'CONFERENCE HALL'- SENATORS COMPLAIN OVER POOR QUALITY OF RECONSTRUCTED SENATE CHAMBER. (PHOTO).
‘Conference Hall’ – Senators complain over poor quality of reconstructed Senate Chamber Senators on Tuesday expressed anger over the condition of the reconstructed Chamber, which they described as a ‘mere conference room’. Controversy has trailed the refurbished Senate Chambers since plenary resumed in the facility last week. Last Tuesday’s plenary was trailed by confusion as some Senators quarreled over sitting arrangements in the renovated chamber. During plenary on Tuesday, complaints over the standard of the Chambers led to a rowdy session which lasted for about 15 minutes and eventually forced the Senate into executive session. The Chief Whip of the Senate and lawmaker representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, who raised the issues through Order 42 of the Senate Standing Rules, said, “What is supposed to be a Chamber, has been turned into a Conference Hall”, a development which he said is not acceptable. “Mr President, I rise to make disturbing observations on this supposedly renovate
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC,today tuesday,June 6,2017 arraigned the trio of Onukaogu Onyinyechi Esther,Ebenuwa Chinazo Jennifer and Onukaogu Joshua before Justice A.S. Adepoju of the FCT High court sitting in Wuse,Abuja,on a 13-count sitting in Wuse,Abuja,on a 13-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence.Esther allegedly abused her office while being a staff of Soft Alliance,consultants to the office of the Auditor General of the Federation on IPPIS between 2012 and 2013,to input her name and two of her siblings {Jennifer and Joshua} into the IPPIS database as staff of Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Ministry of Works respectively,for the purpose of receiving salaries from the federal government.Esther and her co-defendants were said to have drawn salaries as ghost workers from their respective ministries for three years,to the tune of N9million before the law caught up with them.The offence breaches Section 1 {1} {a} and is punishable under Section 1 {3} of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act,No. 14,2006.In view of their pleas,counsel to EFCC,Elizabeth Alabi,urged the court to fix a date for trial and to remand the suspects in prison custody.But,the defence counsel,M.M. Hirse,informed the court that he had pending applications for the bail of the defendants.Responding,Alabi urged the court to refuse the application adding that,''they were once granted bail and they jumped it''.However,Justice Adepoju opined that ''the purpose of bail and they jumped it''.However,Justice Adepoju opined that ''the purpose of bail is to secure the attendance of the defendants in court.It is their constitutional right to be granted bail The judge,therefore,granted each of the defendants bail in the sum of N5million with one surety each in like sum.The sureties must be civil servants not below salary grade level ten.The matter has been adjourned to September 21,2017 for hearing.Meanwhile,the defendants are to be remanded in EFCC custody pending the perfection of their bail conditions.More photos below.
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