BREAKING NEWS, Political Briefs
–
THE ongoing national conference sitting in Abuja wants death penalty for people who rape minors, life jail term for those who rape women and 50 years imprisonment for corrupt judges. Delegates at the conference unanimously adopted the recommendation of the committee on Civil Society, Labour, Youths and Sports, chaired by Bola Ogunrinade, during its plenary on Thursday, June 19. The delegates agreed that death penalty should be the adequate sanction for anyone found guilty of raping a minor.
They also unanimously agreed that any government official found guilty of embezzling public funds or monies meant for pensioners be given life imprisonment.
The conference also proposed 50 years imprisonment for any judicial officer found guilty of corruption or abuse of office and to be stripped of all official entitlements.
But the conference kicked against the committee’s recommendation to allocate 30 percent of decision making in the country to youths.
FTC on Red Alert over Boko Haram Plan
THE Federal Capital Territory, FTC, was put on the alert on Wednesday, June 18, on a plot by Boko Haram insurgents to bomb the capital city. The National Information Centre, NIC, which raised the alarm, alleged that the insurgents planned to use petrol tankers. Mike Omeri, coordinator of the centre, who disclosed the plan at a media briefing in Abuja, alleged that the insurgents were planning to seize petrol tankers, plant improvised explosive devices, IEDs, on them and drive them to crowded places in the capital city.
Omeri, who is also the director-general of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, while calling on residents of the FCT to be on the alert and report any broken down tankers in any part of the city to security agencies, however, said that government had started working with the Petrol Tanker Drivers Association, PTDA, to forestall any attack. He has also called on the PTDA to be on the “red alert” and report any attempt or seizure of its vehicles to security agencies. “Similarly, we are using this opportunity to appeal to the public to be on the alert particu¬larly when they see any tanker driving danger¬ously,” Omeri said
Italy to Repatriate Nigerian Prisoners
NIGERIA and Italy are expected to conclude soon negotiations on a Prisoners Transfer Agreement, PTA, which would facilitate the return of more than 700 Nigerian prisoners serving various prison sentences across Italy.
Fulvius Rusticu, Italian ambassador to Nigeria, disclosed this known on Thursday, June 19, in Abuja.
Rusticu said Nigerian and Italian officials would meet in the first week of July in Rome to finalise the agreement and possibly work out modalities for the immediate return of the prisoners.
The ambassador explained that under the agreement, Nigerian prisoners who qualify for the transfer must return home to complete their prison terms. He said that government was not obligated to help improve the condition of prisons in Nigeria as a pre-condition for signing the agreement. “Each country is responsible for its prisons; the logic in signing a PTA is that we think that it is better for Nigerians and even Italians to serve their terms at home. Already to be in prisons is not a nice experience, being abroad is even worse, so given the prisoner the chance to return home is in their own interest. It is very rare for a prisoner to want to stay in a foreign country, we have cases of Italians serving in prisons abroad and they look forward, and are happy to return home,’’ he said.
In January, Nigeria and the UK signed a PTA to repatriate some of the 521 Nigerians currently serving their terms in that country. Prior to the signing, a major challenge on deportation had been the condition of prisons in the country. But the UK had pledged one million pounds to Nigeria to help improve the nation’s prison conditions.
Impeachment Threats Hang on Governor Nyako, Deputy
GOVERNOR Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State is in trouble. The state Assembly reportedly served an impeachment notice on the governor, and Bala James Ngillari, his deputy, for gross misconduct on Wednesday, June 18. Nineteen out of the 25 members of the Assembly were said to have signed the notice after the motion moved by Kwamoti Laori, a member representing Numan constituency who doubles as deputy speaker of the Assembly. Laori accused the governor of committing acts of gross misconduct in the performance of his duties in the state.
He based his motion on 20 charges of financial misconduct by the governor, notable among which was the fraudulent award of a contract of over N8 billion through SNECOU Group of Companies Limited, a company linked to one of the governor’s wives, to siphon public funds without delivering the project. Other charges against the governor included the corrupt siphoning of the sum of N300 million public funds through Hydro Source Resources Limited, for the construction of the Mubi bye-pass road. The company was alleged to have been mobilised but never moved to the site or carried out the construction work after collecting the sum.
Another charge levelled against the governor was gross violation of his oath of office by the outrageous patronage and dominance of family and friends in the discharge of government businesses as exemplified in the Office of Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, the SPPU and ministry of Health. According to the state Assembly, the MDGs’ office in Adamawa State is managed by Nyako’s close relations and squandered N220 million and N786,457,644.94 budgeted state funds in 2013 for the implementation of MDG programmes in the state.
Others were: “Squandering the sum of N4,805,216,538.32 and N7,114,995,590.85 in 2012 and 2013 respectively through the Office of the Secretary to the State Government against budgetary approval, and not in the interest of people of Adamawa State.
“Gross violation of Section 120 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and gross misappropriation and diversion of internally generated revenue for personal use to the detriment of the people of Adamawa state. “Expenditure of the exorbitant sum of N2.5b as ‘Other Miscellaneous Expenses’ through the Internal Affairs and Special Services Department; and diversion of over N400 million out of the N500 million Federal Government Intervention Fund for flood victims in Adamawa State in 2011.
“Abuse of office and violation of Adamawa State Law by appointing his wife, Dr. Halima H Nyako, as the Chairman Adamawa State Action Committee on AIDS contrary to SACA. Accordingly, Nyako’s government is popularly nicknamed ‘Government of Family and Friends’.
“Overbearing strangulation of the local government areas and extortion of local government funds in the name of joint projects and security challenges in Mubi and other parts of Adamawa State. This leaves many local governments with nothing to pay worker’s entitlements. The governor also consistently contravenes Section 168 (60 and 8) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
On the impeachment notice served on the deputy governor, Abdulkarim Umar, a member representing Narrasawo/Binyeri, who moved the motion, alleged six grounds of financial misconduct.
He alleged that the deputy governor committed acts of gross misconduct in the performance of his duties by diverting public funds to the tune of N50 million released to him by the state ministry of Finance. The funds, Umar alleged, were released to the deputy governor based on the instructions of Nyako for the acquisition of a licence for the exploration of sold minerals in the state. Also, Ngillari was accused of extra-budgetary expenditure to the tune of N397,311,559.05.
As at press time, both the governor and his deputy were yet to acknowledge receipt of the notice.
— Jun. 30, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
Tags:
