News

Bauchi Governor To FRSC Officials: Stop Collecting Bribe From Drivers

Published

3 years ago

December 4, 2020

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state on Thursday warned officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to stop collecting tips from commercial drivers in the state.

The governor gave the warning in Bauchi while distributing 655 tricycles and 154 commercial buses to some beneficiaries in order to ease transportation while enforcing the protocol of social distancing as a means of mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

The governor revealed that the state would come up with executive orders that would make the people of the state to be more safe and secured from all aspects of their national lives.

“At this point, I want to call on other enforcing agencies, like the road safety, I have noticed that sometimes they stay within the town and they will just be collecting money from the drivers and forcing them into unnecessary problems.

“I will not allow that, I’ve already initiated discussion with the state Assembly and with the Chief Judge, we are going to come up with executive orders that will make us safe and secured from all aspects of our national lives.

“We must do that in order to provide some succour and solace to our people.

“We are not inimical to the activities being done by them, but I’m calling on them publicly that I will not stay aloof and allow my people to be subjected to the agony of collection and collection unnecessarily,” Mohammed stated.

The governor also appreciated the federal government through the ministry of Finance and the World Bank for providing monetary assistance to the state government which it used to carry out most of the projects in the state.

“People are asking me where am I getting extra money than the other states, I’m getting the same resources.

“What we are doing here, I want to acknowledge the contribution of the World Bank which has given state governments some resources in terms of performance and we are supposed to build SMEs and institutions.

“I thank the federal government, the federal ministry of finance and of course the World Bank for this assistance,” he said.

News

EFCC Trial: ‘Even The Prophets Went To Prison’ – Buhari’s Minister Comforts Self In Court

Published

1 hour ago

May 10, 2024

Editor

A former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, standing trial for an alleged N7.2bn fraud, said he was ready to go to prison just like the prophets.

Sirika, his daughter, and three others were arraigned at a Federal Capital Territory High Court on Thursday on a six-count amended criminal charge before Justice Sylvanus Oriji.

A video of the ex-minister speaking in court with his lawyers surfaced on X on Thursday.

In the video, Sirika, dressed in cream Babariga, could be heard saying, “It’s okay. Fatima, it’s okay,” while comforting his daughter.

He continued, “Even prophets have gone (to prison). Those that went, haven’t they finished theirs already?…whatever Allah says”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had accused the ex-minister, his daughter, son-in-law and Al-Duraq Investment Limited, of fraud in connection with the botched Nigerian Air project.

Meanwhile, the court granted each of the defendants bail in the sum of N100m with two sureties each.

Before the trial judge, Justice Sylvanus Orji granted the bail request of the defendants, they pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them after it was read out to them.

The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, had informed the court of an amended charge by the EFCC dated May 7, and filed on May 8, which was not opposed by the counsel for the defendants.

Sirika’s lead counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), informed the court of his client’s bail application dated May 6.

The other defendants similarly, moved their bail applications and prayed the court to be liberal in the bail conditions.

Jacobs, on his part, told the court that all the defendants were on administrative bail and asked the court to grant bail on the condition that would make them appear for their trials.

Apart from the N100m bail, Justice Osuji added that one of the sureties must own a landed property with valid land titles in like sum within the Federal Capital Territory.

The judge also held that the sureties must depose to an affidavit of means while he barred the defendants from travelling outside the country without its permission.

He added that failure to fulfil the bail conditions would earn the defendants a stay in a correctional facility.