N2.1bn fraud: Malami, Falana, Magu fail to testify for Maina – Newstrends
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N2.1bn fraud: Malami, Falana, Magu fail to testify for Maina

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Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Femi Falana (SAN) and others failed to attend court on Wednesday at the resumed proceedings in the trial of former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina.

Maina and his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd, are being prosecuted before a Federal High Court in Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on money laundering charge involving about N2.1billion.

The court had on March 8, 2021, at the instance of Maina’s lawyer, issued witness summons on Malami, Falana, the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu and seven others to appear between March 9 and 11 and testify as witnesses of the first defendant (Maina).

The court also invited M. Mustapha, Director of Compliance at the Central Bank of Nigeria; Ibrahim Kaigama of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS); Chief Kenneth Amabem of Central Business District, Abuja; G.T. Idris and Hassan Salihu of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC); and Commissioner of Police (CP), Mohammed Wakil (retd).

None of those invited attended the resumed proceedings on Wednesday.

Maina’s lawyer, Sani Katu (SAN). also did not inform the court that any of the subpoenaed witnesses was in court. Instead, he applied orally to withdraw from the case.

He was silent on why he sought to withdraw. Had his application been granted, Katu would have been the fifth defence lawyer to withdraw since the case started.

Those who earlier withdrew are Joe Gadzama (SAN), Adeola Adedipe, Francis Oronsaye and Anayo Adibe.

When Katu applied to withdraw on Wednesday, lawyer to the EFCC, Farouk Abdullah objected, arguing that the defence lawyer failed to comply with Section 349(8) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).

Section 349(8) of ACJA states: “Where a legal practitioner intends to disengage from a matter, he shall notify the court, not less than three days before the date fixed for hearing and such notice shall be served on the court and all parties.”

Ruling, Justice Okon Abang rejected Katu’s claim that he had discussed his withdrawal, off record, with the prosecution lawyer.

He described Katu’s request to withdraw as one “done in bad faith”.

“His application to withdraw is to compound issues and to hold the court to ransom. In any event, from the record from the court, a notice has not been filed before the court.

“If a law requires that notice should be filed, it should be filed. It is not a sentimental issue but an issue of law which cannot be overlooked.

“The obvious lapses on his part cannot move the court to grant this application. The application to withdraw legal representation and cause confusion in the matter lacks merit and is accordingly refused,” Justice Abang said.

He also rejected Katu’s further request for adjournment to enable him to file a formal application for withdrawal. The judge then ordered the first defendant to produce his second witness.

Rather than call his next witness, Katu told the court that his planned witness, Charles Enakaeno, was involved in an accident and could not attend court.

Katu sought a further adjournment, relying on Section 396 of the ACJA, a request Abdullah did not oppose.

Ruling, Justice Abang expressed displeasure that Maina failed to assemble his witnesses on time.

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Use N19.5trn Pension fund assets for national Devt – Obasanjo

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Olusegun Obasanjo

Use N19.5trn Pension fund assets for national Devt – Obasanjo

Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo is advocating the use of N119.5 trillion pension fund assets for national development, especially, infrastructure investments safely and sustainably that do not jeopardize people’s pensions.

As of the end of January 2024, the pension fund assets under the Contributory Pension Scheme(CPS) was N19.5 trillion.

Obasanjo, who stated this in a recent interview with the chief executive of the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), Oguche Agudah, said, he is pleasantly surprised by the growth of the pension assets in the last 20 years, adding that, “what the pension industry needs to do now is to see how the pension assets that have been saved over the years can help more in national development, especially infrastructure investments safely and sustainably that does not jeopardize people’s pensions.”

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Obasanjo, who was speaking as part of the activities to mark 20 years of pension reforms in Nigeria, said, he chose the Contributory Pension Scheme(CPS) for Nigeria during his regime and stressed that “it’s simple, we just see what other countries are doing and if it’s good for us we copy it and adapt. There is no harm in copying if we see what other countries are doing and it’s good for them, we adapt.”

When his administration instituted the pension reforms and pushed to have a bill to reform the way pension administration was done in Nigeria, he said, they did not think that the assets would grow this quickly and have the positive effect it has had so far.

The 2024 marks 20 years since the initial pension reform act was signed. The Pension Reform Act was the bedrock of a cross-cutting committee that worked on pension reforms in Nigeria which culminated in the drafting and enactment of the Pension Reform Act which essentially professionalised pension management in Nigeria, moved the management to the private sector and helped to wean the government from unsustainable pension liabilities.

Use N19.5trn Pension fund assets for national Devt – Obasanjo

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Suspended Zamfara lawmakers drag speaker, attorney-general to court

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Suspended Zamfara lawmakers drag speaker, attorney-general to court

Eight suspended members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly have sued the speaker, Bilyaminu Moriki, the state attorney-general, and the commissioner for justice, Abdulaziz Sani (SAN), alleging a violation of their constitutional rights to liberty, human dignity, and a fair hearing.

The complaint also names the State Assembly Clerk, Mahmoud Mohammed, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Commissioner of Police Zamfara State Command, Mohammed Dalijan, and the Department of State Service (DSS).

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The counsel to the lawmakers, Ibrahim Alli, said his clients alleged that the embattled speaker in connection with the police, DSS, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), have embarked on an attempt to arrest and prosecute them on grounds that 17 members of the State Assembly had sat on February 22, 2024, for a plenary session, and for breaking into the Zamfara State House of Assembly.

Although the case was for hearing at the Federal High Court on Monday, there were complaints from the registry, that some respondents such as the police, the Director of the DSS, and some others were yet to be served.

The counsel to the eight suspended state lawmakers, Ibrahim Alli, then sought a date for the matter to be heard, to enable them to serve the other respondents.

The Presiding judge, Justice Aminu Bappa, granted the motion and adjourned the case to April 29, 2024.

Suspended Zamfara lawmakers drag speaker, attorney-general to court

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Ramadan: Bauchi Senator Buba distributes 29,500 bags of grains to constituents

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Ramadan: Bauchi Senator Buba distributes 29,500 bags of grains to constituents

The Senator representing Bauchi South senatorial district at the National Assembly, Senator Shehu Buba Umar has flagged-off the distribution of over 29,500 bags of assorted grains to the needy to enable them partake in this year’s Ramadan fasting with ease.

Speaking during the flag-off ceremony in the state on Sunday, the Organizing Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who doubles as the distribution committee chairman, Abdulkadir Lawal Gyangyan, commended the senator for the gesture, most especially at a period of this food crisis in the country.

According to him, the food items were meant to cushion the effect of hardship accessioned by high inflation in the country on the beneficiaries.

He described Senator Shehu Buba as one of the few Senators in the country that is much concerned about the plights of ordinary Nigerians.

He said, in the history of Bauchi state, no senator has been so passionate about the plights of his people like senator Buba, who despite being in the opposition party in the state, always carries members of other political parties along in his representation.

Gyangyan said that the food items include 3,000 bags of milet containing 80 measures, 13 bags of 10kg milet, 3,000 bags of 50kg rice, 4,500 bags of 10kg rice, 500 bags of 50kg sugar and 6000 bags of 10kg sugar.

He said that the total number of food items lined up for distribution is amounting to 29,500 bags, equivalent to 16 trailers.

“In the history of Bauchi state, unless when we were not born, we have never seen or heard that this kind of number of food items has been distributed to the masses by a Senator. So we have to thank God, that’s the beauty of electing a credible leader who has the interest of his people at heart”, the Organizing Secretary said.

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“Honestly speaking, we don’t have anything to say about this man of impeccable character than to pray for God’s protection and guidance upon his life”, he added.

The party’s organizing Secretary said, with the kind of good representation been exhibited by Senator Buba, even his opponents are tempted to love him.

“This is simply because, if you have not feel his impact, your son, grandson or your extended family members must have tasted his goodness. We want to thank him for that”, Gyangyan said.

The Organizing Secretary who added that the senator has in line with the vision of the APC, identified the category of the would-be beneficiaries, promised to ensure equitable distribution of the food items to reach the targeted persons.

“We are going to ensure that justice is done in the distribution of the items as well as ensuring that those responsible for taking the items to the targeted persons did not divert them for different purposes”, he asaured.

Gyangyan who pleaded with those responsible for the distribution of the items to fear God and ensure that the food items reached the people it was meant for, prayed for divine blessings on the senator for the good gesture.

“We are grateful for what the senator did, let us continue to pray for him, most especially at this Ramadan period for God to protect him from his enemies and the greedy opposition”, he prayed.

In his remarks, the Bauchi state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Mohammed Hassan Tilde expressed gratitude to God for giving the people of Bauchi South a quality representative at the Senate.

He said that the good representation of Senator Shehu Buba in the Senate has been a source of comfort for APC members despite losing the governorship seat in the state.

“We were optimistic that if given the opportunity to become Bauchi South senator, Shehu Buba will perform creditably well and today we are vindicated going by what he has been doing since he became a senator”, the party Chairman said.

While describing, Senator Buba as the man of the people, the state party chairman noted that even the opposition are not left out in the distribution of dividends of democracy by the senator across the state.

In his short remarks, Senator Buba said, been the only Senator that emerged under the APC among the three senators in Bauchi state, he is resolute in ensuring purposeful representation of the good people of the state in general.

The Senator who commended the state party chairman and the distribution committee under the chairmanship of the party’s organizing Secretary for doing a good job so far, said he was impressed by what they have done.

“I am the only Senator who won under the APC in Bauchi state. To this regard, I am representing the APC in Bauchi South, Bauchi North and Bauchi Central, all APC members in Bauchi state are my people, I am representing them in Abuja and I hope that as we have arranged, these food items would go round all the nooks and crannies of Bauchi state”, he said.

He explained that though he was elected under the APC, been the only APC senator from Bauchi state widens his representation to cover the whole Bauchi state because his Party members cut across 20 local government areas of the state.

“So, it means I am representing APC, PDP, PRP and all other political parties in the Nigerian Senate and I assure you that they were not left behind in this preparation for the distribution of the food items “, he said.h

“In my capacity as their senator, we have carried them along and I am assuring you that they would get their own share, the food items would be taken to their doorsteps soon, in Sha Allah”, the Senator declared.

Ramadan: Bauchi Senator Buba distributes 29,500 bags of grains to constituents

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