, entrenched as one of its cardinal objective principles and which ensured that northern aspirant sought the presidential nomination of the party at the return to civilian governance in 1999; and which made it possible for General Obasanjo to become the Presidential candidate of the party in 1999,” said Ekwueme.
He further narrated that with the problem of power shift settled, the next was the percentage to be ascribed to derivation. Again, the north was said to have insisted on 3% but with the agitation and doggedness of the Southern delegates, 13% minimum was finally settled for even after the group wanted 50% as was the case in the 1963 constitution.
“It was suggested to me that my so called hard-line posture in successfully securing power shift and 13% minimum for derivation were contributory factors to my inability to obtain the presidential nomination of the party I founded and nurtured to success. Be that as it may, I have no regrets as long as my guiding principles were a search for justice, equity and fair play,” said Ekwueme.
Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, urged the Southern leaders to endeavour to set things right both in the zone and in the entire nation saying Nigeria was fast drifting from the right path.
He commended the conveners of the meeting for their commitment towards ensuring the unity of the entire south, adding that the importance of the meeting made him to contribute meaningfully to its success.
“People are no longer shocked when dozens of their citizens are gunned down and bombed In his speech, Bishop Emmanuel Gbonigi, Leader of the Yoruba Unity Forum,   called for immediate national dialogue  of various sections expressed  serious concerns over the challenges plaguing the country on behalf of Yoruba delegation, said that corruption, insecurity, inequitable and problematic constitution have compounded the problems, stressing that  such ugly trend had continued to play negative impact on the progress of the country.
He said that the security situation of the country had continued to deteriorate; stressing that kidnapping for ransom had become rapidly blooming business as army of youths and unemployed swarm across villages and cities
by the Boko Haram. The massacres have become routine. It is not clear what government’s policy is towards Boko Haram. Is it dialogue or is it the use of force? It has become unconvincingly to call the terrorists faceless because recent developments show that they are known by our rulers”, he said.
Expressing disgust with the call on the president to dialogue with the Boko Haram as well as monetary compensation to their leaders and families, Gbonigi said it was akin to setting wrong standards and raising fundamental question as to whether every group needed to resort to violent acts against other citizens before they can attract government’s attention.
“There are groups in Nigeria today who believe that the mode of national revenue sharing is unfair to them, or that their part of the country is grossly marginalized, or that the constitution we operate is oppressive and disadvantageously constructed against them, or that it stifles their self realization and development. Must the government wait till all these groups mount their own insurgencies before it listens to them, and will it then proceed to have separate dialogues with each, accompanied by monetary compensation? If it is acceptable to dialogue with the Boko Haram, why can’t we have a dialogue that embraces all Nigerians once and for all, for all grievances to be expressed and mutual accommodation reached? Such a national dialogue is clearly what the nation needs, and is long overdue”, Gbonigi said
Among personalities from the three zones in attendance were Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Edwin Clark, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, Bishop Emmanuel Gbonigi, Chief Gbenga Daniel, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Alabo Toye Graham-Douglas, Chief Ralph Obioha, Senator Rowland Owie, Chief Olu Falae, Dr. Walter Ofonagoro, Dr. Okwy Nwodo, Dr. Silas Iloh, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Senator Ofia Nwali, chief John Oyegun, Senator Syvester Ngele and Dr. Sam Egwu.

Less than 24 hours after an Abuja High Court sentenced Pension Thief John Yakubu Yusuf to two years in prison for admitting to stealing around N2 billion, an Ikare Magistrate Court in Ondo State has sentenced another man to three years in prison for stealing a telephone handset worth N17, 000. The Abuja court had on Monday sentenced the former director of the Police Pension Board, John Yakubu Yusuf, to two-year imprisonment. Mr. Yusuf pleaded guilty to two-count charges of embezzling about N2 billion of the total N33 billion stolen from police pensions. He was, however, given an option of fine of N250, 000 instead of going to jail. Adepoju Jamiu, 23, living in Ondo was not so lucky. On Tuesday, the Ikare Magistrate Court sentenced him to three years imprisonment for stealing a China Blackberry phone worth N17, 000. Like pension thief Yusuf, Mr. Jamiu also pleaded guilty to the charge. If the ratio of years of sentence was relative to the amount stolen and the same law was used to try both men, should Mr. Jamiu be jailed 3 years, Mr., Yusuf would have been sentenced to at least 110,000 years in jail. Not only was Mr. Jamiu given a seemingly incomparable jail sentence, he was not given an option of fine by Chief Magistrate Sunday Adeniyan. Mr. Jamiu’s crime The police prosecutor, Aigbojie Amileomen, told the court that the stolen phone belonged to one Suleiman Asimiyi. While briefing the court on the case, the prosecutor said the accused committed the offence in November 2012 at about 5.30 a.m. at Olukare Central Mosque, Inu Odi, Okela, Ikare. When the case was read, the accused pleaded guilty as charged. Mr. Adeniyan convicted Mr. Jamiu having found him guilty. He said Mr. Jamiu’s action violated Section 383(1) and punished him under Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 37, volume one, laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006. He therefore ordered that Mr. Jamiu should remain in prison for three years without an option of fine.

here were  indications on Tuesday that public outcry against the light sentence handed an Assistant Director in the Police Pension Office, Mr. John Yakubu Yusuf, by  a  Federal Capital Territory High Court,  forced the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to rearrest him.

The high court presided over by Justice Mohammed Talba had on Monday  sentenced Yusuf  to only two years’ imprisonment with an option of N750,000 fine for conniving with others to defraud  the PPO and pensioners of N27.2bn.

Even before the  judge rose, many in the courtroom expressed amazement at the judgment. While many Nigerians took to social networks like the Facebook and Twitter mocking the judgment, prominent lawyers and civil rights activists condemned it as a setback to the Federal Government’s anti-corruption crusade.
On  Tuesday, one of the civil rights groups, Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre, demanded the probe of Talba for the light sentence.
Also, the Nigeria Labour Congress said the judgment was an indication that the judiciary could not be relied on to deliver the country from monumental corruption.
A source close to the EFCC told one of our correspondents that the commission,  apparently  embarrassed by the public outcry , moved swiftly to redeeem its image by sniffing more into Yusuf’s records in order to nail him.
The source said, “We never expected what happened yesterday(Monday). The reactions that followed the judgment  were  embarrassing to us and that was why we quickly had to look into his files again and sniffed out things that we had overlooked. With  those things, we had to rearrest him for fresh prosecution.”
 EFCC  spokesperson, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren,  had  told The PUNCH in Abuja that Yusuf  was rearrested because he had a pending case. “He  will  face fresh charges. When you are arrested and you are being investigated, logically you will be rearraigned to face fresh charges, ” he added.
 He later issued a statement in which he  said  Yusuf  would be arraigned today (Wednesday) before Jutice Adamu Bello of a Federal High Court in Abuja on four counts.
 Uwujaren said, “He will be arraigned over non-declaration of his assets and liability in his asset declaration form and his failure to declare his interest in a company known as SY-A Global Services Limited.
“The pension fraud convict is alleged to have used the company, SY-A Global Services Limited, to lodge N250m  with Zenith Bank.
“Yusuf’s re-arraignment  is coming on the heels of a questionable ruling by Justice Mohammed Talba of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday, January 29, in which he was handed a two- year jail term with an option of N250,000 fine on each of the three counts against him.
“Yusuf is one of the six persons standing trial in the N32.8bn Police Pension scam.  The six accused persons in the police pension scam were first arraigned on March 29, 2012, on 16  criminal charges bordering on conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
“The other accused person  are  Esai Dangabar, Atiku Kigo, Ahmed Wada, Mrs. Veronica Onyegbula and Sani Zira. Kigo was the director of the PPO  before he was made a permanent secretary.”
 Count one and two of the charges to be preferred against Yusuf reads:
 “That you, John Yusuf on or about February 14, 2012 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Asset Form filled by you, by not declaring your interest in a company known as SY-A Global  Services Limited , a Nigerian company incorporated by you, and solely owned by yourself and members of your immediate family and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the EFCC  (Establishment, etc.) Act CAP E1 2004.
 “That you, John Yusuf, on or about February 14 , 2012 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Asset Form filled by you, by not declaring your interest in the N250m  you have  in a fixed deposit account with Zenith Bank in the name of SY-A Global  Services Limited, a company in which you are the sole signatory to its account and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of  EFCC (Establishment ,etc.) Act CAP E1 2004.
  Furthermore, count three explained that the convict also, knowingly, failed to make full disclosure of the sum of N10m he lodged in a fixed deposit account with the First Bank of Nigeria Plc in the name of the same company.
Count four accused him of failing to make full disclosure of  N29m which was fixed on his instruction  by one Danjuma Mele  in the account  of Jidag Technical Services Ltd with Diamond Bank.
A list of witnesses attached to the charge sheet  showed   Mustapha Gandaya,  Mele, officials of Zenith Bank and officials of Diamond Bank   as witnesses to be called against the accused person in the course of  his fresh  trial.
Exhibits to be presented in court for the trial, according to the charge sheet, include statement of the accused person, statements of witnesses, and other relevant documents and exhibits.
The charge sheet in the new suit was numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/14/2013 and  dated January 29, 2013. It was signed by Chile Okoroma,  the Acting Director, Legal and Prosecution Department, EFCC, on behalf of the Chairman of the commission and the Attorney- General of the Federation.
EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), and many   others in the FCT  High Court  where  Yusuf  was convicted  on Monday,  had openly expressed their amazement with  the lightsentence handed him.
Also,  the  EFCC had, in a statement shortly after the  court rose , condemned the sentence,  saying it would study it  and  “respond appropriately.”
 The statement read in  part, “The  EFCC has expressed reservations about the ruling of an FCT High Court, Abuja which handed a six year jail term with the option of N750, 000 fine to  Yusufu, one of the six persons standing trial in the N32.8bn Police Pension scam.
“The commission is of the view that the option of fine runs contrary to the understanding between the prosecution and the defence wherein the convict consented to a custodial sentence with the forfeiture of all assets and money that are proceeds of the crime.”

-culled from Naij.com

Man Gets 3-Year Jail Term For Stealing Blackberry, As Pension Thief Is Freed For N2billion Theft

Less than 24 hours after an Abuja High Court sentenced Pension Thief John Yakubu Yusuf to two years in prison for admitting to stealing around N2 billion, an Ikare Magistrate Court in Ondo State has sentenced another man to three years in prison for stealing a telephone handset worth N17, 000.
The Abuja court had on Monday sentenced the former director of the Police Pension Board, John Yakubu Yusuf, to two-year imprisonment.

Mr. Yusuf pleaded guilty to two-count charges of embezzling about N2 billion of the total N33 billion stolen from police pensions. He was, however, given an option of fine of N250, 000 instead of going to jail.
Adepoju Jamiu, 23, living in Ondo was not so lucky. On Tuesday, the Ikare Magistrate Court sentenced him to three years imprisonment for stealing a China Blackberry phone worth N17, 000.
Like pension thief Yusuf, Mr. Jamiu also pleaded guilty to the charge.
If the ratio of years of sentence was relative to the amount stolen and the same law was used to try both men, should Mr. Jamiu be jailed 3 years, Mr., Yusuf would have been sentenced to at least 110,000 years in jail.

Not only was Mr. Jamiu given a seemingly incomparable jail sentence, he was not given an option of fine by  Chief Magistrate Sunday Adeniyan.
Mr. Jamiu’s crime
 The police prosecutor, Aigbojie Amileomen, told the court that the stolen phone belonged to one Suleiman Asimiyi.
While briefing the court on the case, the prosecutor said the accused committed the offence in November 2012 at about 5.30 a.m. at Olukare Central Mosque, Inu Odi, Okela, Ikare.
When the case was read, the accused pleaded guilty as charged.
Mr. Adeniyan convicted Mr. Jamiu having found him guilty.
He said Mr. Jamiu’s action violated Section 383(1) and punished him under Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 37, volume one, laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
He therefore ordered that Mr. Jamiu should remain in prison for three years without an option of fine.

Ivory Coast Player Sends A Message to Super Eagles via Twitter

After Super Eagles victory win against Ethiopia in yesterday's match, they will be playing with Ivory Coast next in the quarter final stage at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations - on Sunday 3rd of February.
Emmanuel Eboue is an Ivory Coast player and former Arsenal player and he has sent a message to the Super Eagles team.
Read below...

AFCON 2013: Eagles Get $30,000 Each For Qualifying For Quarter FinalThe Nigeria Football Federation yesterday dolled out US $30,000 to each member of the Super Eagles for qualifying for the quarter final of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. CELEBRATION . . . Super Eagles defender Efe Ambrose (2nd R) celebrates with an acrobatic display after Nigeria defeated Ethiopia 2-0 in their last Group C match of AFCON 2013 at the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg. Photo: AFP The Super Eagles yesterday defeated Ethiopia 2-0 in a tension soaked match played in Rustenburg. The Eagles qualified alongside Burkina Faso from Group D. Burkina Faso on the other hand ended their tie with Zambia 0-0 at the Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit. The result ensured the elimination of Zambia that ended third in the log with 3 points from three matches.

The Nigeria Football Federation yesterday dolled out US $30,000 to each member of the Super Eagles for qualifying for the quarter final of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Super Eagles yesterday defeated Ethiopia 2-0 in a tension soaked match played in Rustenburg. The Eagles qualified alongside Burkina Faso from Group D. Both goals were scored via penalties taken by Chelsea striker Victor Moses.

Burkina Faso on the other hand ended their tie with Zambia 0-0 at the Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit. The result ensured the elimination of Zambia that ended third in the log with 3 points from three matches. These results placed Burkina Faso on top of the log with 5 points, followed by Nigeria with 5 points and a less superior goal difference.

‘I Introduced Whitney Houston To Cocaine’ – Brother

Contrary to the widely held belief that ex-husband Bobby Brown introduced Whitney Houston to drugs, Whitney’s brother, Michael, confesses to having introduced the late songstress to drugs.

Micheal and his mother Cissy, were guests on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show, ‘Oprah Next Chapter’, on Monday, January 28, 2013 where he confessed to have been the first to introduce the late singer to crack cocaine in the 80s.
‘You gotta understand at the time in the ’80s it was acceptable. It’s painful, I feel responsible for what I let go so far’, Michael told Oprah.
He also says he didn’t realize how deadly drugs could be when he first brought them to Whitney’s doorstep.
Whitney Houston, 47, was found dead in her Beverly Hills Hotel room on February 11, 2012 as a result of excessive use of cocaine