This is the story of a lost medieval city you’ve probably never heard about. Benin City, originally known as Edo, was once the capital of a pre-colonial African empire located in what is now southern Nigeria. The Benin empire was one of the oldest and most highly developed states in west Africa, dating back to the 11th century.

The Guinness Book of Records (1974 edition) described the walls of Benin City and its surrounding kingdom as the world’s largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical era. According to estimates by the New Scientist’s Fred Pearce, Benin City’s walls were at one point “four times longer than the Great Wall of China, and consumed a hundred times more material than the Great Pyramid of Cheops”.

Situated on a plain, Benin City was enclosed by massive walls in the south and deep ditches in the north. Beyond the city walls, numerous further walls were erected that separated the surroundings of the capital into around 500 distinct villages.

Pearce writes that these walls “extended for some 16,000 km in all, in a mosaic of more than 500 interconnected settlement boundaries. They covered 6,500 sq km and were all dug by the Edo people … They took an estimated 150 million hours of digging to construct, and are perhaps the largest single archaeological phenomenon on the planet”.

Barely any trace of these walls exist today.

View along a street in the royal quarter of Benin City, from 1897.
View along a street in the royal quarter of Benin City, 1897. Photograph: The British Museum/Trustees of the British Museum
Benin City was also one of the first cities to have a semblance of street lighting. Huge metal lamps, many feet high, were built and placed around the city, especially near the king’s palace. Fuelled by palm oil, their burning wicks were lit at night to provide illumination for traffic to and from the palace.

When the Portuguese first “discovered” the city in 1485, they were stunned to find this vast kingdom made of hundreds of interlocked cities and villages in the middle of the African jungle. They called it the “Great City of Benin”, at a time when there were hardly any other places in Africa the Europeans acknowledged as a city. Indeed, they classified Benin City as one of the most beautiful and best planned cities in the world.

In 1691, the Portuguese ship captain Lourenco Pinto observed: “Great Benin, where the king resides, is larger than Lisbon; all the streets run straight and as far as the eye can see. The houses are large, especially that of the king, which is richly decorated and has fine columns. The city is wealthy and industrious. It is so well governed that theft is unknown and the people live in such security that they have no doors to their houses.”

In contrast, London at the same time is described by Bruce Holsinger, professor of English at the University of Virginia, as being a city of “thievery, prostitution, murder, bribery and a thriving black market made the medieval city ripe for exploitation by those with a skill for the quick blade or picking a pocket”.

African fractals
Benin City’s planning and design was done according to careful rules of symmetry, proportionality and repetition now known as fractal design. The mathematician Ron Eglash, author of African Fractals – which examines the patterns underpinning architecture, art and design in many parts of Africa – notes that the city and its surrounding villages were purposely laid out to form perfect fractals, with similar shapes repeated in the rooms of each house, and the house itself, and the clusters of houses in the village in mathematically predictable patterns.

As he puts it: “When Europeans first came to Africa, they considered the architecture very disorganised and thus primitive. It never occurred to them that the Africans might have been using a form of mathematics that they hadn’t even discovered yet.”

A plaque showing an entrance to the palace of the Oba of Benin.
A plaque showing an entrance to the palace of the Oba of Benin. Photograph: Alamy
At the centre of the city stood the king’s court, from which extended 30 very straight, broad streets, each about 120-ft wide. These main streets, which ran at right angles to each other, had underground drainage made of a sunken impluvium with an outlet to carry away storm water. Many narrower side and intersecting streets extended off them. In the middle of the streets were turf on which animals fed.

“Houses are built alongside the streets in good order, the one close to the other,” writes the 17th-century Dutch visitor Olfert Dapper. “Adorned with gables and steps … they are usually broad with long galleries inside, especially so in the case of the houses of the nobility, and divided into many rooms which are separated by walls made of red clay, very well erected.”

Dapper adds that wealthy residents kept these walls “as shiny and smooth by washing and rubbing as any wall in Holland can be made with chalk, and they are like mirrors. The upper storeys are made of the same sort of clay. Moreover, every house is provided with a well for the supply of fresh water”.

Family houses were divided into three sections: the central part was the husband’s quarters, looking towards the road; to the left the wives’ quarters (oderie), and to the right the young men’s quarters (yekogbe).

Daily street life in Benin City might have consisted of large crowds going though even larger streets, with people colourfully dressed – some in white, others in yellow, blue or green – and the city captains acting as judges to resolve lawsuits, moderating debates in the numerous galleries, and arbitrating petty conflicts in the markets.

The early foreign explorers’ descriptions of Benin City portrayed it as a place free of crime and hunger, with large streets and houses kept clean; a city filled with courteous, honest people, and run by a centralised and highly sophisticated bureaucracy.

What impressed the first visiting Europeans most was the wealth, artistic beauty and magnificence of the city
The city was split into 11 divisions, each a smaller replication of the king’s court, comprising a sprawling series of compounds containing accommodation, workshops and public buildings – interconnected by innumerable doors and passageways, all richly decorated with the art that made Benin famous. The city was literally covered in it.

The exterior walls of the courts and compounds were decorated with horizontal ridge designs (agben) and clay carvings portraying animals, warriors and other symbols of power – the carvings would create contrasting patterns in the strong sunlight. Natural objects (pebbles or pieces of mica) were also pressed into the wet clay, while in the palaces, pillars were covered with bronze plaques illustrating the victories and deeds of former kings and nobles.

At the height of its greatness in the 12th century – well before the start of the European Renaissance – the kings and nobles of Benin City patronised craftsmen and lavished them with gifts and wealth, in return for their depiction of the kings’ and dignitaries’ great exploits in intricate bronze sculptures.

“These works from Benin are equal to the very finest examples of European casting technique,” wrote Professor Felix von Luschan, formerly of the Berlin Ethnological Museum. “Benvenuto Celini could not have cast them better, nor could anyone else before or after him. Technically, these bronzes represent the very highest possible achievement.”

A drawing of Benin City made by a British officer in 1897.
A drawing of Benin City made by a British officer in 1897. Illustration: akg-images
What impressed the first visiting Europeans most was the wealth, artistic beauty and magnificence of the city. Immediately European nations saw the opportunity to develop trade with the wealthy kingdom, importing ivory, palm oil and pepper – and exporting guns. At the beginning of the 16th century, word quickly spread around Europe about the beautiful African city, and new visitors flocked in from all parts of Europe, with ever glowing testimonies, recorded in numerous voyage notes and illustrations.

Lost world
Now, however, the great Benin City is lost to history. Its decline began in the 15th century, sparked by internal conflicts linked to the increasing European intrusion and slavery trade at the borders of the Benin empire.

Then in 1897, the city was destroyed by British soldiers – looted, blown up and burnt to the ground. My great grandparents were among the many who fled following the sacking of the city; they were members of the elite corps of the king’s doctors.

Nowadays, while a modern Benin City has risen on the same plain, the ruins of its former, grander namesake are not mentioned in any tourist guidebook to the area. They have not been preserved, nor has a miniature city or touristic replica been made to keep alive the memory of this great ancient city.

A house composed of a courtyard in Obasagbon, known as Chief Enogie Aikoriogie’s house – probably built in the second half of the 19th century – is considered the only vestige that survives from Benin City. The house possesses features that match the horizontally fluted walls, pillars, central impluvium and carved decorations observed in the architecture of ancient Benin.


Story of cities #4: Beijing and the earliest planning document in history
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Curious tourists visiting Edo state in Nigeria are often shown places that might once have been part of the ancient city – but its walls and moats are nowhere to be seen. Perhaps a section of the great city wall, one of the world’s largest man-made monuments, now lies bruised and battered, neglected and forgotten in the Nigerian bush.
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/18/story-of-cities-5-benin-city-edo-nigeria-mighty-medieval-capital-lost-without-trace

Oba Khato kpeieiiii, ise!! Check out the respect. Wike knows his master!

Nobody jokes with the Oba! Check out the respect!

The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare said his visit to Port Harcourt was in line with the tradition established by his late father.

“Following the footsteps of my father who came on a thank you tour after his coronation, we recall with nostalgia my father’s public service in Ahoada many years ago. Port Harcourt, and Rivers State is indeed a second home.

The Oba of Benin said his visit was aimed at strengthening friendly and close relationships between the people.

“I am here to strengthen the friendly relationship and close affinity of our people. History has it that some of the tribes here trace their ancestry to Benin. These include the Ikwerres, the people of Ahoada and Omoku,’’ he said.

He added that he was also in the state to meet with other traditional rulers to influence the process of development.

“I will meet with the South-South monarchs who were present at the coronation so that we can share ideas with them on ways of strengthening the traditional institution in Nigeria and ensure the development and wellbeing of our people.

“We would like to use this opportunity of this visit to appreciate the cordial relationship between the good people of Edo State and the good people of Rivers State,’’ he said.

He extended a special invitation to the government and people of Rivers to participate in the celebration of the Igue Festival

https://news-af.feednews.com/news/detail/ce2a2c3b0fed8c409cc2994fa90c03b1?client=news

Some body asked for the English word for this vegetable, you all turned it to a tribal issue. I bow for una ooh.

how much in naira?

I don't know what you guys are arguing about. Barkindo was nnpc GMD till April 2010 when he was replaced by Ladan. Ladan Salihu was removed after 7 weeks and replaced with Austin Oniwon. Barkindo took over from Yaradua. Not President yaradua in 2009. So Barkindo was the nnpc GMD when the p&.id contract was signed in January 2010

Where is Ishibori (Ogoja) in Cross River?

It has turned out that Buhari’s ministerial nominees were never vetted by the Department of State Services (DSS) before their names were sent to the senate for the disgracefully rubber-stamped confirmation hearing that ended this week. The DSS started “screening” the nominees only yesterday and will probably conclude it today. This is an unprecedented perversion of well-established procedural norms. Ministerial nominees are supposed to be vetted by the DSS first.
The result of the vetting determines their suitability for senate confirmation hearing. But Buhari and his no-good puppeteers chose to put the cart before the horse. And it’s easy to know why: more than 80% of the ministerial nominees have sordid, criminal pasts.
The govt doesn't want to risk the embarrassment of being told that some nominees are criminals who shouldn’t be ministers. In any case, as I pointed out on July 28, most of the nominees literally bade for their slots from Chief Auctioneer of Nigeria Abba Kyari (who doubles as Chief of Staff to the President.) Approving the nominees through a largely rubber-stamped senate confirmation hearing has ensured that the DSS “vetting” is only a meaningless formality. The DSS can’t recommend the rejection of nominees on the basis of the outcome of an untoward background check since they have already been formally approved by the senate. Several DSS officers are demoralized. You can’t pay hundreds of millions of naira for a slot and have your nomination thwarted by a DSS vetting.
This incoming Federal Executive Council will undoubtedly be an unembarrassed criminal enterprise. It should be properly renamed Federal Executive Criminals.
@farooqkperogi

Dansuqi:

How was gbaja's list vindictive and childish

He victimized those that contested against him. Unlike the senate president that gave juicy chairmanship positions to his opponents. Political maturity vs political childishness. Gbajabiamila should learn inclusiveness from Lawan.

Received mine about 3 hours ago!!

This is a list from an experienced and non vindictive politician. Unlike the Gbaja guy whose list was very vindictive abd childish. Unfortunately, I see Oshomhole and tinubu plotting the Senate president, Lawan's, impeachment soonest.

I declined to comment on the ministerial list Buhari sent to the Senate for 2 reasons: I was deeply distraught by what I heard about the process that produced it & I wanted to confirm the info from trustworthy people who should know.
Four different, dependable, and independent sources who don’t know each other but who’re close to the corridors of power were eerily united in telling me that except for a few ministerial nominations (notably those of Adamu Adamu, Ali Isa Pantami, Mohammed Musa Bello, Raji Fashola whom Buhari himself personally penciled— and those that were conceded to Tinubu) every other post was literally auctioned off to the highest bidder.
One Jeddy Agba from Cross River State, a Diezani protégé who defected to APC to avoid EFCC scrutiny, was said to have given Abba Kyari up to N2.5 billion for his nomination. I was told that, at a point, the incredibly rapacious Abba Kyari, in fact, removed Musa Bello’s name from the list and sold the spot to someone else. Buhari somehow found out and recalled the list.
Bello is the son of Buhari’s very close friend. That was what inspired his saying that he’d only appoint people he “personally” knew. Of course, as usual, he lied.
If people are required to pay hundreds of millions of naira as a precondition to be appointed ministers, it means they’re being invited to a corruption bazaar. They’ll have to raid and pillage the national treasury to recoup their “investment.”
My sources said Buhari knows that Abba Kyari and his boss, Mamman Daura, auctioned off ministerial slots to the highest bidders, & he is at peace with it. This didn’t surprise me because Buhari is himself an unmitigated but carefully managed fraud. Nevertheless, Nigeria had never descended to this low watermark of shamelessly undisguised fraud.
One of my sources said, “The rottenness is unprecedented and no society or country can survive this level of fraud, crime, and sleaze.” This confirms what I’ve always said: that Nigeria can’t survive a Buhari second term. There’s no way it can. Apart from intractable insecurity and mass deaths, Buhari’s second term is also shaping up to be an unprecedentedly raucous celebration of failure.
Buhari will finish his 2nd tenure, retire and go home to his celibate cows, he will seat back and look at the mess of 8 years he left Nigeria in. Being his remorseless self, his only regret will be that he could not Islamize the whole Nigeria.
https:///Dkb49b6j6t

It's either you did not read the full story or you wanted to embarrass the govt of president Buhari. The GEJ govt's response was very apt.
From this report, one can now see the reason PMB hates El Zakzaky. He did not support PMB and the northern elders sponsorship of Boko Haram.

Today is World Penis Day.
Do u know that the penis is the greatest breakfast ever? According to doctors it has a mushroom head, a sausage body, two eggs and milk which provides nutrients. Thus making ladies healthy and full for 9 months. Besides it has 3 good manners too.
1. Its very courteous, it stands before it performs
2. It is very emotional, it weeps during performance 3. It is polite, it bows after performing.

Send to ladies 2 laugh and to men 2 make them happy and proud of themselves. ⭕1. Kamasutra says : If you suck one nipple, the woman herself offers the other one. And that was the origin of "buy one get one free"!

⭕2. Did you ever notice: everything on a woman's upper body starts with a "B". Blouse, Bra, Bikini, Boobs & lower body with a "P" Petticoat, panties, pussy... That's origin of "BP"!

⭕3. Before sex, you help each other get naked. After sex, you dress only yourself. Moral: In life no one helps you once you're bleeped.

⭕4. Success is like pregnancy. Everybody congratulates you but nobody knows how many times you got bleeped to achieve it.

⭕5. Life is like a dick, sometimes it becomes hard for no reason.

⭕6. Practical thought: A husband is supposed to make his wife's panties wet, not her eyes. A wife is supposed to make her husband's dick hard, not his life..!

⭕When a lady is pregnant,
all her friends touch her stomach and say "Congrats!".
But none of them come and touch the man's Penis and say "Well done!".
Moral: Hard work is never appreciated: Only results matter.


Happy penis day

What of Gwagwalada?

What Gwagwalada?

So north with their politically manipulated population could only boast of kano? Abuja to me is not a northern city. Infact even if you dash them Abuja, that will 2 cities against southern 8. So where are their ' most populated' regional people living?

See as this man finish Edo state here oooh! How was a man that is alleged to lack the composure and capacity to lead a political party rule Edo state for 8 years. Are Edo people Agberos? I wonder ooh!

Fresh crisis is brewing in the All Progressives Congress as the Deputy National Chaiman of the party, Senator Lawan Shuaibu, has asked the National Chairman Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to resign.
He accused Oshiomhole of lacking the requisite capacity to effectively run the affairs of the party.
In a letter addressed to the National Chairman, dated May 27, 2019, Shuaibu said in advanced democracies, people who fail to add value or build on what they met on assumption of duty normally resign honourably.
The letter tittled “APC: It’s fortune and misfortune, time to act!” and made available to journalists Wedneday morning also said “It is my honest opinion that your ability to ensure this party flourishes is deficient as you lack the necessary composure and you also don’t possess the capabilities and the requisite experience to run a political party.”
THISDAY could not immediately get Oshiomhole’s reaction to the call for his resignation.
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/05/28/crisis-brews-in-apc-as-deputy-chairman-demands-oshiomholes-resignation/?amp

As it stand currently:

Senate Presidency: APC 58, PDP 49, YPP 1, Absent 1.

APC will not work with PDP to produce National Assembly principal officers and in fact they won't be allowed to chair any committee - Oshiomhole.

It was beautiful and simple as all truly great swindles are — O. Henry, 1862-1910
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Minimum Wage Bill passed by an equally cynical National Assembly, NASS, whose leaders are still smarting from the shellacking they individually and collectively received from voters in February. It is still a bad dream for one or two of them who had assumed they had their states in the palm of their hands to do as they wished with them.
Suddenly, they discovered too late that going home occasionally to give crumbs from their tables to the masses of hungry fellow Nigerians in exchange for robbing them of billions of naira in corrupt practices was no longer a winning strategy. They have sought to start rebuilding their ruined political structure by joining with the President to enact a so-called Minimum Wage bill for the “masses.” It was a swindle of which the President and NASS should be ashamed of themselves for several reasons.
President Muhammadu Buhari
We start with Buhari whose scavenging Buhari Support Group declared the signing as “a promise fulfilled”. If it was, it was one promise which should not have been made; let alone being fulfilled. But, just before those who expect to be compensated for hailing what was an ill-advised piece of legislation dismiss my objections as bad belle politics, permit me to draw their attention to the views of one of the earliest supporters of President Buhari.
“My prediction is that the N30,000 Minimum Wage will cause chaos because many state governments that were paying N7500 before N18000 was introduced could not pay them. A lot of them are currently finding it difficult to pay now. They are already saying they can’t pay, and this would lead to strikes. When that happens, the nation will be in trouble— Prince Tony Momoh, former Chairman of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC.
Tony Momoh was with Buhari since the ANPP days and is still a loyal supporter of the President. But, Senior Momoh is also a patriotic Nigerian and if it becomes a choice between party loyalty and being faithful to our country, there is no doubt that he will stand by Nigeria. He has demonstrated it with that publicised warning to Buhari. The obvious question is: why would Buhari sign a bill which has all the potentials of creating chaos in the country he is now getting ready to govern for four more years given the heightened insecurity in the land? The answer remains the same today as it was last year and will be the same next year – unless a miracle of transformation occurs.
A man cannot gradually enlarge his mind as he does his house —Alexis de Tocqueville, 1805-1859
Even Aisha Buhari must admit that her husband does not understand a word of economics or finance. He cannot comprehend the economic consequences of decisions made now. He acts on instincts; but they are the instincts of a highly placed economic illiterate. His closest advisers, if they are any better (and most are not), are too afraid to tell him the truth for fear of losing their jobs. So they adopt two postures – “sidon look” (apologies to late Chef Bola Ige) or they pretend that the President is right. For them none of their unpatriotic positions will jeopardise their advantages within the corridors of power. In Aso Rock, real or pretended ignorance is bliss.
Buhari has signed the bill purely with a short-term political advantage in mind. He will, before December, unleash serious upheavals in many of the states which will find it impossible to pay. In fact, for Osun State, implementation of the new law will mean that whoever is governor will go to Abuja monthly to collect the allocation, hand the funds to the state’s workers and go home. There will be nothing left for any other function of government. In fact, what he receives from Abuja might not cover the new wage bill. He will be called upon to go and borrow to pay public servants. What happens to the 98 per cent of Osun residents who are not public servants is apparently no concern of President Buhari. Osun State might be an extreme case; but at least thirty states will not be able to pay the new wage and meet any other obligations of government to all residents – young and old. That is invitation to chaos written boldly by Buhari and the irresponsible NASS.
The President, in his infinite misunderstanding of the constitution he swore to uphold even gratuitously ordered that implementation should start immediately. Like all old satraps always fighting the last war, he has conveniently forgotten that every governor must present the Bill to the State House of Assembly for their assent before it can be implemented. No governor, unless an incorrigible law breaker, can start implementation before the Bill had been domesticated.
JAMB: ‘Only 10 Candidates Can Use Computer In A Hall Of 250’
Deliberately or inadvertently, Buhari has set the governors and workers on several collision courses nationwide by that announcement. Ignorant or mischievous labour leaders, might call the workers out on strike based on Buhari’s unconstitutional directives. The disturbances might be great or small, but they will increase tension in a country which needs to have it reduced seriously – otherwise, the already over-stretched security forces will have to add restoration of peace at states’ secretariats to their list of concerns. Is this leadership?
Every government is run by liars and nothing they say should be believed —I.F. Stone, 1907-1989
Nothing has re-confirmed Stone’s broad condemnation of government officials more than the new Minimum Wage Bill. The Laour leaders who expressed appreciation for the President’s gesture are living in a paradise inhabited solely by fools. They, like Buhari said the bill was in the interest of the masses. That is a bold-faced lie. Explicitly, the Bill excludes workers employed by Small and Medium Scale Enterprises employing less than twenty-five people. That is the vast majority of workers are discriminated against by this so called “masses bill”.
The millions of Nigerians, female and male working in thousands of filling stations, hotels and guest houses, supermarkets, private nursery schools and clinics, POS stations, pharmacists, etc., are discriminated against by this heartless bill. It is heartless because when the inflationary impact of this bill is felt the favoured few as well as those neglected, who provided Buhari’s winning votes, will suffer the impact. They all shop in the same markets, pay rent to the same landlords, buy medicine from the same chemists, board the same buses. All workers will be charged the same – the beneficiaries of Buhari’s largesse and those left behind.
“Unworthy to be called a Father.” Title of my article when Obasanjo enacted his own Minimum Wage Bill with groups of workers excluded.
What sort of a “Father of the Nation” is that who feeds two children well and leaves 98 to fend for themselves? Buhari is always very quick to want to paint himself as a different President from his PDP predecessors. Yes, in some ways he is different. He took over from a Ph.D holder; who also succeeded somebody with Masters Degree. We are still not sure if he has School Certificate and in what grade. But, the difference on education is clear. Not even Adesina and Garba Shehu can bluff on that one.
By global standards we have a grossly under-educated President. He needs our help to overcome his deficiencies for everybody’s sake. This is one occasion those who really love Buhari should advise him to step down on promoting that bogus bill.
A word is enough…
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/the-minimum-wage-swindle/

Ethiope west local government area of delta state results as officially announced by INEC.
Breakdown of the result: Governorship

PDP 63,484
APC 7,124

House of Assembly

PDP 57,771
APC 9,025

Ethiope west local government area of delta state results as officially announced by INEC.
Breakdown of the result: Governorship

PDP 63,484
APC 7,124

House of Assembly

PDP 57,771
APC 9,025

Governorship Election Oshimili north APC 23 PDP 817
State House of Assembly PDP 815 APC 19 APGA 14 ADC 2
Unit 5 result in Umueji pry School in Oshimili north

It does not matter to me whether Atiku is a Nigerian or not. Even if he's from Haiti, Atiku is better than the begotted PMB by many miles. The so called full blooded Nigerians have not contributed as much as Atiku has to the development if Nigeria.
Atiku is not PDP. PDP is a national party. Any member of PDP that wins an election will rule according to the party philosophy. APC is equal to Buhari. Take Buhari out of APC, the party is dead. Buhari's ideology is the driving force of the party. These ideology are archaic and not in tune with modern reality.
Therefore, Kanu should go tell his Buhari master that he has failed to demarket Atiku.
Nigerians are Atikulated!! ntoooooo!

I'm an Israeli that lived in Nigeria for 5 years working on an agricultural project in Plateau State.

Nigeria is no better or no worse than any other country in the world. Every country has it's advantages and dis-advantages.

The leadership is the biggest Nigerian problem with rife corruption and lack of basic humanity.

The Nigerian people are suffering from a lack of leadership and too much religious dogma.

One of the main problems with Nigerians is that they are too tolerant of their politicians. No strikes or protest marches for justice. They have come to terms with the fact that they have to bribe a government official, customs officer, police officer, immigration officer just to progress in life.

Ian Kedem. A former combat medic at Israeli defence forces (1982 - 2001)
https://www.quora.com/#

Run!!

Pastor Tonye Patrick Cole, sacked governorship candidate of Rivers APC has cried out that the situation he encountered on ground in Rivers APC is radically different from the picture painted to him by the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, when the former Governor came to Lagos to convince him to pick the ticket of the party for the 2019 gubernatorial election.

Mr Cole, who spoke to our correspondent today shortly after the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt shut the door against his governorship ambition
bitterly lamented that had the former governor told him all the truth about the internecine crisis in the party, he would not have risked his hard-earned international reputation for the murky water of Rivers politics.

“Politics was was never my thing. The Minister had over ten different meetings with me when he was trying to convince me into this thing, but I believe that he kept certain information concerning the internal contradictions within the party from me. If I understood the magnitude of the internal crisis, I wouldn’t have taken this cliff”.

Pastor Tonye Cole stated that the Minister told him that he was absolutely in control of the party and that Senator Magnus Abe had no power whatsoever to effect any political direction within the APC. He also said that the Minister told him that he had been able to arrest whatever legal obstacle that was on the way.

“He told me not to worry about the court issues that he had arrested the obstacles through his relationship with some high level personalities within the judiciary. He told me that everything would be smooth. That was why I plunged into this thing because I trusted him”.

The sacked Governorship candidate of APC said since he started running around in the state, he has regrettably discovered that many of things the Minister of Transportation told him were not true.

“I came into the state to discover that Senator Abe maintains a very powerful stranglehold on the grassroots, with some of the biggest stakeholders in the party supporting him. During my ward tour, I would shout APC and people would chorus “Magnus Abe for Governor” and I would think what is happening here? And these are the people at the grassroots!”.

“The truth is that I am beginning to feel that Amaechi deliberately set me up for ridicule and this is very painful. You can’t make me pluck myself from my business based on false hope and misrepresentation of fact only to see something totally different on ground”.

Cole said he is still studying the situation on ground to enable him make a final decision on what to do.

“I am still studying the situation. If this thing is not working, I am not someone who deceive people. I will have to take a decision and when I do so, everybody will know”.

When Daily Trust Online contacted the Minister of Transportation for his reaction, he angrily banged the phone on our correspondent, saying he was tired of the Rivers APC crisis.

https://puoreports.com/2019/01/17/amaechi-deliberately-set-me-up-for-humiliation-pastor-tonye-cole/