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Jonathan, Lamido Trade Words, Denies Selling Out Bayelsa To APC
Published
4 years agoon
By
Editor
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, has said he did not trade off Bayelsa State to the All Progressives Congress, as alleged by a former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, describing the allegation as “incorrect and a blackmail.”
Lamido had accused the former president of trading off the state to the APC in the just concluded gobernosrhip election in the state.
Jonathan who spoke through a statement by his Media Adviser, Mr Ikechukwu Eze, said it was not only in Bayelsa State that the country had experienced such a situation where Peoples Democratic Party or even the All Progressives Congress had lost elections to another party.
He stated that it was true that Jonathan, who is a former deputy governor and governor of Bayelsa States, as well as former Vice President and President of Nigeria, was loved and respected by his people.
Eze noted that holding Jonathan responsible for the PDP’s loss in Bayelsa without first investigating the issues that determined the fate suffered by the party in the state was not only disingenuous , but also detrimental to the image and aspirations of the party .
Accroding to him, it will be tantamount to playing God for anybody to expect that the former President should command a vice- like grip on every Bayelsan in all the local government areas in his state .
“ Jonathan would want to counsel Lamido and others in his shoes to look at their national passports . They would see that their citizenship is Nigeria . We are first Nigerians before we are members of any political party or social organisation . If Lamido does not know that , then it is a pity .
“We chose to make this clarification just to set the record straight, especially as a number of the former President ’ s close associates have been asking questions about the blatant statement credited to Lamido .
“Where was Lamido when Jonathan campaigned vigorously and helped the PDP to win Bayelsa governorship election in 2015 , under the same President Buhari?”, Eze questioned.
Eze disclosed that it was untrue that Jonathan traded off Bayelsa so that he would not be implicated in the Malabu oil scam.
He said Lamido probably knows very little about the Malabu case, saying he (Lamido) ought to have commented since he knows no much about it.
He explained that the Malabu oil block was not given out by Jonathan, adding “it was a deal that was sealed during the time of late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.”
“Jonathan is convinced that Lamido ’ s intervention in this matter was deliberately designed as a form of blackmail . Having tried many other ways to discredit the former President to no avail Lamido is now scheming to project Malabo as Jonathan ’ s Achilles heel. Here again he has failed because the true story of Malabo is already very well known to Nigerians .
Eze said that Jonathan is innocent of the Malabu scam.
He added , “ We call on anyone , including Lamido , who has any shred of evidence linking former President Jonathan to any wrongdoing in the case of the Malabu incident to waste no time in publishing such evidence or forever remain silent .
He said Jonathan did not ask for or collect any bribes over the Malabu deal , neither had he been charged for asking or collecting bribes , neither will he ever be charged with asking for or collecting bribes , because such never happened .
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Tinubu Directs Inclusion Of NOUN Graduates In NYSC Scheme, Law School
Published
60 mins agoon
April 17, 2024By
EditorPresident Bola Tinubu has directed the Ministry of Education to include graduates of the National Open University, NOUN, in the National Youth Service Corps scheme.
Tinubu also resolved the longstanding admittance of NOUN Law graduates to participate in Law School in the country for equal opportunities.
He made the disclosure during his presentation at the 13th convocation ceremony of NOUN on Saturday, at the university’s Convocation Arena, Jabi, Abuja.
Before now, NOUN graduates in 2017 were assured by the former vice chancellor of the institution, Abdallah Adamu, that they would soon be able to participate in the National Youth Service Corps and the Nigerian Law School.
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Adamu, in an interview, said, “The fact is that the National University Commission law doesn’t allow those who do part-time studies to do NYSC, and the original Act that established NOUN says we offer courses by correspondence, and that is the expression NYSC is using to say ‘if it’s a correspondence course, then it is part-time, if it’s part-time, then the students are not eligible for NYSC.’
A few years later, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt squashed a suit by Law graduates of NOUN seeking admission into the Nigerian Law School.
Some graduates of the NOUN Law Department instituted a legal action on May 12, 2015, against the Council of Legal Education, the National University Commission, the Attorney General of the Federation and NOUN over their refusal to admit them into the Law School.
In their suit, the graduates wanted the court to compel the relevant authorities to make provisions to include graduates of the NOUN in the Nigerian Law School as benefiting from law graduates from other institutions.
READ ALSO: Court Restrains EFCC From Arresting, Detaining Yahaya Bello
But Tinubu gave the new directive through the Deputy Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Biodun Saliu, who represented him at the convocation on Saturday, adding that the opportunity is within the age bracket as allowed by the law.
He said, “With the changing demographics of our great nation, the government has recognised the importance of allowing NOUN graduates to participate in the NYSC scheme.
“The doors of the Law School are now open to the graduates, ensuring equal opportunities for all. Any remaining concerns or uncertainties should be promptly addressed by the Federal Ministry of Education.
“We will continue to do this in order to improve quality, access, and affordability.
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“Government is, therefore, committed through the Federal Ministry of Education and the NUC to provide the enabling environment to ensure a good delivery of this mode of education in Nigeria.”
The president noted that the gathering was not just a celebration of the graduates’ academic successes but also highlighted the crucial role that Open and Distance Education has in shaping the nation’s educational framework.
He, therefore, affirmed his administration’s commitment to enhancing ODL to expand access to higher education across the nation, emphasizing that the utilisation of ODL is essential for meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The president expressed satisfaction with what NOUN has become, stressing that it is a central figure in advancing the government’s commitment to achieving educational goals through ICT.
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E-Money Promises To Support Nollywood Actor, Junior Pope’s Children
Published
1 hour agoon
April 17, 2024By
EditorBusiness tycoon and the Chief Executive Officer of Five Star Music, Emeka Okonkwo, aka E-money has pledged to support and mentor the three children of the late Nollywood actor, John Odonwodo, popularly known as Junior Pope who died after their boat capsized in the Anam River in Anambra state.
E-Money made the promise on his Instagram account on Wednesday while reacting to the actor’s death.
He wrote, “It has been one week since you departed from this world, leaving behind a profound sense of loss that reverberates, not only among us, but also across Africa and beyond.
“Your presence, as both a friend and a brother, is deeply missed, JP. The weight of your absence bears heavily upon our hearts, yet we draw comfort from the belief that God will grant us the resilience to carry forward and uphold the legacy you’ve entrusted to us.
“We tenderly remember your final words on the boat, ‘Na only me dem born, I get three children, na me go raise them,’ and we solemnly commit to honouring that vow.
“Your children now find solace in the embrace of the Okonkwo family, and we, as members of that family, pledge to nurture them as you would have wished.
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“Your absence leaves a palpable void, JP, and your memory will forever be held dear. Rest peacefully, knowing that you are deeply cherished, and may God’s blessings encompass your soul, your family, and all who hold you in their hearts.”
Junior Pope and three others were confirmed dead when the boat they were travelling in after returning from a movie set capsized in Asaba recently.
News
Court Restrains EFCC From Arresting, Detaining Yahaya Bello
Published
1 hour agoon
April 17, 2024By
EditorThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been restrained by a Lokoja High Court from arresting, detaining and prosecuting the immediate past Governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yayaha Bello.
Justice I. A Jami of court 4, who presided over suit no HCL/68/M/2020 brought by the former Governor seeking to enforce his fundamental rights against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, gave the definite order following the earlier interim injunction given
In a two-hour judgment delivered on Wednesday, the court restrained the EFCC from arresting, detaining and prosecuting the applicant except as authorised by the Court.
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This is a definite order following the earlier interim injunction given.
The Court equally restrained the respondents from continuing to persecute the Applicant.
Earlier in the judgement, the Court dismissed the issue of jurisdiction as challenged by the EFCC.
The Applicant’s counsel, S. A Abbas and MS Yusuf, who spoke with newsmen shortly after the judgment described the judgment as a landmark while the defendant’s Counsel, T.U Odima and Patrick O. Jibril also aligned themselves with the judgment, describing it as “thorough.”
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