You Breached Trust Taraba People Reposed In You, Judge Tells Ex Gov Nyame, Jails Him 28 Years

May 30, 2018

Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Guru, has regretted that former governor of Taraba State, a Clergyman too, Jolly Nyame breached the trust which the people who elected him reposed in him even as the court sentenced him to 28 years imprisonment for misappropriating N250 million which he approved purportedly for the purchase of stationery for the state.

“From the totality of facts before the court, Nyame approved N250 million for purchase of stationery, but is found to have no intention to fulfill the purpose,” the trial judge held.

Nyame will spend 28 years in prison out of which 14 years is for criminal breach of trust, two years for criminal misappropriation, seven years for gratification and five years for obtaining by dishonesty.

Nyame, whose trial began on July 13, 2007 was charged with 41 counts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for criminal misappropriation, diversion of public funds, and breach of public trust.

In a ruling which lasted more than four hours today, Wednesday, Justice Banjoko found Nyame guilty of counts 1, 2, 6, 8,10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 27, 29, 30, 31, 33, and 36 – charges bordering on criminal breach of public trust; counts 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 and 25 – charges bordering on misappropriation of public funds; counts 4 and 5 for charges bordering on gratification. He was, however discharged of counts 22, 24, 26, 28, 32, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41.

In the course of the trial, the prosecution called 14 witnesses and presented documentary evidence, which among other things revealed that the N250 million was shared and never utilised for the purpose for which it was approved. A total of N180 million was diverted to the bank account of Salman Global Ventures Limited, which provided no services for the state.

Nyame had, during the trial, denied knowledge of Salman Global Ventures Limited. But Justice Banjoko noted: “immediately the fund was released, his verbal instruction was given, that N180 million be paid to Salman Global Ventures”. The judge further added that: “the audacity of the defendant to divert N180 million from the N250 to the company, shows that he had more than a casual interest and so can’t hide behind a screen”.
“There was no evidence to show that Salman Global Ventures bidded for any contracts,” the trial judge said, noting that within five weeks, Salman Global Ventures received over N300 million from the state coffers.

Nyame was also found guilty of “misappropriation and misapplication of N165 million with dishonest intention”, and the misappropriation of N24,300,000 purportedly approved for “purchase of grains.”

Justice Banjoko held that Nyame was “guilty of criminal breach of trust beyond reasonable doubt”, while also finding him guilty of the offence of gratification as stated in count 4 of the charge. The EFCC had accused him of accepting a gratification of N80 million from Abubakar Suleiman of Alusab International (Nig) Ltd through Salman Global Ventures “as a reward for the award of contract by the Taraba State Government to USAB International (Nig) Ltd”, an offence punishable under Section 115 of the Penal Code Act 1990.

In the allocution of the defence, which was made by Olalekan Ojo, he urged the court to consider that Nyame was a first-time offender, and a family man who had dependents to cater for.

“He served the people of Taraba State for eight years, and through him the lot of the people in the state were bettered,” he argued, and urged the court to “take into consideration the selfless service of the convict, who has no criminal record of any sort and is still less than 60”.

In its counter-argument, prosecution counsel, O.A. Atolagbe, urged the court to take into cognizance the aggravating effect the action and inaction of Nyame had on the people of the state.

Citing Section 416 2 (a) (d) (e) and (f) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, he urged the court to put into consideration the aggravating factors on the state. He also pointed the attention of the court to the FCT Courts Practice Direction 2016, stressing that Nyame, played a leadership role in the commission of the offence.

“He abused his position of trust and caused severe harm to the society and economy of the state, and so the effect of the offence must be put into consideration,” he argued, adding that, “claim of selfless service is far from the truth”.

After listening to the arguments of both counsel, Justice Banjoko, gave her sentencing and noted that despite claim of being a first-time offender, a family man, and his service, “I am morally outraged with the facts of this case”.

“There’s no moral justification for the level of outright theft, and the Court must therefore, impose a statement, hopefully as a deterrent to other public officers, who may be similarly inclined.”

Dangote Donates 150 Multi-Million Fully Kitted Vehicles To Police

Greenbarge Reporters

May 30, 2018

The Aliko Dangote Foundation has donated 150 fully kitted operational cars worth several hundreds of Naira to the Nigeria Police Force.

Speaking during the formal handover of the cars in Abuja today, Wednesday, Chairman of the Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote stressed that the gesture was as a result of his belief that security is essential to economic development.”

Alhaji Dangote said that the vehicles are given to strengthen the Nigeria Police, adding: “we are formally handing over a total number of 150 GAC saloon cars to the Nigeria Police Force in order to help boost their operational efficiency. I am told that today marks the single biggest number of operational vehicles ever donated to the law enforcement agency by a private organisation.

“Considering the challenges government faces in meeting the entire needs of the populace for necessities like health, education and security, various Public Private Partnerships (PPP) initiatives have been developed. These are partnerships where the private sector collaborates with the public sector to provide services.”

Dangote said that the Foundation has been active in the four areas of Health, Education, Economic Empowerment and Disaster relief, and has been expending about N10 billion annually.

He called on other corporate organizations to rise up to the challenge of helping the security agencies in the country, saying that his Foundation made a N50 million donation to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, and built the Police Intelligence Hostel Complex in Kwara State, all of which are part of the collaborations by the Foundation.

“Today, we are deepening our intervention in security with the donation of these 150 fully kitted operational vehicles to the Police Force. These vehicles will support the Nigeria Police Force in surveillance, crime prevention and promote law and order.”

In his remark, the Vice-President Yemi Oshinbajo lauded the Dangote Foundation for the rare gesture and expressed the Federal Government’s appreciation to Alhaji Dangote for his untiring support to the government, adding that the donation of cars patrol cars to the Nigerian Police Force will help the Force at combating crimes across the country.

Oshibajo said Dangote is a rare entrepreneur who has done so much to grow the economy of Nigeria. He said the Government needs people like Aliko to join hands with it to grow the economy and also provide jobs to the Youth.

There have been a lot of talks on private-public partnership, but as we can see Alhaji Dangote is walking the talk.

Government’s role, according to him, is to provide the enabling environment while the private sector should take advantage of the opportunities that abounds in the country to grow and develop the economy.

“The donation of 150 cars to the Nigerian Police Force is laudable and we thank Aliko Dangote Foundation for this rare gesture, that is characteristic of the person of Aliko Dangote. He has shown over the years to be an entrepreneur with a difference, a man tha gives so much to the poor”

The Inspector-General of Police, Idris Ibrahim expressed the appreciation of the Police Force to the Aliko Dangote Foundation, with a promise that the cars will be well utilized for the purpose for which they were donated.

CBN Lifts Up Forex Market With $210 million

Greenbarge Reporters

May 30, 2018

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has, again, sustained its supply in the inter-bank Foreign Exchange market with the sum of $210 million.

The Bank offered the sum of $100 million to authorized dealers in the wholesale segment of the market while interests in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment received the sum of $55 million.

Also, the sum of $55 million was apportioned to invisibles such as tuition fees, medical payments and Basic Travel Allowance (BTA).

The CBN’s Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Isaac Okorafor, who spoke to news men said that the Bank’s continued intervention in forex market is to ensure the availability of foreign exchange to genuine customers.

He called on the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to continue to comply with the Bank’s directive to sell forex over the counter to customers with legitimate needs so as to sustain the confidence in the foreign exchange market.

It will be recalled that the CBN had recently ordered banks not to deny genuine travelers Personal Travel Allowance (PTA) and Business Travel Allowance (BTA) as there are enough dollar supplies to meet the demand.

This was followed by the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele leading Bank Examiners to conduct on-the-spot assessment of forex sales in the DMBs on Monday, May 28, 2018.

Meanwhile, the Naira exchanged at an average of N363/$1 in the BDC segment of the market today, Wednesday.

I’m No Longer Comfortable Sitting Along With APC Senators, Dino Melaye Protests

Greenbarge Reporters

May 30, 2018

Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi in the red chamber of the National Assembly, has asked the Senate President to relocate him from seat he shared with fellow members on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Melaye, who resumed sitting from a long spell with security and legal entanglement, insists that he is no longer comfortable sitting in the same aisle with the APC Senators.

He accused the police of trying to kill him twice through a chemical substance and injection hence he asked Senate President, Bukola Saraki to permit him to relocate from his assigned seat and henceforth sit on the aisle of the opposition PDP, close to former Senate President, Senator David Mark.

The embattled Senator, who wore a neck collar Plaster of Paris (POP) to the plenary, had earlier thanked the members of the PDP and their support and help during his ordeal.

However, Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan was quick to reject that a seat be given to Dino on the aisle of the opposition, insisting that a seat be given to him on the aisle occupied by ruling APC members.

Senate Chief Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye rejected the request to transfer Senator Dino to the opposition’s aisle noting that it would be setting a bad precedence.

Senate President Bukola Saraki, amidst laughter by colleagues, said that Senator Melaye could only be temporarily allowed to seat among the opposition for now while efforts are made to make his assigned seat comfortable.

Saraki said that Melaye is only permitted a temporary change of seat to ensure that the lawmaker is comfortable before he recovers from his trauma.

Herdsmen Attacks: Southern Kaduna People Beg Buhari To Extend Kindness To Them

Greenbarge Reporters

May 30, 2018

The Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union (SOKAPU) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to extend similar kindness which he gave to Benue State to them, over the incessant attacks by herdsmen leading to the killing of their loved ones.

The SOKAPU, in a statement today, Wednesday by the National Public Relations Officers (PRO), Yakubu Kuzamani, commended the President for his approval of the sum of N10 billion for the rebuilding of destroyed communities in Benue State, adding that this step is salutary and needs to be expeditiously executed so as to speedily ameliorate the suffering of the surviving victims that have borne the brunt of unprovoked attacks by rampaging terrorists in Benue State. The Union said that though no amount of money will bring back the lives of those killed, neither will the amounts be adequate to rebuild the communities destroyed, but that the funds will provide some succour and palliatives as well as revive the hopes of those still living in the communities destroyed.

“While commending the Federal Government for this pecuniary gesture as part of its attempts to alleviate the sufferings of the victims of terrorist activities in Benue State, we also deem it necessary to call on the Federal Government to carry out its interventionist measures in other communities that have suffered similar fates in Nigeria, particularly, communities in not less than five Local Governments in Southern Kaduna that were turned into theatres of terrorist activities and killing fields.

“We buried hundreds in mass and most times individual graves; whole communities and villages were completely and totally destroyed. Whole families wiped out in one fell swoop. Mourning, weeping, burials, destitution, destruction, deaths became the hallmark of activities in Southern Kaduna for several months. Southern Kaduna denizens have been turned into orphans, widows and widowers. Poverty, destitution, homelessness and hunger stares us in the face. We are not facing imminent humanitarian crisis but we are already experiencing serious humanitarian crisis of very huge proportions.

“In the light of the above, SOKAPU calls on the President to urgently set up interventionist measures akin to a Marshals plan to rebuild, reconstruct, rehabilitate and to restore Southern Kaduna to its pristine position. Specifically, we call on the Federal Government to:

a. Approve interventionist funds such as has been done in Benue State to address and redress the multifaceted challenges that have arisen as a result of the terrorist attacks.

b. Establish a Southern Kaduna Development Commission to rebuild, reconstruct, rehabilitate and to restore the destroyed communities.

c. Urgently provide relief materials for all the affected communities so as to stem the humanitarian crisis and provide needed succour and relief to widows, the aged, orphans and the vulnerable.

d. Provide enhanced security services for our communities, our villages and our farmlands to enable the development of our farmlands and Agric sector hitherto abandoned due to terrorist activities.

“It may be necessary to call the attention of Mr. President that Southern Kaduna remains the only ravaged zone in Nigeria where not even a single IDP camp was allowed to be established by the government despite the incomprehensible scale of human destruction. The hundreds of thousands displaced are being catered for by struggling relations, friends and people of goodwill.

“On the basis of the foregoing, we are calling on President Buhari to come to the assistance of Southern Kaduna communities and also the Birnin Gwari axis that are targets of attacks by agents of criminal activities. With the necessary security deployment going on, we believe that funding the rebuilding of destroyed communities will go a long way in returning these ghost towns to some semblance of human living so that the victims can rise up from the ashes of their despair.”

Papau New Guinea Suspends Facebook, Investigates Fake Users

Greenbarge Reporters

May 30, 2018

The government of Papua New Guinea has announced that it will block Facebook network for a month to allow researchers to identify fake accounts and users who post pornography and misinformation.

The Papua New Guinea Post-Courier quoted New Guinea’s communications minister, Sam Basil as saying that the temporary shutdown would give researchers a chance to analyze how Facebook is used in the country and to explore the development of its own social network for the nation’s citizens.

Basil said that preventing access to Facebook in the country could reveal benefits to the population or lead to the conclusion that people are actually better off without it.

Basil did not say when the ban would begin, according to the Post-Courier.

The month-long censorship in Papua New Guinea may also lead to the creation of an alternative to the Silicon Valley-based Facebook, Basil suggested.

“If there need be, then we can gather our local applications developers to create a site that is more conducive for Papua New Guineans to communicate within the country and abroad as well,” Basil told the Post-Courier.

Facebook said in a statement to The Washington Post yesterday, Tuesday: “we have reached out to the government to understand their concerns.”

According to government, estimates cited by the Australian Broadcasting Corp., about 600,000 to 700,000 people in Papua New Guinea use Facebook, out of a population of roughly eight million.

Facebook, which has more than two billion users, is facing mounting pressure from skeptical governments around the globe.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mark Zuckerberg endured rounds of grilling by dozens of U.S. lawmakers last month, during which he repeatedly apologized and promised changes to privacy policies after the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Last week, Zuckerberg fielded questions in Brussels from frustrated members of the European Parliament who needled him over the company’s recent controversies over privacy and misinformation.

The recent hearings in Europe and the United States also reflect a growing unease with Facebook’s dominant position in the marketplace, with lawmakers pressing Zuckerberg to identify which companies closely compete with his.

Critics of Facebook say the company deserves robust scrutiny, considering its history of apologies and promises. Some have argued that Facebook should be broken up or face new regulations that address the increasing power and influence of massive technology platforms.

Earlier this year, officials in Sri Lanka imposed a week-long ban on the social networking site. The government banned Facebook on the grounds that the platform was being used to fuel sectarian violence in the country. Authoritarian governments, including Iran and China, have also blocked access to Facebook as part of broader efforts to censor media and the flow of information.

Former PDP Spokesman Defects To APC

Greenbarge Reporters

May 29, 2018

The former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Adeyeye made this known in a press briefing in Ado-Ekiti today, Tuesday.

He said that he decided to join the APC because he wanted to free Ekiti State from the clutches of Governor Ayodele Fayose.

Adeyeye said that despite the intervention of some PDP leaders that he should reconsider his stance to leave the party after he failed to clinch its gubernatorial ticket in a primary election recently, he had to join former Governor Kayode Fayemi in the APC to redeem the state.

He lost the PDP ticket to Fayose’s deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola. [myad]

Police In Anambra Warn ‘Trouble Makers’ That IPOB Remains Outlawed

Greenbarge Reporters

May 29, 2018

Members of IPOB during protest in Anambra

The Anambra State Police Command has warned some elements bent on causing trouble in the state that the indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) remain outlawed and therefore, would not want to hear anything about it.

Reacting to a news that no fewer than 2,000 members of ‘outlawed’ group took to the streets and roads of Onitsha in Anambra State on peaceful march to sensitize the public on the sit- at- home order it declared on May 30, the Command said the fictitious and mischievous news was orchestrated by those elements who are not happy with the prevailing peace in the State which the Police and other Law enforcement agencies are working tirelessly to maintain.
The statement, issued today, Tuesday, by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, insisted that the indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is still a proscribed organization and that all its activities remains illegal.
The statement said that the State Commissioner of Police, Garba Baba Umar enjoined all the good people of the State to disregard alleged calls by any group urging them to sit at home on May 30 and that they should go about their lawful businesses.
The Commissioner assured the Public that adequate security arrangements have been put in place by combined Security forces in the State to proactively nip in the bud any threat emanating from such groups.
The statement said that the Command will not hesitate to deal decisively with and in accordance with the law any individual or groups under any guise that will disrupt Public Peace in the State. [myad]

Ramadan: Dangote Feeds IDPs, Donates N7 Billion In Borno

Greenbarge Reporters

May 29, 2018

The Aliko Dangote Foundation has flagged off its 2018 Ramadan Food distribution scheme, just as it doles out a staggering N7 billion to suppor the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno State.

This is coming, according to a statement by the communications department of the Dangote Group, as the Foundation will, next month, commission 200 housing units worth N2billion built by the Aliko Dangote Foundation.

The statement said that the food distribution exercise will cost the conglomerate N150illion, quoting the Managing Director/CEO of Aliko Dangote Foundation Zouera Youssoufou.

Ms Youssoufou who spoke yesterday, Monday at the flag-off ceremony in Maiduguri, Borno State Capital said the items that were being distributed to the IDPs include: Rice, Sugar, Salt, Spaghetti, Semolina, Wheat Meal, Maize and Millet.

She said the philanthropic exercise was meant to complement the effort of both State and Federal Government.

“We are supporting government reconstruction and rehabilitation effort,” she said, adding that about N7billion relief items have so far been donated to the cause of the IDPs in the state.

Mrs. Youssoufou, who was represented at the event by the Programmes Operations Manager of the Foundation Musa Bala said the gesture was a continuation of Foundation’s charity works in the state.

In his speech, Governor Kashim Shettima said the Borno State Government and its people were grateful to Dangote for the gesture.

He said that Dangote is the single largest benefactor of the IDPs after the Federal and state governments since the emergence of insurgency in the Northeast.

The Governor stated that Dangote’s contribution does not only stop at feeding and clothing the IDPs which he has been doing over the years, it also stretches to resettling and rehabilitating them.

Also in her remarks, the Chairperson of the State Emergency Management Agency, Hajiya Ya Bawa Kolo, expressed appreciation to the Foundation on behalf of the Internally Displaced Persons.

She assured the governor that the Agency will work with the Aliko Dangote Foundation’s team to ensure that only deserving persons will benefit from the gesture.

The Governor and other dignitaries later inspected the Dangote Housing Estate which will be commissioned by Alhaji Aliko Dangote next month.[myad]

Minister Says Striking Health Workers Won’t Be Paid Salaries For Period Of Strike

Greenbarge Reporters

May 29, 2018

The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, has asked the governing boards of federal tertiary health institutions to order members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), who have been on nation-wide strike to go back to work even as he said that the principle of no-work-no-pay will be applied.

According to the minister, everyone who participated in the strike would not be paid for the period of the strike even if the strike is called off.

These were contained in a statement issued yesterday, Tuesday, by the Director, Media and Public Relations to the minister, Boade Akinola.

The minister emphasized that anyone who fails to resume after the directives of the governing boards, would be considered to have absconded from duty without leave, adding that it will be regarded as a serious misconduct in line with the Public Service rule 030413.

The health workers across secondary and tertiary health institutions in the country have been on strike in the past 41 days, demanding, among others, increment in salary and increase in retirement age of health workers. They accused the minister, who is a medical doctor of bias; and called for his sack.

This followed the threat by doctors that should the government heed the demands of JOHESU, doctors would commence a nationwide strike.

The workers strike has paralysed health service delivery across most health institutions. Doctors have been the only health professionals attending to patients. This, however has not been effective causing most ill people to seek medical attention at private health institutions.

Meanwhile, JOHESU’s President, Comrade Biobelemoye Josiah had alerted members of moves by the Federal Government to proscribe the union if it fails to suspend its ongoing strike.

Speaking at an emergency consultation meeting of all state and zonal leaders held in Abuja on Monday, he said that the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige, issued the threat at a reconciliation meeting with the union last week.

He said that while the health workers were willing to suspend their industrial action, the federal government must, however, demonstrate sincerity of purpose in the processes activated towards achieving a peaceful resolution of the dispute.

He also accused the Incorporated Trustees of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation (KHRFI) of obtaining an order directing the JOHESU to suspend its industrial action through deceptive means.

Josiah said that the counsel to KHRFI, Barr. Nnamdi Okere, lied to the National Industrial Court that JOHESU was not involved in any reconciliation/negotiation process, and for that reason, there was no resolution to the industrial dispute in sight.

Based on that false claim, the JOHESU President said, the court ordered the health workers to suspend the strike and attend any reconciliation process that may be put in place by the Federal government.

“Last Tuesday, at a meeting with the negotiators and mediators from the Federal Government’s side, rather than talking meaningfully on how to have the disputes resolved, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, said we should stop the strike based on the order of the National Industrial Court.

“But we told him that as we speak, we have not been served the court order; we have not seen the court documents. He later threatened to have us proscribed, if we don’t obey the court order and suspend our strike.

“Before that meeting, we sent out a message asking them to tell the court to send a bailiff to serve us the order. But, that didn’t happen.

“We are not afraid to be served the court order, because even the constitution gives us the right to challenge the order. But we were not served until 5:39pm last Friday.

“We want Nigerians to know about the level of dishonesty and insincerity of the government team, who are bent on giving us a bad name to have us destroyed.

“Even the NGO that went to court misled the Judge. It said that there was no reconciliation cum negotiating team in place. But such a team is in place and have met with us over five times before the court order was obtained.”

The highpoint of the meeting was a voice vote by delegates at the meeting to continue the strike until their demands are met. [myad]

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