Two years on, and Amen Estate now looks like this:

OAM4J: Is this allowed on this site?:

Eko Ile:

Cry me a river.

This is not even about Awolowo, it's about the greedy and misguided elements within the family.

Where were these self serving clowns called leaders when the family was using the Tribune to attack their own Yoruba people on behalf of their PDP political and financial benefactors? Where were they when their cronies bastardized the SW for 12 years?

I cant stand these nuisance socio cultural demagogues.


Abeg hushhhh

Or this?

~Bluetooth:

Enough of all these dragging of Awolowo's name is the mud,will Awolowo kiss a thief like Gbenga's asss if he were to be alive ?

The above basically insinuates that a 95 year old widow and great-grandmother is "kissing asss", even though she's just lost a daughter. Is this language temperate and considered clean enough for you, given the context?

Have you people have no respect for old age anymore Do you have any plans of growing old at all, or you have all signed a deal with the devil to die young??

OAM4J, I do not appreciate the PM you dropped me at all. How does that note make you different from the tyrants you all abuse on this forum everyday?? I cursed them. Yes. I did because their behaviour deserves curses. I can't descend into the gutter of personal abuse with them, but I can invoke the spiritual consequences of their behaviour. If they amend their ways, and stop abusing vulnerable 95 year old widows, the curses won't work. If they or anyone else for that matter persists or seeks to defend their indefensible actions, let them sleep on their bed as they lay it.

This Sam Omatseye is a compound fool.

So, in his jaundiced opinion, that the Awolowo family did not seek to impose themselves on us politically is a failing

Omatseye really is trying too hard to justify his master's imposition of his wife, child and son-in-law in Lagos State, something which is patently unjustifiable. When the whirlwind comes, no amount of stolen billions will protect Bola Tinubu, Fashola or Omatseye for that matter. Just wait.

Eko-Ile, sbeezy, and all the rest of the Tinubu houseboys on nairaland and elsewhere, hear this:

He who the Gods want to destroy, they first make mad.

Only a bastard will point to his father's house with his left hand.

He who sows the wind will reap the whirlwind.

The days when you will regret providing your praise-singing services for Tinubu, Fashola and all things ACN are near. Indeed, they are already upon you. In a week when:

Your principal worked to make sure Yorubaland did not get the speakership of the House of Reps;

Your principal sponsored people to agitate for him to become the Asiwaju of Yorubaland - a title held by Awo in his lifetime;

He has now committed the ultimate blasphemy by attacking an innocent, harmless, grieving old woman, whose only sin is that she has assumed the role of the mother of the nation, refusing to be partisan;

But then, isn't that what he has always done, attack the weak and defenceless - Abraham Adesanya, Ganiyu Dawodu, Solanke Onasanya, Anthony Enahoro and so on, all tasted the sharp side of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, once they had helped him to become Governor of Lagos State

His time is coming, and it may be sooner than he or you his minions think, if the Lord tarries.

There is a God, and he does not pander to the wicked, contrary to Tinubu's assumptions. One day, God will judge you all.

To whom will we credit the fact that we can type hereon from our phones today Obasanjo, thats who!

To whom will we credit the ascension of GEJ to the Presidency and his subsequent election Obasanjo, that's who!

To whom will we give the credit that we have enjoyed 12 years of democracy, however flawed, devoid of military intervention Obasanjo, that's who!!!

To whom shall we credit the explosion of the Nigerian entertainment industry over the last 12 years, following a policy of government engagement with younger and younger entertainers? Obasanjo, that's who!!!

There are more, but let me stop there for now.

Whoever doesn't like Obasanjo should go and jump off Olumo Rock, for all I care. Those you're worshipping today will eventually show you their true colours. When they do, there will be revolution in the land, especially the SW, and I hope it consumes you all, along with your uber-venal principals, Tinubu and co.

Rhino.5dm:

Sorry to burst your mooronic bubble. There are lot of multi-billion naira project going on around that area, so i don't know your fuss.

For your info i lived very close to town hall at Akodo after general hospital.

. . .And incase your a paid agent then be ready for violent change.

Calling you a half-wit would be an insult to half wits. Read my post again, and notice where I mentioned all but just two of the multi-billion naira projects going on in the area. I have deliberately left out those I know to be on the drawing board, because the private groups contemplating them may never get the needed finance.

Prove you "lived" in the area by mentioning the two projects I left out. For avoidance of all doubt, young man, Bankole does not earn enough to pay me, and if you bring your violence, let me just paraphrase that Yoruba proverb about knowing how a fight starts but never knowing how it will end. I suggest you don't make that kind of threat unless you really have the capacity to bring it. You could be charged with threat to life. I'll overlook it this time, but if you persist, I will find you, and have you face the full weight of the law.

Ok, Sahara Reporters goofed royally on this one. I live in the Akodo area, and there is no hotel resort of any type under construction there.

I have to conclude that these guys are just outright liars from this one. I was lapping it all up until I got to the N7 billion Akodo Hotel Resort part. I KNOW that part to be a patent white lie. I'm forced to dismiss the Whole story because of this one lie. One has to conclude that the whole story is concocted. I'll make a video of the Akodo area and post it on youtube. It's a very small community, and if anything of that magnitude was going on there, it would be pretty obvious.

Akodo is right next door to the Lekki Free Trade Enterprise Zone, and a little further down the road is the Lagos Free Trade Zone. Both of these are the main projects going on in the area, unless you want to count Amen Estate, a private estate owned by someone I know socially, which is right opposite the 20 hectare New Era Youth Camp, owned by Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu (now Senator for Lagos Central Senatorial District).

I'm now convinced that Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has lost his marbles and does not deserve, on merit, to be the Governor of a primary school, talk less of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

His main excuse for attempting to experiment with West Africa's largest economy is cash management cost? Why then does he find it difficult to go back to the Soludo solution of redenomination and re-introduction of coins into the system? Pride? He should just swallow his pride joor and allow redenomination, as well as re-introduction of coins, in order to reduce the cost of printing, as well as the need for constant reprinting.

Large notes need not be phased out, and may be retained for large cash transactions.

Islamic banks, experimenting with Lagos' economy, this guy needs his head examined.

temmytanny:


Your calculations are wrong bro. the N240B is only from IGR . What of Federal allocations?

s

The calculations are not mine, my sister. But the bobo is correct sha o. I'm sure I heard Fashola say that they make N14b from IGR and N6b from federal allocation. That's N20b per month. N20b x 12months = N240b.

Simple Arithmetics.

The following caught my attention from the 234next.com article posted by the op. It does make sense o, and I'm bloody scared of the tax collectors for the next four years. What the hell are they doing with the money sef Surely doesn't cost as much as they're claiming for the rubbish road repairs and resurfacing they've been doing especially these last few months:

[b]Posted by Daniel on May 20 2011
This figure is incorrect. I watched a PDP gubernatorial aspirant give the correct figures on Silverbird TV a few months ago. He said the state has earned a total of N240b per year since Fashola started. I checked. It's true. He said the state has budgeted over N400b per year since Fashola started. I checked. It's true. He said Fashola himself claimed over 80% budget compliance every year since then, meaning they spent over 80% of N400b every year since 2007. That means they've spent at least N320b every year while earning a maximum of N240b every year, thereby leaving a debt overhang every year of about N80b. Last time I checked, N80b x 4years is equal to around N320b. We also know about the N50b Infrastructure bond, bringing this figure to N370b. Plus the N50b foreign debt, which is the cheapest of Lagos State's debts right now. Lagos actually owes, under Fashola alone, the sum of over N420b. They refuse to tell us the debt inherited from Tinubu, so we can only speculate on that one. Rumour has it that Tinubu's debts of over N180b was the reason Fashola embarked on an aggressive tax campaign, which he's going to intensify in this regime. May God help us Lagosians.[/b]

Eko Ile:


I don't believe you and the rest of you disgruntled elements. I'm sure he's going to commission the project and I'll be here with pictures to paste all over your lying faces


And the rest of your crap is nothing but the same silly, made up  and unprovable propaganda nonsense that I have no time to respond to,

You leave me with no other choice than to call you a buffoon blinkered by the naira notes the ACN goons have stuck around your ears. Disgruntled? Hardly. Annoyed by the constant lies of Fashola and his internet brigade like your silly self? Most certainly.

Get it into your block-head: There are no 200 houses built by Lagos State government standing anywhere in Ibeju-Lekki.

2ndly, on the NERC Act issue, you are swanning around here on Nairaland, festooned in the glory of your unclothed ignorance. The Act allows distribution and transmission. You only have to obtain a licence first. The only licenced transmission company right now is a component of PHCN. You really ought to do some research before you type. Then again, why am I surprised sef? Are you not just another irredeemably silly Fashola-supporting goat, bleating about all over the place, "Fashola good, everyone else, bad", regardless of all the evidence to the contrary surrounding and suffocating you? Awon akotileta omo!

Bakare who lied against God in 2003 is talking about honesty Wonders shall never end. Is this not the guy who said from the pulpit that God had told him that Obasanjo would not win the elections in 2003?? Is he not the same guy who said, after Obasanjo won the same election, that he would die within a few days of being sworn in??

Not surprising at all that the man he's deputising for is a renowned Fulani irredentist and ethnic cleanser extraordinaire. Buhari treated all Fulani corruption suspects during his short reign with kid gloves, while killing off all the southern ones he could, systematically and slowly, even though some of his victims were innocent of the charges.

At least no one can accuse Goodluck Jonathan of ethnic cleansing, and Sambo is a renowned upright and very creative architect, a good example for the young Northerners of today to follow.

I'm voting Goodluck-Sambo joor. We saw what happened to the NIPP thing after Obasanjo left. I'm not going to let that happen again now that Goodluck-Sambo have restarted NIPP and are completing the power stations one by one.

Goodluck-Sambo ni jooor.

Eko Ile:


You don't know because you haven't been to the place to find out.

You can not call the man a liar, till you waka to the place, take pictures and show us, you are the liar.

My friend, I am tempted to call you all sorts of unprintable names, but that would detract from my message. I live in Ibeju-Lekki, and have seen no low cost houses ANYWHERE within the Ibeju-Lekki borders. Please feel free to come here and have a look for yourself, you nincompoop. It's buffoons like you that have been feeding fat from the N183million per 6 months Fashola has been spending on the media, or perhaps the over N200 million he apparently spends on text messages finds its way to your pocket, causing you to come here to spill verbal diarrhea.

I repeat, there are no 200 low-cost housing units standing ANYHWHERE in Ibeju-Lekki, which, by the way, is a PDP controlled area and will be won again, this time by landslide, because of this lie. I will be calling the attention of the people of Ibeju-Lekki to this lie and they will place curses on anyone that votes for this charlatan in our long-neglected and exploited area.

Between Fashola, Gbenga Ashafa (ACN senatorial candidate for the area) and Tinubu, they have GRABBED all the land belonging to the indigenes of the area, and now Fashola has added insult to the injury by telling bare-faced lies about 200 low cost houses. God will punish anyone who defends that lie here or anywhere else. Oloshious fellows all!

manny4life:

How do you mean he doesn't have authority to fix the electricity crisis? I believe though he can't fix that of Nigeria but he can come up with solutions to fix that of Lagos since the Govt. has been reluctant to do it.

It is clear you know nothing about the power regulations in Nigeria. Since 2005, governors, local government chairmen and companies have had the legal power to set up their own power generation, transmission, distribution and marketing companies, as long as they register with the NERC, in accordance with the NERC Act of 2005.

pluto04:

N2.1 billion per annum for a firm of less than 20 staff just for document verification? This is ridiculous!!

Make that N25.2 billion per annum sir. It's N2.1 billion per month. You may now close your mouth. This is what some of us have been shouting about the Asiwaju Criminal Network for years. Fashola is just an administrator. The real governor of Lagos State resides at Bourdillon road, Ikoyi, and his name is Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the owner of Alpha Beta, Lekki Concession Company, BT Diagnostic Centre, Lasuth, Ikeja, Most of Ibeju-Lekki land, substantial parts of Eti-Osa, and holds first refusal on EVERY property in the Lekki axis, by virtue of the Lekki-Epe expressway concession agreement signed by him for his company LCC in 2006.

Fashola is a blatant liar. Where in Ibeju-Lekki are these 200 units standing right now How can this man continue to lie blatantly through his teeth and people just keep lapping it all up I don't get Nigerians anymore joor. It's like they all had a mass lobotomy where all the areas of the brain dealing with perception have been removed. Na wa o!!!

I remember him once saying he will provide low-cost housing when there is low cost cement, iron rods and building materials. Well, most of these things are high cost at the moment because he collects crazy taxes from the transporters, the vendors of the goods and the manufacturers where possible, and then refuses to do any infrastructure to make their movement easy, until quarter to elections, when he just sprinkles a little asphalt on the roads and compacts it to make it shine. It will all last till the rains, then we go see fowl yansh again.

Anyone who votes for this spineless charlatan is just mortgaging the future of their children to the Asiwaju Criminal Network (ACN).

Some of us had always known that the road projects in Lagos, the way judges are appointed in Lagos State, the elevation of Lagos State judges to the upper echelons of the Federal Judiciary, have been driven in the last 12 years, entirely by the interests of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his associates, political or business.

When we screamed that Lagos road rehabilitation, health and education contracts are GROSSLY overinflated, some ignoramuses came up with the preposterous line that "at least Fashola is doing something, even if he's stealing a bit". The only problem with that line is that the incumbent is not stealing only a bit. The above indicates that SERIOUSLY LARGE sums of money may have been moved out of Lagos through the likes of Tunji Olowolafe, Chairman of both Deux Projects and Lekki Concession Company (LCC), and several other front companies, like PLYCON Construction, allegedly owned directly by Fashola, and companies in the Chaghoury Group, like Hitech, ITB, Eko Hotel, Palmyra and the much-vaunted ARM.

Skye Bank PLC should also be investigated closely. I think some interesting skeletons will be found here, and in the purchase and sales of Lagos State shares in the telcom outfit now called Airtel.

Lagosians have been complacent for too long, and have allowed themselves to be deceived by Bola Tinubu's endless rants about the PDP, due only to their own slovenliness. I tell you, a people deserve the leadership they get, if they are so breathtakingly gullible, as the people of Lagos State have been for the last 12 years!

How much?

Anyone who's got a Naija-used 4x4 in good condition for sale and will accept N2m should bb pics of the car to 23459cc1 now, along with their telephone number, and we may conclude the transaction today. No lemons and no stolo please. Seller's ID will be requested and checked.

On Thursday, 23rd of December 2010, the people of Ikorodu Constituency 2 put the lie to the claims of the ACN and the media that they are the most popular party in Lagos by handing over the House of Assembly seat in that constituency to the PDP in a bye-election.

For reasons best known to them, the media have refused to report this earth-shaking event, at least as far as Lagos State is concerned. This indicates clearly what some of us have always known. The ACN, or whatever name Bola Tinubu's party is called, is deeply unpopular in Lagos State, and has been since 2003. They have lied, cheated, screamed and intimidated their way into office since 2003, but it seems Lagosians are now saying, no more!!

I wonder what will happen when they lose Lagos State, as they will, at the next general elections.

eku_bear:

Nope, Lagos State is only loaning 5 billion naira to LCC. 20 year loan. I'm not sure what the interest rate is though.

Remember that after 30 years, Lagos State inherits the road, too.

I don't understand how anyone can be complaining about this project.

Even the people who live nearby and are complaining about how they'll have to pay to go to their homes. . . well, they don't seem to be voicing any complaints about their increased property values, are they?

Are you stating this officially on behalf of Lagos State government as operated by the Governor Emeritus and His chief Administrator, or is this just rumour. The link I pasted clearly states that the project is financed by Lagos State. It does not state that the finance is a loan. Why was this not made public officially by the state government? Why did we have to find out like this? Why have they constantly and consistently LIED again and again that the project is wholly funded by LCC, when in fact there is not a kobo belonging to LCC in the project?

Who is fooling who here? Let them come and collect the tolls, let us see. Whether na this one go finally demystify these tyrants once and for all sef. Yeye THIEVES!

babapupa:




Ode,  What's your silly link got to do with state police? And this is what your dumb link said,




The Lekki Project
is a 30-year contract that involves the construction and operation of a toll road corridor along the Lekki peninsular of Lagos, Nigeria. (This area is considered the fastest growing residential and commercial land in Africa). The road is an approximately 50km strip of road that heads towards the east of Victoria Island.

Standard Bank Plc's role in the landmark deal was as Lead Arranger, Underwriter, and largest lender to the project as well as the sole arranger of currency hedging. In addition The Standard Bank of South Africa (Project Finance) acted as Co-financial Advisor to the project.

Funding for the project, which should take three years to complete, comes from the Lagos State which has invested Naira N5bn (US$42 million) in a 20-year mezzanine tranche. The African Development Bank provided N10bn (USD85 million) senior debt over 15 years and local bank lenders provided a 12-year note facility of N9.4bn (US$80 million).

The remaining NGN 11bn (USD93 million) 15 year term funding was provided by Standard Bank Plc and onshore affiliate, Stanbic IBTC Plc.

"To source 15-year Naira in this climate is testament to a well structured and solid deal," said Mike Waller from Standard Bank Plc. Standard Bank was able to use both its offshore and onshore Naira risk management platforms to structure the long-dated cross currency swap, allowing dollar funded institutions to participate."

Commenting on the deal Rupert Boyd, Managing Director and Global Head of Distribution at Standard Bank said "This was possibly the highest profile transaction in Nigeria this year, given that the condition of the road directly affects the lives of millions of traffic-locked Lagosians."




Now, show us where it asserted anything regarding your ignorant nonsense.

They really need to ban you fools for spamming and peddling fake and irrelevant nonsense all over the place.

Oponu Ayirada If only you could read, you would see that I'm saying: according to the link, Lagos State taxpayers have already paid for the road, as the government's undisclosed contribution amounts to 10% of the stated project cost, and only 10% of the road has been completed thus far. Point is, why should anyone be charging tolls on this road, you numpty!

Anything that questions your ogas, you bristle and start charging. You come at me like that again, you'll wish you'd been flushed down the toilet as menstruation. Oloshi akotileta omo, then again, why am I surprised at that. Isn't that what your employers do, both the Governor Emeritus and his appointed Administrator?

State Police ke

He only wants it so that him and his EVIL godfather can use what will become their personal police to collect their unjust tolls on Lekki Epe expressway that taxpayers have paid for twice: once during Jakande's regime, and now once more during Fashola's regime. Na wa for these EVIL longer throat Lagos Leaders o! read this link: http://www.standardbank.com/Article.aspx?id=31138164&src=m2009_31135327 and weep!

Tinubu sold the road to himself, Fashola is making sure he keeps it. I even hear that LCC now owns the whole of Lekki Peninsula, according to their contract. The agreement also PROHIBITS Lagos State government from making any untolled road available, or any competing means of transportation in or out of the peninsula except by air.

Join us tomorrow for the commencement of the fight against tyranny in Lagos State. No tolls, No fencing, No slavery.

Oil buyers would pay NNPC GMD Yar'Adua, Chief Economic Advisor Yakubu
and the First Lady Turai Yar'Adua large bribes to lift oil. Pickard
also reported an instance of the Attorney General Aondoakaa allegedly
soliciting a $20 million bribe to sign a document.

Source: wikileaks via
http://thenigerianarchive./

My assumptions are not fictional sir. These are very real costs being incurred by EVERYONE in Lagos State today. For instance, did you know that Federal Palace Hotel, as of January this year, were spending N1.1m/day on diesel alone? Or that the total diesel spend at Western House per month is about N4m

As I said before, if you have conflicting figures, put them up here for everyone to see, instead of carelessly dismissing somebody else's well-researched figures with an imperious wave of your keyboard. This is our reality today. Face it.

dappssee:

You're the one giving uninformed estimates and jumping illogical conclusions.

Even if you assume Lagos spends N900m on private power generation, isn't Lagos alone 60% of Nigeria's economy?

However, its not even the estimates that matter but the will to stop Nigerians from paying through their noses to generate power

Whoever gave Mr. President these figures did not do their homework at all.

In Lagos State alone, the spend on power is over N900 billion per month. Sounds fantastic?? I thought it did too, until someone more knowledgeable than me on the subject sat me down to analyse it:

1. Banks: There are 23 licensed banks in Nigeria, and there's an average of 120 branches per bank in Lagos State. Each of those branches spends a minimum of N650,000 per month on diesel alone. That comes to N1.65 billion/month.
The head offices of each of the 23 banks will spend a minimum of N20 million per month on their giant generators. That comes to N460,000,000 per month, bringing banks' spend to a total of just over N2b per month in Lagos State alone.

2. Petrol Stations: There are over 4000, and counting, of these in Lagos State and they cannot operate without electricity. Average spend for a PFS is about N500,000 per month on diesel alone. Total of about N2 billion.

3. Eateries: Another fast growing industry. We're looking at an average of about N1m/month. Given that there are around 2000 of these all over Lagos State, we're looking at about another N2b/m.

4. Hospitals: Private hospitals, numbering in the hundreds, from the really swish to quack hospitals, all expend huge amounts on diesel. We can pro-rate based on the conservative figure of 1000 hospitals in Lagos state, and assume a spend of about N1b/m for ALL hospitals in Lagos State

5. Industries: The industries in Apapa, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Amuwo-Odofin, Ilupeju, will each spend not less than N5m/m on diesel, with some spending as much as N20m/m. On Oba Akran Road alone, Berger and Nigerite spend not less than N5m/m each on power, talk less of all the other industries on that road.

6. Telecoms: Every single telecoms mast in Lagos State has at least two 20kva generators, running on permanent 12 hour cycles. Each site consumes about N276k/m in diesel alone. There are over 1000 cell sites in Lagos State

7. Residences: VGC has about 5,000 residents, each consuming about N200k/m in diesel alone. That comes to about N1b/m. If we extrapolate this over Ajah, Badore, Northern foreshore, Jakande, Lekki Phase I, Oniru, Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Obalende, Lagos Island, with all its tower blocks, Ikeja (residential), Surulere, Aguda, FESTAC town, and so on, plus all the I-better-pass-my-neighbor in between,

Lagos State alone spends over N100 trillion per annum. Anybody with a better figure can supply it here. These people are trying to embarrass the President with such stupid and wildly inaccurate figures, Imagine, the whole of Nigeria, N1.9 trillion, when Lagos alone is spending over 50 times that!!! Maybe their agenda is to make the thing look better than it actually is.

Mr. President, ask them to break down their figures, or better still, create a database-driven website and ask everyone to visit it to input their monthly spend on power, you'll be shocked!

Lagos State is spendi

philip0906:

@op
Not undermining what Fashola has done(atleast with d accolades he receives),I still haven't seen what Fashola has done in Lagos state.I haven't felt d impact.I only c it on T.V,newspapers or when I go 2 d Island.But as 4 d mainland,absolutely nothing.I went thru Berger,Ogba,Ikeja,Iyana-Ipaja,Egbeda,Ikotun,I did not pass thru any single motorable road

You're obviously an enemy of progress. Haven't you heard that Eko o ni baje? Don't you know where Eko is? Don't you know that Eko starts and stops on the Island? Look at this man o!!! Egbeda, Ikotun, Iyana-Ipaja, those are not Eko. You hear??

Those ones can baje, but not Eko, specifically, Marina. In fact, Marina o ni baje!!!!

yomola:

Why hasn't the press carried this? This is sick

The reason the press won't carry this is below:

http://www.saharareporters.com/component/content/article/139-sr-bloggers/5412-dirty-war-over-money-tears-punch-apart-as-editor-opens-can-of-worms-on-multi-million-naira-corruption-scandal.html
March 1, 2010.
The Chairman,
Punch Nigeria Limited,
Punch Place, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway,
Magboro, Ogun State.
Dear Sir,
RE: My Resignation – Clarifications and Petition
I would like to bring a few important issues to your notice, exactly one week after I was advised to resign my appointment as Editor of The PUNCH by the Executive Director, Publications, Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene, over, as I suspect, issues bordering on my supervision of the coverage of the political tussle between the Lagos State Government and the State’s House of Assembly.
I feel constrained to make a few clarifications, knowing that a clear injustice has been committed against my person and career through the harsh and unexpected decision to force me out of Punch. In my text message to you on the night of Sunday February 21, I had sought your understanding to be given a fair hearing, and had suggested that an Independent Panel be constituted to probe the event of Tuesday February 16 which, as I understand it, Mr. Ishiekwene used as a basis for demanding my resignation.
However, because I was unable to reach you before you travelled out, I have decided to write you a formal letter of petition and to seek your understanding in copying every member of the Board of Directors of Punch Nigeria Limited with a view to establishing that Mr. Ishiekwene’s action against me was informed largely by his alliance with the Lagos State Government as a Consultant who is strongly suspected to be on its pay-roll. Acting in a manner that he did against me suggested to me that he was duty bound to protect the interest of the Lagos State Government in the Punch titles.
It is my candid opinion, therefore, that the clarifications and the disclosures of consistent pattern of impropriety and corrupt practices by Mr. Ishiekwene that are contained in this petition may save the newspaper’s integrity from the pangs of one man who has mastered the art of using the system for his selfish, pecuniary interests.
A little background to the Lagos debacle
Please allow me to offer a quick reminder on how the Lagos State story became so controversial and perceivably problematic. It was last November that The PUNCH broke the story of how the Lagos State House of Assembly was considering impeachment moves against Governor Babatunde Fashola over a number of listed allegations. Our report was a result of independent investigation by our correspondents, backed with documents and reported in a fair and balanced manner, with all parties to the story having their views reflected.
Sir, you will recall that on Management’s instruction, a front-page note stating that we stood by our story was published at that time, after Governor Fashola made insinuations to fault our story. Up till today, the Lagos State Government has not responded to the three questions we raised in standing by our report. The best that the Government did was to argue that there was no problem between the Governor and his predecessor, Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu. None of our reports ever said there was.
The need to be fair, balanced and accurate, before and after you called a management meeting over the issue, had always guided our operation in the newsroom, especially in January when we published the two-page advertorial by the True Face of Lagos. Apart from the fact the said advert went through the usual legal scrutiny and approval, as the Editor has no role, whatsoever, in determining how adverts are approved, a news story was prepared from the advertorial upon advice by the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, with a clear instruction that all the parties mentioned in the allegation be interviewed.
With the ED Publications (Mr. Ishiekwene) being aware of that development, as I was obliged to inform him of the copy flow for each day, especially stories that would be promoted on cover of the paper, we published both the advertorial and the news story on the allegations against not just the Governor, but also against Tinubu and members of the House of Assembly. This style, as you are aware sir, is the standard practice in Punch, whereby stories are expected to be sourced from advertorials that are of news value. As Editor, I met on ground the policy that encouraged the Advert department to always draw the attention of the Editor to advertorials that are of news value. This was how we sourced cover stories from such advert publications like the listing of prominent Bank Debtors by the Central Bank of Nigeria in August and October 2009.
Initial Indication of Discomfiture
Beyond suspicion, it had come to my knowledge ever since we published the story about impeachment moves against the Governor that my boss (ED Publications) had an unusually close rapport with the Media Team of the Lagos State Government, which had often boasted subtly that “Senior Editors’ in the key papers were on its side. I must stress that each time we published a story they did not seem to like, like the story on how Lagos State Officials were changing official cars at will, which was published in October 2009 and the story about the Revocation of plots of land in Lekki Phase 1, which you asked us to do in January 2010, we had always been subtly reminded that the Lagos State Government had the ears of a particular Senior Editor in Punch. It was an open secret that the ED Publications regularly attended meetings of the media consultants to the Lagos State Government, made up of a few Senior Editors and Chairmen of Editorial Boards.
However, an obvious attempt to pander to the wishes of Lagos State Government by the ED Publications became evident at the beginning of February 2010 when he asked that I should redeploy Kemi Obasola from the Politics Desk to the Education and Science Division. He did not give any specific reason other than the need to remove her from the “Heat”. I complied.
Kemi, by the way, was the only accredited correspondent covering the House of Assembly, who had continued to cover the House even when she was initially re-deployed to the Education Desk. It was on the instruction of the ED Publications that Kemi was returned to the Politics Division again last December when the need to beef up the division became necessary. Then a few days later, the ED Publications instructed that I should suspend another correspondent on the Politics Desk, Mudiaga Affe, for missing the Joint Press Conference by Tinubu, Fashola and Chief Bisi Akande at Tinubu’s residence on February 3. In spite of the fact that no formal query was issued to Mudiaga and my explanation that the correspondent could not have known about the impromptu press conference having returned to the office at 2.30 pm (the conference held at 6pm), the ED, Publications insisted that he must go on suspension. I complied.
Obviously, those two acts, curious as they were, had sent panicky signals to the newsroom. I could not offer any plausible explanation to the Conference members – Assistant Editors – on why Obasola was redeployed and Mudiaga suspended for no just cause. The only explanation was to inform both the Politics and News desks to bring every copy on the Lagos controversy directly to me, for onward vetting by the ED Publications.
Please let me also add that our sources in the House of Assembly were reluctant to release the complete document of the committee that probed the proposed 2010 budget for the State because they feared that if the ED Publications had access to it, he would release it those he was consulting for in the Lagos State House, thereby endangering their lives. It was astounding hearing how Mr. Ishiekwene was alleged to be consulting for Lagos state.
Tuesday February the 16th
As far as the Lagos State controversy was concerned, all that we had planned to do on Tuesday February 16 for the Wednesday paper was to publish the response of Mr. Bamidele Aturu, lawyer to the journalist and activist, Richard Akinnola, who had gone to court to stop the probe of the Fashola Administration by the State House of Assembly. The decision to do this was arrived at by the ED Publications after speaking with you, I suppose, because we had published on that Tuesday the submission by Festus Keyamo, the lawyer to the House of Assembly, over why the probe should continue. The Keyamo story, I should clarify, was used after the MD/E-I-C spoke with me about it on Monday 15th in the presence of the Saturday Editor, Mr. Joseph Adeyeye, (having first called the Judiciary Editor, Tony Amokeodo, about the development) to the effect that being a story that happened in the open court and had been reported on Television on Monday afternoon, we were obliged to report it. Should there be a query as to why the copy was used, the MD told me in the presence of Mr. Adeyeye, I should feel free to say that he approved the story.
However, later on Tuesday the 16th, the News Editor drew my attention to the arrival of a story from the House of Assembly about the fact that the people behind the True Face of Lagos had, for the first time, appeared in public at the House of Assembly. The Assistant Photo Editor, Segun Bakare, also brought to me printed photographs sent from the House of Assembly with the faces of those behind the allegations. I quickly asked the News editor to inquire from the Politics Editor, Semiu Okanlawon, if his division had the story. I was told that Semiu was not on seat. I then asked Kemi Obasola if she was aware and her response was positive, because the story was also sent to her email box.
Being the correspondent who was familiar with the story of the Lagos controversy and who was still the only accredited correspondent to the House of Assembly, I asked Kemi to make all the necessary checks and anchor the story with the Political desk, with a clear instruction that since she had been redeployed to the Education Desk, her name should not appear on the story. Instead, the by-line of either of the two new correspondents on Politics desk should be put on the story, as we had done when we sourced the story of the joint press conference at Tinubu’s house from other newspapers and the media aides of the three parties concerned.
I did express preference for the name of James Azania to be put on the story being the one that I had nominated to replace Obasola at the House of Assembly. My position was informed by the fact that if his by-line had become noticeable, his accreditation to cover the House would be a lot quicker.
After the story had been re-rewritten from the copies we got from the House of Assembly and The Nation Newspaper, and additional information sourced directly by Kemi Obasola from the House of Assembly, I took the copy with James Azania’s by-line on it with the four photographs to the ED Publications for approval as usual. But he advised that because the persons that appeared for the True Face of Lagos were not the same as those who signed the advertorial and the fact that they cleared the House of Assembly of any wrongdoing suggested that they were acting out a script. I had no reason to disagree with him, although I had thought, and I did explain to him that coming out in the public for the first time would work in Punch’s advantage as it would erase any doubt that might have arisen over the identities of those behind the advertorial that we published in January. Nevertheless, we dropped both the story and photographs and I continued with production for Wednesday.
Later the ED Publications called me to his office again to find out if our correspondent was in the House and if the visit of the True Face of Lagos group was listed in the order of the day. I explained all over again to him how we sourced the story and that our inquiries from the Assembly and other newspapers showed that the visit was not listed, but that the Speaker of the House met with them at the entrance of the Assembly, the same way he had met with the people that embarked on a rally to the Assembly in January. On my way home, however, the ED Publications sent a text message for me to see him in the office. I called him back immediately to inquire why he was still in the office at that time – around 11 pm. He said he needed to clarify a few things with me over the Lagos State story and that I should ask the Politics Editor to also return to the office. It was close to midnight when I met with the ED Publications in his office where he handed over a hand-written memo to me to formally explain the source of the story that we had planned to use. He had done a similar memo to the Politics Editor who had absolutely next to nothing to do with the story. I repeated my explanation to him that the News Editor brought the story to me as was sent to us by both the House of Assembly and the Nation newspaper, and that he could see from the list of those copied in the mail that it was sent to all the newspapers. I added that I made my enquiries and Kemi Obasola also made hers to establish the authenticity of the story and after doing the story I asked that Azania’s name be put on the story for the reasons I had already stated.
Surprisingly, the ED Publications did not appear pleased, insisting that my response and that of the Politics Editor be sent to him in writing before 10 am the next day. It was already around midnight on Tuesday.
I later learnt that he had called and sent text messages to Azania, Obasola and the News Editor, Emeka Madunagu, to also state everything that they knew about the story, which was never published.
Ambush Tactics for a Reason
I had struggled within me to unravel why the ED Publications waited till late that Tuesday over a story whose source was obvious; a story that was not used and one which was published by practically all the other newspapers (with photographs) on Wednesday February 17th including This Day Newspaper which later published another set of allegations against the Lagos state government by the group Another Face of Lagos.
But having carefully considered the tone and inference of his allegations that I tried to plant a story in the paper, I sensed that it was not the independence and integrity of The PUNCH that he was concerned about, but his personal interests, both pecuniary and otherwise, in using a flimsy excuse of a story that he alleged was not properly sourced, but which was never published, to demand my exit from the company. I wish to remind you Sir, about some of the text messages that you got, one of which clearly revealed that the Newspaper houses that awarded the Man of the Year award to Governor Fashola either did so in return for N25million or got the said amount as reward for the honour bestowed on the Governor. The rumour was not unfounded Sir, and you can find out if the right investigation is carried out.
For certain other newspapers that were considered key, but which did not bestow such honours on the Governor, there was N15million largesse by way of contract to the Senior Editors, including, as I reliably learnt, Mr. Ishiekwene, who are consulting for the government. The need to watch the government’s back and either woo over or change unfriendly editors and journalists, where possible, was the charge to those senior editors. Please permit me to state, as we sometimes do in our defence of stories when government officials challenge them, that we are not obliged to supply proof beyond what has been stated or published when we are sure of our facts and sources, that knowing that my facts are correct, Mr. Ishiekwene demanded my exit because he concluded that I was not available to be used by his friends in the Lagos state government. The former Permanent Secretary and Special Adviser on Media to the Lagos state government, Mr. Segun Ayobolu, can corroborate this fact.
In any case, part of the allegations by the True Face of Lagos was the disbursement of about N183million over six months to certain editors. Sir, you may wish to know that the money that went as reward for the Man of the Year awards and consultancies for certain senior editors came from that pool. I wish to state boldly that if I had anything to hide as an editor, I would not have encouraged the publication of a story that demanded that journalists’ role, like that of state officials, also include public accountability. Nor, would I have I insisted at the Standing Committee meeting of the Nigerian Guild if Editors, of which I am the Assistant Secretary General, that the guild should make a categorical statement in its communiqué on the allegations against some of our members. I should state without equivocation that without being told, I knew that you would not have demanded anything less than fair and balance reporting considering the development over the revocation of your plot of land in Magodo GRA by Governor Fashola and the insinuations that The Punch tends to be favourably disposed to Tinubu. Those two important facts consistently guided my supervision of every news copy that affected Lagos state, and to the best of my ability, we handled everything professionally. Therefore, I would like to stress that the ED Publications chose to hide on your plea for caution, merely to protect his interests and lay ambush for an editor who had tried his best in reporting the tussle in a strictly professional way.
My boss did not accuse me of incompetence or fraud; or of fabricating the story, but of planning to plant a story in the paper; the same paper that I edit. I do not think that allegation adds up. In any case, I have never been issued a warning or a query in reporting the Lagos tussle, nor has any of our reports been found to be false or fabricated. On what basis then did the ED Publication then asked for my ouster, not just as the Editor, but from the company?
The desperation and speed with which he executed the job should show clearly that the ED Publications was not interested in either issuing a warning, if he felt so disturbed, or release a formal guideline on how the Lagos controversy should be covered, as he had done last year on how general political stories should be covered. Rather, he was only interested in going for the jugular, by presenting a wrong and incomplete account of the situation to you, for a story that was not published; but which appeared in every other newspaper the following day. It was for these reasons and other facts in my disposal that I had sought an independent probe panel of what happened on Tuesday February 16, if only to defend myself and protect my reputation.
Consistent pattern of infractions by Mr. Ishiekwene
I have chosen to merge a petition with the above clarifications with a view to establishing a consistent pattern of infractions by Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene, while he was the Editor of The PUNCH and which has continued since he became the ED Publications. Suspecting that you may not be aware of this development that is at variance with your stand against corruption, I chose to chronicle a few of those infractions in order to intimate you with the ignoble development that using his position in Punch for pecuniary interest and to fight his private battles have become somewhat of a second nature to Mr. Ishiekwene, and taking a clearly biased position in the Lagos story was a deliberate act that was in sync with his previous, albeit surreptitious, unprofessional conducts.
I should establish from the beginning that what we sought to do with the Lagos story, in my opinion, was consistent with The PUNCH’s fearless foray into investigative journalism. One example was how in June 2009 we broke the story of impending doom that might befall many Nigerian banks. As you may recall sir, the story was very controversial, with insinuations that other banks were using us to destroy the so-called mega banks. But less than two months after the publication, the Central Bank of Nigeria confirmed our story with the removal of top five bank CEOs, with astounding allegations of fraud. The said story, I should inform you sir, won the story of the year for the stories published in all the PUNCH titles in 2009, with the authors of the story – Ayo Olesin and Yemi Kolapo – being given cash reward by Management. Business correspondents that could have been sanctioned for rocking the boat ended up being celebrated for a courageous act of journalism brought to their attention directly by myself as the editor.
Power Probe report and Rockson Engineering
Another example, if you indulge me sir, was our series on the report of the Power Probe report by the House of Representatives. As you may recall, we exclusively got the report in August 2008 when the ED Publications was on vacation in the United States. We were the only newspaper that got the report and after your discussion on the telephone with the MD/E-in-C, we started publishing extracts from the report.
One of the companies prominently mentioned in the report as having won huge contracts buy had done nothing was Rockson Engineering, whose chairman is Chief Arumeni Johnson. I wish to state categorically that Mr. Ishiekwene is a consultant to Chief Johnson and has never hidden his determination to protect Rockson engineering’s interest in Punch.
Immediately after we started publishing the excerpts from the power probe, the ED Publications mounted an intense pressure on me from the US, calling me on the phone repeatedly to know who approved the publication of the report, how we got it and what determined the aspects of the report we decided to publish and why it should be promoted on cover. Apparently, the explanation that the instruction came directly from the Chairman served as some deterrent. But I did not miss the sign of desperation in him to have the impact reduced for Rockson Engineering. As soon as he returned from his vacation, he called a meeting of newspaper editors for a parley with Chief Johnson at Sheraton hotel in Lagos. I was reliably informed that Mr. Ishiekwene was the one who personally distributed money to the guests, ostensibly to have them protect Rockson’s interest in their papers. He needed not invite any editor from Punch, ostensibly, as he was there to protect the interest of his clients himself.
Rockson again
Beyond his partisan interest in how Rockson Engineering is reported in The PUNCH, Mr. Ishiekwene would later in October (when we had relocated to Magboro) again demonstrated his unprofessional interest in Rockson Engineering when he requested that I should remove Chief Johnson’s name and that of Prof. Pat Utomi (who was the Chairman at his book launch) from the cover of the paper among those prominent debtors whose names were released by the CBN. I had explained to him after calling me repeatedly that it would be unethical to do so, because not only were the two names mentioned but also because the debt being owed by Rockson ranked among the biggest and should naturally put him among those whose photographs would appear on cover. The ED Publications insisted that both men were friends of the house whose interests should be protected.
Chief Arumeni Johnson and Arik’s special interests
If there was any evidence of how Mr. Ishiekwene had used PUNCH to enrich himself and fight personal battles, it would be in how he had doggedly fought the cause of Arik Air, sometimes at the expense of Punch Nigeria Limited. I shall begin by stating the obvious that Chief Johnson is the Chairman of both Rockson and Arik Air. Mr. Ishiekwene and a friend of his who is also a senior editor in another newspaper, are both consultants to the business interests of Chief Johnson through their company, A&L. The ‘A’ in that company stands for Azubuike. It should be easy to trace the owners of the company through the Corporate Affairs Commission. In any case, an investigation of all the adverts placed by A&L in PUNCH should reveal the level of conflicting interests, double standards and unethical conduct involving the ED Publications as a result of his involvement with Arik Air as a consultant.
I list a few of such infractions below:
1) Running an advert agency
A&L which is jointly owned by Mr. Ishiekwene has been functioning as an agency for a while on all Arik adverts published in Punch. All commissions of course go directly to Mr. Ishiekwene. Knowing PUNCH’s position on advert placements and commissions by staff members, this conduct in my opinion constitute a clash of interest.
Similarly, I would also implore you to request an audit of all the adverts brought to Punch in 2006 by A&L. You will discover that all the adverts from the Ministry if Education on the reforms of Unity Schools were paid in by the Editor’s advert agency, A&L, with all the commission going to his pockets and that of his partner. The adverts came as a reward for his consultancy for Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, who was then the Minister of Education. The former Advert Manager, Grace, was the officer used in placing all the adverts.
2) Using PUNCH’s office and time for Arik
The last advert campaign in November/December 2009 for Arik’s direct flight to the United States was largely executed in the ED Publications’ old office in Magboro. The choice of newspaper houses, placements, commissions etc were decided in his office, sometimes affecting his attention and concentration to PUNCH’s official duties. Evidently, what should have been done by A&L was brought to Punch premises.
3) Illegally reserving surcharge pages for Arik adverts
For the same last campaign by Arik, Mr. Ishiekwene gave a standing instruction to the Advert Department to give Arik adverts access to Page 5, which is a colour and surcharge page, without Arik ever having to pay surcharge rates. It should be noted that surcharge pages could be released for use by the advert department only when the colour pages must have been exhausted. In that case, the advert manager would have to write the editor to release an early page for advertorial use, and the editor must sign the memo if he agrees that the early page, which is usually a news page, be released for adverts purposes. In such situation, the advertiser would not have to pay surcharge rate.
However, in the case of Arik, the intention was to put the adverts on early pages whenever page 5 was free without paying surcharge rates. This was discovered in December when the Executive Director, Corporate Services requested for an early page for Mr. Jaiye Aboderin’s remembrance advert. I was in the Pre-Press hall with the ED Corporate Services (Mrs. Shalewa Aderemi) and Deputy Manager, Prepress (Mrs. Lizzy Diolulu) when the Advert Manager (Mrs. Fatima Obagaye) informed me on the phone that Page 5 had gone to Arik. I demanded to know if Arik had paid surcharge rate but was informed that it had not because the instruction came from the ED, Publications.
We then agreed to move the Arik advert off page 5 in order to accommodate Jaiye’s advert. Yet, Arik was still published on page 11, an early news page because the advert department did not want to offend ED, Publications’ instruction to keep Arik on early pages at all costs, even though they were not paying special rates for it.
At least on three other occasions when I inquired from either the Advert Manager or her executives if Arik had paid the surcharge rate any time I saw the advert on Page 5, I was always calmly reminded that they were acting on instruction.
I may not know if A&L would have collected a surcharge rate from Arik Air and was only using its leverage in PUNCH to pay the standard rate, but what is clear is that over time, Mr. Ishiekwene has fraudulently put Arik adverts in early pages without corresponding payments, thereby denying the company its due payment, at the same time denying the paper sufficient news pages.
I urge you sir to order that a comprehensive audit of the advert placements by Arik Air between November 2009 and January 2010 be carried out immediately with a view to determining how the company has been cheated and the complicity of Mr. Ishiekwene, through A&L agency, in all these.
4) Why Mr. Gbemiga Ogunleye left Arik
Another dimension to Mr. Ishiekwene’s unethical romance with Arik Air was how a former Editor of The Punch, Mr. Gbemiga Ogunleye, (who was Mr. Ishiekwene’s predecessor as the editor) was frustrated out of Arik as its Head, Media Relations. In 2008 when Arik purchased one of its brand new aircraft in France, part of the arrangement for publicity drawn up by Mr. Ogunleye was to take aviation correspondents to France to witness the historic event. But Mr. Ishiekwene would have none of that, as the media consultant to the Chairman of Arik, and as a Board member designate of the airline, as I am reliably informed, he overruled Mr. Ogunleye, instructing instead that a select group of editors, and not aviation correspondents, should go on the trip, would fly business class and would be paid $5,000 allowance each for the three-day trip. Mr. Ishiekwene personally selected the team of editors, with himself alone from Punch and personally handed over the allowance to them. Of course he left a clear instruction for me that the photograph from the assignment in France should be used on cover, because, in his view, Arik was a major advertiser and a friend of the house. Needless to say that Mr. Ogunleye, who was not even selected to be part of the team that went to France, resigned his appointment immediately. If you are favourably disposed to finding out the truth about Mr. Ishiekwene’s involvement in Arik Air’s affairs at the expense of Punch Nigeria limited, and how he is now directly in charge of organising and coordinating events for Arik, I urge you to speak with Mr. Gbemiga Ogunleye.
5) Dr. Wale Babalakin’s connection
For yet a fuller account of the infractions committed by Mr. Ishiekwene while using Punch to fight Arik’s battles, I will also urge you to speak with the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Limited, who is an old boy of the Government College, Ibadan (GCI) like your good self. Dr. Babalakin, I am aware, has a “dossier” on how Mr. Ishiekwene has used the PUNCH titles to fight Arik’s war with Bi-Courtney over the concessioning of the old domestic terminal. There were many instances when the ED Publications came to me to push Arik’s position and agenda on the tussle. There were several other times when he bypassed me and directly called the aviation reporter and the Business Editor, often harassing and threatening them and goading them to be sympathetic to Arik in their reporting.
However, matters got to a head sometimes in November when Dr. Babalakin called the ED Publications on phone to register his displeasure over the way he was using Punch to fight Arik’s battle. I know this for a fact because Mr. Ishiekwene later called me to his office, looking obviously ruffled, to inform me to take a good look at the stories that the aviation correspondent would file on the Bi-Courtney-Arik tussle over GAT in Lagos, as, according to him, Babalakin had just called to speak to him rudely.
Again, I urge you to speak with Dr. Babalakin on how Mr. Ishiekwene abused his position as the Director of Publications to force The Punch to take sides in a private matter because of his indebtedness as a consultant and Board Member designate to Arik Air.
A catalogue of greedy acquisitions
To strengthen my assertion that Mr. Ishiekwene has always used his position, either as Editor or Director, to seek pecuniary benefits while pretending to be morally upright, I would like to list a few of the corrupt entanglements that clearly showed that Mr. Ishiekwene deliberately compromised his position.
1) Consistent lodgement of money from clients
Right from when he was the Editor up till now, a good number of correspondents in the house stations, especially in Abuja, have Mr. Ishiekwene’s bank accounts through which they lodged money for him on a consistent basis. It is no secret to many people that his back page column on Tuesdays are always offered for a lumpy fee and all sorts of assistance to people in government and in the private sector. I urge you to invite for questioning two people in the Abuja office – Ifeanyi Onuba, one of our Business correspondents and Austin Okunbor, the clerk in the Abuja office, who have consistently paid in money into Mr. Ishiekwene’s accounts. They can offer useful information on the sources of the lodgements and may even provide bank slips with which the lodgements have been done over time.
I dare say that it was an open secret in Abuja in those days of Mr. Ishiekwene as the Editor that not only did many of the senior correspondents have his bank accounts for consistent lodgements, the Bureau Chief was practically obliged to inform dignitaries in the Nation’s Capital anytime he was in town as the Editor, and would usually buy about 10 yards of different fabrics for Mr. Ishiekwene as gifts from the bureau. That was a consistent practice for the entire period he spent as the Editor of the daily Punch.
2) A quarterly dedicated account with IBPlc
Immediately after the consolidation era in the banking sector in 2005, Mr. Ishiekwene as the Editor became a PR consultant to one of the big banks – Intercontinental Bank Plc with a mandate to be giving the bank favourable and consistent mentions. His reward for that service was a quarterly lodgement of N1m (One million naira) into an account that was opened for him in IBPlc, which would later be transferred to his other accounts. The quarterly lodgements from IBPlc continued till the middle of 2006, a few months to his promotion as the Controller Publications, when the new Head of Corporate Affairs department of the bank stopped the corrupt lodgements with the explanation that since Mr. Ishiekwene was already the sole beneficiary of the commission on every advert placed in Punch by IBPlc, it was a monumental waste to the bank to continue to pay Mr. Ishiekwene as the Editor N4million a year just to watch the bank’s back. It was an open secret that part of the major problem that he had with the former Business editor, Chijama Ogbu, was his (Ogbu’s) reluctance to cooperate with Mr. Ishiekwene to milk the banks.
3) Curses and dramatic encounter with Tafa Balogun
One of Mr. Ishiekwene’s biggest financial mentors while he was the editor was the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun. Through ASP Lakanu, IGP Balogun funded practically everything for Mr. Ishiekwene, including overseas vacation with his family, part of which he would have collected a refund from Punch as a senior manager.
However, after IGP Balogun’s travails with the EFCC and The Punch, like every other paper, consistently published the story of his fall from grace, it is an open secret that Balogun spoke badly about Mr. Ishiekwene, expressing amazement openly if “Azu was no longer in Punch”! He must have been shocked that the man on who he spent millions of naira could also dedicate his back page column to accuse him of corruption.
Yet, Balogun was not the only top police officer with whom Mr. Ishiekwene had a pecuniary alliance. Former Lagos state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Young Arabamen, was also his financial ally. Apart from the fact that he consistently assisted Mr. Ishiekwene financially, he was the one who supplied most of the gift items that were given to guests at the burial ceremony of Mr. Ishiekwene’s mother in Delta in 2003. I was there and saw it, because Arabamen took the glory for his action by branding all the gift items he supplied. But Arabamen was not the only one involved in the ‘unholy alliance’ during the said burial ceremony. Mr. Ishiekwene, as the Editor, printed a personal letterhead through which he wrote and solicited funds from governors, politicians, bankers and people of questionable wealth, including former Governor James Ibori of Delta State, who out of respect for his office obliged him.
Being reliably informed that the gate of Mr. Ishiekwene’s residence is bullet-proof, I have often wondered if the fact that the series of unholy alliance with people of questionable means was responsible for Mr. Ishiekwene’s choice of expensive security apparatus at home.
4) And there was Ayo Fayose
Mr. Ishiekwene’s romance with politicians of doubtful characters is as legendary as his false moral crusade on anti-corruption. But his short romance with former governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state had a twist of drama akin to that of Tafa Balogun. Fayose had never hid the fact that he gave Mr. Ishiekwene a cash gift of N1million in February 2005 when he celebrated his 40th birthday at his former residence in Omole estate and that Mr. Ishiekwene was a beneficiary of several contracts from his administration. However, their relationship went sour immediately Fayose was impeached and Mr. Ishiekwene lambasted him in one of his columns. Being loquacious, Fayose has said it to the hearing of many people that Mr. Ishiekwene was an ingrate and a false defender of the ethics of journalism.
5) Brand new Chevrolet as a gift
In December 2007, Mr. Ishiekwene got a parting gift from the outgoing Comptroller General of Customs, Joseph Gyan, for being a good ally that gave him positive coverage in the media. The black car is one of the several in the garage of Mr. Ishiekwene who had openly described himself as a car freak. I should know because I was in the ED, Publications’ house on Friday February 19 for a surprise 45th birthday party organised for him by his wife. Being one of the last set to leave his house that Friday, oblivious of the desperation to force me out of Punch, I was there when a former staff of The Punch, Funso Aina, made a jocular remark that Mr. Ishiekwene’s house was more of an auto mart.
Sundry abuse of office, etc
I thought I should not end this petition without detailing a couple of abuse of office and actions that qualify as ethical misconduct on the part of Mr. Ishiekwene, which, when verified, would reveal a deep-rooted disposition to using the system for personal gains on the one hand and refusing to own up when his decision was either wrong or did not go down well with you sir.
1) Yusuf Alli and the problematic headline of 2007
Sometimes in late 2007 when Alhaji Yussuf Ali was still the editor, you were displeased with the lead headline about Obasanjo approving the transfer of Bakassi that was credited to the National Assembly. You had justifiably queried the choice of the headline because it was at variance with the import of the story. What you did not know sir, was the fact that the problematic headline, which as I understand it, ultimately contributed to the removal of Alhaji Alli as the editor was cast by Mr. Ishiekwene, who had demanded from Alli as the editor that he must see the news pages before they were submitted. I knew about that development as a Member of the Editorial Board then and like every other member of the Board had detected the error. But we heard reliably on the Board that not only was the headline cast by the ED Publications but that he also begged the Editor to protect him by not disclosing to you that he (Alli) did not cast the problematic headline.
If that error was used against Alhaji Alli, as many suspected it must have, then it must have been an unconscionable direct boss to the editor that would have been there with you sir, murderously silent when a subordinate was being punished for an error he did not commit. I can make an easy guess that Alhaji Ali would be willing to testify on that problematic headline as indeed the catalogue of infractions and corrupt practices perpetrated by Mr. Ishiekwene as the Editor and ED Publications, if he is invited.
2) Yomi Odunuga’s exit in 2006
Unknown to you sir, a central figure somewhat connected to the allegations of bribery against Yomi Odunuga and a few staff members in 2006 was Mr. Ishiekwene as the Editor. All the senior correspondents that faced the panel in Lagos knew one thing or the other about Mr. Ishiekwene’s penchant for corrupt enrichment. On the day that the correspondents and Assistant Editors involved were being interrogated, Mr. Ishiekwene sent a text messages to a couple of them to shield him. The affected correspondents obliged him and chose to go down alone.
3) A spurious letter to the American embassy
In the summer of 2008, Mr. Ishiekwene deliberately bypassed procedure by issuing two different sets of letters on Punch’s letterhead for two correspondents, Yemi Kolapo and Kemi Obasola, to assist them secure a referral letter from the Public Affairs Section of the American consulate and ultimately to obtain American visas. While it might not count for much that both the office of the Editor and the Admin department were bypassed in issuing the letters, Mr. Ishiekwene lied to the American consulate and nearly brought the company into disrepute by stating in the letter that Kemi Obasola was a correspondent covering politics, and that she was being sponsored by Punch Nigeria Limited to attend a course and would conduct interviews with known American politicians. None of those was true; so much so that when the officers of the Public Affairs Section of the consulate called me on phone as the Editor to inquire if I was aware of the letter from the office of the ED publications and if indeed the ladies were covering politics, I had to take a painful decision to protect the image of the company by not revealing the truth.
Mr. Ishiekwene knew that although Yemi Kolapo was going on vacation and had applied for a short course in the US in order to renew her visa, Kemi Obasola was only accompanying her on the trip for the funeral party of Yemi Kolapo’s mother who had passed on in April.
I know this to be true because the two ladies had earlier approached me on the real reason why they were going to the US and I had said it would be ethically wrong for me to approve a trip for an Obasola who on Chairman’s advice had then been redeployed from Politics Division to the Education and Science division (that was the first time she would be redeployed before the Lagos story controversy) and that it would be better if she could take a week’s leave from her next annual leave since the trip was a private affair.
Conclusion
I hope you would understand that in being this painstaking, all I have tried to do is to present, on the one hand, my own side of the story on how the events of Tuesday February 16 constituted a flagrant use of ambush tactics and injustice against me by the ED Publications. And on the other hand, I have used this petition to show that with a long record of corrupt enrichment and double standard as well as an obvious clash of interest, Mr. Ishiekwene does not appear to have the moral justification to stand in judgement against me in a case in which he, obviously, is the one who has an abiding interest.
I have tried to stay within the facts of the matter as much as possible and where possible suggested names of those who could be contacted for verification, or indeed be invited for interrogation, being convinced that for the values of fairness and justice that the PUNCH Managements holds dear, it would only be proper to investigate the allegations raised in this petition.
Although they are germane and could be helpful in establishing the true nature of Mr. Ishiekwene, I did not include other well-known allegations of how former Lagos State governor, supplied the cement for the building of his first house in Alagbado area of Lagos or how Alhaji Aliko Dangote, former governor Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom state and Chief Arumemi Johnson were key financiers of his new home in Magodo. Nor did I include the part of security scare at the airport when Mr. Ishiekwene as the Editor went to receive bags of money sent to him from the National Assembly in Abuja, preparatory to the burial of his mother; or the open secret that he ha already acquired a printing press in Lagos; or even the fact that in spite of his crusade against Michael Aondoakaa, Mr. Ishiekwene had at least once received bribe in dollars from the former Attorney General of the Federation through one of Aondoakaa’s contacts.
All I seek is to offer my own side of the story on the Lagos state controversy, in which I have no special interest whatsoever and had never expressed an opinion through my back page column. While I hope that you would consider it welcoming that a probe of all the issues raised be carried out, I shall leave to the judgement of yourself and the good members of the Board to determine if the heavily tainted profile of Mr. Ishiekwene, on the Lagos issues and other matters, fits into the ideals that PUNCH would accept as being representative of good ethics, professionalism, justice and accountability.
Thank You.
Sincerely,
Steve Ayorinde
CC: Dr. Lekan Are
Ms. Lola Ibi-Aboderin
Mr. Wale Aboderin
Mrs. Angela Emuwa
Mr. Seye Aboderin
Mr. Ademola Osinubi
Mrs. Shalewa Aderemi
Mrs. Olubunmi Oluoch
http://ireports-ng.com/2010/03/04/dirty-war-over-money-tears-punch-apartas-editor-opens-can-of-worms-on-multi-million-corruption-scandals/

Isn't it interesting that 49 lawyers have taken a case to court, yet we do not know the name of ANY of them This is just a stunt by Obasanjo's detractors.

He has already sent a reply to the media on the Halliburton issue, and the detractors kept quiet. It's good they went to court sha. By the time their frivolous action is sent to the dustbin, they would at least have made some money from their sponsor, a certain gap-toothed General who thinks it's his birthright to rule Nigeria, despite his blatant disregard for the people of this country, at least from the point of June 12 and Dele Giwa.

It would not be a problem if there were not such a massive amount of over-invoicing going on. In fact, the Fashola regime is defined by it. The LASAA issue is the tip of the iceberg. The grossly inflated flower planting contracts, the Deux Projects contracts at the LASUTH complex, which landed Tunji Olowolafe in EFCC's clutches for about a week, are just on the surface. Scratch a little deeper, and you will unearth a can of worms.

Fashola has been touting the amount of money his government has been raising monthly from taxes since he assumed office. He recently boasted that they now raise about N14b IGR per month. This is commendable. However, for the last three years his government has also announced budgets in excess of N400b per annum.

If one adds the Federal Allocation accruable to the state at around N4b per month, that adds up to about N48b federal allocation plus around N168b IGR to give us a figure of about N216b per annum approximately. This means we've had a budget deficit of over N180b per annum, year on year, over the last 3 years.

My question is, how is that deficit being financed. I think we'll find the answer in a number of syndicated loans, offshore and onshore, as well as dubious bond issues on the money markets.

In my estimation, Lagos State is probably indebted right now to the tune of about N1 trillion, due largely to the massive debt carried over from the Tinubu regime, yet, Eko O ni Baje!