"Saraki's Trial Mischievous, Vindictive and Politically Motivated." Senators

A group of senators yesterday expressed support for embattled Senate President Bukola Saraki in his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

In a statement signed by Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba (Sokoto South) on behalf of others, the lawmakers said the trial was mischievous, vindictive and politically-motivated.

The statement said: “We also want to state here, on behalf of our colleagues, that the Senate remains solidly behind Senator Saraki and we express our unalloyed support for his leadership.

“We are happy that he appeared at the Tribunal after availing himself of the opportunity to defend his Fundamental Human Rights.

“We reiterate the fact that he is our choice for the post of Senate President and no politically motivated, mischievous and vindictive trial will change our opinion of him.

“By his appearance at the Tribunal, he has demonstrated his firm belief in the rule of law and his respect for our judicial process. We join Dr. Saraki in affirming our commitment to the rule of law, constitutionalism and democracy.

“We only hope the other arms of government will ensure that due process and procedures are followed in this trial and on all other issues.

“It is our belief that at the end of this trial, our democracy, Nigerians and the people will end up as the beneficiaries”.

They also restated commitment to the programmes and policies of the Buhari administration.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu led 29 other senators to the CCT in solidarity with the Senate President.

Some supporters of the embattled Senate President, including placard-carrying women group, were also on hand at the CCB to show solidarity to Saraki.

Senators at the CCT are: Amori Ighoyota (Delta Central), Bassey Albert Akpan (Akwa North East) Abdulrahman Abubakar (Kogi East),Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo Central),Kabiru Gaya (Kano Central),Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North), Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto North), Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara North) and Theodore Orji (Abia Central).

Others are Senators Ben Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa East) Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa Central), Ogola Foster (Bayelsa West) Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia North), Gilbert Nnaji (Enugu East) Rose Oko (Cross River North), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North), Olaka Nwogu (Rivers South East), Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East), Sunny Ogbuoji (Ebonyi South), Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger East), Isa Hamma Missau (Bauchi  Central), Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi  Central) Kaura Tijjani (Famfara North), Clifford Ordia ( Edo Central), Mohammed Ohiare (Kogi Central) Ibrahim Adullahi Dambaba, Rafui Ibrahim (Kwara South),Gershom Henry Bassey (Cross River South) and Ibrahim Dambaba (Sokoto South).

The women took over the road leading to the tribunal singing the praises of the Senate President.

Another grouped that styled itself Northern Youth Assembly Bukola supporters were also at the tribunal

The placard-bearing supporters described the trial of Saraki as politically motivated.

Some of the placards read “Leave Bukola alone, No Bukola no Nigeria, Bukola is a leader”.

Volkswagen CEO, Martin Winterkon Quits

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has resigned amid the emissions scandal engulfing the German carmaker.

Mr Winterkorn announced his resignation to the stock market, saying he had made the decision for the good of the company.

He said he was "shocked" at the scandal.

"I am doing this in the interests of the company even though I am not aware of any wrong doing on my part," he said in a statement.

"Volkswagen needs a fresh start - also in terms of personnel. I am clearing the way for this fresh start with my resignation."

"Saraki's Trial Mischievous, Vindictive and Politically Motivated" Senators

A group of senators yesterday expressed support for embattled Senate President Bukola Saraki in his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

In a statement signed by Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba (Sokoto South) on behalf of others, the lawmakers said the trial was mischievous, vindictive and politically-motivated.

The statement said: “We also want to state here, on behalf of our colleagues, that the Senate remains solidly behind Senator Saraki and we express our unalloyed support for his leadership.

“We are happy that he appeared at the Tribunal after availing himself of the opportunity to defend his Fundamental Human Rights.

“We reiterate the fact that he is our choice for the post of Senate President and no politically motivated, mischievous and vindictive trial will change our opinion of him.

“By his appearance at the Tribunal, he has demonstrated his firm belief in the rule of law and his respect for our judicial process. We join Dr. Saraki in affirming our commitment to the rule of law, constitutionalism and democracy.

“We only hope the other arms of government will ensure that due process and procedures are followed in this trial and on all other issues.

“It is our belief that at the end of this trial, our democracy, Nigerians and the people will end up as the beneficiaries”.

They also restated commitment to the programmes and policies of the Buhari administration.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu led 29 other senators to the CCT in solidarity with the Senate President.

Some supporters of the embattled Senate President, including placard-carrying women group, were also on hand at the CCB to show solidarity to Saraki.

Senators at the CCT are: Amori Ighoyota (Delta Central), Bassey Albert Akpan (Akwa North East) Abdulrahman Abubakar (Kogi East),Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo Central),Kabiru Gaya (Kano Central),Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North), Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto North), Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara North) and Theodore Orji (Abia Central).

Others are Senators Ben Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa East) Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa Central), Ogola Foster (Bayelsa West) Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia North), Gilbert Nnaji (Enugu East) Rose Oko (Cross River North), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North), Olaka Nwogu (Rivers South East), Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East), Sunny Ogbuoji (Ebonyi South), Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger East), Isa Hamma Missau (Bauchi  Central), Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi  Central) Kaura Tijjani (Famfara North), Clifford Ordia ( Edo Central), Mohammed Ohiare (Kogi Central) Ibrahim Adullahi Dambaba, Rafui Ibrahim (Kwara South),Gershom Henry Bassey (Cross River South) and Ibrahim Dambaba (Sokoto South).

The women took over the road leading to the tribunal singing the praises of the Senate President.

Another grouped that styled itself Northern Youth Assembly Bukola supporters were also at the tribunal

The placard-bearing supporters described the trial of Saraki as politically motivated.

Some of the placards read “Leave Bukola alone, No Bukola no Nigeria, Bukola is a leader”.

"Concessional Posting off the Table"NYSC D.G

The director general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, has disclosed that the scheme would no longer entertain requests from people, seeking concessional posting for their wards, relatives and friends for the NYSC mandatory one year service.

Olawumi, who was speaking during the opening ceremony of the training organised by the NYSC and the Housing Developers Cooperative Society for Corps Members at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Kubwa, Abuja, stated that the scheme has introduced a self-deployment mechanism to enable the prospective corps members choose a state where they wish to serve.

The DG, while urging members of the public to stop disturbing staff of the scheme with their requests for concession, disclosed that their online platform was designed in a way that corps members that have genuine reasons for concession would not be denied.

He said, “The NYSC is barring concessional posting; we have to take that decision, because in the past, we allowed concessional posting for prospective corps members, who had medical challenge, or married women or pregnant women, but as it stands now, our online registration platform has been designed in such a way to address the problem of those prospective corps members who have health challenges or married women.”

“So, all they need to do is that, in the process of doing their registration, there are information these categories of people need to supply and upload the documents, our portal has been designed in such a way that it will automatically post them to where they filled.

“I want to say that in the past few weeks we have been receiving requests from various quarters; ministries, departments, agencies, private institutions and individuals seeking for concessional posting. I want to say that they are just wasting their time,” he stated.

Olawumi explained that the training for the corps members organised by the scheme and the Housing Developers’ Cooperative Society was aimed at training and graduating skilled manpower in housing sector.

“The inauguration of 200 youth corps members for training in special areas of labour need in the housing development sector reaffirms our pledge to give useful skills to every willing graduate partaking in the national service,” he said.

Dr.Ngozi Iweala on Double Appointments

Former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been appointed into two key international positions.

She is to serve as Chair of the 28-member Board of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), an international Public-Private Partnership, which is committed to saving the lives of children and protecting people’s health by improving access to immunisation in developing countries, including Nigeria.

A statement from her Media Adviser, Paul C Nwabuikwu explained that she was elected to the position after a competitive international search process. “GAVI is a $12 billion multilateral partnership which disburses grants of upwards of $1.8 billion annually to developing countries for immunisation programmes,” the statement added.

GAVI brings together developing countries and donor governments, the World Health Organisation, (WHO) United Nations Education Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private philanthropists.

Obasanjo Now a Children Story Writer

The former president said he decided to launch the story book entitled, “Peace Story for Children” to ensure the entrenchment of sustainable peace in the country.

Obasanjo, while launching the 14-page booklet illustrated with various cartoons at an event held at the OOPL, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, attended by pupils from different secondary schools in the state, said that it had become imperative to sow the seeds of peace in the minds of children whose minds were more receptive to ideas.

Obasanjo, who was represented at the launch of the booklet by the Director of the OOPL Centre for Human Security, Prof. Peter Okebukola, noted that since the youths were the leaders of tomorrow, imbibing the essence of peace when young should be vigorously pursued.

Addressing the pupils from the various schools who also participated in a debate with the theme, “Whose Responsibility Is It to ensure peace? Is it the people or the government?”, Okebukola disclosed that Obasanjo called him overnight to tell Nigerian children to imbibe the culture of peace while still young.

"See Me in Court Tomorrow." Sariki

Senate President Bukola Saraki says he will be at the Code of Conduct Tribunal tomorrow September 22nd as a mark of respect for the rule of law. He said this in a statement he released this afternoon on his Facebook page

The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki will appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal tomorrowTuesday 22nd of September 2015. While the Senate President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, had stated and maintained that he is ready to submit himself to due process of the law on any issue concerning him, he also believes that he has an inalienable right to resort to the same judiciary for protection when he feels his fundamental rights are about to be infringed upon.

The Senate President is a law abiding citizen and his absence from tribunal was based on legal advice he received from his counsel that it is not necessary for him to appear before the tribunal at this stage since the jurisdiction of the tribunal and the process of initiating the matter are being challenged before the federal High Court Abuja.

Following the adjournment for the determination of the motion on notice and the substantive suit before the Federal High Court to 30th of September and the appeal pending before the Court of Appeal adjourned to the 29th of September 2015, the Senate President has decided, as a law abiding citizen, to appear before the Tribunal in the interim.

Dr. Saraki has taken the decision to attend the Tribunal sitting to demonstrate his respect for the rule of law in spite of his personal reservation on the process of his trial and the purpose it may be intended to serve.

Dr. Saraki wishes to assure Nigerians of his absolute belief in the judicial process and is therefore confident that the course of justice would be served at the end of this matter.

Source :linda Ikeji