06/11/18

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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.


The suspects who indicted the lawmaker representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye, have declared that the allegations against them are false.

The duo – Kabiru Seidu, 31, aka “Osama” and Nuhu Salihu, 25, aka “Small” (as identified by the police), said this on Monday when they were arraigned alongside the lawmaker at a Senior Magistrate Court in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

They implicated the Senator Melaye in the allegations of criminal conspiracy, illegal possession of firearms and illegal arms dealing levelled against them by the police.

The suspects had claimed to be political thugs of the lawmaker whom they accused of arming them, an allegation that the senator has since denied.

During their arraignment in court today, the suspects and Senator Melaye declared that the allegations against them were false and that they were not guilty when their pleas were taken.

Earlier, the prosecution, led by Dr Alex Izinyon, told the court that the offences were contrary to section 97(1) of the Penalty Code and section 27(1)(a) (1) of the firearms Act CAP P28, laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.

He also reminded the court that the pleas of the defendants were not taken on arraignment, noting that the court has the jurisdiction to try the case and should, therefore, go ahead to take their pleas.

When the charges were read afresh to the defendants, Melaye, Seidu and Salihu, pleaded not guilty as they said the seven charges were all false.

Mr Yemi Mohammed, who held brief for Mr Mike Ozekhome – counsel for Melaye, objected to the application, saying that the case was a criminal one in which witnesses must give their testimonies in the open court.

He stressed that the ‘front-loading’ system which the prosecution was urging the court to adopt amounted to a shortcut that would be prejudicial to his client and reduce the chances of the public getting to know the truth.

In his ruling, the Senior Magistrate, Mr Sulyman Abdullah held that while he would “wholeheartedly” want trials in his court to be concluded speedily, he would have to look at the rules of the court.


He consequently adjourned till July 26 for the commencement of hearing of the case.

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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.

A human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, has asked former President Olusegun Obasanjo not to be worried about anything.

He said this during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, which reacting to the recent allegation by the elder statesman against the Federal Government.

Former President Obasanjo had accused the government of allegedly planning to indict him through a series of plans with the aim of silencing him from expressing his concerns over the state of the nation.

He had also alleged in a statement on Friday that his name was on a security watch list and that the security of his life cannot be guaranteed.

In a swift response to the claims, the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, described the accusations as frivolous, alleging that former President Obasanjo was trying to distract the government.

Falana, on his part, assured the former president to remain calm as the human rights community would ensure he gets justice.

He said, “General Obasanjo has nothing to worry about, we will ensure that his rights are not violated.

“We are going to adopt the same attitude when he and the late General (Shehu) Yar’Adua and others were tried illegally and sentenced to death.”

The senior advocate, however, said the cannot give such assurance if there are grounds to arrest the former president to account for his own actions.

He noted that in the case of economic and financial crimes, there is no way they can prevent the government from carrying out its investigation.

Falana insisted that while Obasanjo had stated that he was ready for a probe, the human rights community would ensure that his rights are not violated within the ambit of the law.

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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 Federal Government says it has taken advantage of the new Meter Asset Provider (MAP) regulations to give a grant of N37billion to a private sector operator to supply meters to interested Distribution Companies (DisCos).
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, disclosed this at the 28th monthly meeting of power stakeholders in Kaduna.
The Meeting, hosted by Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company at the Mando transmission substation, had in attendance representatives of government power agencies and private operators across the value chain of Generation, Transmission and Distribution.
The minister, who did not mention the name of the company, said the Federal government provided the fund based on the demand for meters, given the increasing power generation, transmission and distribution in the country.
He said, “As power supply continues to increase in Generation, Transmission and Distribution, the demand for meters will increase because more power supply and consumption will likely result in increased bills.
“Estimated billings in these circumstances will become a major cause of distrust and conflict between consumers and DisCos, and meters are the easiest way to build the bridge of trust.
“On the Executive side of government, we are responding by taking advantage of the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) regulations to deploy a fund of N37 billion toward supplying meters through private sector.
“I urge all DisCos who have not taken advantage of this opportunity to quickly do so, or make their own funding arrangements to contract their own meter providers to supply and install meters.
“I know that Yola DisCo is talking to the meter asset provider for 400, 000 meters. I know that Abuja DisCo is also indicating interest for 250,000 meters.
“I know that other meter asset providers are also talking to various banks and funding organisations to see how they can get into this business and get licensed by NERC.”
He also said there was a clear intension of the legislative arm of government toward addressing the issue of meter in the sector.
The minister said it was important for all DisCos to respond by providing meters and quickly end estimated billing, which was subjective, discretionary, and prone to abuse.
He reiterated government’s commitment to better service delivery by improving infrastructure, as mandated by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Fashola who earlier commissioned a 60MVA transformer at the Zaria 132 KV substation to increase the transformer capacity from 140 MVA to 200 MVA said the transformer would improve service to customers of Kaduna DisCo.
He listed some of the areas to benefit from the new transformer to include Zaria City, Sabon Gari, Samaru, Giwa, Yakawada, Tudun Wada and Markafi.
He said the commissioning of another 2 X 60 MVA transformer at the 132 KV sub-station would improve the capacity of the substation from 190 MVA to 240 MVA.
This, he said, would further improve supply to areas like Kaduna township, Rigasa, Kakuri, Rigachukwu, Chikun, Sabon Tasha, among others.
The minister emphasised the need for operators across the value chain to make service delivery to customers their focus.
“I have used the opportunity of this meeting to focus the attention of GenCos, Transmission Company and DisCos on the need to pay more attention to service delivery, repairs and maintenance of equipment.
“My focus in this meeting will not be different; we are beginning a different weather season that will see more rainfall, thunderstorms, lightening and windstorms.
“All of these will affect regular supply one way or another; trees will fall and disrupt lines, poles and lines may be damaged, and service will be disrupted.
“In all these situations, we must prepare our staff to anticipate, plan, and respond,” said the minister.
According to him, it is very important for the operators to always notify their customers in the event of any disruption of service.
“Most importantly, we must inform the public about the problems and what we are doing to restore service whenever there are disruptions,” Fashola said.
Earlier, the Managing Director of Kaduna DisCo, Mr Garuba Haruna, said the DisCo was recording a minimum of 10 hours to 15 hours supply to consumers in Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto states.
He also said some areas under its control were experiencing 24 hours of electricity supply.
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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.

Former Publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Prince Dayo Adeyeye on Sunday, described the decision of the Ekiti Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose to employ 2000 applicants before the end of his tenure as a scam.
Adeyeye, in a signed statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ado-Ekiti, warned prospective jobs seekers to beware of the governor’s antics.
NAN reports that the tenure of Governor Fayose will expire on October 16 when the new governor to be elected in the July 14 gubernatorial election would be sworn-in.
Adeyeye, defected to the All Progressives Congress, (APC) shortly after he lost the PDP primary to the incumbent Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, who emerged as the candidate of the party.
Adeyeye, who was also a former Minister of State for Works, queries why the governor was just waking up to the facts that hundreds of youths in the state need jobs.
“Few weeks after his inauguration as the state governor, he instructed the unemployed youths in the state to submit their curriculum vitae for jobs that he promised to create for them.
“Over ten thousand youths in the state paid the sum of one thousand naira each, to collect the forms for the jobs, but unfortunately, up till now, he has not employed one single youth in the state, “he said.
He assured the youths that nothing would come out of the exercise, which he is only using as political gimmicks to trick the people of the state into voting for his ordained candidate.
“I wonder how a state governor, who has not paid the state workers for over seven months, owing pensioners months of gratuity and local government workers as well, is going to fund the employment of two thousand fresh employees.
“Here is somebody, who sacked all that were employed by the Dr Kayode Fayemi administration that now wants to employ 2000 workers.
“Workers and the youths should know that he is only deceiving them and does not have their interest at heart. The people cannot be deceived because an average Ekiti worker is more educated and enlightened than he is , ” he said
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