ONDO PDP crisis deepens as court panels withdraw

Justices return case file to Appeal Court PresidentFaction laments 'judicial ambush'The fate of factional Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Ondo State election Eyitayo Jegede was hanging in the balance yesterday.A three-man panel set up by Court of Appeal President Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa to determine all appeals relating to the dispute over the governorship candidate of the PDP withdrew from the case.The Justice Jumai Sankey-led...

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Senate dumps buhari's bid to borrow $29.96bn

SENATORS yesterday rejected President Muhammadu Buhari's request to borrow $29.96 billion under the 2016-2018 External Borrowing Plan.The upper chamber voted massively against the request.Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki put the question twice - "that the Senate do consider the request of the President C-in-C on the 2016-2018 External Borrowing Rolling Plan". Twice it was rejected.Senate Leader Mohammed Ali Ndume moved the motion for the consideration of the request. Deputy Minority Leader Emmanuel Bwacha seconded.The lawmakers were not...

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8 suicide bombers die at checkpoint blast

Eight suicide bombers in a Pick-up van have detonated their bombs, killing themselves in a failed attempt to cross a military checkpoint at Gubio, Gubio Local Government of Borno State, the Army has said.According to a statement by Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman, the incident occurred about 9.15 am yesterday.He said the insurgents got frustrated after troops insisted on searching the vehicle, and one of them detonated his Improvised Explosive Device...

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Ambode to senate: Lagos need special status

Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday urged the Senate to reconsider the bill seeking one per cent allocation to Lagos from the revenue accruable to the Federal Government, saying it will ensure economic prosperity not just for Lagosians but all Nigerians.The governor spoke at the Lagos House, Ikeja, when he received members of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, who are in the state to perform oversight functions.He said Lagos being a cosmopolitan city and the economic capital of Nigeria must be assisted by the Federal Government...

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Sagay committee unfolds strategies to fight corruption

After presenting its one-year scorecard for public appraisal and staging a conference on legislators' role in the war against corruption in partnership with the National Assembly, the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) is introducing new strategies to the anti-corruption crusade.The Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) was set up on August 10 last year by President Muhammadu Buhari with specific mandates....

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Chief justice blame Executives for corrupt judges

  The executive, not the National Judicial Council (NJC), should be blamed for corruption among judicial officers, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mahmud Mohammed, has said.He said the failure of the executive to act upon recommendations by the Commission cannot be blamed on the NJC.Justice Mohammed made the clarification in a reply dated October 26 to a petition written by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).The reply, marked No.CJN/Gen/MISC/A37/Vol.XXI/8 and signed by the CJN's Senior Special Assistant, H. S....

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Tambuwal urges judiciary to work together to tackle corruption

  Stakeholders in the judiciary must work as a team to overcome the challenges confronting the arm of government, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said yesterday.Speaking at the swearing-in of the state's new Chief Judge, Justice Bello Abass, Tambuwal said recent arrests of senior members of the judiciary has placed a huge burden which requires unity of purpose to overcome.He said the judicial arm plays an important role in the society and judges must always live above board to set example.He said his administration would partner...

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FG urged to reconsider cases of arrested Judges

  THE Federal Government has been urged to reconsider its stance on the fate of the judges arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS).International Human Rights and Anti-corruption Society (IHRAS) Director General Dr. U. O. Udofia made the request in a letter dated October 26 and sent to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN).The group, which said it was particularly concerned with...

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Timing of FBI's Clinton announcement draws criticism

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Saturday called the timing of the FBI's announcement that it was assessing new evidence in her email case "unprecedented" and "deeply troubling."At a campaign appearance in Daytona Beach, Florida, Clinton told her audience, "It's pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information, right before an election."Clinton later added, "We can't let this election, in the last 10...

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Mimiko rushes to buhari as Ondo erupts in violence

Akure, the Ondo State capital, was in turmoil yesterday after youths stormed the streets ,protesting Thursday night's decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to drop Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next month's governorship election.The development prompted the state governor, Olusegun Mimiko, to rush to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja yesterday to seek his...

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Appeal court reserves ruling of makarfi's motion over jimoh Ibrahim

The Court of Appeal Abuja division yesterday evening reserved in the motion filed by a factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ahmed Makarfi, and the faction's Secretary, Ben Obi, seeking leave to appeal against the Federal High Court's judgment which recognised Jimoh Ibrahim as the PDP's governorship candidate in Ondo State.A three-man panel of the court presided over by Justice Jumai Sankey announced the reservation of ruling after entertaining arguments from parties.The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday,...

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OPEC develops framework to stabilize global oil market

  Following its meeting in September in Algiers, Algeria, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has begun to develop a framework to stabilise the global oil market.The Algerian meeting was where OPEC members agreed to cut output on 28th September to halt continued crude oil supply glut and shore up price. As a result of the landmark agreement, the meeting was tagged Algiers Accord.The first meeting of the high-level committee...

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SAN denies link with EFCC's investigation of NIC judges

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, has denied any link with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation of Justice Adbadu Fischin of the National Industrial Court (NIC) over alleged corruption.An online publication had claimed the EFCC invited Akintola with other lawyers to its Abuja office, as part of its investigation into the matter.Though Akintola is in Abuja, he denied being there to defend any indicted...

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Diamond bank maintain stable growth in Q3 2016

   Diamond Bank yesterday released its Q3 2016 performance scorecard on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), showcasing moderate growth in key financial parameters. For the nine months under review, the group recorded a growth of 16.9 per cent in total assets, which grew from N1.753 trillion in the same period last year to N2.05 trillion. This was driven mainly by the value of the local currency and growth in customer deposits,...

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Group call for support for FG over recession

  With the biting economic recession in the country, the Police Assistance Committee (PAC) and its affiliate Association of Tradesmen/ Women and Artisans have called on Nigerians to rally support for the Buhari administration to enable it succeed in its drive to combat recession and return Nigeria to economic boom.At a two-day workshop held in Lagos on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) organized for its members comprising Chief Security Officers (CSOs) of government and private establishments, chairmen, secretaries and PROs of associations...

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