Governors’ meeting on economic crisis inconclusive again

A meeting of state governors held Wednesday night to address the nation’s economic crisis was again inconclusive.
That was the second time in a week that the Nigeria Governors Forum could not reach a conclusion on the crisis which has led to the inability of many state governments to pay salaries.
The forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, told State House correspondents at the end of the meeting held inside the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja that no conclusion had been reached on the matter.
Yari who is the governor of Zamfara State said the governors would meet again to continue deliberation and would also seek an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari on the matter.
He said, “The meeting was about the economy. You know we are in a very bad situation and we need to come together and discuss intensively about this economy because it is what is now giving the states headache and by extension the Federal Government.
“If you look carefully at this month’s federation account, it is the worst ever in the last six years.
“So, definitely we had to come to a round table. We were elected under different party platforms to perform, not just to pay salaries and it is worse off not to be able to pay salaries.
“So, the issue is very very serious that we are coming back to discuss it and if we have the opportunity, we will come back to see our leader Mr. President.”
When reminded that the Federal Government recently helped state governments with bailouts, Yari said beyond bailouts, the governors were more interested in permanent solutions to the economic problem.
He said although the governors were talking about diversification, that is a long term programme.
The governor said, “Yes, we are discussing about diversification but you should understand that it is a long term programme. We are looking for a short term formula for you to live, at least survive before the long term.
“So on diversification, we are looking at agriculture, which is supposed to be the major focus long time ago but has been neglected by the past administrations.
“Now that we found ourselves in this situation, we are working harder to diversify the economy and to look forward to a more permanent solution should in case oil goes out of existence but at the same time we have to look for a short term solution.”
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, also confirmed that the meeting was about finding a lasting solution to the economic crisis, saying all of them were concerned about the dwindling economy.
Fayose said as leaders, the state governors believed they must come together to find a solution.
He however disagreed with Yari that past administrations neglected agriculture.
He said, “That is subjective. Every leader at one time or the other must have done their best within the ambit of availability.
“For me, every former President, every former leader had made their contributions and I commend them. The new people on the saddle of leadership must continue to give their best.
“Before now, recession was in America and the west, now we have recession facing us. What we depend on as source of our revenue is dwindling. It is not the making of any man, it i another trend in our history that we have to deal with and we are doing just that.
“We will do our best we can only try our best, we have time and tenure.”
Also, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, said there was no one single meeting that could find a solution to all the economic issues.
He said, “You convene and reconvene. No human being can know it all at a particular point in time.
“The economic issues we have now is not only pertaining to Nigeria, it is a global issue, so you can’t just at one meeting of about two hours fashion out entire solution for the country.
“We trouble shoot some points, we discuss those points and we have to weigh the impact of those points both the positive negative, the extreme, the mid-point.
“And you know once you are bringing out certain policies, you also need to align those policies with the social cultural environment that you are operating in.
“What may work in this part of the world may not work in other parts even though it is a good policy. So realign and readjust and connect these things together and bring out something that can work is not something a two-hour meeting can achieve.”

Saraki files fresh application to disqualify CCT chairman On April 28, 201610:16 amIn NewsComments 66 0 1 0 By Chris Ochayi, with agency reports ABUJA — The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has filed another application to disqualify Danladi Umar, the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, from continuing to preside over his trial. Bukola and Saraki Danladi Umar Bukola and Saraki Danladi Umar Danladi Umar, chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, however, ordered security operatives attached to Saraki to leave the courtroom, even as the tribunal warned against posting clips of its proceeding on social media. Ajibola Oluyede, a counsel to Saraki, who is being tried for alleged false and anticipatory assets declaration, filed the application shortly after the trial resumed yesterday. He said the tribunal chairman still had a serious corruption case against him with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and premised his application on Section 36(1) of the constitution, which addressed the issue of biases and the rules of natural justice. Oluyede had unsuccessfully moved a similar application last week, which resulted in a heated exchange between him and Umar. After reading his motion, Oluyede called the attention of the court to a letter written to the Attorney-General by the EFCC chairman in February 2015, which was part of his exhibits against Umar. Oluyede read out paragraph four of the letter: “There are indications that the tribunal chairman might have demanded and collected money from the complainant through his said personal assistant. “However, efforts made to recover the telephone handset used by Justice Umar proved abortive, as he claimed that he had lost the telephone in 2012. “This has made it impossible to subject it to independent scientific analysis, with a view to corroborating the allegation. In the same vein, the complainant could also not make available his telephone set for analysis on the grounds that he had lost it. “Justice Umar also admitted that he met privately with the complainant in his chamber at the tribunal. This is a most unethical and highly suspicious conduct on his part.” Justice Umar had initially declined to entertain the motion, but prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, urged him to admit the application so that it can be argued. The letter cited is a 2014 petition sent to the EFCC, in which Rasheed Taiwo, a retired Customs official, claimed to have been pressured by Mr. Umar for a N10 million bribe. The EFCC has repeatedly said it had no evidence to prosecute Umar over the matter. Umar orders Saraki’s security out of tribunal As proceedings continued, chairman of the tribunal ordered security operatives attached to Saraki to leave the courtroom. He gave the order shortly after counsel to the prosecution, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), and counsel for the defence, Kanu Agabi, announced their appearances. The CCT judge said his order was for the safety of all those present at the tribunal. “We have observed that some armed security agents are at the tribunal. We want such security men to stay outside. They should stay outside of the court hall not inside. It is for the protection of us here,” he said. Umar also warned against the recording of proceedings of the tribunal, adding that he was ready to make the trial open to all Nigerians, if parties to the case filed an application for it to broadcast. Nobody’ ll assassinate you, Agabi tells Umar Speaking afterwards, Agabi, Saraki’s lead counsel, urged the judge not to nurse fears because nobody would assassinate him. He said: “My prayer is for peace and understanding. By God’s grace, you are in that post to be instrumental. I believe harmony and love will prevail. That is why I always urge you not to be angry because anger is not of God, but of the devil. “Generations to come will adore you if you are humble and humane. Nobody will assassinate you, but you should be an advocate for peace.” 19 political parties ask Umar to step down Meanwhile, the leadership of 19 political registered parties, yesterday, called on the chairman of the tribunal to step down from the ongoing trial of the Senate President, arguing that recent events indicated that he was an interested party in the matter. Annoyed by what they described as witch-hunt, the parties noted that Justice Umar would not be impartial or unbiased in this case, given the circumstances of his relationship with the EFCC. Besides, the parties also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct an immediate investigation to unravel the circumstances which led to the EFFC issuing the letter of clearance to Justice Umar over his alleged involvement in N10 million bribery scandal. Addressing newsmen in Abuja, National Chairman of Labour Party, LP, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, who read the text of the media briefing on behalf of the parties, said Justice Umar had failed to demonstrate a dispassion required of anyone sitting in judgment over others. The political parties are Labour Party, LP; Action Alliance, AA; National Conscience Party, NCP; Democratic Peoples Party, DPP; African Democratic Congress, ADC; Democratic Party of Nigeria, DPN, and MPPP, among others. The parties noted: “We believe his continued stay on the bench while this defendant is appearing before the tribunal supports the conspiracy theory that there is an agenda to convict Dr. Saraki by all means.” The political parties which said they were not against the trail of the Senate President, added, however, that, “President Buhari needs to act now, not to stop Saraki’s trial but to ensure that the process of fighting corruption does not end up being even more corrupt than the corruption it seeks to eliminate.”

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/saraki-files-fresh-application-disqualify-cct-chairman/