4
Photo News
Thursday, January 31, 2013
L-R: Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms. Arunma Oteh; Prof. Graham Penn of the University College, London and a Director with the commission, Ms. Mary Uduki, during a training on Securitisation, Mortgage-backed securities, Covered Bonds and Liquid PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA Facilities, in Abuja, yesterday.
L-R: Head, Department of Psychiatric, Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Dr. Abiodun Adewuya; Guest Lecturer, Prof. Jude Ohaeri and Medical Director, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr. Rahman Lawal, at the annual general meeting of the hospital in Lagos, yesterday.
National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Chairman, Transcorp Plc, Mr. Tony Elumelu (right) and Global Chief Executive Officer, General Electric, Mr. Jeff Immelt, at the signing of a Framework Agreement to expand Ughelli Power Plant in Lagos, yesterday.
L-R: Managing Director/ CEO. Bank of Industry, Ms. Evelyn Oputu; Executive Director, Business Development, Mr. Waheed Olagunju and African Development Bank Resident Representative, Dr. Ousmane Dore, during the signing of agreement to provide two sovereign-guaranteed multi-tranche lines of credit to support export oriented small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Abuja, yesterday.
National News
Reps threatens to arrest Jega, Odimegwu SOLA ADEBAYO AND TORDUE SALEM
T
he House of Representatives may issue a warrant of arrest on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, over his refusal to appear before its committee to explain an alleged misapplication of the Commission’s funds. The Auditor General of the Federation, AGF, had raised queries on the audited account of INEC before the House Committee on Public Accounts, PAC. The Chairman of the National Population Commission, NPC, Mr. Festus Odimegwu may also be issued with warrant of arrest by the lawmakers. The AGF queries were raised on the expenditures of INEC for the year 2003 to 2011, while that of NPC was from 2003 to 2009.
•As INEC may deregister ANPP The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola is to issue the warrant on behalf of the committee today. Olamilekan, at a sitting of the committee yesterday, told members that the heads of INEC and NPC have spurned invitations extended to them five times and therefore sought the permission of his colleagues to issue warrants on the affected officials for their contempt. The committee in a voice vote granted him permission to do so. Condemning Jega and Odimegwu for refusing to turn up as invited, Olamilekan said that the committee will issue the warrants on the duo today and will compel the Inspector General of Police, IGP, to bring them before the committee next week. He said: “Anyone who
occupies public office must show due diligence and accountability and this the parliament will demand of them whether they like it or not. “When INEC looked for power to be on first line charge, it ran to parliament and its problem was solved, why is it now afraid of showing up to give account of what it has spent?” Meanwhile, INEC has written the leadership of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, threatening to withdraw the registration certificate of the party. National Mirror learnt that INEC in a letter dated January 28, accused the party of altering its constitution in 2010 without notifying the electoral umpire. The commission said the action violated relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution and that the party stood the risk of being deregistered.
It was gathered that the letter, signed by INEC’s acting Secretary, Alhaji Mustapha Kuta, was addressed to the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu. Reliable sources in INEC told National Mirror yesterday that the commission asked Onu to adduce reasons why the party should not be sanctioned for the action which violated Section 222b of the 1999 Constitution. The section provides that any political association or political party which alters its constitution must notify the INEC within 30 days after such alternation. Specifically, INEC asked to be persuaded on why the ANPP would continue to function as a political party after flouting relevant constitutional provision about its existence. The party’s spokesman, Mr. Emma Eneukwu, who was contacted on the phone last night pleaded for time to confer with Onu on the matter.
Commission to probe deaths of inmates in police custody OMEIZA AJAYI, ABUJA
T
he Police Service Commission, PSC, yesterday rolled out a formulated policy that will ensure that all deaths in police custody are thoroughly investigated and the report submitted to relevant authorities. The policy, which the commission said would end the culture of impunity and cover-ups, also mandates the police to probe deaths resulting from contacts with policemen, including fatal shootings by officers. In a statement in Abuja yesterday, the Commissioner in charge of Media and Publicity of the Commission Ms. Comfort Obi and another Commissioner, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, explained that a policy on domestic violence and gender has also been introduced for of-
ficers and men of the force. The Commission stated that the in-custody death policy would end the era of cover-ups when people die in police custody and in other extra-judicial killings without being investigated. It said though the tenure of its members end by April 2013, it has institutionalised procedures and processes to be followed in recruitment, promotion and discipline of police officers by the PSC. The commission also stated that three Commissioners of Police have been promoted to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, while eight Deputy Commissioners of Police were promoted to the rank of Commissioners, including two in acting capacity. It added that 20 CSPs were elevated to ACPs, adding that promotion was no longer based on godfatherism or political patronage.