Lawman Duruji emerges Imo new Speaker – TheNigerialawyer

A few minutes after Acho Ihim resigned as the Speaker of the Imo
State House of Assembly, Lawman Duruji has emerged as his
successor.

Duruji, who represents Ehime Mbano, emerged during an election
conducted between him and the acting Speaker, Chinedu Offor.

While Duruji got 14 votes, Offor garnered 11 votes.

The new Speaker in his acceptance speech, said he would steer
the ship of the legislature with respect and due process within
remaining nine days of the current Assembly.

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Finally, Metuh Provides Break-Down of N400m Media
Campaigns

Olisa Metuh, the former National Publicity Secretary of the
People’s Democratic Party, PDP, on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 told a
Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, how he spent an alleged N400
million traced to him as proceed of money laundering by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

According to Metuh, while testifying before Justice Okon Abang,
said “We leased an office through the late Chief Tony Anene,
amounting to N25million. He requested for cash payment and over
N21Million was made in cheque in his name and delivered to him. The
office was fully furnished with state -of –the- art -computers,
internet facility, two brand new generators and staff had 24-hours
access to the office daily”.

He further revealed that N37million was used for media
engagements and meetings with editors in Nigeria, adding that
expenditures on analysts, content developers, core staff and
support staff hired for the purpose of the assignment amounted to
N13million, “while CNC connect one of the consulting firms came to
N7million”, he said.

He also revealed that workshops and perception management
campaign cost N23million and that N10million was spent on new
media, while the production of materials, appearances on radio and
other media services gulped N15million.

According to Metuh who is the first defendant in the matter, the
cost of security, transportation, hotel allowances amongst others
amounted to N47million. He said that the total amount spent in the
South- south zone was N55million, while the Northern zone, handled
by the late Tony Anene amounted to N97million with an additional
N1.4million which was used for procurement of public address
systems.

Metuh further told the court that the amount spent in the
South-east region amounted to N40.4million, while honorarium for
different recruited persons cost N200, 000 each adding that there
were 57 of them.

While concluding his witness, Metuh said that a total sum of
N421million was expended on supposed national assignment, as
contained in exhibits before the court.

Recall that Metuh is being prosecuted by the, EFCC, for
allegedly receiving N400million from the Office of the National
Security Adviser, ONSA, in 2014 to run advocacy campaign for former
President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2015 general
elections.

During the continuation of his trial today, which had suffered
many adjournments, Metuh accused the EFCC of engaging in media
frenzy since his arrest in 2015. He added that he refused to
provide a list which contains names of those he gave monies while
executing the national assignment given to him by the former
President Goodluck Jonathan.

“The whole issue borders on the investigation activities of
EFCC, they requested that I provide the names of those I disbursed
the monies to, I refused to discuss that with them, because I knew
it was going to be a subject of media frenzy,” he said.

He said his story attracted several malicious newspaper
headlines, adding further that the headlines presented him to be
the one who embezzled the alleged N400m security funds.

While being led in evidence, the defendant denied making any
payment through one Nneka Ararume (staff of ARM Pension) to Kabiru
Ibrahim, a Bureau De Change operator. This was in response to the
allegation that he gave $1m (One Million United States Dollar) to
the BDC operator for the purpose of investment. Both had testified
as prosecution witnesses before today’s trial.

“I did not make any payment of $1m to Kabiru Ibrahim through
Nneka Ararume. Ararume has never acted as my agent in this
transaction or any other, she is a staff of ARM”, he added.

Meanwhile, at the last sitting on May 24, 2019, the defendant
during his examination stated that the national assignment given to
him by Goodluck Jonathan has nothing to do with his party
activities.

He further informed the court that it wasn’t his first time of
executing a national assignment for a president adding that he was
also able to execute a national assignment for former President
Olusegun Obasanjo.

Justice Abang there after adjourned the matter to June10 and 11,
for cross-examination of the witness.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity