We got N905.8m from NIMASA without bidding for contract- Witness

A lawyer and businessman, Uche Obilor, Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Lagos that three of his companies received N905,800 million from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) without bidding for any contract.
He said the firms – Seabulk Offshore Limited, Southern Offshore Limited and Ace Prothesis Limited – were paid for a contract they never executed.

He was testifying in the trial of a former NIMASA Director-General Patrick Akpobolokemi, who was accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) converting N2.6billion.
He was also accused of defrauding the Federal Government to the tune of N795.2million.
Akpobolokemi was arraigned before Justice Ibrahim Buba along with three others – Captain Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Juan – and three companies, namely Blockz and Stonz Limited, Kenzo Logistics Limited and Al-Kenzo Logistic Limited.
Led in evidence by EFCC prosecutor, the youthful Rotimi Oyedepo, Obilor said he was approached by NIMASA to provide vessels for the implementation of an ISPS Code project.
Oyedepo asked: “Did you bid for the contract?” The witness said: “We did not officially bid for the contract.”
The EFCC lawyer asked: “Did you execute the unofficial contract?” Obilor responded: “The contract was not executed.”
According to the witness, the companies received letters of award of contracts although they did not submit any bids.
He said the monies were paid before they got confirmation that they had been awarded the contract.
“When we had the letter of award, by then the monies had been paid upfront.
“We were later approached that we should stay action, and that we should remit the money to certain companies and individuals,” he said.
He said his companies got the following sums: Seabulk Offshore, N437million; Southern Offshore, N402million; and Ace Prothesis, N66.8million.
Obilor said they neither issued requests for payment, nor did they submit any invoices.
When he was showed a request document for the payment of a particular sum, he said: “We did not issue this document.”
The witness said he received instructions from Captain Agaba, and that they discussed verbally.
Under cross examination by Akpobolokemi’s lawyer Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN), Obilor said he never dealt with or met the former NIMASA boss.
“I did not meet the first defendant,” he said.
When Agaba’s lawyer, Edoka Onyeke, confronted the witness with a document signed by his executive directors, Obilor denied that any of his staff signed any papers bidding for the contract or demanding payment.
“I am very much aware of what happens in my companies. If the documents had emanated from the companies I would have known. I am unaware that my directors signed the documents,” he said.
Obilor said he took steps to confirm if indeed his workers signed the documents, but admitted there was no documentary evidence showing their denial.
“I am not aware of any statements from them denying the documents. I didn’t take them along to the EFCC to deny those documents,” he said.
Adjourning, Justice Buba joked that he had to force himself to sit for the trial even though he was treating malaria.
“My temperature was very high Monday, but I forced myself to be here so that the press will not write a bold headline that ‘judge’s absence stalled trial,’” he said.
Trial continues on Friday.

FG to save N12bn annually through Efficiency Unit discounts

The federal government plans to save N12 billion annually from the discounts it will get from the large purchase of overhead items for Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
One area government will be saving money is in the area of vehicle purchase. Beyond buying vehicles from local vehicle assembly companies and dealers, government will aggressively negotiate for discount, “since government will be purchasing large numbers of vehicles from them, we will get longer after sales service and maintenance from the auto companies than those who buy one or few vehicles from the auto companies.

These savings would be made possible because from now on government plans to eliminate or at worst reduce cash payments for items purchased.
Addressing journalists on the activities of the newly created Efficiency Unit of government in Abuja Tuesday, the Head, Efficiency Unit Ms. Patience Oniha disclosed that by make electronic payments for overhead items instead of cash payments, government want to enhance audit trails and be more transparent in its transactions.”
According to her, “an ongoing reform in the federal ministry of finance is the overhaul of the internal controls within the MDAs. MDAs have auditors who are supposed to validate these items before payment is made to contractors there have been significant weaknesses so that is being overhauled entirely to make sure that what we are gaining from one side we don’t lose it on the other side. So those that will implement this have to be empowered so that they don’t lose sight. Infringements on procurement will not go free.”
Ms Oniha also stated that government “will now negotiate with suppliers of goods and services under its overhead expenditure programmes so that it can buy supplies at reduced prices and in large quantities for MDAs.”
One of the strategies to be adopted by the Efficiency Unit Oniha said “is to get the factories to give us their quotations for prices so that the MDAs can patronize them. This is on the table. There is provision in the law for foreign versus local suppliers, if one is going to import and the other is going to produce locally, the procurement act will make an allowance to recognize the domestic supplier or domestically manufactured, so made in Nigeria will be prioritized.”
To give legal backing to these initiatives, Oniha said government was looking at introducing price guidelines which all MDAs are expected to adhere to.


THE NATION

Supreme Court upholds Delta, Oyo, Yobe guber elections

The Supreme Court on Tuesday  upheld the elections of Dr Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state and Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe state.
Details shortly….

Glo unveils exciting data offers

The Next generation network, Globacom has unveiled new data bundle plans for millions of its subscribers.
Speaking on the new plans, Mr. Ashok Israni, Globacom’s Chief Regional Marketing Officer, said a N3,000 data plan would give subscribers 6GB data valid for one month; while a N4000 data plan would give 9GB data plan, also valid for a month.
Globacom said that the N3, 000 subscriptions previously offered just 4.5GB data. While the N4, 000 data plan is a just being introduced.

To connect to the new bumper offers, he explained, all the subscriber has to do, is to dial *777# and follow the interactive SMS prompt.
Globacom said that the offer was being given at this time to encourage subscribers to keep browsing after the yuletide and festive seasons.
“We know that our subscribers must have spent a lot of money during the yuletide season.  As the New Year begins, we are giving more for less to our valued subscribers to keep them connected on the internet.” Globacom
explained.
According to Israni, the attraction in the new package is not just the huge extra 1.5GB data, but also the super fast Data capacity.
“The Bumper Data Offer rides on Globacom’s huge data infrastructure backed by the high capacity Glo 1 submarine cable, which brings direct connectivity between West Africa, the UK and the rest of the world. The facility provides much faster and more robust connectivity for voice, data and video.”
Globacom had also recently launched the Twin Bash offer which gives subscribers bonus voice airtime for every data subscription.
Twin Bash gives subscribers who recharge with N200, up to 200 MB of data worth N800, along with full value of the airtime recharged. The Twin Bash recharge, which is the best deal for voice and data in Nigeria can easily
be done by dialling *223*pin#. The Twin Bash offer is also available on the N500, N1000 and N2000 data recharge plans.
According to Israni, the new bumper offers are the icing on the cake.

Abandoned IEDs explodes in Edo

Some Improvised Explosive Devices known as IEDs believed to have been abandoned by kidnappers and notorious criminals Tuesday exploded in Edo State.
The incident occurred at house number 40 at about 2pm at Zomi street off Upper Sakponba road in Ikpoba Okha local government area.

Residents who were at home when the explosion occurred said they heard a loud sound that shook their houses.
The explosion shattered windows of houses in the area.
Two persons were seriously injured in the blast but no live was lost.
It was gathered that policemen recently raided the house looking for kidnappers.
Some said the house was used as the kidnappers hideout before police swooped on them and some of them ran away.
A 70-year woman living opposite the building who gave her name as Hannah said she heard a large sound.
A tenant in the building who gave his name as Chinedu Elue when the explosion occurred said he decided to do some cleaning after an electrician came to work in his apartment.
He said he went out to buy ice cream after setting fire on some dirt when he heard explosion.
Chinedu said he recently moved into the apartment and that another family living in the house was not at home.
Men of anti-bomb squad led by DCP Musa UBA detonated other explosives found in the compound.
Residents in the area stood at a distance and watched in fear.
Inside the building, the place where the bomb exploded left hole on the ground.

Hoodlums kill two Policemen in Akwa Ibom

Hoodlums in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State opened fire on a police station and killed two policemen.
The identity of the two policemen could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report but our reporter gathered the hoodlums killed a police inspector and a corporal who were on duty on Tuesday.
The cause of the hoodlums’ grievances which led to the killing of the two policemen could not be ascertained as elders and indigenes of the area claimed no knowledge of the violence. 

The community had in recent time warned oil firms to stay out of their area owing to marginalisation and non-adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding reached between the community and the oil firms.
A traditional ruler in the area, Chief M.W. Ujile, told our correspondent that he saw the situation as it is. 

He added that he did not know what might have propelled the hoodlums to take such drastic measures against the police. 
His words: “The situation is just as you have said.  We don’t know what actually happened.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Cordelia Nwawe, ASP, confirmed the killing of the two policemen to our reporter.
ASP Nwawe decried the killing, saying it was uncalled for.
According to her, the police are in Eastern Obolo just as in any other places in the country to protect lives and property. She noted that the hoodlums by killing the two policemen, they had gone just too far.
She said: “It is sad for anyone to vent anger on policemen who are there to protect lives and property. We condemn the actions of the hoodlums. The police, will, however, fish out the culprits.

Kogi workers end two-month strike

Members of the rganized labour in Kogu State have reportedly called of their over two months strike over unpaid salaries.

The workers last year December 23 embarked on indefinite strike over accumulated salary arrears owed them by the administration of ex-governor Idris Wada.

The workers who are currently owed four months’ salary were Tuesday commended by the new governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for calling off their strike.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Abdulkarim Abdulmalik, in a statement issued Tuesday in Lokoja, said he thanked labour leaders for shelving their industrial action.

The governor, he said, commended the organized labour for calling off their industrial action which commenced prior to his inauguration.

He said that their decision to repudiate the strike was borne out of their confidence in his government.

The governor expressed regret over what he described as the pathetic situation of the workers who are being owed several months’ salaries, saying his government will look into the issue dispassionately with a view to finding a permanent solution to it.

He assured civil servants in the state of the readiness of his government to build an iron-cast relationship with labour in order to deliver good governance to the people of the state and give hope to all Kogites.

Ladoja congratulates Ajimobi

•Oyo State Gov. Abiola Ajimobi

The governorship candidate of Accord in the 2015 election in Oyo State, Sen.  Rashidi Ladoja, has congratulated Governor Abiola Ajimobi on his victory at the Supreme Court.
Ladoja had approached the apex court to upturn Ajimobi’s victory in the election after losing at the two lower tribunals. But the Supreme Court dismissed his petition Tuesday for lack of merit.
Following his loss, Ladoja in a statement by his media aide, Lanre Latinwo Tuesday, congratulated Ajimobi on his victory and called for support for Ajimobi’s administration.

He said the Supreme Court judgment brought the electoral process to an end.
Ladoja, who is a former governor of the state, thanked his supporters, party faithfuls and everyone who supported him in the course of the election and judicial process.
He stressed that this is the time to join hands with the governor to move the state forward, as the ruling of the Supreme Court puts finality to the election process.
Ladoja said he would continue to offer himself for service of the people and improvement of the state.
He also encouraged all the people in the state to work and pray for the governor towards the betterment of the state, adding that it’s only in a peaceful atmosphere that true development can take place.

Oil swap: Reps caution Kachikwu

The House of Representatives has expressed reservation over the capacity of the present managers of the nation’s oil and gas industry to reposition the sector.
The lawmakers’ position followed the failure of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation  (NNPC), Ibe Kachikwu to provide satisfactory answers to questions during an ongoing investigation on oil swap arrangement.
The Minister drew the anger of the Committee following his repeated attempt to evade questions with vague answers on how beneficial was the oil swap arrangement.

The Committee also asked the Minister to inform it on the extent due process was adhered to during the bidding process, in addition to what might have led to the circumstances that determined the agreements at the time.
The Committee however lost its patience with the Kachikwu, when he asked his surbodinates not to commit themselves to figures they were not sure about when responding to Committee questions.
The Minister was reminded that he was on oath and needed to take responsibility, even as he was new on the job, that his posture might not help the Committee in its assignment.
He was also told that he has the advantage of subordinates at his disposal to assist in furnishing him with necessary information rather than put the Committee on a tight spot.
Kachikwu, who disclosed that the country has stopped paying subsidy for fuel from paying over N1 trillion in 2015, however insisted that he could only offer what he was sure of, saying “I was invited here without adequate preparation and without notes.
“There is nothing I have said here that does not show cooperation. Being under oath, I won’t give you what I don’t have facts about, what I expect you to ask from us are documents that we can provide later that will assist this process.”
He later assured the Committee of his cooperation in the investigation.
At this point, the Committee reminded him that the invitation letter was explicit about the issue on the table.
The Committee however mandated the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to find out whether a Netherland company, Trafigura Ltd, a non-resident oil trading company complied with Nigeria’s tax laws having lifted 12.5 million metric tons of crude oil in the swap arrangement without paying relevant taxes.
The Committee was surprised that Nigerian companies that were involved in the same arrangement paid their taxes while a foreign company would prefer to short change the country where it was doing business.

THE NATION

Armsgate: Late arrival of Dasuki stalls proceedings

Proceedings were stalled Tuesday in the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Mohammed Sambo Dasuki and others at the High Court of the federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja by the late production of Dasuki in court by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Dasuki is being tried with a former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, and a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, a former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, the ex-governor’s son, Sagir Attahiru, and a firm, Dalhatu Investment on a 22-count in which they were accused of looting about N13billion public funds.
When the case was called Tuesday, the other defendants in the case were in court, except Dasuki. The judge also noted that other parties in the case were yet to respond to a fresh application by Dasuki, seeking to stop further proceedings in the case.

Dasuki was later brought in by men of the DSS while the judge, Justice Peter Affen was in the process of adjourning the case.
The judge proceeded to adjourn to February 9 to enable parties respond to Dasuki’s application.
In his application, Dasuki wants the court to prohibit the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  (EFCC) from prosecuting him on the ground that the EFCC could not continue with his trial have failed to earlier orders of the court made on December 21 last year, admitting him to bail.
He filed a similar application in another charge pending against him and others before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the same FCT High Court.
“An order prohibiting the complainant (prosecution) from further prosecuting the instant charge or any order charge against the second defendant (Dasuki), or seeking any form of indulgence before this honourable court in Nigeria, except and unless it complies with the order of this court made on December 21, 2015, the said order which remains valid for all intents and purposes, having not been set aside by any appellate court.
“An order discharging the second defendant/applicant of all the offences contained in the instant charge, the said charge which cannot be lawfully prosecuted by the complainant who is in brazen disobedience of a subsisting ‎order of this honourable court made on December 21, 2015.”
He also sought as alternative prayers, “A mandatory order directing the complainant who acts through the Department of State Services/EFCC and other enforcement agencies, to immediately produce the second defendant in court, by which this honourable court may give directives as it considers appropriate, for the administration of justice in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
“An order staying further proceedings in this charge until the second defendant/applicant exhausts the remedies available to him him law for the enforcement of his right to liberty, the said right which had already been preserved by the order December 21, 2015.”

THE NATION

Photo: Buhari celebrates Ogun at 40

INEC releases time table for rerun elections in 15 states

The Independent National Electoral Commission Tuesday released the time table for the rerun elections.
The elections which cut across 15 states of the federation, according to the electoral body will only involve political parties that participated in the last election with their respective candidates.
The elections are for the electoral issues that terminated at the Appeal Court.
According to the released time table, constituent election for Gombe will hold on the January 27th, Adamawa, February 13th; Kaduna, Plateau, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Taraba and Imo February 20th.
That of Abia, Anambra and Bayelsa have been scheduled for March 5th; Akwa Ibom slated for March 12th while Cross River and Rivers scheduled for 19th March.

The Independent National Electoral Commission Tuesday released the time table for the rerun elections.
The elections which cut across 15 states of the federation, according to the electoral body will only involve political parties that participated in the last election with their respective candidates.
The elections are for the electoral issues that terminated at the Appeal Court.
According to the released time table, constituent election for Gombe will hold on the January 27th, Adamawa, February 13th; Kaduna, Plateau, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Taraba and Imo February 20th.

That of Abia, Anambra and Bayelsa have been scheduled for March 5th; Akwa Ibom slated for March 12th while Cross River and Rivers scheduled for 19th March.
The Commission noted in a terse statement signed by its Secretary, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu that “consequent upon the judgment of the court, the commission will conduct the elections in 69 of the said constituencies with the same political parties and their respective candidates.”

Alleged $620,000 bribe: Emenalo to testify against Farouk Lawan

Farouk

Former co-accused to the ex-Chairman, House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Farouk Lawan, Boniface Emenalo has agreed to testify against Lawan in the case of acceptance of bribe earlier brought against him and Lawan.
Until Tuesday, Lawan and Emenalo, who acted as the committee’s Secretary, were listed as defendants in the seven-count charge earlier brought against them by the Independent Corrupt practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

But, Tuesday, prosecution lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo announced that the prosecution has amended the charge to, reducing the counts to three and deleting Emenalo as a defendant.
He invited Emenalo as prosecution witness shortly after Lawan was re-arraigned on the amended charge.
The amended charged indicated that Lawan corruptly asked for $3m from Otedola and did corruptly collect $500,000 from the business man.
The offences are said to be contrary to sections 8(1)(a) and 17(1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under sections (8(1) and 17(1) of the same Act.
Awomolo, through Emenalo as 1^st prosecution witness, tendered some documents in aid of the prosecution’s case.
The documents tendered by the prosecution through Emenalo include:  Order Paper for the special session sitting of the House of Representatives on Sunday, January 8, 2012; votes and proceedings of the special session on the same date; Order Paper, vote and proceedings of the House on Wednesday April 18, 2012; and Order Paper, votes and proceedings of Tuesday April 24, 2012.
Also tendered by the prosecution as exhibit was ‘Report of an ad hoc committee to determine the actual subsidy requirement and monitor the implementation of the subsidy regime in Nigeria (Resolution number HR.1/2012‎)’.
‎Trial judge, Justice Angela Otakula, dismissed the objection by the defence counsel, Sekop Zumka, who had contended that the documents were not admissible as exhibits on the grounds that the prosecution failed to provide the evidence of payment for its certification by the House of Representatives as provided for in the Evidence Act, 2011.
Zumka had also contended that the court ought to reject the documents since they were produced only after the pendency of the case.
‎The judge in dismissing the objection relied on a Supreme Court judgment which she said had “enjoined the court to do substantial justice rather than technicality.”
Justice Otakula held that the non-payment of the fee should not render a document inadmissible in as much as it was relevant to the case.
She also held that there was no provision of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 which prohibiting the tendering of documents obtained after a case was filed.
She therefore ordered that the documents be admitted as exhibits but subject to the payment for the necessary fees by the prosecution.
The prosecution was given seven days to pay the fees.
Justice Otaluka upheld the objection by the defence lawyer to the admissibility of a letter dated February 1, 2016 sent by the Clerk of the House of Representatives to the prosecuting counsel, Awomolo.
She upheld the defence’s contention to the effect that, since the document was not certified, Awomolo, whom the letter was served on, could not as a lawyer tender it from the bar.
The judge earlier refused to hear a preliminary application filed by the defence seeking to quash the charges on the grounds of alleged lack of jurisdiction by the court to entertain the case.
She sustained the prosecution’s opposition to the hearing of the application on the grounds that section 396(2) of the ACJ Act had clearly provided that such application could only be considered along with the substantive issue.
Further hearing in the case is fixed for February 9.

How Dariye shared looted Plateau State’s N1.162b – Witnes

Four about three hours Tuesday, a witness in the trial of former Plateau State governor, Joshua Dairye gave details of how he allegedly shared to political associates the sum of N1.162billion he obtained from the Ecological Fund in the name of the state.
Reeling out names and figures from documents submitted to the court, including Dariye’s statement made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the witness, Musa Sunday explained how Dariye allegedly shared the N1.162b he obtained in 2004 as a governor.
Dariye, who served between 1999 and 2007, is being prosecuted for allegedly diverting Plateau State’s funds while in office as governor.

Sunday, an investigator with the EFCC was cross-examined by Dariye’s lawyer, Garba Pwul (SAN).
He said investigations by his team of investigators assigned to the Dariye case, revealed that the ex-governor gave N100m  to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who was then the coordinator of the Ecological Fund; N100m to South-West PDP, which was received by then Minister of Special Duties, Yomi Edu, N80m to then permanent Secretary of the Ecological Fund  agency in the Presidency, Kingsley Nkoma; N10m  to former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, N6.8m to PDP Plateau State and N66m to 274 PDP wards in the state.
Sunday, who is the first prosecution witness, read out where Dariye confirmed the distribution of the money among his political associates in a statement he wrote to the EFCC in July 2007.
“The Ecological Fund is under the Presidency, but the Office of the Vice President oversees it and Chairs the Funds activities. The Vice President at that time was Alhaji Abubakar Atiku.
When given Dariye’s statement to read, the witness read from page 10 of the statement marked exhibit P13 (a) how Dariye gave a breakdown of how he disbursed the N1.162b received from the Ecological Fund
The witness said Dariye informed him that gave Senator Mantu, who was then a Deputy Senate President, N10m; PDP, Plateau State, N6.8m, while N66m was distributed 274 wards of PDP in the state.
Sunday also read from page 11 of the statement, where Dariye said the N100m given to PDP Southwest was received by Yomi Edu (then Minister for Special Duties), while the N100m paid to Marine Float Limited, was given to Vice President Atiku.
“In the course of investigation, Marine Float was found to be a company owned by the former President, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku. As at when the money was paid, the Vice President was the Chairman of Ecological Fund,” the witness said.
He denied knowledge whether the N100m was recovered was recovered from Atiku.
When Pwul suggested to the witness that the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo returned to plateau State in 2004, the 100m paid to the South West PDP by Dariye, the witness denied knowledge of such development.
He said further investigation on the issue also revealed that Dariye paid N80m to the then Permanent Secretary of the Ecological Fund, Kingsley Nkoma N80m “for facilitating the prompt release of the N162b.
“The N80m paid in favour of Union Savings and Loan, was traced to Kingsley Nkoma, Permanent Secretary of Ecological Fund. We recovered the N80m from Nkoma, who said that was his share for facilitating the release of the money. That was the bribe he collected.
“Investigation proved, while he was invited, that the N80m paid to him through Union Savings and Loan was bribe money paid to him by the defendant. The money was recovered from him. The N80m registered from Nkoma is registered as Exhibit and it is with the EFCC. When we invited him, Nkoma said that that was his share of the money and he was made to return it.”
The witness reiterated his earlier claim that Dariye made his banker, All States Trust Bank (now defunct) to conceal his identity. He said their investigation revealed that the mandate card for the account allegedly operated by a firm linked to Dariye – Ebenezer Ritnan Venture – did not carry anybody’s photograph as required. He said they were able to uncover the company’s true ownership by Dariye’s signature on the mandate form.
He said Dariye allegedly diverted his share of the N1.162b into the company’s account.
The witness said the bank and its officials, who claimed to have granted Dariye waiver by not including his photograph in the account opening documents, have since been convicted by a Federal High Court in Kaduna for aiding fraud.
“In the course of investigation, we found the waiver granted Dariye not to be proper, and as a result, the maker, the Account Officer, A. Awe Odesa was charged before the FHC, Kaduna. The issue of the waiver was part of the charge.”
The trial resumes Wednesday at 12 noon.