Headline

Only 588 Students Evacuated From Sudan, Sadiq Attacks FG

Published

1 month ago

April 27, 2023

Contrary to the Federal Government’s claim that thousands of Nigerian students who studied in war-torn Sudan were evacuated today, Master Abubakar Sadiq, a student at the Sudanese capital Khartoum University, said only 588 students were evacuated today.

More than 1,500 students are still in Sudan, Sadiq revealed in a live interview from Khartoum on Channels Television Politics Today, monitored by INFO DAILY on Thursday, April 27.

He added that the Nigerian students who remained in Sudan did not know when the Federal Government would come to their rescue.

When asked what criteria was used to screen the first batch of 588 students, Sadiq said students were screened based on the state quota, but it was only for the first bus that picked up students, after which it was ‘survival for the fittest. ‘

His words: “About 588 students were evacuated today. I got that number because there were 45 students on board in one bus, and when you multiply that number by the total number of buses, you get that number.

“We still have more than 1,500 students in Khartoum, and we don’t know our fate because we have not received any information from the Nigerian embassy here.

“The embassy has not contacted us so we don’t know what they are doing and what they plan to do. We don’t really know their plans for us.”

When asked about the future move of the students who remained in Sudan, Sadiq said that the students who remained in Khartoum decided to act by pooling money so that they could catch the next bus going to Egypt.

“We are putting heads together and donating money so that we can be transported to Egypt early in the morning tomorrow, where we will make our next plans,” he added.

Asked if the students evacuated from Khartoum were indeed stranded during the journey, Sadiq confirmed this, adding that the drivers were protesting against the Federal Government and that they had not yet been paid for the services.

“Yes, before leaving here they were angry and said that they were yet to be paid. That is why they seized the international passports of the evacuees with they promise to return them when (the drivers) are paid in full.”

He also complained that domestic inflation had become unbearable due to the crisis.

“Imagine a piece of Maggi currently sells for 50 Sudanese pounds, which is about 80 naira in Nigeria. I bought one so I speak from experience.

“Yesterday I bought the Coca -Cola bottle m at a price of 650 Sudanese pounds, and if this amount is converted to Nigeria it was about 1000 Naira. I bought one yesterday. This is the current market situation in Sudan. Prices for Sudanese produce have risen,” he lamented.

Headline

Tribunal Admits U.S. Court Judgment Ordering Tinubu’s Forfeiture Of $460,000

Published

4 hours ago

May 31, 2023

Editor

The Labour Party on Tuesday called its first witness in the ongoing petition between its candidate, Peter Obi, and the ruling All Progressives Congress and the President, Bola Tinubu.

Counsel for the LP and Obi, Jibrin Okutepa, stated that documents from number one to four together with receipts tendered are documents where the vice president, Kashim Shettima, accepted his nomination as the vice-presidential candidate of the APC.

The witness, Lawrence Nwakaeti, who is a legal practitioner, disclosed that he was deposed to the witness statement on March 20, 2023.

Part of the documents deposed to by Nwakaeti referred to the alleged $460,000 forfeiture by Tinubu to the government of the United States.

One of the grounds on which the LP and Obi are praying for the court to nullify Tinubu’s victory is that the president, Tinubu “at the time of the election was not qualified to contest for election to the office of President as he was fined the sum of $460,000 for an offence involving dishonesty, namely narcotics trafficking imposed by the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, in Case No: 93C 4483.”

While answering questions during the cross-examination, the witness admitted that the judgment was not registered in Nigeria.

He also admitted that there was no certificate from any consular in Nigeria or America in support of the judgment.

He, however, maintained that “the judgment speaks for itself.”

APC counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, asked, “As a lawyer, you are aware that these documents are not registered in Nigeria and there is no certificate attached to the document from the US?” to which Lawrence replied that there are certificates.

“Is there a certificate from the US consular?”

“No certificate from the consular,” Nwakaeti replied.

He also said he had no knowledge of a February 4, 2003, Formal Clearance Report by Legal Attachee from the American Embassy in respect of the alleged indictment and forfeiture.

When asked by Fagbemi, SAN, to produce a copy of the charges against Tinubu, the witness said he had none but maintained that the forfeiture are from civil proceedings.

“You are aware that all the proceedings were civil proceedings?”

“Civil forfeiture proceedings,” the witness replied.

Meanwhile, the Presiding Justice of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani has shifted further hearing in the petition till May 31.

Headline

Otti Freezes Abia Accounts, Sacks Boards Executives

Published

18 hours ago

May 30, 2023

Editor

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, has directed the immediate freezing of all accounts of the state government and those of its agencies domiciled in every bank and financial institution across the state and around the federation.

He has also dissolved all boards of Abia State government agencies and parastatals and ordered the heads of all the dissolved agencies and parastatals to subsequently hand over to those next in line to them.

The governor gave the orders in a statement he issued through his media office on Monday, which was signed by Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.

The directive read in part, “With this notice, all banks and other financial institutions in the country are directed to immediately seize from honouring any cheque, document, instrument or directive of any kind not expressly approved by or emanating from him.

“Similarly, Governor Otti has directed the immediate dissolution of all boards of the Abia State Government agencies and parastatals and subsequently ordered the chief executives of these organisations to hand over to those next in line to them”.

The reporter gathered that the news of the sack of the former chief executives of the dissolved boards sparked celebration among staff of such agencies, especially those who were owed some months of salary arrears.

Headline

PICTORIAL: Obi, Datti, Keyamo Present As Tribunal Resumes Hearing

Published

1 day ago

May 30, 2023

Editor

The presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed, are currently in attendance at the ongoing presidential election tribunal PUNCH reports.

Former minister of state for labour and employment, Festus Keyamo, is also present at the tribunal and appearing as a counsel in the legal team of President Bola Tinubu.

Obi and the Labour Party filed a petition challenging the victory of Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, in the February 25, 2023 Presidential election.

In the petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023, Livy Ozoukwu, lead counsel to LP and Obi, said Tinubu “was not duly elected by the majority of the lawful votes cast at the time of the election”.

Among other allegations, they claimed that Kashim Shettima, vice-president, had a double nomination in contravention of the electoral act.

A proper hearing of the petition commenced on Tuesday and the first witness has been called.

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