Nation
Court Admits Ex-JAMB RegistrarTo N200m Bail
A Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday, admitted Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, former Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), to a bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who granted Ojerinde’s prayer after taking the arguments of counsel to the parties in the matter, said one of the sureties must be a professor in a federal university.
Egwuatu ruled that the professor must provide documented evidence of professorship, letter of appointment and staff identity card.
He also said that the other surety must own a landed property in Abuja worth the bail sum and must be verified by the court registrar.
The judge, who ruled that the sureties must produce the evidence of three years tax payment, ordered that the certified true copy of the travel documents of the defendant which were in the custody of a court in Minna, Niger, should be obtained.
He adjourned the matter until July 22 and 23 for hearing.
The ICPC in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/97/21, said that the former chief executive officer allegedly committed multiple frauds, while heading JAMB and the National Examination Council (NECO).
The court had, on July 6, rejected the defendant’s bail plea after taking his plea on the 18-count charge preferred against him by the anti-corruption commission.
The rejection followed the argument of counsel to the prosecution, Ebenezer Shogunle, that his application for a “temporary bail” was unknown to the law.
The former JAMB registrar, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Earlier, Counsel to the defendant, Peter Olorunnisola, SAN, informed the court of the bail application dated and filed on June 29.
“The application is supported by an affidavit and a written address,” he said.
He also said that the defence filed an application on July 7 in response to the counter affidavit of the prosecution.
Olorunnisola urged the court to grant his client bail pursuant to Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and Section 35(1) of the Constitution.
Shogunle opposed the bail plea and the judge asked him if Ojerinde was ever granted a bail by the ICPC.
“Yes my lord, we granted the defendant an administrative bail,” he responded.
“Did the defendant breach any of the conditions attached to the bail,” Egwuatu asked.
The anti-corruption agency’s lawyer responded in affirmation.
He claimed that Ojerinde had breached the administrative bail conditions granted to him.
The judge asked him further to describe how Ojerinde acted contrary to the bail terms.
Shogunle then said that after he was granted the bail, he promised to produce some of the suspects listed for investigations, some of whom were members of his (Ojerinde’s) family, but failed to do so.
Justice Egwuatu asked, “So how does that amount to breaching the administrative bail?”
He said the defendant, during one of the interview sessions with members of his family, told the commission to discontinue the exercise that he (Ojerinde) had decided to enter a plea bargain but the plea bargain never worked.
The commission lawyer argued that if granted bail, the defendant would interfere with the investigation as well as intimidate witnesses.
Olorunnisola, who countered him, said the power to grant bail is at the discretion of the court, citing a section of the law.
The senior lawyer further argued that the anti-graft agency had already concluded its investigation on the defendant and keeping him in detention endlessly would not be in the interest of justice.
Nation
Rivers Deputy Governor Hails PH City One Love For Humanitarian Gesture
Rivers state Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has commended “The Port Harcourt City One Love,”a Port Harcourt based humanitarian orgnisation For it’s commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said this while speaking at this year’s edition of “operation feed the needy” a yearly outreach program of “The Port Harcourt City One Love ” in Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor said by feeding more than sixty thousands hungry people within the past six years, the Port Harcourt City One Love Movement has distinguished itself as a club that cares for the less privilege in the society.
She commended the , organization for listing eleven thousand persons to be fed in the current exercise.
Meanwhile The Port Harcourt City One Love has planned a permanent solution to the problem of feeding the poor in the state.
The leader of the group Mr Idaere Gogo Ogan who said this in an interview with newsmen during the distribution of food items to the poor and vulnerables in Port Harcourt said the organization is planning a permanent food kitchen where poor and vulnerable persons can work in anytime and get fed.
Idaere Gogo Ogan said more than sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons across Port Harcourt City and environs have been fed since the inception of “The operation feed the needy” program six years ago,adding that so far sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons have beneffited.
He described the group as a platform to promote friendship, brotherhood, community development empathy and feeding the less privilege and hungry people
“That’s what we are doing today here,so we started the exercise six years ago”.he said.
Ogan said the effort was a private sector driven initiative but added “it also involves people in Government because the platform does not recognize any division,we bring everybody together in unity , friendship and brotherhood”he said.
He said the effort will go along way in alleviating hunger especially following the prevailing hunger in the country.
According to him “you know the country is very tough, people are hungry people are starving, there is a whole lot of economic hardship,so for us, this is just our own way of reaching out, our own social contribution to what is very difficult”he said.
Over eleven thousand persons were fed in the just concluded exercise.
Areas of coverage include, Isaac Boro park, Port Harcourt prison/Macoba, Borokiri/Enugu waterside Bundu areas Waterlines and others.
Some of the beneficiaries including an 80 years old widow commended the movement for the annual programm and urged other organizations to emulate them
John Bibor,/Esuuk Oyet/Suotor Memoye /Jeremiah Hannah
Nation
We’ll Partner Private Sector to Industrialize Rivers State – Fubara …Hints Revitalization of Ahoada, Trans Amadi Industrial layout
Nation
SheVentures Open Zero-interest Loan Applications for Women Entrepreneurs
“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively. Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.
“This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs”, Edun said.
Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo said access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs.
-
Featured5 days agoWASSCE: RSG Distributes Science Materials To Secondary Schools
-
News5 days ago
Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Lives More Important Than Foreign Investment – Oshiomhole
-
Rivers5 days ago
MBA Forex Trial Adjourn To June 3, Amid Bereavement … As Court Declines Cost Application
-
News5 days ago
ActionAid Demands Probe Of Govs Using Public Funds For Campaign
-
Aviation5 days ago
Passengers Stranded As Delta Airline From Atlanta Route Back Eight Hours After
-
Business5 days ago
Customs Impound N2.35bn Cocaine, 15 Trailers of Rice
-
Politics5 days ago
2027: Bayelsa Senator Gets Critical Endorsement For Second Term
-
Politics5 days agoINEC Sets Rivers South-East Senatorial By-Election For June 20
