CORRUPTION: NPA Earns N162bn While Remits Only N2bn – Oshiomhole

Oshiomhole, the governor of Edo state has said that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) only remitted N2billon out of a total sum of N162billion it generated in a year.
At the National Delegates’ Conference of the National Union of Roads Transport Workers in Abuja the governor disclosed that the data he quoted was from an official report.
Oshiomhole also called on the union to support Buhari’s anti-corruption war .
The governor advised the members of the National Peace Committee (NPC) to give the expected attention to the place of justice in the quest for lasting peace.
Oshiomhole said: “So, I want to propose to the President of the NLC that you should advise the members of the National Peace Committee to include justice, national justice at the peace committee because peace is a product of justice. So, for us to have peace, there must be justice otherwise we are going to have the peace of the graveyard and there can be no justice if one person can pocket $6bn. Last week, someone told us and this was an official report that in one federal parastatal, the NPA, they admitted to collecting N162billon in one year. They spent N160billion out of that and remitted N2billion to the federal government. Is that justice? Can someone plead in defence of this kind of abuse?
He said: “We are therefore saddened by the news making the rounds that the peace committee recently visited President Buhari to persuade him against bringing to book those involved in the scandalous theft, which we now understand runs into several trillions of naira.We call on the eminent members of this committee not to diminish their standing in the eyes of the Nigerian public by trying to stand in the way or better still, act as an obstacle to the retrieval of our commonwealth by these erstwhile public officers, who have plainly betrayed the trust of the Nigerian people.”

Buhari Presents Evidence Of Corruption To Jonathan

Information is now surfacing on the secret meeting that was held on August 6 between President Muhammadu Bahari and his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, at the Aso Villa, Abuja.
According to New Telegraph, Buhari confronted Jonathan with evidence of discreet probes that were conducted by the new government into the officials that served in the Jonathon administration.
The proof of high-level corruption committed under Jonathan’s presidency concerned corrupt oil deals, arms purchases, diversion of funds and other infractions.
It was learnt that Buhari had to present this evidence to prove to Jonathan that his anti-corruption war was not meant to witch-hunt anyone as the opposition to the fight against official corruption would want the public to believe.
READ ALSO : BudgIT To Fashola: We Can’t Be Intimidated
A source disclosed that the president went on to show Jonathan evidence of recoveries made so far in terms of assets and funds from some officials of the immediate past government.
It was learnt that one of the reports that the president showed Jonathan was an investigation carried out by a security agency on an aide of the former president from whom about N1.5billion had been recovered.
“ The president showed Dr. Jonathan some discoveries made on several infractions by officials of his (Jonathan’s) administration. He justified why his administration must recover looted funds and prosecute the offenders. It was a frank talk between the two leaders.
“President Buhari availed Dr. Jonathan of reports of various discreet probes on oil deals, diversion of funds and unwholesome arms deals. From the reports, there is overwhelming evidence of infractions which the former president could not dispute.
“Buhari stated that he was not out to humiliate Jonathan in his fight against graft and assured him of his highest regards for the former president ,” the source said.
It was learnt that Jonathan told Buhari that he was not aware of the corrupt deals allegedly committed by his aides, including by his chiefs of staff, who could have helped him to unravel the alleged shady deals committed by some top officials.
The former president was said to have reportedly assured Buhari of his willingness to cooperate with the new government if the need arises.
“ From the evidence so far, it is either the former president lacks the capacity to govern or abdicated his responsibilities.
“Otherwise, he must have been part of the infractions ,” the source added.
Meanwhile, ahead of the plan by the independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission to probe super rich civil servants, reports have revealed that they are in a mad rush to sell off their houses and other valuable assets.

SEE Where Young Bride Was Spotted Just After Saying ‘Yes, I Do’ (PHOTO)

Although, you may think that it a comedy or a prank, it is a real story that happened at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo, Ondo state.
On her wedding day, Oluwatunmise Adejube, a student of Department of Accountancy, hurriedly left the Owo local government area, where she swore matrimonial oath, and rushed to the school to write an exam.
The Nation reports that the new wife was accompanied by a group of young ladies, who formed her bridal train. They stormed the school in a convoy of three exotic cars.
No need to describe faces of other students in the examination hall, when a young lady in a sparkling wedding dress sauntered in, walking dazzlingly on the narrow path between the hall benches. Before invigilators understood what was happening, the tension-soaked atmosphere became relaxed as the sudden appearance of the bride elicited laughter from the stressed students, who prepared to write a difficult paper.
An hour later, Oluwatunmise was on her way from the examination hall to reception, where her husband and guests were waiting for her.
An invigilator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Oluwatumise was allowed to write the paper despite her lateness for the exam. He also praised the girl for her determination not to be carried away by the euphoria of the wedding.
Speaking with reporters after writing the paper, Oluwatumise stressed that her education was as important to her as her marriage.
“When the wedding date was fixed some months ago, nobody knew it would clash with my second semester examination. What appears to be a saving grace for me is that, both the wedding and examination are taking place in the same town. If otherwise, I would have missed the three-unit paper and carry it automatically,” she said.
The groom, Mr Adesina, said that he was shocked and stumped when his bride told him the examination timetable clashed with the wedding.
“I really praised her dogged determination. It was like a tug of war because she had to prepare for her exam and ran around for the wedding at the same time. Now that the confusion is over, I give thanks to God for making it easy for us,” he said.

Celestial Church Crisis : Obasanjo plays peace-maker

The former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo has said that the unity of the Celestial Churches of Christ (CCC) all over the world is of utmost importance to him. He made the submission during the week, at his hilltop mansion in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital when the Oshoffa family and some leaders of the church paid him a courtesy visit.
Leading the delegation to Obasanjo was the unified leader of the Celestial churches worldwide, Rev. Olatosho Matthew Oshoffa, who said the visit was part of a process to settle the acrimony that had surrounded the leadership of the church in the recent past.
The Celestial church as a body had been embroiled in a fierce battle between surviving sons of the founder of the church, late Prophet Samuel Bilehou Oshoffa and some leaders that all claimed to be supreme head of the church in their various domains. Various leaders of the church such as Rev. Mobiyina Oshoffa, Rev. Paul Maforikan, Rev. Bolanle Shonekan, a trustee of the church, Pastor Owodunni, Rev. Orovboni and Rev. Akinsoji have all laid claims to the spiritual headship of CCC operating from their individual domains.
The battle caused deep divisions within the fold; a development which has taken a toll on the functions of the church and its recognition by various organizations and government.
The dispute led to a protracted court cases, which was eventually resolved via the judgement of Justice A. O Asenuga of an Ogun state High Court sitting in Ilaro, Ogun state Nigeria on 26th March, 2015.
Olusegun Obasanjo
Supreme position
Rev. Shonekan had approached the court seeking it to declare him the substantive head of the church, but in his judgement, the trial judge nullified the erstwhile leadership claims of Rev. Mobiyina Oshoffa and all his structures, ordering him not to parade himself as the supreme head of the church. It also declared all actions and decisions earlier taken by Mobiyina as null and void and of no effect.
The same order equally affected the petitioner and all other claimants to the supreme position. Asenuga had relied on a supreme court judgement delivered in the case of late Prophet Abiodun Bada which made it impossible for persons to simultaneously lay claim to the position of the leader in the event of disputes such as this.
It was on this strength that Rev. Olatosho emerged to unify the whole body as it’s spiritual head and lay to rest the tussles.
At Obasanjo’s residence, Rev. Olatosho Oshoffa said; “We are happy that an end has finally come to the unsavoury situation we found ourselves in the church between my brothers and other leaders in different locations. I want to assure that we are now a united family and the glory of the Celestial church worldwide will continue to shine and it will fulfil it’s mandate in both the service of God and adding colour to the destiny of its members”. Continuing, he said, “we are here today to brief you of the developments and seek your counsel as a father to us and someone who has been a great friend of the church since the days of our fathers in fostering unity within our family and the church”.
Olatosho said further, “my vision as the unified head is to see that there is peace in all of our churches and all the leaders function as laid down within the divine order delivered to our fore bearers. We intend to develop the international headquarters at Imeko into a true convergence ground worthy of the purpose it was created at the beginning. Individuals, private organizations and even governments at different levels will only identify with us if there is unity of purpose among us; and this is the task before me which I hope to accomplish with the support of my people.”
Resolution of conflict
In his response, Obasanjo thanked the delegation for deeming it fit to visit him. He said, “Almighty God is the creator of the church and He alone has the power to resolve any conflict within it.
I am happy to hear that peace has finally returned and for me personally, the unity and unification of the Celestial Churches worldwide is very paramount to me because this is a big church that has a deep history and any division whatsoever will not serve its interest either now or in the future . I do not take sides in any dispute and the court has spoken which must be respected”. He continued, “I encourage you to be strong, embark on this task with all fairness and do all within your powers to unite the church”.
Obasanjo however promised to look into the matter again and offer his support in ensuring lasting peace and unity within the Celestial family.
Also in attendance during the parley of the unification leader CCC World wide, Rev. Olatosho Matthew Oshoffa with Chief Obasanjo were members of the Oshoffa family and senior ministers of the church such as the Rev Mobiyina Oshoffa , Ven. Superior Z. A Okunlola and Ven. Superior Evan. Ebenezer Oshoffa among others

How my boobs got so big —Ella Mensah

Ghanaian actress, Ella Mensah, who is currently in Nigeria shooting a movie, says she wants to be the best Ghanian actress in Nollywood. Looking at her busy schedules since she first hit Nollywood in 2012, it appears the actress may have an ace up her sleeves. Her most notable films include Educated Housemaids, 11am, Mirabel, Crime to Christ, Playboy, Couples on Fire to name a few.
But one feature you cannot miss about the Ghallywood star is her taunting big boobs with deep cleavage. In this exclusive interview with Showtime Celebrity, he talks about how her boobs got big, her journey in Nollywood, and more:
Are you working on any project now?
Yes. I just came back from Awka where I shot one Royal Glamour movie with Rise and Shine Productions. I’m in Lagos now and I have a shoot on Thursday (last Thursday) with another production house; I think it’s an independent production.
How has life in Nollywood been so far?
It’s all right. The only difference between Nollywood and where I come from (Ghana) is that they shoot more in Nollywood – you are always working. In Ghana, we don’t have many producers, but there are many producers here and if you want to shoot everyday, you shoot everyday but not all the scripts are good. The difference is that here, you work a lot.
So, you are saying Ghana movies have more quality than Nigerian ones?
Obviously, Ghanaian movies have more quality than most of Nigerian films. The normal Ghanaian movies we shoot are what Nigerians call cinema movies but we in Ghana don’t call them cinema movies, it’s our standard way of shooting movies. Almost every movie shot in Ghana is a cinema movie whereas here, it is not.
What has been your most daring role in a movie?
The daring thing I did was one movie I shot last year where I had to take off my bra. They didn’t show my front, they showed my back, like my back being bare, no bra and all that but I can’t remember the movie title now.
As a sexy actress, would you say your assets have helped you in getting roles?
No, I think I get many offers for roles; a lot of people always say it is because I am pretty or because I am endowed. Yes, you need to be presentable; you need to be pretty to be in front of a camera but at the same time it’s not all about that. You need to be talented, you need to know what you do; you need to speak well and be eloquent. You just have to have talent but beauty is more like icing on the cake.
What can you do to stun or ‘wow’ fans in a movie?
Funny enough I’m still thinking about that particular thing because Nollywood is a big industry and there are so many stars; there’s nothing anybody has not done. Since I’m a Ghanaian and I want to be a household name in Nollywood, my team and I are planning on something big that would shake the whole of Nigeria but for now, I think I’ll keep that as a surprise.
You said there’s a difference between romantic scene and sex scene?
Yeah, a lot of people get confused about romantic scenes and sex scenes. Being romantic to someone and having sex with someone is not the same. You can be romantic to someone without sleeping with the person and sleeping with someone is not being romantic. Sex is sex, romance is another thing altogether. Being romantic to someone is not having sex with the person; sex is different. Sex scenes and romantic scenes are different, people should just get it
What has been your most daring sexual role in a movie?
I’ve had more than ten movies where I had to do a sex scene or seduced someone. There’s one movie I did ‘Educated Housemaids’ where I had to seduce a millionaire’s son and I thought the only way to get him was to sleep with him. A lot of people think sex scenes are real but they are not real because there are so many people behind the scene. You might think that we are under the duvet doing something, we are not doing anything because we put on bum shorts, suits and all that faking things, acting like we’re moaning and all that. It’s all acting
I think Ghana movies have crossed the lines many times when it comes to soft porn?
What people don’t get is that going nude in Ghanaian movies is not all nude. There’s something called ‘cuts and paste.’ If you’re shooting a movie and they say you should take off your bra and then the camera wants to zoom to your front, it’s not your real breast they show, I just want people to know.
Then whose breast do they show?
It’s not real. What we do is that the camera would say action and then the camera would show my hand removing my own bra from my back and when I take it off, there’s something covering my face. We have special effects directors and there’s this breast silicon thing they put across your breast with something to hold it to just let viewers think that it’s your breast. Mostly, we don’t even zoom the front part, it’s just the side and it’s silicon; it’s not natural.
How much are they paying us to go totally nude? This is not Hollywood that they give you a million dollars to go nude; like Angelina Jolie you feel comfortable showing everything because they give you like 15 million dollars but we are talking about Ghana and Nigeria. They don’t even pay anything close to that. So nobody is showing boobs for real here, it’s not true, it’s just cut and paste and they just join everything in the editing room to make it look real
What has been your most successful movie to date?
A couple of them but one movie that I really like, that I got some fans from UK and Kenya and even Australia inviting me to come is one movie I shot for Tinsel. Tinsel is doing a short movie called Afriwood; they are not showing it on Africa Magic but they are showing it on DSTV channel 151, it’s a short film on its own. The film is called ‘11am’, I was a celebrity newscaster which in real life I’m because I’m a Journalist; I studied journalism and media studies and I even worked in a TV station in Ghana before I delved into this acting thing. It was pretty much enjoyable since it was the real me and all that and that movie really went far; it was everywhere on the internet
What has been your most embarrassing role in a movie?
One that comes to my head right now is one movie I shot in the East where I had to take off my wig, no makeup, no lipstick; they braided my hair and all that. We were shooting in a bush when I saw a snake; I just started running because I have mortal fear for snakes. Then the cloth they tied on me just went off and everybody was around. I saw some leaves and it was more like Adam and Eve thing and I had to just use the leaves to cover my boobs because that was the most important thing. I couldn’t even continue the shoot because I felt so embarrassed
What was your worst experience growing up
I remember way back in Junior High; it’s funny how I think adolescence or growing has changed my body. In Junior High, I didn’t have breasts; at the age of 15, I didn’t have noticeable breast on my chest and I remember that boys were always calling me a boy. I was more like a tomboy. Then, I went to Secondary School and all of a sudden my breasts started coming out and the boys would still tease me more. Even now, some of my colleagues from way back when they see me now they ask if I had done implants on my boobs. I don’t have implants. It was so embarrassing when you’re with girls but everyone calls you a guy because you’re a female with flat chest
Did your boobs just start growing by itself or you did something?
I didn’t do anything, that’s the irony. I remember way back in 2003, I woke up one morning and I saw something there and I started putting foam in my bra, I didn’t even know I was going to wear bra all my life. My breasts really blew up after I gave birth to my child and I also added weight. I was size 10 when I gave birth, soon after I got to size 18. I was so fat because I ate a lot and a lot of people couldn’t recognize me. Being pregnant is a horrible thing, I ate like 17 times a day and I became so chubby. When I gave birth, to lose that weight was hell
So you eventually lost weight but your boobs were still big?
Even though I lost weight, I think some of the fat went to the right places and I love it. Now it’s working for me. See now, I’m so endowed now and I love it. You could say my son gave me a breast job; it’s a natural breast job. I didn’t have to pay any doctor, it was a natural gift from God and I have my son to thank for it.
Everyone knows you as a sexy actress, is it just for show or you really like sex?
Seriously, is there any human being on this planet who hates sex?
A lot of people pretend they don’t like sex?
That’s the word you said, pretend. Life is too short to want to fake things. Sex is a beautiful thing when you are with the right person and you’re an adult. It is a beautiful thing if you have your partner, somebody you love and you trust and you respect, why not? Sex is part of our life
What turns you on sexually in the bedroom?
During sex, seeing my man’s face is enough for me
Do you have any celebrity crush?
Yes, I’m obsessed with one guy; I love him so much but not more than my boyfriend. He’s the only one who can make me leave my boyfriend; thinking about him is even making me blush right now.
Who is that?
Lil Wayne.
You’re attracted to Lil Wayne?
So much, everything about him attracts me.
There was a time you dated Oritsefemi?
I never dated Oritsefemi, we were just friends.
Has any fan ever done anything crazy to you?
Oh God, it’s very bad. I don’t know how they get my number and I keep changing it and yet they get it again. There was a time a fan gave me like 87 missed calls in an hour and he would send me so many text messages that he had a dream he was making love to me and I came and was screaming his name, so we should make it reality. It’s that bad that when I tweet or post something on instagram he would trace it and go to that location to see whether I’m there or not, it was that bad. So many crazy people even on my Facebook page; being pretty alone has its consequences but being pretty and a star can be dangerous.
What transpired between you and Mimi Orjiekwe?
Mimi and I are cool; she was one of the first people I met on set when I first came to Nigeria in 2012. I shot five movies and she was in four of them, we clicked and became friends. It’s just that I have my own goals in life; she has her own goals in life and friendships always have its ups and downs. It wasn’t really anything, I don’t even know why it became a big deal; nothing really happened, we just realized that our directions were not going the same way and we just needed to go our separate ways. I don’t have any problem with her, if I see her on the street, I’ll say hello to her; we even shot together last year

Mikel snubbed me in London – Oliseh

Super Eagles Chief Coach, Sunday Oliseh yesterday explained why he left out Chelsea of England midfielder, John Mikel Obi from his list of players invited for the forthcoming 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Tanzania. Oliseh who revealed this at a media parley in Abuja said he made several phone calls including text messages to Obi’s number but he never responded to any.
The former international who reluctantly spoke about the issue of Obi revealed that he has no bias against anybody adding that under him, the national team will not favour or malign any Nigerian player.
“Well this issue is an enigma and we have been trying to understand it but I am in the dark personally, and with my assistants we spent time about 11 days in and around Europe talking to players, watching games. We contacted each of the players, call them up, call the clubs and eventually met with the players.
“I went to England on a Thursday and Chelsea was just coming back, we had fixed our visit to coincide with the end of their tour before they played Arsenal. I contacted Obi Mikel, called him on phone four times, the phone kept on ringing nobody picked it up, I sent him an SMS and got no response. But I called Victor Moses the phone rang three times and he picked it up and I spoke with him, told him to concentrate on his game.
After the game he came to my hotel and we met and I told him my plans for the national team. I left to Liverpool to meet the other player and I spent about six hours to go there and back but there was no response from Mikel until I returned here.
I think it was yesterday (Wednesday) that I saw a missed call, so at the moment I don’t know what the situation is. For me everybody is the same and will be treated the same.”
He also gave words of encouragement to the home based players by stating that any of them that proves his worth will be given the opportunity to play, if they were better than their foreign based compatriots.

I hate Okocha – Oliseh

Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has finally laid to rest rumours that he does not see eye-to-eye with his former assistant in the Eagles Austin Jay-Jay Okocha when he said; ‘’yes, I hate Jay-Jay’’.
A reporter had asked him to clear the air on rumours that he does not see or stay in the same room with the former playmaker of the Super Eagles. The hall was like a graveyard when he made the pronouncement. He looked round and explained further. “I hate Okocha because anytime we play Tennis, he beats me.
We played  at the weekend at Sheraton Hotel and he defeated me’’. He made light of the rumour that started after he was appointed coach of the senior national team. Many still believe that Okocha stabbed Oliseh in the back when he accepted the captaincy of the Eagles to the 2002 World Cup.
‘’We’re the best of friends and we played Tennis at the weekend’’, he emphasised. Okocha is currently the Chairman of Delta State Football Association and Chairman of NFF’s Study Group.
Speaking on the Eagles, Oliseh said that he was going to make the Eagles to play team football combined with individual talents. ‘’If you remember our victories in 1994 and 1996, it was based on individual talents. But we do not have such individual talents again. What we need to do is to play collectively. That is what obtains in Germany and Spain. It’s a lot of hardwork. We’re here to do our best’’, he added.

We’ll defeat Fayose without federal might- Ex-Speaker

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose
A former Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Femi Bamisile, has said that the All Progressives Congress won’t rely on federal might to defeat Governor Ayodele Fayose in 2018 governorship poll.
Bamisile, who has declared his intention for the governorship seat, said the party would embark on serious and widespread mobilisation to woo electorate.
He spoke on Friday during a courtesy call by his campaign team on the APC’s State Working Committee.
Bamisile said, “We are not going to rely on President Muhammadu Buhari or federal might to win the coming governorship election. We have the capacity to defeat Fayose on our own.
“In the June 21, 2014 governorship election, we lost to the PDP by a margin of over 80,000 votes. But in the presidential election, it reduced to about 50,000 despite that Fayose did not allow some of our members to campaign.
“With this, it was evident that the APC in Ekiti is very strong. I want to assure our leaders that we will win the next election convincingly. But we have to work seriously for it so that we won’t disappoint President Buhari.”
Bamisile stated that he had started monthly distribution of free petrol to commercial motorcyclists operating in the state, adding that other critical voting population would enjoy similar gesture soon.
The State APC Chairman, Chief Jide Awe, represented by his deputy, Mrs. Kemi Olajide, and a leader of the party, Chief George Ojo, praised Bamisile for coming out at a critical time to give the party a strong voice.
Awe urged him to shun violence or any campaign of calumny in his aspiration.
He assured that the party will give all the aspirants a level-playing ground and won’t impose anybody on them.

Buhari to set up special courts for looters

President Muhammadu Buhari
The Federal Government has begun moves to establish special courts to try corruption-related cases as part of the efforts to fight graft in the country.
Saturday PUNCH’s investigations on Friday revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari was opting for a comprehensive onslaught against the problem of corruption in the country.
It was learnt that the President had concluded plans to submit a bill on the planned special anti-corruption courts to the National Assembly.
The PUNCH had on Monday exclusively reported that the Presidency had commenced the process of identifying fearless judges that would be saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting corrupt persons.
It was also gathered that the Federal Government was planning to establish 37 of the Special Courts to try corruption in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and the 36 states of the Federation.
A top operative of one of the anti-graft agencies, who confided in one of our correspondents, said that the Federal Government decided to set up the planned special courts because of the long delay by regular courts in deciding corruption-related cases.
It was further gathered that the President recently made a demand for 36 judges with the requisite integrity and boldness to decide cases in line with the law and not according to influence of the people or the pecuniary gains that come with associating with them.
The anti-graft officer said, “The President is being careful; he does not want people to do a wishy-washy job for him.
“Buhari is pressing for the establishment of special courts to try corruption cases. He wants the courts to be established in Abuja and the 36 states of the federation so that they can fast-track such cases.”
Investigations further revealed that the Federal Government had contacted the National Judicial Council to provide judges with impeccable reputation to preside over the planned courts.
It was gathered that the NJC released the names of 100 judges from the 36 states of the federation to the leadership of three major anti-corruption bodies in the country after an internal process of selection.
The judges were screened by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission and the Department of State Security on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the focus of the on-going screening exercise is to identify judges with a passion for the law and the constitution rather than deference to personalities.
The officer stated, “On Tuesday, the NJC forwarded the list of 100 judges to the anti-corruption agencies for screening. The exercise is meant to select the judges for the special courts the President is moving to establish to try corruption cases.
“The plan is to get judges that are bold, courageous, and fearless. Many of them must have delivered sound judgements (in the past). They don’t want those who play to the gallery.
“The screening exercise is very intensive; they are passing through the NJC that has the list of all the judges. When the NJC is through with its screening, it passes the list of the judges to security operatives and the anti-graft agencies to continue with the investigation.
“And because this is a democracy, they have to go through acceptable legal channels; they have to amend the constitution to set up these courts. They want to start with speed; even the legislatures have to be involved to amend the constitution.”
It was also learnt that the anti-graft agencies screened the judges by doing background checks on them, particularly looking at their history at the bench.
The source said, “We are working on the information we got about them (the judges). There are those who have been compromised in the past, who will not be part of the arrangement.”
But the anti-corruption agencies are not saying much about the on-going screening exercise, which is said to have entered its second phase.
When our correspondent contacted the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on the telephone on Friday, he said that he was not aware of it.
“I am not aware of the exercise you are talking about,” he said.
Similarly, the Resident Consultant, Media and events of the ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, said that he could not comment on the story, when contacted.
“I can’t comment on it,” he said.
Also, the Acting Director, Information, National Judicial Council, Mr. Soji Oye, said he was not aware of any plan to create special corruption courts.
It will be recalled that the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, had in 2012, when he was being screened by the Senate, called for the establishment of special courts for corruption cases.
He had said, “The reason for the clamour for special courts for certain cases has to do with the processes of law. Judges have corrupt cases and other cases to attend to, but if we have special courts for corruption cases, it would facilitate the process. I don’t think it will be too much to ask that a special court be dedicated to corruption cases.”
Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, and Executive Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, described the plan to create special courts to handle corruption cases as a welcome development.
But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Joseph Nwobike, described the establishment of such courts as needless.
Keyamo, however, urged the government to put certain resources and laws in place for such special courts to achieve their intended goals.
He said, “Establishment of special courts will not solve the entire problem of anti-corruption cases and it will not solve all the problems of criminal cases. But it will go a long way if the courts are well equipped and have rules that will help fast track such cases.
“Special courts will not address the integrity of judges that will be sitting there. It is a welcome development and government should go ahead to establish them but some things should be put in place for the courts to achieve the intended goals.”
Adeniran also described the establishment of special corruption courts as desirable. He said such courts would help in quick determination of corruption cases.
He said, “It is desirable to the extent that it will hasten up the adjudication on corruption cases and will make it easier for the judges to handle.”
But Nwobike said that instead of creating special courts, government should focus on capacity building to enhance the competence of investigators and prosecutors.
He said, “It is needless. It will amount to waste of judicial resources to set up special courts to try corruption cases.”

You can probe Amaechi, court tells Rivers govt

THE Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, dismissed the suit filed by a former governor of the state, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, challenging the setting up of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe his administration.
The State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, had constituted the Justice George Omereji-led judicial commission of inquiry to probe the sale of assets belonging to the state by the Amaechi administration.
But Amaechi had gone to court to challenge the setting up of the commission of inquiry to probe the immediate past government.
However, Justice Simeon Amadi, who delivered judgment in the suit, affirmed that the judicial commission of inquiry was not established to investigate the personal activities of the former governor.
Justice Amadi added that the commission was established to investigate the previous actions of government as they affected the people of the state.
According to him, Wike, by the provisions of the law, is empowered to establish the judicial commission of inquiry to investigate previous actions of government.
Justice Amadi specifically said that there was no law preventing a state government from finding out how the state’s resources were spent.
On the assertion by Amaechi that the 30 days set aside for the sitting of the judicial commission of inquiry will deny him fair hearing, Justice Amadi maintained that the number of days set aside for the commission did not breach his (Amaechi) right to fair hearing.
According to him, since Amaechi has yet to file a memorandum before the commission and has not appeared before it, the former governor cannot complain of not being given a fair hearing.
The court stated that the 30 days set aside for the commission of inquiry were not sacrosanct and could be extended.
The court described Amaechi’s suit as being speculative because the former governor failed to prove the injuries he had suffered as a result of the establishment of the commission of inquiry.
Amadi added that the terms of reference of the commission did not accuse the former governor of crime – contrary to the former governor’s claim.
He pointed out that the former governor was not on trial, saying, “The judiciary is not only the last hope of the common man, but it is also the last hope of the mighty and the movers and shakers of democracy. Those who by the benevolence of the judiciary got to power should resist the temptation to emasculate the judiciary.”
However, the Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Emmanuel Aguma, explained that with the court ruling, the commission of inquiry could begin its sitting and promised that it would be fair to all parties.
Aguma pointed out that the court decision on the matter had shown that no claimant could run to a court to stop the “legitimate business” of a judicial commission of inquiry.
But Amaechi’s counsel, Mrs. Winifred Enyinnaya, said the former governor would appeal against the judgment.

Court stops Senate from inviting Nation editor over story

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday barred the National Assembly from issuing a bench warrant against the editor of The Nation Newspaper, Mr. Gbenga Omotosho.
The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions had in a letter dated August 5, 2015 threatened to invoke Section 89(1)(d) of the 1999 Constitution against Omotosho if he failed to willingly come before it to answer questions on a news features story published in the newspaper on July 30, 2015.
The said story over which the Senate committee summoned Omotosho was titled “Motion: 22 APC Northern senators working against Buhari.”
Omotosho and the reporter who filed the story, Imam Bello, were directed “to appear before the committee unfailingly to prove the authenticity of your allegation” on August 11, 2015.
But on Friday, the applicants, who considered the senate invitation as an infringement on their fundamental right to freedom of expression under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, appeared, through their lawyer, Wahab Shittu, before Justice Mohammed Yunusa, seeking to restrain the National Assembly from issuing a bench warrant to compel their appearance for interrogation.
Shittu, while moving the ex parte application, contended that Section 88 and 89 of the Constitution, which the National Assembly relied upon, did not confer any power on it to summon Omotosho, Bello and the publisher of the The Nation Newspapers, Vintage Press Limited, to answer any question.
Shittu, who maintained that The Nation got the information published in the story from competent sources, both formal and informal, argued that the newspaper was protected by law to conceal the identities of its sources in keeping with the ethics of journalism.
He argued that rather than summon the applicants, the only available option opened to the National Assembly was to sue the applicants for libel or slander if it thought that it had valid claims.
“My Lord, the right of the applicants to freedom of expression and the press, guaranteed under Section 39 of the Constitution, is about to be or threatened to be infringed upon except Your Lordship intervenes very decisively and quickly.
“My Lord, if the respondents have any cause to challenge the content of the story, they can go to court and sue for libel.
“Section 88 and 89 of the Constitution that they are purportedly relying upon to summon the applicants does not give them any power to take any step against the applicants,” Shittu argued.
Urging the court to grant the application, he said the applicants risked being ridiculed except the court intervened.
Yunusa, after listening to Shittu, said, in a bench ruling, that he found the application to be meritorious and therefore restrained the National Assembly from issuing a bench warrant against the applicants pending the determination of the main suit.
He subsequently adjourned till August 28, 2015.

15-year-old stabs mother’s customer, arraigned

The police on Friday arraigned a 15-year-old boy in an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly stabbing his mother’s customer in the face with an iron rod.
The accused, who lives at Isheri, a suburb of Lagos, is facing one charge of assault.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Jimah Iseghede, told the court that the offence was committed on August 16 at 8, Ajibode St., Isheri, Lagos State.
Iseghede said the accused committed the offence during a fight that had ensued between the accused and his mother’s customer, Wasiu Adeshina.
“The complainant lost so much blood in the process and was rushed to a nearby hospital by some passers-by,” he said.
The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Tajudeen Elias, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum.
Elias ordered that the accused be remanded at the Borstal Centre in Adigbe, Abeokuta, Ogun State, until the bail conditions were perfected.