₦airaland Forum

THE President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, has warned that anybody who burns American flag or destroys permit card may lose citizenship or go to jail.

Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag – if they do, there must be consequences – perhaps loss of citizenship or years in jail!,” he said on his twitter handle on Tuesday.




The warning from the US President-elect, Social Times learnt is connected  to the threat by Nigerian Nobel prize-winning author Wole Soyinka to tear his green card if Trump is sworn in on January 20.



Meanwhile, Mr. Soyinka said Thursday he has fulfilled his pledge to throw away his US residency green card and leave the United States Of America.

Lalasticlala

Technology is not the exclusive preserve of men even though they dominate the industry. The tight control of men in the industry has made it difficult for women to venture into the tech world. Jumia Travel can describe it as a male tech chauvinism. According to Intel’s report on women and the web, “On average, the developing world, nearly 25% fewer women than men have access to the internet, and the gender gap soars to nearly 45% in regions like sub-Saharan Africa”.

Despite the increased penetration of the internet in Nigeria, very few women are represented in technology space. There is no gainsaying that there are more women interested in the industry but some may be discouraged because men currently dominate the industry. Don’t allow this stereotype to get to you. Here are five reasons you should join the Nigerian tech movement as a Nigerian woman.

Technology will not be skewed towards men

Since the technology industry is dominated by men, it will no doubt be skewed towards them. This means their decisions will most likely be made to favour them. But, if there are more female represented in the industry, this will not happen. The perspective of women will be considered before any decision is made.  There will be diversity in technology thus making it cut across gender.

Reduce social inequalities

Technology is the fastest growing industry in the world. In fact, it is the future. So, if women are missing now in this rapidly evolving world of technology, the social inequalities between men and women will continue to expand.



Give a voice to women

The more women are represented in technology the more women will have a voice in the industry. So, whatever is happening in the industry, the voice of the Nigerian woman will not be absent.

Technology innovation will improve

According to country’s metrics, 50.6% of Nigerians are men while 49.4% are female. If the former are already well represented, the latter can barely be found in the industry. This is an important part of our population raging with tech ideas languishing outside the industry. So, technical innovation will considerably improve as women will contribute their quota to its development.

DozieInc:
She could be Lai Mohammed's daughter.

THE Governor-Elect of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, has said despite his pronouncement of not wanting to probe the administration of the outgoing Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, he would not close his eyes if he stumbles upon established cases of wrongdoing.








Akeredolu, however, re-emphasised that he would not deliberately go out to probe Mimiko’s administration.


Speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the President Villa, Abuja on Wednesday,


Akeredolu said: “At the centre, the government of President Buhari said we must look back in order to move forward.


“He has been there for over a year now.


“Has he instituted a probe?


“Looking back is not a probe and I maintain that I will not probe any administration.


“This is responsible leadership and I am elected to lead the people.


“The task ahead of us is enormous than for us to start instituting probes.


“My own is not to institute any probe against the last administration and that is what President Buhari has done.


“But if we find out that wrongs were committed, we have enough laws of the land to take care of people who have committed wrongs.


“As we start our work, as we go ahead, if there is any semblance of ‘Dasukigate’ in the state, the law will take its course.


“That is different from probing.


“We will follow what Mr. President is doing at the centre.”

MOREMI Ojudu, the daughter of Babafemi Ojudu, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Adviser on Political Affairs, has taken to her social media page to complain about hunger in Nigeria.



Moremi said that like other Nigerians, she is feeling the pang of hunger despite being the child of Buhari’s Special Adviser, which many consider a privileged position.


She thus said that at any available opportunity when there is a protest, she will join fellow Nigerians.


She wrote on her Facebook page: “It’s painful when people come to my inbox telling me am the Daughter of the Special Assistant to the President. Yes I know, its just a freaking title with absolutely NOTHING attached. I am HUNGRY as you are.


“Pls note, I receive no shishi from my father, I hustle my way out through it all. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t, cause the regular demands on me is much each day. And of course, how many people would understand.


“Sometimes, I weep due to lack of funds.


“I know how excited I was some weeks back when a friend sent me N10,000.


“The hunger bites hard, its becoming aggravating.


“Dear Buhari, even if Ojudu Babafemi is in your cabinet, should this HUNGER continue I am ready to pair up with People on the streets to lead a protest against your governance.


“WE ARE HUNGRY! DO SOMETHING FAST!”

THE candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the Ondo State governorship election, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Sunday said he feels humbled that the people of the state have decided to saddle him with the responsibility of leading them.








Akeredolu, on his Twitter handle, said it is time for the people to think anew.


He spoke shortly after it became evident that he has emerged the winner of the election conducted on Saturday.


As at press time, Akeredolu had won 14 of the 17 local government areas, which results had been announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.


Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party has won in two local government areas, while Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy took one.


The projection is that Oke will take the outstanding local government area of Ilaje.


Ondo State has 18 local government areas.


Akeredolu tweeted: “Ondo has decided and I am humbled that my people chose me.

“Our time to Think Anew and Act Anew has come.


“Thank You Ondo State.



“#OndoDecides.”

THE candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has won  Ondo State Governorship Election.

At the end of official results announced by the electoral commission, INEC, for 17 local governments, Mr.  Rotimi‎ Akeredolu of the APC scored 209,259 votes. ‎

Coming second is his closest challenger, Eyitayo Jegede of the state’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, scored  129,125votes. 
‎‎
‎Apart from winning the highest number of votes cast in the 17 local governments already announced, Mr. Akeredolu also won the highest number of councils. He won in 14 local governments, Mr. Jegede won in two while Mr. Oke won in one local government.‎

FORMER President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has told a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, that he cannot quit active politics yet.



Jonathan spoke on Saturday at the venue of the launch of Anenih’s book, where the former Minister of Works announced the decision to quit active politics.


Jonathan told Anenih that he has to rescind his decision to quit active politics because his experience in security and politics would be wasted if he left at this time.


He said: “You may not be in position to attend political meetings, but you are our political leader until God decides that you will leave us.


“The country is passing through political stages (and) your experience and wisdom will be required to direct us and stabilise the nation.


“We will excuse you from attending night meetings, BoT meetings, but you will continue to mentor us, we will continue to consult you.”

‎5.00am Announcement of results to resume at 6 a.m as INEC goes on break. Results from six (6) LGAs has APC Leading with 74,801 while PDP follows with 58,675, AD comes third with 35,396.

‎Stay Here as I will be updating from this website‎

http://www.socialtimesng.com/2016/11/ondodecides-official-results/

It seems meeting a potential love interest in Nigeria keeps changing. In the 60s and 70s, your parents will be the one to choose a partner for you, in the 80s and 90s, there was a kind of revolution against parents choosing spouses for their children; they took up the responsibility to woo whoever they are interested in with little or no parental input. In the 2000s and today’s digital age, you don’t even need to physically meet the person to start a relationship. You only need to reach out that potential love interest on social media, dating websites and even instant messaging platforms. Before you know it, you are in love. 

With the later, there are so many pitfalls with online dating as there are thousands online searching for love. If you want to get the best out of online dating, Jumia Travel shares five tips that can help you out.

Run a name and image search

Many people have pseudo online profiles. So, you have to be careful. Hence, prior to going ahead with online dating, you should search their name on Google. If there is little or nothing online about them on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, you should be suspicious. Today every human being have an online presence.

Reduce distance

The World Wide Web has made the world a global village whereby you can sit in your room and chat with whomever you like. So, some persons irrationally take advantage of this. Imagine you are in Nigeria and you want to date someone in Poland. Except you are a scammer or just playing around, you will not go as far as that. If you are in Lagos, reach out to someone in Lagos. This will give both of you the opportunity to meet offline.

Search for mutual friends on Facebook

You have broken the ice with someone you meet on Facebook. Regardless, you shouldn’t be carried away. You must check if both of you have mutual friends on Facebook. You can even chat up your friend to ask about them. You will get the background information you are looking for.



Check phone on Truecaller App

After exchanging phone numbers, you can search it on the Truecaller app. This app will give you a fair idea of the person like their names, email address and perhaps Facebook username. You can only do this if they have the Truecaller app on their phone.

Send your location to a friend

 If you have agreed to meet, you should take preemptive measures by sending your current location to friends or family members via BBM and WhatsApp.

Lalasticlala

THE Niger Delta Avengers on Tuesday blew up three major pipelines.

The NDA blew up Nembe 1, 2 and 3 trunk lines jointly operated by Agip, Oando and Shell Petroleum Development Company.


With the development, the supply of 300,000 barrels of crude per day to Bonny Export Terminal in Rivers State has been affected.


The spokesperson of the NDA, Brigadier General Mudoch Agbinibo, confirmed the development in an electronic mail.


Agbinibo said: “At about 11.45pm November 15, 2016, our elite Strike Team 03 struck Nembe 1, 2 and 3 truck line operated by Agip, Oando and Shell with supply capacity of 300,000 barrel per day to Bonny export terminal.


“This is in response to the so-called ‘Operation Sharkbite,’ an act of terrorism commissioned by the tyranny of the Nigerian Navy establishment and orchestrated by some elements of the ruling political class to continuously undermine any effort by the Nigerian state to addressing the legitimate demands of the people of the Niger Delta and as well as a conspiracy to bloat the accounts of some security contractors and conflict merchants within the party structure of the All Progressives Congress.


“We are only reiterating our strong resolve that time is running against the Nigerian government, that there is doom ahead.


“The Nigerian government needs our cooperation more than we need the government as it concerns the extraction of the crude oil and hydrocarbon resources in our God-given land.


“We are determined to continue this war by all means necessary, until the right environment evolves for a genuine dialogue and negotiations within the framework of the 16-point key demands presented to President Muhammadu Buhari by PANDEF on November 1, 2016.”

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, through Wilson Uwujaren, it's spokesman, said the anti-graph agency cannot investigate MMM because it is a faceless wonder bank.








Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of a training programme in Port Harcourt, he confirmed ongoing surveillance on the MMM investment scheme,


The House of Representatives had directed the EFCC to investigate the investment scheme.


Wilson said the anti-graft agency was also watching other online schemes that promise huge returns on investments.


The EFCC spokesman said preliminary investigations have shown that such online schemes thrive in countries thatare facing economic recession.


He warned that there was big chance of desperate subscribers on such platforms of losing their investments, he said in an interview on the sidelines of a training programme in Port Harcourt.


“We can only arrest people based on the evidence that we have. The House made a resolution but the resolution is a public announcement.


“We have always been advising people not to patronize wonder banks because experience over time has shown that their activities are not sustainable.


“If you get involved in it, you will eventually get hurt. What we are currently doing is to sensitize people. We know people want to make quick money as a result of recession through this MMM.


“The unfortunate thing about this MMM is that it is not a Nigerian firm but we are looking at and we will still tell the media whatever we find out,” Uwujaren said.

AMIDST the insinuation in some quarters that Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) might not be allowed to mourn his late father, Ibrahim Dasuki, who died Monday night at the Turkish hospital in Abuja, the Federal Government has disclosed in Sokoto on Tuesday, that the former National Security Adviser (NSA) actually declined its offer in that regard.








Disclosing this shortly after the burial of the late monarch, the Minister of Interior, Abdurrahman Dambazau told news men at the Sultan’s Palace that ‎Sambo turned down the offer.


According to the Minister, "in my capacity as the Minister of Interior, I asked the Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS) on the possibility of allowing Sambo Dasuki to, first of all, see his father at the hospital when he was brought on Monday, but I was informed that he declined the offer.


"Again, when I learnt about the death of the late Sultan Dasuki, I asked if, this time around, he could be allowed to come and join his brothers and sisters in mourning their father, but I was informed that Sambo had also declined the offer."


‎Dambazau said that was the best the Federal Government could do.


"You can see that we did what is within our power. He had the option to agree to join his siblings or decline. He chose the later. We could not force him," he stressed.


Ex NSA Dasuki, who was arrested by the DSS more than a year ago, is undergoing trial ‎for allegedly diverting funds meant for the purchase of weapons to fight insurgency in Northeast Nigeria.


Recently, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across the country have called ‎for the release of the former NSA in compliance with several orders.


On Monday, human rights lawyer,Femi Falana urged Buhari to order the DSS to release Dasuki on bail.


Falana’s statement came the day the ex-NSA’s father died.

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has been asked to resign from office by the country’s vibrant Social Media Opposition bloc, the Wailing Wailers.

Calling for the President’s resignation on Twitter, Wailing Wailers, in a statement signed by Usman Abubakar, its national publicity secretary, said President Buhari has no single achievement ever since he was sworn in on the 29th of May 2015.

The call for Buhari’s resignation resonated with Nigeria’s youthful and social media savvy demography hence a record 4,536 tweets in one hour.

See some #BuhariMustGo tweets below;

TWO students of the Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma in Edo State have been shot dead during a protest.



The students are protesting the hike in school fees by the management of the institution.


Soldiers said to be at the scene of the protest were reported to have shot into the air to disperse the protesting students.


Two of the students were said to have been hit by bullets and died on the spot.


However, this could not be independently confirmed before press time.

GOVERNOR Godwin Obaseki of Edo on Monday in Benin announced the appointment of Osarodion Ogie as the Secretary to the State Government.








Also appointed were Taiwo Akerele as Chief of Staff and John Mayaki as interim Chief Press Secretary.


Mr. Obaseki had before making the announcement, met with the state Head of Service and Permanent Secretaries.


He directed the permanent secretaries to take full charge of the affairs of their ministries, pending appointment of commissioners.


The governor solicited for maximum cooperation from the civil service to enable him discharge his mandate effectively.


He expressed confidence in the civil service, and pledged that his administration would build a more stronger, vibrant, trusted, competent and reliable workforce to meet the challenges ahead.


“I have no doubt about the capacity of the civil service, but we will also need to clear the clog on the wheel of progress,” he added.


The governor said the administration would re-evaluate the recruitment process into the service to ensure that merit and objectivity were not compromised.


He promised to study the report of his transition committee alongside that submitted by the permanent secretaries, before setting up a policy group to outline specific programmes for the administration.


Mr. Obaseki noted that the state would not afford a government unable to create value across board.


He assured the people of Edo, that he would be a listening governor, who discharges his responsibilities firmly and professionally.


The governor assured that the administration would be fair to all, and would sanction any civil servant found wanting.


Responding, Gladys Idahor, the Head of Service, assured the governor that civil servants in the state were ready for the task ahead and pledged their support and loyalty.


[NAN]

WHY bombings of pipeline installation across the country continued has been made known by the Niger Delta Avengers.


This was disclosed in a statement signed by the spokesperson of the militant group, Brigadier General Mudoch Agbinibo.


The statement unedited reads, “We all know that Peace is not the absence of war. Sincerely speaking, the High Command of the Niger Delta Avengers cannot be blamed for the continuous bombing of crude oil export pipelines and other oil installations, since the Government has been relentlessly carrying out military build ups to continuously harass communities and indigenes of the Niger Delta after the November 1st meeting of the PANDEF and President Muhammadu Buhari. We see this as a deliberate move by the military establishment to undermine any effort of dialogue and negotiations with the people of the Niger Delta.


“The path to sustain the cessation of hostilities in the region among fighters and structures cannot be achieved overnight, when there are clear cases of deliberate security surge by the Nigerian government. We ask for understanding on the side of the PANDEF and the general public. The High Command of the NDA is only reacting to government’s deliberate attempts to undermine the process to dialogue and negotiations. It will make a lot of sense on the part of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to restrain the security agents/agencies from engaging in activities that are inimical to the process, the people and communities of the Niger Delta. There was high hope and expectations from the people of the Niger Delta after the November 1st meeting between PANDEF and President Muhammadu Buhari for a genuine dialogue and negotiations process to kick-start. Instead the government’s security establishment is busy building up clogs to the process that will place our people at position of weakness which is unacceptable to us and so, there is bound to be equal reaction.


“The idea of communicating with our fathers, leaders and royal fathers under the leadership of Papa Edwin Kiagbodo Clark’s PANDEF before acting will only amount to mere propaganda while the head is being cut off. We believed that our fathers, leaders and royal fathers are ready to meet the government of Nigeria with representatives of IOCs and the neutral observers but not with guns, warships and jet fighters terrorizing their communities which of course is one of the sixteen points key demands presented to Mr. President, So the government should stop the ostrich game.


“We did not start this struggle for the sake of bearing arms against the Nigeria state; it is a reaction to many years of orchestrated state economic and constitutional colonialism against a region and its people over six decades. Until the burning issues of resources control, fiscal federalism and inclusive development are addressed no force will stop this struggle even with bare hands. The government of Nigeria is running against time by undermining the resolve of the Niger Delta. The government needs the Niger Delta more than we need the government.


“A careful analysis of the directive by general Muhammadu Buhari, to the security agencies to identify militant leaders and their camps shows that, the man do not have any sense of history and apology for the roles he played in the killing of innocent civilians and Ken Saro Wiwa in Ogoni that were carrying out a peaceful protest in 1995. President Muhammadu Buhari should think before he act on this his fifth journey into national affairs. Those obnoxious strategies like Choke Points, Operations Delta Safe, Operations Crocodiles Smiles etc, are doomed to fail like Operations Hakuri II, he engineered and administered under general Sani Abacha. Even the security hierarchy is also sympathizing with his inhuman dispositions to the Niger Delta question. That is more of the reasons the High Command of the DNA has given the clear directive to all field officers to avoid confrontation with security agencies in their line of duty.


“The everyday deployment of military hardwares, houseboat, personnel etc is a dilemma of government insensitivity and incapacity to the legitimate demands by the Niger Delta people since 1994 under general Sani Abacha.


“The Niger Delta struggle is the people’s project. So, the more groups that are involved the more the festivity. There will be no cold war with any group and groupings no matter the circumstances of their emergence and their modus operandi."

Miss Monica Ada C. Eze 

Intro:

Agha Hasan Abedi also known as Agha Sahab a Pakistani banker and philanthropist who founded the Bank of Credit and Commerce International in 1972 may have had Engr Dave Umahi the action Governor of Ebonyi State in mind when he stated and I quote, "The conventional definition of management is getting work done through people, but real management is developing people through work." If one critically examine the revolution currently going in Ebonyi State one can easily conclude that Engr Umahi specializes in developing people through assigning to them tasks that go a long way in assisting in developing Ebonyi State and her people.

 

On the other hand, President Barack Obama of USA may also have Ebonyi State in mind when he stated, "I put forward a budget of what I called "middle-class economics" that continues to be fiscally prudent but makes necessary investments for us to continue the economic momentum and job growth.” This great quote by this outstanding leader of the world aptly applies to Ebonyi State because it is only the result of budget prudence and financial wizardry of a leader like Engr Dave Nweze Umahi could be embarking upon the type of current infrastructure revolution going on in the State that dwarfs the feats of all the past administrations in Ebonyi State put together and still decide to not only increase the salaries and emolument of staff and entitlements of Pensioners but to pay such on 15th of every month at a period of recession when most States in Nigeria are owing their staff months of unpaid salaries.

Before I divulge into the main issues of this attempt and for avoidance of doubt this treatise is not to praise the Ebonyi State Government but strictly aimed to examine critically the financial prudence of the Umahi's administration and the current celebration in some quarters of the visit and operation of EFCC in the State.

 

As a concerned daughter of Ebonyi state not necessarily as the Technical Assistant on Media to Governor Umahi, I decided to task myself  to unearth for you, the reader, the public and our people in Diaspora the futility or otherwise of the recent EFCC venture into Ebonyi State at this particular time and to appeal to Ebonyi State people not to be disillusioned or disenchanted in any way or feel intimidated by propagandists whose Umahi's pragmatic leadership have become a source of misery to them and their sponsors.

 

On 9th November, 2016,I observed that the main discussion going on in most parts of Ebonyi State was the operation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) carried out in the state and reflected by  the Sun Newspaper and other dailies’ including the Social Media of this day alleging that EFCC has sealed Governor Umahi’s private properties.

 

Sadly, I also noticed with misgiving on this fateful day, the wide jubilation and celebration over this operation within the ranks and circles of some misguided and disgruntled opposition politicians whose disdain for the ongoing revolution by the Umahi's administration is well known.

 

Having said all these, you can now understand my goal in this treatise. Permit me therefore to present to you the main issues of this attempt.

John Milton (1608-1674) an English poet defined prudence as "Prudence is the virtue by which we discern what is proper to do under various circumstances in time and place" and this properly explains aptly the happenings in Ebonyi state but to understand and appreciate the mission of Governor Dave Nweze Umahi in the politics of Ebonyi State, and Nigeria at large, his mission statement must come to play. It states: “My mission is to enhance the welfare of our people, and empower all Ebonyians to be self-reliant, through the compassionate delivery of transparent and God-fearing governance, based on integrity and dignity.”

 

With this, I will attempt to explain that the venture of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that deals with criminality and misappropriation of public funds into Ebonyi State, during the reign of this God-fearing man must be a venture that was misplaced.

 

In achieving a prudent management of the scarce funds available to Ebonyi State, a serious woman of God, Dr (Pastor) Queen Agwu, was appointed as the State Accountant-General, with Dr Dennis Ude Ekumankama a very forthright fellow as the Commissioner of Finance, and Dr Ignatius Unah as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry. With these trio financial wizards, Ebonyians can be rest-assured that their funds are not only safe but will be utilised to achieve the vision and mission of the David of our time. Accordingly, the Vision of the ministry is so explicitly on the vision of the Governor. “The vision of the ministry is the integration and implementation of fiscal and developmental policies and programmes of the state government.”

 

Under this administration, and to ensure accountability, transparency and improved revenue collection, the governor gave the Board of Internal Revenue a full autonomy, not minding that most states in Nigeria can’t pay salaries because of the result of the recession in Nigeria. But under the Umahi regime the case in Ebonyi State is totally different. The Ebonyi State workers’ salaries are now paid on or before 15th of every month, in line with His Excellency, the state governor’s directive. Other genuine claims like leave allowance of the workers are paid regularly. Gratuities and pension benefits of retired officers are now paid monthly along side with the salaries.

 

The ministry’s in-built checks and controls system through posting of internal auditors and other mechanisms have made the state government financial transaction in ministries/ departments more in line with budget provisions and financial laws. This, no doubt, is the policy trust of the present administration on transparency, accountability and quality service delivery. In budget implementation, we have ensured that contractor’s certificates are paid timely and that fund voted for a particular project is strictly applied for the purpose. Over head releases are on monthly basis and regular too. That has given a boost to ministries and non-ministerial departments in carrying out their recurrent activities. Financial reporting has been improved upon. At present, there is no arrears of the State Annual Accounts. The Office of the Accountant-General introduced e-revenue and salary in the state. This salary automation ensures that each staff pays the correct tax, because this has been factored into the software. 

 

Today, Ebonyi State is referred to as one huge construction site with three solid flyovers almost completed and to capture what is happening in Ebonyi State more aptly, Engr Babachir Lawal, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) said it all: “Well, I cannot in all honesty understand how these works have been achieved within this short time and, indeed, in the climate of dire economic shortages of government. I am impressed that you (Dave Umahi) were able to do these works within the cost you mentioned. I can, in all honesty, tell you that the work is far beyond the cost. Now, this is a standard for other states and the Federal Government to emulate. To me, Governor Umahi is one of the few persons who believe that meagre resources could be used to achieve much, if we remove greed, which breeds corruption. Without mincing words, Umahi, is better than some governors in my own party, the APC.”

 

Before going further on this treatise, let me unequivocally and unambiguously state that EFCC’s Establishment Act mandates the EFCC to combat financial and economic crimes. The commission is empowered to prevent, investigate, prosecute and penalise economic and financial crimes, and is charged with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of other laws and regulations relating to economic and financial crimes.

 
It is a fact that EFCC based on the above definition of its operations and establishment is free to visit and investigate any act they perceive criminal or illegal which may have caused they visit to Ebonyi State as reflected in the Sun Newspaper and other dailies’ publication of 9th November, 2016 alleging that EFCC has sealed Governor Umahi’s private properties.

 

The above notwithstanding, i wish to correct the erroneous impression as reflected in some of these dailies that 'EFCC has sealed Governor Umahi’s private properties'. I accept the fact that an “under investigation” sign was placed on Orsbon La Palm Hotel and Brass Filling stations, and some other properties assumed to belong to Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, because of the alleged misappropriation of N400 million released by Col Sambo Dasuki (retd), National Security Adviser (NSA) to former President Goodluck Jonathan, for the 2015 general elections in Ebonyi State but the above notwithstanding, i wish to state clearly that placing an 'Investigation order' on the said properties is not the same as sealing the properties. Sealing the properties in a lay man’s language entails closing these business outlets for business transactions with the public, which is not the case in this regard.

 

I will like to reiterate, all the same, that these properties under investigation were acquired by Governor Umahi as a private citizen, when he was outside the government and have nothing to do with any release either from Dasuki or any government source and, therefore, it is erroneous on the side of EFCC to place an investigation order on a property duly acquired legally by Umahi when he was not in government.

 

Third, and very importantly, the EFCC’s action amounts to nothing since Engr Dave Umahi resigned his directorship and ownership of all his business empire since assumption of office as deputy governor of Ebonyi State in 2011. This act, therefore, becomes laughable for some group of people to assume that Umahi’s properties were sealed by EFCC, as his office –  both as a one-time deputy governor and currently as the Governor of Ebonyi State – does not permit him to own or run any other business, except that of government.

 

However, it is important to note that Umahi, by the grace of God through the mandate given to him by the great people of Ebonyi State, is the incumbent executive Governor of Ebonyi State. Therefore, he enjoys immunity, as provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, as a result, can't be under probe while in office. Those celebrating of the unwarranted attacks on our amiable and performing governor are celebrating in vain, as God who granted him this grace to serve his people will surely protect him from every visible and invisible attack.
 
Having said all these, let me reiterate that as law-abiding citizens, and very supportive of President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption, which is a major challenge to the development and emancipation of our nation, the Umahi's administration will support the EFCC to the best of her abilities to carry out its statutory duties. Even so, we wish to appeal to them to follow due process and respect the rights of our people and not give in to the antics of politicians who do not see any good in our efforts to bring the dividends of democracy to our people.

For us in the present administration under Umahi, prudence and proper distribution of the scarce funds at our disposal is our hallmark; and we have no skeleton in our cupboard. Our doors are always open to the EFCC and any other organ of government to beam its searchlight on us at anytime.
 
To us, it makes no meaning that the EFCC could paste information on the properties they felt belonged to our governor, because we are convinced that at the end of the day both Umahi and his associates will be vindicated.

 

Umahi doesn't need any distraction but support at this time to enable him focus on his mission and vision for Ebonyi State

 

The Governor's reaction to those asking him to resign based on the EFCC's visit suffices here: "my government will not be distracted from delivering democracy dividends to Ebonyians. These elements attacking me lack credibility in all fronts to have the moral justification to beam a searchlight on me and my administration as their past is full of corruptive tendencies. I am happy that the public know that these elements have nothing positive to offer to our state bur are agents whose primary desire is to truncate the existing peace in our State and discredit my government.

 

The good thing is that the people of Ebonyi who gave their mandate to me to exercise on their behalf would “never allow agents of the devil to have their negative desires come to pass.

 

These desperate agents were those involved openly selling empowerment forms to unemployed youths of Ohaukwu LGA claiming that it was a Federal Government directive. The good thing is that my government had intervened by empowering over 4,500 unemployed youths and women of Ebonyi State and provided the sum of N250,000 to  them  to embark on business of their choice".

 

Conclusion

finally, let me appeal to our people in Ebonyi and those in the Diaspora to continue to exercise faith in this administration, as we are determined to make a difference this time around, and to make our state a reference point in the annals of governance in Nigeria.

For those who are hell-bent on distracting the governor by cooking up lies against him, we appeal to them to exercise caution so that posterity will not be too harsh on them.

 

Miss Monica Ada C. Eze is Technical Assistant (TA) on Media to Governor Dave Nweze Umahi dunaebonyitransformation001@gmail.com or quintrelking@gmail.com