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S’Court Reserves Ruling In Union Bank’s Suit Against $15bn Judgment Debt …Queries Prosecutor’s Authority To Try Convicted Ex-Pension Director
The Supreme Court, yesterday, in Abuja, reserved ruling on a motion by Union Bank Plc seeking among others, leave to appeal against a June 5, 2018 judgment of the Court of Appeal in which the bank and three others were ordered to pay an oil and gas firm – Petro Union Limited – about $15billion.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, after listening to arguments by lawyers to parties, said they would be informed when the ruling was ready.
Union Bank’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) while arguing the motion, said it contains nine reliefs, among which was an order for leave for extension of time to file appeal and another order for leave to appeal under Order 6 Rule 2(1) of the Supreme Court’s Rules.
Awomolo said his clients seek to raise fresh grounds of appeal and introduce new evidence necessary for a fair and just determination of the court.
He noted that it was strange that, while the judgments of the Federal High Court, Abuja (delivered on March 11, 2014) and the subsequent one by the Court of Appeal (which affirmed the Federal High Court judgment) were based on a £2.556b cheque alleged lodged in Union Bank by Petro Union, the said cheque was never tendered in court.
Awomolo said his client intends to show that Petro Union obtained both judgments by fraud.
He noted that Petro Union’s lawyer, Joe Gadzama (SAN) was only opposed to the grant of reliefs four and six out of the nine reliefs.
He urged the court to disregard the objection raised by Petro Union against his motion and prayed the court to grant his motion on the merit.
Olabisisi Soyebo (SAN) for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Tijani Gazali (SAN) for the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Finance did not object to Union Bank’s motion.
Soyebo and Gazali, who said they did not file any process in relation to the motion, urged the court to grant it in view of the colossal amount involved and its possible implication on the nation’s economy.
Gadzama, in his response, said he vehemently opposed the motion factually and in law.
He urged the court to uphold the objection he raised and dismissed the motion on the grounds that Union Bank has not given valid and cogent reasons why leave should be granted it.
Earlier, the court finally resolved the dispute over who should represent Petro Union between Gazama and Onyechi Egwuonwu.
The court said, by its earlier ruling on July 6, 2021, it had found that Gadzama was the actual lawyer for Petro Union. It then barred Egwuonwu from further participating in the proceedings.
Petro Union had, in 1994 allegedly procured a cheque from a branch of Barclays Bank in the United Kingdom with a value of £2.556b wich it lodged in a Union Bank branch in Lagos under the pretext that the funds were to be used to construct three petrochemical refinery complexes and a bank in Nigeria.
On March 22, 2012, Petro Union sued at the Federal High Court, Abuja and sought, among others, an order of mandamus compelling the CBN, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Minister of Finance and the Attorney-General of the Federation to pay £2,556,000,000.00 to it.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/M/104/2012 Petro Union claimed that the money was deposited with Union Bank in 1994n adding that Union Bank received £2,556,000,000.00 on its behalf and transferred £2,159,221,318.54 to the CBN while it retained £396,778,681.46 as commission.
The defendants – Union Bank, CBN, Minister of Finance and AGF – in their separate counter-affidavits, denied Petro Union’s claims.
But, in the March 11, 2014 judgment, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja (now late) held in favour of Petro Union and their directors against the defendants.
Justice Kafarati held, among others, that Union Bank was liable to Petro Union in the sum of £396,778,681.46 being the balance of Petro Union’s foreign capital which it supposedly deposited with the Bank in 1994 and that the CBN was liable to the oil firm for the sum of £2,159,221,318.54.
The liabilities were held by the court to be joint and several against all the four defendants – CBN, Union Bank, Minister of Finance and AGF.
Out of the four defendants, only Union Bank and the CBN appealed the judgment of the Federal High Court.
On June 5, 2018, the Court of Appeal, Abuja gave judgment in the appeal by Union Bank and upheld the judgment by Justice Kafarati.
It is yet to determine the appeal by the CBN.
Similarly, the Supreme Court, yesterday, demanded from the law firm of Rotimi Jacobs and Co the fiat issued to it by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to prosecuted John Yakubu Yusufu, who was convicted for diverting N24billion.
Yusufu, a former Deputy Director in the Federal Civil Service Pension Office, who is serving his six-year sentence, appealed to the Supreme Court to have the 2018 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja set aside.
At the mention of the case, yesterday, Theodore Maiyaki announced an appearance for the appellant.
When Oluwaleke Atolagbe (from the firm of Rotimi Jacobs & Co) announced appearance for the respondent (the Federal Republic of Nigeria), a member of the court’s five-justices panel, Justice Centus Nweze sought to know if he (Atolagbe) was from the office of the Attorney General of te Federation (AGF).
Atolagbe said he is a private lawyer from, whose firm was instructed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute the case from the trial court.
Justice Nweze insisted that Atolagbe must present the fiat issued is firm by the AGF before further steps could be taken in the case.
When asked by the head of the panel, Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, if he has the fiat with him in court, Atolagbe said no, but that a letter from the EFCC, authorising his firm to prosecute the case, was in the office.
In a ruling, Justice Muhammad said, although the court sympathised with the appellant (who Maiyaki said was currently in a correctional facility), further proceedings in te case would be suspended pending when the respondent produces the fiat issue on which basis it prosecuted the case.
Justice Muhammad then adjourned January 27, 2022 at the instance of the respondent.
Justice Abubakar Talba of the High Court of the Feral Capital Territory (FCT) had, in a judgment on January 28, 2013 convicted Yusufu on a three-count charge to which he pleaded guilty following a plea bargain agreement with the prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Talba had sentenced him to two years imprisonment on each count, with the option of N250,000 for each count, a decision the EFCC appealed.
In its judgment on March 21, 2018 the Appeal Court reversed the judgment of the High Court of the FCT and sentenced Yusufu to a cumulative six years imprisonment.
The appellate court then ordered to refund N22.9 billion to Federal Government’s coffers, a decision e appealed to the Supreme Court.
Although the Appeal Court’s judgment was given in 2018, Yusufu remained a free man until June 2020 when the EFCC arrest announced that its operatives arrested him in Gombe State.
He was later taken before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the High Court of the FCT, who on June 22, 2020 ordered him to be sent to prison to serve his sentence.
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We’ll Drive Tinubu’s Vision in Rivers With Vigour – Fubara …Inaugurates Dualized Ahoada/Omoku Road ….Debunks Rift With RSHA
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has stated that he will lead Rivers people to galvanize support for President Bola Tinubu to drive the vision and objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda in the State with vigour.
The governor, who joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on Tuesday, explained that his decision to join the APC was not for personal interest but for the overall benefit of Rivers State.
Fubara disclosed these while inaugurating the extension of the dualized Ahoada/ Omoku Express road in Ahoada East and Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
He commended the contracting firm, Julius Berger, for timely delivery of the project, saying the project is a campaign promise fulfilled which will bring economic benefits to the people and tackle issues of insecurity associated with the route.
He said his administration has remained focused in delivering democratic dividends in the state despite facing glaring challenges.
The governor thanked the people of Ahoada East and Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Areas for their continuous support, and urged his supporters to remain steadfast and also support President Tinubu who he said, has demonstrated love to Rivers State as a father.
Fubara denied having rift with the Rivers State House of Assembly, stating that his meeting with the lawmakers was stalled as a result of delay in the agreed meeting to be convened by former Governor Nyesom Wike and other stakeholders for him to meet with the state lawmakers.
“I have made every effort to meet with the Assembly members, but it is not within my leadership to initiate the meeting process.
“The arrangement was for my leader, Wike, and the elders led by Anabraba to call for a meeting with the the lawmakers.
“I’m a gentleman and principled. I can’t go behind to call them when we’ve already agreed. Whoever that tell them that I don’t want to meet with them, or I rejected proposal meant for them isn’t saying the truth,” Fubara said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry Works, Mr Austin Ezekiel-Hart, who gave the project description, said the delivery of the project was a fulfillment of long time dream by the people of Ahoada East and Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Areas.
He said the road was previously a single lane and has now been dualised to 14.6 meters wide, complete with solar-powered streetlights with drainages.
He said the road significantly would reduce travel time between Ahoada and Omoku while improving economic activity in the region.
In his welcome address, Chairman of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area, Hon. Chuku Shedrack Ogbogu, described the road as a symbol of unity, oneness, and development, thanking the governor for fulfilling his campaign promises.
On his part, the Managing Director of Julius Berger, Engr. Peer Lusbash, said the project was awarded to his company in 2023 with a completion period of 18 months which was achieved in best quality.
He added that Julius Berger enjoyed a good support from the Fubara administration, and assured to complete all ongoing projects being handled by Julius Berger on specification, especially the Ring Road project which is a legacy project.
Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring good healthcare for the people of Rivers State.
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?Governor Fubara stated this when he played host to the Country Director of UNICEF, Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef and her management team in Port Harcourt, last Tuesday.
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?The governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba, said he would continue to provide the necessary facilities in order to ensure accessible and good health care for all Rivers people.
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?”We are constructing new zonal hospitals across the State. The Ahoada Zonal hospital will be commissioned in December and others are near completion.
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?”We are grateful to UNICEF for all they have done and believe we can always work together to care for the vulnerable in the society. We appreciate your physical presence, and believe that your staff working remotely, can also do more virtually. We have a capable Commissioner of Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, to help foster our relationship, communication and greater collaboration,” he said.
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?The Country Director for UNICEF Nigeria, Ms. Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef, assured Governor Fubara of UNICEF’s support to the programmes of the State Government. She appealed that health facilities such as the Oxygen Plant at Eleme Local Government Ares and the New Born Care Units be solarized.
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?”Be assured that UNICEF will continue to work and support the programmes here in Rivers State. We have seen the Oxygen Plant at Eleme LGA which has been effective because of the Public Private Partnership. We appeal that the plant be solarized.
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?”I commend your leadership of the State and assure that we are here to support your effort and assure you that you can count on our support and partnership. Rivers State is one of the states we can showcase how things are working so others can learn,” she added.
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Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has announced a N100 billion annual education support programme aimed at keeping financially vulnerable Nigerian students in school.
Speaking at the launch of the national scholarship scheme in Lagos, yesterday, Dangote said too many brilliant young people were being forced out of classrooms because of poverty.
He described education as the “strongest engine of social mobility” and a critical foundation for national development.
The initiative, funded by the Aliko Dangote Foundation, will run for ten years beginning in 2026, costing over N1 trillion in total.
Dangote said the scheme would support 45,000 scholars each year at inception, expanding to 155,000 beneficiaries annually by its fourth year, and maintaining that level for the rest of the decade.
By 2036, he said, the programme is expected to have reached at least 1,325,000 students.
“We cannot allow financial hardship to silence the dreams of our young people, not when the future of our nation depends on their skills, resilience and leadership,” he added.
A major component of the fund is the Aliko Dangote STEM Scholars programme, which will provide annual scholarships for 30,000 undergraduate students pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics in public universities and polytechnics.
Each beneficiary will receive tuition support aligned with the fees of their institution and course of study. Dangote said the goal is to expand access to higher education, empower innovation, and give young Nigerians the tools to compete globally.
“STEM drives development. If Nigeria must compete globally, our young minds must have the tools to learn, imagine and innovate,” he said.
