EFCC: Court Strikes out 15 Counts

...As Daniel Opens Defense on 17 Charges

 
Justice Olanrewaju Mabekoje of the Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta has struck out 15 Counts on the 32 charges filed against the former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) just as he directed him to open defense in the remaining 17 changes.

According to the judge, the EFCC failed in his prosecution to establish a prima facie case against the former Governor.

Daniel had filed a No-Case Submission against all the charges after the EFCC closed its case calling 33 witnesses, 30 of who had failed to testify against the former Governor on the legal matter which had dragged for eight long years.

The legal matter however will enter into a new phase as the former Governor is expected to present witnesses and exhibits in his own defense against the EFCC charges which many political watchers in the state alleged were acts of persecution and victimization by his successor and outgoing Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun.

Breaking: Kogi NYSC coordinator dies in auto crash

The Kogi Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs Oludolapo Ahile, has died in an auto crash.

The Assistant Director, Public Relations, Kogi NYSC, Mr Adedapo Tayo, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the coordinator was involved in a ghastly accident alongside her husband on Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia highway in Nassarawa State.

Tayo told NAN that the accident occurred at Lafia axis of the highway at about 2 p.m on Thursday, May 16, after her vehicle somersaulted twice and veered into the bush.

Tayo added that the late coordinator and her husband with two other occupants were on their way to Tiv land in Benue for the burial/funeral of her father in-law.

He said that the four occupants of the vehicle were rushed to the hospital and it was unfortunate that Mrs Ahile died the early hours of Friday, May 17.

He said her husband, Mr Michael Ahile, the driver and the other persons survived the crash but were injured.

He said that the late Coordinator’s husband whose injuries were more severe was transferred to a hospital in Abuja.

According to Tayo, the late Mrs Ahile left Lokoja around 6 a.m on May 16, to join her husband in Abuja in preparation for the funeral of her father in-law.

”Her husband, Mr Michael Ahile picked her in Abuja and they embarked on the journey to Tiv land in Benue through Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia highway.

”The accident occurred at Lafia in Nasarrawa State at about 2 p.m, and they were quickly moved to the Lafia Specialist hospital for medical attention.

”By 2 a.m this morning (May 17) we received information that she died at the Specialist Hospital Lafia,” Tayo said.

He said that the NYSC management had directed that the husband Mr Ahile, who had retired as its Director, be moved to a Specialist Hospital in Abuja for adequate medical attention.

Tayo added that the NYSC Directorate Headquarters had also swung into action concerning the sad incident.

”Appreciation goes to Gov. Yahaya Bello, who sent Mr Sani Ogu, the Chairman, NYSC State Governing Board and Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, on a condolence visit to the state secretariat of the NYSC.

“Oludolapo Ahile immensely contributed to the growth of the NYSC scheme in Kogi.

”She initiated the ongoing construction of NYSC Multipurpose Hall project that is about to be completed.

”She had also pressed on the state government for the renovation of the NYSC camp.

”She was a woman of peace and had brought peace in the management and the staff members of the scheme.

”She had been a motivator to corps members especially on skills acquisition and general counseling.

“The entire corps members in Kogi will really miss her

”Her last assignment was to present about six corps members for national presidential and honours award, and she celebrated with them in Abuja at the Presidency recently,” Tayo said.

Insecurity: Killings in Nigeria must be stopped now – Dogara

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, on Friday said the security challenges bedeviling the country must be stopped at all cost.

He equally said for the fight against violence to be won in the country, “it will be because some of us have decided that we will work across board in order to be peace builders and ensure that our people leave in peace.”

Dogara disclosed this during the 2019 Nzem Berom Cultural Festival with the theme: “Celebrating the Berom Prowess in Science and Technology” held at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium Jos, the Plateau State Capital.

“What is confronting this nation, which is violence must be stopped at all cost.

“The Berom nation has had its own share of this very unfortunate tragedy that has now befallen our nation.

“And I said it severally, that we cannot afford to loose the fight against violence and still keep our civilization. It has never happened, it won’t happen and it will never happen.

The Speaker, who was the chairman of the occasion, maintained that, “Any nation that has lost the fight against violence, has always lost its civilization.

“Check the situation with the North-East where I come from, there are communities that you can’t fine anything that is representative of the government; police stations are gone, roads, buildings, schools and hospitals have been destroyed; how long is it going to take us before we can even get to the position where we were until the violence break out? He asked.

“I want to charge us that if we must win this fight against violence, it will be because some of us have decided that we will work across board in order to be peace builders and ensure that our people leave in peace.

“Of course it’s going to be difficult as usual, but the challenge has always been fear and mistrust; but when you talk about courage you cannot begin to exercise courage, except fear is present, without fear, there is no caution relating to courage.

“So, it will take leadership that believes in the courage to seat down together, even with opponents/enemies, even with those you believe are killing you, in order to fine the way out”, he maintained.

“I have reflected long on the issues relating to this violence in Nigeria, which is perhaps everywhere now, especially in Northern Nigeria; and I have discovered that most of it duels on error, and it is this error that serves as a fuel for this violence.

“For instance there is an error that an ethnic group can be wiped out, I know that it is absolutely impossible to talk about wiping an ethnic group, it will never happen except the God that created them say he is going to wipe them out, nobody will be able to achieve that”, he stressed.

He urged the Berom nation to be more united as a people, adding that doing so will bring stronger bond amongst them as a people.

In his address, Plateau State Chairman Traditional Council of chiefs and emirs, Gbong Gwom Jos, Da. Jacob Gyang Buba, said despite the permission by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police for the establishment of a Mobile Police Barrack in Gashish District in Barkin-Ladi LGA of, State were over 200 persons were killed between 23rd and 24 of June last year, nothing has been done up to date.

Buba noted that the Berom has the largest number of Internally Displaced Persons in the state, who don’t only need food to eat but need to be relocated to their ancestral homes.

The Paramount ruler further lamented that, the victims have not felt the impact of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and appeal to government to direct NEMA to come to the aid of the people.

According to him, “No amount of provocation from who-so-ever will make the Berom Nation not to hold Nzem Berom in subsequent years ahead.

“No Government has the right to redefine traditional boundaries in Plateau State”, he stressed.

In his remarks, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Barr. Solomon Dalung, admonished Plateau people to join hands together to promote peaceful co-existence in the state.

BREAKING: Plateau State Gov, Simon Lalong, Emerges Chairman, Northern Governors Forum

Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State has emerged chairman of the Northern Governors Forum.

He was elected at a meeting of Nothern governors which was held in Kaduna on Friday.

Lalong's association with the caucus in the past has caused rancor especially among some Plateau indigenes who feel his presence in the bloc is baseless.

The position was  previously held by Kashim Shettima, governor of Borno State.

More to come.

Nowhere to Run for Okoroji as MPAN Offers to Fund COSON Forensic Audit, Calls on N.C.C to Act

About fifty (50) stakeholders/members of the Music Publishers Association of Nigeria (MPAN) have signed a petition written to the Nigeria Copyright Commission (N.C.C), demanding the immediate ordering of the forensic audit of the Copyright Society of Nigeria’s (COSON) account. This was the resolution at the MPAN’s town hall meeting recently held last week in Lagos. The meeting deliberated on the abundant revenue opportunities in the industry, particularly publishing rights, noting that over €8billion was generated from global performance royalties in 2018, and that Nigerian rights owners deserve a decent piece of that considering the meteoric rise in the consumption of Nigerian music on the global scene.

The discussion dovetailed into the importance of a CMO that works. The members, who are major stakeholders in the music industry of Nigeria, expressed their frustration with crisis rocking collective management of copyright in Nigeria and the impact on their business.

Panelists included MPAN chair, Olumide Mustafa (Green Light Publishing), secretary Isioma Idigbe (Punuka), Aibee Abidoye (Chocolate City / Warner Music Group), Justin Ige (Creative Legal) and Bizzle Osikoya (The Plug, Davido Music Worldwide) stressed the need for transparency, better corporate governance, and accountability in Collective Management Organizations so that creatives can earn their due from their works.

Stressing that transparency and accountability are the bedrock of all CMOs, participants joined the numerous stakeholders, who have called for the audit of COSON’s account and communicated their position in a petition to the N.C.C demanding that it orders the immediate forensic audit of COSON’s accounts. They petition was signed by 47 stakeholders.

It can be recalled that key stakeholders and members of COSON have in recent times demanded for a full forensic audit of the COSON’s accounts, in line with the spirit of transparency and accountability. Many industry watchers believe the audit is inevitable if trust must be re-established in the leadership at the Copyright Society of Nigeria. COSON’s management has blamed the call on enemies of the organisation, holding firm to its position not to allow it, on the premise that COSON’s accounts have been regularly audited by approved auditors and the cost of a forensic audit is not requisite and cannot be borne by the organisation. With the surfacing of MPAN members’ offer to foot the audit bill, it will be quite destructive to the image of the organisation if they maintain this stance, as industry watchers, both local and international will have no choice but to adopt a stench perfection about accountability in collective management in Nigeria.

COSON has been enmeshed in a leadership crisis for 2 years, with Tony Okoroji, the self-acclaimed chairman, accused of perpetuating self in office through a bootleg resolution at December 19, 2017 Extraordinary General Meeting, that upturned his sack by a simple majority vote of the COSON’s governing Board. The resolution has since been declared null and void by the N.C.C, but Tony Okoroji has remained in office against all odds. The call for a forensic audit of the accounts is not unconnected to several allegations of financial misappropriation, self aggrandisement and misuse of office by Tony Okoroji and two other directors. There is also a pending case at a Lagos High Court, where the NCC filled criminal charges against Mr Tony Okoroji and three others for collecting musicians royalty fraudulently without approval from NCC.

COSON is at the brink of losing its operational license if it does not obey N.C
C’s order to revert back to the status quo before the December 19, 2017 EGM. This posture of the regulator recognises Efe Omorogbe as the substantive chairman of COSON and the board membership to remain the 11 directors that participated in the emergency board meeting of December 7, 2019, where Tony Okoroji was sacked as COSON chairman. Efe, on his part, has maintained that he would take the forensic audit of the COSON account over its chairmanship, any day.

The question remains; if they don’t, will the Nigerian Copyright Commission take the firm regulator’s position and make them bite the bullet?Collective Management is serious business anywhere in the world. Nigeria’s music and sound industry is rapidly growing and becoming a big-time employer of labour, particularly for our large youth population. Without doubt, all revenue streams need to be properly harnessed. A CMO plays a very crucial role in getting the most out of music and sound publishing. It is therefore worrisome that COSON fights stability at this point in time, when it should be consolidating on the gains of the past five years, viz, perceptional acceptance of rights payments by major right users. It is therefore a matter of interest to industry stakeholders and the generality of progressive Nigerians, that this matter be resolved quickly. The way forward, as have been popularly advocated by several aggrieved members, is for COSON accounts to get a proper forensic audit. Now that the issue of who pays for it is out of the way, it is expected that Tony Okoroji and the current management of COSON will use this opportunity to clear the dust hovering over their reputation and that of the organisation they claim to lead.

Isioma Idigbe talking about the legal background while dissecting what publishing is and why it matters.

Mr. Olumide Mustapha giving the Opening Remarks.

COSON legal board gives marching order to Okoroji as operating licence expires on Monday

The legal management board of Copyright Society of Nigeria COSON after an emergency board meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2019 has passed a resolution directing the management of the CMO to formally apply for the renewal of its operating licence with immediate effect.

This was contained in a release signed by the board and made available to the media.

By 5:00 PM on Monday 20th May, 2019, the operating licence of COSON would have expired making it criminal for the once widely admired collective management organisation to collect licensing fees on behalf of thousands of rights owners.

While this ugly eventuality may appear to offer short term breather for the embattled Tony Okoroji and his cronies whose intransigence have resulted in the suspension of the license since April 2018, it is a major setback for writers, composers, performers, labels and publishers whose works and investment produce the music that drives many a business within and outside Nigeria.

Since his illegal hijack of the reins of the management board of COSON on December 19, 2017, Tony Okoroji has superintended COSON’s free fall into crisis, ignominy and criminality. The loss of credibility and suspension of its licence have resulted in dwindling collection. Tens of millions of distributable income have been channelled into a mindless legal and media war of attrition more in a bid to maintain Okoroji’s illegal stranglehold of the reins and ensure his personal survival than to protect the interest of right owners.

It has become a matter of necessity for the stakeholders, represented by the legal COSON Board comprising Efe Omorogbe, Joel Ajayi, Sikiru Agboola, Obi Asika, Dare Fasasi and Audu Maikori to direct management to apply for renewal of the operating licence of COSON with immediate effect.

The board and members hereby issues a stern warning to the management of COSON that the consequences of conniving with Okoroji, puppet members of his rogue-board and toxic acolytes to strip the society of its hard-earned approval thereby depriving members of their duly earned royalties, will be dire.

“Every one shall be held accountable for his or her role in this sordid drama and make no mistake, everyone will pay for their actions,” the legal board threatened.

Operation Puff Adder: Police arrest 93 suspected kidnappers, armed robbers

The Nigeria Police Force on Thursday said a total of 93 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers have been arrested in the past two weeks in joint operations in Kaduna, Niger and Katsina States.

Force Spokesman, Frank Mba, who made the disclosure at Katari village along Kaduna-Abuja highway, said more than 500 live ammunitions were recovered from the suspects.

He added that the joint operations comprised policemen from operations, intelligence, technical, counter terrorism and special protection units among others.

He said that the arrests and seizures were part of the successes of Operation Puff Adder launched to clear criminals away from Kaduna-Abuja expressway and Nigeria at large.

He said that the operation was largely to tackle kidnapping, robbery and banditry giving Nigerians sleepless nights, adding that the successes recorded so far were huge.

“The suspects were arrested from Matari Forest, Niger axis and some were pursued to as far as Katsina,” NAN quoted him as saying.

He also stressed that the office of the Inspector General of Police provided supervisory and supportive roles to the entire operations.

“We are determined to descend very hard on criminals. We recovered 37 AK 47 rifles, 12 locally made guns, a revolver pistol, 60,000 fake US dollars, military uniforms and a foreign made pistol.

“Few days ago, the IG rolled out new counter kidnapping strategy, it would also help us curtail such criminality in Nigeria,” Mba said.

Abia election: Tribunal struck out APGA petition against PDP candidate, Ifeanyi Uchendu

The National Assembly and House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, Wednesday, threw out the petition filed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate for Ohafia South constituency of Abia state, Leonard Eme Umezuruike, challenging the INEC’s declaration of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Honorable Ifeanyi Uchendu, as winner of the just concluded March 9 House of Assembly election conducted in the state.

Uchendu, is also the current member representing Ohafia South constituency in the State Assembly.

The plaintiff (Umezuruike), had on 30th day of March, 2019, filed a petition marked, EFT/AB/HA/11/2019, at the National Assembly and House of Assembly Election Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, praying that the tribunal declares him winner of the election in Ohafia south constituency. He said that the defendant(Uchendu) of the PDP was fraudulently declared winner by the INEC Returning Officer in the election.

However, the petitioner,(Umezuruike), on the 18th day of April, 2019 filed a notice of motion to withdraw the matter, excusing that he hurriedly approached the tribunal with the hope of assembling the unit election documents with the result sheets which he was unable to do on time.

He affirmed that after eventually gathering his figures in the result sheets, he found out that the respondent (Uchendu) won the election outrightly, which as a result, led him to withdraw the petition.

In her ruling, the three-man panel of the election tribunal chaired by Hon. Justice A. Aderibigbe, granted the application of the APGA candidate(Umezuruike) and thereby struck out the case.

Reacting in an interview with newsmen at the Court’s premises, the member representing Ohafia South state constituency, and the winner of the State Assembly poll, Hon. Ifeanyi Uchendu, encouraged every other candidate of the other parties to join hands with him in giving the people of Ohafia south more better and effective representation.

He said, “I am rededicating my victory in the last House of Assembly election held in Ohafia South constituency to God and my wonderful constituents. I’m calling on other opposition candidates to join me in taking our dear Ohafia south to a greater and prosperous heights”.

Recall that Professor Mrs. Elisi Adanma Sabina, the Returning Officer for the State Assembly election for Ohafia South constituency had declared the PDP candidate, Ifeanyi Uchendu, winner of the March 9 House of Assembly poll conducted in the costituency.

Uchendu polled 6228 votes to defeat Leonard Umezuruike of APGA, who scored 4162 to emerge second in the election.

‘Fayemi Sacks 2,000 ‘Ekiti Workers’

Decision of the Dr. Kayode Fayemi led All Progressives Congress (APC) government in Ekiti State to sack over 2,000 workers employed by the immediate past government of Ayodele Fayose has been described as wickedness and political vendetta promoted to the peak.

Fayose’s Spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, in a statement on Wednesday, said “Fayemi has only succeeded in writing his name in the history books of Ekiti as one who inflict pains and sorrow on the people.”

Olayinka said; “Fayemi has only demonstrated  the wickedness in his heart by sacking Ekiti sons and daughters who were duly employed by the state government.

“It will be on record that the PDP government of Ayodele Fayose gave jobs to over 2,000 unemployed youths in Ekiti while the APC government of Kayode Fayemi sacked them.

“Also, whoever that applauds this show of wickedness will be reminded in future when actions of Fayemi will also be reviewed.

“As for those sons and daughters of Ekiti who have now become victims of Fayemi’s wickedness and political vendetta, they should place their hope in God and enforce their rights to seek redress in the court of law.”

Ogun: ‘I didn’t collect money from APC to abandon my case at Tribunal’

The Peoples Democratic Party Candidate for Ogun East Senatorial seat in the last National Assembly election, Engr. Deola Sosanwo, on Thursday, denied allegations that he has collected money from the All Progressives Congress(APC) and its Candidate, Senator Lekan Mustapha, to discontinue his Petition at the Tribunal where he is challenging the outcome of that election.

Sosanwo said he remained resolute in his determination to reclaim the alleged stolen mandate and refused to be bribed or silenced in the face of brutality and evil machinations.

The PDP Senatorial candidate, who made this known in a statement, lamented that some of his supporters have been conned into believing he had collected huge sums of money from his political opponent and party, to abandon the legal steps taken to address the injustice.

He added that he has enough ground to challenge the decision of the returning officer for the senatorial district, Prof.Chris Nwuka, who publicly declared the election inconclusive only to return two days later to announce the APC Candidate, winner of the election with 84,924 votes.

Sosanwo who polled 82,457 votes in the election, noted that when elections results are declared inconclusive, the best option is to order for a rerun or supplementary election to complete the aborted electioneering exercise.

He expressed shock that the contrary was the case because the returning officer was abducted and gaged to incoherently and inaudibly declare Sen Lekan Mustapha winner.

The Senatorial hopeful advised his supporters to remain calm as the matter is before the Election petition tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, saying the cynical moves of his opponent who in his crude characteristics, illegally hijacked peoples mandate freely given to him.

According to him, his unconditional love for the good people of the Senatorial district and by extension the good people of Ogun state is the tenable reason he remained resolute with the pursuit of the mandate.

He described INEC declaration of Mustapha, winner as a shame, charade and travesty and mockery of the evolving home grown democracy.

BREAKING: Senate confirms Emefiele for second term as CBN gov

The Senate has just confirmed Dr. Godwin Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria for a second term.

Emefiele had been screened by the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, on Wednesday during which he was grilled in issues affecting Nigeria’s economy.

The screening exercise came after the mandate given by President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, to the committee at the plenary on Tuesday. The committee was given one week to carry out the screening and report back to the Senate.

Emefiele, who was appointed as CBN Governor on June 2, 2014, is due to end his first term on June 2, this year.

President Muhammadu Buhari had last week written to the Senate requesting that Emefiele be confirmed as CBN Governor for a second term of five years.

Atiku, PDP doing everything possible to sabotage Buhari –FG

The Federal Government has warned the Peoples Democratic Party not to derail the country’s democracy through its brand of opposition politics.

The FG claimed the opposition party and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, were “desperate” for power, as exemplified in what the government called “unpatriotic” utterances lately.

Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, gave the government’s position while speaking with State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja,  on Wednesday.

Mohammed claimed Atiku and his party were doing everything possible to frustrate the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The minister said, “The Federal Government has strongly decried the increasingly unpatriotic and desperate opposition politics being played by the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, warning that such dead-end opposition could be toxic for the nation’s democracy, if left unchecked.

“Never in the history of politics in Nigeria has an opposition party and its presidential candidate exhibited the kind of desperate tactics being deployed by the duo, especially since  Buhari overwhelmingly defeated Atiku to win the 2019 presidential election.

“Either by themselves or via their proxies, the PDP and its presidential candidate are doing everything possible to sabotage the Buhari administration, generally overheat the polity and make Nigeria seemingly ungovernable, especially through their public utterances and their poorly-thought-out press releases before and after the 2019 general elections. Unless they quickly retrace their steps, they may, sooner than later, over-reach themselves.

“For those who may be quick to accuse the government of crying wolf, the pre-election statement credited to the former Vice-President, that unless Nigerians voted out the APC administration, killings by herdsmen would continue and ultimately spark a series of ethno-religious crises that would be irreversible, was looking more like a Freudian slip than anything else.”

The FG also said the PDP had been attacking the judiciary for no reason other than that the latter was doing its job of hearing the election petitions.

Mohammed added, “Also, in recent times, the PDP has taken its desperation to a new low by attacking the judiciary, an action many see as indicating a reversal of the party’s hitherto self-assured stance that it has a solid case against the  President’s election. And either by coincidence or orchestration, a faceless group emerges from nowhere calling for an overthrow of a democratically-elected government, a totally egregious act of treason.

“It beggars belief that a candidate who prides himself as a democrat can so allow desperation to becloud his sense of propriety to such an extent that he will be associating with anti-democratic forces or making inflammatory statements.”

But responding to the FG’s claim, Atiku alleged that Buhari is plotting against him.

In a statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe,  the ex-Vice-President said, “It is not surprising that such a despicable lie is emanating from Lai Mohammed, President Buhari’s aptly named Minister of Information.

“Lai Mohammed is so associated with lies that even Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said on Monday, May 13, 2019 that ‘People like Lai Mohammed, Abba Kyari, Adamu Adamu are usually very well-behaved during the Ramadan. But I’m not even sure that that is true anymore.’

“When we have a situation where even those who employed him know that Lai Mohammed is a liar, who will even lie during the holy month of Ramadan, then why should Nigerians be surprised at this latest lie?

“Lai Mohammed is only being too clever by half when he says ‘it beggars belief that a candidate who prides himself as a democrat can so allow desperation to becloud his sense of propriety to such an extent that he will be associating with anti-democratic forces or making inflammatory statements.’”

Also, in a statement by its  National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a reaction to Mohammed’s press conference, the PDP told the ruling All Progressives Congress government to tackle the problems confronting the country instead of trying to shift blame.

The statement read, “The attention of the PDP has been drawn to a press conference by Alhaji  Lai Mohammed, in which he, once again, veered off issues of governance and dwelt on hauling insults, misplaced accusations and threats against our party and our presidential candidate.”

Imo Deputy Speaker, Ozuruigbo resigns

Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Ugonna Ozuruigbo, has resigned from his position.

According to Channels TV, the lawmaker representing Nwangele constituency tendered his resignation in a letter he personally signed and addressed to the Speaker and members of the state House of Assembly on Thursday.

Ozuruigbo stated that he was resigning to enable him function well as a member-elect of the national House of Representatives.

The letter reads, “As you already know, I have been sent to another four years mission by my federal constituency in Imo state, at the federal House of Representatives, Abuja.

“This new task has come with its own challenges and expectations, especially need to play key roles in the formation of the National Assembly leadership, and time to strategically position, to pursue the greater interests of Imo state, South East and Nigeria, at the federal legislature. Currently, these will make my availability in Imo state irregular.”

“Hence, I seek your undertaking as I either save the office of Imo state Deputy speaker by resigning or allow my new engagements to suffer the office of Imo state Deputy speaker by holding same tenaciously.”

“Thus, for your efficiency and the good of Imo people, I hereby resign as the Rt Hon. deputy speaker of Imo state House of Assembly (8th House), effective from the date written above,” the resignation letter read in part.

The deputy speaker’s resignation comes less than 24 hours after 21 out of the 27 state lawmakers served impeachment notices on the speaker, Acho Ihim, and the majority leader, Lugard Osuji, after suspending them.

Meanwhile, 21 out of the 27 members of the Imo House of Assembly on Wednesday served an impeachment notice on the Speaker of the house, Mr Iheanacho Ihim, and the majority leader, Lugard Osuji, for alleged misconduct.

The members also elected Mr Chinedu Offor (AA), representing Onuimo Constituency, as the Protem Speaker.

Stop lying during holy month of Ramadan - Atiku tells Lai Mohammed

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to allegation against him by the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration, alleging that he has made treasonable statements.

In his reaction, Atiku said that it is not surprising that such a despicable lie is emanating from Lai Mohammed, who President Buhari aptly named Minister of Information. Atiku, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe said that those who employed Lai Mohammed know that he’s a liar, who will even lie during the holy month of Ramadan.

The former Vice President, who said that only the guilt are afraid, added that Lai Mohammed is so associated with lies that even Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said, on Monday, May 13, 2019, that “people like Lai Mohammed, Abba Kyari, Adamu Adamu they are usually very well behaved during the Ramadan. But I’m not even sure that that is true anymore.” “When we have a situation where even those who employed him know that Lai Mohammed is a liar, who will even lie during the holy month of Ramadan, then why should Nigerians be surprised at this latest lie? “Mr Lai Mohammed is only being clever by half when he says ‘It beggars belief that a candidate who prides himself as a democrat can so allow desperation to becloud his sense of propriety to such an extent that he will be associating with anti-democratic forces or making inflammatory statements.’ “Atiku Abubakar is a man of peace and a thoroughbred democrat. It is preposterous that those who threatened to ‘soak the dog and the baboon in blood’ are now audacious enough to point the finger at lifelong democrats.

Truly, if the farmer does not raise the alarm on time, the thief will accuse him of being a thief. “How can a man who wined and dined with Nigeria’s most brutal dictator, how can a man who overthrew a democratically elected President and held a grudge against him even in death (as evidenced by the empty condolence register he left in Sokoto, last year) accuse a man who has never been as much as associated with such tendencies, of being an anti-democrat?” he said. Asking why Buhari’s government is so desperate to implicate him, Atiku said, “we want to know why the desperation on the part of the Muhammadu Buhari government to rope in the Peoples Democratic Party and its Presidential candidate in phantom plots? Obviously, President Buhari wants to replay the Phantom plot saga of his now deceased mentor, who threw former President Olusegun Obasanjo in jail after falsely accusing him of treason in order to perpetuate himself in power.

“Could it be that they are now aware that the electoral fraud they perpetrated during the last Presidential election is about to be exposed beyond a shadow of a doubt? “If anybody is ‘beating the drums of war’, it is precisely those who have issued statements threatening Nigerians and foreigners alike with ‘body bags.’ “For the avoidance of doubt, let me inform the minister of disinformation that Atiku Abubakar resisted the Abacha dictatorship, of which President Muhammadu Buhari was a prominent member, and it is his resistance and the sacrifice of his co-travellers, like chief MKO Abiola and Alex Ekwueme, amongst others, that gave rise to the democracy that the current government is now trampling on.” The former Vice President, however, advised Lai Mohammed to face the alleged cesspool of corruption that has been exposed in his ministry.