Order Oduah to Produce Her NYSC Certificate, Groups Urges PDP – Newstrends
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Order Oduah to Produce Her NYSC Certificate, Groups Urges PDP

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3 years ago

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Stella Oduah

The Concerned Anambra  North Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Stakeholders has asked the National Chairman of  the party to order a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah to produce her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate or be disqualified from participating in the party’s primary for Anambra North Senatorial election.
The group, in a petition to the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, said Oduah should be disqualified for presenting doubtful documents and credentials all of which they said were in the custody of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) and the public domain.
They attached to the petition INEC Form C.F. 001 in where  Oduah claimed she had lost her NYSC certificate. It was on the basis of this claim that she was elected into the Senate
The stakeholders said these documents and credentials having now been subjected to verification were found to be doubtful or non-existence.
In 2014, Oduah deposed to an affidavit and obtained a police extract (both documents attached to the petition) where she stated that she obtained a First School Leaving Certificate from St John Odoakpu, Onitsha.
“However, upon an enquiry to the Ministry of Basic Education, Anambra State in 2019, it was discovered from their response that Senator Oduah was never among the pupils that sat for FSLC in 1973 in the Old East Central State of which the present Anambra State was part of. Thus, her claims of obtaining FSLC in 1973 are false and misleading”, the stakeholders said. They attached a Certified True Copy of list of pupils who sat for the exams in 1973.

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In the same affidavit and police extract submitted to INEC by Oduah, she also claimed to have participated in the National Youth Service NYSC scheme in 1983 and that she lost the discharge certificate issued to her by the NYSC.
However, instead of applying to the NYSC headquarters for a letter of confirmation indicating her NYSC number and the year she did the service, she submitted a letter from Nigeria Employers Consultative Association purportedly confirming that she participated in NYSC.

The PDP stakeholders in Anambra North said this claim is doubtful, noting  that NECA is not in a position to confirm whether Oduah did NYSC or not.

The stakeholders are demanding that the PDP screening panel subject Oduah to strict documentary proof of all her claims on primary school attendance, certificate and the NYSC.

They also drew the attention of the screening panel to item number ‘f’of the PDP Primaries Screening Exercise Brief Forms which harps on integrity where aspirants were expected to answer questions like ‘Were you ever indicted by an administrative or judicial panel of enquiry’.

The stakeholders said: “Senator Oduah was indicted by the House of Representatives in 2013 as well as a Presidential Panel of Enquiry in the same year over the bullet proof BMW scandal. She is also undergoing criminal prosecution.”

They urged the screening panel to disqualify her from participating in the primaries and that the party would be taking a risk if it sponsored an unqualified candidate for the 2023 general elections.

They reminded the party that a candidate of any political party who claims documents that are misleading/unverifiable jeopardizes the seat of that party it won in a general election in the event of a pre or post- election inter party litigation.

The Electoral Act 2022 in section 29(8) also imposes a fine of N10 million on the party that sponsored an unqualified candidate.

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

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12 hours ago

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November 14, 2024

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

 

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

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12 hours ago

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November 14, 2024

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

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Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

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13 hours ago

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November 14, 2024

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Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

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