The National Judicial Council had commenced investigation into the several petitions filed against Osun Chief Judge.

The Council in line with its tradition had taken up its independent investigation after rejecting the report and recommendations of a similar probe by the House of Assembly as forwarded by Governor Ademola Adeleke.

A copy of the petition filed by the state judicial workers’ union was reportedly sent for response.

An official of NJC saud that there was an investigative query already issued, adding that they heard that the person in question is out of the country.

He added:”The investigation has commenced. The petition has been sent for answer. It is the response the Council is waiting for. So nobody has killed the petition as indicated in some media reports.

“NJC has its procedure. Petitions are normally reviewed without bias. The NJC had only rejected the Governor’s request. That does not invalidate the petitions which was filed by the workers and their union.”

A copy of one of the petition obtained on Wednesday listed series of allegations against the Chief Judge.

According to the petition,about N7.5million recovered from some condemned persons involved in the widely reported Ikirun Bank robbery in the state, was diverted.

The petition alleged that directive was given that the sum recovered from the convict must be paid into the account of Osun State Government but a contrary directive was also given that the money should be paid into the account of the state judiciary.

The petition also alleged that some staff of the Osun Judiciary were unilaterally suspended, without any recourse to the State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for more than four years, while salaries and allowances of the affected staff were paid into an unauthorised special account without notifying the state government paying the salaries.

It was further alleged that even though some of the suspended staff faced several panels, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which exonerated them, their suspension was not lifted against known administrative principles.

The petition also said another set of staff of the Osun State Judiciary were arrested, investigated and prosecuted in 2020 over alleged stealing of office materials and that the staff were later discharged and acquitted by court but the verdict, which ordered their reinstatement and restoration of their salaries and allowances was not disobeyed.

Mohammed Shosanya

The Nigeria’s House of Representatives has expressed readiness to investigate the loss of over $60 billion revenue due to inflated cash calls by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited Joint Venture Agreements.

The House also mandated the relevant committees to conduct a thorough probe of all NNPCL Joint Venture operations to determine income and cash call costs due to each partner, especially the Federation and also whether due process and diligence were followed.

The resolutions were passed sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. John Chika Okafor on the floor of the plenary on Wednesday.

Hon. Okafor,who moved the motion said NNPCL on behalf of the Federal Government operates Joint Ventures and related agreements with private oil companies in both oil and gas sectors, with the aim of sustainable revenue generation, thus enhancing the economic development of the nation.

He noted that that the NNPCL, as representatives of the Federal government and Federation have about 60 per cent holding while other partners account for the remaining 40 per cent.

He said the joint ventures operate under a “Joint Operating Agreement” that spells out the responsibilities of each of the partners in the ventures.

The lawmaker noted that: “Due to bloated cash call costs, the NNPCL Upstream Investment Management Services, a unit under the NNPCL in charge of negotiation of costs (both Capex and Opex) have caused huge losses in the neighbourhood of $60bn over the years.

“The activities of NUIMS have resulted in huge revenue losses, fiscal deficits and an alarming debt profile, aware of the need to ensure probity, transparency and value for money in the NNPCL Joint Venture operations.”

Meanwhile, the House has called for the remittance of accrued 5 per cent users’ charge on petrol pump price and diesel to Federal Roads Maintenance Agency FERMA to enable it discharge its functions.

This followed the adoption of a motion by Aderemi Oseni, urging Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPCL, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and Ministry of Finance and Office of the Account General of the Federation to ensure that the user’s charge are immediately remitted to FERMA under Section 4(1) of the agency’s (Amendment) Act, 2007.

Leading debate on the motion, Oseni said to underscore the importance of funding to road management and maintenance, Section 4(1) of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (Amendment) Act, 2007 provides that “The fund of the agency shall consist of 5 per cent users’ charge on pump price of petrol, diesel and of which 40 per cent will accrue to FERMA.”

He expressed concern that since the commencement of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (Amendment) Act, 2007 which embodies this provision, the users’ charge has not been remitted to the agency which has accumulated to about N900 billion stating that the House was “disturbed that the perpetual non-remittance of N900 billion in user charges on petrol and diesel pumps negatively impacts the FERMA’s finances and performance consequently affecting the state of federal roads.”