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Maina’s Trial: Ndume Knows Fate, Today
The Federal High Court in Abuja has deferred ruling on the bail application Senator Ali Ndume filed to secure his release from the Kuje Correctional Centre, till today.
Trial Justice Okon Abang adjourned ruling on the application after he entertained arguments from both Ndume’s lawyer, Mr. Marcel Oru, and counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar.
The court had, last Monday, remanded the lawmaker who is representing Borno South Senatorial District in custody following his failure to produce the former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, whom he stood surety for.
Maina is facing 12-count money laundering charge the EFCC preferred against him and a firm, Common Input Properties & Investment Limited, had since September 29, refused to attend his trial.
Satisfied that he jumped bail, the court issued bench warrant for his arrest, even as it remanded his surety in prison custody.
The court ordered the surety to either produce Maina for the continuation of his trial, or forfeit the N500million bail bond he signed on behalf of the Defendant.
Alternatively, the court directed the sale of Ndume’s property situated at Asokoro in Abuja to raise the N500million it said should be paid into the Federation Account.
Justice Abang said the surety should remain in custody pending the fulfilment of any of the conditions, even as he gave the Prosecution the nod to try the Defendant in absentia.
Ndume had since lodged 12 grounds of appeal to challenge his remand by the trial court.
Aside from his notice of appeal, the embattled lawmaker brought an application before the trial court, seeking to be released on bail, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal.
He predicated the bail request on Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and section 179 of the Administration of Justice Act, 2015.
Moving to the bail application, yesterday, Ndume’s lawyer, Marcel Oru, described Maina’s action that led to his client’s remand as “highly despicable”.
Oru admitted that his client indeed signed an undertaking and swore to an affidavit to forfeit the N500million bail bond should the Defendant jump bail.
He, however, argued that the forfeiture proceedings the EFCC initiated against the lawmaker was not completed before the court made the remand order.
Counsel to the detained surety maintained that the trial court denied his client fair hearing since he was not allowed the opportunity to show cause why he should not be punished over Maina’s misconduct.
Ndume’s lawyer said he approached the trial court with the bail application in view of the fact that it could take about six months to determine “serious issues of law” his client has raised before the appellate court.
He contended that allowing the Applicant to remain in prison custody for that long, would amount to allowing him to inadvertently serve a punishment prescribed by law, for an offence he has not been convicted for.
Moreso, the lawyer prayed the court to have sympathy on Senator Ndume, noting that he has already spent four days in custody over Maina’s action.
He drew attention of the court to the fact that Ndume regularly attended the proceedings even when it was obvious that Maina had jumped bail.
Condemning Maina’s conduct, Oru said: “My Lord, from going by what has played out in this case, only God knows from the lesson learned, whether a Nigerian with a good heart will ever stand surety for anyone anymore”.
He urged the court to in the interest of justice; grant the surety bail pending the conclusion of the case he filed before the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
However, the EFCC, through its counsel, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, opposed Ndume’s bail application.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.