Politics
Hearing On Ibori’s Bid To Stop EFCC Begins, Wednesday
Federal High Court, Asaba will begin fresh hearing of Chief James Ibori on Wednesday April 28, 2010 in his application to restrain EFCC from arresting him.
Justice I.N. Buba, Monday April 19 in Asaba after listening to arguments by Mr J.B. Dauda (SAN) counsel to Ibori and Mr Chidi Okoroma, counsel to EFCC, fixed April 20.
Ibori, through his counsel had filed a motion exparte on April 12, praying Buba to grant an interim injunction restraining the EFCC from arresting or harassing him.
Joined in the suit are the Attorney-General of the Federation; the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS).
Ibori also urged the court to restrain the respondents, their agents, privies and assigns from intimidating him or attempting to arrest him pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion.
But the court ruled on April 14, that the Motion on Notice filed by Ibori be served on all the respondents and that the motion be heard April 19.
Counsel to Ibori who argued the motion Monday said he was served the counter affidavit and Notice of Preliminary objection by the EFCC.
Dauda said he was also served the first respondents counter affidavit.
He said that the Notice of preliminary objection by EFCC contained an elaborate address and it was only fair for him to respond because it questioned the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter.
“The lawyer raised certain facts not contemplated by the original application in which we need to file a counter and further affidavit.”
He also clarified “some misinformation” that the court granted Ibori a restraining order.
He also urged the court to compel the respondents to subject themselves to the rule of law.
Dauda also urged the court to grant Ibori a preservative injunction.
But Okoroma said the EFCC was “taken aback” when Dauda mentioned that they were in court to hear the case in which they were served only on April 15.
The EFCC counsel said there were no bases for the court to grant preservative order over Ibori.
He also urged the court to call the press to order against what he called the misrepresentation of processes of court in the reportage of the matter.
The judge said he would invoke and apply relevant sections of the criminal code on false publication on any journalists who ridiculed the administration of justice.
He said the court was at liberty to commit to prison anybody who is in contempt of court.
The judge who also adjourned to April 28 for fresh hearing notices to be served on the first and third respondents.
He also appealed to journalists to report correctly what happened in court and cross check facts when in doubt.
Protests erupted in Kano city and its environs on Monday afternoon with the demonstrators denouncing the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal that sacked the state Governor, Abba Yusuf.
The Tide’s source reports that uneasy calm pervaded the state capital following a contradictory Certified True Copy of the Appeal Court that affirmed the prayers of both the appellant and the respondent in the contentious Kano governorship, though the judiciary had since cleared the air.
In what appeared like a coordinated action on Monday, huge crowd of protesters had stormed strategic positions in the city as it visited temporary hiccups on commercial activities.
Kano- Zaria Road, Maiduguri Road by Muhammadu Buhari’s interchange, and Kantin Kwari (Kano textile market) were taken over by hundreds of youths who called for justice for Abba Yusuf.
Some of the placard read: “Kano my city my state”, “Justice for Kano”, “ Justice for Abba”, “Abba’s mandate was stolen in 2019, we will not allow it happen in 2023″.
The protest came on the heels of discovery by the Police that “some faceless group are bent on unleashing violence in Kano”, stressing that the police were on top of the situation.
Cp Hussaini Gumel told newsmen in Kano on Monday that already 7 suspects had been arrested and would be arraigned soon.
Gumel revealed that “we have the understanding with the leadership of the contending political parties, and they have signed a peace pact. In view of that, therefore, any one found outside this arrangement will be treated as common criminal”.
However, normalcy had since returned to the ancient city following the peaceful protest that lasted several hours.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will today, present the 2024 budget to the joint session of the National Assembly.
Secretary, Research and Information of the National Assembly, Dr Ali Barde Umoru, confirmed this on Monday to journalists while requesting the list of those to be allowed into the chamber during the budget presentation.
This will be the first budget estimate President Tinubu will present to the National Assembly in person.
He had earlier transmitted two supplementary budgets, 2022 and 2023, to the National Assembly, which the parliament speedily approved.
President Tinubu had, weeks ago, also forwarded to both chambers of the National Assembly, the 20224-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) where the sum of N26.1 trillion was proposed as the total expenditure for the 2024 fiscal year.
The Senate, following the recommendation of its joint committee, which scrutinised the document, approved the MTEF/FSP.
It approved the N26.1trn proposed as the 2024 budget and other parameters as proposed by President Tinubu.
It approved the new borrowings of N7.8 trillion, pegged the benchmark of oil price for 2024 at $73.96, and oil production volume per day at 1.78 million barrels.
Other parameters approved are a GDP growth rate of 3.76%, an inflation rate of 21.40%, an exchange rate of N700 to $1 dollar, and a projected budget deficit of N9.04 trillion.
Over 1,000 Islamic clerics have offered special prayers for President Bola Tinubu and the NNPP national leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, for peace, progress and political stability in Nigeria.
Abdulmumin Kofa (NNPP-Kiru/Bebeji) hosted the ulamas at Kiru for the success of Governor Kabir Yusuf of Kano State at the Supreme Court, according to a statement by the lawmaker’s media aide, Sani Paki, on Monday.
During the prayer session, the clerics recited the Qur’an 1,101 times and prayed for peace, progress and political stability in the country.
Mr Kofa said his relationship with the president was no secret, noting that Mr Kwankwaso is his mentor. He said he would continue to support and promote a harmonious relationship between Messrs Tinubu and Kwankwaso.
Mr Kofa described NNPP as a promising party open to collaboration, alliance and merger with the APC and even with the People’s Democratic Party, Labour Party or any other party that showed interest, so long as it is for the good of Nigerians.
He also promised to deploy his modest political network to reach out to gladiators in Kano politics towards resolving all resolvable issues and to de-escalate the current tension in the state due to the Kano governorship seat.
Also, after the prayer session, the legislator hosted 5,000 primary school kids across his constituency, as he often does, and provided them with school kits.
According to the statement, Mr Kofa assured the pupils of the good plans of the federal and state governments, especially on free education and free school feeding programmes.