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President Goodluck
Jonathan has advised naturalised Nigerians to discharge their
fundamental obligations and responsibilities faithfully, loyally and
honestly, to enable them serve their new country better.

He said this in
Abuja yesterday at the presentation of Citizenship Certificates of
Naturalisation and Registration to 82 foreign nationals and expressed
the hope that the beneficiaries will justify the confidence reposed in
them by the government and people of Nigeria.

The president spoke
through the Minister of Interior, who was represented by the Minister
of State for Interior, Humprey Abbah urged them to exhibit exemplary
behaviour in their conduct as Nigerian citizens.

“The president has
given you visa to be full citizens of Nigeria and it is now up to you
to discharge your conduct and loyalty to your new country( Nigeria )”,
the Minister said.

He further said the
exercise has also affirmed the status of Nigeria as a respected member
of the international community, committed to international laws.

The president said
in spite of differences in race, creed and colour, humanity is one and
the difference between nations should be attributed more to the
pursuits of national interests as against the exploitations of
primordial sentiments.

He said the process of naturalisation helps in bringing countries closer and thereby reducing conflicts.

“We must therefore take advantage of occasions of this nature to contribute our quota to the achievement of world peace.”

Place in the world

Mr Abbah in his
contribution said the federal government has continued to give Nigeria
a new image through the execution of many projects that are intended to
leave a legacy for many generations..

He said one of the objectives of the federal government is to lay a

solid foundation
that will turn Nigeria into one of the 20 great economies of the world
by the year 2020. “To achieve this global vision, the government is
determined to encourage and attract foreign investments into the
country,” he added.

Out of the 82
persons that were given certificates of citizenship, 38 are by
naturalisation, 44 by Registration while 15 are past approvals
communicated after last year’s ceremony .

A chartered accountant, Abayomi Sofolayan, has been
sentenced to 18 months in jail for conniving with three staff of
Oceanic Bank Nigeria Plc, to defraud the Federal Inland Revenue Service
(FIRS) of N7.3 million.

The judge, Abimbola Obaseki, handed down the 18-month
jail verdict at a Markurdi Federal High Court yesterday after Mr
Sofolayan pleaded guilty to a 12-count charge of forgery, fraudulent
diversion of cheques, conspiracy and nine other related charges. The
Prosecuting Counsel, James Binang, said the accused persons, Jacob
Dzurgba, Abayomi Sofolahan, James Uwalaha, Deji Sanni, Afolabi Suleiman
(now at large) and Etuk Umo fraudulently paid the sum of N5million,
being tax payment made by Guardian Newspapers Limited, into a
fictitious FIRS Account, No. 3111750000240 with Skye Bank at Old Otukpo
Road, Makurdi, Benue State. He said they committed an offence
punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act Cap C28 Laws of
the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

According to him, the accused persons followed this
up with another attempt to steal the sum of N7.3million, being tax
payments made by Guardian Newspapers Limited into a fictitious FIRS
Account, No. 3111750000240 with Skye Bank in Makurdi, Benue State. Mr
Sofolayan already refunded the sum of N2.5 million. But for one of the
10-count charges, Mr Sofolayan was fined the sum of N100. Ms Obaseki,
however, gave him no option of fine for counts three, ten and eleven.

How it worked

Mr Binang told the court that the suspects forged a
letter, captioned ‘Application for Current Account Opening’ dated 22nd
March 2010, purportedly written and signed by Ifueko Omoigui Okauru the
Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, addressed to the
Business Development Manager, Skye Bank Nigeria, 88 Old Otukpo Road,
Makurdi, Benue State, without lawful authority. He said the accused
persons used the letter to fraudulent open an account of the Federal
Inland Revenue Service Account No. 3111750000240 with the bank.

Emmanuel Igbokwe, the Branch Manager of Skye Bank, who represented
the bank, was asked to deposit the sum of N5 million as deposit before
he could earn his freedom. He was still being detained as at about 6 pm
yesterday. The accused staff were handed stringent bail terms. One was
that they must bring a surety who must be a civil servant of the rank
of Level 12 and above, or a businessman with property in Makurdi.

A federal high
court in Abuja yesterday ordered Charles Okah and three others accused
of terrorism and treasonable felony to be remanded in the custody of
the State Security Service (SSS) till December 15, 2010 when hearing of
their bail application will be taken.

The prosecution
filed two separate charges against the men: an eight count charge
concerning the October 1st bomb blast near Eagle Square, Abuja and a
one-count charge of 22 paragraphs bordering on explosion at a
post-amnesty seminar organized by Vanguard Newspapers in Delta state
where governors of Delta, Edo and Imo were in attendance.

The presiding
judge, Gabriel Kolawole, ordered the SSS to ensure that the accused
person are given access to their counsel and members of their family in
order for them to have adequate time and facilities to prepare their
defence.

He also ordered the
prosecutor to, within a period of 30 days from yesterday, provide the
proof of evidence to the defence counsel in order for them to prepare
for their case.

Delivering ruling
on the application of the defence counsel that their clients be
remanded in prison custody and not SSS detention,

Mr Kolawole said
“It would be in the interest of justice to remand the accused in the
custody of SSS so as not to compromise their security,” adding that the
decision “shall be subject to review on the next hearing.” He further
ordered the accused persons to file and serve their bail application to
the prosecution within 48 hours, just as he asked the proecution to
file and serve his reply within 72 hours upon receipt of the service
from the defence lawyers.

The charges

The prosecutor,
Alex Izinyon in the one count charge said “That you Charles Okah, and
Obi Nwabueze between the months of September 2010 and October 2010 both
months inclusive, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja within the
jurisdiction of the court deliberately and intentionally participated
in the commission of terrorists act, to wit, causing the explosion of
dynamite near the Eagle Square Abuja, venue of Nigeria’s 50th
Independence Anniversary celebration and thereby committed an offense
contrary to and punishable under Section 15 (2) of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (establishment) Act 2004.

The second charge
of one count reads, “That you Charles Okah, Obi Nwabueze ,Tiemkemfa
Francis Osvwo (aka General Gbokos) between 13 day of March, 2010 and 14
October 2010 both days inclusive at the Federal Capital Territory,
Abuja and diverse places in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of the
court, did levy war against the state in order to intimidate or over
throw the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and you thereby
committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 37 (1) of
the Criminal Code, Cap 77 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 1990.

Specifically in the
17th paragraph of the one count charge, Federal the government said
that “Sometime in March, 2010, Obi Nwabueze took Bassey Umoren to
Emmanuel Allison’s house in Port Harcourt where the false compartment
were constructed into the booth of the two cars which concealed with
time regulated explosive devices that were detonated at Government
House Annex, Warri for the purpose of levying war against the state.”

Before their
arraignment yesterday, the accused persons had been brought before a
Chief Magistrate court in Abuja where their lawyers told the court that
it has no jurisdiction to hear the matter.

They also prayed
magistrate, Hafsat Soso to ensure that the matter is taken to the
appropriate high court. It was for this reason that the case was
transferred to the federal high court.

The Central Bank
governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on Tuesday, stuck to his “unpleasant
truth” about the actual percentage of the national overhead cost
allocated to the National Assembly. Mr. Sanusi stood his ground when he
appeared before a selected committee of the House of Representatives,
led by the Minority Leader, Ali Ndume.

Although the
Tuesday session with the members was more civil, and devoid of the
altercations witnessed during the Senate’s session last week with the
CBN governor, both Mr. Sanusi and the House of Reps members bandied
three conflicting figures during session.

While the members
based their arguments on the figures in the 2010 budget to arrive at 9%
and 3%, the CBN governor insisted on the 25.4% based on figures from
the budget office, certified by the presidency.

“I remain convinced
that the figures I used based on the most authentic official source
that I have, are correct,” Mr. Sanusi who was armed with detailed
slides said.

Mr. Ndume, who led
the interrogating members, however, said they did not convene the
session to pass blame but to make clarifications.

Unpleasant truth

Mr. Sanusi insisted
that even though it is the unpleasant truth, the figures he used in his
computations were the actual, but not budgeted figures, and that he had
no reason to malign the lawmakers.

“The truth might be
unpleasant, but that should not be taken either as an insult or an
attack, and it should actually not lead to any kind of confrontation
between the CBN and any arm of government…

“But there are
times where we have to say things that people do not find pleasant,” he
said. He gave an instance a few months ago where the headline of a
story in a national newspaper quoted the CBN governor has saying
Nigeria is pursuing wrong economic policies.

“The president
called me. He said this is the headline in the papers, that you said
the federal government is pursuing the wrong economic policies and you
are the CBN governor. Were you misquoted or misrepresented?

“I said no, I said
it. I said that no matter what we do to our banking, if we do not fix
the power sector, Nigeria’s economic problems will still persist. And
the president said I agree with you.

“Anytime we talk
and people are not happy , they take it like an attempt to bring them
down, undermine them, or to attack democracy. What happens is that
other public officers who have this responsibility then decides that
for fear of being misrepresented or misinterpreted, he will not speak
up, and that is what will undermine the very structures we are putting
in place,” said Mr. Sanusi.

High recurrent expenditure

Although the two
parties disagreed on the overhead allocations to the National Assembly,
the members agreed with Mr. Sanusi that the nation might soon be
plunged into an overwhelming debt as it is spending much on recurrent
expenditure and giving less to capital expenditures that actually drive
the economy.

They agreed with the CBN governor that the nation has consistently spent less on capital projects, while borrowing more.

“We in the National Assembly, especially the House of
Representatives, have been saying the same thing you said since the
last two years,” Ayo Adeseun, chairman, house committee on
appropriation, said.

Despite
international calls for him to step down, Cote d’Ivoire’s controversial
President Laurent Gbagbo yesterday named a new cabinet, omitting from
the list his rival for the presidency, Alassane Ouattara.

Charles Koffi Diby,
who handled talks on $3 billion debt relief with the IMF and World
Bank, has been widely praised for managing the nation’s economy but he
is not in the cabinet either. There are speculations that Mr Ouattara,
who says he won a disputed November 28 poll, had persuaded one of the
few internationally known members of Mr Gbagbo’s team onto his side.

However, Mr Diby failed to turn up at the first meeting of the parallel cabinet on Monday.

Mr Ouattara has
been recognised as president by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, U.S.
President Barack Obama and others, while Mr Gbagbo retains control of
the army and has dismissed calls to stand down as outside interference.

Mr Gbagbo gave the
finance and economy portfolio to Desire Dallo, former managing director
of San Pedro port, according to a list handed out at the first meeting
of the new cabinet.

Mr Gbagbo’s former
prime minister Guillaume Soro has already switched sides to Ouattara,
replaced by Gilbert Aka, a university boss and longtime Gbagbo ally
unknown to many Ivorians.

Ble Goude, leader of pro-Gbagbo militia, the Young Patriots, was named his youth and employment minister.

Vice President
Namadi Sambo has observed that for Nigeria to achieve her developmental
objectives as contained in the Vision 20:2020 blue print, she must
build her local engineering capacity.

Mr Sambo who
described this an engineering challenge, noted this at the State House,
Abuja, when a delegation from the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE),
led by its President, Olumuyiwa Ajibola visited him.

“It is our belief
that for any country to develop, we must develop and use our
engineering capacities, therefore, it has been our policy to ensure
that we address the deficiencies in the field of engineering,” he said.

Mr. Sambo further
noted that the development level of a country is measured by the number
of engineers the country can boast of, so the administration had made
it a cardinal principal to engage local engineering firms in all areas
of infrastructural development.

“I am pleased to inform you that some of our major projects are being undertaken by some of your members,

like the East-West Coastal road and many similar projects spread across the country”, he said.

The vice president
used the occasion to further assure his visitors of government’s
willingness to always partner with the Society to achieve the
developmental goals of Nigeria.

He therefore
challenged them to be part of the decision making process, saying “we
must sacrifice for our country, and the more engineers we have
participating in politics and taking political decisions the better it
will be for this country.”

Earlier, the
leader of the delegation, Mr. Ajibola, while commending, the vice
president for his professionalism used the occasion to solicit
government’s support and encouragement to patronize Nigerian engineers
in its infrastructural development programmes, noting that Nigerian
engineers have the capacity to meet the challenge.

In her remark, the
President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO),
Maria Prieto Jesus Laffarguer, urged the government to promote the
engineering profession in order to help eradicate poverty, address
demographic imbalance and climate change situations.

In attendance were, Musa Sada, Minister of Mines and Steel
Development, Nuhu Somo Wya, Minister of State Power, Adel Al kharafi,
president elect WFEO and Barnabas Gemade. Others were Emeka Ezeh,
Director-General Bureau for public Procurement (BPP), M. B. Shehu,
Deputy President, NSE, Ife Akintunde, Jide Adeniji, Ibrahim Khaleel
Inuwa, Mustapha Bulam, Kashim Al, Felix Atume, Joana Olu Maduka,
Abdiodun Akinwande and Emmauel Awuapila.

Former military
ruler, Ibrahim Babangida’s campaign organization has denied media
reports that it had jettisoned the consensus arrangement reached
between him and some northern candidates and would run in the 2011
elections.

Campaign
spokesperson, Kazeem Afegbua, said in a statement that a front page
news report published by a daily on December 5 was false. “Members of
the IBB 2011 presidential campaign organization are already being
accommodated in the Amalgamated Atiku Campaign Organization to give the
necessary support to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the forthcoming People’s
Democratic Party primaries,” he stated. “Journalists need to be very
thorough and profound in their news reportage. They must at all times
crosscheck their facts and figures in order not to mislead members of
the public who rely on their news item for one purpose or the other.”

The organisation maintained that Mr Babangida was not contemplating
leaving the consensus agreement because its rationale was still very
much in place. “Nobody should assume the role of an unauthorized
spokesman for the erstwhile Campaign Organisation of General IBB,”
stated Mr Afegbua. “Should there be need to give any further directive,
we will use the appropriate organs to do so.”

The All Nigeria
Peoples Party (ANPP) may pick its presidential candidate for the 2011
general elections on Friday January 14, 2011 , this was learnt in Abuja
yesterday.

The presidential
primaries will hold a day to the January 15 deadline set by the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for parties to hold
their primaries. Among those seeking the ticket of the party to vie for
the nation’s highest office are the governor of Kano State, Ibrahim
Shekarau, presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican
Convention (NRC), Bashir Tofa, who is also from Kano; Harry Akande,a
businessman from Oyo State; and Dauda Birma, a former minister from
Adamawa State.

Also, the National
Assembly candidates may emerge on Saturday January 8 , 2010 while
Tuesday January 11, has been fixed for the primary election of the
governorship and state houses of assembly candidates.

The dates of the
primaries are, however, subject to ratification by the National
Executive Committee (NEC), which meets today in Abuja. The National
Working Committee (NWC)pick the dates at its meeting in Abuja last
Monday. It was presided over by the national chairman, Ogbonnaya Onu.

Although, the
details of the decisions taken at the meeting, which lasted hoursare
still sketchy, it was gathered that the NWC members agreed not to
attend the formal declaration of any candidate for any of the elective
position.

Our source said the
decision was taken to forestall suspicion that they are rooting for any
particular candidate. It,however, resolved to back and campaign for all
candidates that will emerge after the primaries in accordance with the
party’s constitution.

It was further
gathered that the working committee decided that the party will keep
its doors open to other parties who may enter into alliance to brighten
its electoral chances. This is also in view of the fact that some
aspirants who have popularity in some parts of the country may decide
to defect to the ANPP.

The party
spokesman, Emma Eneukwu confirmed yesterday that the NEC will meet
today to ratify the decisions of the NWC. However, he said the dates
for the governorship and the other primary election are not too clear
for now.

“Yes, I think the
presidential primaries will hold on January 14, but I can not readily
say when the others are holding until after the NEC meeting tomorrow,”
Mr Eneukwu said.

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Inumidun Akande, on
Monday, declared that it is the exclusive responsibilities of the state
judiciary to review existing laws relating to probate administration
and family matters, and warned the executive not to usurp functions of
the judiciary.

Mrs Akande stated this in her address delivered at a
summit on ‘Administration of Probate’, with the theme ‘A Critical
Appraisal of Probate Administration In Lagos State’, held at the Lagos
City Hall. Probate administration deals with the application of the
right to deal with deceased person’s estate. The chief judge urged the
executive arm of government to respect the doctrine of separation of
powers. She said that by virtue of relevant provisions of the 1999
Constitution and existing high court law, the administration of probate
and related matters are under the supervision of the chief judge of the
state, and added that to deviate from this established practice would
amount to a breach of the constitution and relevant laws, as well as
breach of concept of separation of powers as contained in the 1999
Constitution.

Abiding by power separation

“Without any fear of contradiction, the
administration of probate and matters connected therewith are exclusive
preserve of the judiciary in Nigeria,” she said. “The chief judge,
being the head of the judiciary, is empowered to make rules of court
and other matters by virtue of section 59 of the administration of
Estate Law Cap A3 Vol. 1 Laws of Lagos State, 2003. It would amount to
abuse of power by the executive organ or legislature to bring under its
administration the Probate Registry which is a division of the high
court in the state judiciary. To do this will be a deliberate
infraction of the constitution.”

Mrs Akande stated that despite obvious challenges, the probate
division of the high court has lived up to expectations by rendering
quality services and generating revenues for the state government. She
said that a total number of 193 probate grants and 4, 937 letters of
administration were issued by the probate division within a period of
2007 to 2010, adding that over N1 billion was also generated within
same period.</

Norwegian energy producer Statoil said it will appeal a Nigerian court
ruling in its case against a local consultant who says he has not been paid.

The court ruled in favour of former Statoil
consultant John Abebe, who seeks 1.5 percent net profit interest from Statoil’s
stake in the 240,000 barrels per day Agbami field.

“There was a ruling in his favour. We are going to appeal,”
Statoil spokesman Baard Glad Pedersen said.

NEXT reported on Tuesday that Mr Abebe hopes to win between $1 billion and
$2 billion. Statoil would not immediately comment on the potential loss, saying
it believed it had a “strong legal case”.

Mr Abebe, the brother-in-law of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who served
from 1999 to 2007, helped Statoil secure licenses for Nigerian oilfields
between 1991 and 1999 and was on the board of Statoil’s local unit.

Statoil has said it made “no oral or written agreement” with Mr Abebe
that he should receive the payment and maintains that it has paid him for his
services.