87 new SANs to be sworn in Monday

As part of the formal activities to kick off the 2024/2025 legal year, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, will swear in 87 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, on Monday.

A statement by Festus Akande, Supreme Court Director of Information and Public Relations, noted that the CJN will also deliver a state-of-the-Judiciary address, reflecting on the performance of the Nigerian Judiciary during the 2023/2024 legal year.

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According to the statement, key stakeholders in the justice sector, including the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Chairman of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, BOSAN, and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, will present speeches discussing the session.

The Supreme Court began its annual vacation on July 22, 2024, and while sittings resumed on September 23, 2024, the new legal year ceremony is traditionally held to mark this significant occasion.

The events to celebrate the commencement of the new legal year will commence at 10:00 AM in the main courtroom of the Supreme Court.

87 new SANs to be sworn in Monday

Akwa Ibom govt confirms death of state gov’s wife

Mrs Patience Martha Umo Eno, wife of Akwa Ibom governor, Pastor Umo Eno, is dead.

Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for

Information, Ini Ememobong, confirmed this in a statement on Friday.

The commissioner said the first lady died on Thursday in a hospital in the presence of her family.

The statement said, “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of the Wife of the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Her Excellency, Pastor Mrs Patience Umo Eno, following an illness.

“She passed away peacefully at the hospital, on 26th September, 2024, in the presence of her family.

“The family submits to the will of the Almighty and asks for the prayers and support of kind-hearted individuals during this difficult time.

“Further details will be provided by the family as necessary. In the meantime, the family kindly requests privacy as they mourn their beloved wife, mother and grandmother.

“His Excellency, the Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, appreciates all who have stood by the first family in this period and assures all the citizens that despite this huge personal loss, his commitment to the service of the state is unwavering.”

Her pet project

Patience Eno was affectionately referred to as Eka Iberedem Akwa Ibom, which means “Mother and Strong Pillar of Akwa Ibom.”

She founded the Golden Initiative For All (GIFA), a foundation focused on providing shelter, food, and education to the poor and vulnerable in Akwa Ibom.

Jonathan opens up on disagreement with Sanusi

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has asserted that no $49.8 billion was missing during his time in office.

This statement responds to claims made by Muhammadu Sanusi, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) , who alleged that the sum was unaccounted for in a letter dated September 25, 2013.

Speaking at the launch of the book Public Policy And Agent Interests: Perspectives From The Emerging World, co-authored by Shamsuddeen Usman, Jonathan disagreed with Sanusi’s assertions. Usman served as minister of planning under Jonathan’s administration.

Sanusi had reiterated his allegations in the book, recalling his earlier letter to Jonathan where he expressed concerns about the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) failing to repatriate significant oil proceeds, specifically citing the $49.8 billion.

During his remarks, Jonathan emphasized that such a large sum could not vanish without immediate consequences.

He clarified that Sanusi was suspended from the CBN, not sacked, due to inquiries about CBN expenditures.

I disagree with some of the issues, especially the one that directly relates to me,” Jonathan said.

“The one that he raised that he was sacked. Because, if you can wish that the federal government lost $49.8 billion… that’s not quite correct.

“He was not sacked. He was suspended because the Financial Reporting Council queried the expenditure of CBN. And there were serious infractions that needed to be looked at. That was the reason.

“But somehow, the time was short. So before we finished, his tenure elapsed. Probably, he would have been called back.

“On the issue of $49.8 billion, until today, I’m not convinced that the federal government lost $49.8 billion.”

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Jonathan also recounted how he was confronted by Angela Merkel, then German chancellor, on the issue.

He recalled explaining to her that such an amount could not have been stolen from a struggling economy.

He added that he was vindicated much later when the former CBN governor began to revise the sum from $49 billion to $20 billion and then $12 billion.

“Let me tell you a personal experience. The African presidents and the EU presidents, we had a meeting. I think in Belgium or Moscow,” he said.

“And during those meetings, you have bilateral talks, and the chancellor of Germany then, Angela Merkel, requested that we should have a bilateral meeting.

“So, because she requested, we had to go to where she arranged for the meeting. And I went there with some of my ministers. And there were many ministers from other countries as well.

“Even before I sat down, she raised her hand and said, President Jonathan, we are hearing about $49.8 billion missing.

“I said, what is happening? What’s the use of welcoming a guest? Then I smiled and said, Madam Chancellor, of course, the economy of Germany is very strong, so if you are talking about $49.8 billion, just say $50 billion.

“The economy of Germany is strong, so if you lose $50 billion, you would not notice it. But if Nigeria loses $50 billion, the federal government would not be able to pay salaries.”

Jonathan added that PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) discovered that no such amount was stolen but that $1.48 billion could not be accounted for by the NNPC.

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He also said the then senate committee on finance, chaired by Ahmed Makarfi, investigated the issue and found the claim to be untrue.

“We commissioned the PwC, one of the best financial gurus, auditors and so on. I said they should do a forensic audit, but nobody can sit down and say $50 billion, because I have no idea about that one.

“The report they came up with was that there is $1.48 billion that they couldn’t really give a proper account of, and that NNPC should pay that money to the original account.

“They did not say we lost 12 billion or 20 billion or 50 billion. And Makarfi is still alive. Makarfi was the chairman of senate committee on finance, and the minute that publication came out, he said it.

“They directed their finance committee to investigate, and they used external professional auditors to look into it.

“They themselves didn’t see either 50 billion or 20 billion or 30 billion.”

He also said there needs to be clarity so “somebody who is reading the book will not just go with the impression that $50 billion was lost… when President Jonathan did not steal billions of dollars. ”

Reacting, however, Sanusi, who took to the podium hours after Jonathan’s comment, insisted that he was constructively sacked by the then president.

“My boss who sacked me. I was constructively dismissed. I continue to respect Jonathan and I don’t have grudges against anyone,” he said.

Jonathan opens up on disagreement with Sanusi