tony_450:

Before responding to this topic I would just say that I am Yoruba and I have a huge amount of respect for Baba Awolowo. However, he has been betrayed and disgraced by the family he left behind. HID is not a politician. She should be an elder statesperson who holds the interests of her own people dearer than anything else. Yes ACN are not angels, however we can all see that what they've done so far has been for the benefit of the Yoruba nation. [/b]PDP on the other hand has not only given yoruba people [b]corrupt governors and leaders, the leadership they have shown so far has threatened to drag us back into the stone age. For someone like HID to be hobnobbing with Akala, OGD, Oni and co is a huge slap in the face of not only the yoruba people, but her husband as well. For this alone she deserves the ire of the people not their blessings. If you see someone is befriending your worst enemy you don't go over and give that person a pat on the back. you call that person to order no matter how old the person is. If the Awolowo family know what is good for them they better stop relying on their father's name to give  them respect in yorubaland and start earning that respect through their actions.

dayokanu:

If its okay for tribune to malign Tinubus Character, Is it now wrong for Tinubu to reply Tribunes paymasters in like manner?

Tinubu’s past haunts him
By Abdullahi Tasiu Abubakar
Monday, February 3, 2003

Fresh charges of fraud, forgery and money laun-dering are threatening the re-election bid of Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the coming April polls.

Daily Trust gathered that these charges–and many more–have already been sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the anti-corruption commission and security agencies, seeking for his disqualification and prosecution.

An Alliance for Democracy (AD) governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Olowu, has deposed to an affidavit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, affirming his beliefs on the charges.

Daily Trust has in its possession both the affidavit and a 97–page petition specifying the charges, with documents, against the governor.

Although the petition restates past forgery allegations that had earlier been the subject of legal tussle between Governor Tinubu and Lagos lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, it also brings fresh allegations against the governor.

Top among them are drug and money laundering–related charges which Olowu said had led to the confiscation of Tinubu’s 460,000 US dollars (about N62 million) by a US court in 1993.

Citing the court’s records, Olowu alleged that Tinubu was docked at the US District Court in the Northern District of Illinois State in relation to the charges.

According to the petition, the records show that an American Special Agent, Kevin Moss, had deposed to an affidavit, alleging that Tinubu was probably involved in illicit drug and money laundering activities in violation of US laws 18 USC SS 1956 and 1957.

The agent also averred that the money held in Tinubu’s and his company’s accounts at the US First Heritage Bank, N.A. and Citibank International "represents the proceeds of drug trafficking, making the fund in the accounts forfeitable to the United States, pursuant to 18 USC S981 and 21 USC S881."

Olowu said: "Any doubt as to the veracity of the depositions of Special Agent Kevin Moss in terms of the forgoing is erased by the fact that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu engaged the US procedure of Plea bargain which resulted in the US court confiscating the $460,000 in the foregoing terms on September 15, 1993 by US District Judge John A. Nordberg," (see Document A on page 4).

But reacting to this particular allegation through his Information Commissioner, Governor Tinubu denied ever facing charges on drug trafficking and money laundering activities.

He did, however, admit that he forfeited the 460,000 US dollars in question to the US government in a negotiated settlement after a civil case was brought against the funds in his accounts in the US banks.

But, he said, he did that only to avoid substantial legal costs which would have followed in the absence of a compromise.

Tinubu’s defence was contained in a statement issued by Information Commissioner, Mr. Dele Alake, and published by yesterday’s edition of Sunday Punch and ThisDay on Sunday.

Alake said the civil suit was brought against Tinubu’s funds (and not Tinubu in person) in 1993 based on the Special Agent Kevin Moss’s suspicious that the funds were involved in financial transactions in violation of US laws.

"No criminal charge was ever brought or considered in conjunction with this lawsuit. It was a forfeiture action only and as no charges had arisen against anyone, no conviction or resulting sentence could possibly flow from such a civil law proceeding," he said.

"As the proceedings dragged on, Bola Tinubu incurred huge legal expenses and was later advised, in view of the time, effort and expense required for long drawn out legal proceedings in the US, to enter into negotiations with the US Attorney for a compromise settlement of claims to the funds," he added.

"The terms of the settlement actually reflected the Tinubu’s position that he was the rightful owner of the funds at issue and disputed the plaintiff’s allegation that any of the account funds represented the proceeds of illegal or wrongful activities," the statement added.

"It was only to avoid substantial legal costs, which would have followed in the absence of a compromise that he (Tinubu) agreed to withdraw his claim of entitlement to (the) $460,000 USAD.

"The amount was never proven to be the proceeds of any illegal acts and there was never any legal proceeding held to determine anything more than the funds would (be forfeited) to the government without contest as part of the settlement Agreement," he added. (See Tinubu Defence on Pg. 5).

However, the petition against Tinubu was not only restricted to drug and money laundering allegations.

The petitioner also accused Tinubu of forgery and falsification of claims relating to his educational and professional qualifications.

Olowu alleged that Tinubu neither obtained a bachelors degree from the University of Chicago nor was he a Certified Public Accountant as he (Tinubu) claimed in the screening form he submitted to INEC in 1998.

"Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu never attended either the University of Chicago or the Chicago State University at anytime contrary to his claims. Neither did he obtain any B. Sc degree in Economics or Business Administration from any university. Indeed, he never qualified as a certified public accountant," he said.

Also, citing the contents of Tinubu’s passport and INEC’s screening form CF 001, Olowu further accused Tinubu of falsification of age.

"On Form CF 001, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu claimed to have been born in Lagos on March 29, 1952 whilst by passport No. A158399 issued by the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 16th February 1988, he was entered to have been born on 29th March, 1954 in Iragbiji, a place in Osun State of Nigeria," Olowu said (see Documents B and C on page 4).

An act of forgery alone, Olowu said, had clearly disqualified Tinubu from contesting elections as provided by Section (i) (j) of the 1999 constitution.

Similarly, Olowu alleged that Tinubu contravened Section 183 of the same constitution by being the Governor of Lagos and simultaneously remaining as a director of Compass Finance and Investment Company Limited.

He said "records of the CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) in Nigeria confirms that as at 23rd July 2002, Bola Tinubu remains a director of Compass Finance and Investment Company Limited in addition to both Abiodun Agbele and Mueez Akande, identified as his long standing drug and money laundering associates in the Affidavit of Agent Kevin Moss." (see Document D on page 4).

In the petition, Olowu called on INEC to disqualify Tinubu from participating in the coming elections, and pleaded with the Inspector-General of Police to prosecute him.

He said the petition has shown "with compelling finality" that Tinubu "is not fit to be accepted as an aspirant" for the office of Lagos State Governor by INEC in the 2003 elections.

On the whole, we invite each of the authorities to commence their respective investigations into the above activities with a view to involving relevant and appropriate procedures," he added.

Daily Trust

aribisala0:

let us try and be neutral.
since you claim to be yoruba -since when did exchanging words with elders become a yoruba trait.?
tinubu should cultivate iwa pele. the correct thing to do is to ignore them. this adventure is not likely to be profitable politically. that should be the main consideration of a man who sees tomorrow.
when feuds like this proliferate it seldom matters who is right but the consequences are unpreditable

jerseyboy:

Question: Is Tinubu a fellon?

Ystranger:

Malighn ke? To say unpleasant things about someone or something, usually unfairly

Point to one thing that the Tribune has said that is untrue? TInubu lied about his background, No? Tinubu claimed to have gone to GCI, No? Tinubu did drugs in Chicago, No? Tinubu uses Area Boys to harass his opponents, No? Tinubu sent his thugs to beat Gani Fawehinmi, No? What has Tribune said about Tinubu that is not public knowledge? He has two Date of Births, How come?

aribisala0:

let us try and be neutral.
since you claim to be yoruba -since when did exchanging words with elders become a yoruba trait.?
tinubu should cultivate iwa pele. the correct thing to do is to ignore them. this adventure is not likely to be profitable politically. that should be the main consideration of a man who sees tomorrow.
when feuds like this proliferate it seldom matters who is right but the consequences are unpreditable

ekt_bear:

Anyway, even if he did drugs in Chicago, who gives a damn?

Or is everyone here claiming they have never in their lives done anything illegal before? Never smoked marijuana? Never consumed alcohol while underage?

Let he who is without sin be the first to cast the stone.

For all we know, Tinubu was an armed robber and a r.apist while in Chicago. But given that he was never CONVICTED of any of these crimes, no man can say he is guilty of these crimes.

ekt_bear:

Or is everyone here claiming they have never in their lives done anything illegal before? Never smoked marijuana? Never consumed alcohol while underage?

Let he who is without sin be the first to cast the stone.

jerseyboy:

Quite apart from the premature usage of the term felon this Tribune article is actually factual.

dayokanu:


You mean they were factual to call him a B@5tard?

jerseyboy:

That characterization was way overboard and uncalled for.

Ileke-IdI:

So what exactly has Tinubu said or done that should be reprimanded?

He should not ignore anything because he's at the political climax of his life, he should professionally deal with those allegations. This allegations could cut ACN by the root.

Shame on Mrs. Awolowo. Her companies are really defining her. Oma se!! Oni and Oyinlola of all people.

boy t:

A Lagos comedian say ' Monkey de work Baboon de chop   meaning,  Fashola does the donkey work, Tinubu gets Credit as ACN god father.

naijababe:

So mama should have turned them away or what?! Honestly, I don't understand this logic one bit. I will not go as far as saying Awo would have been a card carrying member of the PDP; he however never balked at working with the opposition. By this twisted logic, mama and the likes of baba Adesanya and Ajasin shoulda turned away MKO when he sought their support in 1993 abi?!.

Anyway sha, omo t'oni baba ohun o lowo ni, enu e l'ohun na wa yen

dayokanu:

So as an elder you make your house the meeting place of thieves and robbers, When its time for the thieves to face justice do you think you would be exonerated?

Who romances Alao Akala, OBJ, and by extension Adedibu and wont incur curses on his head.

MKO was in SDP and Awo would have been in SDP too at that time cos that was the party closest to Awos Ideology

Anyways Agbalagba ye ko mo ara re lagba

dayokanu:

But I havent seen the condemnation for the Awolowos the way you were so ready to crucify Tinubu for responding in a similar manner

You were silent on the initial attack but pounced on Tinubu for responding or am I missing something?

jerseyboy:

I have never gotten involved in the who did what to whom first. I have also never held brief for the Awolowo family. Their situation I feel is too complex for simple analysis. I have only concerned myself with the merit of the case for or against Bola Tinubu.

If I have any sympathy for the Awolowos at all it would boil down to the age of HID and the complex burden (advantages too) it must be to bear that legacy.

boy t:

@dayokanu the same way OBJ had the Vision to intall and impose Yaradua the performer

dayokanu:

You dont need to, But there were two parties SDP and NRC which one would Awolowo have joined

naijababe:

That he joined a party Awo would have joined is not the point but that the Awo family both biological and political embraced and supported him is. Therefore, all the name calling because Awo's family associated with opposition parties is totally unclled for

emmatok:

On the Awolowos
By Sam Omatseye 13/06/2011 00:00:00

My writing last week generated much hoopla, and my intent was misunderstood by some who looked at it from the viewpoint of insulting the matriarch, Chief H.I.D. Awolowo. I was misunderstood for insulting mama as a woman, grandmother and family leader.
The words I used as metaphor were taken literally. There is no way Papa Awo can come up from the dead today. I was not referring to the Awolowo family as a biological entity but as ideological.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/columnist/monday/sam-omatseye/9173-on-the-awolowos.html

naijababe:

So mama should have turned them away or what?! Honestly, I don't understand this logic one bit. I will not go as far as saying Awo would have been a card carrying member of the PDP; he however never balked at working with the opposition. By this twisted logic, mama and the likes of baba Adesanya and Ajasin shoulda turned away MKO when he sought their support in 1993 abi?!.

Anyway sha, omo t'oni baba ohun o lowo ni, enu e l'ohun na wa yen

jerseyboy:

Uhhm, The heat is on.

dayokanu:

The NADECO members kicked against the injustice of annulling the MKO Abiola election and I believe Awo would have done the same if he were to be alive.

Awo would support anyone who is a victim of injustice I want to believe Or are you saying Awo would turn his back on MKO when he was denied his mandate just because of their political differences?

We want our teeming supporters to note that The Tribune's present dance of shame started during the June 12 debacle when the paper worked frenetically against the interests of progressive Nigerians who were demanding for the restoration of the mandate of Chief M.K.O Abiola. We want them to know that The Tribune has never departed from being the mouthpiece of the PDP in its twelve horrendous rape of Nigeria and for this yeoman's job, the paper has curried so much illicit patronage but has lost the moral right to pretend to represent the voices of Nigerians. We want Nigerians to see The Tribune as another cash-and-carry organ of the present misrule of the PDP and treat its tendentious stories as such.
http://www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5131:the-glory-has-long-departed-from-the-nigerian-tribune-says-lagos-acn&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=67

Eko Ile:


What heat? Dude is not only not taking back what he wrote, he's telling you point black that you do not know how to read, comprehend and reason.