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Candidates from all political parties contesting in the July 16 Osun State Governorship election have signed a peace accord.

This is coming barely three days to the gubernatorial election.

The Convener of the National Peace Committee, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, said violence is a fundamental threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

He, however, charged the aspirants and politicians to see the signing of the peace accord as a symbolic commitment to democracy adding that Nigeria desperately needs a peaceful environment.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu appealed to all political parties, candidates and other actors to play their part in supporting the Peace Accord. It is not enough to simply sign the Peace Accord.

He said, “What is more important is to abide by its letter and spirit.

This is the best way to show your commitment to the implementation of the Peace Accord and your appreciation of the work of the Peace Committee.

In the same vein, the DIG Johnson Babatunde who represented Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, also appealed to political actors to play by the rule of the game.

He further charged parents to warn their wards not to allow themselves be used as thugs by politicians.


"We will not rest until the vote buyers and sellers are taken off our streets. Security is our collective responsibility, ” he said.

In his words, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, said “Power belongs to the people, you can only try your best. We appeal to all our political actors to follow the rules of the game as we look forward to a peaceful election come this Saturday 16th July 2022.”

The Arole Oduduwa & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, on Tuesday pledged that traditional rulers across Osun State are prepared and ready to assist the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with neutrality to achieve a credible Gubernatorial election in the state on July 16th 2022.

Ooni Ogunwusi who is the permanent Chairman of the Osun State council of Obas gave the assurance during a special meeting with the INEC Chairman, Mahmud Yakubu and traditional rulers across the state at his Ile Oodua Palace of Ife.

Addressing the gathering, Ooni Ogunwusi explained that the traditional institution remains critical in nation building as the closest to the people, adding that the electoral commission has a lot to gain from its association with the monarchs.

"We the traditional rulers share a similar feature with your commission which is independence and neutrality. We are not politicians and that is why we have the control of all our subjects including politicians regardless of their parties.

"I must commend the INEC for their daily introduction of technology into our electoral lives, which has made rigging almost impossible. To cap it all, we now have an electoral act ammendment which complements the advancement of our leadership selection process.

"Look at the one called BVAS, the introduction of that singular device has turned around the fortune of our dear country. With the BVAS, result of the Ekiti State Gubernatorial election was declared in less than 24 hours which has never happened in the history of our dear country.

"Luckily for Nigeria and Nigerians, we have an INEC Chairman who is patriotic and well in character. My advice for the commission and its leadership is to make Nigeria their biggest project." - The Ooni stated.

Earlier in his address, the INEC boss lauded the Ooni-led Osun State Council of traditional rulers, for their roles in peacekeeping and creation of enabling environment for the conduct of elections.

Prof. Yakubu said, "We are aware that you have done a lot, I was here in 2018 during the last governorship election in Osun and I can see clearly that the atmosphere is calm, serene, quiet and I am absolutely cleared in my mind that you have done a lot to give us what we are seeing."

"We are appealing to Your Royal Highnesses to talk to the political gladiators; the politicians and their supporters to play by the rules of the game as there can never be a credible election in an atmosphere of rancor.

"Politicians and their followers must give peace a chance for the election to be conducted and concluded promptly during the remaining days of the campaign and after the election.

"We have put all measures in place to ensure that Osun people will be allowed to decide who their next governor will be. We did it in Ekiti and we are prepared to achieve more successes in the July 16 Osun guber poll.

The Orangun of Ile Ila, Oba Wahab Adedotun, Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Rasheed Olabomi, Orangun of Oke Ila, Oba Abolarin Aroyinkeye and other Osun monarchs paid host to the INEC boss while the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Ganiyu Raji led staff members of the commission at the state level to the strategic engagement.

I want new tanker, not national honour, says man who saved Delta community from fire disaster


Ejiro Otarigho, a driver who drove a burning fuel tanker away from a community in Delta state, says he needs a new vehicle.

Otarigho, had last week, drove his tanker which caught fire at a residential area to a river bank.

His action and bravery earned him commendations from Nigerians, including the senate which has resolved to honour him.


The upper legislative chamber had also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to to confer Otarigho with a “befitting national honour as he may deem fit for his extraordinary act of bravery, courage and skill that prevented the loss of human lives and property on a massive scale”.

Speaking in an interview with The Punch, Otarigho said the thought of hundreds of lives and property engulfing in flames as a result of the tanker fire gave him the spunk to drive the truck to a location where there will be no disaster.

The 46-year-old who started the risky job of tanker driving about 12 years ago, said though he had received a commendation from the Delta state government, he would prefer to have his tanker replaced rather than get a national honour.

“I have received calls from them (Delta state government) but I am not interested in any national honour of any sort right now,” he said.

“I know God has brought me to a good place where my story is now being told. All I want is a replacement for my burnt tanker so I can go back to my job.

“I have just been at home and truck driving was the only way I fed. It has not been easy for me since I lost my tanker.”

Asked if he would like to get a new job and abandon the dangerous business of tanker driving, he said, “of course, I will. It is a risky job”.

“Imagine if I had died that day, nothing would have been said of me. If the government has something better for me, I will do it without looking back. All I want is to be able to take care of myself and my family legitimately,” he said

Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, a staunch loyalist of presidential aspirant Bola Tinubu, has initiated a vast corruption probe of interior minister Rauf Aregbesola at the House of Representatives.

Mr Gbajabiamila presided over the plenary on Wednesday where it was decided that Mr Aregbesola and prisons chief Haliru Nababa should be probed for mismanaging up to N165 billion in funds earmarked for prisons development across the country.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance by Ndudi Elumelu, the minority leader of the House on the floor of the House on Wednesday in Abuja. In his argument, Mr Elumelu criticised the welfare of the workforce


“The House is disturbed that despite this Act and increase in budgetary allocations to the Nigerian Correctional Service to drive its renewed mandate, the tempo and quality of the Service have remained the same if not retrogressing,” Mr Elumelu said. “The House is worried that the working conditions of Staff and inmates’ welfare have deteriorated notwithstanding the over N165 billion budget allocations to the Service in the last two years.”

The legislators resolved to have its committee on Reformatory Institutions investigate the allegations and report to the House within 12 weeks for further legislative action.

The move comes as Messrs Aregbesola and Tinubu are slugging it out publicly over the power tussle in Osun state. On Monday, Mr Aregbesola was at a political rally where Mr Tinubu was severely derided, including being mocked over the viral video that many said amounted to public urination on his body.

Mr Aregbesola has been locked in a fierce political fray with his former chief of staff and successor, Gboyega Oyetola, accusing him and Mr Tinubu of conniving to destroy his legacy in Osun. Messrs Tinubu and Oyetola are believed to be of the same family, with Mr Oyetola often describing himself as a younger brother to Mr Tinubu.

Peoples Gazette has reached Mr Gbajabiamila’s office to find out whether or not the probe has connection to the ongoing rift between Messrs Tinubu and Aregbesola

ALMOST 10 months in the saddle as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa-led anti-graft agency has not arraigned any politically exposed persons and other Very Important Persons for money laundering and embezzlement of public funds.

While the commission has been going after suspected cyber scammers and other petty criminals, it has yet to take those facing allegations of stealing billions of naira of public funds to court.

Bawa was appointed by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in February after his predecessor, Ibrahim Magu, was removed for alleged corruption.

The appointment of the 40-year-old from Kebbi State was believed to have been influenced by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, who also hailed from the state.

Investigations by our correspondent indicate that since assuring office, the EFCC under Bawa has been fixated with cyber scammers popularly known as Yahoo boys, with operatives storming hotels at odd hours on raids.

For instance, in July, the commission arrested 30 suspects during a raid on a hotel in the Lekki area of Lagos State.

The operatives were alleged to have gained entry into the occupants’ rooms by seizing the master cards from the hotel management at gunpoint.

About 24 occupants were said to have been arraigned for cyber scam after the raid.

In the early hours of September 14, the commission also raided three hotels in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and arrested 56 lodgers.

In the last 10 months, over 50 suspects arrested for cyber scam in various cities have been prosecuted or were facing trial.

While this is commendable, checks show that the anti-graft commission has not exerted the same energy in bringing VIPs, who pocketed billions of naira, to justice.

The arraignment of a former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, failed to hold at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on November 22, following a letter from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, calling for the review if the case.

Oduah, who currently represents Anambra North Senatorial District at the National Assembly, and eight others, were to be arraigned by the EFCC on alleged N5bn fraud.

The defence counsel, Oguh Onoja, told Justice Inyang Ekwo that there was a letter from the AGF to the EFCC for the review of the matter, but that the anti-graft agency had refused to return the case file as requested by Malami

Also, on October 16, a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, was interrogated over alleged non-remittance of N10bn pensions fund.

The Peoples Democratic Party chieftain reportedly turned himself in at the EFCC headquarters, after previously snubbing several invitations from the commission.

On October 24, the agency detained for a few days a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, in connection with the allegations against the former aviation minister, Stella Oduah.

On July 28, the EFCC quizzed and detained a former Nasarawa State governor, Tanko Al-Makura and his wife, Mairo, for misappropriation of billions of naira while in office.

Three days later, it questioned a former president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, over alleged misappropriation of public funds and money laundering.

Similarly, a former governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, was on November 12 invited and quizzed for three days for allegedly diverting N1.6bn public funds.

None of these suspects have been arraigned in court.

Meanwhile, the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa said the EFCC did not have an effective strategy to combat money laundering.

The financial intelligence agency established by the Economic Community of West Africa States in its 2021 Mutual Evaluation Report, stated that the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, has a presence in only nine out of the 36 states in the country with 60 permanent and 43 ad hoc personnel.

It said, “SCUML is yet to implement a comprehensive risk-based framework for the supervision of all DNFBPs (Designated Non-Financial Business and Professions) currently registered with it.

“The number of entities registered with SCUML (more than 72,000) and the high but unknown number of unregistered DNFBPs impedes its ability to conduct effective monitoring for AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism) purposes. SCUML does not have an effective strategy to deal with this challenge.”

The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached for comment as calls to his phone rang out. He had yet to respond to an SMS seeking his comments on the failure of the commission to arraign prominent Nigerians.