The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal filed against the decision of the Calabar Judicial Division of the Federal High Court refusing to enforce the fundamental rights of Honourable Justice Akon Ikpeme when the Cross River State House of Assembly refused to confirm her as Chief Judge of the State on discriminatory ground that she poses a security risk, not being an indigene of the State.

The Appeal Court ruled that there was no credible evidence to establish that Hon. Justice Akon Ikpeme was discriminated against warranting her non-confirmation.

TheNigeriaLawyer recalls that the Appellants had attached two Exhibits to their Affidavit before the trial Court, Exhibit 1 was a report recommending the confirmation of Justice Ikpeme as Chief Judge of Cross River State while Exhibit 2 opposed her confirmation, which same were not challenged.

However, the Appeal Court affirming the decision of the Federal High Court, said no credible evidence was placed before it to warrant the reliefs being sought.

TheNigeriaLawyer recalls that the trial Court was beseeched for the following reliefs, which were dismissed:

“1. A DECLARATION that Hon. Justice Akon Ikpeme is a citizen of Nigeria and entitled to be appointed to any office in Cross River State by virtue of her citizenship and is guaranteed the right to freedom from discrimination by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

“2. A DECLARATION that the Non-Confirmation of Hon Justice Akon Ikpeme as the substantive Chief Judge of Cross River State by the Cross River State House of Assembly solely on the basis that she is not from Cross River State is unlawful, unconscionable, discriminatory and amounts to a gross violation of her constitutionally Fundamental Human Rights to freedom from discrimination.

“3. A DECLARATION that the non-confirmation of Hon. Justice Akon Ikpeme as the substantive Chief Judge of Cross River State by the Cross River State House of Assembly on the basis that she is not from Cross River State and therefore a security risk is a violent contravention of her Fundamental Human Rights to freedom from discrimination.

“4. AN ORDER setting aside the decision of the Cross River State House of Assembly made on the 2nd of March, 2020 as to the Non confirmation of Hon. Justice Akon Ikpeme for being a nullity as same is in gross violation of her fundamental right to freedom from discrimination.

“5. EXEMPLARY AND SPECIAL DAMAGES in the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira only) against the Respondents jointly and severally for the untold hardship and public ridicule/humiliation suffered by Hon. Justice Akon Ikpeme as a result of the violation of her right to freedom from discrimination.

“6. AND for such further or other Order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this application.”

*Youths burn suspect’s house

An electrician, Bright Odi (33), has died after he was allegedly kicked on the scrotum by Victor Iwu at Umueje Obinze, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.

Iwu and Odi were allegedly quarrelling on how to share the bride price of their sister who got married on Sunday.

It was gathered that the victim fell and started writhing in pains after the kick. He was rushed to the hospital where he died the following day.

Angry youths yesterday besieged Iwu’s family home and set it ablaze when they didn’t meet him there.

Interim Chairman of Owerri West, Okechukwu Enyioha, said he has called security agencies to take over the matter.

Police spokesman Orlando Ikeokwu said the Commissioner of Police, Isaac Akinmoyede, has ordered that the case be transferred to the State Criminal and Intelligence Department for investigation.

Thenigerialawyer

Prior to his return to power in 2015, Muhammadu Buhari was hardly viewed as a wealthy former military ruler — and even his critics occasionally acknowledged his so-called austere personality.

In the years leading to his 2015 election, there were reports that Mr. Buhari was being sustained by his friends and political associates, including Ibikunle Amosun who supported his fated presidential run in 2015.

But Mr. Buhari’s rise to Nigerian presidency in May 2015 introduced instant fortunes into his immediate family: a fleet of luxury aircraft, a row of fortified palatial mansions, luxury cars, helicopters, presidential dining, evolving wardrobe, a monthly income that runs into millions. The benefits are almost endless — all on the Nigerian taxpayers.

Yet, Mr. Amosun, a serving senator who was Ogun State governor between 2011 and 2019, transferred N12.5 million of Ogun taxpayers’ funds to Mr. Buhari’s personal bank account, according to bank records obtained by Peoples Gazette.

The September 8, 2016, transaction was authorised from Ogun State Government Expenditure Account, which the Gazette’s findings revealed was directly under Mr. Amosun’s control.

It was also unclear whether or not a voucher was raised for the transaction. At least two officials in Ogun State accountant-general’s office said they could not trace any payment advice before the transaction went to the president.

“There is no voucher relating to any direct or indirect payment to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 in our filing system,” a senior civil servant at the accountant-general’s office said. “It was possible that a voucher was not raised by the governor before the transaction was processed.”

The officials said it was quite common under Mr. Amosun for transfers to be done directly from the state treasury without requisite documentation, especially if the governor had a direct interest in such payments.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?guci=2.2.0.0.2.2.0.0&client=ca-pub-7675530425486834&output=html&h=180&slotname=1253569477&adk=1725290469&adf=2859834138&pi=t.ma~as.1253569477&w=720&fwrn=4&lmt=1606974145&rafmt=11&psa=1&format=720×180&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeoplesgazette.com%2Fexclusive-bank-documents-expose-how-amosun-wired-millions-to-president-buhari-from-ogun-state-treasury%2F%3Futm_source%3DReviveOldPost%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3DReviveOldPost&flash=0&wgl=1&tt_state=W3siaXNzdWVyT3JpZ2luIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9hZHNlcnZpY2UuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbSIsInN0YXRlIjowfSx7Imlzc3Vlck9yaWdpbiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXR0ZXN0YXRpb24uYW5kcm9pZC5jb20iLCJzdGF0ZSI6MH1d&dt=1606974144834&bpp=47&bdt=1204&idt=615&shv=r20201201&cbv=r20190131&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D4e70a0be840745a0-2271955c5fa600d8%3AT%3D1604181724%3ART%3D1604181724%3AS%3DALNI_MbkWKMjMQCMSw5Hpxuo_Iz9HYwdoQ&correlator=8540377732851&frm=20&pv=2&ga_vid=1520477476.1604181723&ga_sid=1606974146&ga_hid=1254822870&ga_fc=1&rplot=4&u_tz=60&u_his=1&u_java=0&u_h=1280&u_w=800&u_ah=1280&u_aw=800&u_cd=24&u_nplug=0&u_nmime=0&adx=40&ady=1918&biw=800&bih=1160&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=21066705%2C21066819%2C21066973&oid=3&pvsid=878175092996616&pem=559&rx=0&eae=0&fc=900&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C800%2C0%2C800%2C1160%2C800%2C1160&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CeEbr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=8320&bc=31&ifi=1&uci=a!1&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=wpj3ZySiCg&p=https%3A//peoplesgazette.com&dtd=696

Waheed Odusile, Ogun State information commissioner, did not immediately return calls seeking comments from the Gazette. Neither Mr. Amosun nor his spokesman returned a request seeking comments.

Presidential spokesmen Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu did not return multiple requests for comments seeking clarification for the transaction.

‘Raided treasury’

Ogun State under Mr. Amosun has long concealed the state’s finances from the public, but a trove of financial records recently obtained by the Gazette has exposed his questionable handling of public funds.

Mr. Amosun has been amongst the closest allies of President Buhari since 2015, enjoying some of the rarest federal benefits in the last four years of his governorship tenure.

In 2019, Mr. Amosun was protected when he was exposed as a dangerous gunrunner in a series of investigation by Premium Times.

Despite illegally importing at least 1000 AK-47 rifles and over two million bullets, the Buhari administration has continued to shield Mr. Amosun from facing the law. Security analysts said Mr. Amosun’s action, no doubt, would have contributed to Nigeria’s endemic insecurity.

Arisekola Bakare, a Sagamu-based lawyer and public affairs analysts, said Mr. Amosun’s ties to Mr. Buhari had long emboldened his recklessness as a politician.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?guci=2.2.0.0.2.2.0.0&client=ca-pub-7675530425486834&output=html&h=180&slotname=1253569477&adk=1725290469&adf=2728428110&pi=t.ma~as.1253569477&w=720&fwrn=4&lmt=1606974145&rafmt=11&psa=1&format=720×180&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeoplesgazette.com%2Fexclusive-bank-documents-expose-how-amosun-wired-millions-to-president-buhari-from-ogun-state-treasury%2F%3Futm_source%3DReviveOldPost%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3DReviveOldPost&flash=0&wgl=1&tt_state=W3siaXNzdWVyT3JpZ2luIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9hZHNlcnZpY2UuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbSIsInN0YXRlIjowfSx7Imlzc3Vlck9yaWdpbiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXR0ZXN0YXRpb24uYW5kcm9pZC5jb20iLCJzdGF0ZSI6MH1d&dt=1606974144881&bpp=23&bdt=1251&idt=676&shv=r20201201&cbv=r20190131&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D4e70a0be840745a0-2271955c5fa600d8%3AT%3D1604181724%3ART%3D1604181724%3AS%3DALNI_MbkWKMjMQCMSw5Hpxuo_Iz9HYwdoQ&prev_fmts=720×180&correlator=8540377732851&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=1520477476.1604181723&ga_sid=1606974146&ga_hid=1254822870&ga_fc=0&rplot=4&u_tz=60&u_his=1&u_java=0&u_h=1280&u_w=800&u_ah=1280&u_aw=800&u_cd=24&u_nplug=0&u_nmime=0&adx=40&ady=3266&biw=800&bih=1160&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=21066705%2C21066819%2C21066973&oid=3&pvsid=878175092996616&pem=559&rx=0&eae=0&fc=900&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C800%2C0%2C800%2C1160%2C800%2C1160&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CeEbr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=8320&bc=31&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=kJtv0QZIta&p=https%3A//peoplesgazette.com&dtd=701

“He seemed to have raided Ogun State treasury for his allies, who now appear to include the president himself based on your findings,” Mr. Bakare told the Gazette. “I think everyone can now see why Amosun has been very sad and reckless in Ogun State and beyond.”

Mr. Bakare said he might approach the court to compel anti-graft officials to investigate the fund because of its inexplicable context.

“We have long known that Amosun was funding Buhari before Buhari became president,” Mr. Bakare said. “But we may need to go to court to understand why Amosun was still using Ogun State money to support a whole president while abandoning millions of residents in poverty and deprivation.”

“By the time we get to court, more of such alarming and unjustifiable transfers might come to public light for our people to know how they were robbed by a man who claimed to be their governor for eight years,” the legal practitioner added.

Download Ogun State Expenditure Account 2016 statement here. 

Source: Peoplesgazatte

US Attorney General Bill Barr said Tuesday that the Justice Department has found no evidence of voter fraud significant enough to reverse Democrat Joe Biden’s defeat of President Donald Trump in the November 3 election.

“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election,” Barr told the Associated Press in an interview.

Barr made the comments as Trump’s campaign persists in trying to prove there was fraud in key states Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, hoping to prevent Biden’s win from being made official in the Electoral College on December 14.

“With all due respect to the Attorney General, there hasn’t been any semblance of a Department of Justice investigation,” Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis said in a statement reacting to Barr’s announcement.

“We will continue our pursuit of the truth through the judicial system and state legislatures,” they said.

Attorneys for Trump have claimed everything from ballot-box stuffing and fake ballot printing, to thousands of dead people having voted, to vote-counting machines being programmed to favor Biden.

In several legal filings — all rejected by the courts — the Trump campaign has sought to invalidate millions of votes for Biden based on claims that lacked any evidence.

Barr didn’t address specific claims.

However, he told the news agency, “There’s been one assertion that would be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results.”

“And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that, and so far, we haven’t seen anything to substantiate that,” he said, referring to the departments of Homeland Security and Justice.

Barr, long seen as a political loyalist to the president, said the only potentially justifiable claims of fraud “are very particularized to a particular set of circumstances or actors or conduct.”

“They are not systemic allegations,” he said.

“Some have been broad and potentially cover a few thousand votes. They have been followed up on.”

Barr’s comments were reported about the same time he arrived Tuesday at the White House for unspecified meetings.

Around the time of the election, media reports said Trump was unhappy with the Justice Department Chief for not making efforts to support his reelection, and that Barr could be fired.

*Introduces 90-day special bills
*Dealers, analysts welcome new policy on Diaspora remittances

As part of efforts to support economic recovery and propel the quest to return to the growth path, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the release of banks’ excess cash reserve requirement (CRR), which is above the regulatory minimum.

However, this, it stated, would be done through its issuance of 90-day CBN Special Bills.

The CBN stated this in a letter addressed to all banks, dated December 1, 2020, signed by its Director, Banking Supervision, Mr. Bello Hassan, a copy of which was obtained by THISDAY yesterday.

The CRR is the minimum amount banks are expected to retain with the CBN from their customer deposits.

At last month’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting, the CRR was retained at 27.5 per cent.

The central bank had been sanctioning banks that failed to comply with its minimum loan-to-deposit ratio (LDR) policy, among others, by imposing higher CRR on them.

This, analysts had said, was constraining banks’ ability to effectively perform their financial intermediation role.

But in the latest letter titled: “Release of Cash Reserve Requirement through the Issuance of CBN Special Bills,” the banking sector regulator stated: “The CBN on November 30, 2020, approved the release of the excess above regulatory minimum CRR of banks. This is part of measures to improve liquidity and support economic recovery through the increased extension of credit facilities to the real sector. This will be accomplished through the issuance of CBN Special Bills.”

It explained that the features of the special bills include tenor of 90 days, subject to rollover at the instance of the CBN, as well as zero-coupon, with an implied yield to be worked out by the CBN.

In addition, the instrument will be tradable and discountable at CBN window and will qualify as liquid assets.

“The CBN will continue to monitor banks’ utilisation of the liquidity injection from the CRR release to ensure optimal use for transactions that support economic recovery and growth,” it added.

Also in a circular dated December 1, 2020 entitled: Introduction of Central Bank of Nigeria Special Bills, signed by Hassan, the bank reiterated the features of the special bills, saying it “will continue to ensure optimal regulation of systemic liquidity and promote efficient financial markets in support of economic recovery and sustained growth.”

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had recently predicted a two per cent growth in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2021.

Nigeria’s real GDP contracted for the second consecutive quarter by 3.62 per cent in the third quarter of the year, compared to a growth of -6.10 per cent, which showed that the country has entered its second economic recession in five years.

Dealers, Analysts Welcome New Policy on Diaspora Remittances

Meanwhile, the Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) and some financial market analysts have expressed support for the new Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) policy that grants unfettered access to forex from Diaspora and other money transfer remittances like Western Union and MoneyGram.

Speaking in separate interviews with THISDAY, they stated that the new policy would enhance liquidity in the forex market.

ABCON President, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, advised forex speculators hoarding dollars to sell now, saying, “Otherwise they will lick their wounds.”

According to him, with the new policy, the monopoly in the remittance market has been broken.

Gwadabe said: “If you were receiving dollars from the bank at about N390 to a dollar and now you are free to receive your dollar as it was sent, you are free to walk into any BDC operator and get it at the prevailing market rate.

“So, there will be liquidity and also the monopoly has been broken because before recipients of such funds didn’t have an option because they are forced to collect naira from the banks. This is a welcome development and we commend the CBN.”

Also, the Senior Economist/Head of Research and Strategy, Greenwich Merchant Bank Limited, Mr. Ayodeji Ebo, described the new policy as a positive move, saying it will help divert remittances back to the official channels.

According to him, the difference in forex rates has always been a disincentive.
“I think it will also increase dollar liquidity in the banks as people would now be more comfortable to channel these funds through the banks. So, it is a step in the positive direction,” he stated.

Head of Research at Agusto & Co, Mr. Jimi Ogbobine, explained that the policy would help boost dollar liquidity in the economy and ease forex pressure in the parallel market.

“So, before now if you receive your money from an international money transfer operator, they would give you naira pegged at around N390 to a dollar. If you walk out of that bank where you had collected that money, if it was dollar you received, you would have changed that money at a prevailing parallel market rate.

“So, because of the difference, you would find a way to cut off the official channel and start receiving the money through informal channels, instead of through the banks.

And when you receive the money, you go to the parallel market to get the maximum rate.

“What the central bank would achieve with this policy is to reduce the pressure and cut off the arbitrage with more retail investors being able to access their dollars through the right channels. We are going to see a possible increase in supply in the parallel market, which would ultimately moderate forex rates, especially as we go into the yuletide season when we are going to have many Nigerians in the Diaspora coming back home,” Ogbobine explained.

Also, Head of Research at United Capital, Mr. Wale Olusi, said the policy is “going to ease the pressure in the parallel market.

“This is a short-term policy that if sustained will be beneficial to the market in the long run. Remittances in Nigeria yearly are over $20 billion. Remittances can roughly take about 40 per cent of the demand for import.

“Those can actually, to a large extent, save the central bank a lot of headaches if we are able to cement the structure around remittances. So, I think it is a brilliant move,” he said.

The new CBN policy allows beneficiaries of Diaspora remittances through IMTOs to henceforth receive such inflows in the original foreign currency through the designated bank of their choice.

The CBN explained that the new regulations were part of efforts to liberalise, simplify and improve the receipt and administration of Diaspora remittances into Nigeria.

The central bank announced the new policy in a circular titled: “Amendment to Procedures for Receipt of Diaspora Remittances,” dated November 30, 2020, that was signed by its Director, Trade and Exchange Department, Dr. Ozoemena Nnaji.

Thenigerialawyer

The digitalisation of Nigerian ports, deployment of e-Customs, investment of over $300 million in inland dry ports and the overhaul of transportation logistics will position Nigeria to take maximum advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will be operational January 1, 2021, the Executive Secretary/CEO of the Nigerian Shippers council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello has said.

Bello stated this when the head of the transport section of the Presidential Action Committee on AfCFTA, Ms. Funmi Folorunso paid him a working visit in Lagos.

Trading under the AfCFTA Agreement was due to commence on 1 July 2020, but as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the date was been postponed. It has been indicated that the new date for operationalisation is January 1, 2021.

According to him, “I am not a despondent person I am very optimistic person that is why I want to believe that by early next year, the gridlock in Apapa will disappear. This is because we are having to approach it from the scientific angle. First, we have to make our port digital and contactless, no need for anybody to go to the port to look for arrival time of vessels or to make payments.

“All these can be done online. I always give example of the banking halls years back where we used to have long queues to transact business. But all that is gone now, you make your transactions through the telephone.

“That is what we want our ports to be like, it must be contactless and transactions must be online. Another problem we have is that we rely on the roads for the delivery and evacuation of cargo, which is totally wrong. To deliver and evacuate 75 per cent of our cargo through the roads is totally unacceptable. Now the federal government is introducing the rail, which will be cheaper and will give the truckers a run for their money.”

Nigeria, he stated, has started using barges through the inland water ways to take cargo in out of the ports.

“So we will not depend on the roads again. I think by November this year the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) will deploy electronic call up system. That again is traffic management and that will make our ports more competitive. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is deploying E-Customs in accordance with World Customs Organisation (WCO) rules, so scanners will be there and 10 per cent physical examination will be a thing of the past.

“We will also soon have the Lekki Deep sea port, which will have a draft of 18 metres and will have 250, 000 direct employment. It is situated at the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) and will attract large vessels. The economy of scale will suggest that Nigeria will no longer be a transshipment destination. Nigeria is conscious of our natural position as a country in the centre of the world, “he said.

He added, “The national fleet that will soon come on board is very important for Nigeria to have ownership of the means of transportation, especially, we have to operate and run the ships and to carry our crude oil. We have to look at our trade terms; there are laws that we have to harvest. The NSC is already running with the carriage of goods by rail and roads, to guide transactions in Africa.”

He called on all stakeholders in the maritime industry not to give up on their effort to salvage the industry as continues advocacy will turn things around for the better.

“We have to continue our advocacy, our economy must be export driven because we have 66 items that Nigeria can export and earn huge foreign exchange. Of the 66 agricultural products that we can export, Nigeria has 33 that no country can rival us in. However, the logistics chain must be efficient otherwise we are going nowhere. The rail capacity, predictability and rates must be made public to enable investors’ come in,” he said.

Thenigerialawyer

The House of Representatives on Tuesday set up an inquiry into allegations that the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, was riddled with fraud and irregularities which had led to the non-payment of salaries and allowances of Federal Civil Servants.

The Public Accounts Committee of the House, initiated the inquest in the course of engaging tertiary institutions and other agencies on their financial audit reports for 2018-2019.

The Committee members expressed worry over what they called leakages and sharp practices that they said were observed in the course of their earlier engagement with other agencies, particularly, the J.S. Tarkar University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State.

The Chairman of the Committee, Oluwole Oke gave the ruling while drilling the Rector of Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, Zubair Mustapha on the expenditure and financial audit reports of the tertiary institution, for the years 2018 and 2019.

The Rector of the school, told the Committee, that pending salaries for the years under review, were due to anomalies in the IPPIS, a salary payment system introduced by the President Muhammadu Buhari Government in 2017.

He added that the backlog of salaries are from people who were not captured by IPPIS.

In a swift response, the Lawmakers said that the IPPIS must be investigated, to detect some of the irregularities seen in the system.

The Committee resolved to write the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmad and the Accountant General of the Federation, to explain alleged sleaze, in the federal staff payment system.

The Committee also summoned the External Auditors of the Accounts of Auchi Polytechnic, over discrepancies in the audited reports of the school, for 2018-2019.

The Rector of the school, who claimed that the institution, generated only 1.91billion naira in 2019, however failed to give detailed and technical breakdown of the expenditure of the money and audits of the accounts.

Representatives of the Office of the Auditor of the Federation, Anthony Ayine at the investigative Hearing also strongly rejected his presentation before the Committee.

Consequently, the Committee placed the Institution on status of inquiry in order to determine it’s financial status