The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested the immediate past Chairman , Kwara State Internal Revenue Service , Prof Muritala Awodun , and a former Chairman of Finance and Appropriation Committee , Kwara State House of Assembly, Mr Moshood Bakare , over an alleged N5 bn fraud in the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service .
Also being interrogated for the fraud allegedly perpetrated between 2015 and May 2019 are some employees of the revenue service .
The EFCC also stated that the immediate past state Commissioner for Finance , Alhaji Ademola Banu , a former state Accountant General, Mr Ishola Sulyman, 24 ex- lawmakers in the state House of Assembly, some Permanent Secretaries and highly -placed politicians in the state participated in looting the state funds .
A statement issued on Friday by the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity , Wilson Uwujaren , said , “The EFCC has uncovered how the 24 ex- lawmakers of the Kwara State House of Assembly, the immediate past Commissioner for Finance , Ademola Banu , and some companies allegedly swindled about N 5bn belonging to the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service between 2015 and 2019 .
“The immediate past Chairman of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service , Prof Muritala Awodun , a former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Mr Moshood Bakare , and some workers of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service are presently being interrogated by the operatives of the commission.
“It was discovered during the investigations that about five companies linked to the highly- placed politicians in Kwara State benefited about N 4 bn from the money without any valid contractual agreements with the state government .”
The EFCC claimed that Bakare said while the fraud was being perpetrated , about N4 m was being paid into the bank account of his personal assistant who was presently being detained by the EFCC.
“He would withdraw the money and give it to me and I would then hand it over to the Speaker , Dr Ali Ahmad , who would share it among all the lawmakers , ” the EFCC’s statement quoted Bakare as saying .
The anti- graft agency further said a Personal Assistant to a former state governor , Rafiu Olasile , received N 10 m cash from one of the aides to the ex- Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation and Finance .
But in a reaction, a member of the finance committee of the 8 th state Assembly told journalists in Ilorin on Friday that the EFCC’s allegations against the immediate past lawmakers were false .
The former lawmaker , who spoke on the condition of anonymity , said , “There was no money withdrawn from the KWIRS by the executive council or the state House of Assembly without following the law and written approval of the state governor during the period mentioned.
“There was no N 4m coming to the House every month from the internal revenue service . What is happening is a political vendetta by the present government through the EFCC to tarnish the image of the ex- lawmakers and former government of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state .”

WASHINGTON—Justifying the expenditure as necessary to preserve the only bastion of democracy in the Middle East, both houses of Congress voted unanimously Thursday to extend $3 billion in emergency military aid to Benjamin Netanyahu to defend himself against the Israeli justice system. “Today, we act decisively in support of our closest foreign ally in his fight against the threatening and potentially violent cabal of the Israeli legal system,” said Senate Appropriations Committee chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) of the bill, which provides monetary and physical assistance to the prime minister against a recent unprovoked volley of corruption charges. “With this aid, the United States will be sending a fleet of F35s that will help stamp out current attacks and bolster the security of Netanyahu for years to come. Just like any political leader, the prime minister deserves a right to exist in peace, free from fear of laws. It is incumbent on us as Americans to extend protection to the most vulnerable among us, and for the world to recognize that an attack on Netanyahu is an attack on all of us.” At press, U.S. military forces in the area had been instructed to keep an eye on potential hotbeds of resistance for anti-Netanyahu forces such as courtrooms, law firms, and public records offices.

• Lalong and APC file appeals of their own against election tribunal judgement
• Dismiss the Cross Appeals – Useni’s Legal Team urges Court of Appeal
• Appeal panel undergoes minor reshuffle
• Presiding Justice reserves judgement on all appeals
Gubernatorial Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State in the last election Lt. Gen ( Rtd) Sen. Jeremiah Timbut Useni has strongly maintained that his appeal against Governor Simon Bako Lalong is a very relevant post-election matter and should be allowed.
He insists that Lalong did provide false information to INEC in his form CF001, and this was equally entered as a finding by the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in its judgement delivered on October 2, 2019.
Senator Useni’s five-member legal team was led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN and Hon. Edward Pwajok, SAN, with Benson Igbanoi, Sunny-Gabriel Odey, B.O Ojemu and John Odidi.
Ozekhome told the appeal panel that one sore point in the appeal was that the tribunal in its judgement did not rely on the Supreme Court judgement delivered on September 26, 2019, which set aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal which had disallowed the testimony of witness PW12, whereas the witness had been allowed by the tribunal to give evidence during its seating.
This situation had led the tribunal to expunge the testimonies of 19 other witnesses during the judgement. Chief Ozekhome explained that “The tribunal ought to have taken judicial notice of the judgement of the Supreme Court.”
He therefore urged the Court of Appeal justices to set aside the judgement of the tribunal which did not declare Senator Useni as duly elected governor of Plateau.
The two cross appeals by Simon Bako Lalong and the All Progressives Congress were in connection to some aspects of the decision of the election petition tribunal delivered on October 2nd, 2019.
Lalong’s legal team led by Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and that of APC led by Garba Pwul, SAN, urged the Honourable Justices to allow the cross appeals because matters of qualification have been settled by the Supreme Court as being pre-election issues. In addition, they said, the Supreme Court had also declared the aspect of the demand for Certificates as contained in the INEC form CF001 to be unconstitutional. They cited the cases between Atiku and INEC and Akinlade and INEC , and prayed the Court to allow the cross appeals and to dismiss or strike out Useni’s petition.
However, Useni’s leading Counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, vehemently argued against their brief of argument. He maintained that his client’s petition is in no way a pre- election matter. He argued that in the case of Atiku, the Supreme Court found that Buhari did not supply false information, but that the case at hand shows that the trial tribunal found that the cross appellant supplied false information with twelve names listed.
Ozekhome added that Simon Bako Lalong did not lead any evidence or call any witness to link him with the WAEC/GCE Certificate he had presented unlike Buhari who called witnesses to testify regarding his certificates. “Therefore, I urge my lords to dismiss the cross appeals as lacking in merit, vexatious and gold digging.”
After listening to Useni’s appeal and the cross appeals, Presiding Justice, J.O Bada, announced that he had reserved judgement on all the cases.
Thursday’s seating also witnessed a slight reshuffle of the five-member appeal panel, as Hon. Justice Yargata Nimpar was unavailable, but Hon. Justice M. Adumein sat on the panel.
Gen Useni was personally in court along with his Deputy, Dr James Dalok, party Chairman, Damishi Sango, His Deputy Amos Gombi, DG, Useni’s campaign Organisation, Prof Dimis Mai-Lafia, senior party officials at both state and local government levels and many PDP Stakeholders and supporters.
Yiljap Abraham
Media Consultant to
Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Sen. Jeremiah Timbut Useni, DSS, Fwc, mni, CFR.

Foreign News

Sailors aboard the USS New York pay their respects every year to those who died in the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The plan for Tuesday is to perform the ceremony at Naval Station Mayport, the home base for the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock.
But this ship carries more than a New York name. Reminders of 9/11 abound. Its very nose is made from steel salvaged from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. And its sailors are taught to never forget their connection to the catastrophe.
“Every ship in the Navy has a namesake room or a legacy room, but on our ship the whole ship is a legacy to what happened,” Command Master Chief Ben Hodges said.
A steel plate recovered from the Trade Center rubble is on display above one of the most-used passageways. A firefighter’s helmet reminds sailors of the first responders who sprung into action.
Hodges said the reminders extend to the ship’s daily prayer ritual, for which the chaplain chooses the name of someone who died in the attacks to honor. It all makes it impossible to forget Sept. 11, he said.
“We talk to all of our sailors when they initially check in and explain to them the significance of what they are a part of,” Hodges said. “You can’t help when you walk around the ship to notice all the things meant to remind you of why you serve.”
Despite all of the reminders found in many corners of the ship, the piece with the greatest significance goes unseen.
The New York’s bow stem — the part at the very front of the ship just below the water’s surface — was forged using steel from one of the twin towers.
The USS New York sails the Hudson River on November 2nd, 2009
(U.S. Navy/Wikimedia Commons)
The scrap had been located at the Staten Island landfill; and it is believed to have been from the south tower. On Veterans Day 2002, the Intrepid Air-Sea-Space Museum presented it on behalf of the City of New York to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, according to the Navy.
Navy engineers determined it was possible to use thousands of pounds of the salvaged steel for the bow stem casting, and the molten steel was cast Sept. 9, 2003, at the Amite Foundry and Machine in Amite, La. The steel was treated and about 7.5 tons of it was smelted for the part of the ship that cuts through the water.
Kevin Wensing remembers the day that workers poured the sacred steel into the mold. He was there as a special assistant to then-Secretary of the Navy Gordon England.
A band played as Navy officers and politicians mixed with factory workers who wanted to be a part of the occasion. Wensing said it was one of the most reverent occasions he’s ever been a part of.
“It was a very spiritual, kind of religious thing, in a way, when you are down in Amite, Louisiana, and you think about all the people who suffered on 9/11,” Wensing said.
Wensing said employees had been making it a point to touch pieces of the steel when they came to work each day.
“Everyone involved with the project knew it was something special,” Wensing said.
The secretary of the Navy is in charge of naming all future Navy vessels, so part of Wensing’s job at the time was to read through thousands of letters asking for specific names.
He said the idea to name the ship for New York came just a few days after the attacks. The USS Arlington and USS Somerset were named for the Virginia home of the bomb-damaged Pentagon and the Pennsylvania county where United Flight 93 crashed.
Wensing said the decision to name vessels after the attack locations was easy, but it was much harder to decide what types of ships would get the names.
Submarines are usually the only vessels named for states, Wensing said, but it’s extremely difficult to get civilians on board subs for tours. So because the New York, Arlington and Somerset would be vessels with frequent tour requests, it was imperative that they were surface ships.
There’s another specific reason why they are all San Antonio-class amphibious transport ships. Wensing said the secretary wanted the ships to be vessels that housed both Navy sailors and Marines, so the transport ships made perfect sense.
Although the New York is often toured by civilians, Tuesday’s ceremony is not open to the public, Hodges said.
But he said on the anniversary of the attacks everyone should be reminded of the ship’s motto: “Strength forged through sacrifice. Never forget.”

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Plateau have appealed to the Federal Government and international Community render assistance to them just like their counterparts in the North-East.
Prince Barnabas Philip, IDPs’ Camp Coordinator, Barkin Ladi, made the call during a two day Meet the IDPs tour by the Management Committee Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local Government of a Plateau, Ezekiel Mondyau.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that most of Camp coordinators, who spoke in the various camps visited, made the same request.
“Sir, could you believe that in this very camp, where we have over 2000 IDPs as a result of the attacks on Gashish District last year, since November last year no single government official or organisation visited us to assist us.
“We have teeming children and women, most of who are widows and orphans, yet nobody cares to come to around to feel what we are feeling till this your (Chairman’s) visit to us today.
“The visitor and assistance we got was a Christian Organization since November last year, yet each time we hear on Television and Radio, billions of Naira being pumped to our counterparts in the North-East.
Philip told the Chairman that what they wanted was for them to return to their respective communities if only Government, Corporate bodies and wealthy individuals and Philanthropists could assist them to “rebuild our destroyed houses and provide adequate security for us.”
NAN reports that the speech of Philip brought tears to many people on the Chairman’s entourage, including him (Mondyau).
Responding, Mondyau told the IDPs that it was out of Government’s concern that he embarked on the two day meet the IDPs tour and assured them of Government’ readiness to assist them to return to their respective communities.
Mondyau pledged to relate their plights and pleas to both the state and federal government for necessary assistance, but also assured them of his “widow’s might” at alleviating their plights.
He said part of Governor Simon Lalong plans, was ensure that all the IDPs in the 12 camps returned to their respective communities before the new year.

Source:NAN

Continue reading “PLATEAU IDPs WANTS ASSISTANCE FROM FG, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES” →

Plateau State has been in the news for the wrong reasons for almost a decade due to the recurring herders/farmers conflicts which have displaced thousands, claimed hundreds of lives and property worth millions of Naira destroyed.
The incessant conflicts had in the past robbed the once peaceful area of the opportunity to harness its tourism potentials and raise its internally generated revenue from the abundantly endowed natural resources like serene waterfalls, beautiful rock formations, breathtaking landscape as well as lush areas.
On assumption of office , The Plateau state government established a peace building agency .
In order to ensure an improved relationship between farmers and herders in Plateau State, Government established a peace building agency .
Director General, Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA), Mr. Joseph Lengmang while speaking with our correspondent some months ago said the agency was created to nurture and promote mutual trust among residents of the State.
Lengmang added that the agency has begin working out steps to promote harmonious co-existence among ethnic and religious groups in the State.
He maintained that the agency, which was established by an act of legislation in February 2016, had a primary mandate of preventing violent conflicts and consolidating on the peace currently being enjoyed on the hitherto conflict ridden State.
“Our mandate is to seek out the issues and deal with them at the latent stages with the aim of tackling them before they escalate into violent conflicts.
Lengmang further explained that, the agency was working with state and non-state actors towards a collaborative synergy that would make Plateau a peaceful haven for all.
He said that the agency had long started its mandate by conducting advocacy campaigns to enlighten the people on the functions of PBA and how it was contributing to peace building.
Efforts of the peacebuilding efforts has started paying off as a joint peace summit between Bachit and Irigwe communities of Plateau State, that use to a battle ground, have resolved that they would ensure that they work together for the growth and development of the communities.
The resolution was reached at the end of the joint peace summit of the two communities held in Bassa local government area of the state.
The resolution of the peace summit was presented at the conference hall of the Old Government House in Rayfield before the traditional rulers, security agencies, representatives of the two communities, youths and women groups among others.
The President of Irigwe Community Development Association (ICDA), Hon. Sunday Abdu, who read the resolution on behalf of the two communities, said that they have been living together as neighbours for several years, adding that they would not allow the interest of few individuals to tear them apart.
Abdu regretted that because of the animosity, many lives and property have been lost as a result of the unfortunate development, adding that the violence and hostility occasioned as a result between the two communities must be stopped and thereby stopped forthwith for good.
He further pointed out that any land dispute or whatsoever among individuals should exhaust all available avenues to resolve them but not to take laws into their hands.
He also condemned the activities of criminal elements who are masquerading as ethnic fighters adding that they must be stopped, saying that each time they want to perpetrate their nefarious crimes they used ethnicity and religion as criminal colouration.
They appreciated the intervention of the security agencies, especially the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), the Plateau State Government and all other organisations that contribute to the peace process in the area.
They specifically appreciated the state government’s effort at resolving the land boundary dispute between the two communities.
In his remarks, Commander of OPSH, Major – General Augustine Agundu, represented by the Chief of Staff, Brigadier – General Mohammed Bello, appreciated the resolve of the communities to foster peace among themselves, maintaining that the security agencies will continue to collaborate with the communities, leaders and all interest groups to restore lasting peace in the area.
Director – General, Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA), Joseph Lengmang, represented by the Director of Programmes, Godwin Okoko, said that their mandate was to restore peace and the entire state, urging the community leaders to always prevail on their subjects to be peaceful.
It could be recalled that Plateau State Governor Hon. Simon Lalong had recently said the state and Northern Nigeria is ready to adopt modern livestock production.
Lalong who is also the Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum state this recently while
meeting with the Kenyan Council of Governors (KCOG).
A statement signed by Dr. Makut Simon Macham the
Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State reads that Lalong discussed issues around agriculture value chain addition and tackling poverty through the utilization of cooperatives.
” Lalong who was at Muranga County was received by the Governor Mwangi Wa Iria and members of his legislative body at the County office.”
“He told his host that he was in the country on a peer review visit on behalf of the Northern Governors Forum which mandated him to carry out the mission in order to explore areas of collaboration that both countries can learn from.”
“He explained that the Northern part of Nigeria has similar characteristics with many Counties in Kenya which are mostly agrarian and rely on food production for income and jobs.”
He was happy to note that Muranga County in Particular was using the Cooperative model to empower households and creating value chain addition in agriculture especially animal husbandry.
He told his host that Plateau State shares similar topography and weather with Muranga County and as such will be interested in forging closer relations that will yield positive results for the benefits of the citizens of both States.”
“We need to learn from each other and see what works in one country and copy. We cannot be going to other parts of the world to look for African Solutions when we have our brothers with whom we share many things in common close to us. When I arrived here, I saw the mountainous nature of this place and the kind of vegetation and crops that you cultivate here, I thought I was in my State of Plateau.
Governor Mwangi Wa Iria informed Governor Lalong that his County has continued to implement social programmes especially the ones that touch the very poor who really need assistance.
He cited the livestock programme which is tagged “One household, One Cow” in which families especially indigent ones are encouraged and assisted to raise cows that produce milk that is then purchased by the County Cooperative Society which has a diary processing factory that buys off from them for processing and value addition.
He said, “we have created many jobs through this and we have reduced to insignificant level any issue of conflict arising from livestock production because there is involvement of almost everybody. In addition, all our children are given free milk every day from the Cooperative Diary Factory which has now enhanced our School enrolment.
He later took Governor Lalong to the Diary Processing Factory where he was shown round the production chain and packaging.
Lalong who was delighted at the achievement of the county said the Governors of the Northern States of Nigeria will be willing to learn from the County particularly as they continue to look for ways to adopt modern livestock production.
He promised to agree with his colleagues in the Northern Governors Forum back home on a suitable date for a return visit where they will be exposed to Nigeria and its opportunities particularly in the Northern Region.
Meanwhile Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Plateau have appealed to the Federal Government and international Community to render assistance to them just like their counterparts in the North-East.
Prince Barnabas Philip, IDPs’ Camp Coordinator, Barkin Ladi, made the call during a two day Meet the IDPs tour by the Management Committee Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local Government of a Plateau, Ezekiel Mondyau.
Our correspondent reports that most of Camp coordinators, who spoke in the various camps visited, made the same request.
Mondyau told the IDPs that it was out of Government’s concern that he embarked on the two day meet the IDPs tour and assured them of Government’ readiness to assist them to return to their respective communities.
Mondyau pledged to relate their plights and pleas to both the state and federal government for necessary assistance, but also assured them of his “widow’s might” at alleviating their plights.
He said part of Governor Simon Lalong plans, was ensure that all the IDPs in the 12 camps returned to their respective communities before the new year
It could be recalled that Plateau state Governor Simon Lalong has again assured Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state of returning to their ancestral homes with a new life and a peaceful environment.
Lalong who was represented by his Deputy Governor Professor Sonnie Tyoden, made this known while speaking with newsmen in Jos the state capital after attending the 97th General Church Council of the Church of Christ in Nations COCIN .
The deputy Governor said the Simon Lalong led administration is desirous and committed towards ensuring that peace is achieved permanently in the state, saying he stands for all tribes in Plateau.
He said the Simon Lalong led adminstration recently relocated some IDPs to their ancestral homes and is planning to do more .
Governor Simon Lalong has received the report on IDPs resettlement committee and has expressed the government’s resolve to implement the recommendations towards returning displaced persons to their respective homes.
The Lalong administration is working to ensure
that a Mobile Barracks is established in Gashish which will take care of Barkin, Riyom, Bokkos and Mangu Local Governments of the state.
He further said the Simon Lalong led administration is committed to bettering the lives of citizens of Plateau .
Our correspondent reports that some IDPs were recently relocated to their homes by the state government in December last year .

PRESENTATION OF SCHOLARSHIP TO 598 BENEFITING STUDENTS OF GSS CHUGWI AND GSS GODONG BY THE DACHUNG BAGOS FOUNDATION.

In line with his motto of “Equipping the next generation” Hon. Dachung Bagos matched words with action by offering a one term scholarship to students of GSS GODONG in Jos East LGA, and GSS CHUGWI in Jos South LGA.

The presentation which was done under the aegis of the Dachung Musa Bagos Foundation, was held at the Jos South Area Directorate office Bukuru and was witnessed by Area Directors of Jos South and Jos East, principals of GSS Chugwi and GSS Godong, the representatives of his majesty the Dagwom Chugwi and also His Majesty the Adagwom Izere, some teachers and students from the benefiting schools, Team Bagos members amongst others.

In a welcome address, the Programme Officer of the Dachung Musa Bagos Foundation, Mr. Alfa Dali briefly narrated the ideals upon which the foundation has operated since it’s inception in 2010. According to him, BAGOS foundation was birth purely out of his love for humanity, and also his desire to contribute his own quota in raising a generation of great achievers in all works of life.

Hon. Dachung Bagos though unavoidably absent, was represented by his Senior Legislative Aide, Mr Langs Pwajok. Speaking at the event, Langs narrated how Bagos felt he should be deliberate in his mission of equipping the next generation hence this huge sacrifice. He also made it clear that though Bagos hopes to sustain this scholarship by next term, the beneficiaries might be from another pair of schools from the constituency. He admonished the students to take this up as a challenge and strive to become a source of joy and help to the society in the future. He disclosed that a total number of 598 students shall benefit from the scholarship; 300 students from GSS Chugwi and 298 students from GSS Godong.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the representative of the Area Director, immensely thanked the Hon. member and his team. She added “I am overwhelmed. On behalf of the ministry of education, and the area office Jos South, I say we are highly honored by your presence. We appreciate Hon Bagos for this initiative and for remembering the less privileged. As the students of Godong have prayed for him in their presentation, we pray that God honors their prayers.”

Good Will and appreciation messages also came from the Principal of GSS Chugwi and that GSS Godong, the representatives of our royal fathers, students from both schools, the PTA Chairman of GSS Chugwi.

As the respondents eulogized and prayed for blessings for Bagos, they also advised the student to make Bagos happy, by working hard and taking their studies serious.

To cap it up, Mr George Chuwang Pwajok, In his remarks, thanked the attendees sincerely for finding the time to attend the event. He admonished the people with a striking eye opener saying “ Although we scarcely ever get to benefit things like this from our leaders, the truth is that achievements like this are what we should rightfully expect from the people we have voted into power. Let’s therefore take an active interest in the type of people we send to represent us.”

Equippingthenextgeneration

TeamBagos

Chief Damishi Sango, the embattled Plateau Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Friday formally stepped aside by handing over to his deputy, Amos Gombe.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Sango’s resignation was announced by retired Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni, the leader of the party in the state.

Mr Useni, also PDP governorship candidate in the 2019 general elections disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting in Jos on Friday.

“Sango is no more our state chairman as directed by the National Secretariat but now a member of PDP Board of Trustees, BOT.

“Mr Amos Gombi, his deputy, is now the acting chairman of PDP in the state. This was done to settle whatever crisis we were having.

“Left for us the leaders of the party in the state, there is nothing like PDP I and PDP II because we are one big family undivided.

“The allegation that Sango collected money from the headquarters for 2019 general elections was not true because three of us signed for whatever stipends given to us by the National Secretariat.

“So, the insinuations raised against him (Sango) were but false and a disservice to him,” he stated.
Mr Useni, who was flanked by his running mate, James Dalok, described PDP as a big family devoid of any form of division and ready to reclaim its stolen mandate at the Court of Appeal.

“Our appeal is coming up on Nov. 22, with great and strong belief that we shall emerge victorious.

“But no matter the outcome of the appeal, we shall end up at the Supreme Court because I will never give up the fight.

“I am a dogged fighter, and never give up. That’s why I attended all the sittings at the Election Petition Tribunal to the end.

“What I want from you people is your continuous prayers for God to help us reclaim our stolen mandate,” Mr Useni said.

The National Assembly on has granted full financial and administrative autonomy to all the 774 local council authorities across Nigeria by amending section 124 of the nation’s constitution.

The section provides a consequential provision for the making of the local councils, a full third tier government without undue interference from the state governments.

The ammendment was one of the 22 others approved by the House of Representatives last week and ratified by the Senate on Tuesday.

Both chambers had through a conference committee harmonised versions of the ammendments into the constitution carried out by each of them last month.

By the development, the National Assembly had ratified all the 23 clauses and sections that had been ammended by both chambers.

The newly ammended document which would be sent to States Houses of Assembly, for approval, also approved the creation of the Office of Auditor – General of the Local Government as
well as the State Local Government Service Commission.

The section equally deleted the State
Independent Electoral Commission from the constitution thereby vesting the powers to conduct council elections on the Independent National Electoral Commission.

It however, retained the immunity clause in the constitution for the President and Governors by adopting the Senate version of the ammendments on the issue and rejected the House of Representatives version which removed the immunity clause.

The National Assembly also made provisions for Independent candidacy in future elections in Nigeria by ammending sections 65 and 106 of
the 1999 constitution!!!

Chief Damishi Sango, the embattled Plateau Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been asked by the National Working Committee of the party to resign and hand over to his deputy, Mr Amos Gombe, to allow peace to reign in the party in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the decision was announced on Friday by retired Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni, the leader of the party in the state.

Useni, also PDP governorship candidate in the 2019 general elections disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting in Jos on Friday.

“Sango will resign by next week as directed by the National Working Committee and become a member of PDP Board of Trustees (BOT).

“Left for us the leaders of the party in the state, there is nothing like PDP I and PDP II because we are one big family undivided.
“The allegation that Sango collected money from the headquarters for 2019 general elections was not true because three of us signed for whatever stipends given to us by the National Secretariat.
“So, the insinuations raised against him (Sango) were but false and a disservice to him,” he stated.
Useni, who was flanked by his running mate, Mr James Dalok, described PDP as a big family devoid of any form of division and ready to reclaim its stolen mandate at the Court of Appeal.
“Our appeal is coming up on Nov. 22, with great and strong belief that we shall emerge victorious.
“But no matter the outcome of the appeal, we shall end up at the Supreme Court because I will never give up the fight.
“I am a dogged fighter, and never give up. That’s why I attended all the sittings at the Election Petition Tribunal to the end.
“What I want from you people is your continuous prayers for God to help us reclaim our stolen mandate,” Useni said

Source:NAN