Disciplinary Panel Dismisses Petition Against Ex-AGF, Malami …As He Faces Dasuki Family Today

The Disciplinary Panel of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges
Committee on Thursday dismissed one of the two petitions against
the immediate-past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister
of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, Punch reports.

The PUNCH has learnt the petition by Mr Obi Johnson of
Interstellar Communications Ltd was dismissed by the panel due to
the lack of diligent prosecution. The petitioner reportedly failed
to send a representative, either a lawyer or an official of the
company, to the Thursday’s proceedings.

Malami attended the proceedings and was also represented by his
team of lawyers led by Mr Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN).

The LPPC is the body that confers the rank of Senior Advocate of
Nigeria on lawyers and has the power to withdraw the rank from any
lawyer on the grounds of ethical breaches.

With the Thursday’s development, the petition filed before the
LPPC by the family of a former National Security Adviser, Col.
Sambo Dasuki (retd), is the remaining one against Malami before the
LPPC.

The petition by the Dasuki’s has been slated for hearing on
Friday (today).

The Dasuki family had submitted their petition to the LPPC and
other bodies requesting that disciplinary action be taken against
Malami for allegedly endorsing Dasuki’s continued detention.

The family’s petition followed Malami’s last year media comment
suggesting that Dasuki, despite meeting the latest bail granted him
by the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 2, 2018, would not be
released from the custody of the Department of State Services on
the grounds of national security.

In the petition by Intersellar, which was dismissed by the panel
on Thursday, the petitioner had accused Malami, as the AGF, of not
doing enough to ensure the payment of its proceeds of a judgment of
the Supreme Court it obtained.

The LPPC’s panel was headed by the Chief Judge of Osun State,
Justice Adepele Ojo, on Thursday.

Malami had in his defence filed against the petition claimed the
petitioner had been paid N3bn as a result of his intervention in
the case.

A document by the ex-AGF obtained by The PUNCH read, “The
petitioner admitted, rather ignorantly, that the service of the
order of the Supreme Court on the office of the HAGF was merely out
of courtesy and nothing more.

“The damage done by the said admission to the case of the
petition is that the petitioner could not have been reasonable in
accusing an office that he admitted not to be really significant of
frustrating the payment of its judgment debt.

“The payment (and acceptance) of N3bn by the petitioner as a
result of the intervention of the Office of the HAGF is a
documentary evidence of the sincerity of the OHAGF to ensure that
the petitioner is paid contrary to the jaundiced perception and
reckless allegations of the petitioner. It is an evidence to show
that the OHAGF wants the debt paid.”

He also noted that the petitioner was “grossly abusive,” adding
that the petition itself constituted “an attack on the persons and
offices of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and
the Solicitor-General of the Federation/Permanent Secretary, the
Federal Ministry of Justice”.

Urging the panel to dismiss the petition, Malami stated, “With
the copies of the HAGF’s letters to the President, Vice-President
and Chief of Staff, an objective and unbiased panel of
well-intentioned people will certainly know that the HAGF has done
what a diligent public officer should do in the circumstance. In
fact, the HAGF could not have done more that he had done.”

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PCNI hands over to North East Development
Commission
The Presidential Committee on the North East Initiatives (PCNI)
officially handed over human and material resources to the recently
inaugurated North East Development Commission on Tuesday, 11th
June, 2019 at the PCNI’s office.

While giving a chronicle of the mandate and activities carried
out for the duration of her 3 years existence, the Vice chairman
PCNI explained the main role of the PCNI as the apex coordinating
body which was only able to fill in gaps in areas of critical needs
and relied on the support of Development partners and private
bodies. He said studies, researches, partnerships and coordination
are all platform made available for the North East Development
Commission (NEDC) for its smooth take off since they have the
mandate to implement projects.

He said further that the landmark of achievement recorded was
due to the doggedness of staff of the PCNI despite little resources
available. He beckoned on the North East Development Commission to
take up the challenge for better development of the North East.

The chairman of the NEDC Mr. Paul Tafar on behalf of the members
of the Board thanked the PCNI for a job well done and promised to
continue from where PCNI has stopped.

The brief handing over ceremony had in attendance senior staffs
of the PCNI, and the Board of NEDC which are as follows:

1. Mohammed Alkali, Managing Director of the NEDC;

2. Musa Yashi, Executive Director, Humanitarian Affairs;

3. Muhammed Jawa, Executive Director, Administration and
Finance;

4. Omar Mohammed, Executive Director, Operations.

5. David Kente, member representing North East Zone;

6. Asmau Mohammed, member representing North West Zone;

7. Benjamin Adanyi, member representing North Central Zone,

8. Olawale Oshun, member representing South West Zone;

9. Dr. T. Ekechi, member representing South East;

10. Obasuke McDonald, member representing South South.

Odutayo Oluseyi
C.I.O