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THE NATION TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 5<br />
NEWS<br />
$370m Abacha money traced to Luxembourg<br />
Presidency denies<br />
recalling envoys<br />
From Augustine Ehikioya,<br />
Abuja<br />
HE Presidency has denied<br />
recalling Nigeria’s<br />
Charge De Af- Tfairs to South Africa over the<br />
xenophobic attacks in the<br />
country.<br />
The Special Adviser on Media<br />
and Publicity, Dr. Reuben<br />
Abati, in a statement, said<br />
there was a mix up and misinformation<br />
on the matter.<br />
He said the Charge<br />
d’Affaires was only invited<br />
by the Ministry of Foreign<br />
Affairs for routine consultation.<br />
He said: “It is not true that<br />
Nigeria has recalled its envoy<br />
in South Africa on account of<br />
recent xenophobic attacks in<br />
that country.<br />
“There is a mix up and misinformation<br />
on the matter.<br />
The truth is that Nigeria has<br />
not recalled his envoy from<br />
South Africa.<br />
“What has been done is to<br />
invite the Charge D’Affaires<br />
in that country for routine<br />
consultation by the Ministry<br />
of Foreign Affairs.<br />
“Recall of envoy is a serious<br />
and sensitive matter that<br />
has not happened.”<br />
HE Federal Government,<br />
through the Federal<br />
Capital Territory T(FCT) Administration, has honoured<br />
eminent Nigerians<br />
and other accomplished Africans<br />
by naming major streets<br />
in Abuja as well as expressways<br />
and roads after them.<br />
FCT Minister Senator Bala<br />
Mohammed said this yesterday<br />
during the FCT Executive<br />
Committee meeting held at<br />
his Life Camp, Gwarinpa official<br />
residence.<br />
Mohammed named those<br />
who were honoured with<br />
street naming as including<br />
• Swiss govt closes door to looters<br />
From Tony Akowe, Abuja<br />
troversy. Now, it is not possible<br />
to deposit money in Switzerland<br />
because of legal origin.<br />
“Before now, the bank had to<br />
prove that the money was legal.<br />
But now, before you deposit<br />
money in any Swiss bank, you<br />
have to prove that you have<br />
earned that money legally.<br />
“If you are a wealthy businessman,<br />
you have money in<br />
billions legally, but if, for example<br />
as a journalist, you<br />
come to Switzerland with two<br />
million dollars and say you<br />
earned it because you did a<br />
very good job, nobody will<br />
believe you.”<br />
The ambassador said the Nigerian<br />
government and the<br />
Abacha family had sought legal<br />
assistance from the Swiss<br />
government to enable them<br />
retrieve the money, pointing<br />
out that the Swiss government<br />
offered legal assistance.<br />
Swiss government is directly<br />
involved since the money<br />
is not in a Swiss bank, he said.<br />
Saying he was not aware of<br />
HE Swiss government<br />
has closed its doors to<br />
Nigerians with ill-got- Tten wealth as they will now<br />
have to prove that the money<br />
they want to lodge in the country’s<br />
banks were legally<br />
earned.<br />
The Swiss Ambassador to<br />
Nigeria, Hans Rudolf Hodel,<br />
who broke the news after a<br />
meeting with President-elect<br />
Muhammadu Buhari, also<br />
said about $370 million of<br />
Abacha money had been<br />
traced by the Swiss government<br />
to an account in Luxembourg.<br />
Rudolf Hodel said in the past,<br />
the banks only needed to prove<br />
that the money deposited with<br />
them are legitimate, adding<br />
that depositors now need to<br />
prove that they acquired their<br />
money legally before they can<br />
be allowed to deposit money<br />
in any bank.<br />
He described the collaboration<br />
between Nigeria and the<br />
Swiss government in fighting<br />
corruption as a long standing<br />
issue, saying: “Our laws are<br />
there to help all countries<br />
which are fighting corruption.<br />
We will help this government.<br />
“If you remember, many<br />
years ago, we gave back the<br />
Abacha money to Nigeria. The<br />
situation in Switzerland has<br />
changed. The policy is no longer<br />
the same. In the past, people<br />
came to deposit money in Switzerland<br />
without too much conhave<br />
provided them with this<br />
information. It is not a classical<br />
case and we would have<br />
preferred a classical case where<br />
we can give the money back<br />
and make sure that it’s used in<br />
the interest of the people. Now<br />
it is up to the Nigerian government.”<br />
On what he discussed with<br />
Gen. Buhari, he said: ”Even if<br />
the relations are perfect, there<br />
is always room for improvement.<br />
Investors are looking<br />
towards Nigeria and it is a<br />
good example Nigeria gave to<br />
the world by its peaceful election.<br />
“I congratulate the presidentelect<br />
for this fantastic election,<br />
and indeed the whole Nigerian<br />
people, which has shown the<br />
world what they are capable<br />
of doing and with this election<br />
Nigeria has become an example<br />
not only to Africa but to<br />
the whole world on how elections<br />
can be conducted. I think<br />
Nigeria can be proud on the<br />
image of the country in the last<br />
few days and weeks. I, as ambassador,<br />
am proud to serve in<br />
this era.”<br />
The Cuban government has<br />
promised to collaborate with<br />
the incoming administration<br />
on health care delivery. Cubans<br />
are ready to share their<br />
experience in comprehensive<br />
health care delivery with Nigeria.<br />
The Cuban Ambassador to<br />
Nigeria, Carlos E. Trejo Sosa,<br />
said after a meeting with General<br />
Buhari that Nigeria is very<br />
dear to the people of Cuba,<br />
adding that: “Nigerians are in<br />
the root of Cuban nation.<br />
“More than 80% of people<br />
who came to Cuba in 19th century<br />
from Africa came from<br />
Nigeria, which means the<br />
blood running in the vein of<br />
Cuban nation is partially Nigerian<br />
blood. So, our coming<br />
here means we have come to<br />
the home of our forefather.”<br />
He said Cuba had achieved a<br />
lot in medicine, sports and<br />
others which are available for<br />
Nigerians in the last 15 years,<br />
pointing out that Cuba’s health<br />
care became one of the best in<br />
the world.<br />
Sosa said: “First of all, Cuba’s<br />
collaboration with African<br />
countries is not new and not<br />
difficult. If you remember a<br />
large number of Cuba people,<br />
who are doctors came to West<br />
Africa to fight Ebola, the first<br />
contingent of doctors.<br />
“We have doctors in almost<br />
all African countries, about six<br />
thousand Cuban doctors working<br />
in Africa. We also have<br />
about 50,000 doctors working<br />
in Latin America and in some<br />
other places, so it means that if<br />
necessary, as request by Nigerian<br />
government, we can come<br />
and share our experiences<br />
about the comprehensive system<br />
of health care. Cuba is not<br />
known to kill people but to<br />
prevent people from being<br />
sick.”<br />
The President-elect had earlier<br />
told Sosa, that his generation<br />
would continue to cherish<br />
the spectacular performance of<br />
Cuba’s revolutionary leaders<br />
- Che Geuevera and Fidel Castro<br />
- who he described as nationalist<br />
per excellence.<br />
He said he admired the<br />
unique social structure and<br />
system of the state, especially<br />
given the rapid development<br />
that has been achieved by the<br />
island nation, and expressed<br />
happiness at the restoration of<br />
normal ties between Cuba and<br />
the United States.<br />
Constitution amendment: Jonathan urges Supreme Court<br />
RESIDENT Goodluck From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja<br />
Jonathan has intensi-<br />
to stop Senate, Reps<br />
fied his effort to pre- Pvent the National Assembly<br />
from overriding his veto of<br />
the amendment effected on<br />
the Constitution by the National<br />
Assembly.<br />
The President, through the<br />
Attorney General of the Federation<br />
(AGF), has applied to<br />
the Supreme Court for an injunction<br />
restraining the lawmakers<br />
from acting on the<br />
amendment - the Fourth Alteration<br />
Act 2015 - pending the<br />
determination of an earlier<br />
suit he filed urging the court<br />
any Abacha money left in his<br />
country, the ambassador said:<br />
“Recently, there was another<br />
request by Nigeria to the Swiss<br />
authority to look for Abacha<br />
money and some amount has<br />
been found in an account, but<br />
in Luxembourg. That is now<br />
between the Abacha family<br />
and the government. They<br />
have tried to find a deal so that<br />
this money can also come<br />
back.”<br />
Asked how much was involved<br />
and when the money<br />
will be returned to Nigeria,<br />
Hodel said: “The recent one is<br />
$370 million. The Swiss government<br />
is not involved. The<br />
Nigerian government has<br />
asked for legal assistance.<br />
When the government makes<br />
a request to my government,<br />
we work together on it. But<br />
this case is different.<br />
“That is the Abacha family<br />
directly with the Nigerian government<br />
finding a deal. So, the<br />
Swiss government is not involved<br />
and the money is in<br />
Luxembourg. They have asked<br />
for legal assistance and we<br />
•The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund's pensioners protesting over non-payment of their arrears in Abuja...yesterday. PHOTO: NAN<br />
to declare the amendment unconstitutional.<br />
The President, in the substantive<br />
suit also filed by the<br />
AGF, argued that the purported<br />
Fourth Alteration Act 2015<br />
was not passed with the mandatory<br />
requirement of fourfifth<br />
majority of members of<br />
the National Assembly and<br />
the mandatory due processes<br />
provided for under the relevant<br />
sections of the Constitution.<br />
It is part of the President’s<br />
prayers in the main suit that<br />
the Supreme Court nullifies<br />
and sets aside sections 3, 4, 12,<br />
14, 21, 23, 36, 39, 40, 43 and 44<br />
of the Fourth Alteration Act,<br />
2015, purportedly passed by<br />
the National Assembly.<br />
In the fresh application for<br />
interlocutory injunction, the<br />
President prayed the Supreme<br />
Court to restrain the<br />
lawmakers from carrying<br />
through their threat to override<br />
his veto, even with the<br />
pendency of the substantive<br />
suit.<br />
Fed Govt names Abuja streets after Jonathan, Sambo, Atiku, others<br />
From Gbenga Omokhunu<br />
and Grace Obike, Abuja<br />
President Goodluck Jonathan;<br />
Vice President Namadi Sambo;<br />
former Vice President<br />
Atiku Abubakar; the late<br />
former Senate President Dr.<br />
Chuba Okadigbo; former<br />
Speaker of House of Representatives<br />
and Katsina State governor-elect<br />
Aminu Bello Masari;<br />
former Chief Justice of the<br />
Federation Justice Dahiru<br />
Musdapha; business moguls<br />
Femi Otedola, Aliko Dangote;<br />
and several others.<br />
The soon-to-be commissioned<br />
Inner Southern Expressway,<br />
which dissects Abuja<br />
city centre, was named after<br />
Jonathan. The longest Wuye<br />
district boulevard express<br />
road measuring 1,730 metres<br />
was named after Atiku. Another<br />
major road in the same<br />
district was named after Sambo.<br />
According to a statement by<br />
the Special Assistant on Media<br />
to the Minister, Nosike<br />
Ogbuenyi, other prominent<br />
personalities also honoured<br />
by naming streets after them<br />
in Asokoro extension district<br />
include former Secretary General<br />
of the United Nations Mr.<br />
Kofi Anan; the late South African<br />
anti-Apartheid activist,<br />
late Walter Sisulu; former President<br />
of Sudan Gaafar al-<br />
Nimeiry; the late former Minister<br />
of State for FCT, Prof.<br />
Miriam Ikejiani-Clark; former<br />
Chief Justice of the Federation<br />
Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi and<br />
16 others.<br />
Those having roads and<br />
streets named after them in<br />
Guzape district include<br />
former FCT Minister and Kaduna<br />
State Governor-elect<br />
Malam Nasir El-Rufai; the late<br />
former Inspector-General of<br />
Among the grounds on<br />
which he hinged the application<br />
was that the National Assembly<br />
was determined to<br />
proceed with passing the constitution<br />
by overriding the<br />
veto of same despite the fundamental<br />
nature of the issues<br />
raised against it.<br />
He stated that it was more<br />
in the interest of the country<br />
that the issues in the substantive<br />
suit be resolved one way<br />
or the other before the National<br />
Assembly can proceed<br />
further on the proposed alterations<br />
to the constitution.<br />
The applicant stated in a<br />
supporting affidavit that Minority<br />
Whip of the House of<br />
Representative, Samson Osagie,<br />
reportedly vowed at a<br />
news conference that the Legislature<br />
will override the<br />
President’s veto despite the<br />
suit.<br />
The applicant said the balance<br />
of convenience was in<br />
favour of the resolution of the<br />
suit before any further step<br />
could be taken on the Bill.<br />
No date is scheduled yet for<br />
hearing in the case.<br />
Police, Sunday Adewusi;<br />
former Science and Technology<br />
Minister Major-Gen. Sam<br />
Momah; the late former Special<br />
Duties Minister, Alhaji<br />
Wada Nas; the late former Attorney<br />
General of the Federation,<br />
Mr. Clement Akpamgbo;<br />
the incumbent FCT Minister<br />
and 60 others.<br />
The statement reads in part:<br />
“Some Nigerians who had<br />
distinguished themselves in<br />
various sporting activities<br />
were also among those honoured<br />
with Abuja streets<br />
named after them.<br />
“They include first Nigerian<br />
single Olympic gold medalist,<br />
Chioma Ajunwa; first<br />
Nigerian footballer to have<br />
scored in FIFA senior world<br />
cup competition, the late Rashidi<br />
Yekini; former world wrestling<br />
champion, late Power<br />
Mike Okpala; first Nigerian to<br />
win World Boxing title, Dick<br />
Tiger Ihetu; and the youngest<br />
Nigerian to play at the African<br />
Cup of Nations, Mr.<br />
Daniel Amokachi. They all<br />
had streets named after them<br />
in Wupa district.”<br />
Others personalities were<br />
also honoured in other parts<br />
of FCT.