₦airaland Forum

• Olafeso describes group as jesters

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South West zone, headed by Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe has called on the Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi to urgently call to order, the governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose over his activities within the party in the zone.

The faction posited that instead of allowing peace to reign and also let the party maximize the opportunity of the recent verdict of the Supreme Court, which resolved its long time leadership crisis, Fayose and some leaders have been busy causing more problem that could crate further imbroglio.

Reading a communiqué issued after a stakeholders meeting in Lagos yesterday, the faction rejected the leadership of Fayose and dissociate itself from his activities.


It also resolved that a social committee be set up at the zonal and national level to continue to mobilize people into the PDP, just as it would continue to reach out and appeal to all those who had left the party as a result of the highhandedness and intolerant activities of some members.

The party also noted that Ogundipe is the validly elected and judicially sanctioned leadership in the zone as it enjoined the national leadership and the Ekiti State chapter of the PDP to stop dealing with Fayose.

Ogundipe, a PDP stalwart from Ekiti, who was Fayose’s nominee at the October 11, 2014 Southwest zonal congress condemned the alleged “hostile, authoritarian and distabilising activities of the governor.”

According to him, “We demand that he should be called to order before he sounds the death knell on the party in the Southwest. The authentic zonal leadership and stakeholders hereby rejected Fayose’s leadership.

“We resolved further that henceforth the national leadership of our party and the Ekiti State chapter should desist from relating with him as it regards the zone.”

Alleging that Fayose and some others are fanning the embers of discord within the party, the party leaders also expressed concern over the activities of the duo of Eddy Olafeso and Bunmi Jenyo and others who were described as “products of a contraption which has since been nullified by the Federal High Court, Lagos in suit No. FHC/L/CS/605/2016.”

Insisting that his leadership remains in the region, Ogundipe said “The provision of our party made it clear that any elected officer will serve for four years, therefore, nobody; either you are a governor or anything can remove us from office until October 2018.”

It however congratulated the National Caretaker Committee and other eminent members of the party on the resolution of its crisis, saying, “It is imperative of the party to reposition itself to take advantage of the disenchantment of Nigerians against the bad and inconsistence policies of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the next general election.”

Also speaking, Professor Wale Oladipo, a former National Secretary of the party said it is an anomaly for any member of the party to come out and say it will or have expelled anybody while the PDP itself is still looking for members after the protracted crisis that forced most of its faithful to leave after its defeat in the last general election.

It further insisted there was no division in the party, as some would want to insinuate thorough their activities in recent times.

Meanwhile, Olafeso, who claimed to be the authentic Deputy National Chairman, Southwest zone by virtue of being loyal to the Makarfi’s leadership before the apex court verdict, dismissed Ogundipe and his people of not having the locus standi to declare anybody persona non grata since they have once openly announced their movement to Mega Party.


He added that the Ogundipe group was only grandstanding because the party has chastised Senator Buruji Kashamu for his activities saying, “The Supreme Court judgment was clear enough and if they want to join us they should be humble enough to accept their mistakes and come back.”

He wondered how Ogundipe would claim to remain in office till 2018 after the apex court verdict “there are jokers that should not be taken seriously.”

Some of the party notables present at the meeting aside Kashamu and Oladipo included former Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Abiodun Aluko; former PDP National Auditor, Fatai Adeyanju; Tunde Carenna, Segun Adewale, Wahab Owokoniran, Gbenga Otegbolu, Kolapo Ogunjobi, Hakeem Taiwo and Adekola Razak.

Buhari’s return date shrouded in secrecy as wife returns to UK

• He won’t resign, he hasn’t violated the constitution, says presidency

The exact date of President Muhammadu Buhari’s return to the country is still a top secret of the presidency. ‎This is just as the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari at the weekend travelled to London where her husband is said to be recuperating.

It was learnt that Mrs. Buhari left for the UK on Sunday and there exists a likelihood of her returning to Nigeria with her husband at ‎a time yet to be officially confirmed.

The president’s wife returned from London last Thursday and proceeded to Owerri, where she attended the 2017 August meeting hosted by women in the state. However, there is nothing on ground to indicate that the president is being expected in Abuja.


Hitherto, the president’s return after being away was usually heralded with preparations with workers of construction giant, Julius Berger cleaning the forecourt in the villa as well as putting other aesthetic touches on the building housing the president’s office.‎

This time, President Buhari’s long absence has continued to fuel widespread speculations ‎that he is critically ill and indeed on life support, a claim the presidency has consistently denied even as it has failed to provide a definitive time frame for the President’s treatment abroad, saying instead that the length of his stay would be determined by his London doctors.

President Buhari left the shores of Nigeria on Sunday, May 7, on a medical follow-up for an undisclosed ailment at the behest of his doctors in London.Since then, the media have been inundated with speculations over his likely return date, with his media handlers battling to debunk the many news items that daily flood the social media.

Recently, seven selected governors went to visit the president in London and advised him not to return in a hurry, but to take care of his health pending when his doctors give him the green light.

Meanwhile, there were protests yesterday in Abuja calling for the resignation of Buhari.But speaking with State House correspondents yesterday, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said President Buhari has not breached any law of the country and would not resign on account of his ill-health.

He pointed out that President Buhari has complied 100 per cent with the requirements of the constitution by handing over to the vice president who, he said, had been carrying out the affairs of governance without let or hindrance.

“On the issue of whether the president should resign or disclose or whatever, I think they are stepping outside the laws of this country.’’On the protest staged by some Nigerians over the issue in Abuja yesterday, the spokesman said they were exercising their rights as allowed in a democracy.

“They are exercising their rights in line with the constitution of this country. Of what use or value is a democracy in which citizens cannot embark on peaceful protests? So we respect their right to convene or undertake a peaceful protest,” he said.

However, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, yesterday advised President Buhari to resign honourably.Odumakin who spoke with The Guardian noted that the president could not continue to hold the people to ransom considering the state of the nation.

He stated that the president had not committed any offence due to his absence based on the 1999 constitution.He said: “Based on the 1999 constitution that we are subjected to now, the president has not violated the constitution but based on national interest, he cannot continue to hold the nation to ransom this way, he has to take a decision either to resign honourably or resume.”

While the recovery and return of President Buhari are being awaited, his supporters under the aegis of Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) yesterday inaugurated the south-west office of the group and appointed coordinators for the six states in the region. The group is working to reposition the ailing President for contest in 2019.

The National Coordinator of the organisation Alhaji Danladi Pasalli, acknowledged the role of the south-west in BCO. “ We all know that the birthplace of this organisation is here, it is nursed and brought up here so what we are seeing today is part of your legacy that has been set for the nation in support of our president whose pious mind is to reshape Nigerians … so that future of our next generation is guaranteed.’’


On the health of the president, Passali said: “The tremendous recovery of our dear president Muhammadu Buhari must be celebrated by giving glory to God and his subsequent coming back soon by the grace of God.’’

He said part of the agenda of BCO is to assist peasant farmers to register so that they could get direct loans from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other farming input.

According to a patron of the organisation, Alhaji Ahmed Ajibade, even if Buhari is not able to campaign, the organisation would work to ensure his victory.He maintained that Buhari stands for honesty, simplicity and he is straightforward and capable of transforming the country.The southwest coordinator of BCO Mr. Tunji Adeniji said, “The state offices will be inaugurated at the appropriate time.”

State Police Best For Effective Community Policing, Says Ambode

The Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of killing the efficiency of the Nigeria Police during his era as a military dictator in 1984.

Akiolu made this accusation yesterday at a public lecture on security organised by the Police High Command, held at the Grand Ballroom of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme, ‘Providing Strategic Solutions To Emergent Security Challenges: The Essentials of Synergy Among Security Agencies and the Civil Populace.’

He alleged that the problem of the present day Police began with Buhari when he seized all the vehicles under the then Inspector General of Police (IGP), the late Sunday Adewusi, on the suspicion that Adewusi wanted to take over the government then.


While wishing the President a speedy recovery, Akiolu, however, urged him to correct all that he had done in the past now that he is back as a democratic leader. He urged Buhari to aggressively fund the Police, adding: “The military in this country killed the efficiency of the Nigeria Police. The only thing saving us right now is that only a serving a policeman can become an IGP. If not, a retired army officer would have become an IGP.

“We all need to support the Police as the issue of security is not only a problem of the police.”While commending the efforts of the present IGP, Ibrahim Idris, in looking after the welfare of his men, Akiolu charged him to be open-minded and always tell his officers the truth and not what they want to hear.

On the issue of insecurity, especially on highways, he called on the Federal Government and the IGP to establish 10 Police stations within one kilometre on the highways to aid speedy response.

Earlier in his speech, Idris said he was entreating the Federal Government for special courts to facilitate speedy trial of suspected kidnappers currently in Police custody nationwide.

He said: “We are building more area commands to bring us closer to the people. We are building more Police Mobile Squadron units in various parts of the country to take care of violent crimes and we believe with the support of the National Assembly in passing the Police Trust Fund Bill, the Police will be well positioned to tackle whatever challenges we are going to have any time in the country.

“Like I suggested at various fora, what we need to address in this issue of kidnapping is to have a change in legislation, probably creating a special court for kidnapping.“Another thing is limiting the period of trial for suspects, which should be shortened, so that within one or two months, the accused persons are sentenced, because I believe with those changes, things would take their normal shape.

“As I speak now, we have over 1,000 kidnappers in Police stations nationwide. So, if we can have this innovation attached to the issue of kidnapping, I believe it will come to an end very soon.”

Reeling out statistics, the IGP said over 1,000 kidnappers and armed robbery suspects have been arrested since he assumed office, with over 270 last month alone, noting: “Most heinous crimes, especially kidnappings and armed robbery, are being detected with great success.

“I must state with some amount of confidence that our crime prevention and detection strategies have worked, based on the number of kidnappers or armed robbery suspects arrested and even killed during exchange of fire with the Police.

On the arrest of notorious billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudi Onwuamadike, alias Evans, Idris said he would soon be charged to court, adding: “Efforts are daily made to arrest other suspected kidnappers and bandits in various parts of the country.”

The IGP called for synergy among the military, other security agencies and the civilian populace to effectively deal with the challenges of security in the country, noting: “It is in the realisation of this that we have regularly collaborated with the military and other security forces in organising joint patrol.“The civilian populace is also very vital in the fight against crime and criminality in the country. The Police need the collaboration and synergy of the community where they police to effectively deal with crime in the policing space.

“We need the populace to give us information, intelligence and other supports in this crime fighting efforts. It is in this regards that we introduced the concept of community policing strategy.” Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode noted that the nature and sophistication of crime and criminal activities is ever changing.

Represented by his deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule, the governor said: “In recent times, Nigerians have been faced with security challenges on multiple fronts, which I believe are not insurmountable if we adopt the right strategies and also strengthen the synergy between security agencies and members of the public, especially on intelligence sharing.

“Developing effective solution to emerging security challenges must, therefore, take into consideration the deployment of appropriate technology and strengthening the bond with the people through community policing. “Although the issue of State Police has not gained the desired consensus, I believe strongly that it is the panacea for effective policing that is community based.

“It is a common knowledge that the numerical strength of the Nigerian Police as at today falls short of the minimum requirement relative to our population. “For instance, Lagos State, with a population of over 22 million, has less than 30,000 officers and men.

“While this shortfall can be bridged, to some extent, with the deployment of appropriate technology, the need for a close relationship between the people and the Police, hinged on mutual respect and trust, cannot be over emphasisied.”

Guest lecturer and Professor of Criminology at the University of Jos, Etannibi Alemika, said blamed the government for rivalry among security agencies, saying security agencies should be given specific duties.

“Security agencies, especially the Police, should be well funded. It is when government is funding one security agency at the expense of another that it leads to rivalry.“There is a junkyard of security agencies in Nigeria and instead of creating more security agencies, the ones we have should be well funded and sustained.”

He advised that since the Police are reactive, government should spend money on sectors that can create more jobs and help curb crime, such as education.He lamented the fact that for a period of six years, there was no recruitment in the Nigeria Police until the recent recruitment of 10,000 by Idris, wondered:

“Does this mean that nobody had been analysing the operations of the Police to note the ills?On intelligence-driven policing, Alemika said Police operations without intelligence is like sending the Police to go and die.


Also speaking, a former IGP, Musiliu Smith advised Idris to do something about the accommodation of policemen, so that they don’t become tenants to criminals, as that would also make it easy for them to function well.

“Senior police officers are advised to make use of their best men and not be partial in deployment of personnel to get the best result.“Training is also important for personnel, as the colleges and training schools for the Police are down. The problem of crime coming from the riverine areas and creeks becoming danger zones need to be checked,” he said.

Another former IGP, Sunday Ehindero, added that road networks need to be improved, as ghettos that are not easily accessed by the police are now havens of criminals.

• Shielded from main building, kept in staff quarters
• Group flays spending on visits, another seeks medical panel

The six state governors who visited President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday at Abuja House, the official residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, kept mum after meeting the ailing leader. The governors, who arrived around 2:50 p.m., left about an hour later, looking morose and refusing to utter a word when The Guardian asked for the outcome of their meeting with Buhari.

They deliberately parked their vehicles at the entrance of the house to prevent The Guardian and another reporter from seeing who was seeing them off, but it was still possible to observe that, though they were smiling with the president’s aides as they came out of the house, the president was conspicuously absent from the door to see the governors off.

Prior to their visit, a bouquet of flowers and a get-well-soon card addressed to “Mr. President” was delivered by a courier around 11:45 a.m.Asked who sent it, the courier refused to give details of the sender. “Sorry, l cannot tell you,” he replied. But The Guardian discovered the sender was one Mohammed Bagangida, whose goodwill message was “Get well soon, from your son- Mohammed Babangida.”


When asked which Babangida it was that sent the card and flowers, the courier also declined to give details, saying he was only asked to deliver the message. “I don’t know,” he said.The six state chief executives who visited Buhari included Samuel Ortom (Benue), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara) and their Akwa Ibom counterpart, Emmanuel Udom, who wore a purple Agbada (flowing gown).

All of them arrived in a convoy of three vehicles, with Ajimobi and Yari sitting together in the one that got in last. Interestingly, they swapped vehicles on the way out, as Ortom and Ajimobi sat together while leaving. The visit itself appeared secretive and a bit odd, as the governors did not go into the main house to see the president on arrival. Rather, they all went into the adjacent building, the staff quarters. They were there for about 15 minutes before proceeding to see the president in the main building. Why they did that wasn’t clear, but it could be that they had to be briefed on what they were allowed to say afterward.

As the visitors drove out at 3:50 p.m., The Guardian asked questions through the window and even banged on the SUV carrying Ortom and Ajimobi, but none of them responded. When Ortom was specifically asked if the president was coming back home within two weeks, he kept sealed lips as the driver zoomed off. Others in the entourage were also asked; “did you see the president? Is the president okay?” but they did not respond.

Meanwhile, a pro-democracy and non-governmental organisation, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned as wasteful the series of lunch meetings between governors and the ailing Buhari in London.

It also lambasted the Senate for allegedly wasting the historic opportunity of introducing reform-minded provisions into the constitution such as devolution of powers to the federating units, restructuring and resource control by voting against these amendments.

HURIWA, in a statement by the National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko in Abuja yesterday lamented that the Federal Government under the current administration is actively encouraging medical tourism of top officials to the United Kingdom at grave costs to the public treasury by these stylish dinner/lunch meetings at the behest of the presidency.


On the decision of Buhari to invite governors in batches to visit him in London at huge public costs, HURIWA dismissed the bonanza as unwise and a disservice to the mantra of good governance and prudence in the handling of public fund.

The group said it would have been cheaper for the president in London to address the media and pass his message to Nigerians since two or three major Nigeria-funded media houses, including the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and the Voice of Nigeria (VON) maintain offices in the United Kingdom and are watched by significant percentage of the people of Nigeria.

Another group, United Global Resolve for Peace (UGRFP), called for the setting up of a medical committee to ascertain the fitness of President Buhari, even as it threatened to go to court on whether he is fit enough to continue in office. The group said it had already written letters to the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami and the Acting Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Habibat Lawal, to set up the medical team in line with Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Speaking at a press briefing on behalf of the group, Pelumi Olajengbesi in Abuja yesterday said: “We have written letters to the Acting President, the AGF and the SGF to set up a medical committee to ascertain if Buhari is fit enough to continue in office.“This is not about the president or anybody, but the nation called Nigeria. We need to follow what the constitution says and ensure that the right thing is done. We are giving them two weeks.


“If they fail to do that and set up the committee, we will be left with no choice, but to approach the court and compel them to do the right thing. They need to invoke that section of our constitution.”The Executive Director of the group, Olaseni Shalom, who also spoke, blamed the current ethnic tensions on the continuous absence of President Buhari.

Shalom said: “A fundamental factor that has the capacity to undermine the peace is the prolonged absence of President Buhari. “While we are sympathetic to Buhari’s health challenges, we are also convinced that his continued absence from the country would further lead to the degeneration of an already bad situation.

“We therefore urge the hierarchy of government to do what is needful, what is right and just and what the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria requires.”

Court awards N20,000 cost against Evans ‘counsel’

Lagos—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, awarded a cost of N20,000 against Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje, counsel to suspected kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a. k. a Evans.

Trail judge, Justice Abdulazeez Anka also warned Ogungbeje to desist from practices unbecoming of a legal practitioner.

The judge said this while adjourning the fundamental rights suit on behalf of Evans by Ogungbeje, over alleged illegal detention.

Respondents in the suit are the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Police Command, the Commissioner of Police Lagos State and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

Evans had sought a court’s order directing the respondents to immediately charge him to court in accordance with constitutional provisions, if there existed any case against him.

In the alternative, he had prayed the court for an order, compelling the respondents to immediately release him unconditionally in the absence of any charge.

The case, which was scheduled for yesterday, could not proceed as Ogungbeje was absent in court.

When the case was called, a litigation officer from Ogungbeje’s law firm, Mr Stephen Abunike, told the court that his principal was indisposed and had written a letter seeking an adjournment.

In response, counsel to the Police, Mr Emmanuel Eze, told the court that he had only sighted the letter in court, noting that the letter was signed by one Saheed Sanni, a lawyer in Ogungbeje’s law firm.

Eze urged the court to reject the excuse and consider same as an affront to the court, adding that it showed that the law firm was unserious, as well award a punitive cost of N100,000 against the applicant and his counsel.

In a short ruling, Justice Anka awarded a punitive cost of N20,000 against Ogungbeje for what he described as unprofessional conduct.

The judge noted that while Ogungbeje had written a letter to the court, he did not send a copy of the letter to the counsel for the police.