The Government of Nigeria has said that it would appeal Friday’s ruling of a court in London order about $9bn worth of its assets to be given to Process and Industrial Development Limited for breach of contract.
In a statement on Friday evening by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata, the government instructed its lawyers to appeal against the ruling.
Friday’s ruling by the London court was the culmination of a case, which started in 2010 when an agreement to build a gas processing plant in Calabar, Cross River State, collapsed between Nigeria and the Irish firm after the former failed to live up to its side of the deal, according to a report by cityam.com. See AlsoCorruptionLondon Court Grants P&ID Permission To Seize $9bn Nigerian Assets0 Comments9 Hours Ago
Before Friday's ruling, P&ID had in 2013 won a $6.6bn arbitration case but that figure rose to $9bn when the estimate of what the company could have earned over the course of the 20-year agreement was calculated.
The Nigerian Government had tried to nullify the award, insisting that it was not a case to be heard outside its shores but the British judiciary rejected the argument.
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The Government of Nigeria has said that it would appeal Friday’s ruling of a court in London order about $9bn worth of its assets to be given to Process and Industrial Development Limited for breach of contract.
In a statement on Friday evening by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata, the government instructed its lawyers to appeal against the ruling.
Friday’s ruling by the London court was the culmination of a case, which started in 2010 when an agreement to build a gas processing plant in Calabar, Cross River State, collapsed between Nigeria and the Irish firm after the former failed to live up to its side of the deal, according to a report by cityam.com. See AlsoCorruptionLondon Court Grants P&ID Permission To Seize $9bn Nigerian Assets0 Comments7 Hours Ago
Before Friday's ruling, P&ID had in 2013 won a $6.6bn arbitration case but that figure rose to $9bn when the estimate of what the company could have earned over the course of the 20-year agreement was calculated.
The Nigerian Government had tried to nullify the award, insisting that it was not a case to be heard outside its shores but the British judiciary rejected the argument.
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A lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has petitioned the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, over the theft of his client's phone during the #RevolutionNowprotests in the state on August 5, 2019.
Effiong, who is representing Elias Ozikpu, a participant in the protest, said police officers detailed to the venue stole his client’s mobile phone (HTC Desire 10 Pro) while arresting him.
Ozikpu through his lawyer is seeking full investigation into the matter and the police officers involved as well as claims by other protesters, who are yet to find their valuables after they were arrested.
The petition reads: “We are legal practitioners representing Comrade Elias Ozikpu on whose instructions and behalf we write this petition, and we shall subsequently refer to him as “our client”.
“Our client while participating in the peaceful protest on the 5th day of August, 2019 at the National Stadium vicinity, Surulere, Lagos, was arrested by officers of the Nigeria Police Force detailed to the venue where the peaceful protest was carried out.
“In the course of effecting the arrest of our client, his mobile phone (HTC Desire 10 Pro) was forcefully taken away by one of the policemen.
“Please find attached to this petition the pictorial evidence of the policemen that carried out the arrest of our client which also shows one of the officers that seized the mobile phone of our client holding it (marked as Appendix “A”).
“Our client in his statement to the police at the State CID, Panti, on the same date he was arrested, stated how one of the policemen forcefully took his mobile phone and despite entreaties that his phone should be returned to him, same has not been done till date.
“Please find attached to this petition a pictorial evidence of our client with his phone during the peaceful protest (marked as Appendix “B”).
“It is apparent that the intention of the policeman that forcefully took our client’s phone is to deprive him permanently of the ownership and use of his phone and thus unscrupulously convert our client’s phone to his own property which in our respectful view amounts to robbery, punishable under Section 295 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
“The act of robbing our client of his property by a law enforcement officer is not only a crime punishable by law but also a grievous misconduct under the Police Regulations and Code of Conduct.
“Such a misdeed which was carried out under the guise of arrest is reprehensible and should not be condoned under any circumstance.
“We humbly ask that a thorough investigation should be carried out with a view to unravelling the identity of the officer who robbed our client.
“It is also our request that our client’s phone should be returned and the indicted officer be disciplined and prosecuted accordingly.”
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A lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has petitioned the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, over the theft of his client's phone during the #RevolutionNowprotests in the state on August 5, 2019.
Effiong, who is representing Elias Ozikpu, a participant in the protest, said police officers detailed to the venue stole his client’s mobile phone (HTC Desire 10 Pro) while arresting him.
Ozikpu through his lawyer is seeking full investigation into the matter and the police officers involved as well as claims by other protesters, who are yet to find their valuables after they were arrested.
The petition reads: “We are legal practitioners representing Comrade Elias Ozikpu on whose instructions and behalf we write this petition, and we shall subsequently refer to him as “our client”.
“Our client while participating in the peaceful protest on the 5th day of August, 2019 at the National Stadium vicinity, Surulere, Lagos, was arrested by officers of the Nigeria Police Force detailed to the venue where the peaceful protest was carried out.
“In the course of effecting the arrest of our client, his mobile phone (HTC Desire 10 Pro) was forcefully taken away by one of the policemen.
“Please find attached to this petition the pictorial evidence of the policemen that carried out the arrest of our client which also shows one of the officers that seized the mobile phone of our client holding it (marked as Appendix “A”).
“Our client in his statement to the police at the State CID, Panti, on the same date he was arrested, stated how one of the policemen forcefully took his mobile phone and despite entreaties that his phone should be returned to him, same has not been done till date.
“Please find attached to this petition a pictorial evidence of our client with his phone during the peaceful protest (marked as Appendix “B”).
“It is apparent that the intention of the policeman that forcefully took our client’s phone is to deprive him permanently of the ownership and use of his phone and thus unscrupulously convert our client’s phone to his own property which in our respectful view amounts to robbery, punishable under Section 295 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
“The act of robbing our client of his property by a law enforcement officer is not only a crime punishable by law but also a grievous misconduct under the Police Regulations and Code of Conduct.
“Such a misdeed which was carried out under the guise of arrest is reprehensible and should not be condoned under any circumstance.
“We humbly ask that a thorough investigation should be carried out with a view to unravelling the identity of the officer who robbed our client.
“It is also our request that our client’s phone should be returned and the indicted officer be disciplined and prosecuted accordingly.”
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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has fired Celsus Ukpong, right-hand man of Okoi Obono-Obla, suspended Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel, according to a report by TheCable.
Ukpong, who filed a suit against officials of the Nigeria Football Federation over allegations of corruption in May, had his appointment terminated via a letter dated August 9, 2019 following a disciplinary procedure.
He had courted controversy when he described himself as the “chief legal officer” of ICPC in the suit against the NFF, a claim that was denied by the commission.
According to ICPC, Ukpong had been redeployed from the SPIP since December 2018 to the Sokoto office and was therefore no longer officially with the panel, thereby unable to act on behalf of the commission.
In a letter dated February 14, 2019, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, had directed the chairman of SPIP to release Ukpong immediately.
Following his failure to report to the Sokoto office after reportedly collecting relocation allowance, ICPC opened a disciplinary procedure against him.
He was accused of breaching the civil service rules as well as the conditions of service by his failure to proceed on transfer or accept posting and for going away without official leave.
His dismissal is with immediate effect, according to documents seen by TheCable.
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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has fired Celsus Ukpong, right-hand man of Okoi Obono-Obla, suspended Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel, according to a report by TheCable.
Ukpong, who filed a suit against officials of the Nigeria Football Federation over allegations of corruption in May, had his appointment terminated via a letter dated August 9, 2019 following a disciplinary procedure.
He had courted controversy when he described himself as the “chief legal officer” of ICPC in the suit against the NFF, a claim that was denied by the commission.
According to ICPC, Ukpong had been redeployed from the SPIP since December 2018 to the Sokoto office and was therefore no longer officially with the panel, thereby unable to act on behalf of the commission.
In a letter dated February 14, 2019, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, had directed the chairman of SPIP to release Ukpong immediately.
Following his failure to report to the Sokoto office after reportedly collecting relocation allowance, ICPC opened a disciplinary procedure against him.
He was accused of breaching the civil service rules as well as the conditions of service by his failure to proceed on transfer or accept posting and for going away without official leave.
His dismissal is with immediate effect, according to documents seen by TheCable.
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Three Russian crew members of a cargo ship have been abducted by pirates near the port of Douala in southern Cameroon, the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday said.
The cargo ship “Marmalaita” belonging to the Danish company, Ultrabulk, carrying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, was attacked by unknown people on Thursday.
Russian diplomats are actively working with Cameroonian authorities and the ship-owner to facilitate the quick release of the Russian citizens, a report by Xinhua, said.
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Three Russian crew members of a cargo ship have been abducted by pirates near the port of Douala in southern Cameroon, the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday said.
The cargo ship “Marmalaita” belonging to the Danish company, Ultrabulk, carrying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, was attacked by unknown people on Thursday.
Russian diplomats are actively working with Cameroonian authorities and the ship-owner to facilitate the quick release of the Russian citizens, a report by Xinhua, said.
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Omoyele SoworeSaharaReporters Media
When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty… Thomas Jefferson
In political science, a revolution (Latin: revolutio, “a turn around”) is a fundamental power and political organisation which occurs when the population reverts against the government, typically due to perceived oppression (political, social, economic) or political incompetence. In book (V) of the politics, the Ancient Greek Philosopher, Aristotle (384-322BC) described two types of political revolution. (1) Complete change from one constitution to another, and (2), Modification of an existing constitution.
Revelation have occurred through human history and very widely in terms of methods, duration and motivating ideology. Their result include major changes in culture, economic and socio-political institutions, usually in response to perceived overwhelming autocracy or plutocracy. Revolution is not about breaking down of laws and orders but for the creation of reasonable opportunities for growth and development. After 20 years we started on the path of civil rule, we have now arrived at the point where democracy and its much-hyped instruments of “checks and balances” have been rigged against us.
Scholarly debates about what does and does not constitute a revolution centre on several issues. Early studies of revolutions primarily analysed events in European history from a psychological perspective, but more modern examinations include global events and incorporate perspectives from several social sciences, including sociology and political science. Several generations of Scholarly thought on revolutions have generated many competing theories and contributed much to current understanding of this complex phenomenon.
Now, a government that apportions high grades to itself on its supposed achievements should also retain self-composure when a revolution is mentioned. They should be confident that people are satisfied enough with their lot under their administration and would laugh at the purveyors of revolution. Yet, the government was so jittery it brought out more armed forces to fight protesters than they do with herdsmen. Their panic and desperation to declare “democratic victory” over an unfolding reality is telling. They fear the arousing power of assemblies to destabilise the alternative reality they have made official narratives.
The scuttled and crippled of the #RevolutionNow protests last week by government security agents against the government ineptitude by deploying all the armed forces to the states of the federation was totally undemocratic and uncivilised, it was also a declaration of such repressive behaviour a “democratic victory”. The irony of that assertion hits one hard. No thanks to alternative facts such as this one, Nigeria these days sometimes feel like being fed up and trapped inside an Orwellian reality. Moreover, if the government confidence enough according to reports being fed us on the pages of newspapers, then one should not let them get away with their delusions that Nigerians ignored the protests because they believe in the promise of the present administration.
It is the belief of many that democracy should guarantee people good life. A stable democracy piloted by visionary leaders who possess the intellectual clouts to see issues at their broader and more complex perspectives should ensure a strong, stable, vibrant, virile economy with an enabling peaceful and stable political environment. Under a condition like this, the citizens can benefit maximally and fullest from democracy – good living condition, employment generations, security of lives and property and even equal opportunities for self-actualization.
It must be the quest for a society where every individual can pursue his or her own aspirations using his or her God given potentials to the fullest that made many Nigerians take the battle for democracy with seriousness it deserved. But our democracy had been bastardised through bad leadership and non-challance of our leaders who tend to upturn our constitution for their selfishness and achieve their aims and aspirations. Where is in our constitution that deprive the people of gathering and freedom of speech. Our constitution entrenched people freedom of speech and belonging to any political party of our choice. The our leaders now endorsed a draconian legislature through “hate speech” in order to silent people from expressing their grievances and register their objectives or against their goverment of slavery.
Instead of Nigerians to forget or jettison the hardship being experienced during the military eras, but till date the consequences of our democracy incursion, hunger, diseases and ignorance became the lot of Nigerians. Life became a thing to endure rather than enjoy. Or how else could we called the brutality of journalists at the #RevolutionNow protest, a fourth estate of the realms, now became a punching bag before the police and other security agents. Imagine, Victor Ogungbenro, a SaharaReporters videographer, being teargassed directly in the eyes and assaulted even after hitting the deck. This kind of executive and police rascality has no place in a democracy.
Imagine, dragging of journalists on bare floor by police, is totally uncivilised, undemocratic and against the rule of the laws, Mr. Victor Ogungbenro of Saharareporters, videographer was teargassed directly in the eyes and assaulted even after hitting the deck. All this kind of executive and police rascality has no place in a democracy, journalists need to accorded with respect and enough regards by the security agents, especially as the fourth estate of the realms. A responsible government and police must know how to separate protesters from Journalists, even though protesters do not deserve that kind of treatment from our security agents. It is here in Nigeria that our security will molest, brutalise, maim and kill innocent citizens with any apprehension, in advanced country like U.S, U.K and others, when you were arrested unlawfully or approached unjustly, they will be pleading every now and then. Even, they wanted to arrest you, they will still pacifying you, all because they don’t wanted to violate your right and your fundamental human right. But, here in Nigeria the reverse is the case.
There are some Journalists in the custody of DSS, among them is the Ibrahim Dan-Halilu, a former political Editor of Daily Trust newspaper, he too was picked up and whisked away by DSS around 2am for allegedly supporting the activities of #RevolutionNow in a Facebook post. Dan-Halilu happened to a former staunch supporter and loyalist of President Muhammadu Buhari before the 2015 general elections, there is nothing bad in pulling out of any government seemed to be anti-peoples’ policies and doctrines. But, once you stop being loyal to the present administration, you become a wanted for DSS and police will be hunting for you. What Dan-Halilu posted on his Facebook’s timeline doesn’t warranty of arresting him, how much more of detaining him for just no concrete and cogent reason.
Most of our leaders in this country too called for revolution in 2014, when most of the were not then at corridors of other, now that they have founded themselves in that shoe especially with the government of incessant killings of innocent souls, kidnapping of poor and rich in the society, they now keep mum, enduring as if the heat does not affect them at all. When they came into power in 2015, this government claimed they would solve three major problems of insecurity, economy and corruption. And on the three, this government has awarded itself some inordinately high scores. Even when Nigerians say and feel otherwise, they insist they have done enough to justify the faith reposed in them. After Nigeria was also declared the poverty capital of the world, they came up with a counter-narrative of having lifted five million Nigerians out of extreme poverty. They said they have empowered 12 million rice farmers, revolutionised rice farming to the point that rice factories in Thailand are shutting down because they lost Nigeria’s customers, while many Nigerians as at today wallowing in extreme poverty. Even electricity generation was said to have “notionally” hit 7,000 MW, lies that far from the truth.
It is perturbed to be seeing our government dialogue with killer herdsmen and bandits right inside government house, while a common man that fighting for their rights will be chasing and maiming by our security agents, what a country are we living in. When I see our DSS and other security agents brutalising fellow Nigerians, I usually shed tears, is DSS even meant to be arrested and prosecuted, it is no with capital one. They are meant to gather information, especially ones that deals with security and feed the President in order to take a proactive measures against the breaches of laws and orders in the country. They are now became an agent of political witch-hunting for our politicians. When we were so young, we seldom and hardly see the DSS moving around the street, take less of arresting and harassing people in the country.
Orunbon, a journalist and public affairs analyst, wrote in from Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Friday said that his administration will soon institute legal action against some past public office holders in the state over the unauthorised sale of government property.
He made the disclosure in Ilorin, the capital, while receiving the final report of the committee on the review of sales/disposal of government property.
He said, “We will not discard the report because that would be a waste of time and resources.
“We will definitely look at it. And we will find judicial solutions for the good of the state, in particular and the nation, at large.”
AbdulRazaq added that the committee might be called upon to make clarifications whenever the government feels.
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Anxious journalists at Abuja airport to cover El-Zakyzaky's arrivalSaharaReporters Media
There was a drama at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on Friday as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) sneaked in the embattled leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat.
He was taken through the Presidential Wing by the operatives, preventing journalists to have any contacts with the couple.
Journalists present at the airport were asked to set their cameras at the arrival lounge of the International Wing but were not allowed to see him.
It was gathered that the officers drove an ambulance to the tarmac with a wheelchair to pick up the detainees.
The leader of the sect arrived in the country a few minutes ago after their contentious medical trip to India.
Ifedayo Adedipe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) says the legitimacy of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is questionable because of its expressed concern over the wrong-doing on the part of the Buhari-led administration in failing to honour court’s orders.
Speaking on ChannelsTV today, Adedipe said, "What has really worried me in recent times is that wrongdoing on the part of the government is becoming more manifest and nothing challenges the legitimacy of the government than wrongdoing on the part of the government itself.
“If the court makes orders and the government that is elected chooses to disobey that law and brings in some awkward explanation that the public interest or national security overrides the court pronouncement. I believe that is overkill. It is wrong and should not be allowed.”
The legal expert also said Omoyele Sowore, activist and AAC candidate in the 2019 presidential election, could challenge his detention if after 45 days of ‘thorough investigation’ the Department of State Services (DSS) found nothing against him.
He added, “I think the time has come for people to be challenging needless erosion of their rights and liberties.”
Adedipe further explained: "If after 45 days they have nothing against him and he considers his arrest unjust. He might as well challenge it in the court and test our laws. I hope the court will stand up and defend the rights of the citizens of this country.”
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Security has been beefed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja following the arrival of the Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakyzaky and his wife, Zeenat.
The security operatives who are in mufti have been stationed in strategic locations at the airport to prevent El-Zakzaky's followers from breaching security and airport protocol.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari that his latest directive on food importation in the country will result in increasing insecurity in the country.
The PDP stated that Nigerians were already suffering because of Buhari's misrule and do not need policies that will worsen their situation.
The party's spokesman, Kola Ologbodiyan, said in a statement that the directive would worsen food scarcity and exacerbate the already harsh economic situation in the country.
He said, “The party says by the directive, the Buhari Presidency and the APC have again demonstrated their insensitivity towards millions of Nigerians who are already suffering acute hunger and starvation due to severe food shortage and high prices brought by President Buhari’s misrule.
“The PDP states strongly that Nigerians do not, in any way, deserve such suffering being foisted on them by such directive on food.
“Such situation will only breed further despondency among our citizens, heighten our security challenges and put more pressure on compatriots, many of who, in the face of suffering occasioned by the APC misrule, are resorting to suicide and slavery mission as options.
“He stated that instead of removing subsidy on food and putting more suffering on Nigerians, Buhari should cut the billions of naira being wasted on luxuries in his Presidency and free the funds for the welfare of the masses.”
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Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 presidential election has filed a final written address alongside his party explaining how he was denied victory via wrongful computation in 11 states.
Atiku and PDP stated through their lawyer, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), that a correct computation of the results would give them a margin of a lead of 222,332 votes over President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress.
According to the petitioners, the states are Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Yobe, and Zamfara.
They claimed that reports tendered by a statistician, who was called as one of their witnesses pointing out faults in the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, was not challenged by the respondents.
The petitioners said, “These reports (P90-K) are unchallenged and remained so as none of the respondents controverted the detailed analysis of unlawful votes extracted from Exhibits PNG1 – PNG3464, PYB1731, PKT1 PKT3377; PKB1 – PKB2105; PB01 – PB03471; PJG1 – PJG 3161; PGB1 – PGB 1911; PBC1 – PBC3598; PKD1 – PKD3334; PKN1 – PKN7159 and PZF1 – PZF 1000 as summarised hereunder.”
The petitioners also contended that there were “polling units where Forms EC8A were altered or tampered with to reflect new votes/scores.”
They added that on Forms EC8B (ward result sheets), the similar errors were also observed, adding that there were discrepancies in the collated figures on Forms EC8A and the Forms EC8B.
They stated, “It is submitted that when the votes credited to the parties on account of various errors listed in paragraph 4.54(a) – (f) and (a) – (d), respectively, above are deducted from the results declared in the 11 focal states, the under listed figures now represent the overall lawful votes cast in the presidential election held on February 23, 2019 across Nigeria: “Election result: PDP – 11, 262,978; APC – 15,191,847. Void votes: PDP – 1,836,896; APC -5,988,097.
New result: PDP – 9,426,082; APC -9,203,750.” Atiku and his party had by their petition urged the five-man tribunal led by Justice Mohammed Garba to declare them the winner of the February 23, 2019 poll or nullify Buhari’s election.
In their final address filed in response to Buhari’s, the petitioners raised five issues for determination, including that Buhari was neither duly elected by the majority of lawful votes nor qualified to contest as of the time of the election.
The respondents had earlier, through their lawyers, filed their respective final addresses.
The tribunal had fixed August 21 for the adoption of the final addresses by the parties.
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