₦airaland Forum

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday returned to Abuja after a two - day visit to Lagos State where he inaugurated some projects and also attended the 10th Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu ’ s Colloquium .

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that on his return , Buhari went straight to the National Mosque Abuja where he performed the 2 - Raka’ at Juma ’ at prayer.

The President also witnessed the wedding Fatiha of Hamza Ahmed and Hadiza Jika which was performed immediately after the prayer session at the mosque.

The Senate President , Dr . Bukola Saraki, Governors of Nasarawa and Bauchi States , Alhaji Tanko Almakura and Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar respectively were among the dignitaries that witnessed the event .

Other personalities at the wedding were the National Security Adviser to the President , retired Maj - Gen . Babagana Mongonu , cabinet ministers and former National Chairman of the PDP, Ahmodu Ali .

NAN reports that the groom , Hamza Ahmed , is a younger brother to Aisha Buhari , the president wife .

by Chinedu Asadu



Ibrahim Mantu, a former deputy senate president, has confessed that he helped his party — the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — rig elections in the past.

Mantu said this when he was being interviewed by Maupe Ogun-Yusuf of Channels Television.

He said he helped the party rig the elections by bribing officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as security agents.

The presenter had asked him to confirm his earlier comments hinting that he helped rig elections, to which he replied: “Let me tell you one thing, yes I did. I am now confessing the truth.”

“What do I need? I don’t have to go and change election… but you know, when you provide money; you give money to INEC boys to help you, if they see any chance, that they should favour you. You (also) provide money to the security.

Mantu’s confession comes some months after he said he “is now a born again”.

He served as deputy senate president between 1999 and 2007.


Esther Ogun-Yusuf
@MaupeO
Senator Mantu tells me very frankl he helped rig elections @CTVHard He says he's now a 'born again' politician. Watch tonite at 8.30pm
12:02 PM - Mar 30, 2018
507 821 people are talking about

Russia expelled diplomats from 23 countries Friday in a wave of retaliatory measures against the West in a spy row , the biggest wave of tit - for - tat expulsions in recent memory.

The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that it had summoned the heads of missions from 23 countries earlier to tell them that some of their diplomats had to leave the country.

Germany and Poland each said that Russia was expelling four of their diplomats . Among the other countries that had similarly been told to pull their envoys were the Netherlands , Sweden , the Czech Republic , Finland and Lithuania .

The moves are in retaliation to a coordinated expulsion of Russian diplomats by Britain and its allies over a nerve agent attack against former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal in the English city of Salisbury on March 4 .

“ This is certainly not a surprise , ” Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said through a spokeswoman , referring to Moscow ’ s expulsion of two of the country’ s diplomats .

Blok called upon Russia to cooperate with the ongoing investigation into the attack by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The Russian foreign ministry also gave Britain a month to cut its number of diplomatic staff in Russia to the same number as Russia has in Britain .

In Britain, the government remained adamant that Russia was in the wrong .

“ This doesn ’ t change the facts of the matter: the attempted assassination of two people on British soil, for which there is no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian State was culpable , ” a spokeswoman for the Britain ’ s Foreign Office said , calling the latest developments “regrettable . ”

“ Russia is in flagrant breach of international law and the Chemical Weapons Convention and actions by countries around the world have demonstrated the depth of international concern , ” she said .

On Thursday , Moscow had announced that it would expel 60 US diplomats and close the US consulate in Saint Petersburg after the expulsion of its own diplomats and the closure of one of its US consulates .

In all, more than 150 Russian diplomats have been ordered out of the US , EU members , NATO countries and other nations which are accusing Russia of being involved in the Skripal poisoning.

The diplomats had earlier been seen arriving at the Russian foreign ministry in flagged official cars.

The ministry had said in a terse statement that they would be “ handed protest notes and told about the Russian side ’ s retaliatory measures. ”

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow would respond with “ tit - for- tat ” measures, but they might “ not only ” be symmetrical .

The Kremlin insisted on Friday that Russia that had not started the diplomatic war with the West.

“ Russia did not unleash any diplomatic war , ” President Vladimir Putin ’ s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said . “ Russia never initiated any exchange of sanctions. ”


– ‘ Get out of here ’ –

On the streets in Saint Petersburg, passersby said they welcomed the decision to shut down the US consulate in the city.

“ This is great news , ” said Viktor Glushko, 60 .
“ It is about time . Relations will not get worse because they were never good and we will get by without them. ”

Another man shouted : “ Get out of here!” as he passed by the US consulate where staff were seen loading plastic sacks into vehicles Friday.

In Washington , the State Department said Thursday there was no justification for the Russian move and that the United States “reserves the right to respond ” .

“ It’ s clear from the list provided to us that the Russian Federation is not interested in a dialogue on issues that matter to our two countries , ” spokeswoman Heather Nauert said of the expelled diplomats .

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Russia ’ s expulsion of US diplomats marks a “ further deterioration ” in relations.

Following the escape of six suspects from custody early this morning, the Inspector -General of Police , Ibrahim Idris , has ordered the immediate removal of Kogi State Commissioner of Police , Ali Janga .

He also redeployed the Commander , Federal Special Anti - Robbery Squad in the state , the Divisional Police Officer ‘ A’ Division, Lokoja and other police officers implicated in the escape for negligence , dereliction of duty and gross misconduct .

The IG in a statement by the police spokesman , Jimoh Moshood, explained that the policemen are all facing serious disciplinary action.


Details later .

by Femi Owolabi



Bola Tinubu, a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says President Muhammadu Buhari has saved the ruling party from “serious legal turmoil”.

Describing the extension of the tenure of the national working committee (NWC) of the party led by John Oyegun as illegal, Tinubu commended Buhari.

At the national executive committee meeting of the ruling party on Tuesday, Buhari kicked against Oyegun’s tenure elongation.

Tinubu said by Buhari’s action, eligible people seeking to contest various positions in the party had been given the opportunity to do so.

“The President declared that any such moves would contravene both the national and party constitutions,” he said in a statement.

“While it would have been easy to allow the ill-conceived motion of 27 February to stand, President Buhari showed principle and courage by steering the party back to its original and correct path.

“His action has saved the party from serious legal turmoil… such a predicament would constitute an unnecessary and mortal blow to the party and its role in promoting progressive governance to Nigeria.

“Moreover, President Buhari has affirmed for all to see that our party is one based on the rule of law coupled with a firm adherence to internal democracy.”

Tinubu hailed Buhari for choosing to cherish democracy and legality. He said Buhari’s action will also serve to strengthen the party by allowing party members, including present incumbents, to seek to contribute to the party by vying for executive offices as they see fit.

The APC leader had been calling for the removal of Oyegun.

Posted By: Robert Egbe



[quote]One Rev. Moses Emonena has been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly obtaining N11, 750, 000.00 from his daughter’s suitor under the pretext of giving him her hand in marriage.

The police alleged that Emonena, a cleric of the Assembly of God Church in Warri, Delta State, married his daughter to another man after receiving the payment from the complainant, Samuel Oladele Fatai.

Emonena, 55, is standing trial on a two-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence before Chief Magistrate Folashade Botoku.

Prosecuting counsel, Henry Obiazi, a Superintendent of Police, said the offence contravenes Sections 411 and 314(3) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015 and punishable under same.

Obiazi alleged that Emonena committed the offence between November 2016 and March 2017 at Egbeda, a Lagos suburb.

He said Fatai reported to the police that he approached Emonena for permission to marry his daughter, but the Reverend father gave him several costly conditions to fulfill before he could grant him his request.

The complainant said he was shocked that after fulfilling all the conditions amounting to N11,750,000.00, Emonena married out his daughter to another man.

Emonena pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Chief Magistrate Botoku granted him bail in the sum of N1million with two sureties in like sum.

She remanded the defendant in prison pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions and adjourned till April 27.

lalasticlala

A pregnant woman, Lauratu Abdullahi , 30 , has asked a Sharia Court at Magajin Gari in Kaduna State to dissolve her marriage because her husband has not been performing his sexual duties to her .

Lauratu also told the court that her husband, Yahya Tanko , was always assaulting her and was also not providing for her .

The mother of five told the court on Monday that Tanko had starved her of sex and food since the past four months .

“I want the court to dissolve our marriage because my husband does not love and care for me anymore. He beats me when he pleases , ’’ she told the court.

However , Tanko denied the allegations, saying that he still loved Lauratu , pointing out that the woman was carrying a four - month pregnancy .

“ I want to inform the court that my wife is four months pregnant; so her claim of being sexually starved is incorrect, ” said Tanko.

The Judge , Malam Musa Sa ’ ad , asked Lauratu if she was pregnant and the self -confessed sex- starved wife said she was , noting, however, that the romance that resulted to the pregnancy lasted for only one month.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the case has been adjourned until April 3 for the two parties to present their guardians and witnesses .
( NAN )

lalasticlala

Invasion by monkeys from natural habitat is forcing many residents of Soluyi/Sosanya  Community  in Gbagada, Lagos State, to flee.

Some of the residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that they could no longer withstand the situation.

They called on the state government to save the community from the trouble, saying that the animals forced their ways into their rooms, destroying window and door nets, food stuffs and other items.

The Chairman of the community’s Landlord Association, Mr Adigun Olaleye, said that it had become difficult for the community to curtail the monkeys and their destructive attitude.

He said that the invasion might have resulted from the nearness of the community to a swamp forest that separated the community from Ifako area.

According to him, the monkeys come into residences at any time including early morning and gain entrance into rooms even if the houses are locked.

Olalaye told NAN that the community had written a letter to the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture as regards the situation but had yet to get a relief.

“They said we would have to pay for them to come and pack the monkeys,” he said.

He said that the invasion had been on for years but recently became unbearable.

Olaleye  appealed to the state government to urgently intervene.

Narrating her ordeal,  a journalist who lives in the community, Mrs Funmilola  Gboteku, told NAN that the monkeys had forced her family to flee.

“Many times, these monkeys come to the neighbourhood to destroy our property. Once they see food items inside a house, they direct all their energies at gaining entrance forcefully.

“The monkeys are in the habit of tearing the protective nets on

windows to gain entrance and eat whatever they find in the house.

“I have had to replace the protective nets several times;  I am tired of doing it.

“I have been locking my windows but locking of windows has disadvantages; there is no cross ventilation in the house, and as a

result, we suffer heat,’’ she told NAN.

Another resident, Mr Gabriel Omopariwa, said that he was tired of the destructive attitude of the monkeys and had tried to look for ways to stop them, to no avail.

“On several occasions, these monkeys have destroyed our kitchen nets to gain entrance and steal food items.

“Several traps have been set to capture and kill these demonic animals to no avail.

“One of my neighbours, while trying to pour chemical on a monkey, fell in the bowl of the chemical; she had to be rushed to a hospital.

“She still lives with the scars from the unfortunate incident,”  he said.

Mr Joshua Folowosele, a landlord, said that the monkeys entered his wife’s shop on many occasions to eat gala, biscuits and other foods.

“We have tried to poison them on many occasions, but those monkeys are too smart; once they perceive the smell of the food, they usually detect it has been poisoned.

“Some of them have been killed with guns, but we cannot keep shooting in a residential area; it is very risky.

“Those of us who are landlords can testify that these monkeys have been disturbing us for years.

“One of the landlords here had to sell his house to move to another place when he got tired of the disturbance,” Folowosele said.

Another landlord, Mr Oluwatosin Aregbesola, told NAN that his tenants were no longer feeling safe in the house because of the monkeys.

“The monkeys enter kitchens to eat our soups and any food stuff on the shelf.

“The day I tried to catch one of them, the monkey attacked me by using its long nails to punch a hole on my neck and scratch my face,” he said.

Aregbesola appealed to the state government to save the community from the menace.

lalasticlala

A five - year - marriage is on the brink of collapse as Mrs . Musilimat Olasuyi told an Igando Customary Court in Lagos that her husband , Oluwagbemiga , permitted another man to sleep with her in their matrimonial home .

The 48 - year - old trader told the court on Monday that the man made love to her in her matrimonial home with her husband’ s approval .

“ It was not my fault .

“ I did not voluntarily submit myself but the man in question charmed me to make love to me with my husband’ s agreement all because of his selfish ambition , ” she said .

The petitioner said that her husband threw her belongings out of her matrimonial home during her absence during which the money she kept (over N 800 , 000 ) kept inside her different boxes were stolen .

“ I went to the hospital to take care of my daughter from my first marriage , who suffered from a gas explosion.

“ There, I was told that my husband came with some boys to our matrimonial home to pack all my belongings outside .

“ After some days ; I came home and I discovered that all my boxes and bags had been ransacked ; some were missing and my money was stolen.

“ My jewellery valued at N 250 , 000 and the N 250 , 000 was given to me by my son- in - law to start the construction works on his landed property close to us were missing .

“ Also , N100,000 for my customer ’ s cassava (garri) , N 250 , 000 being our mosque’ s money kept in my custody and N 30, 000 my trading money got missing . ’’

Musilimat submitted a written petition to the court seeking redress and judicial actions against her husband .

The estranged wife wanted to know if it was proper for her husband to throw her property out without an order from the court.

She also demanded to know if her husband would not be liable for the cost of her lost money and property.

The petitioner was also requesting the court to know if her husband should not pay for the inconvenience as she and the only child of the marriage are homeless .

She pleaded with the court to dissolve the union saying that she no longer loves her husband.

However , the petitioner ’ s husband, Oluwagbemiga , accused his wife of infidelity.

“ My wife does not have respect for her marriage vow, she makes love to her concubine on our matrimonial bed . ”

The 55 - year - old sand supplier also said that his wife was fetish .

“ My wife is diabolical , she comes home with different charms and objects; she gave me a soap on nine consecutive times to bath with. ”

According to him , he had given his wife a three- month quit notice to vacate his house but she refused .

“ I gave her a quit notice to leave my house ; she told me to do my worse that she was going nowhere.

“ So , I do not have any other option than to pack her things out from my house , ” he said .

The respondent consented to the dissolution of marriage , saying the love between the two of them had long faded .

Responding to Musilimat’ s petition , the court ’ s president , Mr. Akin Akinniyi , said that it was wrong in a valid marriage for a husband to pack out his wife ’ s belongings from their matrimonial home .

“ It is legally wrong for a man to throw out his wife ’ s property.

“ The respondent should have requested for the return of the dowry he paid on the wife from the wife ’ s parents.

“ Better still , he should have sought the dissolution of the marriage at the court of law before such an action could take place.

“ The husband should have rented another apartment for the petitioner and the child since he does not want her again .

“ He should have moved her belongings there for safe custody , before the petitioner ’ s return .

“ The husband will be responsible for any cost of missing valuables and the wife is entitled to compensation, ’’ he said .

Akinniyi urged the estranged couple to maintain peace and adjourned the case until April 26 for judgment .

lalasticlala

By Ayodele Johnson


A boy who failed to pass university entrance examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has committed suicide to ease pain.

The deceased reportedly gave in to pressures from his mum who had earlier given him an order to pass his papers but unfortunately he could not.

This motivated him to resort to taking rat poison having failed on another try.

A Facebook user, Klariza Ruby Ochei, shared the story in a post published on Friday, March 23, 2018.

"Gather around guys! My mom told me a true like story yesterday that pierce my bone.

"Her friend's son wrote jamb the first time, he did well but wasn't given admission. He wrote the next year and he wasn't given admission as well.

"He didn't give up, he wrote last Year and performed woefully, and his parents were angry with him.

"And his mom told him if he write again this year and doesn't do well, he shouldn't come back home. Because she has wasted a lot of money on him alone.

"The boy took jamb this year and unfortunately, his result was unpleasing. His parents were not at home. He told his friends(his neighbor) that he didn't do well. He told them what his mother told him.
This boy went into the house locked himself, wrote a letter to his mom that his mom has never gone through his note even when he attended tutorial.

"She is so busy with work and he took rat poison and died. And this boy is the only child of his mother.

"Please I beg of you parents never put fear in a child when it comes to academics.

"Even if he performed woefully he can learn a vocational trade and be successful. There are a lot of children who don't do well in classroom but in the room of vocational skills they are unbeatable.

"Besides there is always a room for change, You want your child to go far than you've gone then you shouldn't do it a Scarry way.

"Believe me I am a teenager too and I tell you parents IT'S NOT EASY!! If it's easy why didn't you get to that stage you want your child to be now during your own time??

"The funniest part is some parents don't have Time for their children. To go through their children books is like a big task. Then how would you know if his failure has been telling on him long before now??

"Please let's always encourage our children.. let's give them the support we can let's show them love n care as parents. No child is dull.

"It's either faults are from the parents or teachers. Parents spend quality time with your children I beg you," writes Ochei.

lalasticlala

Papiikush:
Can a 14 year old version) be given admission in Nigeria?

LilSmith55:
He no too sabi English

By Hamza Idris, Muideen Olaniyi (Abuja), Andrew Agbese (Kaduna), Yusha’u A. Ibrahim (Kano), Abdullateef


The All Progressive Congress’ caucus and National Executive Council meetings coming up on Monday and Tuesday will consider setting up a national caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party in an attempt to appease the Bola Ahmed Tinubu clan in the party.

Findings by the Daily Trust on Sunday shows that the party leader, Tinubu has been unhappy with the tenure elongation of the Chief John Odie-Oyegun-led EXCO and has as a result gone cold on his reconciliation drive in the party.

It would be recalled that in on February 6, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari charged a Tinubu-led committee with the task of reconciling aggrieved party members, a task the party leader took very seriously and swung immediately into action.

However, Tinubu’s peace voyage seems to have hit the wall on February 27, 2018, the day the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) took what many saw as a “divisive decision” to extend the tenure of party executives, whose current term of office should have ended on June 30 this year, across all levels.

Tinubu and the party chairman, Oyegun have been at loggerheads for a while and entrusting the reconcillliation committee by the president was seen as a crucial blow to Oyegun’s chances of holding on to the reins of the party and an indication that the pendulum was swinging in the direction of Tinubu.

But since the unprecedented move of February 27, which swung the pendulum firmly in Oyegun’s direction, TInubu has remained silent and activities of his committee have ground to a halt.

However, the noise from Tinubu’s camp has been that of discontent over the tenure elongation.

“What Asiwaju is saying is that things should be done rightly, I mean constitutionally,” Tinubu’s Media Aide, Mr Tunde Rahman told our correspondent.

He said that Tinubu’s grouse with Oyegun’s executive is not a personal thing.

“Personally, I have looked at the APC constitution and I did not see where it granted elongation of tenure in whatever form to executive committees of parties. Even the 1999 Constitution as amended speaks about what is right with respect to the periodic tenure of party executives. That is in Section 223,” he said.

But in spite of this, he said his principal has gone far on his reconciliation drive.

“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has gone very far about the reconciliation task. That much I can tell you right away. He is even putting together an interim report for submission to President Muhammadu Buhari. I can also tell you, however, that I have heard him say to journalists who asked him how far he had gone about the reconciliation work that he would only give the progress report on his assignment to President Buhari who appointed him.

And I think we can only be fair to him if we grant him that indulgence. The president asked him to lead the consultation, reconciliation and confidence-building efforts in the party and he would render account to the president,” he said.

Credible sources in the party told Daily Trust on Sunday that the issue of caretaker committee will be raised at the caucus and NEC meetings, with a view to reversing the one year tenure extension given to Oyegun.

This, it was also learnt, was all in an effort to placate Tinubu.

However, facts have continued to emerge that Tinubu, might have backed out of the onerous task in protest over the tenure elongation.

“For now Tinubu has literally backed out of the APC reconciliation because he feels betrayed by the very people who gave him the task,” a source close to the politics playing out in the APC said.

“Let me put it this way: Tinubu has sent a strong signal to President Buhari that he will not continue with the reconciliation move provided the tenure extension stands; it has pre-empted whatever effort he would make. The grievance of some people is that Oyegun should go and the powers that be said Oyegun must stay; so Tinubu is frustrated,” he said.

It was gathered that Tinubu, who had been the lone member of the reconciliation committee, had completed his preliminary contacts ahead of announcing names of those he would work with but had to rescind after the tenure elongation.

“You are right if you say the committee is dead for now because Tinubu is the only member till date and from all indications, he might not go ahead with recruiting anyone unless the party, or rather the presidency intervenes by going back to the drawing board,” another source said.

It was not possible to speak with some leaders of the party at the national level because many declined.

“It is a moral issue, we were all part of the extension thing and it would be wrong to give personal opinion on the matter,” one of them said.

He, however, referred Daily Trust on Sunday to the APC constitution, saying, “The APC National Executive Committee (NEC) relied on Article 13.3 (ii) of the party’s constitution which states that the NEC can discharge the functions of the convention in a period of emergency.”

According to him, “Article 13.3 (ii) of APC Constitution specifically states that the NEC of the party is empowered to: “Discharge all functions of the National Conventions as constituted in between Conventions.”

These explanations have not convinced one Mr Okere Nnamdi, who had asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dissolve the Oyegun-led NWC of the party.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/219/2018, he asked the court to compel INEC to reject, cease to recognise and to stop dealing or having any official communications with the Oyegun-led NWC of the APC, effective from June 1, 2018.
He also asked the court to compel Oyegun and others to vacate their offices from June 1.

Nnamdi joined the party’s NWC, INEC, the state working committees, local government area executive committees and ward executive committees of the party as defendants.

A source, who supports the tenure extension for the APC leaders, alleged that those who instituted the case did so at the instance of Tinubu and some governors who want to remove Oyegun.

“It is now a war by proxy in the APC. Those against the extension were the very people who mobilized resources for their stooges to go to court. They have planted their people in many states,” he said.

The allegation could not be substantiated by this paper, but one of the states that clearly condemned the tenure extension is Zamfara. It was reported that Governor Abdulaziz Yari did not support the tenure extension during the APC NEC meeting.

And at a press briefing recently, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Zamfara State, Alhaji Sani Gwamna Mayanchi, said they were part of the case instituted against Oyegun and others.

He said fresh elections must hold at the expiration of the NWC’s tenure by June 30, adding that the election would add fresh impetus to the party as new crop of leaders would come in to steer its affairs.

Sources within the APC said some governors preferred Oyegun to take the party to the next general elections, saying they succeeded in convincing President Buhari to agree, a reason adduced for the extension of tenure.

He said on the other hand, Tinubu and some other governors wanted fresh personalities to take over the mantle of leadership as soon as their tenure expires on June 30.

But despite this, a source said the unusual silence of Tinubu and sudden cessation of his reconciliation trips has been given party leaders causes for concern.

This development, the source added, was part of the reasons for likely meetings by the NEC and NWC of the party this week. And one of the solutions on the table, as Daily Trust has gathered, is replacing the Oyegun-led NEC pending the resolution of the matter.

“Asiwaju is not supporting the continuation of Oyegun-led NWC. He prefers a caretaker committee. The issue will be discussed at the coming emergency caucus and NEC meetings,” the source also said.

The tenure extension for Oyegun may be the last straw that broke the camel’s back in the misunderstanding between Tinubu and Oyegun.

Since 2016, the relationship between Oyegun and Tinubu has been everything but cordial. The crisis festered and blew open during the November 2016 governorship election in Ondo State where Tinubu’s preferred candidate, Olusegun Abraham was said to have been “technically knocked out” in favour of the elected governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, allegedly with the connivance with Oyegun.

In September 2016, Tinubu had asked Oyegun to quit as the party chairman. The latter never heeded the call prompting Tinubu to repeat the call on February 22, 2018 but Oyegun was adamant.

Tinubu’s camp is restive over the tenure elongation as Oyegun is seen as working against the interest of the national leader.

More shocking was the fact that in Lagos State for instance, the party chairman in the state, Chief Henry Ajomale was one of the chairmen who signed the communiqué endorsing Oyegun.

Many members of APC have frowned at the decision of Ajomale to endorse the tenure elongation from Oyegun and have equally dissociated from the decision. They claim Ajomale should have been able to read between the lines to know the position of Asiwaju on the matter.

The Lagos APC has refrained from commenting on the issue. Repeated calls and several text messages to the state chairman were not responded to.

But Ajomale had told an online medium on arrival from Abuja after the endorsement of Oyegun for another one year that he was helpless on the matter.

“Even if you oppose it, you have 37 chairmen and one person objecting to it doesn’t make any difference. And it was done at the NEC meeting anyway, the governors and everybody were there and I was not the one who proposed it.

“Everybody supported it, so it’s not a question of one person. How can one person have a different opinion among the majority?

“It’s democracy. Once you have majority who are stronger without you and at the NEC meeting, only four people objected, the others supported it, so I couldn’t have…. Out of about 152 people only four people objected to it, so how did that four make a difference?,” he asked.

But many stakeholders of the party in Lagos have taken up Ajomale over the endorsement.

The Lagos Central Senatorial Chairman of the party, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi, had addressed journalists after a stakeholders’ meeting held at the state house, Marina, Lagos, to dissociate the Lagos chapter of the party from the tenure elongation of Oyegun.

He said, “Article 17 of the party’s constitution also provides for four-year tenure for its national and state executives, which is renewable for another four years,” he said.

Checks by Daily Trust on Sunday revealed that the controversy is raging especially in states where Tinubu has followers and loyalists.

A chieftain of the party in Lagos who spoke on the undercurrents revealed that the crisis is between those he called the ‘federal boys’ and the ‘Asiwaju boys.’

According to him, “The feeling among the Asiwaju boys is that the federal boys are trying to take Lagos State from the control of Asiwaju.”
Though he refused to name the so-called federal boys, the source said, “Unfortunately for them, they don’t have the number.”

“With crises in many APC states especially in the south-west where Tinubu hails from, the chances of APC retaining its dominance of the geopolitical zone may be blighted,” he said.

“What is happening is like an anti-climax and it has left the party even more divided and polarized. The president needs to wade in if he is serious about reconciliation,” he said.

The governors in Ogun, Oyo and Ondo were said to have aligned with Oyegun with a view to clip the wing of Asiwaju in determining who gets what in 2019.

What Tinubu did before he backed out
Tinubu’s first reconciliation move was his Valentine’s Day visit to the APC NWC members led by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

The APC national leader, whose visit to the party national secretariat was the first since the inauguration of President Buhari-led administration, said the assignment given to him included confidence building and resolution of conflicts in various states and at national level.

“I sympathize with us and we should equally look at ourselves. Since we won the election, the expectations were very high and the good will was extremely high.

But where are we today?
“The solution is to seek opinion and advice on the various complexities around some states or if there is any national one, to reconcile, move the party in a cohesive manner and reposition if any and build the confidence among ourselves,” he said.

Oyegun on his part said the NWC would give the needed assistance to the Tinubu committee.
“There is no question at all that we have major issues with the National Assembly, major issues in Kano, Kogi, Benue states which the current challenge that we are facing,” he said.

Within a few days, Tinubu had also met separately with Senate President, Bukola Saraki and former governors Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano). He also met Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and other chieftains of the party in Sokoto State.


What is left to do

In Ogun and Oyo where the governors are on the last legs of their tenure, the battle for the souls of the states has been very fierce. For instance in Ogun, Senator Olamilekan Adeola representing Lagos Central in the National Assembly is a frontline aspirant but he is not in the good books of the out-going governor, Ibikunle Amosun, who is fighting tooth and nail to install a successor.

“With this kind of scenario, how will Senator Adeola, a loyalist of Asiwaju to the core, survive the onslaught against his aspiration,” the APC chieftain asked.

In Ondo State, findings show that there are more than three camps of APC. Since last year, the state chairman of the party, Isaac Kekemeke has been suspended with Ade Adetimehin appointed as acting chairman believed to be in the governor’s camp. Kekemeke on his part belongs to Senator Ajayi Borrofice’s camp. Borrofice is also believed to be close to Tinubu.

The Director of Media and Publicity, Ondo APC, Mr Steve Otaloro in a chat with Daily Trust, said Tinubu’s reconciliatory mission is welcome in Ondo, but quickly added that there is nothing to reconcile.

“If there is anyone to reconcile it is Senator Borrofice”, he said, adding that Ondo APC unanimously endorsed Oyegun’s tenure extension.

In Kogi, nothing has been done by the Tinubu committee in terms of reconciling the aggrieved parties within the APC in the state.

Sources said that the actions of some stakeholders in the state, working in collaboration with the national chairman of the APC seem to be sabotaging genuine reconciliation moves.

Particularly, the emergence of a parallel EXCO said to be loyal to Governor Yahaya Bello despite the belief that Tinubu’s reconciliation committee is the wrong signal as far as the resolution of the lingering impasse is concerned.

Various groups within the APC in Kaduna State have waited for Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his team in vain.

There are no less than three blocs within the Kaduna APC, with one, loyal to the state governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the other known as APC Akida, led by Tom Maiyashi which has people like Senator Shehu Sani and Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, and the Restoration Group which has people like Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi and Tijjani Ramalan.

One of the leaders of the CPC component that fused into the APC, Alhaji Yunusa Saeed even resigned from the APC about two weeks ago out of frustration saying the party is confused as it does not even acknowledge the presence of his group in the bid towards reconciliation adding that there’s no need for him and his supporters to wait for the Tinubu committee to come to Kaduna.

Spokesman of the APC Akida group, Murtala Abubakar confirmed to our correspondent that the Tinubu committee has not shown any sign that is either doing or intends to do anything about Kaduna.

“They’ve not come here; it is only the Segun Oni committee that was set up by the NWC that was here.

“But after extending the tenure of the EXCOs, there’s hardly much the committee can do anymore,” he said.

Our correspondent observed that the secretariat of the party on Ali Akilu Road, which is the one recognized by the national secretariat of the party and has the backing of the governor, has been upbeat with activities ahead of the local government elections.

But the other groups are having serious meetings towards taking concrete steps that would put them at advantage ahead of the elections, our correspondent learnt.

In Kano, apart from the recent allegation by the Kano State Commissioner for Community and Rural Development, Alhaji Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso, that the former Governor of the state, Dr Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso had rejected the Tinubu-led committee’s invitation, nothing has been heard about the committee.

According to the commissioner, Kwankwaso deliberately shunned the committee that invited him to Kano for a meeting during the wedding of the daughter of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

He said, “The reconciliation committee has invited senator Kwankwaso to come to Kano on that very day for a reconciliation meeting slated to hold shortly after the wedding fatiha but he refused to come,” the commissioner alleged.

However, Kwankwaso’s political associate, Dr Yunusa Adamu Dangwani disputed the allegation, saying there was no iota of truth in the claim.

Dagwani, who served as chief of staff under Kwankwaso’s administration, said Iliyasu Kwankwaso had said so many things about his boss, which later turned to be untrue.

He said, “Kwankwaso has never been invited by the Tinubu committee for reconciliation meeting in Kano. After all, Iliyasu Kwankwaso is not in the position to disclose this information because he is not a member of the committee and he is not Senator Tinubu’s spokesperson,” he said.

With so many pieces of the APC to pick up and patch together, this may just be another case of Humpty Dumpty, which this disgruntled kings man may eventually not be able to piece together in time for the 2019 elections.

lalasticlala

By Kemi Busari



Some Nigerian federal lawmakers are demanding bribes as conditions for passing the 2018 budgets of federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), some heads of these agencies have told PREMIUM TIMES.

The officials say the unceasing demand for gratification is responsible for the reluctance of a number of heads of MDAs to honour invitations by Senate and House of Representatives committees to defend their budgets.

Four officials of notable MDAs, who spoke to this newspaper in separate interviews alleged that the senators and members of the House are desperate and bent on shaking them down because ”the 2018 budget is the last they would consider before the next general elections”.

“Many of them need money for re-election and they see this budget approval process as a way of finding the resources to prosecute their forthcoming elections,” the director-general of one agency said.

The Senate had in February issued a one-week ultimatum to MDAs, who were yet to submit details of their proposed spending to appear before the various committees to defend their budgets.

The lawmakers accused ministers and heads of MDAs of ill-preparedness to attend scheduled meetings, ignoring invitations and sometimes not providing relevant information needed by the lawmakers to carry out their jobs of scrutinising the proposals.

However, three weeks after the ultimatum was issued, majority of the MDAs are yet to comply, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

In fact, the situation got so bad that President Muhammadu Buhari had to issue a directive to the heads of agencies ordering them to avail the National Assembly of their budget details as well as attend budget defence sessions.

The head of a key agency, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES but does not want his name mentioned for fear of victimisation, said: “I can confirm to you that National Assembly members are brazenly harassing MDAs for bribes, using budget process and oversight.

“They have become very desperate this time. They ask pointedly and try to make life difficult for those who don’t play ball by summoning them endless times, asking irrelevant questions, asking for unrelated documents.

“I think they are desperately looking for money for election. I think they have also seen that they could do all these and get away with it, as the executive is not really pushing on anti-corruption against them.

“Until this year, we have managed to manage ourselves. They did not ask for money directly and we did not give.

Occasionally, they asked that we employ someone or some people or give contract to some companies. For those pointed demands, we would explain why we could not meet their demands and they understood.

“I had no doubt that some MDAs were even giving them money without their asking. I wanted us to be seen as one of the agencies that don’t give and hoped that they would let us be.

“But this year is different. They have become more direct and more brazen. Their new practice is to ask the chief executive to wait behind and go see their chair or their deputy chair. And they pointedly ask, what are you giving us?
“If they sense you are not playing ball, they do everything to frustrate you, ask you questions and not allow you to answer, ask you to come back over and over.”

He said fear of victimisation was not allowing most of the agencies affected to cry out for help.

“I am sure other heads of agencies are going through the same but I don’t know who will talk on or off the record. As I said earlier, they are desperately looking for money for primaries and elections, and they have seen that the executive is not really bothered about bringing them to order.”

Another chief executive of an agency spoke along the same line, saying his experience with the lawmakers has been ‘frustrating’.

“These guys (the lawmakers) are not even afraid anymore,” he said. “They keep demanding cash and asking us to insert projects in our budgets for them. I can’t definitely satisfy their needs because I don’t want to go to jail because of some frustrated greedy lot.

“With all the millions they collect every month, they are still not contented.”
The MDAs had earlier been defended by Ben Akabueze, director-general of the Budget Office of the Federation, who said in a statement that the budget was submitted with every details the lawmakers need to do their work.

He said the budget proposal included details of all federal MDAs based on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) templates suggesting that the scrutiny by lawmakers ”should be an easy task”.
Despite Mr. Akabueze’s intervention, the MDAs are still going through a tough time with the committees.

Another head of MDA, who spoke about his experience wants the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to intervene.

“Your paper will help us a great deal if it can help us alert the EFCC of what we are going through,” he said.

Yet another MDA official said, “Demanding bribes is something that has been endemic over a long period of time. This thing started since (year) 2000, the first budget.

“All these other things they used to get in the past, under this government they can’t get those things. The MDAs are also afraid because the president is very serious. Any MDA that does nonsense and is discovered you know…

“Even in a public hearing at the House of Reps. They intimidated a man. A lot of these members of the various committee, both senate and Reps, wanted bribe but the man refused to oblige them. It’s just intimidation. MDAs are afraid and these people (Senate and Reps committees) are not relenting.

“All these things that they said they didn’t do, MDAs have done these things. A lot of them have gone there to defend. They are just dragging this thing because they want to get extra. Election is coming that is why.

“The MDAs are in a dire state. They will not flout the directive of the president and these people are just insisting. A lot of them are not coming back to the National Assembly. They want to make as much money as they can make and those that feel they can come back, they need money in buying people, either delegates or voters.”

With the cat and mouse relationship between the heads of the agencies and the lawmakers, the fate of the N8.6 trillion budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2017 hangs in the balance, it appears.

Also, the wish of the executive to resort to the January-December calendar year budget seems unachievable.

In a belated move to salvage the situation, President Buhari last week ordered ministers and heads of MDAs to appear before the National Assembly to defend their proposed 2018 budget estimates.

The order was given at the end of a meeting the president had with the leadership of the National Assembly led by Senate President Bukola Saraki.


Denial

Meanwhile, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Sonny Ogbuoji (Ebonyi-PDP), denied the allegations levelled against his colleagues.

“It’s a big lie,” he said. “The president has directed them to submit to the committees. If they submit and the committee does not receive it, they should blow it open. This should not be a secret. It’s a big lie. Such things (bribery) should not be entertained.”

Mr. Ogbuoji had on February 28 called the attention of the senate to the refusal of MDAs to either submit details of their 2018 budget proposal or their amendments as requested by Senate committees.

He said the allegation was an ‘escape route’ concocted by the MDAs to cover up.
“People are looking for escape route for their ineptitude. If they say they are demanding bribe, its human beings that are demanding the bribes. They should say the person’s name. There should be no cover up. Nobody should entertain such story.

“If it is me, they should call my name. Hiding it is like virus. If you cover virus, it will never die but the moment you expose it to the atmosphere, it will die. They should say which committee is demanding it. Let them not just say and give a wrong impression.”

lalasticlala

By Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja


The acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Dr Shettima Bukar Abba, has said federal character principles were not required in the appointment of service chiefs by the president, adding that security issues cannot necessary be influenced by issues of federal character.

Bukar Abba who spoke thursday in Abuja during a national stakeholders’ seminar with the theme, ‘Prospecting and Monitoring Strategic Processes in Nationalised Spread of Staff in MDAs, stated that Nigerians were not fair in their harsh criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari over his appointment of service chiefs and other security chiefs.

“Security issues are not issues of federal character; they are issues of federal character at the recruitment level. For example, if a Major General goes to war and dies and he is from Borno (State), does that mean a Major General from Borno State should replace him? These are security issues and they go through certain processes and promotion’’, the commission’s acting chairman stated.

‘’If you subject them to federal character at the top level, you are creating mediocrity in security issues. Nigerians are unfair criticising the president on (security appointments). It is just like the justice (judicial system). To appoint a judge you don’t jump one particular level to another, unless you want to retire all of them.”

Bukar Abba confirmed that in recent time, there had been widespread unanswered national questions of inequalities, perceived marginalization, lop sidedness in political appointments and fear of domination by one ethnic group over another and one state over another, calling for a national rebirth which necessitated this kind of sensitization seminar.

He continued, “It was on this note that he stated that the Federal Character Commission in pursuant of its statutory mandate of observing and enforcing federal character principle, equity and fairness in recruitments, distribution of posts, socio-economic amenities and infrastructural facilities deemed it necessary for all our critical stakeholders to come together with a view to finding amicable solution that is in line with the constitutional provision as enshrined in section 14 (3) and (4)”.

Stating that the seminar was organised to sensitise government agencies across the federation on the need to adhere strictly to federal character principles, Bukar Abba said violation of the principles would attract criminal prosecution.

He, however, expressed satisfaction with the adherence to the principles by the federal government, saying that from the commission’s records and personnel statistics received and analysed by the management Information Unit from January 2016 to 2018, the commission recorded an appreciable adherence to the application of the commission’s guidelines and formulae for political appointees and bureaucratic positions by this administration.

He added that all states were being represented in all forms of appointment as demonstrated by the distribution.

Also speaking at the seminar, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Federal Character for and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator Tijjani Kaura, canvassed the need to ensure justice in the country through the adherence to federal character principles.

Represented by Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, Kaura, who doubled as the chairman of the occasion, called for strong sanctions against government agencies that violate the principles in the country.

MhizzAJ:
I don pass that level jare
Those ones still day local league

I work for my money with my brains not my body

By Muritala Ayinla 



President Muhammadu Buhari would lead several distinguished Nigerians to chair the 10th Bola Tinubu Colloquium to commemorate the 66th birthday of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a statement signed by Secretary to the Lagos state government, Mr Tunji Bello, this year’s event themed “Investing in People” would hold at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos with a view to bringing together stakeholders including policy makers, academics and members of the civil society groups.

Bello said that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode would be the chief host as the event would also provide a talk shop for attendees to tell unique Nigerian story of what it meant for the government to act as a social investor in the affairs of its people.

He said: “When stretched further, the Colloquium would ascertain whether the quest for the government to act as a social investor can be regarded as campaign slogan or a mere ideology with no incremental/socio-economic benefits.

The gathering would also debate whether such decision by government should be regarded as a necessary policy action which the nation must embrace if she must witness any real development.”

Clement Adeyi, Osogbo


The Osun State Police Command has arraigned a 38-year-old man, Odesola Odedokun, for allegedly attempting to kill his daughter, Mary Odedokun, for money ritual.

The suspect was docked at Osogbo Magistrate Court alongside two other accused persons on a four -count charge bordering on attempted murder, unlawful possession of charms and fraud allegation levelled against them.

The two other accused were Isaac Ajao, 40, and Kazeem Ibrahim, 42.

Police prosecutor, Inspector Mustapha Tajudeen, told the court that the accused and others that were still at large committed the offence on March 7, 2018 at about 07:30hrs at Iron community.

He explained that Odedokun, the father of the victim and two other suspects conspired to kill one Mary Odedokun with the intention of using her for money ritual.

He added that the third accused person, Kazeem Ibrahim, fraudulently obtained the sum of N34,000 from one Mr Isaac Ajao under the guise of using it for money doubling ritual.

The prosecutor said the offence was contrary to Sections 320, 418 and punishable under Section 419 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Volume 11.Laws of Osun State 2002.

The three accused persons pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

Defence Counsel, Remigus Ugwu, applied for the bail of the accused in the most liberal terms.

Ugwu assured the court that reliable sureties were ready to stand for them. He said they would not jump bail if granted.

In her ruling, Magistrate Fatimoh Sodamade, granted the three accused persons bail in the sum of N500,000 with one surety each in like sum.

She said each surety must be a Grade level 15 civil servant and must be resident within the court jurisdiction and produce evidence of three year tax payments.

Sodamade added that the sureties must provide three passports sized photographs attached with an affidavit.

He added that their addresses must also be verified by the police in charge of the case.
She then adjourned the case till April 30 for hearing.

lalasticlala

Posted By: Precious Igbonwelundu



Truck drivers on bridges around Apapa area of Lagos were on Monday forced to make U-turn after the Nigerian Navy commenced enforcement of the quit order.

The military and state government had last Wednesday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to truck drivers to vacate all bridges in the state, citing security and safety concerns.

Although some of the drivers immediately adhered to the directive and relocated to other roads and inner streets, others dismissed the directive, claiming they had nowhere to go.

Among those who refused to obey the directive were tanker and articulated truck drivers on Wharf Road, Marine Beach and Mile Two Bridge, who claimed they were on queue to enter the port.

But with the commencement of enforcement order, the navy asked the drivers to return to their parks.

All trucks earlier parked on the Mile Two Bridge had been evacuated, while those at Orile along the Badagry Expressway were being moved in batches.

Also, heavy duty vehicles parked in Western Avenue, inward Apapa, were also making U-turn towards Costain.

The Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sylvanus Abbah, said the navy would not allow any truck to stay on the bridges.

He said the enforcement was being done in batches to prevent traffic gridlock across the state.

Abbah said: “We are doing the enforcement in batches. If we cover all the bridges at once, there will be standstill in Lagos and we do not want that to happen.

“My men worked at Berger and Otto Wharf axis today (Monday). All the trucks on the bridges up to Boundary have been moved. Those at Orile are being moved in batches of 10 or 20.

“Also, we have ensured that there is no static truck on the bridge leading into Apapa from Western Avenue. We would go after those ones still on Eko Bridge.

“The directive remains that we do not want trucks on Lagos bridges and we would not stop until they comply. I am meeting with the leadership of NUPENG and those of trailer drivers again on Tuesday.”

lalasticlala

by Dyepkazah Shibayan


Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, has wondered why the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) will take responsibility for killings in the state and members of the group have not been arrested.

On Tuesday, Buhari visited Benue to condole with the people after suspected herdsmen killed more than 70 people in January.

Speaking at the meeting with the president and other stakeholders, Ortom referred to a press conference granted by the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore in May where its leaders declared that “more blood will flow in Benue if the ranching law is not rescinded”.

The governor described the statement as “hate speech” and asked Buhari to order the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.

“Your Excellency, as a president that supports the rule of law, you will most certainly be offended by these hate speeches that may have crossed the red line,” he said.

“Your Excellency, how can a group claim responsibility for the killings that happened and are going about scot free?

“How can a group make public these inciting and criminal declarations in an organized society and are not arrested by the police? Your Excellency, kindly order the immediate arrest and prosecution of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and Miyetti Cattle Breeders Association for carrying out their threats to attack Benue on account of the open grazing prohibition and ranches establishment law, 2017.”

Ortom said because of herdsmen attacks, Benue has lost about 47 percent of its internally generated revenue (IGR).

“We have lost an average of 47 percent of [the states] IGR due to attacks by armed herdsmen in the State. This underscores the problem between herdsmen and farmers,” he said.

“It was clear to us that increased population, shrinking arable land, global warming and desertification as well as the need to diversify the economy through farming, all make open grazing unattractive.”

About 1300 displaced Borno women have, in a letter to Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, accused the Nigerian military of ‘wrongly’ arresting their husbands and children, as Boko Haram suspects, after which they were raped and made to trade sex for food in camps.

“We were not allowed to leave the camp (managed by soldiers) and not given enough food but instead asked to pay for extra food… when we didn’t have anything left, they asked for sex; young women were to have sex with the Civilian-Joint Task Force (CJTF) members and soldiers to be able to feed their children,” they wrote.

This allegation was contained in an open letter dated March 1, written by a group of displaced women, who are mostly wives or mothers of arrested Boko Haram suspects who are still in various military detention centers in Bornno state.

But the military command in Borno state has vehemently dismissed the allegations which it described as a cheap and baseless allegation possibly crafted to dampen the morale of troops.

The women want the federal government of Nigeria to release their husbands whom they said were wrongly arrested and held in military detention facilities.

In the 4-paged letter, which was also made available to PREMIUM TIMES, the aggrieved women said they have unionised under a group known as ‘Knifa Movement’.
They claimed the Nigeria military was holding 1,269 persons who are either their husbands or children, on the allegations that they were members of Boko Haram.

The women said their relatives were arrested between July and December 2015 and had since been in detention in Giwa barracks detention center as well as the Maiduguri maximum security prisons.

The women, who are all IDPs from Bama local government area of the state, wondered why their husbands and children would be kept in detention for such a long time without trial.

The women claimed that apart from the psychological trauma that they had to suffer due to the long absence of their husbands, the military kept them in locked camps where they and their daughters were forced to trade sex for food.

“Our story is a story of suffering: In 2015 and 2016, we were kept in the horrific conditions in Bama Hospital camp, which was at that time run by the military and CJTF. We were not allowed to leave the camp and were not given enough food but instead, asked to pay for extra food. First, we sold our jewelry. Then we sold our clothes. When we didn’t have anything left, they asked for sex. Young women were to have sex with the Civilian-JTF members and soldiers to be able to feed their children. Rape by the Civilian-JTF and soldiers were rampant.

“We were starved and forced to give our bodies in exchange for food. We saw our children die and there was nothing we could do. Hundreds of people lost their lives in Bama Hospital camp – we in our group alone know 799 people who died. We were the silent witnesses of immense suffering,” they wrote.

“In the last months, many of us have gone out of the camps to farm and collect firewood to earn a living. But there has been several attacks by Boko Haram nearby. One of our members lost her husband who went out to collect firewood.

He had been released from the Giwa barracks some months ago. We are scared to go out of the camp but we do need to eat.

“Most of us lived with Boko Haram for months and we know what they we are capable of. They killed our relatives, abducted our sons, raped our daughters. We consider ourselves lucky that we came out alive. Living under Boko Haram was hell.”

The women said they were deeply worried that Boko Haram members who were held at Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe state are now being sent to their communities.
“How can those criminals who killed and raped our people be allowed to live amongst us again, while our husbands, who are innocent, are still detained,” they wrote.

“We want to offer our best cooperation to prosecute the real Boko Haram members. But no one has asked us for our statement on what happened in the past years. We are pleading with you to give all victims of this (these) conflicts the opportunity to testify before a court of law.”

They said they were ready to participate in any further investigation.


We are not rapists

Onyema Nwachukwu, who is the spokesman of the military at the Theater Command headquarters of the Operation Lafiya Dole, described the allegations as unfounded and misplaced and probably calculated to dampen the morale of soldiers on the frontline.

On the claims that their relatives were kept in military custody, he said “that cannot be true”.

“We don’t keep peoples relatives in custody; those that we have in custody are terrorism or insurgency suspects,” he said.

“And if anyone is not culpable after our investigation, they are released. But those who have been found to have either actively or passively participated in terrorism activities by bearing arms or providing other forms of supports to aid terrorism and insurgency are those in custody and would be prosecuted.”

On the issue of non-trial of the detained suspects, the military said the concerned relatives should have appropriately channelled their demand to the federal ministry of justice which is the organ of government empowered by constitution to do so.

“Trial of suspects lies with the judiciary and I believe that they are handling it accordingly. We are all aware that the federal government had instituted some special courts to try the suspects. It is not our responsibility to try any of them. But if somebody is found wanting after our investigations, it is not our duty to pronounced him guilty or not guilty. But we tender our reports as the case may be to those that will be prosecuting them.

Mr. Nwachukwu, a colonel, also said that the women or the relatives of the detained suspects do not have the luxury of determining the guilt or innocence of their arrested spouses.

“The public must understand that the onus is not on the complainant to determine whether their relatives are guilty or not guilty,” he said.

“It is the court that determines that. The dynamics of the counterinsurgency war is such that we have different kinds of terrorists, like I earlier said that are either active or passive supporters. Yes, you may not have an arm with somebody, but the person may be aiding terrorism, either by providing information to the terrorists as an informant, or may be supplying logistics to the terrorists in their hideouts, and all these the wives at home might not even know.

“We have arrested several persons who take logistics to terrorists as their means of trade; so they should not look at the issue on the face value and conclude that their husbands are innocent, or they don’t have anything to do with Boko Haram. We really don’t profile suspects as somebody’s husband or relative; all we know is a terrorist is a terrorist, and anyone found wanting would be prosecuted.”

Reacting to the issues raised by the women on their sufferings in the camp, the military said though it was unfortunate, but the public should know that it was not the military that initiated the circumstances that led to their present plight.

“The public must know that it was not Operation Lafiya Dole that initiated that suffering,” Colonel Nwachukwu said.

“In as much as we sympathise with their unfortunate situation, their misfortune was not orchestrated by the operation Lafiya Dole troops; rather it was by Boko Haram terrorists who had been killing, and abducting their children; using their men and kids as foot soldiers, burning their houses.

We have been the ones paying the price to protect these women and their families. We are the ones that have been at the forefront to ensure their safety, at the expense of our own lives. We have gone out of our line of duty to provide aid support to these people, we have opened schools in the camps to ensure that their children whose schools were burnt down and denied access to learning get educated.

Our soldiers teach them in the schools in camps! We have brought measurable succor to these people. We have carried out several medical outreach to help them remain healthy.

“So they should not see us as their adversary; they should face the issue squarely, Boko Haram is their enemy and a common enemy.

“We have also rescued several women and children and their husbands from captivity, we have liberated them,” he said, adding that this is what they represent and not the other way round.”

On the alleged cases of rape in the IDP camp, Mr. Nwachukwu said the military takes such allegation with all seriousness even as he mentioned that the claims were illogical given the role the military plays in the protection of camps.

“I want to categorically state it that our soldiers are not rapists; we have no rapists amongst us,” he said.

“It is high time we began to address the issue of gender based violence very squarely. People should not wake up and start making blanket allegation on troops. If you find anybody wanting, take up the issue and make a report immediately; and not to sleep on it only to come out tomorrow or after several months to come and say troops raped people. We are not rapists.

“The people must help themselves by addressing any issue of gender based violence very squarely and promptly, and avoid making blanket allegations. If anybody is found to be involved in such atrocious act, you immediately report that person, and so far we have not received such report in the headquarters.”

However, he said the military does not rule cases of “bad eggs” in the counterinsurgency operations which he said was the reason the military court martial was put in place.

On the allegations of soldiers using food as bait to have sex with female IDPs, the military spokesman said such allegation cannot be true because soldiers do not have access to food in camp.

“Troops don’t share food in the IDP camp, they are not in charge of sharing food,” he said.

“There are other agencies who carry out all those responsibilities; you can’t say our soldiers, troops or personnel are exchanging food for sex. In the first place, we are not in charge food. Our troops are at the outside cordon of the IDP camps. They don’t have custody of food, talk more of having portion they trade for sex.

“And anywhere our troops are deployed, they are fed centrally by the military caterers who cook for them” he said, adding that no soldier has dry ration that he would use in exchange for sex. “So that allegation does not hold water as far as the military is concerned,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately get the officials of the Civilian-JTF who were also joined in the food for sex allegation in camps, to react on this matter. Efforts to get them to speak on phone was not successful, as the lines remained switched off.

By Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja


The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, may today Sunday dissolve the State Executive Council and other political appointees, following the importation of Military uniforms scandal rocking the governor.

THISDAY reliably gathered yesterday that the governor is no more comfortable with 90 per cent of his cabinet members, following the discovery of the importation of the Military uniforms and other Military prohibited goods by Senator Dino Melaye.

According to a top source, the issue rattled the governor and put him under pressure to dissolve his cabinet and appoint those he believes will keep their mouths shut and work with him in the next two years.

Also the governor is expected to dissolve all the 21 local government council administrators, according to the information. The reason for this, the source noted, was to allow for the function of another ad hoc arrangement following the expiration of the tenure of the Council Administrators in April, since democratic elections are said not to be feasible at the councils, all the local government administrators may also be dropped; although a new interim arrangement may be put in place with some of the former Administrators reappointed under another nomenclature.

The source further added that arrangements have been concluded for the dissolution of the cabinet and sack of the council administrators at a meeting the governor had convened to hold for all appointees by 3:00pm on Saturday at the government house, but which has been postponed till today by 3pm.

The source said the reason for shifting the meeting from Saturday to Sunday was because the governor who was in Abuja could not arrive the state on Saturday for the meeting and that was why the meeting was shifted to today (Sunday).

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Posted By: Yusuf Alli


With 341 days to the commencement of the 2019 general elections the Obasanjo-inspired Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) remains undecided on which party to pitch its tent with.

While some loyalists of the former President are in favour of working with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), some prefer the Social Democratic Party (SDP), while some are agitating for a party which will be an hybrid of politicians from PDP, SDP, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and others.

Investigation revealed that despite Obasanjo’s personal membership drive for CNM, the group is in a dilemma over the platform to use.

Its planned growth into a “a third force which must put the youth of the country at the forefront in the struggle to rescue the country from the muck it is enmeshed in,” also appears stunted.

Obasanjo, in outlining the vision of the Third Force on January 24 had spoken of “one choice left to take us out of Egypt to the promised land.

And that is the coalition of the concerned and the willing – ready for positive and drastic change, progress and involvement. Change that will give hope and future to all our youths and dignity and full participation to all our women.”

Many Nigerians, especially politicians being recruited into CNM, are now worried that the group is yet to be decisive three months to the governorship poll in Ekiti State and six months to that of Osun State.

Some of those who have opted for CNM are of the view that the group should have “a bearing” by now as was the case with APC which spent two years to plot the ouster of the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and PDP.

A highly placed source who is familiar with development in the CBM said: “Obasanjo and some members of CNM are not interested in collaborating with PDP against APC.

“Having torn his PDP membership card, it would amount to a volte face for Obasanjo to work with the same structure.

“Some CNM leaders and loyalists of Obasanjo have a strong opinion that PDP is a solid and subsisting opposition structure which could be better for CNM.

The source said some leaders of CNM find it difficult to work with Prof. Jerry Gana, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Chief Olu Falae, Shehu Gabam and some SDP leaders who they suspect to be loyalists of former Military President Ibrahim Babangida and a former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma.

“Since Obasanjo defeated Falae in 1999 presidential election, they have not been sharing any political affinity. Even Falae had to support the candidate of the Labour Party, ex-Governor Olusegun Mimiko against a PDP candidate in Ondo State,” the source said.

“The third alternative is to look for a neutral party which will accommodate elements from APC, PDP SDP and other parties. It is a kind of an hybrid party.

“There is no consensus on where we are headed. Yet, the CNM wants to use the July poll in Ekiti and the September elections in Osun as a litmus test for 2019 general elections.”

But a reliable source in CNM said: “There is a lot more to the coalition. Other than ex-President Obasanjo, no one can say which platform we will use. There is no point rushing to a party or forming one just to fulfil all righteousness.

“The political situation in the country is still very fluid. Look at what is happening to APC
“Forming a party is not an end in itself; it is a means to an end. Our ultimate objective is the Presidential Election, we believe time is still on our side.

“Those who want to join the CNM are still in APC and PDP. We are waiting for prime movers who are still in APC and PDP.”

In a chat with our correspondent last night, a leader of CNM, Chief Akin Osuntokun (a former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria) said the group will collaborate with SDP in Ekiti State during the governorship poll in July.

He said: “We are doing that (collaboration) with SDP because it is inevitable election is coming and we have to be mindful of the timeline.

“It does not mean we (CNM leaders) have finally resolved to work with SDP. We have only asked our people to contest on SDP platform.”

There have been speculations that the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) may recommend any of the three ex-governors it is wooing as presidential candidate in 2019.

The ex-governors are Rabiu Kwankwaso, Sule Lamido, and Ibrahim Shekarau who are all from the North-West as Buhari.

The CNM claims to be a movement that “seeks to promote and ensure socio-economic development, improvement, growth, social justice, egalitarianism, cohesion, cooperation, equity, equality of opportunity, transparency, societal order, rule of law, human security and human rights leading to national unity, good governance and general well-being and the welfare of all citizens and inhabitants of Nigeria.”

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Cyriacus Izuekwe


A sex starved man, Mr. Akeem Adisa has landed in trouble after he went to his lover, Yinka Adebayo in Lagos and was denied sex.

In anger he tore her pant and bra in order to forcefully have access to her breasts and private.

The incident happened at Mushin Road Isolo, Lagos where the victim, Yinka Adebayo resided.

P.M.EXPRESS scooped that Adisa who resided at Idowu Street in Egan area went to Yinka’s house in the night to satisfy his sexual desire.

When he got there, it was already late and the victim was angry with Adisa for coming by that time of the night. Police sources said Adisa started handling her breasts but the victim was not in the mood for the romp and so she refused.

In anger, Adisa tore her pant and bra and attempted to have his way but Yinka raised alarm which attracted the neighbours and she denied him before neighbours.

The matter was reported to the police at Isolo Division and Adisa was arrested that night and detained at the police station. The victim also brought the pant and bra as evidence to show that Adisa committed the offence and they were kept as exhibits.

The police thereafter charged Adisa before a Lagos court sitting in Isolo over the indecent assault.

He pleaded guilty.

The items – the pant and bra were brought to court as exhibits which will be tendered during trial.

Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Teluwo granted Adisa bail in the sum of N50, 000 with one surety in like sum.

The prosecutor, Mr. Oje Uagbale did not object to his bail condition. The matter was adjourned and Adisa was remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect his bail condition.

By Joshua Odeyemi


As the Vice President marks his birthday on Thursday, we have decided to gathered some of his notable quotes for your reading pleasure.
These are just ten of his popular quotes:


1. During a Media Forum at the State House in 2016, Osinbajo said: "PMB not interested in making money or awarding contracts. Same goes for me. Public service has to be public service. We’re committed to building a country where integrity is the rule & corruption is the exception, not the other way round."


2. "I was doing far better as a lawyer in Lagos, in terms of earnings, than as [Vice Pres]. I’m not complaining though."


3. Speaking about the economy, he said: "As you are all aware, our economy is already signaling a gradual recovery as growth is headed towards positive territory. First quarter GDP, at -0.52% compares favourably with -2.06% in the first quarter of 2016. Inflation is declining – down to 17.24% from 18.74% as at May 2016. Our external reserves are now US$30.28 billion as at June 8, 2017 up from US$26.59 billion as at May 31, 2016.


4. What Osinbajo said before the 2015 General election: "The distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards has not shown INEC in a very good light. I would really urge INEC to rise up to its responsibilities. These coming elections are very important for the future of our nation.

And I think it is important for INEC to live up to its responsibilities; understand the importance of the elections and understand why the elections should not be tainted in anyway by any kind of suggestion that they were not properly conducted. I think INEC really has a duty to this nation — to ensure that things are done properly this time."


5. Speaking of the pollution in the Niger Delta, Osinbajo said: "We are determined to put right the wrongs of the past, where the people of this land were treated unfairly and the environment unduly polluted and degraded, the cleanup of this land will require change on the part of all those who deal with the Niger Delta environment - particularly the oil companies and our communities."


6. "It is important to send a message that no public officer can steal the resources of this country and expect to escape," Osinbajo said of corruption.


7. "I think the important thing to bear in mind about Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight is that the government has done what it ought to do by focusing on grand corruption. Grand corruption is the type we experienced years before when, for example, $15 billion was lost in defence contract. Two, three weeks to election, N100 billion in cash was taken out, and again $293 million in cash, two weeks, three weeks to election. That’s the kind of impunity. "


8. Speaking about the composition of the present cabinet, he said: “Look at the cabinet, for example, from the point of view of religion, it has an equal number – 18 Christians, 18 Muslims; but, we have the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as well as the Head of Service who are Christians. So, we have 20 Christians to 18 Muslims; that’s the structure of the cabinet."


9. Osinbajo speaking about late Alex Ekwueme: “He was fearless and with the courage of his convictions, he led the G-34, the group of eminent Nigerians who confronted military dictatorship in its darkest and most fearsome days in Nigeria’s history. He contributed significantly to the return of democracy in 1999."


10. Osinbajo, after signing 2017 budget, said: "The process of preparing and processing this Bill was much smoother than the 2016 Appropriations Bill. On the executive side, there were no allegations of errors, or mistakes, and there was a significant improvement in the quality of the preparation, as well as the presentation."

Posted By: Justina ASISHANA,


https://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/The-late-Fatima-with-her-baby-before-she-died-500x470.jpg


A medical doctor attached to the Federal Medical Center, Bida, Niger State, is at the centre of a rape scandal which resulted in the death of the victim. Sixteen-year-old Fatima Yusuf was said to have given up the ghost a spell after childbirth after she was repeatedly raped and impregnated by a medical doctor attached to the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Niger State.

The said doctor was said to have repeatedly raped the late Fatima while the latter was taking care of her mother while she was on admission in the hospital for a severe case of diabetes.

A family source, who spoke with our correspondent, quoted Fatima as telling the family that it all began on a day the doctor invited her to his room while her mother was asleep. The doctor, the source said, pretended that he was trying to advise Fatima only to seize the opportunity to forcibly have carnal knowledge of her. The secret act, she said, continued until Fatima’s mother was discharged from the hospital.

The family source, who pleaded not to be named because she was not qualified to speak for the family, said that when other family members discovered that Fatima was pregnant, they asked her who the father of the baby was and she fingered the said doctor, who vehemently denied having any sexual relationship with her.

The case, however, became so serious that the Emir of Bida, Alhaji Abubakar Yahaya, had to intervene in it. The accused doctor, in the course of interrogation at the Emir’s palace, was said to have admitted that he only hugged Fatima and rubbed his body against hers, but did not have any sexual intercourse with her.

The deceased girl, on the other hand, was said to have stood by her word that the doctor forcibly slept with her, and the act resulted in her pregnancy.

The situation was said to have caused the Emir to order that a paternity test be conducted on the pregnancy.

But while the Federal Medical Centre complied with the directive, it has been reluctant to release the result of the test, a situation that led to the decision to conduct another paternity test in a hospital outside the state.

Unfortunately, while this was going on, Fatima died on Monday some time after she was delivered of a baby boy at the family house in Bida.

Alarmed by the development, the Niger State Child Rights Agency was said to have taken over the case. The Director General of the agency, Barrister Mariam Kolo, who confirmed to our correspondent that the agency had taken up the case, said the agency’s attention was drawn to it because the victim was underage and because it was suspected that the management of the hospital was trying to cover up for the accused doctor.

Kolo said that while Fatima might have died, the agency would go ahead with the case and see to its logical conclusion. If Dr. Seyi is found guilty, she said, he will not escape the wrath of the law.

She said: “Even in the worst case scenario, a naive and underage girl like that cannot just accuse someone who is higher than her wrongly.

If the man did not have carnal knowledge of her, she would not accuse him falsely. Why did she not accuse another doctor in the hospital? She even knew his office and how it looked like. Why did she stick to her story till she died in spite of pressures from all quarters?

“The family is not asking for money. They are only asking the doctor to own up and take responsibility for what he did. We are waiting for the DNA result. When it comes out, we will know who the father is. Government cannot take responsibility of the child when the father is alive.”

Kolo said the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, was trying to cover up the case, adding that the doctor was hiding under the guise that the result of the DNA test was not yet out and that he would not say anything until the test’s result was released.

Fatima, according to Kolo, died from intense depression because of the horrendous act the doctor committed against her.

“Although no autopsy was done, it was clear that she died out of intense depression,” she said.
“Look at this: her mother is ill, a man raped and impregnated her and denied it, and they do not have money to feed.

He put her under intense depression. It is one of the factors that led to her death. He contributed to her psychological state of mind.” determined to rid the state of predators who prey on innocent victims and molest them.

“This is a very sensitive matter. If medical doctors are now harassing children, it leaves one to wonder if our children are safe. ”

When contacted, the management of the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, acknowledged that a case of alleged sexual harassment was filed against one of its doctors, adding that the hospital was not covering up anybody.

The hospital’s Head of Communication, Musa Ladan, who spoke with our correspondent, said that a high powered committee had been set up by the management of the hospital to investigate the allegation.

Ladan said: “There is a case we are handling. It is not a case of cover-up by the hospital as it is being alleged in some quarters. The case is about a patient’s relation who accused one of our doctors of having carnal knowledge of her.

“It was brought to our attention and we have set up a high powered committee to investigate it.

We have even gone ahead to do a DNA test and we are currently awaiting the result, although while we were waiting, the lady in question died in her family house. ”

On what was being done to the errant doctor, Ladan said that nothing was being done to him because the allegation had not been established.

He said: “We have to establish the accusation. Everything is at accusation level now. We have not done anything to the doctor because we are waiting for the result of the DNA test. After the result, we will know the step to take.”

He reiterated that there would be no cover-up as the hospital’s management had fully participated and supported all the investigations that were being done to establish the fact of the matter.
The Nation, however, learnt that there were plans to take the case to court following the death of the victim.

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