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8 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2022 :Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 AWARD—From left: Mrs. Dupe Olusola, MD/ CEO, Transcorp Hotels Plc., and Islam el- Maddah, hotel Manager, Transcorp Hilton Abuja, with the hotel's World Travel Awards. Transcorp Hilton won five awards, including Africa's Leading Business Hotel, at the awards ceremony, in Nairobi. 2023: APC makes U-turn, expresses full support for BVAS, IReV •We can't jettison our own initiative, it says •There’s no going back on BVAS —INEC •Says reports that we won’t use BVAS, fake news •Notes poll will be watershed in Nigeria’s history By Henry Umoru & Omeiza Ajayi NATIONAL CHAIRMAN of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has disclaimed reports that he was opposed to the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Results Viewing Portal, IReV, for next year's general elections. At a news conference in Abuja,yesterday, Adamu said he was only expressing reservations about the challenges of electricity supply and irregular telecommunication signals in outlining voting districts of the country. At a meeting with the preelection delegation of the Commonwealth Election Observation Mission on Wednesday in Abuja, Senator Adamu had said: "First, I was privileged to serve as a Senator. Our concern is how ready are we to deploy some of these technologies as regards transmission because we are taking a major step in transmitting election results in real time. "To transmit results, every part of the nation Nigeria, I am not sure that the network covers it. I know that even in parts of Abuja, there is no network and we have from now till February when in substantial parts of the country there is no electricity? "INEC must assure us 100 percent that as and when due in transmitting results, they are ready because they spoke about recharging batteries but we had in previous elections when it said it could not recharge." At the same meeting, National Organizing Secretary of the party, Ambassador Suleiman Argungu had also said the new technology may not work in his home state, Kebbi. I didn't oppose BVAS, IreV; I only expressed concern over INEC readiness to deploy However, Adamu, yesterday, said he was grossly misquoted. Represented by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, he said: "You would recall that on Wednesday, the National Chairman of our party and some members of the National Working Committee, NWC, hosted a delegation from the Commonwealth pre-election mission to discuss with the party regarding preparations that the country is making for next year's general election. "In the course of that meeting, the national chairman responded to a couple of questions asked by the delegation and one of them had to do with the state of preparedness of the country, the party and INEC to conduct next year's election. "In his response to one of those questions especially on the one regarding the preparedness for the election, the national chairman noted with respect to the deployment of new technologies that while INEC has taken these bold steps to put in place these technologies, he simply tasked INEC to ensure that they are able to bridge all of the gaps that may be created by both electricity and telecommunication challenges especially in outlying voting districts of the country. I was in the meeting and I heard the context in which he was speaking but unfortunately, this morning we read reports that the national chairman was averse to deployment of BVAS and IReV. That was a gross misstatement of what the national chairman said." In a follow up statement to back the position of the party, Morka said "media reports that Chairman Adamu kicked against INEC’s decision to deploy BVAS and electronic transmission of results is patently false, and constitutes an unfair misrepresentation of the National Chairman’s comments. "To be clear, Chairman Adamu did not kick against the deployment of BVAS or electronic transmission of results as erroneously reported by sections of the media. "The APC administration of President Muhammadu Buhari midwived the successful reform of the Electoral Act, the introduction of BVAS among other technological innovations, and has superintended the conduct of credible, free, fair and transparent elections in Edo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states. "Our party and government remain committed to the highest levels of electoral transparency and democratic consolidation in our country." We're not afraid Also, the APC Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, expressed its readiness for the election, saying it is not afraid of the deployment of BVAS or any new technology.“Director APC PCC National Youth Mobilization, North Central, Hon. Mike Msuaan said APC has done a lot of mobilization to the effect that if elections were conducted today, it would deliver 70 percent of the total votes cast to its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. On the issue of electronic transmission of election results and whether the APC was afraid of new technologies, he said: "Why should the APC be afraid of BVAS and electronic transfer of results when the youths are strongly behind us? Why should we be afraid? I told you that if election is conducted tomorrow we are going to win. They are the ones running after us. We have already given them more than 30 percent gap ahead and by tomorrow if elections are conducted we would give them more than 50 percent. "We are very comfortable with the arrangements made by INEC. We are going to win with that because that has taken care of the manipulation of those who want to do yahoo yahoo on Election Day.” No going back on BVAS —INEC Meanwhile, INEC has said any news that it planned to stop the deployment of the BVAS and IReV should be considered by Nigerians as fake news, insisting there is no going back on their usage. In his goodwill message, yesterday, in Abuja at the start of a 2-Day capacity building for journalists and CSOs on conflictsensitive reporting during the 2023 general election and countering fake news for the North Central zone, the Director of Voters Education and Publicity of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr Victor Aluko, said news that INEC would not use BVAS is fake news, adding that the commission is guided by the principles of one man, one vote. According to him, any news about threat to remove the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and that there will be no electronic transmission of results should all be considered as fake news. He said the commission was preparing for no less than 70 per cent turnout, just like Ghana did, stressing that the 2023 elections was going to be the mother of all elections. Aluko, who also noted that 2023 elections would be a watershed in the history of Nigeria, said: "Let me assure you that news that INEC will not use Bimodal Voters Accreditation System is fake news and that the commission is guided by the principles of one man one vote. ''Any news about threats to remove the INEC Chairman is fake news; 2023 elections will be a watershed in the history of Nigeria." The Capacity building programme was organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, and the INEC in conjunction with the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ. Earlier in his keynote presentation on the Role of Media in the Conduct of Peaceful Elections, the National President of NUJ, Chris Isiguzo, said that the inability of other stakeholders in the media industry to agree with the NUJ on some aspects to be inserted in the Code of Ethics for Journalism practice in the country had led to the delay in the release of the document. Isiguzo, who assured journalists that the revised version of the document would give them some measure of protection, expressed confidence that before long, the NUJ and stakeholders would tie all loose ends and the document would be finally released. He said: "The NUJ, the Guild of Editors, Newspapers Proprietors of Nigeria, NPAN, and Guild of Corporate Online Publishers of Nigeria, GOCOP, and Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON, among others, all gathered and said there was need to design a framework for media practice in the country. "Last week, we adopted a substantial part of this document; one, talks about having an ombudsman that will be able to moderate media activities in the country and of course a revised Code of Ethics for media practice for journalists in the country.'' Muslim/Muslim ticket: Northern APC members to declare position soon ----Dogara group By Levinus Nwabughiogu & Olayinka Ajayi ABUJA—SOME aggrieved Northern Christian Leaders in the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, said they were yet to endorse a presidential candidate in 2023. The development came on the heels of a media report that the chairman of the group and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal has pitched his tent with the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi. In a statement, the group, led by the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara said they would make their support public soon. The statement titled 'RE: Dogara, Babachir Lawal-led Northern APC Members Dump Tinubu, Declare Support For Peter Obi', however, said that Lawal was entitled to his opinion to declare his support for anyone. The statement, signed by Mr Yakubu Dogara, Simon Achuba, Albert Atiwurcha, Prof Doknan Sheni, Mela A. Nunge, SAN, Gen Ishaya Bauka (retd), Prof Ibrahim Haruna and Mrs Leah Olusiyi, reads: "We want to draw the attention of the general public to the recent position canvassed by our Chairman, Engr Babachir Lawal as the position of our Group. We wish to state that necessary consultations have been concluded, and based on manifestly unassailable empirical data, the group is poised to adopt a position which will be made known to the public at an interfaith event to be held very soon. "Suffice it to say that no one in the group including the Chairman has been mandated to speak to the public about our position at this material time. Based on our modus operandi, our position was meant to be presented to the general public at the event above referred to. That has not changed. "Consequently, the decision to endorse a particular candidate and the statement credited to the chairman are solely the decision and views of the Chairman which he is entitled to but not that of the DSS withdraws suit against ex-terrorists’ negotiator, Tukur Mamu ABUJA—THE Department of State Services, DSS, yesterday withdrew a suit filed at a Federal High Court, Abuja to detain the former terrorists’ negotiator, Tukur Mamu, for 60 more days after his arrest. DSS’ counsel, A.M. Danlami, told Justice Nkeonye Maha after the matter was called for hearing. The suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/ 1619/2022 between SSS and Tukur Mamu, was listed for further proceedings on the day’s cause list. Upon resumed hearing, Danlami, who sought to withdraw the case, said that the matter has been overtaken by event. “My lord, this matter is slated for hearing today. However, the matter has been overtaken by event. We wish to withdraw the suit,” he said. Following the application, Justice Maha struck out the suit. “Application of the learned counsel succeeds. The application is hereby struck out having been withdrawn,” she ruled. The security agency, through its lawyer, Ahmed Magaji, had, on September 13, moved a motion exparte, which sought an order of the court to detain Mamu for 60 more group. "We hope this statement clears all the queries most of us have been inundated with on this allimportant subject matter." Why I dumped Atiku, endorsed Obi —Ex-SGF Earlier, the former SGF, Mr Lawal, yesterday, explained why he endorsed Mr Peter Obi and dumped the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Lawal, in a statement, recommended LP candidates to Nigerians, saying they would ensure justice, equity, fairness and unity in the country. The statement reads: "As one of the foremost critics of APC's singlefaith presidential ticket and also in difference to those who have patiently waited for our guidance as to where to pitch our tent, after a painstaking review and analysis of the alternative presidential tickets, we now wish to recommend the Obi/Datti presidential ticket. "We wish to briefly narrate a few reasons among many, why we have endorsed this ticket and recommend it to all Nigerians of good conscience who desire justice, equity and a harmonious co-existence of all Nigerians across tribes, religions and geopolitical regions. "It is an indisputable fact that the whole of Northern Nigeria is currently mired in several intractable socio-economic problems, due to the activities of several nebulous criminal groups. "In our quest for justice and equity in the socio-political and religious space of the country, it is obvious that only the Obi/Datti ticket has the potential to deliver." 2023 polls 'll be a runoff Earlier speaking on a Channels Television programme tagged Politics Today, the former SGF said he warned the Presidential Candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu over the dangers of same faith ticket. Predicting the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, he said: "This election will go to a run-off as the chances of ending on the first ballot are slim. APC is not on this ballot. days in the first instance, pending the conclusion of its investigation. The motion, marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/1617/2022, was dated and filed on September 12. It urged the court to grant its reliefs to enable it conclude its investigation on Mamu, who had been leading the negotiation with the terrorists for the release of the Abuja-Kaduna train passengers kidnapped in March. Almost six months after the Abuja-Kaduna train passengers were kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists, the remaining 23 kidnapped victims finally regained their freedom on Oct. 5 following the Federal Government‘s intervention. Mamu was, on September 6, arrested in Cairo, capital of Egypt, with his family members by foreign security agents. Mamu, who was on his way to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj, was detained at Cairo International Airport before being repatriated back to Nigeria. Meanwhile, the DSS, in the affidavit in support of the ex-parte motion, alleged that its preliminary investigation established the offences of logistic supplier, aiding and abetting acts of terrorism against Mamu.
Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2022 — 9 :Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 PRESENTATION—DMD, Zenith Bank, Adaora Umeoji; Founder/CEO, Foris Lab, Onuigbo Chukwubuikem; Founder/CEO, Ecotutu, Babajide Oluwase; Founder/CEO, Finva, Oluwatomisin Kolawole, and GMD/CEO, Zenith Bank Plc., Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, during the presentation of cash prizes to winners of the Hackathon, at the Zenith Tech Fair 2.0, held at Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Nigeria Air: Court extends status quo order By Innocent Anaba A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, renewed its order directing the Federal Government and domestic airlines to maintain status quo in their suit concerning the establishment of a proposed national carrier, Nigeria Air. Trial judge, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, made the order pending the determination of the suit by the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited and Topbrass Aviation Limited. Defendants in the suit are Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, Sen. Hadi Sirika (Minister of Aviation, Federal Ministry of Aviation) and the Attorney-General of the Federation. Meanwhile, two "intervenors/ applicants" Capt. Edward Boyo and Capt. Nogie Meggison, brought an application praying the court to strike out the name of The Registered Trustees of Airline Operators of Nigeria as a party in a suit, arguing that its inclusion in the suit "is invalid." The court had on November 15, restrained the Federal Government and Ethiopian Airlines from proceeding with the establishment of Nigeria Air Limited. The judge also ordered parties to maintain the status quo, following the plaintiffs' motion ex-parte in suit FHC/L/CS/2159/ 2022. At the resumed hearing on the matter, yesterday, Mr. Nureni Jimoh, SAN, counsel to airline operators, tried to move his motion on notice for an injunction against the Girls school enrollment in 6 northern states increases by 1.5m in 10 years —Report By Joseph Erunke ABUJA—THE attendance rate of girls in primary schools in the six states of northern Nigeria has improved from 43 per cent to 70 per cent, while gender parity improved from 0.73 to 0.97, following the collaborative interventions by Nigeria, the Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO, of the UK, and the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF girls’ education programme. A report of the programme released at the national closing ceremony of GEP3 held in Abuja yesterday, revealed that the Girls Education Programme, GEP, Phase 3, otherwise known as GEE3, also saw additional 1.5 million girls enrolled in schools defendants but it was opposed by Mr. Seun Oriowo for Nigeria Air and Minister of Aviation, Mr. Raji Rasaki, for the AGF and Mr. Ajibola Salisu for the intervening applicants. The judge turned down Raji's argument for an adjournment for lawyers from the AGF's Abuja office to take over the defence, rather than those from its Lagos office. Mr. Bassey Attol for Ethiopian Airlines, informed the court that he had filed a response to Jimoh's in six states of the north between 2012 and 2022. The intervention was in response to the low level of participation of girls in schooling in the six Nigerian states of Katsina, Kano, Niger, Sokoto, Zamfara and Bauchi. The Federal Ministry of Education, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO, UK, and UNICEF implemented the programme between 2012 and 2022. At the event, the partners reported that the programme’s investment of $109 million yielded positive results in enrolling an additional 1.5 million girls into school, far exceeding the project’s target. GEP3 worked to improve the 2023: Match your words with action, CAN tasks presidential candidates By Luminous Jannamike ABUJA—THE Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has called on all the candidates running for the highest office in the land in next year's general elections to match words with action and fulfil their commitments to the suggestions put forward as solutions to the crisis of development and governance facing the nation. Recall that the apex Christian body had consulted with Nigerians of diverse religious, ethnic and social class on the problems of the country as well as possible solutions to them, and articulated these ideas in a document it christened, 'The Charter for a New Nigeria'. The position of CAN on certain national issues based on this document, was presented to the presidential candidates at the just-concluded interactive session with them in Abuja. However, in a statement yesterday, the CAN President, His Eminence Archbishop Daniel Okoh, urged the presidential candidates who have made up their minds to execute the suggested solutions to the country's challenges as spelt out in the charter to walk the talk, if elected in 2023. He said: "On behalf of the national leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, I sincerely commend the presidential candidates that honoured our invitation to the just-concluded interactive session, with a view to discussing issues that will promote the common good of every citizen of Nigeria. "Their decision to meet and dialogue with CAN officials and other Christian leaders, ahead of the 2023 general elections, is remarkable not only because the Church is a critical stakeholder in the Nigerian project, it also provided us a platform to collectively review our understanding of the crisis of development and governance facing our nation and find a lasting solution to them "CAN salutes the candour of all the presidential candidates who participated in the interactive session and charge those among them who have made up their minds to execute the suggested solutions to our national crisis as spelt out in the charter to walk that talk seriously, if elected in 2023. "However, there is a need for proper understanding of the issues on ground and thorough planning to ensure that pronouncements do not end up as mere rhetoric while an impatient public counts the days – for implementation. application, while Salisu's prayer for an adjournment was opposed by Jimoh, on the ground that "the intervening applicant is not a party to this suit. He is an interloper here to disrupt proceedings." In his ruling, Justice Lewis- Allagoa held: "I've viewed all the applications before me. In the circumstances, the proper thing to do is for parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of this suit." quality of education for all children and helped girls gain better access to education and economic opportunities, breaking the cycle of poverty and disadvantage. Speaking at the event, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said: “In our commitment to drastically reduce the number of out-of-school children, Nigeria appreciates the scaling of evidence-based solution in tackling this menace as provided through the GEP3. As we continue on this path, we would leverage on the success of GEP3 to plan better, budget better, and make better decisions in putting more girl-child in school. “GEP3 has not only been successful in getting more girls into formal and non-formal schools, but it has also improved learning outcomes. 'GEP3 has raised the profile of educated girls, created new positive social norms in many communities and enabled a transformational shift in mindsets about the importance of girls' education.'' In his remarks, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, said: ''It is critical that we advocate scaling of the approach in all states. “I express the deep appreciation of UNICEF to the UK government for this longterm commitment and funding for girls’ access to primary school in northern Nigeria. Together, there remains much work to be done to ensure that girls transition to, and complete secondary education. ''This is important not only for the economic prosperity and wellbeing of the girl and her family, but also to stem the high population growth expected in Nigeria. Money laundering: A-Court affirms conviction of Maina’s son •Reduces jail term to 7 years By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA—THE Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal yesterday upheld the conviction of Faisal, son of the jailed former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, PRTT, Abdulrasheed Maina. Faisal, who is 22 years old, was on October 7, 2021, convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court, in the judgement that was delivered by trial Justice Okon Abang, found Faisal guilty on all threecount money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him. The defendant, who jumped bail on June 24, 2020, and failed to appear in court for his trial, was convicted in absentia. EFCC told the court that it got an intelligence that he escaped to the United States of America, USA. Consequently, the trial court ordered that he should be arrested whenever he is found in the country and remanded in any prison to serve his jail term. It held that the Federal Government should upon confirming that he ran outside the country, "legally or lawfully commence extradition process to bring him into the country to serve the jail term". However, dissatisfied with the judgement, lawyers to the defendant went to the appellate court to set it aside. They argued that the appellant was denied fair hearing by the trial court. Delivering judgement in the matter on Thursday, a threemember panel of the appellate court, while upholding Faisal's conviction, however described the 14 years jail term that was handed to him by the trial court as "excessive". It noted that the appellant, being a first time offender, should not have been slammed with the maximum punishment prescribed by the law. Consequently, the appellate court, in its lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu, reduced Faisal's term of imprisonment to seven years. The trial court had in its verdict, held that the EFCC, successfully established that Faisal operated a fictitious bank account with the United Bank for Africa, UBA, through which his father, Maina, laundered the sum of N58.11million. The court noted that the said fund which was deposited into the account that was operated in the name of Alhaji Faisal Farm 2, was sequentially withdrawn by the Defendant and his father, between October 2013 and June 2019. Justice Abang said he was satisfied that the EFCC proved all the essential ingredients of the charge, stressing that the Defendant reasonably ought to have known that inflows into the bank account formed proceeds of an unlawful act of corruption by his father. While the court sentenced the Defendant to 5 years in count 1 and 3 of the charge, he was sentenced to 14 years on count 2 of the charge. The court held that the sentence would run concurrently, starting from the judgement day. Besides, the court ordered that the company, through which the fund was laundered, Alhaji Faisal Farm 2, be wound up, with all the funds in it, forfeited to the government. The trial court had also sentenced Faisal's father, Maina, to eight years in prison over his involvement in money laundering to the tune of about N2billion. Maina had also jumped bail and was subsequently arrested in Niger Republic by the Interpol and returned back to the country for the conclusion of his trial. Child Rights Act now domesticated in 34 states —FG By Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA—THE Federal Government said yesterday that 34 of the 36 states of the federation have domesticated the Child Rights Act dealing with issues of child abuse, child labour, and forced marriage, among others, in Nigeria. The proposed law, named "Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (2015)," had been domesticated by just 13 states as at 2019, raising concerns in government and child rights circles. Appearing on the 59th edition of the Ministerial Media Briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa Abuja, the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, who gave the update, said she had been actively involved in the advocacy to ensure all states keyed into the initiative. The minister said she had •Says only Kano, Zamfara yet to domesticate it personally met with key stakeholders and speakers of state Houses of Assembly to stress the need for them to pass the bill into law for their governors to assent. She expressed confidence that the two remaining states, which she did no name, would soon pass the bill to domesticate the Act. Although the minister declined to mention the two states yet to domesticate the Act, sources within the ministry said Kano and Zamfara are the two states yet to domisticate the Act. "We go to the traditional rulers, we go to community leaders, we go to religious leaders, we go to the state assemblies,'' Tallen said. She also noted that the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to have all states domesticate the Act, was complemented by the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, and the Forum of First Ladies.
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