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Jang: Court Reserves Judgement In Alleged Fraud Case

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A Plateau State High Court, yesterday, reserved judgement in a case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking the prosecution of former Governor Jonah Jang and a former cashier with the state government, Yusuf Pam, over an alleged N6.3billion fraud.
The trial judge, Justice Christy Dabup, who reserved ruling on the four-year case, said the date will be communicated to the parties involved in the suit.
The state High Court arrived at the decision after both the prosecution and the defence counsels adopted their written addresses.
At the resumed hearing of the case in Jos, yesterday, lead counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, brought two applications asking the court to grant it leave to appeal an earlier ruling by the court against the anti-graft agency during the trial-within-trial.
However, counsel to the second defendant, Sunday Odey, opposed the applications, and urged the court to go ahead with the business of the day since the applications had no bearing on the adoption of their final addresses which were slated for the court’s proceedings.
After a hot argument between both parties, counsel to the EFCC eventually conceded to the defense counsels that the business of the day, which was the adoption of written addresses, should go on as slated.
In his address, Lead Counsel to Jang, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, urged the court to dismiss all the charges against his client and set him free because the prosecution had not proven his case beyond any reasonable doubts.
Ozekhome said, “We only have one question we have formulated concerning this case. Of all the monies which they claimed my client took, where are they? We took all the 14 witnesses called by the prosecution, and asked them one after the other, and none of them said they saw or link any money in my client’s bank account, his wife or any of his relatives or anyone else. Where are these billions?
“The EFCC just created its own offence in order to get at the defendant.
“Without regard to the court, the EFCC instead of complying with the court order to file 30-page written address decided to file 151-page written applications. In spite of that, the prosecution filed another 37-page reply making 188 pages. I think the learned council ought to have sought leave of the court to apologise. I’m surprised that the entire address suffers repetitiveness and verbosity all geared toward pulling the wool over the eyes of the court.
“I urge my Lord to discharge and acquit my client of all the charges and set him free because,an address, no matter how brilliant, cannot take the place of legal proof and evidence”.
The Lead Prosecution Counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, in urging the court to uphold his case,said “I did not go against my Lordship’s order because no such order for a specific number of pages for the written address was given by the court.
“We did not base our own address on our own formulation but by the evidence given to the court.
“The question of whether any money was seen in any place is not the case of the prosecution. The second defendant admitted that monies were withdrawn and taken to him (Jang).
“What is he (Jang) doing with N5billion as governor between January and May, 2015? It’s so clear that the defendants have no answer to the prosecution’s case, and at the end of the day, justice will prevail”.
Counsel to the second defendant, in his address, also urged the court to dismiss the prosecution’s case, and insisted that his client did nothing wrong to warrant his prosecution.
Justice Christy Dabup, thereafter, adjourned the case for ruling, saying, “the ruling for this case will be at a date to be communicated later”.

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RSHA: Amaewhule-Led Lawmakers Defy Court Order, Elect New Leaders

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The crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly took a new twist on Wednesday as lawmakers loyal to the former Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, sat under tight security in the complex.
This is contrary to the court order asking the two factions of the State House of Assembly to maintain the status quo pending the determination of a suit filed by the Edison Ehie faction.
Recall that Ehie faction had obtained a court order that parties should maintain the status quo pending the determination of a suit seeking to sack Amaewhule as the House Speaker.
The Rivers Assembly had become factionalised following an unsuccessful move to impeach Governor Siminialayi Fubara.
The Amaewhule-led lawmakers are believed to be loyal to Fubara’s predecessor and political godfather, Nyesom Wike.
It was learnt that ahead of Wednesday’s sitting, cleaners had on Tuesday been deployed to clean up the Assembly complex, which had been under locks, since October 29, following an explosion in the complex the night before.
One of the cleaners said they were instructed to tidy up the complex ahead of a sitting on Wednesday.
It was gathered that the Wednesday sitting was held for about two hours as a team of riot policemen and security vans were stationed in front of the House to prevent any breaches.
It was gathered that the lawmakers elected a former Chief Whip as the new Majority Leader of the Assembly.
The member, representing Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Constituency 1, Frankline Nwabochi, was named the new Chief Whip.
An unsigned statement sent to the Assembly Press Corps obtained by The Tide said the two new principal officers accordingly took their oath of office.
Amaewhule congratulated them, charging them to be committed to their new responsibilities.
According to the statement, the lawmakers also passed the first reading of a Bill seeking to amend the Rivers State Local Government Law, No. 5 of 2018.
They also debated on the Rivers State House of Assembly Funds Management (Financial Autonomy) Bill, 2023, which passed second reading on Wednesday.
Amaewhule who described the Bill as important, expressed his conviction that Governor Fubara would assent to it after the lawmakers finally pass it.
He hinted that the governor had withheld funds meant for the Assembly for the month of November.
He said the lawmakers were determined to perform their constitutional duties despite the distractions.
He thereafter referred the Bill to the House Committee on Public Accounts for public hearing and further legislative scrutiny.
The other faction of the Assembly led by Ehie, and loyal to Fubara, had yet to react to the Wednesday development as of the time of filing this report.

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Ogoni Group Mulls Recall Of Lawmakers Over Foiled Fubara’s Impeachment

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An Advocacy group in Rivers State, Ogoni Development Drive (ODD), says it has begun the process to recall four Ogoni lawmakers from the Rivers House of Assembly over their alleged roles in the botched impeachment of Governor Similanayi Fubara.
The lawmakers are Dumle Maol (PDP, Gokana constituency), Barile Nwakoh (PDP, Khana), Aforji Igwe (PDP, Eleme) and Bernard Ngba (PDP, Tai).
The group’s Convener, Comrade Solomon Lenu, made this known at a news conference in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Recall that Fubara survived an alleged impeachment plot on October 30.
ODD said it had on November 10 issued a seven-day ultimatum to the four Ogoni lawmakers who partook in the plot that attempted to serve an impeachment notice to Governor Fubara.
The four lawmakers, now suspended, were asked to apologise to the Ogoni people whom they represent and to Gov. Fubara for denigrating his exalted office or risk being recalled.
“Instead of heeding this advice and embracing the olive branch extended to them, they rather embarked on an egocentric escapade,” the group said.
Lenu further said the lawmakers rather than heed to the advice by ODD, engaged in various meetings that purportedly plotted to unseat the governor.
“Governor Fubara was collectively voted for by the entire Rivers people, and as such, the action by the lawmakers has not gone well with all men and women of conscience.
“It is illogical for the erring assembly members to think it is right to impeach an innocent governor for no just cause but wrong to recall them for erring against their constituents.
“The suspended lawmakers called a bluff of ODD ultimatum, and so, we have decided to carry out this recall process in earnest, to put our democracy aright,” he said.
Lenu said the group had already reached an advanced level in sensitising and mobilising the lawmaker’s constituents to recall them.
He said that ODD had also obtained the comprehensive voters’ register of all voters in the four local government areas and constituencies.
According to him, an electronic capture form has also been created to make the petition process easier for students at various tertiary school campuses and those on holiday to sign the petition.
“So far, the response from the aggrieved constituents has been very impressive, and we shall in a few weeks’ time complete the compilation of the required signatures.
“The signatures are required for INEC to call for a referendum, which shall be carried out in branches with strict security guidance, to abort any sinister counterplot against democracy.
“We know this process is not going to be easy, but we are ready to go all the way, to create a sense of responsibility in our elected leaders,” he said.
Lenu said instilling a sense of responsibility in politicians and elected leaders would further entrench democratic tenets in the country.
The ODD convener called on the people of Ogoni to come forward and sign the petition, to end political “jamboree and illicit godfatherism” in the state.
The Tide reports that 26 lawmakers on Oct. 30 proceeded to impeach Fubara but were stopped by four pro-Fubara lawmakers led by Ehie Edison (PDP-Ahoada East II).
Mr Martins Amaewhule (Obio Akpor constituency), a close ally of a former governor, was later ousted as Speaker and Ehie sworn in as the new Speaker.
However, Amaewhule insists that he is still the Speaker of the House of Assembly, resulting in some form of confusion over the office of the Speaker.

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FRSC Commander Faces Sanction Over Unauthorised Comments

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The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), yesterday, disowned the Unit Commander, Central Business District Unit Command, Assistant Corps Commander IL Ibrahim, over his recent statement on Vehicle Inspection Officers, otherwise known as Directorate of Road Traffic Services.
Ibrahim was quoted to have said that VIO officials did not have the right to arrest road traffic violators, including overloaded vehicles and motorists caught using phones while driving.
But Deputy Corps Marshal, Bisi Kazeem, in a statement, yesterday, said Ibrahim’s comment was not the position of the Corps.
Kazeem added that the concerned official had been recalled to the national headquarters for necessary disciplinary action.
The statement read, “The Federal Road Safety Corps wishes to make a pertinent clarification regarding the pronouncement by the Unit Commander, Central Business District Unit Command, Assistant Corps Commander IL Ibrahim, that Vehicle Inspection Officers, otherwise known as Directorate of Road Traffic Services, do not have the right to arrest road traffic violators, including overloaded vehicles and motorists caught using phones while driving.
“The general public is advised to disregard the statement as it had no approval of the Corps Marshal, Dauda Ali Biu, and does not in anyway reflect the corporate or general position of the Corps.
“It is important for the public know that the laws establishing VIOs/State Traffic Management Agencies give them the statutory mandate to make arrests on different offences depending on the state within which they operate. As such, the agencies should be given the maximum cooperation for the enhancement of safety on our roads.
“On this note and in line with sustaining the Corps’ resolve that road safety is a collective responsibility, and in acknowledgement of the roles the State Traffic Management Agencies like the Vehicle Inspection Officers play in complementing the statutory responsibilities of the FRSC through enforcement of traffic laws, the Corps Marshal has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the Unit Commander to the national headquarters for necessary administrative and disciplinary actions.
“The public is admonished to always comply with all established traffic regulations and cooperate with security agencies deployed to maintain law and order on the highways, irrespective of their corporate mandate.”

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