₦airaland Forum

Femi Fani-Kayode, former Aviation Minister, has tactically told Lamido Sanusi, the embattled emir of Kano State, that he is reaping what he sowed.

Mr Sanusi, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, during his days at the apex bank had accused then government of Goodluck Jonathan of siphoning a $20 billion from the coffers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

After he made the allegation which then opposing but now ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) used against then sitting president, Sanusi was booted out of office by Mr Jonathan who failed to secure another term in office.

The former CBN governor was crowned emir mid 2014 by Rabiu Kwankwaso, then governor of Kano State and a key figure who kicked against the re-election of Jonathan.

His enthronement was seen by critics as a reward for his allegation against the administration of the former president who lost his re-election bid to now President Muhammadu Buhari. The president has been re-elected for a another term of four years.

ALSO READ: Miyetti Allah, Bandits Were Not Offered N100Billion - Presidency

As the 2019 general election drew near, Sanusi kicked against the re-election bid of Umar Ganduje who succeeded Kwankwaso in office. The former governor had fell out with his successor shortly after handing over power. This is despite belonging to the same party then.

Yesterday, Mr Ganduje signed a bill into law. The bill seeks to balkanize the Emirates which Sanusi oversees. POLITICS TIMES also gathered that the financial earnings of the Emir is also being investigated by the state assembly with rumored speculation that he will be oust from office.

Although no name was mentioned, Fani-Kayode was tactically referring to him, saying the situation in which the former CBN governor found himself today is the reward of what he did to the former president.

ALSO READ: I'm Not The Only Corrupt Person, Stop Witch-hunting Me, Saraki Tells EFCC

“It appears that every single person that played a major role against @GEJonathan in 2015 is paying a heavy price for it today,” the former minister tweeted on Thursday.

“I sit back and I marvel at the faithfullness and power of God. The fear of God is indeed the beginning of wisdom,” he added.

On his part, Kwankwaso who left the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest against Mr Buhari was politically sent on exile as he hardly visit the state except sneaking in and out at late hours.

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo; Atiku Abubakar, the 2019 presidential candidate of the PDP; Bukola Saraki, outgoing Senate President; Rotimi Amaechi, Transportation Minister; Kwankwaso were arrowheads who ensured Jonathan was not re-elected. Some of them are either being probed or have had the political structures in their states snatched away from them.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has advised Bukola Saraki, outgoing Senate President, not to fret if he has no skeletons in his cupboard.

The EFCC stated this in response to allegation of Mr Saraki that he was being witch-hunted by the anti-graft agency.

The commission had recently embarked on probing the financial earnings of the top lawmaker when he held sway as governor of Kwara State.

POLITICS TIMES understands another probe was instituted last week by the anti-graft commission investigating his financial earnings at the upper legislative chamber.

Accusing the EFCC of witch-hunting him, Saraki queried why he is the only former governor the commission is always interested in probing.

Replying him, the anti-graft commission urged the top lawmaker not to fret if he has not skeletons in his cupboard.

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has taken note of the reactions of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki to the Commission’s inquiries regarding his earnings as Kwara State governor as well as on the quality of his financial stewardship in the Senate,” the agency said in a statement published on its Facebook page.

“While it is his prerogative to ventilate his views on the matter as he deems fit, the Commission takes strong exception at the desperate attempt to cast a slur on its investigative activities by portraying Saraki as a victim of persecution.

“Furthermore, the Agency finds the attempt by the Senate President to tie our inquest to his International Human Rights Commission, IHRC appointment and his approaching life out of power as misleading, knowing too well that the background to our current inquiries reaches several years back.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the EFCC is obligated by law to enthrone probity and accountability in the governance space and has supremely pursued this duty without ill-will or malice against anyone.

“It is in the interest of the public, and for Saraki’s personal good, that he is not only above board, but be seen at all times to be so.

“Indeed, all the instances in which the EFCC have had cause to sleuth into his financial activities either as a former governor or President of the Senate were driven by overarching public interest and due process of the law.

“Against the background of the posse of indicting petitions and other evidence available to the EFCC, even Saraki will agree with the Commission that putting him through a legitimate forensic inquiry is the legitimate route to establish his integrity as a public servant.

“The distinguished Senate President has no need to fret so long as he has no skeletons in his cupboard.

“The Commission has a sacred mandate to rid the country of corruption and corrupt elements and restates its unflinching resolve to achieve these, no matter whose ox is gored,” the statement added.

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has banned public analysis of its proceedings.

The tribunal gave the prohibition on Wednesday during its official inaugural setting in Abuja.

“Any breach will not be condoned and we will not hesitate in taking necessary action against such offenders,” President of the Appeal Court, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa warned.

Mrs Bulkachuwa also said the case should be treated like other low-profile cases which are not discussed publicly.

“We assure all stakeholders that each litigant will be given equal opportunity to present his case in a mature manner before us.

“We are witnesses to what has been happening in high profile cases where such cases are being discussed and publicly decided prematurely in both the social and electronic media before the announcement of the verdict by the court.

“We pray that this time would be an exception for the benefit of the nation. We don’t expect counsel to any of the parties to hype the polity after any sitting by making a public analysis in the media as to what transpired in court.

“These proceedings should be treated as would any other low-profile case, where proceedings in court are not discussed publicly until a decision is pronounced by the court.

“This admonition is also extended to the parties, their respective counsel and the members of the press.

“We, on our own part, will make relevant information available as and when due,” the judge who heads the five-man panel said.

Timi Frank, a former spokesman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has queried the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) asking why the anti-graft agency is fond of beaming its searchlight on Bukola Saraki, outgoing Senate President.

Mr Frank made the query in a statement while reacting to the commission’s recent probe against Mr Saraki.

The EFCC had confirmed recently launching investigation into the financial earnings of the top lawmaker saying the probe had no political undertone as speculated in some quarters.

The commission was reported to have investigated the financial earnings of Saraki when he held sway as governor, with no incriminating record found at the time. During his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), the EFCC played a vital role to nail the lawmaker but he was set free at the Supreme Court, the highest in the land.

Reacting on Wednesday, the former deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC queried if Saraki was the only former governor meant to be probed persistently.

He asked why the anti-graft agency has consistently turned blind eye to the corruption allegations against Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the ruling party, Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman of the APC, among others.

“Granted that no man is above the law and Saraki has never claimed to be a saint, suffice to say that the repeated criminal investigation and trial of his person by Buhari and EFCC show that they want to make him kiss the dust through foul means,” Mr Frank said.

“Come to think of it, Saraki is not the only former Governor in Nigeria. He is not the first person to be President of the Senate. How many ex-governors and Presidents of the Senate has Buhari and the EFCC dedicatedly probed or tried in the last four years like they have done to Saraki?

“Why is Buhari and the EFCC shy of investigating the former Governor of Edo State who is now the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole?

“To think that the EFCC has not lifted a finger against the APC’s boss notwithstanding the litany of petitions against him calls the sincerity of an administration that claims to be all out against corruption to question.

“What about former governors Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Rauf Aregbesola, Rotimi Amaechi and Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, known to have a plethora of corruption allegations against them?

“Only recently, allegations of corruption to the tune of $2.5billion was made against the Central Bank of Nigerian (CBN) and there are also reports of massive corruption activities ongoing at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) under its present leadership.

“Yet the EFCC would rather engage in shadow boxing by instituting a fresh probe against Saraki just to justify its continuous spending of tax payers money in needless probes, in furtherance of a highly selective and dubious anti-graft war, being waged by the Buhari regime against top opposition elements in the country.

“In view of the renewed onslaught against Saraki following a recommissioned investigation of his days as Governor of Kwara State, and his present position as President of the Senate, I call on Nigerians and the International community not only to witness but to hold Buhari and the EFCC responsible should any harm befall Saraki in the coming days,” he said.

Meanwhile, the outgoing Senate President has reacted to the financial investigation embarked upon by the EFCC against him.

Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, has stated why he couldn’t attend this year’s celebration of Workers Day.

Mr Ngige was rumored to have stayed away from the celebration yesterday to avoid another clash between him and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The minister who was billed to address the workers at the nation’s capital was represented by the Minister of State, Stephen Ocheni.

In 2017, POLITICS TIMES recalled, a similar scenario played out when workers disrupted that year’s May Day in Abuja, the nation’s capital.



At the time, the workers were demanding an increase in the N18,000 minimum wage currently being paid.

Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the new minimum wage bill, which added a N12,000 increase, into law. Some state are yet to agree with the N30,000 new wage.

Nwachukwu Obidiwe, the special assistant to the minister said his principal could not grace the event due to his ill health.

“The minister has been down with flu since last Sunday,” Mr Obidiwe said in a statement on Wednesday.



“He met his doctors last Monday and has since been at home recuperating,” he added.

Addressing their colleagues at the event, the President of the NLC, Mr Ayuba Wabba, and the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bobboi Kaigama called on workers to remain vigilant until the full implementation of the new minimum wage is achieved.

“We have already wasted a lot of time arriving at the minimum wage; we should not waste a single more second implementing the minimum wage across board,” they warned.

Shehu Sani, lawmaker representing Kaduna Central at the Senate has narrated his experience while journeying from the State to Abuja by train.

Narrating his experience jokingly, Mr Sani said he was in a train heading to the nation’s capital when a man noticed and was surprised to see him in the train.

The lawmaker said when he was noticed, he told the man that he was not the only high ranking individual who have decided to join the transportation system.

The Senator said he told the inquisitive individual that the person sitting beside him is a Major General of the Nigerian Army.



The man on realising, decided to abort his journey to where ever he was going to, seeing that those he was not expecting were in the train.

“One man see me inside train from Kaduna to Abuja,he come shout say “Ah even you Senator dey join train?”;I come look am for face,and say “Ahh my Brother,The man next to me be Major General”.The General raise head look am,Before I say Puff Adder the man done vermose,” Sani tweeted on Wednesday.

Their decision to go by train, POLITICS TIMES gathered, might not be unconnected to the security situation in the state.

Kaduna is one of the states where criminal activities by bandits has recently risen. Crimes like kidnappings, killings, among others from the state are reported on daily basis.

The second term ambition of Yahaya Bello, the governor of Kogi State has been threatened by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Mr Bello who was sworn in as the state governor in 2016 has the work-force body to battle with if he fails to clear off their wages before the state’s governorship election slated for November 2.

While the governor claims not to have paid salaries since this year, the workers are saying otherwise, insisting they have not been paid for over 30 months.

Despite the governor’s claim, the workers repeated their position today at the celebration of their day (May Day) in Lokoja, the state capital.





The chairman of the NLC in the state, Onu Edoka, said workers in the state will re-elect the governor if he pays up the wages they are being owed.

He said if the electoral body in the country will ensure their votes count, workers in the state will decide the next fellow to govern the state.

“If you pay our salaries, leave bonuses and implement our promotions, we assure you that we shall stand by you,” Mr Edoka told the governor represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Folashade Ayoade-Arike.

“If only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would make their votes count, workers would decide the next governor of the state on Nov. 2.



“Workers have the power to determine the next governor of the state and would prove it in the state governorship election slated for November 2, if only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would make our votes count,” he said.

Responding, Mr Ayoade-Arike stated that the state government owed workers five months salaries, saying the last was paid in November 2018.

The SSG also said the government would meet with labour leaders and decide on modalities to adopt for its implementation of the new N30,000 minimum wage.

State governors have been urged to emulate the governance skills of President Muhammadu Buhari because he is a good leader.

The advice is coming from a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu.

Mr Ribadu gave the advise yesterday while addressing newly elected and returning governors at a retreat organised by the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) in Abuja.

The former anti-graft czar advised governors and governor-elects to be careful and accountable when discharging their duties.

“You are lucky you have someone to learn from, please emulate President Muhammadu Buhari,” Ribadu was quoted by Premium Times to have said.

“He (Buhari) has no business partner, nobody sits with him to make deals. We don’t have overnight billionaires again. He is a good leader to emulate,” he said.

Ribadu also told the governors to expect their activities while in government being probed after they have left office.

He added that governors are under the searchlight because of global attention on corruption by politically exposed persons.

“When you go out, they are looking at you. Whatever you do they are observing it,” Ribadu said.

He also said the failure of state assemblies in checkmating their governors informed the decision of intervention of probe by the Federal Government.

“The president has powers of oversight on public money and law enforcement which is exercised through the police, ICPC and EFCC,” Ribadu said.

As the world celebrates workers across the global, Nigerian workers have been advised on what action they need to take against those who refused to implement the new minimum wage in the country.

The work-force of the country led by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) had last year demanded for an increase in their wage.

After series of meetings with officials of the Federal Government, the body settled down for a N12,000 increase from the previously paid N18,000, pegging the new wage at N30,000.

State governors kicked against the agreed amount proposing to pay N22,500. Their proposal was rejected by the NLC who threatened further show down with the governors.

The governors later suggested downsizing workers in their various state to be able to pay the new wage, again the work-force body dared them.

President Muhammadu Buhari recently signed the bill into law after the endorsement of the legislature, but some are still kicking against the agreed amount.

Advising the workers on what to do, Shehu Sani, lawmaker representing Kaduna Central at the Senate, suggested a ‘no fly’ imposition on those who refused to comply with the new development.

Mr Sani stated this after saluting the workers on Wednesday.

“A revolutionary salute to the Nigerian Worker on workers day,” the lawmaker said in a Facebook Post on Wednesday.

“The NLC & the Aviation workers must devise ways of imposing ‘no fly’ sanctions for any Governor or Industrialist or CEOs who deliberately refused to implement the 30k Minimum wage,” Sani said.

Dino Melaye, lawmaker representing Kogi West at the Senate has sneered his colleague, Godswill Akpabio, representing Akwa Ibom North West.

Mr Melaye's action is contained in a post he shared through his Instagram page with a photo of himself and the former governor of Akwa Ibom State to buttress his point.

Messrs Melaye and Akpabio were in the same party until last year August when the former governor defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While joining the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Akpabio resigned his position as Senate Minority Leader, a position given to him by the PDP during the formation of the 8th Senate.

Although Melaye did not state why he sneered his colleague, POLITICS TIMES gathered his action might not be unconnected to the failed ambition of Akpabio to return to the red chamber.

Akpabio, prior to the 2019 general election had promised his party that his state will be the first to be snatched from the opposition party.

On the election day, he not only failed to deliver the State to the APC as promised, the lawmaker lost his re-election bid to return to the red chamber.

Sharing a photo of him and Akpabio, Melaye said: “Akpabio How Market?”

Godswill Akpabio, lawmaker representing Akwa Ibom North West at the Senate says he cannot go back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Akpabio, a former governor of the state who was elected Senator under the PDP defected last year and joined the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

While joining the ruling party, he also resigned as Senate Minority Leader at the upper legislative chamber, a position given to him by the opposition party during the formation of the 8th Senate.

The lawmaker had promised to deliver the political structures of the state to the APC when he joined the party. In one of his campaigns he said the state will be the first the ruling party will snatch from the opposition party.

During the 2019 general election, the lawmaker did not only fail to deliver the state to President Muhammadu Buhari who sought re-election, he also failed to secure his return to the red chamber.

After the election, speculations went rife that he was planning a return to the PDP but speaking with The Nation Newspapers, the lawmaker denied such plans by him exist.

”I can’t go back to the PDP. Why are you people listening to rumour? Why will I go back to the PDP when I am already getting entrenched in the APC? I am excited that the President won the election all over the country,” Akpabio was quoted as saying.

The politician said he has no regret dumping the opposition party for the ruling party.

“I also do not have any regret joining the APC, not a single regret. If I was to take a decision today, I will still go to the APC”, he added.

Yahaya Bello, the governor of Kogi State, has debunked reports that he is plotting to dump the All Progressive Congress (APC).

There were online reports insinuating Mr Bello had concluded plans to switch over to an opposition party in other to recontest for a second term in office. The state’s governorship election is slated to hold towards the end of the year.

But describing the report as laughable, the governor through Kingsley Fanwo, his spokesman, who addressed newsmen after the party’s stakeholders meeting in Mopamuro local government area, on Monday, said he remains the landlord of the ruling party and cannot leave the party he built.

“It is laughable to insinuate that a governor that just led our party to landslide and historic victory in the 2019 general elections is about to abandon his bungalow to rent a hut,” Fanwo said.

“If this is the kind of propaganda opposition wants to fly with, then they are not ready for the November 2nd electoral battle in the state.

“Governor Yahaya Bello is the landlord of Kogi APC. Anyone coming is a tenant. Where were those opponents when he built the party into what dwarfed others in the 2019 elections?” he said.

I OWE FOUR MONTHS SALARIES

The governor also said he was owing four months salaries against the claim of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) that he’s still owing workers from 8 to 38 months salaries.

“One of the questions our party members asked during the meeting was about the claim by labour that we are owing workers 38 months salaries,” the governor’s aide said.

“As far as government is concerned, we have paid 38 months salaries starting from September 2015. We have been in office for just 39 months. But we are still owing four months’ salaries because we started paying from the period we are yet to assume power.

“We are not in any power play with labour. We will continue to appreciate their understanding and we pledge to clear all arrears as soon as possible.

“We know how pivotal salaries are to microeconomics and we also know we owe other sectors of the public a good number of social amenities. Government will continue to manage the contending interests to serve a good number of the population,” he added.

The Nigerian Governors Forum has said that another recession is coming when President Muhammadu Buhari begins his second term.

The chairman of the forum and outgoing governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, stated this on Monday at an induction organised for governors-elect and returning governors.

The chairman said the major cause of the coming recession is due to the new minimum wage signed into law by Mr Buhari.

“This scenario is a wake-up call for all of you to come amply prepared to face these kinds of challenges, especially since we are expecting the possibility of another cycle of recession by the mid-2020,” Mr Yari said.

“This may last up to the third quarter of 2021. Your good spirit of stewardship will make you contain the situation should there be one.

“Also as members of the National Economic Council, you must work hand in hand to boost the economy in tandem with the global best practices,” he added.

Yari who told the new and returning governors not to over depend on the federal government, challenged them to sort out another way of boosting their economic base for execution of people-oriented projects.

“You must not forget the high expectations of our people on us; now that the democracy is maturing day in day out, the challenges of governance and service delivery are more demanding.

“It is also a source of worry to all reasonable observers that in all modern economies, it is the public that drive the government by supporting it through payment of their taxes as and when due.

“In our situation, the reverse is the case. It is very unfortunate that our people have a very negative attitude to payment of taxes in full, including corporate agencies,” he stated.

Under the president, the Nigerian economy slipped into recession in 2016, a development triggered by dwindling government revenue occassioned by the fall in oil prices in the international market and unrest in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

It emerged from recession in the second quarter of 2017 after oil prices improved and relative peace was restored in the Niger Delta.

Although the official figures show that the nation has exited recession, many Nigerians still complain that the effect of the exit is not felt in the economy.

plaindealer:
Illiterate lawyer, any president can rule from anywhere

Inibehe Effiong, Human Rights Activist, has cautioned the Presidency to stop misleading Nigerians in a recent claim it made.

Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, had claimed the president could rule the country from wherever he is. He stated this why answering a question on why his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari failed to notify the National Assembly of his absence from the shores of Nigeria.

Disagreeing with the presidency, the legal practitioner said the president cannot exercise the functions of his office outside his domain.

Mr Effiong had earlier told the presidency to come out clean regarding Mr Buhari’s recent visit to the United Kingdom. His latest response to the presidency is reproduced below.

Senator Shehu Sani, lawmaker representing Kaduna Central at the upper legislative chamber has identified root causes of violence in his State and the North in general.

Violence and criminal activities in the North has risen recent times. While most are attributed to Boko Haram terrorists, others are blamed on bandits, kidnappers and armed herdsmen.

Mr Sani, a member of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), listed some of the things he believe encourages or aid the crimes committed in that parts of the country.

The causes, according to the lawmaker, are four in number. They are:

Reactionary elites divisive politics.
Manipulation of religion towards achieving political goals.
Institutionalized marginalization and
Social injustices.

He said the afro-mentioned points “are the root causes of ethno-religious violence in Kaduna and other northern states.”

Sani stated this in a Facebook post on his timeline on Saturday.

Aside his points, POLITICS TIMES also gathered that lack of education in some parts of the North contributes to the problem facing the areas.

A change in parental attitudes and government approach is needed to curb the menace. The number of literacy level in the protectorate is low compared to the South. This is despite huge monthly Federal Government statutory allocation it receives.

Recently, the country emerged one that has the largest number of children in the world who are not being educated.

The number of out-of-school children in the country has grown from the 10 million it was in 2017 to 13 million in 2018.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says with President Muhammadu Buhari at the helm of affairs, there is no sign of government in the country.

Uche Secondus, the national chairman of the opposition party made the claim on Friday in Abuja while addressing newsmen.

Mr Secondus wondered if truly the spike in criminal activities and killings across the country could happen where a government exist.

Zamfara and Kaduna States are top places where crimes of various kinds have risen in recent times.

“The security situation has been such that prominent Nigerian clerics have been raising serious concern on the issue of leadership, even questioning whether we really have a Commander-in-Chief in this country,” Secondus said.

“While the Presidency continues to argue that there exists government in our country today, what obtains in reality is different.

“The level of bloodletting occasioned by the barrage of criminalities across the country can only be happening in a country without government. Things got even worse as the remaining goodwill of the people on this government vanished after it arm-twisted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), into tampering with the will of the people in the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“There is no evidence of the presence of government in this country as crimes of all kinds are committed all over the country and Nigerians have never lived in such great fear and trembling for their lives.

From Kaduna to Zamfara, Benue to Taraba, Plateau, Lagos to Enugu etc., bloodletting is continuing unabated, even the President’s home state of Katsina has lost about eight local government areas to bandits, not to talk of the North East,” he said.

The opposition also alleged that the All Progressive Congress-led administration was out to undermine the Judicial arm of government. It also advised judicial officers not to succumb to the intimidations of the executive arm.

“After its several attempts to hijack the legislature failed, it turned to the Judiciary ridiculing the revered third arm of the government to the point of removing their confidence.

“The executive backed humiliation of the head of the Judiciary, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen is a well-designed strategy by the APC administration to intimidate and coerce judicial officers particularly the Judges and Justices to fall in line and endorse all their undemocratic behaviours that is bound to come to the judiciary for adjudication,” the party said.

Mr Onnoghen, although recently resigned, was suspended few weeks to the 2019 general election over allegations of non-declaration of assets traced to him.

Critics of the government said it was another plot by Buhari to subdue the will of the people through the third arm of government.