Traditional Rulers across the country, under the aegis of the Coordinating Committee of Traditional Rulers, are among the 241 Firms and group the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) has invited in relation with receipt of payments from the agency during the tenure of Sambo Dasuki, a retired colonel.

Dasuki is currently being prosecuted for allegedly distributing over $2.1billion meant for arms procurement to relatives, friends, political associates and campaign officials of the Peoples Democratic Party.

A public notice released by the Office of the NSA, directed the firms to appear before a panel probing payments to individuals, companies and foundations.

The companies are to appear between January 12 and 26 with their certificates of incorporation, particulars of directors, tax clearance certificates for their companies and directors from 2011 till date, letter of award of contracts, evidence of payments so far/outstanding balance, certified bank statements, and other documents considered relevant to the contracts.

The statement, signed by the Principal General Staff Officer in the NSA office, added: “The general public is please invited to note that companies or organisations that received payments from ONSA between 2011 and 2015, who have not appeared before the Committee, and their names are not reflected in the list below, should please endeavour to appear before the committee anytime within the stated period at the Office of the National Security Adviser’s Complex, 3 Arms Zone, Abuja.

“Your prompt appearance before the committee would be wise to avoid any embarrassment.”

COMPANIES INVITED TO OFFICE OF NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER (ONSA) FOR SCRUTINY IN NIGERIA

[myad]

The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) has declared incumbent Bayelsa State Governor, Sarike Dickson as the winner of gubernatorial election held in the state. This was even as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on whose platform he contested described the victory as painful.
Dickson won with a total vote of 134,998 to defeat a former governor of the state and candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) , Timipre Sylva who had 86,852.

Total numbers of registered voters for the election was 654, 492, while accredited voters were 242,114.
Reacting to the result of the rerun election, the PDP expressed sadness over number of those who lost their lives during the election.

“It’s painful that this victory has come with so much pain because we lost dear ones. Those who died are our brothers. So many are yet in the hospitals nursing life threatening injuries because our opponents wanted to win at all cost. We wish to express our deepest condolences once again and to assure them that their death will not be in vain.”

The party said whose Director of Publicity, Restoration Campaign Organization, Jonathan Obuebite, spoke shortly after INEC declared the incumbent governor winner, however thanked the people for renewing Dickson’s mandate for another four-years, attributing it to the “resilience and uncommon courage” of the people.

Obuebite said that the victory was important because it came the way of the PDP even in the face of intimidation, tyranny, threats and violent attacks, said: “despite the challenges, democracy won.

“We want to use this opportunity to sincerely thank all Bayelsans for their doggedness and patriotism because even in the face of such terrible intimidation and violence decided, out of their own volition, they came out to re-elect and return the Countryman Governor to office for the next four years. We are grateful for your remarkable decision as expected in a democracy.

“The people have spoken and we are indeed grateful. It’s your victory, you the good people of Bayelsa State. Without doubt, a new dawn is here. Bayelsans, through their uncommon courage have defeated tyranny and oppression by voting for the continuation of the restoration of our dignity and pride as amply demonstrated through their votes.” [myad]

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow those he called overzealous security operatives to embarrass his government.

He said that there was no legal justification for the re-arrest of the immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, and the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, after they were granted bails by different courts.

Falana in a statement said that as a President who won an election on the promise to fight corruption and end impunity in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari is duty-bound to ensure that all organs and agents of government respected the law.

The senior advocate added that the President should restrain overzealous security personnel from engaging in impunity that could expose the government to undue embarrassment.

“One of the reasons why Nigerians voted for the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) during the last general elections was his promise to fight corruption and end impunity in the country. Upon winning the election, President Buhari further pledged to abide by the Rule of Law.

“To that extent, he has a duty to ensure that all organs and officials of the Government operate within the ambit of the law. In particular, he should not allow overzealous security personnel to engage in any form of impunity and thereby expose the Government to unwarranted embarrassment.”

He said in the cases of Dasuki and Kanu, the only option open to government if aggrieved with the bails granted them, was to appeal against the court rulings.

“In July last year, the State Security Service searched the private  residence of former NSA, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) at Abuja. When Col. Dasuki alleged that his house was illegally searched, I pointed out that the action of the SSS was justified as there was a search warrant validly issued by a magistrate court in the Federal Capital Territory which had authorised the search.

“He was eventually charged with money laundering and criminal diversion of huge sums of public fund before the Federal High Court and the Federal Capital Territory High Court at Abuja. Notwithstanding the gravity of the offences, both courts have admitted him to bail.

“But after he had met the bail conditions, the SSS decided to re-arrest him at the gate of Kuje prisons on the ground that investigations have not been concluded in respect of other criminal allegations.

“The decision of the SSS to ignore the order admitting Col. Dasuki to bail coupled with the failure to re-arraign him on fresh charges is tantamount to impunity in every material particular. If the federal government was aggrieved by the order admitting Col Dasuki to bail it should have challenged it at the Court of Appeal.”

He said that as much as the Nigerian people are fully behind the Buhari Administration in the patriotic move to recover the looted wealth of the nation, the Federal government should be advised to ensure that the procedure for the loot recovery meets the tenets of the rule of law.

He also urged the Federal Government to promptly comply with the order granting bail to Kanu.

“In the same vein, the order admitting the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, to bail should also be complied with,” adding, “There is no provision for keeping criminal suspects at the pleasure of security officials”.

“Meanwhile, all valid and subsisting orders made by courts in favour of criminal suspects should be obeyed without any further delay.”

Fresh charges were filed against the Kanu and two others barely 24 hours after‎ Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja while ruling on the IPOB leader’s bail application on December 17, ordered his unconditional release from DSS custody having been detained for about two months without any valid charges filed against him.

On December 23, 2015, during the accused persons’ appearance in court for their scheduled arraignment, Kanu refused to take his plea due to what he called his lack of confidence in the presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed.

The judge promptly returned the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, for re-assignment to another judge and the three accused persons were returned to the custody of the DSS. [myad]