Independent 20170816-readme.ng

INDEPENDENT WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017
PASCHAL NJOKU
ABUJA
An Abuja Federal
High Court, on
Tuesday granted
permission
to Saminu Turaki, the
former Governor of
Jigawa State, to travel to
Singapore for medical
treatment.
Turaki is being prosecuted
by the Federal Government
on a 32-count
criminal charge bordering
on alleged money
laundering amounting
to N36 billion while in of-
Ex-Edo PDP Gubernatorial
Aspirant Resigns
FRANCIS ONOIRIBHOLO
BENIN
Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen,
a former governorship
aspirant of the
People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) in Edo State in the
2016 election and one of
its founding members, has
dumped the party.
Iduoriyekemwen, a
member of the Senator Ali
Modu Sheriff’s faction of
PDP before the Supreme
Court judgment gave the
party’s leadership to the
Ahmed Makarfi, disclosed
his decision to quit during
a meeting with his supporters
in Benin City on
Tuesday.
He said: “I have tendered
my resignation letter to the
leadership of the PDP, both
at the state and the national
level, and my next line of
action will soon be unveiled
to the public.
“This decision has not
been easy. But, I have decided
that it will be in the
best interest for my political
career, business and
Mr. Godwin Obaseki,
the Edo State governor
on Tuesday charged the
state delegation to the
2017 Hajj in Mecca, Saudi
Arabia, to be good ambassadors
of the state.
Obaseki who gave the
charge during a visit to
the 260 intending pilgrims
at the Hajj Camp on Dumez
Road, Benin City,
said, “The exercise you
are about to embark on
is a holy one, and one of
the pillars of the Islamic
religion. Don’t joke with
it. You are courageous,
upright and honest citizens
of the state and I
know you will demonstrate
all these qualities
in the Holy Land.”
He maintained that
he was ready to partner
with people that gather
in the name of God because
of what God has
done in his life, adding
family. It is with nostalgia
that I came to this decision,
which I believe, will
suit my political interest
and those of my numerous
supporters across the
length and breadth of Edo
State and beyond.
“To resign from a party
that I participated in
its formation in 1998 and
remained a steadfast and
loyal member and leader
till my exit this day, I believe
that the PDP, which
we formed years ago is no
longer the PDP we have today
after it was hijacked by
persons who run the party
as their personal estate.”
Iduoriyekemwen was
former Majority Leader
of the state House of
Assembly and later the
state’s representative in
the board of the Niger
Delta Development Commission
(NDDC).
Though he did not disclose
his next line of action,
it was being speculated
that he and thousands
of his supporters might
join the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
/<strong>Independent</strong>ngr @independentngr www.independent.ng A11
Alleged N36bn Fraud: Court Okays
Ex-Jigawa Gov’s Medical Trip Abroad
fice as governor of Jigawa
State.
The former governor
was arraigned before
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba
alongside three companies,
INC Natural Resources
Limited, Apel
Construction Limited and
WideHeart Construction
Limited.
He later secured bail
from the court to the
tune N500 million and two
Hajj: Obaseki Charges Edo Pilgrims
To Be Good Ambassadors
that his presence at the
Hajj Camp was to make
sure the pilgrims were
comfortable and to bid
them farewell to the Holy
Land.
Obaseki, however,
disclosed that the late
inauguration of the state
Muslim Welfare Board
was due to the efforts of
some people to politicise
the selection of the members.
He said, “The work of
God is not about politics,
as every politician wants
to be on the State Muslim
Welfare Board. I wonder
if the board is for politics
or the work of God.
If Allah calls you to serve
him, serve him with a
true heart and a sincere
mind, not to manipulate
a religious process. The
interference in the process
delayed the setting
up of the board.”
Olakunle Churchill, President/founder, Big Church Foundation (left); Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of Acting President/
special guest (middle), and Uloma Nwosu, founder, ELFREEDA Foundation, during the unveiling of ELFREEDA
Foundation, a non-governmental organization in Oweri, Imo State at the weekend.
ECHE NWAOBASI
NNEWI
Igwe Charles Agbala, the
traditional ruler of Uke
Town in Idemili North
Local Government Area
of Anambra State, has
backed the recent position
of the state traditional
rulers council that
the people of Anambra
North Senatorial Zone
should produce the governor
during the forthcoming
election based on
zoning formula among
the three senatorial
zones namely Anambra
North, South and Central
that make up the state.
Disclosing this to newsmen
during the celebration
of his second New
Yam festival (Iwaji) held
NOA, FIDA Partner To Curb Violence Against Women
TOYIN ADEBAYO
ABUJA
The National Orientation
Agency (NOA) and
the International Federation
of Women Lawyers
(FIDA) Tuesday struck
a new partnership to
work towards curbing
violence against women
during forthcoming election
in Anambra State
and in the 2019 general
sureties in like sum, each
on N250m bail bond.
Justice Dimgba had
adjourned the case to September
19 for hearing in
accordance with the first
adjournment granted by
the Federal High Court,
Dutse, before Turaki absconded.
In view of this, Justice
Dimgba held that the matter
would be continued
before Justice Sabi’u Yahuza
of the Dutse Federal
High Court who originally
adjourned proceeding to
September 19.
However, the defendant
returned to Justice Dimgba,
a vacation judge, to seek
for leave of court to travel
abroad on health grounds.
In a short bench ruling,
the court granted Turaki
leave to travel to Singapore
for medical treatment
on the condition
Anambra Guber: Monarch Backs
Zoning To Anambra North
at his Palace, Nkwelle Uke
last weekend.
Igwe Agbala said the
zoning formula was good
for the state and would reduce
tension, acrimonies
and high cost of seeking
for elective post as well
as brings about equitable
and even development of
various senatorial areas
as people of each zone
would use its chances to
tend and extend development
to every part of the
state.
“Traditional rulers
of all towns union in the
state are all happy and
in support of zoning in
deciding who becomes
elections.
Dr. Garba Abari, disclosed
this when he received
the FIDA Nigeria
President, Mrs. Ifeyinwa
Aguba, represented by
the Secretary, Mrs. Rhoda
Moore, on a courtesy visit.
Abari strongly condemned
violence against
women, especially in elections,
stressing the need
to open up the political
space for women and other
vulnerable groups who
that a serving Senator
of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria shall write an
undertaking that the defendant
would return to
Nigeria to face trial.
Justice Dimgba also
ordered the release of
Turaki’s international
passport, which he said,
must be returned to the
court registrar before the
expiration date of the annual
vacation of judges in
the governor of the state.
Everybody is in support
because we believe it will
quicken even development
of three senatorial
zones of the state.
“As it stands now, it
is the turn of Anambra
North Senatorial Zone
to produce who would
be governor in the November
18th governorship
election. We are not
baring people of other
senatorial zone from
contesting and exercising
their constitutional
rights. All we are saying
is that a particular senatorial
zone should be left
to produce and after that
have so far been marginalised.
In a statement to newsmen
in Abuja, Mr. Oaul
Idenyi, the Head, Press
Unit, stated that Mr. Abari
also identified the need
for political will to mainstream
women in political
parties in the country,
urging women caucuses
of political parties, from
the ward levels upward,
to make input towards
empowering women and
News
September.
“Having reviewed all
the processes filed by the
defendant in respect of
the application seeking
leave of court to travel
abroad on health grounds,
it is my view that this motion
be granted.
“I am minded to grant
the application, more so,
when there was no credible
opposition to the motion
same having been
served on the prosecution.
“Therefore, I grant
leave to the defendant to
seek medical attention
abroad,” Justice Dimgba
stated.
it would shift to another
senatorial zone,” he said.
Governor Obiano is
from Anambra North,
he has done well so far
and has continued to
impress us. If somebody
has done well and
said he would go back,
courtesy demands that
he should be allowed to
go for a second tenure,
he has taken almost four
years. I am of the opinion
that he should be voted
in for a second tenure
to complete the zone’s
eight years tenure as
stipulated in the zoning
arrangement,” the royal
father added.
providing them a level
playing ground in politics.
The NOA Director General
said that the agency
was committed to upscaling
its partnership with
FIDA to take the advocacy
for women political
empowerment to all political
parties, States, Local
Government Areas and
the National Assembly,
especially as the Anambra,
Osun and Ekiti polls
approach.