JUDICIARY
Niger Assembly Committee Interfaces with Ex-chairmen Over Alleged Misuse of Contract Financing Loan
The Niger state House of Assembly Ad hoc Committee investigating contract financing loan given to the 25 local government areas, has begun an interface with former local government chairmen over alleged mismanagement of contract financing loan.
Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee, Mr Ahmed Bello (PDP) and member representing Agwara Constituency, said during the interface in Minna on Thursday that the committee was constituted based on a report from the office of Auditor General.
He disclosed that in the report, presented before the house by its Committee on Public Account, indicted nine local government areas for misuse of contract financing loan with no meaningful project executed.
“The house thereafter, constitued an ad hoc committee to investigate how the loan was expended by former local government chairmen.
“We are not using our position to witch-hunt anybody but to investigate the issue that has to do with tax payers resources and to correct some mistakes so that the new councils will not repeat the same mistakes.
“We have seen on many occasions where local government chairmen are not doing things the right way, they are fond of syphoning tax payers resources through some projects that have no direct bearing,” he said.
Bello explained that the report received from the office of Auditor General showed that some of the forner local governments did not utilise the tax payers resources judiciously and did not execute meaningful projects with the loan.
He noted that some former local government chairmen were indicted for mismanagement of the loan meant to provide dividends of democracy to the people, based on the report from the office of auditor general.
Interacting with newsmen shortly after the interface, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry for Local Government, Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar, said that audit was done to ensure that things were in order as well as to see if there were errors and short comings to be corrected.
He expressed hope that the new chairmen would learn from the mistakes of the former chairmen by working in line with financial regulations and advised them to rather take a bank bond instead of the insurance bond for prudence.
The local government areas indicted by the office of auditor General included Agwara, Shiroro, Suleja, Katcha, Wushishi, Tafa, Borgu, Rijau and Bosso. (NAN)
JUDICIARY
Court Strikes Ex-Kogi Governor’s Bail Application
Justice Maryann Anenih o a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court on Tuesday struck out the bail application filed by former governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi.Anenih struck out the application on the grounds that it was filed when the former governor was yet to be taken into custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The application was filed on Nov. 22, while the former governor was taken into custody of the anti-graft agency on Nov. 26 and arraigned on Nov. 27.(NAN)Details later….
JUDICIARY
5 Men Face N25m Worth of Milo Products Theft Charge
Five men, on Monday appeared before an Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun, for allegedly stealing a truck load of Milo products worth N25 million.The defendants, Temidire Ramon, 35, Aminu Yusuf, 26; Olusola Opadare, 35; Oludayo Adeleye, 38, and Amodu Jimoh, 51, are standing tial on a two-count charge of stealing and conspiracy.
The prosecutor, Insp E. O.Adaraloye, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on Oct. 13, 2020, at Agbara in Ogun.Adaraloye, said that the defendants conspired and stole a truck load of Milo products valued at N25 million, belonging to Nestle Company.He said that the offences contravened Sections 390(9) and 516 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun, 2006.They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.The Magistrate, Mr O.A Onagoruwa, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.He ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.Onagoruwa also ordered that the sureties must show evidence of tax payment to Ogun State Government.He adjourned the case until Dec.12 for hearing. (NAN)JUDICIARY
Court Grants Mother Custody of 2 Children
A Grade 1 Area Court, Kubwa has granted Maryam Muhammad custody of two children from her former husband, Bashir.
The judge, Musa Sabo ordered Bashir to pay Muhammad N175,000 for a self contained apartment in arrears following the plaintiff’s claim of already paid rent.
Sabo added that Bashir should secure a self contained apartment or pay the plaintiff N250, 000 annually for accommodation.
He said that the children would spend first and third term holidays with their father and second term holidays with their mother.
The judge said the father could pick his children up every weekend for outings within 10a.m to 6.pm from the mother and notify her before hand.
He also ordered him to pay outstanding school fees if any and pay the plaintiff arrears for the fees she claimed to pay after verifying same as she failed to prove it.
Sabo ordered Bashir to pay N40,000 from October 2023 To February 2024 and subsequently pay N45,000 monthly for the children’s upkeep..
Regarding the children’s medication, he ordered Bashir to make an arrangement based on his financial capability.
Earlier, the plaintiff approached the court for custody of her children, maintenance, Islamiyya school fees, enrollment of one of the children in a special needs school and transportation.
She also sought for Bashir to refund N770, 000 which she paid for her house rent with the children and pay for the medicals of the children.
Bashir however said his ex-wife paid the rent without his consent adding that he is a civil servant and not financially capable.
“I do not earn up to N2 million annually and I am currently paying N600,000 rent annually. My children are already under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS),” he said.(NAN)