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Abiodun Reverses Death Sentence On Six Convicts, Frees 40 Inmates

Published

12 months ago

June 12, 2022

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has approved the committal of six convicts on death row to life imprisonment and also released 40 inmates as part activities to commemorate the 2023 Democracy Day.

The governor disclosed this while speaking at the June 12 commemorative anniversary and Nigeria’s Democracy Day, held at the M.K.O International Stadium, Abeokuta, the state capital.

Abiodun explained that the committal to life imprisonment and release of the convicted inmates is in accordance with the provisions of Sections 212 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, (as amended) and Sections 4 and 5 of the Ogun State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy (Establishment Law), Laws of Ogun State 2006.

Abiodun, who called on Nigerians to draw strength from the 1993 general election and make the 2023 exercise even better, equally advocated.

The governor who canvassed stringent punishment for violators of due process in elections, declared that people’s ballots must count and be respected in 2023.

The governor noted that the struggles of June 12 as orchestrated by late MKO Abiola gave birth to the seamless democracy Nigeria has enjoyed in the last 29 years.

He emphasised that “only by upholding the tenets of democracy and ensuring its sustainability that we can truly honour the memory of those ideals that Chief MKO Abiola and others stood and died for”.

The governor, however, urged the people to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards, saying, the process to a free, fair and credible election begins with voters’ participation in the registration exercise.

Abiodun stressed that for the 2023 general elections to be a huge success, every eligible Nigerian must register to vote and actually take part in voting on the day of election.

“While it is heart-warming to note that in the last 29 years, we have enjoyed seamless civilian-to-civilian transition, it is only by upholding the tenets of democracy and ensuring its sustainability that we can truly honour the memory of those ideals that Chief MKO Abiola and others stood and died for. People’s ballots must count and be respected, while violators of due process in elections ought to be dealt the full wrath of the law.

“If the ideals matter to us, religion and ethnicity too should not become campaign issues or determinants of who gets what, when, how in our body-politic or become primary considerations in our leadership recruitment and governance processes. I can envision how these Nigerians who gave their all would be cringing in their graves seeing us celebrating divisive vices and our do-or-die politicking”, the governor stated.

He urged political leaders and followers to keep hope and fairplay alive in democracy, tasking them to fashion a way to ensure that will make democracy in Nigeria a means to an end, not an end in itself.

Abiodun further charged Nigerians to internalise democratic values and tenets of the late MKO Abiola and other heroes and heroines on democratic principles and practices.

“Our schools should teach them and we should hold them in our hearts and not our mouths. We labour in vain if we claim to have laid the ghost of June 12 to rest as long as Nigeria still experiences banditry, insurgency and ethnic champions still hold sway. Rather than all these, we should restore our country back to true federalism and ensure that powers are properly devolved”, he added.

The governor, however, assured that his administration would continue to deliver on its electoral promises and fulfill the dreams of Ogun founding fathers.

“As our administration is in the final year of our first term in office, we will not drop the baton. We will continue to deliver on our mandate. In fact, the people of Ogun State should expect a faster pace in the actualization of our electoral promises. We are determined that Ogun State shall fulfill the dreams of our founding fathers.

“As we reflect on the unquantifiable, selfless sacrifice and contributions of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola and other democratic legends towards the development of our fatherland, I enjoin us all to rededicate ourselves to the service and unity of our great nation. Beyond this celebration, I enjoin you all to shun all acts that could be an albatross against the democratic success we have made and continued to sustain in our dear State in the last 36 months. This is the only way we can make progress and achieve our collective dream,” Abiodun submitted.

Highlights of the event included a march past by students, unions, organisations and associations, as well as observation of a minute silence for late Abiola and other legends of democracy.

PUNCH

News

Edo Sets Up Task Force To Tackle Fuel Crisis

Published

5 hours ago

May 30, 2023

Editor

The Edo State Government has commenced inspection to check fuel scarcity, hoarding, and a hike in the price of premium motor spirits in the state.

According to the special adviser to the governor on media projects, Cruseo Osagie, The task force set up to regulate the product, on Tuesday, inspected fuel stations in the Benin Metropolis to check against hoarding, as well as address the issue of artificial scarcity and arbitrary hikes in prices of petroleum products in the state.

Speaking to journalists during the inspection, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mining, Ferguson Enabulele, said the state government will carry out further engagements with relevant authorities on the matter.

He said, “We discovered under-dispensing in some of these stations, over pricing which cannot be fully justified as some are saying the sector has been fully deregulated but there is no formal letter from the state government concerning that. So, we still stand with the old prices of these products.

“It’s a bit difficult to reach a specific position on this issue now (pricing). We will hold further conversations with the DPR Office in the State and thereafter, inform the state governor of our findings.

“We will invite owners of filling stations to engage with them also. It is when we have that information that we will now know what to do because as we stand, there is no formal authority deregulating that sector but as against what most of these petrol stations are acting on – as if the sector has been fully deregulated and they have control over their pricing.”

He appealed to the residents to be patient as there is going to be more engagement with the Department of Petroleum Resources to arrive at an authoritative position.

News

Senate Amends ICPC Act, Slams 2 Year-imprisonment On False Petitioners

Published

7 hours ago

May 30, 2023

Editor

The Senate on Tuesday passed an amendment to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC Act with stiffer punishment for false petitioners.

Specifically, the amendment to Section 25 of the Act, now provides two-year imprisonment with no option of fine on anyone whose petitions to the commission is found to be false or intended to mislead.

This was sequel to the consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, chaired by Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari (APC Kaduna North).

In the principal Act, the offence of false petition attracts a fine of N100,000.

The amendment in Section (25) (1) says Any person who makes or causes any other person to make to an officer of the commission…any statement which to the knowledge of the person making the statement, or causing the statement to be made is false, or intended to mislead shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two (2) years.

The Red Chamber had in the past, planned to streamline the operations of the ICPC with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC so as to make it more proactive.

News

EFCC Told To Start Probing Buhari, Leave Ortom

Published

7 hours ago

May 30, 2023

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been urged to start probing the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari and leave ex-Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.

Unconfirmed reports had it that EFCC had allegedly invaded Benue State, in an attempt to arrest Ortom.

It was claimed that the anti-graft operatives were invited on the orders of the Minister of Interior, George Akume.

Reacting, Ortom had said the anti-graft agency operatives were welcomed into the state because he had nothing to hide.

However, a civil society organization wondered why EFCC was looking away from the alleged corruption allegations against Buhari’s government, but opted for Ortom.

Ternenge Bendega, the President of Benue Coalition for Democracy, BCD, recalled that in August 2018, after Ortom dumped the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on account of gross insecurity and his maltreatment by the leadership of APC in Benue State, the EFCC had went after him like a rabid dog.

A statement by Bendega reads: “Yesterday, the media were awash with reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC was laying ambush to apprehend the immediate past Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom on alleged corruption charges. The reports however did not state what Chief Ortom’s offense was.

“The government of Muhammadu Buhari is on record as the most corrupt administration in the post-independence history of Nigeria! Trillions of naira have been stolen under the watch of “Mr Integrity”, but the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies always look the other way while the country is being raped. They prefer to oppress those who have volunteered to fight for justice, like Samuel Ortom.

“Former President Muhammadu Buhari did not hide his disdain for Ortom. He wanted Ortom removed at all costs and his agent for executing the “project” was Senator George Akume, the leader of APC in Benue State.

“Today, the EFCC, apparently following the wink and prompting of the immediate past President, has resumed the witch-hunt of Ortom? But what is the former Benue Governor’s crime? His only “sin” is his boldness to challenge the powers behind the Fulani occupation agenda. He has dared to take the tiger by the tail. Ortom is apparently the first Governor to directly question the Fulani subjugation machinery and refuse to shift even a foot backwards.

“The immediate past Benue State Governor also knew that the beast would fight back and he prepared his mind for the war ahead. In the last couple of weeks, he often told his audience that he was ready to visit the EFCC if the commission wanted him to appear before it. What is not clear is why the commission would want to arrest a man who is willing to answer charges against him.

“EFCC has exhibited the height of impunity by its selective war against financial crimes in the country. The situation where the commission harasses innocent citizens on politically motivated grounds is unacceptable.

“We task the EFCC to beam its searchlight on corrupt officials in the immediate past administration of President Buhari who turned the national treasury to their personal estate.”