21022018 - APC CRISIS LATEST :Governor demolishes senator's house

12—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018
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I took actions based on
instructions by President's
wife, Jonathan's aide tells court
By Innocent Anaba
W ARIPAMO-
OWEI Dudafa,
an aide to former President
Goodluck Jonathan,
yesterday told a Federal
High Court in Lagos that
all the actions he took in the
performance of his duties
were based on instructions
handed down to him by Dr.
Jonathan and his wife,
Patience.
While testifying in a suit
by Mrs. Jonathan, seeking
to vacate a no debit order
placed on her account
containing $15.5 million at
Skye Bank Plc by the
Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission,
EFCC, said he had no
power to issue instructions
to anyone while in the villa.
The matter is before
Justice Mohammed Idris.
Respondents in the suit
are the EFCC, Skye Bank,
Dudafa, Pluto Property and
Investment Company
Limited, Seagate Property
Development and
Investment Company
Limited, Transocean
Property and Investment
Company Limited and
Globus Integrated Service
Limited.
While being crossexamined
by EFCC’s
lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo,
Dudafa, said: “I know
Festus Iyoha and Peter
Avirim. They are presidential
stewards attached to the
president. Several times,
the former president and
his wife gave me dollars for
Festus, Peter and others to
change to naira.
“I was the Special Assistant
to the President on Domestic
Affairs and I received
instructions from my boss.
I never had powers to give
instructions but I could relay
instructions to aides in
the Presidency including
Festus and Peter.
“I relayed instructions
from the former president
and his wife to the aides.
Several instructions were
given including the one
involving money but they
were all relayed on behalf
of the former president and
his wife. I was the only one
that had access to the
bedroom of the former
president and if he gave me
instructions, I had to carry
them out. The physical
handing over of the money
was done by me though I
was relaying an
instruction.”
Dudafa also told the court
that he was not aware that
Mrs. Jonathan was a
Permanent Secretary with
the Bayelsa State
Government while he was
serving in the Presidency.
Nigeria, UNWTO sign agreement on hosting of
African Tourism Ministers’ meeting
NIGERIA and the
UN World Tourism
Organization, UNWTO,
on Friday in Madrid,
Spain, signed an
agreement on the hosting
of the 61st UNWTO
Commission for Africa,
UNWTO CAF, meeting on
4-6 June 2018, in Abuja.
The Minister of
Information and Culture,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
signed for the Nigerian
government while
UNWTO Secretary-
General Zurab
Pololikashvili signed for
the global tourism body at
an event at the UNWTO
Headquarters in the
Spanish capital.
The agreement, the
signing of which was
witnessed by the
Nigerian Ambassador to
Spain, Her Excellency
Susan Aderonke Folarin,
among others, contained
the conditions for
organizing the meeting
as well as other details.
Speaking at the signing,
the Minister said the
Nigerian Government
plans to use the
opportunity of hosting the
meeting to showcase the
best of Nigeria to the
world, adding that
Nigeria has comparative
advantage and has taken
the world by storm in the
area of music, movies,
theatre and other aspects
of the creative industry.
He thanked the
UNWTO and its member
states for their confidence
in giving Nigeria the
hosting right for the
meeting and assured that
the country will host a top
class event.
‘’Nigeria does not take
the confidence for granted
and will not disappoint. In
this regard, the meeting’s
main organizing
committee, as well as the
sub-committees, are leaving
no stone unturned to
stage a highly-successful
meeting.
‘’All delegates coming
to Nigeria for the meeting
are assured of Nigeria’s
legendary warm
hospitality and an
exposition of the
country’s sight and
sound. We will showcase
the best of our
entertainment industry
that has taken the world
by storm,’’ Mohammed
assured.
AGREEMENT: Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the UNWTO's
Secretary-General, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, signing the Agreement on Nigeria's hosting of the 61st
CAF meeting, in Madrid, Spain, on Friday.
PDP sends anti-grazing bill to Edo
Assembly
By Gabriel Enogholase
BENIN—A “Bill to
Prohibit Open
Rearing and Grazing of
Livestock and Provide for
the Establishment of
Ranches and Livestock
Administration,
Regulation and Control
and for Other Matters
Connected Therewith
2018,” has been sent to
the Edo State House of
Assembly by the
opposition party in the
state, the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP.
State party chairman,
Chief Dan Orbih, who
addressed newsmen in
Benin City, yesterday,
sad that the bill when
passed into law by the
Assembly will “Prevent
the destruction of crop
farms, community ponds,
settlements, and
property by open rearing
and grazing of livestock,
prevent clashes between
nomadic livestock
herders and crop
farmers.
“Protect the
environment from
degradation and
pollution caused by open
grazing and over
grazing of livestock,
optimize the use of land
resources in the face of
overstretched land
increasing population.
“Prevent, control and
manage and spread of
diseases as well as ease
the implementation of
policies that enhance the
production of high
quality and healthy
livestock for local and
international markets
and create a conducive
environment for large
scale crop production.”
Chief Orbih, in a
covering letter attached
to the bill and sent to the
Speaker of the Edo State
House of Assembly, Mr.
Kabiru Adjotoh, said:
“You will agree with me
that in the last few years,
the incessant killings
and maiming of farmers,
raping of women and
girls in their farms and
communities by
herdsmen have reached
an endemic proportion.
“These attacks are
provoked as herdsmen
and their cattle invade
the farms and ravage the
farm produce, including
cassava, yam and
plantain which are the
staple as well as
economic lifeline of the
farmers.
‘We are a responsible
political party standing
in guard for the good
people of Edo State. We
cannot stand by in the
knowledge that the
government’s vexatious
policy on ban of night
grazing is inadequate,
not well thought out and
as a result, a complete
failure. Consequently,
we have, after due
consultation with critical
stakeholders, civil
society and farmers,
instructed our members
in the state House of
Assembly to present the
attached bill.
“We believe that when
passed into law, it will
prevent the destruction
of farms and farm
produce as well as
protect lives and
property of farmers, their
wives and children
occasioned by open
grazing."