FOI Act bares fangs: Delta commissioner convicted for withholding information

·        Ordered to pay N2.5m, N200,000 cost

By: Shola O'Neil, Port Harcourt

Delta state appears to be the first to fall victim of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) as its   Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Mr. Daniel Okenyi and other top officials of the state government have been convicted for withholding information under the Act.

They were convicted by a Kwale High Court of Justice for failure to release relevant land documents to community leaders from Umu-Okpala Omai family of Umusam community in Kwale.

The community leaders, relying on the FOI Act, had written to the Ministry and other relevant officials to demand records of land acquired by an oil firm, Midwestern Oil and Gas PLC at Umusadege marginal oil field in OML 56.

The commissioner, Mr. Daniel Okenyi, along with his Ministry, Permanent Secretary in the ministry and others were ordered by the presiding judge, Honourable Justice O. Jalogho-Williams, to pay N2.5million.

They were also ordered to henceforth provide relevant land records and information to the community leaders in line with the FOI Act.

In the judgment dated November 01, 2016 a copy of which was obtained by The Nation, Justice Jalogho-Williams agreed with the complainants, represented by Osteen Igbapike Esq., that as a public officer, the commissioner and the ministry acted against the FOI Act.

He stressed that they were obliged to release the relevant documents to the community leaders and awarded N200, 000 as cost of the suit against the commissioner.

Okenyi, who was second respondent in the case and four others, were therefore convicted of “willful denial of requested record/documents/information in the custody of the Ministry of Lands and Survey.”

Legal sources told our reporter that the very high-ranking Delta government might be the biggest public office holder to be caught in the FOI net since the law was enacted.

The Nation gathered that the conviction followed a legal action instituted against the MLSUD by Pa Moses Okpala, Benedict Okweye, Sunday Ndubuishi, Nwaizemeka Fredrick and Okweye Sunday against the commissioner and the ministry for failure to release documents relating to the acquisition of a parcel of land for oil exploration activities by the oil firm.

It was learnt that they applied to the ministry to provide vital documents as to the acquisition of the land eight years.

Reacting to the judgment, Igbapike told our reporter, “The ministry has powers to the documents and they have access to it,” adding that more Nigerians should hold government officials accountant for failure to perform their duties.

He said that the FOI Act provides that once your request is not answered, it is assumed that it has been denied and commended the judge for doing the right thing.

Meanwhile, attempts to get the reaction of the commissioner and his ministry to the judgment were futile, although it was gathered that Okenyi and the other respondents failed to appear in court, respond or send representatives.

·         Source: The Nation

Oil price increases as OPEC agrees output cut

 The oil cartel OPEC has agreed its first supply cut in eight years in order to boost the price of oil.

Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, OPEC’s president, said a cut of 1.2 million barrels a day would start from January.

It comes after more than two years of depressed oil prices, which have more than halved since 2014, due to a supply glut on the market.

The price of Brent crude jumped 10% to $51.94 a barrel, and US crude rose 9% to $49.53.

In addition to the production cut by OPEC members, non-OPEC countries will be expected to reduce production by 600,000 barrels a day, according to Mr Al-Sada.

He did not list which countries these might be, beyond saying Russia was prepared to cut 300,000 barrels from its output of more than 10 million barrels a day.

“This agreement comes from a sense of responsibility from OPEC member countries and non-OPEC member countries for the general well-being and health of the world economy,” he said.

The deal comes after oil ministers agreed to a cut in principle in September, which would have limited output by about 700,000 barrels a day while allowing Iran to increase production.

But disagreements between Saudi Arabia – the world’s biggest oil producer – and Iran led to doubts an agreement would be secured.

·         Source: Daily Post

Power generation drops from 4,285mw to 3,321mw

The nation’s power generation capacity on Thursday dropped from 4,285 megawatts recorded on Sept. 16 to 3,321 megawatts on Dec. 1 due to dearth of gas information from the website of Nigerian Electricity System Operator has shown.

Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), puts the total output of all the generation companies at 3,321.50 megawatts, which had been transferred to the 11 distribution companies across the country.

An official of TCN, who preferred anonymity, said that electricity generation had been dwindling due to challenges of accessing gas by generation companies.

The official said that the country’s power generation dropped from over 4,000 megawatts recorded in September and October to 3,321.50 megawatts current recording as Dec. 1.

Similarly, a top management official of Egbin Power Station, who also pleaded anonymity, told NAN that the power plant was generating over 1,000 megawatts.

He said the plant, which is located in Lagos, now generates and distributes between 250 megawatts and 300 megawatts due to shortage of gas.

The official said that Egbin, with an installed capacity of 1,320 megawatts, has the capacity to wheel over 1,000 megawatts daily.

According to him, the plant is now limited to less than 300 megawatts due to shortage of gas.

Meanwhile, Mr Godwin Idemudia, General Manager, Communications of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc, attributed recent frequent outages within the company’s network to the drop in energy allocation to it.

Idemudia said the company was receiving less than 300 megawatts instead of 1,300 megawatts needed to service its consumers.

He said that the company had reached agreement with independent power companies to argument the little energy being received from the national grid to meet energy demands of its customers.

According to him, Eko DISCO secured additional 160 megawatts of electricity to augment its allocation from the national grid.

“We have entered into bilateral agreements with Egbin Power Plc and Paras Energy & Natural Resources Development Limited for 100 megawatts and 60 megawatts respectively.

“But the generation companies are constrained by gas challenges.

“We are also working on embedded power programme aimed at producing 480 megawatts for distribution to our customers’’, Idemudia said.

·         Source: The News Guru

I’m not sure of platform to use for Ekiti 2018 governorship election, says Fayose

Sequel to the recently concluded results of the Ondo State governorship election which the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP lost to the All Progressives Congress, APC Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has said he is not sure if he will present his candidate on the platform of the PDP.

Governor Ayodele Fayose

Fayose, who dropped the hint in Ikere Ekiti while meeting with the members of the Suppliers’ Association of Nigeria, Ikere chapter, said “I don’t know the platform I will use for the 2018 election yet and at the appropriate time, I will tell you.

“We are still studying the situation. We have to play the game left, right and centre and whoever we are going to use and the platform, you will all be part of the process because party politics is about the people”.

Fayose also said the victory of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, the candidate of the APC in the Saturday’s governorship poll in Ondo State does not in any way threaten the popularity and general acceptability of the PDP in Ekiti.

The governor, who described Akeredolu’s victory at the poll as a collaborative effort of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) and the ruling APC, added that the victory did not confer legitimacy on the poll or lent credence to the fact that Ondo electorate had voted rightly.

“You all saw how people sold their votes in Ondo state, I am confident that that will not happen in Ekiti. I am close to the people you are the source of my strength. Even if it requires just 48 hours to any election, if I tell you where to go, you will surely follow me there”, Fayose said.

Meanwhile at a separate meeting with the junior staff of the state civil service, Fayose had also boasted that he will repeat the 16-0 he meted out to Ex-governor Kayode Fayemi in 2014, where he defeated the incumbent in all the sixteen local governments.

In his words: “APC will be fooling itself if it thinks it will conquer Ekiti like it did in Ondo. Ekiti is a peculiar place and I am the man on ground here. I want to assure my supporters and Nigerians that APC won’t win a local government here in 2018, even if President Muhammadu Buhari moves down all the money in FG’s TSA.

“Governor Olusegun Mimiko and Eyitayo Jegede must have lost in Ondo State, but that does not mean the people had voted rightly. In 2015, people clamoured for change and what have we got now? Nigerians are becoming poorer than ever.

“Today, I am the only one among the APC governors in the southwest. I am now like the nation of Israel surrounded by enemies, but I shall defeat and triumph over them. “APC has never defeated me in any battle, either political or legal. Whether they like it or not, I will win in Ekiti no matter the animosity, because I have the people behind me”, Fayose said.

* Source: The News Guru

PDP will fall in Ekiti State, soon, Afenifere

An Elder statesman of the Afenifere Group, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, is predicting the fall of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2018 governorship election.

Senator Fasanmi made the prediction of the APC’s victory in 2018 when Ekiti State Afenifere group led by the Chairman of Afenifere, Ekiti, Jonathan Alade, visited Osogbo.

Senator Ayo Fasanmi

This is coming few hours after the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, vowed to ensure that the Peoples Democratic Party retains the state after the 2018 election.

On the outcome of Ondo State governorship election, the Senator commended the process, saying he was happy that the Ondo State election was violent free. He advised all Yoruba people to begin to speak with the one voice.

He further expressed joy at the victory of Mr Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in that election.

Fasanmi said: “The role of Egbe Afenifere is very clear and it is to bring all of us together under one umbrella. It has always been my belief that if we do not allow politics to put us asunder, those who want us apart will not succeed. We all see what the result of the election in Ondo State is and we are very happy.

“One of the ultimate objective is to bring together all the Yorubas irrespective of their political party.

“I feel personally happy that the Afenifere in Ekiti State has come to visit me. We all know the mission is to rescue Ekiti. Ondo state has just been rescued and the only state remaining is Ekiti State and by the grace of God, between now and the next two years, Ekiti will come back to the fray”.

The Secretary of Afenifere, Ekiti State, Mr Ronke Okusanya, who was part of the team led by the Chairman, Jonathan Alade, pointed out that some Southwest states’ elections have always been marred by violence, but expressed joy that the Ondo election did not record any.

“What we pray for now is a peaceful transition. The unity of all Yoruba nation is our watchword.

“Senator Fasanmi as a chieftain in Afenifere, wants to see every one of us in unity and to move the nation forward irrespective of the political party,” he stressed.

The chairman of the group described Senator Fasanmi as an honest and dependable leader, who had worked tirelessly in the interest of the development of the Yoruba race.

 * Source: The News Guru

My suspension is worthless, useless, says Senator Sani

·       Describes El-Rufai as dubious progressive, bug, lice and parasite

Senator Shehu Sani, representing Kaduna central senatorial district, has reacted to news of his indefinite suspension from the All Progressives Congress, asserting that the suspension which was initiated by the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-rufai, “is as worthless and as useless as the used sanitary pads in the toilets of his family official residence. It’s as valueless as the used tissue papers of his gluttonous and bulging poodles and lackeys.”

Senator Shehu Sani

Sani communicated this position via his Facebook page on Wednesday, challenging El-rufai on developmental issues in the state.

“My “Indefinite suspension” by Governor Nasiru El-Rufai controlled, Induced and misinformed self acclaimed “APC excos” and the paper it was written upon is as worthless and as useless as the used sanitary pads in the toilets of his family official residence.

“It’s as valueless as the used tissue papers of his gluttonous and bulging poodles and lackeys.

I wish to fully assure the bespectacled pygmy and his running dogs that the “new suspension” will not give them the public support they couldn’t gather with the “first suspension.

“For a man who has been unable to address the pervasive insecurity and genocide in Southern Kaduna for a man who has been unable to stem the tide of rampant kidnapping and abductions in Kaduna,”suspending” Shehu Sani cannot be counted as an achievement.

“Mr Governor, My suspension will not increase your physical height nor give you the flesh or muscle of a macho.

El-Rufai remains a typical establishment man,who was brought to limelight by the PDP, nurtured by the PDP. He is a dubious progressive and a bogus representation of change. If El-Rufai represent change,then Mabutu, Batista, Kamuzu Banda represent change.”

Sani described El-Rufai as President Buhari’s stooge on a mission to self-preservation.

“El-Rufai is a bug, a lice and a parasite to PMB administration. His loyalty to PMB is nothing but self serving and self-preservation. El-Rufai is a foul air to any serious concept of change. El-Rufai remains the excrement of the toilets of PDP wadata House and no broom or deodorant of change can give him a new identity.”

* Source: The News Guru

APC suspends Shehu Sani indefinitely

Senator Shehu Sani, who is representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, has been suspended indefinitely, by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Senator Shehu Sani

According to Thisday, Sani’s suspension was conveyed in a letter addressed to him.

The letter was signed by the Secretary of the APC in his Ward 6, Tudun Wada ward, Kaduna, Mallam Awal Abdulhamid Garba.

It reads: “As you are aware, your suspension from the party for a period of eleven months elapsed today, being November 29, 2016.

“The suspension which was in line with the constitution of our great party was to enable you to defend yourself against illegalities committed by you against the party as well as breach of its constitution.

“We expected the period of your suspension to give you the grace of being remorseful, but you rather chose to play otherwise, and this made our party to be vulnerable to disunity, disharmony and further shattering the existing peace mechanism within our ward and the state at large.

“Therefore, in consideration of the constitutional provisions as contained in Article 21 (A) i, ii, iii, v, vi, and vii of the constitution of the APC, you are hereby suspended indefinitely from active participation of APC activities.

“This is in conformity with article 21 (D) i-(F) which provides punishment for any erring member of the party.

“With this letter, you are hereby warned to abide by the party’s decision.”

·         Source: dailypostngr