58 NEWS
THE NATION, SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
Orji Kalu has case to answer — Appeal Court
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HE Court of Appeal, Abuja, yesterday dis missed the appeal filed by former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, against his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In a unanimous judgment, the three-member panel resolved all the grounds of appeal in favour of the respondent and dismissed the appeal for lack of merit. Kalu is facing a 107-count charge slammed against him and two others- Ude Jones Udeogu and Slok Nigeria Limited by the EFCC. He is accused of laundering about N5 billion belonging to the state while serving as a governor.
Kamarudeen OGUNDELE, Abuja Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court Abuja had ruled that the accused have a case to answer. Dissatisfied, Kalu and Skok went to the court to challenge the ruling of the court. They contended that they were arraigned on non-existent law and that the proof of evidence did not disclose a prima facie case against the appellants. Kalu also challenged the jurisdiction of the court to prosecute him because he had earlier obtained an exparte order from an Abia State High Court which restrained the EFCC from arresting and prosecut-
ing him. Besides, he argued that the proof of evidence did not disclose prima facie case against him. Justice Eko Ejembi, in the judgment, discountenanced the claims of the apellants. He noted that the proof of evidence attached to the 97count charge preferred against the appellants by the EFCC disclosed a prima facie case against them. According to him, the facts raised in the proof of evidence established a prima facie case against the appellants. He further said that as far as there is a link which prima facie is all about, the appellants had an obligation to stand trial to defend themselves.
•The Executive Chairman of the Isolo Local Council Development Area, Alhaji Shamsudeen Abiodun Olaleye (middle), at the opening ceremony of a recent workshop for clerical and executive officers of the council. With him are the Council Manager, Alhaji Kehinde Yusuff (left), and the Director of Training, Local Government Services Commission, Mrs. M. O. Akin Aderibigbe, at the council hall.
He further ruled that the exparte order of May 31, 2007 by Abia State High Court, asking the Federal High Court to stay all proceedings against Orji was a racquet suit aimed at frustrating his arrest and subsequent prosecution. “That order was an order at large, personal rather than definite. It was an order made as an ex-parte and not at the course of trial.” He described the ex-parte motion as an abuse of court process. Justice Eko affirmed that the claim of breach of personal freedom by Orji was sentimental in nature. “This claim borders on the realm of conspiracy theory and is politically motivated. Right to personal liberty is not absolute,” the judge stated. Citing Section 16 and 17 of the Money Laundering and Prohibition Act (MLPA), 2003 and 2004, and the EFCC Establishment Act, the court said it has the jurisdiction to hear the suit. It added that “EFCC derives its competence to prosecute from section 6 and 7 of its Establishing Act. Equally, the definition of economic crime is quite wide,” the judge said. Reacting, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, expressed satisfaction with the judgment. He noted that the Appeal Court ruling had vindicated his position that the Abia High Court order was intended to protect Kalu from prosecution and exposed the hollowness of the position of the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Andoakaa, that the order must be obeyed. Justices Kayode Bada and Regina Nwodo agreed with the judgment.
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RMED police arrested a man at the scene of a siege in central London yesterday after reports that a suspect had taken several office workers hostage and threatened to blow himself up. Police had surrounded an office block and evacuated hundreds of people from one of the capital’s busiest roads after a man began throwing office equipment out of a fifth floor window. Witnesses said the man, aged 49 or 50, had taken around four people hostage and had threatened to detonate gas canisters he was carrying. Police had no comment on those reports. A source said the incident was not terror-related and was thought to involve a man who had a grievance against a company. Police in the capital are on alert as the city prepares to host the Olympic Games and celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s reign this summer. “We have arrested a man, and a search of the building is
Armed police arrest man at London siege under way. We are not aware of any hostages at this stage,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Police sent a negotiator to the office block and imposed a 300-metre cordon around the building after the man entered the building before lunchtime. One office worker said she had been inside the building when the man arrived and threatened staff. “He turned up, strapped up with gasoline cylinders and threatened to blow up the office,” Abby Baafi, 27, said in a video clip posted on the website of The Huffington Post, the U.S. news website that has offices in the area. Staff from the company were among those evacuated.
Oshiomhole and his royal endorsement
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E adorned an immaculate white babanriga complete with heavy embroidery befitting of an accomplished man or one with an aristocratic background. By dint of hard work, Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, is eminently qualified to lay claims to either or both, having taken Edo out of the woods and placing it on a higher pedestal. Some will bet their lives that the comrade had never worn a complete 10-piece agbada. A well-tailored French suit khaki has been his trade mark since his days in the trade union movement. He has also popularized the khaki in Edo, especially among his numerous admirers. But on this day, the comrade had every reason to celebrate by putting on his best attire with beaming smiles. What was he celebrating? One may be tempted to ask. He has so much to celebrate in his three and a half years in office on the hot seat at Osadebey Avenue. He is celebrating the political demise of godfatherism in the state and the enthronement of people-driven democracy. He is celebrating the total turnaround of the state in the area of infrastructural development, celebration of the successful re-orientation of the mind of an average Edo man to believe in himself, his leaders and his state. It is also celebration of the fact that Edo is rich in all ramifications and the demystification of Edo as a poor state. Yes, the day was Thursday, April 19, 2012, venue was the palace of the revered Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba Erediauwa Uku Apkolokpolo. On this wet day, the comrade had gone to the palace accompanied by his hoard of aides and well-wishers to present his scorecard to the oba and seek his support for another four-year mandate. The downpour earlier in the day was in total agreement with the shower of blessings that awaited the adopted Bini son at the palace. Metaphorically, nature and indeed the gods of our land have also endorsed the second term mandate of the comrade. Will an ordinary mortal want to query that. The oba was not too sure it was the comrade governor who was before him live in his palace, the babanriga was a problem. When the royal father saw the comrade in an entirely different form, he felt the visit must be something special about it. The comrade readily comfirmed this when he said Christmas was not everyday, but comes once in a year. Being a special day, he had to appear in his best. He did a quick rundown of what he had done in the last three and a half years in office, especially in response to the plea of the oba sometime in 2008, describing it as ‘marching orders’.
Ebomhiana MUSA
He reminded the oba that “after the election and the ensuing court ruling which returned me as governor on November 12, I came to thank you and I remember the first thing you asked of me was that I repair Bini roads and fix its drainage. To me, that was the marching orders .We have done something and we are still doing something about erosion problem in Benin.” On his thank you visit to the palace following the revalidation of his stolen mandate November 2008, the oba had charged the comrade “to do something” about the eroding image of Benin City, especially the bad roads and the ravaging erosion. On this day, the comrade said that the marching order had been carried and it is still being carried out even beyond the brief. This elicited a loud applause from the audience who took over every available space in the palace.
The comrade boldly told the oba that the era of learning curve was over and that if given the second term mandate, he would be accelerating in full throttle, firing from both cylinders. Done with his brief, the Iyase, Prime Minister of Bini Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, was given the microphone to pray for the comrade and his running mate, Dr. Pius Odubu, for a resounding success at the forthcoming polls. Hear the Iyase as he blessed the traditional kolanut: “The Binis will not be blinded not to appreciate what you have done. As we are going for election, people are already talking of what you have done. You have just little to say during your campaign because what you are doing is already campaigning for you. The Binis will not be blind to the good work you are doing”. The high-ranking palace chiefs all spoke in turn, praying and eulogizing the efforts of the comrade to return the state to its old glory. What seemed to be the icing on the cake was the speech and prayers of the Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri, who rounded off the session thus: “Whatever the oba has to say he has said it many times. You don’t hear the oba speak often. Whatever the Iyase has said he has said it for the oba. Adams Oshiomhole as a politician is the candidate of the Binis because he knows the problems of the Binis and he is solving them. “As the Odionwere of Benin Kingdom, with the authority of the oba, “I say we will vote for Oshiomhole. We have many Mr. Fix It here, but they could not fix anything. Today, Oshiomhole is fixing everywhere. We want to appreciate Oshiomhole by voting him back to government house. The oracle has spoken.” In all these, the oba was nodding his head repeatedly, waving his traditional white handkerchief in apparent approval with his chiefs. Not done, Edebiri who is also head of the witches in the kingdom said: “They said the palace is playing politics. What is politics? The oba himself is the embodiment of politics. He supervises everything”. Not given to many words, the royal father simply said: “My chiefs have prayed, good luck to you and we await the result of what they have prayed”. Like the Esogban rightly said, the oracle has spoken, the Thomases who doubt it should wait till July 14. As the campaign formally kicks off today, the ruling ACN will be showcasing its brand called Adams Aliu Oshiomhole and the development strides in the state, while the rival PDP markets its product called Charles Airhiavbere and the underdevelopment occasioned by godfatherism.