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Court Sentences Metuh To 39 Years Imprisonment
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday, sentenced former Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, to a total of 39 years imprisonment.
Metuh’s sentencing, which came after four years of trial, was sequel to his conviction in a money laundering charge against him by the Federal Government.
But Metuh, however, is to serve to seven years imprisonment on corruption charges regarding his activities preceding the 2015 presidential election which his party lost.
Justice Abang, delivering judgment at the proceedings which lasted over six hours, convicted Metuh on all the seven counts, including the fraudulent receipt of N400million from the Office of the National Security Adviser in November, 2014, and use of the money for political activities of the PDP and for his personal purposes.
The court also convicted Metuh for transacting with a cash sum of $2million without going through a financial institution.
The judge agreed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) successfully proved that the transaction violated the anti-money laundering law which pegs the maximum cash transaction an individual undertake outside a financial institution at N5million.
Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited were arraigned on a seven-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N400million received from the former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
They were also accused of laundering the sum of $2million and conversion of public funds into private usage.
EFCC had in a seven-count charge it entered before the court, alleged that the N400million was electronically wired from an account that ONSA operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to Metuh, via account no. 0040437573, which his firm operated with Diamond Bank Plc.
It told the court that the fund, which was released to Metuh and his firm by detained former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), was part of about $2.1billion earmarked for the purchase of arms to fight insurgency in the North-East.
Besides, the prosecution alleged that Metuh was involved in an illicit transaction that involved the exchange of $2million, in violation of extant financial regulations.
But the former PDP spokesman claimed that the said funds were for a national assignment as directed by the then President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.
However, delivering judgment in the case, Justice Abang held that the prosecution was able to establish the ingredients of guilt in all the seven-count charge against Metuh and his company.
Justice Abang, accordingly handed down the minimum years as prescribed by Section 15 of the Money Laundering Act.
For count one, the judge sentenced Metuh to seven years imprisonment; count two, seven years; count three, five years; count four, seven years; count five, three years with a fine of N25million; count six, three years with a fine of N25million; and count seven, seven years imprisonment.
The sentences, which are to run concurrently, according to the judge, comes into effect from the day the judgment was delivered, meaning that Metuh will serve all sentences simultaneously, thereby staying only seven years in jail, from yesterday.
While the court ordered the winding up of Destra Investment Limited and the balance in the firm’s bank accounts to be forfeited to the Federal Government, Justice Abang, in addition, imposed a fine of N375million on Metuh.
The judge also directed Metuh to pay the fine of N375million to the Federal Government.
He also ordered Destra Investments to pay N25million to the Federal Government.
He ordered the accounts of Destra in Diamond Bank and Asset Resource Management to be closed and their proceeds forfeited to the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, a group of lawyers has charged the Federal Government to deploy the same energy used in the investigation and prosecution of a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, to those in the present administration that have allegations of corruption and fraud on their heads.
Metuh was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, yesterday, by a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Okon Abang after he was found guilty of money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Reacting to the judgment of the court, lawyers under the aegis of Coalition of Public Interests Lawyers and Advocates (COPA) said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration could prove its doubters wrong if and when individuals in the administration that have cases hanging over their heads were given a similar treatment like Metuh’s.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi, said: “There is a kind of blood flow that moves in the Federal Government whenever an opposition is being prosecuted.
“What we are saying is that this same energy should be transferred to people who are within the government.
“We are saying that the energy used in prosecuting Olisa Metuh, that energy should be used to investigate all of these (alleged) corrupt elements in the government.”
He stressed that: “We have (Godswill) Akpabio there, who has a lot of questions to answer with the EFCC. Federal Government has not done anything about it.”
The EFCC, in 2018, said the case of alleged fraud involving Akpabio was not over after he (Akpabio) reportedly said that he was a man of peace that had no case to answer with the EFCC.
Olajengbesi also mentioned the current Minister of State for Mines and Steel, Mr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, who he alleged was arrested outside the court premises in 2016 by the EFCC after the police withdrew a case of forgery against him.
Ogah had, however, faulted the reported arrest, saying he was never arrested and the report of his so-called arrest was “false, wicked and fabricated”.
News
Let’s Approach Regional Development Issues Differently – Fubara …As S’South Govs Host Fubara To 50th Birthday Celebration
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has sued for a change in the current approach adopted by South South Governors in their pursuit to achieve holistic regional development and economic prosperity.
The governor insisted on de-emphasis in vested individuals’ political interests while looking at the bigger picture of achieving enduring regional integration that will strengthen unity of purpose to change the trajectory of development in the region.
Fubara made the appeal during the meeting of Governors of South-South States, under the auspices of BRACED Commission, at the Bayelsa State Government House in Yanagoa on Tuesday.
This was contained in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi.
BRACED is an acronym for Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta.
He said: “I want to appeal that if we have to succeed in this drive, we need to keep our political differences aside and understand that the struggle, as at today, is for posterity, for the development of our region.
“It is really sad that in Niger Delta that is the economic base of this country, the construction of a road that you tagged ‘East-West Road’ could be an issue, that we need to beg, protest, and complain to get it fixed. I don’t think it is proper.”
Governor Fubara stated that it is not that the federal authorities do not understand that Niger Delta needs the road but quickly added that they have seen that even the people of the region do not take themselves seriously.
The governor said the moment Niger Delta people stopped playing to the gallery, and place value on themselves, outsiders will have no option than to accord the region and its people due regard.
Fubara said: “On my part, I want to say this: This is not the first time we are meeting. For me, I followed the course of the region meeting in a forum that we tagged “BRACED Commission.”
“BRACED Commission is also one of the bodies that was constituted at that time to support and work out development strategies for this region. But what I am seeing today is just limiting this meeting to only BRACED COMMISSION.
“We need to widen the scope where other leaders of the region should be part of the discussion of the development of the region, and I think this is the direction that will help the region.”
Reading the Communique of the meeting, the new Chairman of the Forum of Governors of South-South States, and Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, said they support the Federal Government Tax Reform Bills, and urged President Bola Tinubu to extend the Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing percentages to oil and gas derivation.
He stated the Forum’s request to the Federal Government to urge relevant stakeholders and agencies to extend remediation of polluted environment ongoing in Ogoni land to other impacted communities and States in the region.
Governor Diri also said that the Forum resolved to establish a structural regional security network to enhance safety and security, foster stable Niger Delta region conducive for economic growth and prosperity.
Highlight of the event was the hosting of Governor Fubara to a surprise 50th Birthday celebration by the Governors of South-South States at the Government House in Yenagoa.
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Fubara Lauds Tinubu For Setting Up Education Load Fund … Vows To Ensure Rivers Benefit Maximally From Scheme
The Rivers State Government has applauded President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for conceiving the idea of setting up the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) which has opened up opportunities for youths to acquire tertiary education irrespective of their financial status.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, gave the commendation while playing host to a delegation from NELFUND who came on an advocacy visit to the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Represented by his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, Governor Fubara said in developed countries it is common for people to go through school with loans which they sometimes pay all throughout their lives, noting that “for us, it is more accessible and more friendly because you would be required to pay back the loan two years after your National Youth Service.
“It is a win-win situation; it is a situation where the youths in Nigeria should not say because my parents are poor or passed away I cannot improve on my educational growth. This offers them a golden opportunity and I am glad you came for this advocacy.”
The governor urged NELFUND to intensify its advocacy to let the people know how they can benefit from it, adding that it is more important when talking about vocational institutions.
“If you look at the developed countries it is people that went to the vocational schools that make so much money, because it is pricey to get somebody to do anything, we need to instil this into our people, our youths, because people sometimes tend to look down on people that went to vocational schools, it should not be,” he said.
Fubara expressed delight with the NELFUND programme and assured that the State Government would do whatever it can to ensure Rivers State benefits maximally from the scheme.
In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of NELFUND, Dr. Akintunde Sawyer, informed the governor that they were in Rivers State to seek the support of the State Government towards the loan, stressing that President Tinubu has directed them to ensure no Nigerian student who has the ability and desire to get educated at tertiary level is denied the opportunity due to lack of funding.
He explained that the scheme provides interest-free loans to students who apply, adding that these loans are not repayable until two years after their Youth Service when they must have gotten a job.
A British-Nigerian politician, Florence Eshalomi, has been appointed as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to Nigeria.
Her appointment makes Eshalomi the second Nigerian to hold the position.
Confirming her appointment on X on Tuesday, she wrote: “It is an honour to have been appointed as the United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria.
“I’m looking forward to building on my close ties with Nigeria to promote a strong and flourishing economic relationship between our two great nations.
“I am looking forward to strengthening the UK’s relationship with Nigeria to explore shared growth and opportunities for both countries.”
Announcing the appointment in a statement on Tuesday, Jonathan Reynolds, the UK’s Business and Trade Secretary, said the decision was aimed at attracting investment into the UK and boosting economic growth.
“I’ve launched a new team of trade envoys who will use their experience, expertise, and knowledge to unlock new markets around the world for British businesses, attract investment into the UK, and ultimately drive economic growth,” Reynolds said.
Eshalomi, 44, is an MP representing the Vauxhall and Camberwell Green constituency.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Political and International Studies with Law from Middlesex University.