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Wednesday, May 8, 2013
National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
FCTA didn’t serve demolition notices, witness tells court EMMANUEL ONANI ABUJA
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principal witness in the case of the 372 housing units demolished by the Development Control Department of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, yesterday, told an Abuja High
Court that notices of impending demolition were not served on the plaintiffs before the October 2012 exercise. The witness, Okey Ibe, who is the general manager of the plaintiff (Minanuel Estate), said this during a cross examination by counsel to the defendants, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama,
SAN. During cross-examination, Gadzama had pointedly told the witness that Minanuel Estate ignored several notices from the Development Control office notifying same of the authority’s decision to bring down the houses on account of the fact that the structures were ‘ille-
gally’ erected. Responding to the assertion, Ibe said no notice was served on the plaintiff. He also denied the defence counsel’s position that the developers only “rushed to value and even over-value the houses, in order to make claims, as they are doing in court.”
Denying the assertion that the estate developers, who purportedly got allocation in 2008, only took their property to completion stages barely four months to the demolition in October 2012, the witness said it was largely because the houses were not completed yet. Meanwhile, trial judge,
Justice Danlami Senchi, has made an order for the plaintiffs to bring certain documents to court on Friday. Some of the documents, which the witness said were not readily available in court include, the layout of the area as well as letters of approval from the approving authorities.
Northern Christian elders to honour CAN president A ZA MSUE KADUNA
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Traditional rulers at the National Executive Council meeting of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Kaduna, yesterday.
NBA to institute legal action against DPO JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA
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atsina State branch of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, has said it will institute legal action against the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of Central Police station Katsina, Mr. Rilwanu Suleiman Mukhtar, over alleged assault. In a petition addressed to the state Commissioner of Police and signed by the NBA Chairman, Murtala Aliyu Kankia, the association lamented that one of
its members was assaulted and intimidated by the DPO while discharging his duties as a lawyer. As explained in the petition, Barr. Abubakar Halilu was at the DPO’s office in respect of a matter concerning his client, but the DPO shouted at him and ordered policemen to drag him out. The petition reads; “The DPO shouted at him and asked him to get out of his office and leave the premises immediately and at the same time ordered some policemen to drag him out of the office, which order they fol-
lowed without hesitation.” The state NBA said the DPO’s action was capable of causing discord between the police and members of the legal profession in the state and that in the event of a strained relationship between the police and lawyers, the society would be at the receiving end. “It is our prayer that you call the DPO to order and urge him to imbibe the culture of respecting the dignity of every person who may come before him and not treat individuals with disrespect, impunity and arro-
Education is capital intensive –House Committee WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA
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he House of Representatives Committee on Education has observed that across the world education is capital intensive and that there is nowhere in the world it is left in the hands of government exclusively. The leader of delegation of the House of Representatives Committee on Education visiting Kogi State, Hon. Uzo Azubike, who made this observation while speaking at a meeting of the delegation of federal lawmakers who
were on oversight functions with the management of the College of Education, Okene, said that in the Western world, most funding in education comes from the private sector. He explained that the House Committee on Education was in Okene to have first hand information on issues, interact with the management and to see all the capital projects executed by the management, to know the number students, amount of funds received and how such were expended and the challenges being faced by the in-
stitution. Azubike commended the management of the institution for a job well done, lauding the institution for being proactive on internally generated revenue meant to augment the day-to-day administration of the college. Earlier in his address, the Provost of the college, Prof. Iyela Ajayi, commended the National Assembly for ensuring that most of the projects were approved for the institution. Ajayi told members of the committee that the college has already completed over 30 capital projects while over
gance,” the petition added. The NBA chairman, who personally distributed the petition to journalists, said the NBA would consider instituting legal action against the DPO so as to prevent such from occurring again. National Mirror, however, learnt that there were moves by the police to ensure the association does not go ahead with its plan to institute legal action against the DPO even as some highly placed traditional and political office holders were contacted to intervene in the matter.
70 other projects have been renovated by the management. He said despite the efforts of the management, some challenges are still staring the college in the face, especially inadequate funding from the government. Oyeyipo noted that late and inadequate release of capital grants, non-release of funds to pay peculiar allowances and over time to staff and non-release of funds to outsourced services such as cleaning and security have since been threatening the peace of the institution.
hristian elders under the auspices of the Northern States Christian Elders Forum, NOSCEF, yesterday said they have decided to honour the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejiafor, for continuously identifying with the church in the region. Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, Chairman of the forum, Evangelist Matthew Owojiaye, revealed that the Christian elders in the north have decided to confer on the CAN president the award of “True Servant of God,” for his courage and steadfastness. Owojiaye said despite intimidations from some people, the CAN president has continued to identify with the church and the north and fight for their cause
without minding that he is being called all manners of name. His words; “The Christian elders of the northern states have decided to give an award of ‘True Servant of God’ to the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejiafor. The award will take place on May 9, 2013 at the National Christian Centre, Abuja. “Despite all forms of intimidation and name calling, he has stood strong on our behalf. His personal support for widows who are victims of the riot, he uses his money to help the less privileged, we think that such a person deserves an award.” Owojiaye, however, maintained that the CAN president prefer to lay down his life for the cause of Christians in Nigeria “He is ready to defend the church in the north even though he is not from the north.
Group urges Yuguda to reinstate suspended lawmaker EZEKIEL TITUS BAUCHI
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political group known as Bauchi Concern Citizens, yesterday called on the Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, to immediately reinstate Hon. Rifkatu Samson Dannah, who is representing Bogoro Constituency in the state House of Assembly. The group said that failure by the governor to reinstate the female lawmaker could backfire in the 2015 elections. Chairman of the group, Comrade Vashira Husaini, briefing journalists in Bauchi yesterday, said the suspension of the lawmaker has affected the development of her constituency. Hussaini accused Yuguda of political double standard by the suspension of the lawmaker, noting that her contribution to the develop-
ment of the state is so paramount, even as he added that she should not be denied of her constitutional right to support or kick against any policy during debate on the floor of the House. According to him, the governor is left to choose between recalling the lawmaker or risk the political support needed from Bogoro Constituency in 2015. Husaini noted that Bogoro set the pace in bringing Yuguda on the saddle in the 2011 governorship elections with Dannah’s contribution. “As I am talking to you now, we have over 40, 000 people who have indicated interest to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the All Progressive Congress, APC, following the illegal suspension of Hon. Dannah and we assure you that our area will never support Yuguda’s administration come 2015,” Hussaini said.