Nigeria President Yar'Adua budget signature 'forged'

Allies

of Nigeria's ailing president forged his signature on the country's supplementary budget last month, opposition politicians ha

ve

alleged.

They have written to the police asking them to investigate the forgery claims.

The government said President Umaru

Yar'Adua signed the budget despite being treated for a heart condition in Saudi Arabia.

Mr Yar'A

dua has been away for six weeks, fuelling fears of a power vacuum in Africa's most

populous nation.

Doctors say he is suffering from acute pericarditis - inflammation of the lining of the heart. He also has a long-standing

kidney complaint.

In a bid to dispel fevered speculation over Mr Yar'Adua's health, ministers have insisted the president is recovering from treatment.

Information Minister Dora Akunyili said the president had spoken to his colleagues over the telephone on Tuesday.

Several court cases have been launched demanding that power be officially handed to the vice-president.

And one group of activists has even suggested the president should be declared a missing person, and a search party should be sent out.

Court throws out Dikko’s application to stop police investigation: fixes date for police report

A Chief Magistrate Court, Zone 6, Wuse Abuja, presided over by Chief Magistrate O.O Oyewumi (Mrs.) this morning threw out an application filed by the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko seeking to set aside the court order that the Police should investigate his alleged forged certificates.

On the issue of locus standi raised by Dikko the court ruled that the fact that Olajide Ibrahim is an accomplice to the said offence of forgery and has made confessional statements to that effect, it will be wrong to deny him fair hearing. Also, that since section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code gives “any person” the right to approach the court on such criminal complaints, then the court has jurisdiction to entertain the complaint and Mr. Festus Keyamo and Olajide Ibrahim are duly before the court.

Having cleared the preliminary objection from the way, the court then fixed December 15, 2009, for the application to compel the Police to bring the result of their investigation to the court.

From the above, it is obvious that the hide-and-seek game of the Comptroller –General of Customs is coming to an end.

Nigeria Golden Eaglets Captain 7 YEARS ago

Adokiye Amiesimaka, former Green Eagles player, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Rivers, former Chairman of Sharks Football Club has been castigated for saying that Fortune Chukwudi, captain of Nigeria's Golden Eaglets is at least 25 year old.
Mr. Chukwu registered as a youth player with Sharks in 2002, as an 18 year old (which could still have been above the age limit for this competition). Adokiye was Sharks Chairman at the time and knows the player very well.Please find attached photograph taken in 2002(7 YEARS AGO) at Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt of some members of the feeder team of Sharks. Standing 4th from left is current U-17 captain of Nigeria at on-going FIFA U-17 WC in Nigeria. To his immediate right is James Peter who played for Premier League Sharks until 2 years ago. To his immediate left is Oyinkuro Sinclair, son of coach Monday Sinclair. Standing 3rd from the right is Belema Fenibo who also played for the senior team of Sharks for several years and is now with Ocean Boys.Can those who insist that Chukwudi is U-17 provide proof? Chukwudi may not be the only over-aged in this team, but he is the one where is proof now.Nigerians should not allow some greedy, corrupt elements to waste our national resources on old people parading as U-17 players.All those involved in this should be explaining what they know about this scandal, including FIFA's silence.

Nigeria Customs Service sued for discrimination

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has been hit with an employment discrimination lawsuit by 20 new potential recruits, predominantly from the Southern part of Nigeria.The lawsuit, which was filed by activist lawyer, Festus Keyamo on behalf of the plaintiffs, detailed the denial of placement opportunities to the recruits who had been properly tested and had passed medical and physical fitness tests.The lawsuit is coming on the heels of growing concern that the Yar'Adua regime has been biased in favour of persons of northern origin, particularly his home state of Katsina, to whom it is generous with employment opportunities in the federal civil service.
Recently, the appointment of the Comptroller General of customs, Abdullahi Dikko Inde has been condemned as an example of nepotism by the Yar'Adua regime. Mr. Inde also faces questions of certificate forgery, and an editor of The Guardian who was reportedly working on the forgery story was assassinated in his home.Inde hails from Musawa local government area of Katsina. He is a distant cousin of Yar'Adua, and is married to the sister of Yar'Adua's wife.

Mystery Murder Of Guardian Newspaper Journalist

The killers of Nigerian Editor Bayo Ohu are still a mystery, three weeks after his murder. Now the family of the former Guardian newspaper journalist lives in fear. Ohu was shot dead early on Sunday morning, September 20, by a gang of five armed men and a woman in his apartment in Egbeda, a Lagos suburb in Nigeria. His killers made away with his laptop and cell phone, raising speculation that he was killed for his work as a journalist. Nigerian Police Commissioner Marvel Akpoyido told CPJ that investigations are ongoing.According to local news reports, Ohu was working on a sensitive story about the use of forged educational certificates by a recently appointed customs official. This was confirmed by his widow, who told CPJ that this information had been passed on to her by senior journalists at The Guardian.The 31-year-old mother of five girls, aged 10 months to 16 years old, described her slain husband as “loving, caring, and with a passion for journalism,” which convinced her to take up journalism as a profession herself. Blessing Bayo Ohu recently spoke to CPJ about her husband, her security concerns, and her future plans.

Customs boss mess splits Presidency

NIGERIA’S Seat of political power the presidential villa, Asokoro Abuja, has been torn apart by the controversy precipitated by the certificate forgery allegation against the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Inde Dikko.There appear to be no consensus yet between the pro-Dikko government officials and those who are infuriated by the scandal surrounding his appointment and academic credentials. National Daily reports that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua is worried by the Dikko gate scandal but is said to be confused about how to break the ludicrous smoke created by the spiral scandal. “The Abdullahi Dikko matter has caused division among Yar’Adua’s kitchen cabinet and Aso Rock staff. There are those who want the president to clean up the mess by sacking the Comptroller-General while some disagree and instead advise the President to allow the court to resolve the matter.” An informed source said. Informed sources disclosed that the pro Dikko officials, on the one hand, are being influenced by the first lady, Hajia Turai Umaru Yar’Adua, while on the other hand the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Alhaji Mahmud Ahmed Yayale is said to be at the head of the puritans who are clamouring for Dikko to be booted out of office.