BEING TEXT OF PRESS BRIEFING ADDRESSED BY VALUE AND INTEGRITY GROUP (VIG) TO DEMAND INVESTIGATION OF NIGERIA ELECTION DEBATE GROUP, NEDG AND DR.. RAYMOND DOKPESI CONNECTION ON FRIDAY 20TH MARCH 2015 AT HAYES HOTEL IKEJA, LAGOS.

Contrary to public held belief that the Nigeria Election Debate Group, NEDG, was a neutral, independent and non –partisan organization, it has be discovered to be a one man’s show operated on a partisan basis by Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, owner of AIT (DAAR COMMUNICATIONS).

Documents available to our group and Investigations have revealed mind bugling facts about how Dr. Dokpesi is alleged to have single handedly runs the affairs of the NEDG. Other very suspicious and questionable activities linked to Dr. Dokpesi show how one man can be said to have appropriated the NEDG and uses it as a political bargaining tool for private gains and political advantage.

Incorporated on April 27th, 2011 with an RC number 949139, the NEDG listed six organizations as shareholders each with a representative. The shareholders are Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria represented by Mallam Abubakar Aji, DAAR Communications, represented by Tony Akiotu, Nigeria Union of Journalists, represented by Mohammed Garba, Alliance for Credible Election represented by Emma Ezeazu, Nigeria Guild of Editors and TMG represented by Moshood Erubami.

Unknown to these Directors, Dr. Dokpesi had turned the NEDG into a private estate put at the service of President Jonathan and his party members. Our investigation reveals as follows: First, a first bank account was opened for the NEDG and had Dr. Dokpesi as the sole signatory, though he is not listed as one of the Directors. He also used the DAAR communications office address, a personal address as the address listed in the bank account documentation. These two moves effectively turned the NEDG into Dokpesi’s private company. An initial 1 million naira was paid into the said NEDG account. Again on March 28th 2011 another 20 million naira was paid into his personal account. The N20m was paid into his personal current account number 2017171535 because the NEDG account opening was in process then hence he received the N20m in his personal current account instead of NEDG.

A test message from Dokpesi to the banker confirms this. The text message reads- “He sent about N20 million to the account since last week and I utilized about N50 million for the NEDG DEBATE. As soon as the sponsors pay, I will pay in.daar

He also tried to open another First Bank account in 2012. The first bank account was opened by Dokpesi at the Maitama branch of the First Bank in Abuja with account number 2021069251 with Chief Raymond Dokpesi as sole signatory to the account with the help of his aide banker.

The second account which Dokpesi equally instructed the banker to open in the Bwari branch of the First bank is pending to be opened because the banker left. However, before then, Dokpesi in fact signed the application forms, attached his passport photos entered his personal details in 2012. The account was yet to be approved before one of the managers handling it was eased out of the bank. Copies of the account opening packages and signature mandate card duly signed by Dr. Dokpesi was made available to our group.

From our extensive and thorough investigation, other directors are completely in the dark about the financial transactions of the NDEG. Thus, the NEDG can best be described as the non-profit wing of DAAR communications, available to do the bidding of the ruling party. An Organisation on the board of the Group, Transition Monitoring Group, had last year dissociated itself from the planned Presidential debate.

The group accused the organisers of the debate of fraudulently using its name in the promotion of the event and warned NEDG to desist from such shenanigan forthwith.

This of course is in total violation of one of the Memo/ Articles of Association of the NEDG. It is stipulated that the NEDG will organize and promote and host independent civil non-profit, non-political, non-partisan open debates. Chief Dokpesi’s name does not reflect in the NEDG registration documents from the CAC only that of DAAR representative, Tony Akiotu. But Chief Dokpesi has opened the account in his name and went ahead to single handedly organize the 2011 election debate with AIT staff-Amoni Amarere and Nancy Ilo as moderators. Again, he is accused to be the sole organizer of the 2015 presidential election debate for the NEDG which has generated unpleasant credibility crisis for the NEDG.

The NEDG is clearly compromised and bereft of a fundamental impartiality, requisite of any medium facilitating a forum such an electoral debate. Presented to the unsuspecting public as a non-partisan body, the NEDG, just as the AIT, is fully partisan in favor of PDP. Chief Dokpesi, a very close friend of Jonathan, once jostling to be chief of staff has put NEDG at the disposal of the ruling party, PDP.

It is alleged that for the 2015 debate, well over 250 million has been paid to the organizers by the Presidency. Unfortunately, the refusal of the leading opposition to attend the integrity deficit presidential debate, AIT has chosen to unprofessionally attack and even defame both the candidate and the party.

We are therefore calling on the Special Fraud Unit and the Central Bank of Nigeria to investigate documents presented by Chief Dopkesi for the opening of accounts in the name of NEDG at First Bank, Maitama and Bwari in Abuja.



Sina Odugbemi Popoola Ajayi
Coordinator Secretary

I remember when Farouk Lawan was parading himself as the head of NASS integrity group until he used his cap in stuffing bribe $dollars. That was the death of this group in Nass

How true is this group calling themselves Integrity?

Only time will tell.

Letter to Buhari from the grave of the innocents –
By Bashir Yusufu
Dear General Buhari; I would’ve addressed this letter privately to you, but in the expectation that you may not receive it, I decided to make it an Open Letter, in the hope that you would stumble on it, read it and hopefully feel some of the pains and anguish that have been my lot. Having said that, permit me therefore to proceed with the rest of this missive from the grave of innocents departed.
Last night, while I was at my modest home in Katsina, relaxing and probably half-awake, I heard the voice of my cousin who was killed in the North in April 2011 during the post-election violence instigated by your loss of the presidential election. With bloodshot sad eyes, my cousin, looking apparition-like, was wailing “Gen Buhari, why why”. My cousin’s name is (or was) Mallam Yusuf Danfulani, a bright young lad originally from Katsina State, who was slaughtered in cold blood and set on fire by youths chanting “Sai Buhari”, like they are again now chanting in 2015.
Gen Buhari, in case you have forgotten, Yusuf was slaughtered in your name even though he never did any wrong to you, and even voted for you against Dr Jonathan. He lost his life just because the murderers you encouraged by your many hate speeches believed Yusuf to be from middle belt or southern Nigeria, most probably because of his bulky looks and brave, patriotic attempts to prevent the killing of an innocent Youth Corper, Ukeoma Ikechukwu. Even though he cried out in Hausa and Fulfulde, he was still not believed by those you (Buhari) managed to brainwash to see all non-Fulani Nigerians as conspiring to vote against you. In this very case, Yusuf voted for you but his ‘Sai Buhari’ killers never believed he did. Like you, Gen Buhari, the mob was baying for the blood of innocents.
If not for Yusuf’s best friend who was with him and was himself nearly killed, we would not have recognized his charred body that was burnt beyond recognition. And thanks to the same friend for recounting to us the little he could make out at the last moments of Yusuf’s life, the agony he passed through and the most important words he uttered before he gave up. It is the same words I heard him utter last night from the grave: ‘Gen Buhari, why why’. Yet, to this day, you (Buhari) have not cared to apologize or show any remorse, but you instead offered lame excuses for the bloodletting you had instigated, and still instigate. I now ask you this: Gen Buhari, must you always shade blood, like you started doing from 1983, to rule Nigeria? Do you recall how you killed Brigadier Bako in 1983 just so you could take power by force from Shehu Shagari?
General Buhari, Ukeoma Ikechukwu himself was reported missing that same day Yusuf was murdered by your supporters, and finally confirmed dead the following day when his charred remains was discovered in a hooded area. Apparently, your supporters had dragged him out of the open and tortured him before finally snuffing life out of him. Like my cousin, Yusuf, Ukeoma was very young and an innocent. Unlike Dr. Jonathan, they were not contesting against you. Yet, when they were killed, part of Nigeria was killed with them; the same Nigeria that you are now angrily campaigning to rule.
Yusuf and Ukeoma were not alone. Six other innocent Youth Corpers were also murdered in Bauchi, where you Buhari, polled 1,315,209 votes (almost 82 per cent), defeating Dr Jonathan who scored 258,404 votes and did not even hit the 25 per cent mark. The corps members were reportedly chased to a police station where they sought refuge. But the rioters, who were raving mad with bloodlust and chanting “Sai Buhari”, overran the station and murdered the young Nigerians in cold blood. So, Gen Buhari, as you can see from the Bauchi result and it’s aftermath, your supporters even shade blood when you win; still you have no qualms. Today, you are prancing around the nation, arrogant and angry as usual, behaving like you have already won the election; and thus setting up another bloodletting if you are not announced winner.
The story of Obinna Okpokiri is as heart-wrenching as Yusuf’s. The 27-year-old was butchered and burnt to ashes, in the service of his fatherland. Okpokiri’s own circumstances were as gruesome as they could be. He had run to the Corpers’ Lodge as the rampaging ‘Sai Buhari’ rioters targeted Youth Corper polling officers recruited by INEC for the election. As painful death loomed, the young Nigerians contemplated fleeing to the barracks. But they were not lucky enough. Your ‘Sai Buhari’ supporters caught up with them, slaughtered and set them on fire. Like Yusuf, these innocents are human beings and future leaders on the last laps of fulfilling their national duty before moving on to a bright future. But it was not to be because, in your name, Gen Buhari, they were slaughtered, sliced, soaked in petrol and scorched. Reduced to ashes in minutes and in the most callous fashion by those that are not better citizens or humans than them.
General Buhari, while you are now busy inciting another violence, please bear in mind that in 2011, your supporters turned violent in whole 12 northern states as they burned the homes, vehicles, and properties of innocent Nigerians, some of whom are also Muslims and Northerners like you and my cousin Yusuf. Your ‘Sai Buhari’ supporters also targeted and killed Christians and members of southern Nigerian ethnic groups, who were seen as supporting the PDP, and they burnt churches across the north. One particular attack in Bauchi stood out as most heart-breaking. According to Human Rights Watch, on April 17 in Giade, a rural town in northern Bauchi, ‘Sai Buhari’ mobs attacked youth corps members in the town. The Corpers, who were mostly from Yoruba, ran to the local police station to seek refuge, but the mobs stormed the police station. The mob killed the police officer on duty and burned down the police station. They raped two of the female youth corps members and then hacked them to death with machetes, along with five male youth corps members. In total, rioters killed ten youth corps members in that town alone.
A lecturer at the Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria, Kaduna State, described to Human Rights Watch how a mob of Muslims chanting “Change, Sai Buhari” attacked and killed several Christian students, a Christian lecturer and four Muslim students suspected of being PDP sympathizers on April 17: He said “Between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., they entered the school chanting slogans and shouting: “Where are the Christians and Muslims that supported the ruling party?” They had painted their faces black and were shouting that they needed “change”, the Congress for Progressive Change campaign slogan. The mob had all sorts of weapons – machetes, sticks, and clubs. They started breaking the glass on the buildings. The students ran away but the mob pursued them into the staff quarters and they had nowhere to go. The mob beat them to death. The lecturer they killed was Yoruba“.
Finally, Gen Buhari, let me end this letter by asking you this question: When are you going to apologize to me, to Yusuf’s aged parents, to Ukeoma’s parents, to parents of all innocents murdered by your brainwashed supporters, to Nigeria and to mankind? And here is Yusuf again, asking you from the grave: “Gen Buhari, why why”.
Bashir Yusufu.
yusufubashir@yahoo.com