The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project(SERAP) has asked President Bola Tinubu to demand the agreements and spending details of loans obtained by Nigeria’s past presidents since May 1999.
SERAP said this in a statement issued Sunday in Abuja by the organization’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
It urged the president to direct appropriate ministries, departments and agencies to provide its organization with copies of the loan agreements obtained by the governments of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.”
This was contained in a statement issued by the organization’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare and made available to newsmen in Abuja.
This medium recalled that SERAP had few days ago gave the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other 35 state governors one-week ultimatum to provide the loan agreements and spending details of the loans obtained by their states and the FCT.
SERAP is also seeking “the spending details of any such loans as well as the interests and other payments so far made on the loans.”
According to the organisation, publishing the agreements would allow Nigerians to scrutinize it and to demand accountability for the spending of the loans.
SERAP lamented that the details provided may help to explain why “despite several billions of dollars in loans obtained by successive governments, millions of Nigerians continue to face extreme poverty and lack access to basic public goods and services.”
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Justice reforms: NHRC, LAC, CCB helmsman, others may go
By Kehinde Osasona
As part of plans towards reforming the justice sector, findings by Blueprint revealed that Chief executives of some Nigerian government agencies like the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), Legal Aid Council (LAC), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) among others may be booted out of office.
While some might be shown the way out, others it was learnt, are likely going to be made head of new agencies.
The Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal and High Courts are also expected to be affected by the planned reforms when it finally takes effect.
Before now, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has repeatedly reiterated its readiness to reform the justice sector in order to enhance its effectiveness and accessibility to all Nigerians and not just a privileged few.
Consequent upon this, a National Summit on Justice is currently being put together to deliberate on draft legislation proposed, issues pertaining to judicial appointments, administration, funding and budgeting for the judiciary, and the elimination of delays and inefficiencies in justice delivery among others.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, who gave the hint at a recent press briefing in Abuja restated: “FG will review, validate, and adopt the revised National Policy on Justice 2024 – 2028 to drive prison reforms, access to justice for the average Nigerian, as well as the review of electoral laws and procedures in handling election-related cases, among several other reforms.
“The policy aims to address various challenges within the legal framework, seeking to promote social cohesion, bolster economic development, and foster good governance.”
According to him, the reforms were in line with the agenda of Tinubu to protect the rights of the citizens, allow access to justice and ensure speedy dispensation of justice.
Our source from one of the nation’s judicial echelon further hinted: “Those likely to be affected by the planned overhaul are not only anxious but are already lobbying to retain their positions”.
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Abuse of office: Like Abuja, Emefiele gets bail in Lagos court
By Kehinde Osasona
The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, was Friday granted bail to the tune of N50 million by the Lagos State Special Offences Court.
The ex-CBN helmsman was charged with a 26-count bordering on alleged abuse of office and irregular allocation of $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion respectively.
In the charges, the EFCC alleged that he abused his office while he was CBN governor through alleged allocations of $4.5bn and N2.8bn.
Emefiele was however, admitted to bail with two sureties in like sum by the presiding Judge, Rahmon Oshodi of the State High Court.
In his ruling, Oshodi held that the sureties must be gainfully employed and have paid the three years’ tax of the Lagos State government.
He held further that the sureties must show proper identification and be registered in the Lagos State Bail Management System.
Before the court’s ruling, Emefiele’s lawyer Abdulakeem Ladi-Lawal had urged the court to admit his client to bail self-recognition or, on the most liberal terms.
At the trial, Emefiele’s pushed for the same bail conditions earlier granted to the defendant by Justice Hamzat Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
Although, the EFCC lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, did not oppose the bail application but pleaded the court to impose conditions that would compel the defendants to appear in court for the trial.
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You are flaunting consent judgment, LP spokesman Ifoh mocks NLC
By Kehinde Osasona
The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Pastor Obiora Ifoh, has again mocked the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for allegedly flaunting what he described as ‘Consent Judgment” allegedly entered into by the party’s former Chairman, Abulkadir Salami.
The move according to Ifoh became expedient to save the party from being deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) alongside other parties that fell short of its requirement for registration.
He however insisted that the outcome is not binding on the party.
Obiora while speaking further stated that the Consent Judgment was born out of necessity, insisting that it remained inferior to the Labour Party Constitution and the Nigerian Constitution.
“Our former National Chairman AA Salami in 2018 unilaterally agreed to the consent judgment to allow the party to participate in the 2019 election.
He said: “If Salam didn’t play the ball, LP would have been deregistered along with the other parties which didn’t win at least one seat in any of the assemblies.
“Though not binding on the party since it takes both Chairman and Secretary to co-sign with the party’s official seal to make it binding on the party.
“However, the Nigeria constitution and the electoral law are superior to the judgment which in any case is given based on political expediency.
“The consent Judgment demanded that “The Labour Party (LP) should accept that NLC having played a major role in the formation of the party should be acknowledged in the leadership of the party.
“That has been observed. All leaders of the LP since inception came from the NLC including Abure who was a signatory to the formation of the party as a former National President of the Postal Services Workers Union.
“Also, the position of the Deputy National Chairman has been preserved for the NLC,” he added.
“The consent judgment also sought “For an all-inclusive convention.” He argued that such qualification must be in line with Article 9 of the constitution of the Labour Party.
“For one to qualify to attend a convention, you must, first of all, be a card-carrying member of the party. You can claim to be a stakeholder of LP when you are not a member. Despite all our repeated pleas for them to return to their various wards to register, all the NLC members including its President still haven’t registered. Most of them are working for other parties.”
