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The Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State, has upheld the powers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and that of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute officials of the Delta State Government who allegedly engage in corrupt acts.

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Justice Folasade Olubanjo held that the sister organisations whose core mandates are basically the same do not in any way violate the principle of federalism and separation of powers embodied in the Constitution.

The court gave the judgment in the suit filed by the Attorney General of Delta State challenging the powers of the two anti-corruption agencies to investigate the state government’s finances and invite Delta State officials for interviews in the course of investigations.

The State Government had asked the court to among other things declare that by virtue of the provisions of Section 120, 121, 122, 123 & 125 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), no authority or person other than the state government, the state house of assembly, and the auditor-general of the state has the constitutional mandate to exercise power or control over the funds standing to the credit of Delta State in the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other state public funds.

The state also asked the court to make a declaration that the provisions of Section 128 of the Constitution empowers only the state house of assembly to the exclusion of the defendants to conduct or direct investigation into the disbursement of public funds for the purpose of exposing corruption, inefficiency or waste of public funds.

The state also insisted that by virtue of the provisions of Section 125 of the constitution, only the auditor-general of Delta State has the power to receive financial statements and annual accounts from the accountant general of the state.

In her judgment, Justice Olubanjo disagreed with the plaintiff and held that Nigeria practices cooperative federalism; and as such the fight against corruption is a function of both the states and the Federal Government.

The judge also noted that the issues before the court had been settled in a plethora of appellate decisions, among which is the Supreme Court judgment in AG Ondo State vs AG Federation & 36 others.

 

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Lagos signs MoU with chinese firm for 68km rail project to connect VI, lekki, Ajah

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The Green Line will complement the existing metro infrastructure, including the Blue Line, which has been operational for a year on the Mile 2 to Marina route, and the Red Line, which is preparing for full passenger service later this year.


According to Sanwo-Olu, these metro lines are key components of Lagos’ Strategic Transport Master Plan, designed to build a faster, more efficient, and interconnected city.

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ICPC grills Ngige over alleged contract, job racketeering

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Chris Ngige
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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has questioned Chris Ngige, former Minister of Labour and Employment during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, over his alleged involvement in contract-related issues and job racketeering.

 

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Imo PDP condemns killings, says Gov Uzodinma not proactive

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The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Imo State has condemned in strong terms the recent attacks by yet to be identified gunmen on the council headquarters of the Isiala Mbano LGA of the state where security guards were killed.

It also condemned the razing of Obowo LGA Divisional Police Headquarters, as well as the killing of a policeman in his house near NEPA junction in Umulogho community, also in the LGA.

In a press statement by its State publicity secretary, Lancelot Obiaku, he said, “Our party maintains that the continuous mindless attacks on public facilities and the killing of innocent citizens are unjustifiable and have no place in our culture and nationhood.

“We commiserate with the families and friends of the victims and, indeed, all Imolites who have been thrown into deep sorrow and anguish.”

Obiaku regretted that no mitigation was in place to checkmate the incessant attacks in the State, saying that the APC-led government of Hope Uzodinma should wake up to the occasion and stop being what it described as inactive and indifference to what is happening in the State.

The PDP publicity secretary further stated that the Governor has not been proactive in tackling the killings in the State, which he said had led to normalizing killings and arson, giving a leeway to attackers to have a field day in their operations, thereby turning the State into a theatre of war, bloodshed and sorrow.

“Amid this destruction and bloodbath, what we could hear from Gov. Uzodimma and Imo APC are stories of how they are having their secret primary elections as regards to the local government elections.

“Curiously, the same Governor, in a leaked video wherein he was addressing his APC lackeys over the said primary election in a closed-door meeting, claimed to be knowledgeable about everything happening in all the LGAs of the State,” he said.

Obiaku said that the governor “sits in an exalted position without doing anything and these attackers keep on snuffing lives out of innocent citizens”.

“To them, governance does not matter, lives can be lost, Imo can burn, and people can die of hunger for all they care,” he stated.

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