16112017 - FG revokes Intels' expatriate permits

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017—11
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LAUNCHING: From left, Mr Lare Ayoola, CEO Tranter IT Infrastructure Service Ltd;
Mr Anandarao Karthik, Head of Presales, ManageEngine; Mrs Melanie Ayoola, Executive
Director, Marketing/Strategy, Tranter IT Infrastructure Service Ltd and Sujoy Banerjee,
Manager Channel Business, ManagerEngine, at the launch of ManageEngine, a software
that offers integrated IT solution, in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau.
FEC okays N458m for implementation
of ERGP •Also N27bn for Gombe-Biu road
By Johnbosco
Agbakwuru
ABUJA — THE Federal
Executive Council,
FEC, yesterday, approved
N458 million for the
engagement of Malaysiabased
consultants to conduct
a study to aid implementation
of National Economic
Recovery and Growth Plan,
ERGP.
FEC also approved the
construction of Gombe-Biu
Road estimated to cost N27
billion.
Minister of Budget and
National Planning, Udoma
Udo Udoma, disclosed these
to State House
correspondents at the end of
the weekly FEC meeting
presided over by Vice
President, Prof. Yemi
Osinbajo, at the Council
Chamber, Presidential Villa,
Abuja.
Udoma explained that the
job of the consultant was to
identify relevant stakeholders
in private and public sectors
for the implementation of
ERGP, saying the study will
be conducted on agriculture,
transportation, power, gas
and processing.
The minister said: "Today
(yesterday), the Federal
Executive Council approved
a memorandum that was
brought by the Ministry of
Budget and National
Planning to retain some
consultants to help us to
conduct some pilot labs.
‘This is part of our
implementation strategy for
the economic recovery and
growth plan and so we intend
to conduct three labs. One in
agriculture and
transportation, one in power
and gas and one in
manufacturing and
processing.
“The key objectives of the
labs are as follows. One to
identify all relevant key
stakeholders from the public
and private sector that are
crucial in the delivery and
implementation of the ERGP
initiative so as to create
ownership early on in the
development process.
“We will review and reevaluate
the ERGP and
sectoral plans against set
targets and progress and will
include identifying gaps in
the current eco system and
the key success factors.
Udoma explained that the
consultancy will cover about
three months or a minimum
of 13 weeks.
N27bn for Gombe-
Biu Road
Also briefing journalists,
Minister of Power, Works and
Housing, Mr Babatunde
Fashola, said approval was
given for the construction of
Gombe/Biu Road at the cost
of N27. 233 billion, adding
that the road, which
connects Gombe and Borno
states, would be completed
within 24 months.
Disclosing that council also
approved the Revised
National Building Code,
Fashola said: “We
presented two documents,
one was a memorandum
that required council
approval and the other was
a note to inform council.
“They are important
because they follow closely
and inter-relate with the
economy and recovery
plan. The first, which was a
memo was a contract for the
Gombe-Biu Road that
connects Gombe State to
Borno and also leads to
Adamawa and Yobe.
“The contract was for
N27.23 billion for 117km.
The entire road excludes the
9km that had been
constructed by the Gombe
State government.
“The other matter, which
speaks to investment in our
people, security of lives and
property is the revised
Nigeria national building
code and this code is eight
years behind its scheduled
date and the first code was
delivered in 2006 and it was
revised in 2009 and since
then it was stalled."
Illegal arms possession: Court declines
to stop Dasuki’s trial
By Ikechukwu
Nnochiri
A BUJA—DETAINED
former National Security
Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo
Dasuki (retd), yesterday,
failed to persuade the Federal
High Court in Abuja to stop
further hearing on the money
laundering and illegal arms
possession charge the
Federal Government
preferred against him.
Dasuki had in an
application he filed through
his lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Raji,
SAN, asked trial Justice
Ahmed Mohammed to
hands off his case to await the
outcome of an appeal he filed
to challenge a ruling of the
court that permitted Federal
Government to shield
identities of 14 witnesses
billed to testify against him.
The court had in a ruling
on June 15, granted leave for
all the prosecution witnesses
to give their evidence behind
screen.
Justice Mohammed
anchored the decision on
section 232 of the
Administration of Criminal
Justice Act, ACJA, 2015,
which he said permits the use
of screen in the prosecution
of cases involving economic
crime.
The Judge noted that major
ingredients of the charge
Federal Government levelled
against Dasuki before the
court bordered on illegal
possession of fire arms and
money laundering.
Dissatisfied with the ruling,
Dasuki took the matter before
the appellate court.
He prayed the trial court to
suspend further hearing on
the matter to enable the
appellate court to decide the
appeal marked CA/A/523C/
2017.
However, government
lawyer, Mr. Okpeseyi, SAN,
opposed the application on
the premise that section 306
of the same ACJA forbade
granting of stay of proceeding
in criminal trial.
He urged Justice
Mohammed to dismiss
Dasuki’s application and
proceed with hearing the oral
evidence of three witnesses
he said were ready to testify.
Meanwhile, in his ruling,
the judge agreed with the
prosecution counsel that
Dasuki’s application lacked
merit and ought to be
dismissed.
Consequently, it gave the
Federal Government the nod
to produce its witnesses to
testify on January 17 and 18.
Tribunal nullifies election of Katsina Rep,
Mashi
By Bashir Bello
KATSINA — THE
National Assembly
election tribunal sitting in
Katsina State, yesterday,
nullified the Mashi/Dutsi
Federal Constituency
election, which brought in
Mansur Aliyu Mashi as
member representing the
constituency in the House
of Representatives.
The tribunal also
ordered fresh election to
be conducted in 15
polling units of the
constituency by
Independent National
Drama as Ndume resumes
after 90 legislative days’
suspension
•Why I went to court—Ndume
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA – A mild
drama in the Senate
chamber, yesterday,
heralded the resumption
of Senator Mohammed
Ali Ndume (APC, Borno
South), from the 90 days
legislative suspension
clamped on him by the
Senate.
Ndume, who arrived
the chamber at 11am,
dressed in his usual
white kaftan, white cap
and black shoes to match,
raised a point of order to
formally let his
colleagues know that he
has resumed.
The Senate had,
Tuesday, said Ndume
would resume yesterday
without prejudice to
court processes, as both
parties are still in court
over the suspension.
Ndume shocked his
colleagues when he
recalled the sudden
death of Senator Isiaka
Adeleke (Osun West),
who he said always sat
behind him in the
chamber before his
demise, noting that he
used to call the late
Adeleke his “landlord”
in the chamber.
The drama played out
as Senator Dino Melaye
(Kogi West), whose
certificate scandal case
formed one of the planks
Ndume was suspended,
raised a point of order to
puncture the Borno
senator while he was still
speaking.
This did not, however,
achieve the desired
results as the Senate
President, Dr Bukola
Saraki, ignored Melaye.
Ndume asked that the
Senate observed a
minute silence in honour
Electoral Commission,
INEC, within the next 90
days.
The by-election, which
saw the emergence of
Mashi (APC), was
conducted on May 20,
2017, sequel to the death
of the member
representing the
constituency, Alhaji Sani
Bello, on February15,
2017.
The Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, candidate,
Nazifi Yusuf, and the party
had gone to the tribunal to
challenge the election that
the APC candidate, Mashi,
was not elected by majority
of the late Osun-born
senator, a prayer akin to
revisiting what had been
raised and concluded by
the Senate in the past.
When Ndume was
done, Saraki simply
ruled that the points
made by him were noted
and quickly moved on to
other legislative matters
listed for the day’s
legislative business.
Why I went to court
—Ndume
Addressing journalists
later at the press centre,
Ndume said he went to
court to challenge his
suspension to seek
clarification on the
position of the law about
the manner the Senate
suspended him.
Ndume, who noted
that he did not go to
court for any personal
benefit but to seek
clarification in the
interest of democracy,
said there was nothing
personal about his
suspension, neither was
he holding anybody
responsible for it.
He also said he went to
court to test the law in
defence of democracy
and reiterated that he
didn’t begrudge
anybody over his
suspension.
Ndume, who noted that
the Senate has made its
intention to appeal the
court ruling known,
declared: "We will watch
how it goes.”
He added: “There was
nothing about what
happened. I did not see
anything personal; I did
not take anything
personal. I don’t
begrudge anybody but if
there is anybody who
took it personal, leave
that to God.”
of vote cast, adding that the
result was invalid by
reasons of non-compliance
with the provisions of
Electoral Act, since the
election was marred by
irregularities.
Delivering the judgment,
tribunal Chairman, Justice
L. M. Boufini, said the
tribunal had been
convinced that there were
election irregularities
during the by-election.
However, counsel to the
respondent (Mansur Aliyu
Mashi), Mr. Earnest
Obunadike, said they
would appeal against the
tribunal’s judgment.