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Sacred-cow Syndrome: Bode George vows not to wear his prison uniform By CHRISTOPHER
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Olabode George who is serving a two-and-half year jail term in Kirikiri has vowed not to wear his prison uniform. George, nicknamed Lagos Boy vowed not to touch the uniform newly sewn for him, let alone of putting it on. A source at the prison said: �When we took measurement, he did not object. So, we did not know he had ulterior motive. When we finished sewing the uniform, he shouted at us never to bring it close to him.� Continuing, the source said: �We have no objection because there is order from above not to disturb the man. They told us that he is a government pikin (child) and that he would soon be bailed.� He said the prison staff were handling the former National Ports Authority (NPA) boss carefully because they did not know the next action or directive of the government. According to the source, there was no big deal about Bode George wearing uniform as it was normal for �bigwigs not to wear uniform. There are other big guys convicted that are not wearing uniforms. On why they measured and sew the uniform when they knew he would not wear it, he said: �There are other big guys like the late Gani Fawehinmi, former president Olusegun Obasanjo who did not care whether they put on the uniform or not. He observed that in his many years as a prison staffer, it was those people whose hands were not clean that declined wearing uniform. �Those whose hands are clean or are being persecuted unjustly don�t object to wearing uniform The source said since Sunday when a PDP chieftain (names withheld) and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) visited George, he had been happy. He suspected that the man has been assured of victory in the Appeal Court �because, he now eats regularly, prays, sings and crack jokes. �The man has been so confident. He now sings and the major aspect of it all is that his blood pressure is now normal. You know his doctor visits him everyday. Initially, the doctor was complaining of high blood pressure but today (Tuesday) when he examined him, he shook his hand and told him that his blood pressure was normal.� He also revealed that the number of high profile visitors to George has increased. He said: �We tried to discourage them from visiting by asking them to drop their passport photographs but the visitors especially the PDP members dropped their passport photographs so as to see him.� Last Monday, George who was a former chairman of the Nigeria Ports Authority board between 2001 and 2003 was convicted and sentenced along with five other members of the board for disobedience to lawful order, abuse of office and contract splitting. Other convicted former members of the board include former managing director of NPA, Aminu Dabo, Captain Olugbenga Abidoye, Alhaji Aminu Tafida, Alhaji Zanna Maidaribe and Engineer Sule Aliyu. They were sentenced and convicted by a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja which found them guilty of 35 out of the 68-count charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a N85 billion contract scam which took place under George�s tenure as the NPA board chairman. George and his co-convicts were arraigned on August 8, 2008 on a 182-count charge which was later amended and reduced to a 69-count charge over alleged contract splitting, inflation of contracts, conspiracy and disobedience to lawful order. The trial lasted 14 months.
Hail Biafra Posts: 1832 | From: Minnesota USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Bode George loses bail bid, gets prison uniform By Abdulwahab Abdulah, Gbenga Akanmu & Ifeanyi Okolie Tuesday, November 10, 2009 LAGOS � EFFORTS of the embattled former Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Chief Bode George, and five others, to secure bail from an Ikeja High court that jailed them over the NPA contracts scam, hit the rocks yesterday as the same court refused their request.
Bode George' s bail application hits the rocks
Meantime, authorities of the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, yesterday, handed Chief George his official blue uniform mandatory for all convicts in the prison.
Justice Joseph Oyewole who handed down the two-and-half year jail term on the six accused, on October 26, over offences bordering on inflation of contract, disobedience of lawful order and abuse of office also refused their application for bail on the ground that they failed to convince the court beyond reasonable doubt that they deserved to be set free temporarily.
By implication, Chief George, who turns 64 years on November 21, may spend his next birthday in prison.
Also, the Lagos State House of Assembly, yesterday, condemned the alleged threat to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri, by those believed to be associates of the jailed former National Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Others convicted alongside Chief George are Alhaji Aminu Dabo, Captain Olusegun Abidoye, Alhaji Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, Alhaji Zanna Maidaribe and Alhaji Sule Aliyu.
For more than four hours in court yesterday, seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria, led by Chief Tunji Ayanlaja and a former Attorney-General of Nigeria, Chief Kanu Agabi, representing Chief George failed to convince the court why their client and the co-applicants should be admitted to bail pending when the Court of Appeal will hear their brief asking the appellate court to set aside the judgment of the trial court.
They hinged their arguments on two major points � that their clients are not medically fit to stay in prison and that it would be prejudiced on the judgment of the appellate court if it turned down the judgment of the trial court.
The senior lawyers argued in line with their Motion on Notice dated October 28, 2009 asking for accelerated hearing of the matter, �brought pursuant to Section 10 and 51 of the High Court of Lagos State Law 2003 and under the inherent jurisdiction of this honorable court�.
In their individual capacity, they argued that it will take the better part of the year to get the records of appeal in a matter of this magnitude compiled and transmitted to the court of appeal.
They added that going by the congestion at the appellate court, �by the time the appeal would have been determined by the Court of Appeal, the Applicants would have finished serving their terms of imprisonment, thus rendering their appeal, whatever the outcome nugatory.�
Also, they told the court that they need to be attended to by their private physicians, because of the fragile nature of their sickness. To this end, they prayed the court to grant them bail pending the determination of their appeal.
However, Counsel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Festus Keyamo, in his response told the court that there was no justification for the court to release them on bail.
He argued that based on the applicants� affidavits and the attached medical reports on their health, there was no strong facts for the court to release them. He said the medical reports attached to the application were from private medical doctors and from private hospitals which can not be relied upon by the court.
He noted that for the court to accept the medical reports, the reports have to be from a recognised government hospital.
He also argued that they (Applicants) failed to justify their position on the congestion of the Court of Appeal to listen to their appeal timeously, since they failed to attach copy of the �Cause list� from the appellate court to justify their positions.
He therefore urged the court to reject the application for bail.
In his short ruling, Justice Oyewole held that �the applications failed and are consequently dismissed.�
The court said that the application failed because the applicants failed to submit sufficient materials to prove that they were suffering from illness.
�There must be sufficient evidence from a specialist in that particular field of medicine,� the court averred, �to grant bail on medical grounds.�
On the issue of delay in hearing the appeal at the appellate court, the trial judge said that �I will not comment on the likelihood of the duration of the appeal�.
The court however discountenanced the issue of preliminary objection by Keyamo on the competence of the motion for bail, based on alleged conflict in signature on affidavits by the counsel.
Justice Oyewole held that it amounted to technicalities and mere academic exercise which has no bearing in determining the merit or demerit of the case.
In his final words, the Judge said �I have considered the application for bail pending appeal and submissions of the counsels. The ruling shall encompass the entire lot because of the similarity in the applications (of the six counsel).�
George gets prison uniform
Although spokesman for the Prisons, Ope Fatinikun told Vanguard on phone that all prisoners in the state wear uniforms without specifically mentioning names, it was gathered that Chief George was handed his uniform yesterday after hopes of getting bail at the Ikeja High court were dashed.
Reliable prison sources told Vanguard that before now, prison officials at the maximum Prisons, Kirikiri deliberately accorded the convicted PDP stalwart the privileges of going about without the official uniform worn by all convicts. He was also said to be on a diet specially prepared from his home.
However, the table was said to have turned immediately news of the refusal of the Ikeja court to grant him bail got to Prison authorities.
It was learnt that when prison officials brought the neatly-ironed uniform to the PDP Chieftain, it was like double tragedy for him. An insider said Chief George quietly walked into his cell and did not show up again.
The Prison spokesman, Fatinikun said, �All I will tell you is that all prisoners in Lagos Command wear uniforms. I do not want to mention anybody�s name. You can go to the officer-in-charge of Kirikiri Prisons and see things for yourself�.
An insider source told Vanguard that Chief George refused to eat all through yesterday. The source said although the convict had been fasting since Saturday, but he normally broke his fast by 2:00pm after a round of prayers led by a renowned prophet who had assured him of victory in his bail bid.
The source said he was moody all through the day after getting the news of the judgment and was consoled by Major Hamza el-Mustapha
Lagos lawmakers condemn alleged threat
On their part, lawmakers of the Lagos State House of Assembly have condemned the alleged threat on the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri, by those believed to be associates of the jailed Chief Bode George.
The House also warned the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to steer clear of the Lagos State Action Congress, AC, the party leaders and in particular, erstwhile governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
A member of the House, Sanai Agunbiade from Ikorodu (State) Constituency I, under Matters of Urgent Public Importance called his colleagues� attention to a newspaper report where it was reported that Bode George�s followers are allegedly threatening the EFCC Chairman.
Agunbiade explained thathe decided to raise the matter because there had been much noise ever since Bode George was convicted and jailed. According to him, �EFCC had in the past indicted, arraigned and convicted other people and there was no noise, but the issue of George seems to have a difference.
�The Lagos AC, party leaders, especially Asiwaju Bola Tinubu have been accused of being responsible of what has happened to Bode George. I think it is worthwhile for us, as a House, to condemn the threat on the EFCC Chairman. In addition, we should call on Nigerians to advise family and friends of George to accept what has happened in good faith,� Agunbiade said.
Other members that contributed alleged that some troublemakers in the PDP are after Lagos AC and Tinubu. They claimed that Bode George�s followers have vowed to retaliate and that they are after Lagos State Action Congress and the party leaders.
Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji on his part said, �I don�t know what Tinubu has done to them and I am sure that it�s not the President himself that is behind this, but some of them in the system are the ones trying to create problem for Lagos.
�But these set of people should be warned not to tamper with Lagos and they should steer clear of the state and leave our party leaders, especially Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, alone�, Ikuforiji added.
___________________ IGBO AMAKA Posts: 151 | From: Porthacourt | Registered: Feb 2003
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Two ballot boxes stuffed with thumb printed papers were yesterday allegedly recovered in the vehicle conveying the Senator representing Ondo Central District in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, Senator Gbenga Ogunniya, during the bye-election of the Akoko South West and Akoko South East Federal Constituency.
Ogunniya, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, was in the vehicle along with members representing Akoko North East and North West Federal Constituency, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye, Hon Temitayo Fawehinmi of the Ondo East and Ondo West Constituency and Hon Emmanuel Adedeji of the Ile-Oluji/Odigbo Federal Constituency
However, after more than two hours at the station, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Muktar Abbas, who was deployed specially for the election exercise from Markurdi, Benue State, said the senator and other federal lawmakers were not arrested.
Waooh, a Senator in a car full of stuffed ballot boxes and thugs, and was not arrested. Is there a proceedure in Nigeria like criminal investigation?
Hail Biafra
Posts: 1832 | From: Minnesota USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Those so-called lawmakers wouldn't do such a thing had they not felt like they could get away with it.This one of many like acts portrays a profound lack of respect for the common citizen, that his vote means nothing, that he means nothing, nothing to society and nothing to himself; that the so-called citizen has about the same value as would a serf in feudal Europe. They are not expected to object to anything, how much less to the bloated privileges of the upper-class, even when they involve the commission of blatant criminal activity.
The attitude of the police only echos this sentiment, hence no arrest in this case and a host of others. No one is surprised anymore at the lack of justice in Nigeria. We are almost entirely 'jaded' by their monstrous and multitudinous outrages upon a quaking and sheepish mass of humanity.
___________________ The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves... Posts: 775 | From: Valle del Sol, AZ | Registered: Nov 2004
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LUKMAN OFF TO AUSTRIA, FUEL CRISIS LINGERS From Madu Onuorah, Collins Olayinka (Abuja) and Taiwo Hassan (Lagos)
PETROLEUM Resources Minister Rilwan Lukman yesterday left Abuja for Vienna, Austria for the Christmas and New Year vacation, effectively ruling himself out of the meetings scheduled by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan for tackling the lingering fuel crisis Jonathan had at the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday directed Lukman along with two ministers of State, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia (Petroleum) and Mr. Remi Babalola (Finance), to suspend their Christmas and New Year vacations to enable them all stay within Abuja and find a solution to the fuel crisis in the country. A source said Lukman travelled out of Nigeria via a British Airways flight from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja yesterday morning. According to the source, "it is sad that Dr. Lukman had to travel out of the country despite the directives of the Vice President that he should not travel. He was supposed to be in charge of the petroleum crisis. But as I am talking to you now, the Minister is already in Vienna. He travelled this morning (Thursday) on a British Airways flight." The source expressed worry that the Minister's travel may be misinterpreted as "a clear demonstration of the lack of respect for the office of the Vice President," adding: "It is unfortunate. It is indeed very sad."
Hail Biafra Posts: 1832 | From: Minnesota USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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