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Certified: Tinubu graduated in 1979, Chicago varsity replies Atiku

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Chicago State University (CSU) has confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu graduated from the institution in 1979.

The university made the confirmation in response to an application by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar.

The United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, on August 9, ordered the university to respond to the application.

The case, numbered 1:23-cv-05099, is before Judge Maldonado Gilbert.

Responding to the order, the university stated that it would “defer” to the “intervenor” Tinubu concerning objections to privacy and relevancy issues he raised on the application.

It added: “Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, graduated from the University in 1979.

“One of his political opponents, Abubakar, seeks discovery from the university of Tinubu’s student records and information about the dates and circumstances certain diplomas were issued by the university, asserting such discovery is pertinent to a Nigerian proceeding challenging Tinubu’s election earlier this year.

“The student records Abubakar seeks from the university and the information Abubakar seeks the university to provide pursuant to a deposition subpoena concern Tinubu’s private educational records.

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“But since Tinubu has intervened to oppose this discovery, the university defers to Tinubu on the privacy issues implicated by Abubakar’s application.”

Chigaco University said it also defers to Tinubu on whether any of the discovery information sought is appropriate under the section it was sought (28 U.S.C. §1782), including whether it is relevant to the pending Nigerian proceeding.

“The university struggles to understand how – given that Tinubu did in fact graduate from the university in 1979 – Tinubu’s grades and other student records from the 1970s and date and signatory information on subsequently issued ceremonial diplomas could possibly have any bearing on a 2023 election challenge in a foreign country.

“But the university is admittedly not familiar with the issues in the Nigerian proceeding or the evidentiary and other legal principles applicable therein.

“Accordingly, the university defers to Tinubu – who obviously is familiar with these issues and directly involved in that foreign proceeding – to advance procedural and relevancy objections to the application.”

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According to Chicago State University, in a recent conference with Atiku’s counsel about the application, it was confirmed that the evidentiary phase of the Nigerian proceeding has concluded.

Atiku’s lawyer, the university added, had insisted that the information sought in the application might be introduced in appellate proceedings to come.

The university urged the court, when ruling on the Atiku’s application, to scrutinise both the actual status of the Nigerian proceeding and the likelihood that any discovery information provided by the university would in fact be considered in the proceeding.

“The university reserves objections to the scope of the discovery sought by Abubakar,” the institution stated.

Chicago State University added: “As leave to issue any discovery has not yet been granted, and the court’s views on what, if any, discovery is appropriate here under 28 U.S.C. §1782 are not yet known, it is premature for the university to raise objections to the scope of the documents and information sought in Abubakar’s two subpoenas

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“But, without limiting further objections, which the university expressly reserves, the university notes that the scope and relevancy of certain of Abubakar’s requests are clearly inappropriate.

“For example, Abubakar’s document subpoena Request No. 5 seeks information on diplomas issued by the University for a 44-year period (1979 to the present), and Abubakar’s deposition subpoena Topic No. 7 seeks information on the employment status and reasons for departure of a former employee in the University’s General Counsel’s Office.

“Following this court’s ruling on the application, should any discovery be permitted, the University will meet and confer promptly and in good faith with Abubakar’s counsel to attempt to address all the university’s concerns.”

The university’s response, dated August 23, was issued by its counsel, Michael D. Hayes, of Husch Blackwell LLP.

The Presidential Election Tribunal had reserved judgment on Atiku’s petition challenging Tinubu’s victory.

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JUST IN: NSIB locates wreckage of crashed helicopter in Port Harcourt

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The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says its search and recovery teams have successfully located the wreckage of the ditched Sikorsky SK76 helicopter.

In a statement on Thursday, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, NSIB’s director of public affairs and family assistance, said the wreckage was identified during recovery dives conducted on Wednesday night.

Details later…

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Don’t Patronise Fake Oil And Gas Bodies, NUPENG Cautions

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The leadership of our Union has identified fraudulent advertisements from individuals falsely claiming to represent a dubious association of Transporters and Oil and Gas Marketers.

The association urge the public and government institutions to be vigilant against these unscrupulous figures, who seek to exploit the current economic landscape following the removal of fuel subsidies. The Union reaffirms its support for recognized associations in the industry and urges all stakeholders to reject these miscreants and their deceptive practices.

The open letter below:

The attention of the leadership of our great Union has been drawn to some advertisements on news media of some unscrupulous and dangerous individuals claiming to be members of one amorphous association they claim is both Transporters and Marketers of the Oil and Gas at the same time, and we wish to state that this association is nothing but assemblage of failed Rent Seekers in the Subsidy Regime and Irredeemable Smugglers of Petroleum Products disguising as businessmen and women.

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The general public and government institutions are hereby warned and strongly . advised to be very wary of these individuals who are desperately seeking ways and means to continue to exploit Nigerians and collecting rents in other manners since the current administration removed subsidy from petroleum products and make
smuggling unprofitable for them.

 

The leadership of our great Union recognizes National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) as the legitimate umbrella body of Transporters in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry and Employers of Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) of which our Union has Collective Bargaining Agreement with on behalf of Petroleum Tankers Drivers.

We also recognize Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) as well as Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) as legitimate marketers of Oil and Gas products. These are associations of Marketers that are well known and respected in the downstream sector of the Nigeria oil and gas industry.

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There is also no ambiguity in the fact that the Nigeria Labour laws only recognize Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) as the umbrella bodies
for oil and gas Workers in Nigeria. These are the two organizations that represent and protect the job interests of the Nigeria oil and gas workers including Petroleum lanker Drivers (PTD) as prescribed in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Niger
AFFILIATED TO THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC) & Industrial Global Union
Ref:
SUPPORT OUR DREAM

GAS WORKERS

We implore all well-meaning Nigerians and government officials whose names these Usurpers and Rent Seekers are dropping to urgently disregard any invitation from them and publicly denounce them because they are purely mischief-makers, names Droppers and unscrupulous business individuals that can sell their families and country for money and are unfortunately part of those that plunge the country into the current economic woes and hardship that the country is currently battling and struggling with. Following numerous failed attempts to coerce our Union into collecting money for them at various petroleum depots, they have now resorted to these names-calling and cheap blackmail to further their insidious rent-seeking schemes.

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Our Solidarity remains Constant for the Union makes us strong!!!

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Finally, Joseph Wayas, ex-senate president, to be buried November 30 — three years after his death

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November 30 has been fixed for the burial of former Senate President Joseph Wayas, who died three years ago.

 

Wayas, who served as senate president from October 1, 1979, to December 31, 1983, died on November 30, 2021, at a London hospital after a protracted illness. He was 80 years old.

 

On July 10, his remains arrived in Nigeria after several controversies that followed the repatriation of his corpse.

 

Speaking on Thursday at a press briefing in Calabar, the capital of Cross River, Dorn-Cklaimz Enamhe, secretary of the central planning committee for Wayas’ burial, thanked Bassey Otu, governor of the state, and other individuals for repatriating Wayas’ body.

 

Enamhe noted that the committee, in collaboration with other authorities in Nigeria and the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom (UK), worked together to ascertain the authenticity of the body.

 

He also appreciated the media for constantly reminding the nation that the body of the former senate president was yet to be buried.

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“Unfortunately, the body has been kept this long due to issues and disagreement among members of his family,” he said.

 

“We had to wait for these issues to be resolved, and as of today, they have been resolved; that is why we are going ahead with the burial.”

 

Nsa Gil, the chief press secretary to the governor of Cross River, added that the funeral would be held at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar and later at the deceased’s hometown in Bassang, Obanliku LGA.

 

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and many other dignitaries are expected to attend the burial.

 

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