01/25/18

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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.
Mr Olisah Metuh

Mr Olisah Metuh, former PDP’s spokesman has been ordered to appear at the Federal High Court, Abuja for his trial on Feb. 5 or risk arrest.
Justice Okon Abang gave the order on Thursday, when he delivered ruling in an application filed by Metuh, seeking an adjournment to his trial on health grounds.
The judge said that the letter which Metuh wanted the court to rely on to grant the adjournment was not a proper document before the court.
“I agree with the prosecution that the purported letter written by Dr O.C. Ekweogwu, who is unknown to the court, is trash and a useless paper meant for the dustbin, which was dumped on the court by the defence.
“The said letter was fraudulently smuggled into the records of the court by a person unknown to the court with the intent to stall proceedings. ”
The judge said that there was a laid down procedure for filing a medical report in court.
He said it was not the place of a medical practitioner to write a lengthy letter with several medical terms that were meaningless to the court.
“The medical practitioner is to state the name of the illness and the period that the person will be incapacitated.”
The judge further said that although the application by the prosecution to revoke Metuh’s bail and commit him to prison deserved to succeed, he would not grant it based on compassionate grounds.
“It is my humble view that the application of the prosecution to revoke the defendant’s bail deserves to succeed, but I have given due consideration to the arguments of counsel to the defendant.
“In view of the passionate plea of the defendant’s counsel who I have respect for, I hereby suspend my decision to revoke bail, but I ask that the defendant turns a new leaf.”
The judge, however, said that if Metuh failed to appear in court on the next adjourned date, he would revoke the bail.
“Arrest is a consequential order if bail is revoked, and so if the defendant’s bail is revoked, he will be arrested.
“The outcome of his response when he appears in court will determine whether or not to put him in prison.”
The court said that it was not inclined to try Metuh in absentia, as it was contrary to Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The judge also said that he would no longer accept any medical report with respect to Metuh, issued by a doctor in Nigeria.
He further granted the application by the defendant’s counsel to bring seven additional witnesses, saying he will not accept any application for more witnesses.
He adjourned the matter until Feb. 5 and 6 for continuation of trial.
It was reported that Metuh’s trial was to resume on Monday but he was absent in court.
When the matter was called, Mr Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN), counsel to Metuh informed the court that his client was admitted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, and was unable to attend court.
Ikpeazu presented a letter written by a doctor in the hospital to the court, but both the judge and the prosecutor questioned the authenticity of the letter.
The prosecutor went further to ask the court to revoke Metuh’s bail for breaching his bail conditions and commit him to prison.
Metuh is standing trial over allegations of receiving N400 million from the former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki and also money laundering charges involving $2 billion. LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has raised alarm over the sustained nefarious activities of some cross-border fuel smuggling syndicates and hoarders in the country.

The Corporation also noted that such activities have so far impeded its efforts to sanitise the fuel supply and distribution matrix across Nigeria.

NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru, said this on Wednesday in a presentation before the Joint National Assembly Committee on Petroleum Downstream in Abuja.

He informed the lawmakers that if the activities of the fuel truck diverters and smugglers were left unchecked, it would be absolutely difficult to guarantee round-the-clock availability of petrol throughout the country.

Baru added that the sudden and unnatural shock in fuel consumption to record levels has over-stretched the Direct-Sale-Direct-Supply (DSDP) crude for product supply arrangement which was originally based on 35 million per day petrol consumption pattern.

He lamented that with the current unprecedented average daily fuel evacuation of 55 million litres since December 1, 2017, to date, it was imperative for the security agencies to close-in on the smuggling syndicates who were cashing in on the obvious petrol price differentials between Nigeria and neighboring countries to make illicit profits.


The NNPC boss explained further that apart from straining the ability of the Corporation to sustain the prevailing 100 per cent petrol importation in the face of increasing cost, the current situation was impacting negatively on NNPC’s resources for servicing Joint Venture Cash-Call and other obligations.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

The long arm of the law has also caught up with the suspected leader of the kidnap gang that abducted four foreigners last week in Kaduna State.

Days after the rescue of the expatriates, the police fulfilled their promise on Wednesday with the arrest of the suspected gang leader in Kagarko area of the state.


Intelligent report confirmed that the suspect was apprehended by operatives of the IGP Intelligence Response Team while two AK 47 rifles were recovered from him.

The suspect, who was identified as Dogo Russia, allegedly confessed to the killing of the mobile policemen attached to the foreign nationals before their kidnap.

The four rescued foreigners – two Americans and two Canadians – were kidnapped on Tuesday last week by suspected gunmen in Kaduna.


They were rescued four days later by the police at Jere area in Kagarko Local Government Area of the state.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola


The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission has said 12 more political parties have withdrawn from the January 27 local government elections in the state.

The Chairman of OSIEC, Chief Segun Oladitan, who said this at a press conference in Osogbo on Wednesday, stated that only six political parties would take part in the exercise which would be conducted in 71 out of the 389 wards in the state.

The OSIEC said this just as Governor Rauf Aregbesola announced that Thursday and Friday had been declared as public holidays to allow the people of the state to prepare for the election.

The governor made the announcement in a statement by his Media Aide, Mr. Sola Fasure, on Wednesday.

The OSIEC boss said, “I can reliably tell you that 12 political parties have withdrawn from participating in the election, remaining only six political parties in the race.

“Of all the candidates representing the participating political parties in the 389 wards across the state, 318 councillorship candidates in 318 wards have been presented unopposed representing the candidates who satisfied the requirements of the law with reference to Section 41 of the Electoral Act (2011) as amended. Therefore, there shall be elections in only 71 wards of the state.”

Meanwhile, a human rights lawyer, Mr.  Kanmi Ajibola, has berated the Osun State Government for hurriedly declaring Thursday and Friday as public holidays, saying it was a deliberate move to stall the continuation of the ongoing court proceedings already fixed for Thursday.

Ajibola, who is also the Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ilesa Branch, said Justice Kola Adegoke had, during the last sitting, directed that he would hear the application for injunction seeking a restraining order from the court  against the conduct of the election, the preliminary objection filed by the defendants challenging the jurisdiction and all other pending motions.

The lawyer said it was strange that the governor could declare two days as public holidays for the LG poll when just one day was usually declared for even governorship poll.

Ajibola said, “This is quite unfortunate. This is a coward act by Mr. Rauf Aregbesola and his government. We were still in the court premises on Tuesday when government lawyers were boasting that they would inform the governor to declare Thursday and Friday as public holidays so as to halt this process.

“I thought it was a joke that two days will be declared as holidays for a local government election. Even when the governorship election was conducted, only one day was declared as holiday. Anyway, no matter the tactics, this LG election will not stand.

“I suspect a foul play. I suspect high level of corruption somehow. I suspect some people are insisting in going ahead with this election which they know cannot be upheld by any court in Nigeria to line their pockets with the proceeds of the polls. If not, why the desperation and the hurry? But we shall get there at the appropriate time.”

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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.


The House of Representatives on Wednesday sought a phased ban on the importation of fish into the country in a bid to boost local production of fish.

It also said such a ban would encourage local fish farmers to support the Federal Government’s economic diversification policy.

Lawmakers passed the resolution after debating a motion moved by Mr. Tasir Olawale-Raji.

The session, which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, also observed that unrestricted importation had turned Nigeria to a dumping ground for all manner of fish, some of which were not good for human consumption.

The full details of the motion read, “The House notes that the diversification of the economy away from crude oil through key sectors such as agriculture, remains pivotal to the realisation of the economic recovery and growth plan of the present administration.

“The House also notes that the fisheries sub-sector, which is a vital component of Nigeria’s agriculture and the national economy, accounting for about four per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, has remained largely under-developed, despite having the potential to provide cheap sources of protein, income, employment and foreign exchange.

“The House is aware that the local production from artisanal fishing, aqua culture and industrial captures estimated at about 800,000 metric tonnes, accounts for only 30 per cent of the total annual fish demand estimated at 2.7million metric tonnes.

“Also aware that Nigeria has, over the years, resorted to importation to meet the deficit of about 1.9 million metric tonnes in domestic fish supply at an estimated cost of $625m in foreign exchange annually.

“The House further notes that the escalating demand for foreign exchange for fish importation is not sustainable in the light of the huge pressure on the country’s foreign reserves and fluctuating earnings from crude oil.

“Concerned that Nigeria has now become a dumping ground for all manners of frozen fish, most of which are unwholesome in quality and highly detrimental to the health of consumers.

“Cognisant that with the abundant marine and inland fisheries resources comprising 923,768 kms land area, 47,934 kms continental shelf, 853 kms of coastline, network of rivers, flood plain, natural and man-made lakes, Nigeria has all it takes to become self-sufficient in fish production and also become a major hub of fish exportation in the West African Sub-region.

“The House is convinced that the Federal Government needs to vigorously pursue the goal of self-sufficiency in fish production so as to ensure food security and reserve for export.”

The resolution specifically directed the House Committees on Agricultural Production and Services/Water Resources to meet with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Customs Service to “develop a policy framework for the implementation of a phased ban on the importation of fish and fish products so as to create an enabling environment for increased private sector investments in the fisheries sub-sector.”

In a separate resolution, the House also called on the government to put measures in place to ensure the full utilisation of the Ikorodu Light Terminal.

A member from Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Benson, who moved a motion on the state of the terminal, told the House that it had remained under-utilised for many years, resulting in job losses.

Benson argued that putting the terminal to proper use would make it become another export gateway for the country.

The motion was passed in a unanimous voice vote by lawmakers.

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Governor Isiaka Ajimobi


The Oyo State Government on Wednesday warned striking workers in the state that they would not be paid if they refused to go back to work.

Leaders of the joint section of the Oyo State Executive Councils of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and the Joint Negotiation Council said workers in the state called for a three-day warning strike in solidarity with their colleagues at the six tertiary institutions belonging to the state.


The union leaders said workers at The Polytechnic, Ibadan; Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo; Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora; The Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa; The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki; and the College of Education, Lanlate, have been on strike over non-payment of their salary arrears and reduction of government subvention to the schools to 25 per cent.

The union leaders said the strike was also called to protest the sacking of 256 workers at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, and other issues affecting the health sector as presented by the Joint Health Sector Union.

But in a release by the Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Olalekan Alli, the state denied most of the allegations levelled against it by the unions, stressing that it committed larger share of the state income to the payment of salaries and gratuities.

The statement added that after receiving a letter of notification from the unions on Tuesday, the government invited the union leaders to a meeting which they shunned.

The statement explained that the law that established the six institutions did not state that the government would be solely responsible for the payment of their salaries.

The statement said, “Salaries and pensions of workers at the state level have been paid up till and including November 2017 with only one month salary and pension (December 2017)  outstanding.

“… Similarly, government enjoins all workers in the state not to absent themselves from duty, as doing so will attract the no-work no-pay rule according to the Trade Dispute Act 2010 Section 43(1)(a).”

The government alleged that the recent forensic audit reports on the six tertiary institutions showed that there were shortcomings such as inefficiencies, leakages, and poor management.

“Some institutions were even declared unsustainable and unviable. The consultant further recommended their closure.  However, the recently constituted Governing Councils have been mandated to review their statuses and act suitably,” it added.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has reacted to the public statement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo which advised President Muhammadu Buhari to consider his health and not seek re-election,

Fayose told journalists in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital on Thursday that President Buhari should heed the former president’s advice and “go home to rest.”

“The contents of the letter are okay and represents the views and opinions of Nigerians. Nevertheless, President Buhari should heed ex-President Obasanjo’s advice and go home to rest. He has already overstayed his welcome,” he said.

Governor Fayose, however, did not hold back his advice to the former President as he urged him to also heed his own advice and quit political arena.

“You will agree with me that the Former President Obasanjo himself should also heed his own advice to Buhari by also quitting the public political arena now.

“We will never be led by cabals anymore. President Obasanjo told us Yar Adua was hale and hearty, again he told us Jonathan was the best, in 2015 he told us Buhari has what it takes to lead us. What story is here to believe again.”


Fayose said, pointing an accusing finger at the former leader adding that he is playing a role at installing and dethroning governments and recalled how Obasanjo was instrumental in gathering international support for the Buhari aspiration in 2015.
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