President Muhammadu Buhari has advised his chief personal security officer and the officer in charge of the presidential movement not to abuse their positions.

The President, who decorated the two officers who have just been promoted in the Nigeria Police, stressed the need for public officers entrusted with certain responsibilities to live up to their duties and justify the confidence reposed in them.

The President advised them to justify their new ranks by increasing their commitment to the service of the nation even as he acknowledged their hard work and achievements which brought about their promotion.

He stressed that Nigeria needed their dedication and unwavering commitment for it to achieve greatness and assume its rightful position,   cautioning them not to abuse their positions.

The officers that were promoted are Abdulkarim Dauda and Kayode Sikiru Akande from the position of Assistant Commissioner of Police to Deputy Commissioner of Police. [myad]

Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State has described human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), as a mischievous lawyer.

The governor’s Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, who spoke on behalf of Fayose, said that Falana is always out to defend any position that satisfies his selfish desire.
“Falana is only deceiving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Governor Ayodele Fayose’s matter because of his ambition to contest the Ekiti State Governorship election in 2018, thinking that he can achieve what he used the EFCC to achieve against Governor Fayose in 2006 ten years after.”
Olayinka, who reacted to Falana’s position supporting EFCC’s freezing of Governor Fayose’s bank account, said it was shameful that a lawyer of his standing could say that the anti-graft agency was empowered to freeze Nigerians bank accounts and secure court orders later.
“Even though this comment coming from Femi Falana ought to have been ignored like we have always done because his hypocrisy has become so legendary that he should no longer be taken seriously by sane minds,  it was shameful that Falana, a Senior Associate Nigeria (SAN) could say that EFCC can freeze Nigerians bank accounts and obtain a court order later even when Section 34 of the EFCC Act provided that a court order must be obtained (ex-parte) and made available to the bank manager before a bank account can be frozen.
“Court Order is a condition precedent before a bank account can be frozen and Section 34 of the EFCC Act is very clear on this. It is unambiguous. It presupposes that EFCC cannot freeze the bank account of any Nigerian, no matter the status without first obtaining a court order and making same available to the bank manager.
“This position was also expressed by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday when he ordered the EFCC to pay N12.5 million damages to the son of former Governor Murtala Nyako, Senator Abdulaziz Nyako for un­lawful freezing of his account and illegal detention.
“It is therefore strange that a SAN could tell Nigerians that EFCC can carry out an action first and obtain court order to justify the action later.
“If I may ask, was Falana called to the Bar before he attended Law School and passed his Call-To-Bar Exams? Was Falana’s LLB Certificate given to him before he got admission to the University?  Was Falana’s BL Certificate issued to him before he attended the Law School?  Was Falana’s Birth Certificate issued before he was born? Was Falana’s Marriage Certificate issued before he got married? Has Falana ever travelled to UK or USA and obtained Visa later? “Can I, Lere Olayinka, because I can now quote some laws begin to practice as a lawyer and go to University to study law later?
“Obviously, opinions of lawyers like Femi Falana are better left in the trash cans and Nigerians should begin to thank God that he was not made Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
“It is also important to tell Falana to seek the face of the Lord for forgiveness of his sins against Ekiti and Governor Fayose in particular, because it appears God deliberately frustrated his bid to be appointed Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice because of what he would have used the position for.
“For instance, over ten Ekiti indigenes were murdered during the APC government of Dr Kayode Fayemi, Falana kept silent. He also kept silent when the future of Ekiti State was being mortgaged to frivolous loans and deductions from workers salary were not being remitted. It also made no meaning to Falana that democratically elected local government chairmen and councillors were sacked and council election was not conducted throughout the four years of APC government in Ekiti State.
“Instead of hiding under human rights activism to perpetrate evil against Ekiti and its people as he has always done, Falana should be bold enough to declare his governorship ambition, which is not hidden and let’s see how far he can go this time around.
“Like we have maintained, this is 2016 and 2006 that Falana and his criminal collaborators used EFCC to remove governors, Governor Fayose whose impeachment was later declared illegal by the Supreme Court.” [myad]

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s long-term ally and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, the businessman mentioned in the alleged bribery scandal involving an ex-US Congressman, Williams Jefferson, has described Governor Ayodele Fayose’s public accusation against Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, wife of Nigeria’s president, as “fallacious, baseless, misinformed and defamatory.”

Fasawe, in a statement in Abuja, exonerated Mrs. Buhari whom he said was never in any way connected with the transaction.

“We were the ones in government, and she was never a member of our party or my business associate. So, how could she have been involved in the first place,” he queried.

Although Fasawe claimed to know the said convicted former US congressman in the course of business exploration, yet he vehemently opposed Fayose’s position that President Buhari’s wife was part of the deal in any way.

“It was one venture that went awry based on misplaced trust. I was convinced the Triple Play Cable Television Network was the future of home entertainment in Nigeria. I invested considerably in the business – even having to approach my bank for further investments,” Mr. Fasawe said.

“Unfortunately, all went down the drain having been dealing with a fraud and a dupe in a person of Jefferson who used his office and the image of his nation to convince me iGate was a reputable Telecommunication Equipment Vendor. I am sure the bulk of the story is in the media, because I petitioned EFCC and the then President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“Nothing concrete was done by the then leadership of EFCC. My monies are still tied up in the US. It is high time the Nigeria Government liaised with the government of the United States to help me repatriate my monies running into tens of millions of dollars. The matter is in court as I speak, with AMCON joined as a party to the suit. This is an opportunity for President Buhari to look into the matter and bring all connected to book. Since the matter is in court, I may not be able to say much. However I seek justice, I seek the intervention of Mr. President. As a matter of fact, a petition to this effect is in the offing to be submitted to the presidency any moment from now.”

The Ondo State-born business mogul also lamented how the failed business gamble snuffed away his freedom and landed him in detention for nearly a year.

“The sad incident caused me money, time and honor. So it is very upsetting to have anyone trying to open this old wound and spicing it up with further controversy. I, therefore, advise Governor Fayose and his handlers to please desist from this unprovoked attack and unsolicited defamation to the person of Mrs. Aisha Buhari. No one should hide behind immunity clause to trample upon the rights and reputation of others with impunity,” Fasawe warned.

It will be recalled that Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Monday through press reports had revived the alleged role played by Aisha Buhari, President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife, in the bribery scandal involving U.S. Congressman Williams Jefferson.

According to media reports, “Fayose distributed a link to the U.S. Department of Justice website holding court documents where Mrs. Buhari was alleged to have transferred suspicious funds to a convicted former American congressman, William Jefferson.

“In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, Fayose said President Buhari was far from being a clean man.

“Even the President cannot claim to be an angel,” the governor said, in reaction to the freezing of his Zenith Bank account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“The estate he built in Abuja is known to us. His wife was indicted over the Halliburton Scandal (sic). When that American, Jefferson, was being sentenced, the President’s wife was mentioned as having wired $170,000 to Jefferson. Her name was on page 25 of the sentencing of Jefferson. We can serialize the judgment for people to see and read.”

“The governor’s Special Assistant on New Media, Lere Olayinka, later circulated links to and copies of the court document detailing Mrs Buhari’s mention in the scandal.

“The documents showed that in some of the exhibits tendered in convicting Mr. Jefferson of bribery, a Mrs. Buhari was mentioned as transferring $170,000 to the American politician using a firm as proxy.

“Government Exhibits 36-87 (6/26/02 $170,000 wire transfer from account in Nigeria in the name of Aisha Buhari to an account in the name of The ANJ Group, LLC, identifying “William Jefferson” as Beneficiary),” the U.S. Government Sentencing Memorandum said on page 22.”

“Mr. Fayose’s comment sparked a recollection of how Mr. Jefferson, between 2000 and 2005, used his position as member of the U.S. House of Representatives to offer illegal services to private companies for cash rewards.

“Mr. Jefferson and his family, according to U.S. authorities, received about $367,500 through his firm, ANJ Group, for services rendered to iGate, an American broadband technology provider.

“An indigenous firm, Netlink Digital Television, had signed a joint venture with iGate to set up digital satellite TV and broadband Internet services in the country. NDTV was owned by Oyewole Fasawe, a PDP chieftain at the time.

“Mr. Jefferson was contracted to help promote iGate and NDTV partnership in Nigeria.

“Following a lengthy trial, Mr. Jefferson was convicted in 2009 and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

“Although Mr. Fasawe was arrested in 2005 by the EFCC, he was never convicted.

“A report released by the EFCC on June 22, 2006, about the bribery scandal indicated that the commission investigated accounts held by Buhari, including one she had with Citizens Bank.

“A 2007 New York Times article detailed how Buhari told an acquaintance in Washington that she was a daughter of a former Nigerian head of state and a friend of Mr. Jefferson.

“As the pair struck up a conversation and subsequently became friends, Assiba, then a security guard, said she told him that her father was the former military ruler of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari, and that her American friends included politicians like Jefferson of Louisiana.” [myad]