David Mark Senate President Wins!
July 16, 2008 by 
Che Oyimnatumba · 1 Comment
The Court of Appeal sitting in Jos, delivered judgment in favour of the Senate President, Senator David Mark. In a judgment legal luminaries are still querying, the court of appeal’s decision to over ruled the judgment of the Benue State Electoral, which had ordered a by-election in two Local Government Areas within the senatorial zone. The lower tribunal had ruled that Young Alhaji, the challenger in the disputed April 2008 election, had the highest number of valid votes cast.
By the strength of this, Young Alhaji cross appealed, praying the court of appeal to announce him the winner but David Mark in his own appeal, petitioned that there were irregularities in the other Local Government Areas that Young Alhaji won. The Court of Appeal unanimously held that David Mark won the election.
In a related questionable circumstance, the Osun State Electoral Tribunal sitting in Osogbo, yesterday, entered judgment in favour of the incumbent PDP Governor Olagunsoye Oyinola against the petition of Rauf Aregbesola of the Action Congress. There is an uneasy calm in Osun State, following what the AC called rape of justice by the active participation of the judiciary.
At the wake of the April general election, a flash in the pan boost was given to the battered image of the judiciary, especially the judges of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court showed rare courage when she ruled in favour of Peter Obi of Anambra State, whose mandate was stolen and kept in custody of Dr. Chris Ngige, while the then president, Olusegun Obasanjo kept criminally silent.
But this mirage has turned into full bashing of the judiciary, especially the members of the Court of Appeal. One wonders if these judgments are not endorsement of survival of the fittest and who can mobilize the greatest and ferocious thugs on election day.
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Senate begins 2 months questionable vacation
July 10, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
The Nation was jolted yesterday when the Senate after a closed door sitting announced that it shall proceed on two months recess starting from today July 10th 2008. Senate Majority Leader Senator Teslim Folarin briefed newsmen that circumstances made it imperative to amend the seasonal calendar and embark on recess, two weeks earlier.
Nigerians believe that this circumstance is the Tuesday 15th Judgment day in Jos of the cross petition against David Mark’s victory at the polls.
Furthermore, Nigerians are worried that the Senate is amending her rules in a closed door meeting to accommodate the ambition of the President of Senate. For a Senate and government that parrots transparency and rule of law, this Gestapo approach is disturbing and unhealthy for maturity of democracy in Nigeria
Political gurus believe that this questionable two months amended recess, is to preserve the Senate President’s seat for David Mark, should the Court of Appeal sitting in Jos uphold the judgment of the Benue State Election Tribunal. The recess will also allow PDP to fine tune soft landing should the seat be vacant as a result of the judgment, which is believed will not be in favour of the Senate President.
The Election tribunal sitting in Makurdi had earlier nullified the election of Senator Mark, on the strength of a petition filed by Alhaji Usman Dan Abubakar popularly called Young Alhaji. The lower tribunal ordered a fresh election in two Local Government Areas (Opoku and Agatu) and upheld that the valid votes counted put Young Alhaji ahead of David Mark.
Both Mark and Young Alhaji appealed the judgment. Mark’s camp believes that they can rake in enough votes in the two LGAs to cancel out Young Alhaji’s lead, while Young Alhaji’s camp wants the Appeal Court to declare him winner, having secured majority of the votes counted.
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El-Ruffai Spent N660m on Demolition Exercise.
April 17, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 1 Comment
By Ashimole Felix/Abuja.
Mallam Yahaya Yusuf, Acting Director in the department of Development Control Federal Capital Territory Administration testifying at the Senate Committee investigating the past activities at the Federal Capital Territory Administration, said that FCTA under el-Ruffia destroyed 73,956 houses at the cost of N660m.
Meanwhile an organisation under the aegis of Abuja Forum is accusing the Senate Committee of going on a witch hunt to nail el-Ruffai.
el-Ruffai the past minister, is yet to testify at the ongoing public hearing. When el-Ruffai was minister FCT, he went on a dare devil demolition of structures considered illegal and not in conformity with the Abuja master plan, lands were revoked despite the owners tendering a Certificate of Occupancy, given by el-Ruffai’s predecessor. Confessions by FCT authorities at the hearing have exposed el-Ruffai as a fraud, who paid lip service to the restoration of Abuja master plan.
It was gathered that el-Ruffai, using AGIS (Abuja Geographical Information Service) recertified and allocated choice plots revoked from the legitimate owners to the cronies of the ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo.
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SENATE CLEARS IYABO OBASANJO-BELLO.
April 9, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
In a dramatic twist to the Ministry of Health 300 million naira scam, the senate sitting today, gave Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello a clean bill of health. Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, is the chairperson House Committee on Health whom the EFCC alleged took 10 million naira from the residue of the 2007 budget. Senator Iyabo Obasanjo never denied collecting the said amount rather her claim is that the money was used for a capacity building retreat in Ghana. The EFCC had declared Senator Iyabo Obasanjo wanted and arraigned alongside the former health minister, Prof Adenike Grange.
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Iyabo Obasanjo Spent 10 Million Naira in Ghana
April 3, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
In apparent bid to exonerate the Senate Committee on Health from the 300 million Naira scandal in the ministry of health, the chairperson of the committee, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has admitted that her committee received the sum of 10 million Naira to facilitate their retreat in Ghana from March 16 to 20 2008. Justifying her committee’s action, she quoted copiously section 3 of the Senate Rules of the Senate Code of Ethics. This Rule according to Senator Iyabo, empowers to receive support from any individual, organisation, so long as the such is targeted at public interest. Against presidential directives to return to the coffers of the federation all unspent monies spilling over from the 2007 budget, the ministry of health 300 million Naira. This has caused the minister, Prof. Grange to throw in the towel and join Hon. Olubumi Eteth (disgraced speaker of the House of Representative) in the swelling ranks of slain amazons in the murky water of Nigerian politics. Nigerians are not only worried at the fragrant disrespect of a presidential order, they are equally concerned why a Senate Committee on Health should be retreating in Ghana, where there are a lot of dead government owned specialist hospitals where this retreat could have taken place and afford the senators an on the spot assessment of the decay in the health sector. Furthermore, this year’s budget is yet to be passed. The senate committee with an over sight function must be aware of this and should have questioned the source of the “support”.
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SENATE ELEVATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TRIBUNAL JUDGE
March 12, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
The lead judge at the Presidential Election Tribunal, Justice James Ogebe’s appointment to the Supreme Court, was yesterday confirmed by the Senate. Also confirmed, is Justice Mohammed Coomasie.
A mild drama erupted when Senator Bala Mohammed was stalled from questioning the Supreme Court appointee by the dominant PDP senators in the hallow chambers. Senator Bala had sent voices protested when he opened by questioning that the appointment of Justice Ogebe is defective as it negates the principle of federal character, as Benue State, where the Justice comes from, already has Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu on the bench of the Supreme Court.
Voice vote in the senate, is the rule of might over reason. In the Supreme Court, there is no Justice of the Igbo extraction yet a state has two.
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Law Making Gone Awry
February 23, 2008 by OCI · Leave a Comment
Senator Ekaette of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria may not be alone after-all in this season of skewed law making.
The past few month in Nigeria have been awash with Senator Eme Ufot Ekaette’s proposed Bill for an Act to Prohibit and Punish Public Nudity, Sexual Intimidation and, Other Related Offences in Nigeria aka (Nudity Bill) before the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Most commentators (sina, naijablog, saharareporters) have been up in arms for and against the proposed bill.
The Civil Societies and Feminist Group and all manner of groups have been pondering if our honourable members have lost it with this kind of bill when there are more pressing issues to contend with. Without mincing words, the crux of the matter remains with the process of electing/selecting people to elective positions in our polity. As long as this process is skewed; it will remain garbage in, garbage out’.
As if Senator Ekaette is not alone, in far away America precisely in Mississippi a lawmaker have proposed a bill that would revoke the business license of any restaurant that serves food to fat people. The statewide measure, House Bill 282, would prohibit eateries from serving food to “any person who is obese based on criteria prescribed by the state health department.” If passed, the bill would allow the department to monitor compliance and have the power to revoke any violators’ permits.
Via: OC Weekly
Obesity is a serious issue and requires the concerted efforts of everyone to help anyone that is suffering from the ailment.
Equally, there are better things to do about the treatment of women and children in Nigeria than a law that seek to out-law all manners of dressing. Indeed, law making in its totality have gone awry here and beyond. Who is to blame?
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