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Falana: Pro-Wike Lawmakers Are ‘Prostitutes’, Cannot Remain In Office

May 13, 2024

Femi Falana, a rights activist says the lawmakers in the Rivers state House of Assembly who defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, have lost their seat.

A senior advocate, Falana made this known on Sunday on a Channels television programme.

He spoke amidst the ongoing squabble for the control of the assembly by lawmakers supporting Nyesom Wike, the immediate past governor of the state and his successor, Simi Fubara.

The political crisis that started last year after Governor Fubara jilted Wike took a new dimension last week after 27 lawmakers supporting the former governor now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, threatened to impeach the governor over his failure to sign this year’s Budget.

Some pro- Fubara Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lawmakers in the assembly later elected Victor Oko-Jumbo, a member representing Bonny State Constituency as Speaker to replace Martin Amaewhule, an ally of Wike who defected alongside 24 others to the APC early this year.

Recall also that a high court in the state had bared the 27 lawmakers who defected to the APC from parading themselves as members of the assembly. The case is still in court.

Reacting to the clash between pro-Wike and Fubara’s yesterday, Falana stated that the law is very clear on the defection from one political party to the other.

According to him, the 27 lawmakers backing the former governor are not allowed to hod on to their seats having dumped the PDP.

The senior advocate further stated that the lawmakers have not be able to show that there is a division in the PDP, as required by the Constitution.

He said, “Unless you can show and demonstrate that there is division in a political party that sponsored your election, you cannot remain in any legislative arm if you decamp to another party.

“The whole idea is that the constitution set out to ban political prostitution on the part of legislators.

“It may be very difficult to persuade the court to allow them to remain in the legislative house unless they are prepared to go back to the people and have their mandate renewed by the people.

“The Supreme Court made this clear in the case of Adetunde and the Labour Party, that you cannot decamp and then remain a member of a legislative house in Nigeria unless you can show that there is a division in your party. It doesn’t mean a division in a local government or a state. It has to be on the national level. That is the position of the court.’

Meanwhile, Wike on Sunday assured the lawmakers supporting him that they will not be removed from their position.

“So nobody should kill himself. Let me say it clearly, do not be frightened that anybody will remove you as an Assembly member. Most of you do not understand, this is our work. I have no other work than to make them angry everyday. They will continue to make mistakes everyday and they will keep being in trouble everyday,” Wike said on Sunday in Port Harcourt.

“If they like, they can go to anybody’s house by 2am to secure court injunction, but foul, the law will take its course. We are not afraid, we follow due process. We will not arm anybody to fight for us.”

Why I Rejected Money To Impeach Fubara- Ex-Speaker

Tosin Olatokunbo

May 13, 2024

A former Speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly, Edison Ehie says he was offered money to impeach Governor Simi Fubara.

The former lawmaker made this disclosure while addressing the governor’s supports at a rally in Ahoada East area of the oil=-earing state.

The magazine reported that the former speaker was appointed Fubara’s chief of staff, CoS, as part of the deal brokered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last year between the governor and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

Governor Fubara had chosen his own path after riding on the support of the former governor, now Minister of the Federal capital Territory, FCT, to power last year.

The development has obviously angered Wike who alongside some members of the state house of Assembly has threatened to remove the governor from office.

27 members of the Assembly are pro-Wike.

The minister told his supporters in Port Harcourt, the state’s capital on Sunday that he made a grave mistake by bringing Fubara to power, promising to ‘correct’ the mistake at an appropriate time.

Speaking yesterday, Ehie accused some people of bribing him to impeach Governor Fubara.

He said, “They invited me, your son, to impeach the governor and I told them clearly, I was not interested.

“They gave me all the money that was hidden before, which I rejected. And because I refused, they conspired and declared me wanted.”

The former speaker however refused to name those he alleged induced him with money to remove the governor from office.

Rivers Crisis: Wike Is On His Own- Presidency

Tosin Olatokunbo

May 13, 2024

The Presidency has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not support either Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, or Governo Simi Fubara in the current power struggle to control the oil rich state.

President Tinubu made his position on the issue known on Sunday through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, during an interview on TVC.

The president’s spokesman said “if they are banking on Mr. President to take sides on this matter, they’re mistaking and they’ll be disappointed.

“Mr. President will not do that. What he will do is to ensure that everybody has what they need in order to work.

“He will also ensure that any attempt to frustrate the operation of the Rivers State Government of conducting its affairs in a way that it would benefit the Rivers people, that’s obviously not going to be allowed by this President or anybody else.

“So, I think there’s a need for all stakeholders to understand that Mr President won’t take sides.”

The crisis in the state took a new dimension last week after some lawmakers supporting Governor Fubara, elected a new speaker for the state House of Assembly.

Amidst the leadership crisis in the assembly between pro-Wike and those supporting the governor, Fubara paid a visit to the Assembly quarters last Thursday fueling rumours that he’s mulling the demolition of the complex in other to stop lawmakers backing his predecessor now Minister of the FCT.

The magazine reported that the latest crisis started, last week, after 27 pro-Wike lawmakers threatened to impeach the governor over his failure to sign the 2024 Budget passed by them.

FG Palliatives Shared To Mogajis, Market women, Others Says Adelabu

Tosin Olatokunbo

May 12, 2024

Adebayo Adelabu has disclosed that compound heads in Ibadan also known as Mogajis are among those that benefitted from the food palliatives shared to the peoples of the state by the federal government.

The minister made this know while sharing the palliatives to the people of the state in Ibadan, the state capital during the week, noting that no fewer than 10,000 residents of the state, including market women and other professional bodies benefitted from the largesse.

According to him, the food palliatives is part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s efforts in ensuring the welfare of Nigerians during the current economic hardship facing the country.

Adelabu explained that the palliative has no political coloration, promising to ensure that the food assistance will get to those who need it regardless of political affiliations.

He said, “We will ensure the distribution is transparent and cut across every religious association, traditional association, ethnic association, and resident of the state, that is why we decided to make it open.

“I want to urge people to continue to support the Tinubu administration. All we need from you is your continued prayers for God to guide us and ensure we take you to the desired destination.

“This is phase one of the food security as part of the renewed hope agenda of Tinubu, we shall be witnessing the distribution regularly, and as far as we get this thing from Abuja, we shall not hoard it but distribute it.”

Meanwhile, not a few Nigerians have criticized the manner the palliatives are being distributed. Some government officials in charge of distributing them have also been accused of diverting the palliatives for their own benefits.

GTCO Shareholders Approve $750m Fresh Capital, N94bn Dividend

James Orji

May 12, 2024

Shareholders of Guaranty Trust Holding Company, GTCO, Plc on Thursday at the third Annual General Meeting approved the company’s plan to establish a capital raising programme of $750 million either through public offerings, private placements, rights issues and/or other transaction modes.

Also, the shareholders endorsed the management’s N94.179 billion dividend payouts for the year ended December 31, 2023, comprising of N2.70 per share final dividend and 50 kobo interim dividend paid last year, making a total dividend paid for the 2023 financial year to N3.20 per share.

Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the company, Mr. Hezekiah Sola Oyinlola, said, “After three years of reorganizing and fitting all the business verticals into a holding company structure, we successfully made the first wave of progress in our drive to broaden and diversify our revenue streams and solidify our standing as a leading financial services provider in Africa.”

Oyinlola noted that “in 2023 the Group’s Balance sheet remained well structured and distributed with loans and advances accounting for 25.4 per cent in full year 2023, investment securities at 25.3 per cent in 2023 and placement 16.1 per cent in 2023. The Group grew its total Assets by 51.3 per cent to N9.8 trillion in 2023 due to increases posted on key asset lines including investment securities, cash & bank balances, loans and advances, and restricted deposits.”

He added that “beyond the bottom-line, we understand that building an enduring institution is also about the underlying drive to make a sustainable impact in the communities we serve and operate in.

“Through strategic initiatives and partnerships, we strive to address pressing social and economic challenges, enriching lives and fostering better outcomes for people and businesses across Africa.”

The Group CEO of GTCO, Segun Agbaje stated that in spite of the varying challenges in the operating environment and headwinds that weighed on growth in 2023, the Group delivered a strong performance posting a PBT of N609.3 billion representing a growth of 184.5 per cent from N214.2 billion achieved in full year 2022.

According to him, this result was on the back of impressive growth in gross earnings, increasing by 120 per cent to N1.186 trillion in the year under review, underpinned by the growth on funded and non-funded income lines.

He added that “our Nigerian Banking operation accounts for 77.5 per cent of the Group’s profitability, West Africa constitutes 17.5 per cent, East Africa contributes 2.2 per cent, UK 1.9 per cent, and Non-Banking Entities make up 0.9 per cent.”

Responding to questions at the end of the meeting, Agbaje said the board and management of the company is happy at the performance of the company in 2023 financial year and promised that the company will do better in 2024 to continue with the tradition of upward trajectory already in place in the company over the years.

His words, “I think for us, it is a good result. We looked at the volatility in the environment and we balanced profitability with some conservatism. We are happy at how we ended 2023. For us, we have a tradition of increasing dividend, every year, so I can say categorically that in 2024, dividends will be up .Already, profit is up in the First Quarter of 2024, we have posted N509.3 billion, I think this is an indication that we will have bigger dividend in 2024.

“If look now, from outside Nigeria, we recorded 25 per cent to 30 per cent of the profit. We have also diversified geographically. We also have three new businesses which we started which are our PFA, HabariPay and our asset management company. They are already at 1 per cent of Group profit in one and a half years. I think our diversification away, both banking and geographically, is going on well.

“The next thing is to work hard and hopefully with the support of Nigerians we will raise the money”.

Shareholders commended the company’s 2023 performance. The National Coordinator of Progressive Shareholders Association, Okezie Boniface, said that the performance was excellent, with growth in its earnings per share of N19.70 and the company paying N3.20 per share, saying that the group’s diversification is paying off.

On the Capital raising, Okezie anticipated a successful exercise for the company due to their good track record of paying dividends.

Also, the National Coordinator of Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Moses Ibrude noted that the company performance in the year under review was impressive, considering the situation of the country.

He said GTCO is at the forefront of good corporate governance, appealing to GTCO to continue to run the business well in order to deliver good returns to the shareholders.

On the recapitalization, Ibrude urged the minority shareholders to take up their rights in supporting the company growth.

Rivers Crisis: Wike’s Ally, Chinda Warns Fubara Against Demolishing State House of Assembly

James Orji

May 12, 2024

Siminalayi Fubara - Governor of Rivers State

Amidst the political crisis in Rivers state the Minority leader of the House of representatives, Kingsley Chinda has warned the governor of the state, Simi Fubara to perish the thought of demolishing the state house of assembly.

Chinda made the call following the recent confrontation between the governor and some members of the state house of assembly.

27 members of the assembly supporting a former governor of the state, Nyesom Wike are currently on supremacy battle with the governor following threat by the lawmakers to impeach him over failure to implement the 2024 budget passed by the assembly.

The confrontation is the latest in the political crisis that has rocked the oil rich state, after Governor Fubara parted ways with Wike, on whose wings he rode to power last year.

Thus, following Governor Fubara’s visit to the assembly quarters last week, after some members loyal to him elected a new Speaker, not a few have suggested that the governor was planning to demolish the quarters which currently houses the 27 lawmakers loyal to his predecessor.

The governor had hinted of “a possible rehabilitation work to restore its (assembly) status and make it liveable,” when he visited the quarters last Thursday.

While leading some former lawmakers to the assembly on Sunday, Chinda said the governor has no reason to demolish the structure which he described as one of the best in the continent, adding that the integrity test conducted on the quarters indicate that it can still last for over 25 years.

The assembly had just been built two years ago by former Governor Wike, he said.

According to him, the National Assembly is considering wading into the crisis between the governor and the members of the assembly anytime from now.

The NASS “cannot continue to fold our hands and watch our state fly,” the Minority leader said.

He said: “The assembly complex that was brought down some leaders of the state went to the USA to get that design. When it was built, it was the best state assembly in this country. That structure is nowhere today.

“However, as members of the National Assembly from Rivers State, we have joined the leaders and elders of the state to discuss the issues happening in our state the latest being the threat to bring down the structures in this premises.

“We have commissioned engineers and experts to study and give us the report of the integrity of these structures. We have received the report. And the report says these structures have a lifespan of nothing less than 25 years.

“We have on our own come out to physically inspect the structures to crosscheck it with the report we received and these structures are still strong and healthy. Our apartments in the National Assembly are not better than what we have seen here.

“We should be proud that our state assembly occupies this quarters. It is easier to destroy than to build. The one we have destroyed have we made any move to rebuild it? Let us know that public officers should be living examples in society both in character and in conduct. Let us also caution that you must govern in line with the rule of law.

“We want to advise the governor to bridle a little bit at the exuberance that we had seen within this period. It doesn’t portend well to our state.”

“We members of the National Assembly have not spoken. We have observed. But we cannot continue to fold our hands and watch our state fly. We are coming out and we will take a position without looking at anybody.

“It will be a position that will be in the interests of the state. No one individual is larger than Rivers State. We are members, leaders and elders of Rivers and this state we must protect,” Chunda said.

Osun APC Says Gov Adeleke Is Deceiving State With Planned Five Flyovers

Ayodele Oni

May 12, 2024

By Ayodele Oni

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the decision of Governor Ademola Adeleke to construct five flyovers in some designated towns in the state is not borne out of a genuine desire.

The party accused the state Governor of “institutionalization of deceit and fakery as the hallmark of his administration in order to deceive the unsuspecting members of the public that his government is working.”

According to the state chairman of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, on Sunday, “the real intention of the controversial N100 billion infra projects being touted by Governor Adeleke and his cohorts is to deceive the people of the state.”

Lawal pointed out that apart from the fact that his promise to complete such within five months is an impossible Utopia designed to hoodwink and deceive the people.

The state APC chairman stated that “whoever is blessed with a political hindsight would not beat about the bush before he knows the real reasons why Governor Adeleke has made his infertile administration a specialist in the flagging off flyovers and roads in an economy where poverty is metaphorically working on four legs throughout the nooks and crannies of the state.

“It is the avaricious need for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Ademola to recoup the money he spent on his election and litigations and also warehouse funds for his reelection.

“That is forming part of his reasons for prioritizing such white elephant capital projects like five flyovers in a poor state like Osun when it is verifiably on record that even the prosperous Rivers State under former Governor Nyesom Wike now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory built 12 flyovers in his unbroken two terms in the office.

“Another underlining reason that Governor Adeleke is focusing on the construction of five flyovers in a state known for its civil service economy is to use it as a reelection political bait for the voters for the 2026 election.

“One needs not be a genius in the field of civil engineering to observe and conclude that Governor Adeleke won’t be able to finish the construction of the five flyovers during his first term.

“He intends to use same as a bait by telling the people that if they would want the flyovers completed, he should be voted for the second term.

“The fact remains that if Governor Adeleke were to be a good student of history, he would have known unequivocally that his flyover contract scam would not confer any special advantage on his reelection bid.

“Governor Adeleke has shown with his actions and inactions in and out of office that he is a misfit and misnomer as the governor of a complex state like Osun as it would be pretty impossible for someone to give what he doesn’t possess.

“Those who are thinking for Governor Adeleke should go back to their drawing board with a view to coming up with another joker which will also hit the rock.”

Rivers: Bode George Says Enough Is Enough, Warns President Of Dire Consequences Of Threats To Impeach Fubara

The Source

May 12, 2024

By Charles Igbo

An Elder Statesman and Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bode George, has warned President Bola Tinubu of the consequences of the Political Crisis in Rivers State.

George, who weighed in on the crisis and the threat by the State Legislators to impeach the Governor warned that the Rivers crisis may turn into a national conflagration if care is not taken.

Rivers State has had no peace since the immediate past Governor of the State, now, Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, fell out with his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Incidentally, it was Wike who picked Fubara to succeed him but was stung that Fubara has refused to be reduced to be reduced to a nobody.

George warned President Tinubu not to treat with levity the threat by some lawmakers to impeach the Governor on the orders of the State APC and reminded that “the state belongs to PDP.”

The Lawmakers, 27 of them, were of the PDP, but, allegedly, on the instructions of Wike, defected to the APC . Wike, still claiming to be PDP, is a Minister in the APC controlled Federal Government.

George, quoting Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution which states that: a member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if … (g) being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political Party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected”, maintained that all the PDP lawmakers who defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, have lost their seats “and they are in no position to threaten Governor Fubara. So, their plot to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor is already in vain.”

Said George: “Rivers people belong to PDP. Those threatening to impeach the governor are being remote-controlled by some forces. This must stop because if Rivers is set on fire today, that may end this democracy.

“We should remember ‘Operation Wetie’ which started in the defunct Western Region and eventually consumed the nation and ended the First Republic in 1966.

“All the actors in this crisis in Rivers should avoid actions likely to cause breach of peace and breakdown of law and order in our country.

“Members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of our party should be the elders in the room, act swiftly and nip this crisis in the bud before it consumes everybody.

“All the gladiators should also think of the collective interests of Nigerians.

“Whether we are members of PDP, APC or other parties, we should stop issuing provocative statements to increase the tension in Rivers.

“Any move that can truncate this democracy must be stopped immediately. Enough is enough”.

Nigeria Customs Signs Agreement With Chinese Counterpart To Boost Trade And Economic Stability

Suleiman Anyalewechi

May 12, 2024

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Nigeria Customs Service is upbeat that the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with its Chinese counterpart, has the potentials of fostering bilateral relationships and enhancing trading activities between the two countries.

The Comptroller General, NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who signed the MoU on behalf of the Service when he led a delegation of NCS management to a meeting with the General Administration of Customs of the Peoples Republic of China on Wednesday May 8,2024 in Shenzhen, emphasised the importance and expected gains of the MoU, particularly in boosting import/export operations between China and Nigeria.

A statement issued on Sunday May 12, by the spokesperson of NCS Aliyu Maiwada, also quoted the CGC as expressing the optimism that the agreement will impact hugely on the growth of MSMEs in Nigeria.

Adeniyi, according to the statement, appreciated the Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs of Peoples Republic of China, Wang Lingjun, for showing interest in signing the MoU with the NCS, while, also, lauding the rise in the development of e-commerce.

“We know a lot of Nigerian Companies and SMEs take advantage of the opportunities aided through e-commerce” Adeniyi noted .

The Nigeria Customs boss further expressed strong confidence that the NCS-GACC memorandum of Understanding will serve as a critical component of cooperative security and trade relationship between the two countries .

“The relationship will create a cooperative mechanism for NCS and the GACC to collaborate on supply chain security standards and enhance the economic stability of both countries .

“These are some of the many reasons why Nigeria Customs Service pays attention to what is happening in China. As you have said ,China is making the biggest trade in Nigeria ,and the basic context of international Trade is “Your export is our import”

“I appreciate the numbers that you gain in Nigeria. But ,it is also common knowledge that those numbers sometimes must take account of the large volume of informal trade that exist between us ” Adeniyi stated .

Mr Wang Lingjun ,expressed satisfaction over CGC Adeniyi’s vision that the affiliation between the two agencies will serve as a mechanism for creating opportunities that Nigeria and China share on a wide range of economic issues and trade facilitations.

US Court Sacks Nigerian-American Judge For Misconduct

The Source

May 12, 2024

By Gideon Njoku

A Nigerian-American Jurist has suffered a set back in her chosen career- Law – in the United States.

April Ademiluyi, a Judge, has been removed from office, and her license taken away from her over what was described as “egregious conduct”.

She was sacked and removed from the bench by a Maryland Supreme Court.

Following a “per curiam” order filed Monday, Judge Ademiluyi’s removal was deemed well-deserved because of the seriousness of her behaviour.

The decision to remove her from office is a consequence of the recommendation by the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities which members unanimously found Ademiluyi guilty. They agreed that “she had refused training, shown bias towards criminal defendants, and had antagonised staff and colleagues”.

Her counsel’s request that the case be dismissed and sealed for, according to the Counsel, Ademiluyi was a victim of retaliation, the Maryland Supreme Court disagreed and sustained the Commission’s findings.

Executive Counsel for the Commission, Kendra Jolivet, insisted during Monday’s arguments that “Judge Ademiluyi’s conduct was not reflective of the judiciary’s mission to provide fair, efficient, and effective justice for all. In fact, her actions were not fair, not efficient, and did not effectuate justice.”

A complaint Ademiluyi filed with the commission in which she alleged that an order she made had been altered by a colleague of hers without her consent was the beginning of her problem.

Based on her complaint, an investigation was launched by the Commission. But it, instead, led to charges against her. The charges included that she was “harassing a fellow judge and sharing confidential materials.”

Her colleague, Judge Michael R. Pearson, from the Prince George’s County Circuit Court, told the Commission that “Ademiluyi had sent him unsolicited text messages and emails.”

With time, according to Pearson’s testimony before the Commission, the contents of the e-mails became more personal which then prompted Pearson to tell Ademuliyi, in a response, that he was “not interested in a personal relationship with her.”

She almost got a lesser punishment when the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities initially recommended a censure and a six-month suspension without pay. However, the Maryland Supreme Court thought otherwise. It decided that removing her from office was a more deserving punishment because of what it felt was the seriousness of Ademiluyi’s case.

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