Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has declared legal war with two Nigerians: Timi Frank and Katch Ononuju over what he called malicious news that have been featured in social and conventional media in recent time.
He made it clear that he is ready to waive his constitutional immunity to enable the most robust adjudication of several baseless allegations, insinuation and falsehoods against his person and office.
Professor Osinbajo made this declaration in a tweet he personally authored this afternoon.
Below is the full text of his tweet:
“In the past few days, a spate of reckless and malicious falsehoods have been peddled in the media against me by a group of malicious individuals.
“The defamatory and misleading assertions invented by this clique had mostly been making the social media rounds anonymously.
“I have today instructed the commencement of legal action against two individuals, one Timi Frank and another Katch Ononuju, who have put their names to these odious falsehoods.
“I will waive my constitutional immunity to enable the most robust adjudication of these claims of libel and malicious falsehood.”
The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has expressed its determination to make the 2019 Lagos International Trade Fair, starting on November 1, an avenue for networking, trade and investment bound even as it assured small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that the Fair would bring far-reaching benefits that will transform their businesses to the next level.
UBA’s Head of Group Consumer Retail Business, Jude Anele, who gave this assurance yesterday, September 24, at a press conference to officially herald the Trade Fair as well as unveil sponsors of the trade fair, said that the bank has put in place various service offerings to guarantee that this year’s fair provides a veritable platform to catalyse businesses to new highs. He explained that the 33rd edition of Lagos International Trade Fair scheduled to commence on November 1 is expected to provide an avenue for networking, trade, and investment bound to boost business activities in Africa’s largest economy and by extension, Africa.
While ensuring that SMEs maximise their presence at the fair, Mr Anele explained that UBA would provide uninterrupted banking services during the two-week event, and also provide advisory services to the small and medium entrepreneurs, fundamental to achieving their business goals.
“Worthy of mention is that merchants and entrepreneurs from other African countries and abroad would be able to conduct their transactions seamlessly without currency exchange hassles, using the extensive reach of UBA as a pan African bank with presence in key commercial capitals in the world.
“We have realised that critical to the success of SMEs in Africa is not necessarily access to finance, but their understanding of business and accounting mechanisms, process and procedures critical to their growth and existence especially on e-commerce, tax management, and bookkeeping and access to funding, and these are issues which we are trying to address.”
Speaking on the ease of payment during the event,t, especially with African companies from outside Nigeria, Anele said that UBA has successfully put in place solutions that would see ease of payment within Africa. UBA will be deploying state-of-art Point of Terminals (POS) configured towards ensuring merchants receive immediate values in currencies of their choice,” he said. The bank further said that it has reached an agreement with the organisers of the fair to give 20% discount to its small and medium business customers who register to showcase their products and services at the fair.A key activity at this year’s fair is the Africa Special Day, to be organised by UBA to promote Intra-African Trade.
Also speaking, the chairman, Trade Promotion Board, Gabriel Idahosa promised that the 33rd edition of West Africa’s flagship fair would bring utmost value to entrepreneurs and businesses in Nigeria and beyond as he acknowledged the massive support being provided by corporate organisations such as UBA.
“The LCCI and UBA have partnered to give exciting services to visitors and exhibitors at the fair. UBA is a foremost Pan African financial institution operating in 20 African countries, the United Kingdom and the USA and France, thus offering unique services to the delight of visitors and exhibitors during the are available with over 2,000 exhibitors from 16 African countries.
President Muhammadu Buhari has described an attempted coup plot against the authorities in Ghana as part of the corruption fighting back even as he said coups are now old fashioned.
A statement by a presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu Yoda, September 25 quoted the President as saying: “Nigeria and Ghana are leading partners in ECOWAS, and Transparency International, and Afrobarometer’s Africa Index 2019 attested that both countries have recorded exceptional advances in fighting corruption. When you take on powerful and corrupt vested interests successfully, sometimes they seek to push back. As the saying goes, ‘if you fight corruption, corruption will fight back’.
“The only acceptable form of governance in our region in this 21st century is through democratic elections. It is the only way to install – and the only way to change – an administration. The days of coups and government without votes are over.
“All Africans hold the nation of Ghana in the highest esteem as the first post-colonial country to gain independence, and the first African country to hold multi-party elections by universal suffrage. Ghana is the first, true African democracy.
“We in Nigeria hold out – as always – our hands in support and friendship to our brothers and sisters in Ghana.”
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is obviously angry with Vanguard newspaper over an alleged libellous story in its edition of September 23, 2019, and has demanded a retraction of the story as well as apology or face him in court.
In a letter dated September 24, 2019 and addressed to the newspaper’s editor, Mr. Eze Anaba, Professor Osinbajo, through his lawyer, Femi Falana, insisted on “immediate retraction of the offensive and derogatory publication coupled with apology prominently published in your newspaper.”
Falana began in the letter by saying: “We are solicitors to Professor Yemi Osinbanjo SAN, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (hereinafter referred to as “our client”) on whose behalf and instructions we write this letter.
“Our client’s attention has been drawn to your highly libelous story entitled “N90 bn FIRS election fund, Osinbanjo’s problem, not 2023 politics-Frank” recklessly published in the Vanguard newspaper edition of September 23, 2019.
“In the story credited to one Comrade Timi Frank, your newspaper informed your large readership that our client’s travail “has nothing to do with 2023 but alleged mismanagement of about N90 Billion Naira (sic) released by the Federal Inland Revenue Inland Service (FIRS) to prosecute the last general elections in favour of the APC”.
“The false contextual background and specific untrue and defamatory statement include the following:
“The presidency discovered how Osinbajo allegedly mismanaged N90billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
“When confronted by the presidency, he confirmed to General Buhari that he indeed allegedly took N90billion from FIRS but it was used for the 2019 presidential election campaign in strategic states of the South-west.
“Gen Buhari asked for a breakdown of how the money was spent and he said he gave N11 billion to Lagos state APC leader but when the said national leader and one former APC chairman were invited for an explanation, it was confirmed that Osinbajo gave only N5billion and not N11billion to Lagos state.
“The cabal is asking to know how come they beat PDP in the South-west with less than 60,000 votes if the money was actually spent in the strategic states of the South-west as allegedly claimed.’
“The activist insisted that if the information is true, Osinbajo must resign his position as Vice President, adding that such is akin to the characteristics of ‘yahoo boys.”
“It is clear that the entire publication was a vicious, wicked and reckless ploy to impugn the reputation of our client and lower him in the estimation of right thinking members of the public. Without any scintilla of evidence you deliberately gave the dubious impression that our client colluded with the Federal Inland Revenue Service to divert public funds to the tune of N90 billion to prosecute the 2019 general elections in the South west region.
“In view of the foregoing we have our client’s firm instructions to request for the immediate retraction of the offensive and derogatory publication coupled with apology prominently published in your newspaper.
“Take notice that if we do not receive your formal retraction and apology within 24 hours of the receipt of this letter, we shall proceed with our client’s instructions to seek legal remedies including aggravated damages in the appropriate High Court.
Security Agencies in Ghana were said to have foiled an attempted Coup Plot against the Ghanaian President, Nana Afuko-Addo who was elected in 2016, and will be seeking a second term next year
In a statement posted on Twitter, Ghana’s government said that the plot that was targeting the presidency had “the ultimate aim of destabilizing the country.”
The government statement said that it had arrested the group’s leaders, identified as Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, Ezor Kafui and Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu.
The government claimed that the group was plotting with serving military officials procure weapons, take over key installations and secure funding, with an aim of taking over the government.
During the seizure, government said that it was able to recover a stash of weapons, including six pistols, three smoke grenades, 22 IEDs, two AK47 magazines computer equipment and one long knife.
The statement added that the government had monitored activities of the plotters for 15 months, culminating in the arrest of three plotters and seizure of weapons last week Friday.
According to the Ghanaian government, a group known as Take Action Ghana (TAG), was working to recruit and radicalize a base of young people against the political authorities, under the guise of “nation-building.”
Supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari thronged the Nigerian Consulate in New York, the United States today, September 24 to praise his government over the handling of the affairs of Nigeria.
This was even as the wife of detained Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore led a few people to protest the detention of the journalist turned politician.
Buhari’s supporters, led by Jide Okuneye, called on Nigerians to join hands in taking his government to the next level.
The supporters wearing “Buhari trusted and tested” T-Shirts, were full of praises for his administration.
Jide Okuneye said: “we want to show the president that we care,” saying that Buhari is fully in charge and in control of his administration.
He that Nigeria is not isolated from problems happening across the globe but that the President has shown leadership and capacity to tackle them.
According to him, Nigeria closure of the border with Benin more than 30 days ago, followed by partial closures of its northern border to Niger has contrary to expectations yielded positive results.
He said that before now, the effect of the closure of border would have been felt but for Buhari’s policy of operation grow what you eat.
“Buhari knows what he is doing, is the best man for the job. Nigerians should be more patient because the problems of Nigeria cannot be solved in a twinkle of an eye, we must follow due process in tackling them. Before now, we cannot boost of feeding ourselves but the borders in Nigeria have been closed for more than a month and we have not heard that the nation has collapsed.
“This is the real operation feed the nation, this is the real man feeding the nation. There are no two ways about it; he is the best thing that has happened to Nigeria.”
But, supporters of Sowore described Buhari’s administration as intolerant and incapable of tackling the numerous problems facing the nation.
The group who were joined by the wife of Sowore, detained presidential candidate of AAC, Opeyemi, demanded that he should be set free.
The group chanted different slogans which include: Free Sowore now; We are tired of killings; stop the kidnapping; we in America want to go home but no place to call home, we tired of medical tourism, freedom of speech is guaranteed under the constitution among others.
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 23 Presidential election, Atiku Abubakar has filed a 66 grounds of appeal against the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which dismissed the petition he filed to challenge the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Atiku insisted that the five man panel led by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba erred in law in holding that President Buhari did not need to attach his academic qualification to the form CF 001 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission to secure clearance to participate in the election.
Atiku and his party had after the election approached the tribunal to challenge it on grounds of irregularity and non qualification of Buhari to contest the election among other reasons.
The tribunal had however on September 11 in a unanimous judgment dismissed the petition on grounds that the petitioners could not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.
The tribunal went ahead to hold that Atiku has no case in his petition.
The Tribunal further held that Buhari is not only qualified, but eminently qualified to contest the said election based on his academic qualification.
It consequently threw out the petition in its entirety.
In ground one of the appeal, the appellant argued that the learned Justices of the Court of Appeal erred in law when they relied on “overall interest of justice” to hold that the 2nd Respondent’s Exhibits R1 to R26, P85 and P86 were properly admitted in evidence.
In the particulars of error, the appellant submitted that Exhibits R1 to R26, P85 and P86 were not pleaded by Buhari who is the second Respondent in the petition.
He added that Exhibits R1 to R26, P85 and P86 were not frontloaded and that no leave of court was sought pursuant to paragraph 41 (8) of the 1st Schedule to the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) to receive Exhibits R1 to R26, P85 and P86 in evidence.
In ground two, the appellant submitted that the Justices of the Court of Appeal erred in law when they held thus:
“My firm view is that Section 76 of the Electoral Act is clearly inapplicable to the issues under consideration. The form referred to are the form to be used in the conduct of the election as FORM CF001 had been taken care of in Section 31 of the Electoral Act and the said FORM CF001 is tied to the steps laid down in the said Section 31 of the Electoral Act.
“More importantly the law is firmly settled that a candidate is not required by the Constitution or the Electoral Act to attach his certificates to FORM CF001 before the candidate can be considered or adjudged to have the requisite educational qualifications to contest election.”
In the particulars of error, the appellant submitted that the Court below gave restrictive interpretation to Section 76 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) in order to exclude Form CF001 from its provisions.
“The conduct of election by INEC which is 1st Respondent starts with the screening of candidates.
“No candidate can be screened unless he completes Form CF001 (Exhibit P1).
“In Form CF001, under the column for “Schools Attended/Educational Qualification with dates”, there is the clear provision: “ATTACH EVIDENCE OF ALL EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS”.
“Certificates are evidence of educational qualifications”.
In his ground three, Atiku claims that the learned Justices of the Court of Appeal erred in law when they held as follows:
“The reasonable inference or plausible meaning attachable to the above provision of Electoral Act 2010 as amended is that a Candidate can list information concerning evidence of his qualifications or other relevant information(s) about himself. The demand or information required in FORM CF001 cannot be more or higher than the statutory requirements.”
In the particular of error, the appellant submitted that, “Form CF001 is designed to take care of the provision in section 31(2) of the Electoral Act (as amended) regarding the “list or information” a candidate is expected to submit and verify by an Affidavit.
“The prescription in Form CF001 for a candidate to attach evidence of all educational qualifications is part of statutory requirements.
“Form CF001 is made pursuant to statutory provisions”.
In ground four, Atiku equally submitted that the learned Justices of the Court of Appeal erred in law when they held that,
“There was/is no pleadings in the Petition to the effect that 2nd Respondents failure to attach his certificates to Form CF001 amounts to lack of educational qualification to contest the election.
“In other words the issue of failure to attach certificates which has been flogged throughout the length and breadth of the Petitioners Address in Reply to 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents final written address is not the case of the Petitioner in the pleadings. No issue was joined on non production of certificates or failure to attach them as an infraction of section 131, 137 and 138 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.
“All submission about failure to produce certificates or attach same to CF001 is hereby discountenanced. Even if it can be said that the submissions made are in tandem with the Petitioners Pleadings on issues 1 and 2 the fact remains that none of the facts pleaded were proved or established as required by law.”
In the particulars of error, he submitted that, “Clearly, the Appellants pleaded and proved the allegation that the 2nd Respondent gave false information of a fundamental nature to the 1st Respondent in aid of his qualification.
“The issue raised above was done suo motu by the court below without affording the Appellants a hearing on it.
“The Court below set out in full, the pleadings in the Petition under the heading: Grounds 4 and 5: “Non-Qualification and giving of false Information”, which paragraphs 388 – 405 of the Petition cover.
“Paragraph 396 thereof is predicated on the 2nd Respondent’s claim that all documents relating to his academic qualification “are currently” with the Secretary to the Military Board.
“The Appellants also pleaded thereof that the Nigerian Military denied that it held or was in possession of the 2nd Respondent’s certificates.
“Paragraph 399 thereof pleads that the Appellants will contend that the 2nd Respondent was not qualified to contest the said election.
“The failure of the 2nd Respondent to produce his Certificates or attach same to Form CF001 in the face of unequivocal denial by the Army that his Certificates were not with them went to the root of the allegation against the 2nd Respondent that he gave false information of a fundamental nature to the 1st Respondent in aid of his qualification.
“The Appellants pleaded and proved the allegation that the 2nd Respondent gave false information of a fundamental nature to the 1st Respondent in aid of his qualification.
“The finding above is perverse”.
In-ground five, the appellant argues that the learned Justices of the Court of Appeal erred in law when they failed to consider and apply the recent case of A.A MODIBBO v MUSTAPHA USMAN AND ORS, an unreported decision of the Supreme Court in Appeal No SC/790/2019 delivered on 30th day of July, 2019, cited and relied upon by the Appellants wherein the principles enunciated therein have direct bearing on the Petition.
In the particulars of error, the appellant submitted that, “In the above judgment, the Apex Court in clear and unequivocal terms stated the meaning and standard of proof of “false information”.
“By the above decision, the Petitioners were only required to prove that any of the information in Exhibit P1 was contrary to truth or fact that is to say untrue simpliciter.
“In reviewing the Appellants’ case, the court below referred to the said judgment of the Supreme Court five times but failed to consider and apply same.
“The judgment considered “false information” in relation to the contents of Form CF001 verified on Oath and the definition of “false”.
“By the principle of stare decisis, the court below was under an obligation to consider and follow the principle of law enunciated therein relevant to the issue of the non-qualification of the 2nd Respondent canvassed by the Appellants.
“The lower Court failed to do so and no reason was given”.
The appellant further submitted that the
The Learned Justices of the Court of Appeal erred in law when they held as follows:
“There is no evidence before the Court to disclaim or prove that the 2nd Respondent lied that he went to Primary School, Secondary School and that he joined the Army in 1962 with RW1 and many other persons in the 2nd Respondent’s C.V. attached to Exhibit P1 tendered by the Petitioners. Page 1 thereof shows conclusively that he attended Primary School and that he attended Katsina Provincial Secondary School (no Government College) Katsina in 1956 – 1961 and went to Nigerian Military Training from 1961 – 1963.
“The evidence of RW1 and RW2 bear testimony to the aforesaid facts. The said RW1 and RW2 establish beyond doubt that 2nd Respondent had educational qualifications he filled in FORM CF001 on 8/10/2018.”
In the particulars of error, the appellant submits that, “the educational qualifications the 2nd Respondent claimed in Exhibit P1 are “Primary School Certificate”, “WASC” and “Officer Cadet”.
“The 2nd Respondent did not predicate his educational qualifications on any other certificate or ground.
“The 2nd Respondent appreciated that he was under an obligation to attach evidence of the certificates/qualifications he claimed in Form CF001.
“The 2nd Respondent did not attach any of them and claimed that they “are currently” with the Secretary to the Military Board in an affidavit he deposed to on 24th November, 2014.
“The Appellants led evidence that the military denied being in possession of the certificates.
In addition, the appellant submitted that the learned Justices of the Court of Appeal erred in law when they held, as follows:
“The Petitioners Learned Counsel had argued that the evidence led to prove that 2nd Respondent attended secondary school or a primary school or that he attended some courses, is irrelevant because he did not rely on any of those qualification in Exhibit P1.
“With profound respect to the Learned Senior Counsel his position is faulty because the said FORM CF001 specifically asked 2nd Respondent the schools he attended with qualifications attained or obtained in order to determine whether the 2nd Respondent has been educated up to at least the School Certificate level or its equivalent which is part of the qualifications stipulated in Section 131 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.”
In the particulars of error, the appellant submits that, “the 2nd Respondent, from the contents of Exhibit P1, did not rely on the alternative qualifications canvassed by the Respondents in the lower Courts.
“Form CF001 not only asked the 2nd Respondent to state the schools he attended, but also mandatorily required him to attach the certificates obtained by him from the said schools.
“The qualification relied upon by the 2nd Respondent under Section 131(d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is that he obtained a First School Leaving Certificate, WASC and Officer Cadet”.
Barrister Festus Keyamo, who was moved from the ministry of Niger Delta as Minister of State to the ministry of Labour and Productivity, has thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the move.
Reacting to his new posting, which was carried out today, September 24 in a minor cabinet reshuffle as contained in a letter by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, Keyamo said: “Thank you, Mr. President, for finding me versatile enough to move around. Always ready to serve in any capacity.”
In a Twitter, the lawyer and activist wrote: “ON THE MOVE AGAIN: TWO PORTFOLIOS IN TWO MONTHS! Just been redeployed to the Ministry of Labour and Employment to work with my long-time big brother, H.E, Chris Ngige.”
President Buhari delivers Address at the General Debate of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 24th Sep 2019
President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed social media over the escalation of all types of crimes, including terrorism across the world.
He therefore, called on major tech companies to be alive to their responsibilities, adding: “they cannot be allowed to continue to facilitate the spread of religious, racist, xenophobic and false messages capable of inciting whole communities against each other, leading to loss of many lives. This could tear some countries apart.”
President Buhari, who delivered Nigeria’s Statement today, October 24, as the fifth speaker on the first day of the General Debate during the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA74), said that poverty is a potent threat to security.
According to him, poverty is a foul source from which common criminality, insurgency, cross-border crimes, human trafficking and its terrible consequences draw inspiration.
Describing poverty as one of the greatest challenges facing the world, President Buhari said that its eradication is an indispensable requirement for achieving sustainable development.
On corruption, Buhari said that his government is facing the challenges of corruption head-on, even as he said: “we are giving notice to international criminal groups by the vigorous prosecution of the P&ID scam attempting to cheat Nigeria of billions of dollars.”
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, Adnan Bin Mahmoud Bostaji, last night, September 23, hosted notable Nigerian leaders; governors, ministers, heads of parastatals and Heads of other foreign Missions to Nigeria to a dinner in celebration of 89th Saudi Arabian National Day in Abuja. Above, the Ambassador is welcoming the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Barrister Abdullahi Mukhtar while the Editor-In-Chief/Chief Executive Officer of Greenbarge Media and Communications Limited, publisher of Greenbarge Reporters online and DIGNITY magazine, Yusuf Ozi-Usman waits for his turn to be welcomed.
Ambassador Adnan Bostaji (in the middle) surrounded by governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani (third from left) and other dignitaries cutting the anniversary cake at the occasion
Editor-In-Chief/CEO of GMCL, publisher of Greenbarge Reporters online and DIGNITY magazine, Yusuf Ozi-Usman, in a tete-a-tete with Ambassador Adnan Bostaji at the occasion.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.