₦airaland Forum

Anxiety continues to mount in government circles in Nigeria as a London court sits next next Tuesday in a case that may see Nigeria forfeiting up to $9billion in foreign assets.

The expected loss is in respect of an enforcement application to the United States of America and the United Kingdom courts by Process and Industrial Development, a British firm tied up in a legal dispute with the Federal Government.

The court case arose out of the failure of a contract awarded the company in 2010 to process wet gas to power Nigeria’s generating plants.

On 16 March 2018, a BVI-based engineering and project management company sought to enforce in the US a USD6.6 billion award it obtained in January 2017 against Nigeria. This is one of the highest arbitral awards known to date. It shows the importance of the Respondent challenging facts, assumptions and calculations provided by the Claimant and of providing alternative evidence to the Tribunal.

That figure has since been attracting interest at the rate of $1.2 million per day and currently stands at over $9 billion.

The next hearing on the case will come up in a London court on May 21, 2019.

A former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo is representing Nigeria in the case.

Brendan Cahill, Founder, P&ID, said the company looks forward to the UK and US courts granting enforcement rights that will allow it to collect what is rightfully its.

Cahill said: “If history is any guide – just look at how creditors seized Argentina’s naval frigate, while docked in Ghana.

“Efforts by Nigeria to evade this judgment will inevitably fall flat.


“The ball is in Nigeria’s court.

“If the government is prepared to find a good-faith solution.”

Cahill however indicated that the company was open to negotiations with the Nigerian Government to settle the dispute out of court.

He said: “P&ID remains open to a settlement on a reasonable basis, but we need a willing partner in government to help resolve this matter.


“The onus is on the Nigerian Government to act in good faith to find a solution.”

After the P&ID’s Gas Supply and Processing Agreement with the Federal Government failed, the company initiated arbitration proceedings in London, in line with the original contractual agreement between the parties.

Cahill said the company decided to go to court after several attempts at salvaging the deal were botched.

He said: “P&ID’s Gas Supply and Processing Agreement failed when the government did not uphold its commitments.


“In August 2012, after several attempts over two and half years by P&ID to salvage the agreement, including offers to renegotiate the deal, the company initiated arbitration proceedings.”

Cahill is saddened by the failure of such a promising project and government’s lack of interest in trying to resolve the dispute amicably, adding that the original project would have brought power and economic growth to Nigeria by supplying free natural gas for electricity generation, as well as building a highly successful commercial venture with a share of profits going to the Nigerian Government.

He said: “The P&ID project would have supplied 2,000 megawatts of electricity in a country where tens of millions do not have access to electricity.

“The award judgment was handed down by the independent arbitration panel because it represented the loss of profits for P&ID over the 20 years of the project.”

In late February this year, the Office of the Attorney-General of Nigeria issued a statement contesting the huge amount the court awarded P&ID as damages, largely on the grounds that the project did not actually kick off the ground.

But Cahill reacted to the statement, explaining that the company had already put in years of planning, field work, design and on-the-ground preparation.

He stated: “We spent two and a half years offering solutions, while the government consistently failed to deliver its side of the contract.

“This is a tragic ending to a venture that would have delivered low-cost electrical energy to hundreds of thousands of households throughout Nigeria, and would have brought vital revenue to the Nigerian treasury.”

Cahill and his late partner, Michael Quinn, had over 30 years’ prior experience of executing successful engineering projects in Nigeria before the failed P&ID project that is now in dispute.


Background

In January 2010, Process and Development Limited (P&ID or the Claimant) and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Nigeria or the Respondent) entered into a 20-year Gas Supply and Processing Agreement (GSPA). Under this agreement Nigeria would supply Wet Gas to P&ID, who would process it in a newly-built facility and return it in the form of Lean Gas. P&ID could then sell the by-products of the refinement process (natural gas liquids (NGLs) for their own profit.

Nigeria did not make arrangements for the agreed supply of Wet Gas, including building the necessary pipelines. In March 2013, P&ID treated this failure as a repudiation of the GSPA. By that date PI& estimated that it had invested USD40 million in the project, although it had not yet acquired the land or built the facilities.

In July 2015, an ad hoc tribunal seated in London decided that Nigeria was liable to damages to P&ID. In a majority decision in January 2017, the tribunal awarded USD6.6 billion in damages to P&ID. The dissenting opinion estimated the loss at USD250 million over three years.


Claimant’s position

The Claimant estimated that the project would produce a net profit of USD5 to USD6 billion over a 20-year period.

Income projections were based on several assumptions relating to the expected yield of NGLs and the price of NGL. The Claimant estimated capital expenditure at USD580 million and operational expenditure at cUSD60 million per year.

The Claimant used a discount rate of 2.65% based on US Treasury bonds to represent only the time value for money.


Respondent’s position

The Respondent objected that P&ID should only be entitled to nominal damages as it had not fully performed its obligations under the GSPA at the date of the repudiation.

It argued that production would be disrupted by militancy in the Niger Delta so that utilisation should be reduced to 40-50%. The Respondent’s expert challenged the Capex calculation as being based on inadequate material.

The Respondent also insisted that damages could only be awarded for a period of three years as the Claimant had a duty to mitigate its loss and it should have pursued other investment opportunities.

The Respondent adopted a discount rate of 7% to reflect the risk of investing in Nigeria.


Approach taken by the tribunal

The Tribunal considered that there was no evidence that the Claimant was unable or did not intend to perform its obligations under the GSPA. Consequently, the Tribunal rejected the Respondent’s argument on nominal damages.

In addition, the Tribunal determined that there was no actual evidence that militancy in the Niger Delta had any impact on gas production or transport around the site earmarked by P&ID, or that other NGL prices than the ones forecast by the Claimant should be used.


In the absence of a meaningful challenge from the Respondent, the Tribunal agreed with the Claimant on key aspects of the measure and calculation of damages, including the 20-year period, the other underlying assumptions to project net income, and the discount rate. It awarded USD6.6 billion in damages together with pre and post-award interest of 7%. This interest rate reflects what PI& would have had to pay to borrow the money or could have earned by investing in Nigeria.

Going public on Thursday, MTN Nigeria has brought itself under the scrutiny of the investing public; all its progress and otherwise will now be subject to the corporate governance laws of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

In line with this, the press also has a duty to monitor how transparent or opaque a public limited company is, at every point of its institutional history.

TheCable obtained the list of shareholders, who now own billions in the second biggest company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

While the MTN Nigeria is still controlled by MTN Group, the parent country, some notable Nigerians hold billions in the telecommunications company.

Here’s a full list of those who own MTN Nigeria as at May 17, 2019.

SHAREHOLDER VALUE IN NAIRA PERCENTAGE HOLD

MTN International Limited 1.68trillion 76.08

Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited 213.7billion 9.64

Mobile Telephone Network 60.95billion. 2.75

Government Employees Pension Fund 38.69billion. 1.75

Victor Odili 87.87billion 3.96

Pascal Dozie 37.07billion. 1.67

Sani Mohammed Bello 28.87billion. 1.30

Babatunde Folawiyo 23.83billion 1.08

Gbenga Oyebode 19.80billion 0.89

Ahmed Dasuki 19.35billion. 0.87

Karl Olutokun Toriola 100.10million. 0.005

Total 2.22 trillion 100

By Muza Mpofu -



A Marange man killed his wife in cold blood after catching her pants down having quality time with another man in the bushes last Tuesday.

Manicaland police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa confirmed the death of Rosemary Muchangidze (37) of Marahwa village, Chief Marange who was fatally assaulted by husband Oliver Mutafi (35) all over her body until she died.


https://i0.wp.com/www.pmnewsnigeria.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Victim-1.jpg?w=680&ssl=1
Rosemary Muchangidze lies dead after the assault



Circumstances were that on May 7 at around 7pm Muchangidze misled their children into believing that they were retiring to bed in separate rooms of the same house and sneaked out of the house to meet her lover at a bushy area about 50 metres from her home.

On the same day at around 10pm Mutafi arrived home and saw Muchangidze with Novel Chada, a diamond dealer in the bushy area. Mutafi severely assaulted his wife several times all over her body with a hard object causing serious injuries while Chada ran away.

Muchangidze screamed for help alerting neighbours, who rushed to the scene to investigate. Upon their arrival, they saw Mutafi assaulting Muchangidza.

Muchangidze had been seriously injured and was bleeding from the forehead.

Mutafi stopped assaulting her and ordered her to tell those gathered the reason why he was assaulting her.

She stated that her husband found her with Chada her boyfriend.

“As Mutafi started moving away, his wife stated that she had been badly injured and Mutafi replied saying that is what a prostitute deserves. Mutafi then went to his home where he broke into the house and took his wife’s money and went away,’’ said Insp Kakohwa.

On the same night Mutafi took his Nissan Caravan with vehicle registration number ADJ7939 from the driver Admire Mutsago who resides in the same village but left it about 500 metres from Mutsago’s home after it got stuck in the sand along the Mutsago-Chiadzwa road.

Neighbours noted that Muchangidze was showing no sign of life and alerted other villagers who rushed to Marange Police station where a report was made.

“Muchangidze sustained a cut on the chin, bruised and blood stained face, swollen left eye, bruises on the left hand, swollen left palm bruises on the left fingers, bruises on both breasts, at the back, on both thighs and buttocks and she had three deep cuts on the neck.

“Mutafi is still at large and investigations are in progress.

“Mutafi was no longer regularly visiting her wife at their home as he sometimes slept at his shop as the couple was having marital problems. The couple was customarily married and had two children. Sometime in November last year, they had a domestic dispute resulting in the claiming of RTGS$200 per month as maintenance for the two minor children. Muchangidze further filed an application to share their matrimonial property at Mutare Civil Court in February 2019 and the case is still pending,” said Insp Kakohwa.

A civic group had asked that their seats be declared vacant due to their defection from the parties on whose platforms they were elected.

The group, Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), had on September 14, 2018, asked the Federal High Court to order that the members of the National Assembly who defected should vacate their seats.

In July 2018, 37 members of the House of Representatives defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC). About 32 of them joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), four joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) while one did not announce his new party at the time.


On the same day, 14 APC senators defected to the PDP.

Meanwhile, being part of the defendants, Mr Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in their response asked the court to dismiss the suit filed by the group on grounds that it is an abuse of court process.

The duo added that the suit lacked merit.

The defendants had submitted that the plaintiff has no ‘locus standi’ to institute the case.

Delivering judgement on Friday, the judge, Okon Abang, held that “the plaintiff’s case has merit but lacks locus standi to institute the case.”

“The plaintiff that instituted this case is not a political party that sponsored the election of the lawmakers.

“Also the plaintiff is not Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) that regulates the activities of political parties and monitor elections.

“The plaintiff is not a registered voter in Nigeria.

“They are not members of the National Assembly.”

“None of the political party that sponsored the lawmakers is a party in this case.”

“They, therefore, lack the capacity, legal power to institute the case.

“The plaintiff’s case is incompetent and thereby struck out,” Mr Abang ruled.

By John Owen Nwachukwu





Lawmaker representing Kogi West senatorial district at the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye, has predicted doom for himself and Nigeria elite.

Melaye said he was afraid of the revenge of the poor, adding that what happened in Russia, Sudan and France, will soon take place in Nigeria.

The lawmaker further noted that the segregation in Nigeria where the rich are known to reside in some particular areas, put them in more danger.

In a tweet on Friday morning, Dino said, “I am afraid of the revenge of the poor.

“It happened in Russia, France and recently in Sudan. It can happen in Nigeria.

“Housing segregation put us the elite in jeopardy. Ikoyi, Banana, Maitama, Asokoro etc.

“Our leaders, including me, beware of violent revolution. Perilous times loading.

… recovers N605bn via whistleblower policy

Ifeanyi Onuba, Abuja



The Federal Government will soon release the sum of N649.43bn as the final refund for the Paris Club debt to state governments.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, gave the figure on Thursday in Abuja during a media briefing on the activities of her ministry.

Those present at the media briefing were the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali; the Director-General, Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha; the Managing Director, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, and the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The finance minister said the amount had already been verified by the ministry as the outstanding balance to be refunded to the state governments.

Ahmed said the refund would be made to the state governments in due course.

She said, “For the final phase of the Paris Club debts refunds, the total sum of N649.434bn was verified by the ministry as the outstanding balance to be refunded to the state governments.

“The payments made by the Central Bank of Nigeria as of March 2019 is N691.56bn. The increase in CBN payments partly arose from the exchange rate differential at the point of payment. Although some states still have outstanding balances, they will be refunded in due course.”

She said that between June 20, 2018, when the 2018 budget was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari and May 14, 2019, the Federal Government had released a total of N2.079tn to finance the capital components of the 2018 budget.

The Federal Government had as of March 29 put the total amount released for capital projects at N1.9tn.

This means that between March 29 and May 14, a fresh sum of N170bn had been released to Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government for the implementation of the capital component of the 2018 budget.

The 2018 budget, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on June 20 last year, had total spending of N9.1tn.

The capital expenditure was to gulp 31.5 per cent of the total expenditure at N2.87tn, while the recurrent non-debt spending was put at N3.51tn in 2018.

There was also a provision of N2.01tn for debt servicing, which is 21 per cent of the total budget, while a provision of N177bn to retire maturing bond to local contractors was made by the government.

Speaking at the event, Ahmed explained that the government would continue the implementation of the capital component of the 2018 budget until the coming into operation of the 2019 budget.

She said that the assessment of the 2019 Appropriation Bill, which was passed by the National Assembly, would soon be completed and a report sent to President Buhari for consideration.

The minister explained that the constitution provided for spending the current year’s budget on a provisional basis for salaries and recurrent expenditure, adding that the capital budget for 2018 was still running until the new budget came into place.

She said, “We have a situation whereby we have two different periods running side by side. So, at any point in time, we have a budget that is running.

“The law allows us on a provisional basis to run 50 per cent of the previous year’s provision on the current year’s budget.

“When the budget is assented to, we will now transfer all the transactions that have happened to the 2019 budget, so there is no gap.”

Ahmed, however, said that the executive would work with the ninth National Assembly, to streamline the process and return to the January to December budget cycle year.

On implementation of the new National Minimum Wage, she said that the financial implications had been worked out by the Presidential Committee set up by Buhari adding that the report had been submitted to the president.

She said the report had already been locked into adding that what was being worked on now was how the salary increment would be financed.

She added, “We have looked at the report and what we are working on now is how we can finance it.

“Apart from the increase of the minimum wage from N18, 000 to N30, 000, there is also a consequential adjustment that we have to negotiate with the labour unions.

“The total implication of that would be worked out only after the negotiations and that would involve determining how much increase every other employee above the minimum wage would get.

“It could be a flat amount or a proportion, but the other aspect that is clear is that there would be an increase for the National Youth Service Corps as well because, by the Act, they should earn at least the minimum wage and the NYSC also has to increase to that N30, 000.

“So, because we have not done the negotiation with labour, I cannot give you the details of what we are projecting because it is simply on projections.

“At the end of the day, it is what we agree with labour that will be the amount that is due.”

On the whistleblower policy, the finance minister said the Federal Government had recovered about N605bn through the implementation of the policy and that of the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit.

The whistleblower policy, which was launched in December 2016, was aimed at addressing the issues of corruption in the management of government resources.

She said among the figure was the savings of N8.3bn during the first quarter of 2019.

She added, “As part of this administration’s zero tolerance on corruption, PICA’s findings on ghost workers have been acted on by convicting some.

A Zimbabwe man has allegedly been stabbed by his wife for interrupting her sex session with her lovers after he caught the trio red-handed in the act.

Tinei Muchena was said to have gotten the shock of his life when he caught his wife pants down with two men in their matrimonial bed.

To his surprise, his unapologetic wife allegedly left him nursing wounds after she stabbed him for interrupting.

Iharare quoted B-Metro as saying that the matter came to light after Nelia Ndlovu was hauled to court by her husband for allegedly assaulting him.

The court heard that on 29 April 2019, Muchena knocked off from work around 8.00pm and headed straight home.

Upon arrival at his residence in Mbuzo, he was shocked when he found two male seated on his bed.

He then quizzed the duo what they were doing in his bedroom let alone naked on his bed.

This, however, infuriated Ndlovu who started accusing Muchena of entering without knocking.

An altercation was reported to have broken out leading to Ndlovu drawing a knife and stabbing Muchena on the right hand and he sustained cuts on the fingers.

He was then rushed to the hospital where he received stitches on the fingers that were left dangling by the wife.

Presiding magistrate Story Rushambwa sentenced Ndlovu to three months imprisonment.

The Senate on Tuesday, approved a fine of N5 million as penalty against any company who failed to provide dignified means of transportation for its employees.

Any director who is accused of failing to provide dignified transportation for workers will also be fined with N200, 000.

The approved fines were sequel to the consideration of report on a Bill for an Act to provide for adequate transportation, protection and other facilities for employers in Nigeria to restore the dignity and other matters by the Senate on Tuesday.

The Senate Committee on Land Transport, chaired by Senator Olugbenga Ashafa, APC-Lagos East presented the report at the plenary on Tuesday.

According to the report, all employers must provide shelter at the various bus stops for their employees.

The Committee chairman said that the fine for corporate body, was raised from N1million to N5million to enhance safety measures for employees by their respective employees.

He said: “Offences under this bill shall be tried by the industrial court” while any case of victimisation of an employee(s) should be reported to the Minister of Transportation.”

Adopting the report clause by clause in the Committees of the Whole after presentation by Ashafa, the upper legislative chamber considered the inclusion of suitable and conducive vessels in the riverine areas for the purpose of conveying employees to and from work.

The Senate also considered other safety measures which made it mandatory for employers to acquire well equipped vehicles with seat belts and “at least a 46 inch high rail or enclosure on the sides and back of the vehicle”

Vehicles for conveying employees, it added “must have lambs, brakes, horn, mirrors, windshield, turn signals and other safety equipment.”

“Every truck-type bus must have seats with backrests and must be provided with a minimum of 18 inches seat space for each passenger. Where the sitting is face to face, the aisle between the seats facing each other shall be 24 inches wide at the narrowest point,” it added.

According to the Senate, all staff buses must be equipped with approved reflectors, fire extinguishers, carry a conspicuous mark on the outside of the number of passengers to be carried and shall not be allowed to carry more than the posted number.


The report said that all vehicles”must have exit door that can be opened outward from both the interior and exterior of the vehicle”, adding that those designed for carriage of goods and animals be clearly marked “for goods only.”

Kano Kingmakers have employed the service of 7 Senior Advocates of Nigeria and 17 other lawyers to challenge governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and Kano House Assembly and others in court over the creation of more new Kano Emirates.

The Kingmakers namely Madakin Kano, Yusuf Nabahani; Makaman Kano, Sarki Ibrahim; Sarkin Dawaki Maituta, Bello Abubakar and Sarkin Bai, Mukhtar Adnan filed a suit on Tuesday at the state High Court against the Speaker of Kano State House of Assembly, Kano State House of Assembly, the Governor of Kano State, the Attorney General of Kano State and the four emirs appointed by the governor The names of the lawyers are Prince Lateef Fegbemi, SAN, FCIArb,(UK), AB Mahmoud, OON, SAN, FCIArb, (UK), Adeniyi Akintola, SAN, Suraj Sa’eda, SAN, Hakeem O. Afolabi, SAN, Paul Usoro SAN, Nassir Abdu Dangiri, SAN, Others are Maliki Kuliya Umar Esq, Nureini S. Jimoh Esq, Dr. Nasiru Aliyu Esq, Sagir Gezawa Esq, Muritala O. Abdulrasheq Esq, Aminu S. Gadanya Esq, Ismail Abdulaziz Esq, Rashidi Isamotu Esq, Oseni Sefullahi Esq, Ibrahim Abdullahi Esq, Haruna Saleh Zakariyya Esq, Auwal A. Dabo Esq, Badamasi Sulaiman Esq, O. O. Samuel Esq, Fariha Sani Abdullahi, Yahaya Isah Abdulrasheed, ACIArb, (UK) and Amira Hamisu.

According to one of the reliefs they sought, the kingmakers said giving effect to the purported law has distorted history, especially as it regards to the positions they are holding in the emirate. The top emirate council members further said their position is a heritage in trust for their respective clans of Jobawa, Sullubawa, Yolawa and Dambazawa. New Kano emirates: Why Court restrained Ganduje

The Kano State House of Assembly (KNHA), had last week approved the amendment of the Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs law, paving way for the decentralisation of the Kano Emirate council. The bill, known as Kano Emirs Appointment and Deposition Amendment Bill 2019 was promptly signed into law by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

It allows for the creation of four more first class emirs Rano, Karaye, Bichi and Gaya councils. The assembly embarked on its earlier plans to amend the law following a petition filed before the house by Ibrahim Chambers. The petitioner demanded for the upgrading of some traditional rulers to the status of 1st class emirs. Chambers in the petition sought for the creation of the four additional 1st class emirate councils in Karaye, Bichi, Rano and Gaya.

According to the petition, the establishment of the emirate councils will bring more development to the people of the area. The committee earlier set up by the assembly to look into the issue of reviewing the law presented its report before the legislators on Tuesday. Reading the joint committees report before the floor of the house last week Tuesday, the majority leader, Alhaji Baffa Danagundi, said the report also recommended the review of the law. According to him, the decision followed wide consultation with stakeholders, adding that the feedback the committee received from the public, massively supported the upgrade of those emirate councils. He said the response received clearly showed that the need to upgrade the traditional rulers was necessary.

According to Danagundi, the law if signed into law by the Governor of the state, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, the emirate council, except Bichi, will have their own kingmakers. He explained that the Bichi emirate council would have its Kingmakers from the old emirate council, Gidan Dabo in particular. According to Danagundi, the creation of the new first class emirs would bring more job opportunities, boost the economy, and ensure security of the state.

Governor Ganduje, who spoke immediately after signing the bill into law, said “this is what the people of Kano State want. “This will encourage active and deeper participation of people of Kano State especially in the rural communities in the affairs of the state. “It will also encourage active participation of traditional rulers in the areas of agriculture, education, health and security.” The governor also said that there was need to upgrade the traditional rulers based on their historical antecedents so that aspirations and dreams of their forefathers would come true. Ganduje added that all other processes for the take off of the new emirates would be completed while letters of appointment and dates of Coronation of the new first class emirs would be fixed.

The governor also signed six other bills into law. The bills are; Kano State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2019, Kano State Public Health Law 2019 and Kano State Water and Sanitation Sector Reform Law 2019. Others are, Kano State College of Health Science and Technology Law 2019, Kano State Sharia Courts Amendment Law 2019, Kano State Pension and Rights of Governors and Deputy Law 2019 and Kano State Pension and Right of Speaker and Deputy Speaker Law 2019.

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja



Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said the federal government can seize assets from citizens who cannot explain the source of their wealth.

The vice president stated this yesterday while declaring open the anti-corruption conference organised by his office and the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) in Abuja.

“The Supreme Court in a lead judgment of Akaahs JSC, recently held that forfeiture under Section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act is a civil process, which neither requires the criminal conviction of the property owner nor his innocence,” he said.

“This opens the door for forfeiture of assets that the purported owner cannot explain, whether or not an allegation of corruption is made,”Osinbajo explained.

According to him, corruption has made Nigeria’s debt and poverty figures double in spite of the highest oil revenues in Nigeria’s history

He said President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is not deceived into thinking that it has won the battle against corruption as it was tackling grand corruption first.

“By that, we mean the stealing of huge public resources directly from the treasury; usually at the highest levels of executive authority; and the stealing of budgeted funds through various schemes,” he said.

“We are now poised to deal with the wider problem of systemic corruption; especially where the average person interacts with government.

“Corruption in the issuance of contracts, licenses and other government approvals; there is no reason why any Nigerian should have to give bribe to law enforcement agents for obtaining drivers licenses or passports or to clear goods at our ports.

“All the relevant government agencies have shown a serious commitment to eradicating these forms of corruption; our next level is to create the environment for collaboration between our agencies, civil society and other stakeholders.”

He said the enforcement of treasury single account (TSA), the presidential initiative on continuous audit, and transferring civil servants on the IPPIS electronic platform has helped to control official theft of public funds.

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of PACAC, Professor Itse Sagay, questioned the order stopping the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating the officials of Rivers State Government.

Sagay also called on the National Assembly to pass the bill on Intelligence Reform into law to aid information and intelligence sharing among agencies if the fight against corruption must be won.

The Federal High Court had earlier given a judgment which set a perpetual injunction against the anti-graft agency from investigating, arresting or interrogating the state government officials suspected of corruption.

But argued that the order, which Sagay described as clearly illegal and unconstitutional, should be have been appealed to set it aside.

He alleged that the Governor Nyesom Wike-led government is also resisting a new set of investigations of the state government simply by relying on the unresolved case of former Governor Peter Odili.

Sagay stated that instead of turning its back on critical action, the EFCC owed the country the duty to set aside the roadblock in order for the state government to be investigated of financial misconduct.

Olusola Fabiyi , Everest Amaefule and Oladimeji Ramon



Four hundred and sixty-nine lawmakers who were elected on the platform of various political parties in the February 23 National Assembly elections and the subsequent supplementary election will get N4.68bn as welcome package immediately after their inauguration in June, The PUNCH investigation has shown.

The package is to help the lawmakers sort out accommodation and furniture issues.

According to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, accommodation and furniture allowances are two of the irregular entitlements of lawmakers and other political office holders.

While accommodation is paid once every year, furniture allowance is paid once in four years.

Each member of the House of Representatives on resumption, therefore, is entitled to N9.926, 062.5, according to the prescription of the RMAFC in its Remuneration Package for Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders 2007 to Date.

This is the summation of furniture allowance of N5,955,637.5 and accommodation allowance of N3, 970,425 which a House of Representatives member is entitled to.

Therefore, the 360 lawmakers that will make up the House of Representatives to be inaugurated in June will be entitled to accommodation and furniture allowances of N3.57bn.

On the other hand, each senator is entitled to a combined furniture and accommodation allowance of N10,132,000 on assumption of office. While the accommodation allowance of a senator is N4,052,800, the furniture allowance is N6,079,200.

The 109 senators that will make up the 9th National Assembly will receive a total of N1.1bn when the red chamber opens in June altogether.

For motor vehicles, each of the senators is entitled to N8, 105,600 while each member of the House of Representatives is entitled to N7, 940,850.50.

The allowance for motor vehicles had been controversial in the past. According to RMAFC, this allowance payable once in four years is a loan and is optional. This means that it is repayable.

However, lawmakers that received the payment in the past had been known to ask the government to convert the loan to a grant.

Apart from these irregular allowances, there are other regular perks of office that are paid to lawmakers on a monthly basis. These include motor vehicle maintenance and fuelling. This is pegged at 75 per cent of their monthly salary.

Others are personal assistant – 25 per cent; domestic staff – 75 per cent; entertainment – 30 per cent; utilities – 30 per cent; newspapers/periodicals – 15 per cent; wardrobe – 25 per cent; house maintenance – five per cent; and constituency – 250 per cent.

There are other entitlements that they are not paid to them directly but provided and paid for by the government. These are for their special assistants, security and legislative aides.

What this means is that those in this capacity are paid directly by the government as the allowances cannot be claimed by political office holders. These allowances apply to senators and Reps.

Medical expenses are also borne by the government when they have a need for health services.

The lawmakers are also entitled to tour duty allowance, estacode (when they travel) and recess allowances. For a senator, the tour duty allowance is N37, 000 per night; the estacode is $950 per night and the recess allowance is 10 per cent of their annual salary.

For a member of the House of Representatives, the tour duty allowance is N35, 000 per night; the estacode is $900 per night and the recess allowance is 10 per cent of their annual salary.

Fight lawmakers over jumbo pay, Balarabe Musa urges Nigerians

But a former governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, has called on Nigerians to wage war against members of the 9th National Assembly and demand that they cut their salaries and allowances.

He said there was no way the country could sustain the type of money being received by the lawmakers.

Musa said that the situation had gone beyond appeal, saying begging the lawmakers to reason that the economic reality could not sustain such huge pay would not yield any positive result.

He recalled that an attempt by the late former President Shehu Shagari to then-members of the National Assembly on the same issue nearly cost him his office as he was threatened with impeachment.

Musa said, “Now, the situation is even worse. Therefore, I will not ask Nigerians to beg or appeal to the lawmakers. They should organise themselves and confront the lawmakers.

“They should fight them. If they do not, just a few of these men will cart away what belongs to the majority of the people. Many states are finding it difficult to pay salaries. They are almost becoming insolvent. Yet, a few lawmakers are feeding fat on the people and the country. This must stop if we must progress.”

Musa also called on the RMAFC to “get into work and do the needful” by drastically reducing the lawmakers’ pay.

Lawmakers’ jumbo pay aids financial profligacy – SERAP

Also, a non-governmental organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, decried lawmakers’ huge pay, saying it was one of the reasons the nation’s growth had remain stunted.

In an interview with one of our correspondents, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oludare, said, “The proposed payment to the incoming legislators is another example of financial profligacy that has stunted our growth as a nation. These funds are better committed to crucial sectors such as education, health care and security.”

Speaking in the same vein, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Ahmed Raji, said the incoming lawmakers should be guided by the state of the nation’s economy and Nigerians’ standards of living.

He said, “They should look at the state of economy and the general living standards of people and the expectations of Nigerians from them and ask their conscience if the allowances is conscionable.”

By CHIJIOKE IREMEKA reports



‘Kill stress before stress kills you’ is the latest advertorial slogan and business strategy of some bar owners and scarlet of the night, who when called upon while in their parents’ house, supply their sex therapy at the Coded Spot, an open bar with lodging facility located on Lisabi Street, Shomolu, Lagos. They claim that with good sex they help cure stress and depression. CHIJIOKE IREMEKA reports

What has the picture of a semi nude lady got to do with stress? The answer to this could be found in an advertorial placed in front of a pub in Somolu, Lagos State. It simply reads: “Kill stress before stress kills you”. Welcome to the world of scarlet ladies and pubs who are taking their trades higher in order to get a fair share of the market which keeps shrinking by the day, as a result of the poor economy.

Curiosity took a better part of this reporter who wanted to know more when he saw on the notice prize tags of N1, 500 for a ‘short time’ and N5, 000 for full lodging. Also on the banner is the contact address as well as telephone numbers for those who may be interested in ‘killing’ stress which is affecting a large number of the residents of the State of Aquatic splendor. With his mouth agape, our correspondent said in his inner most being, “Has this country gotten to this point where prostitution is advertised on a banner and tagged, ‘stress killer’ even when prostitution has not been legalised in the country.

In such bolt from the blue, the correspondent quickly picked up his phone and tried the numbers on the banner in his bid to discover the new stress killer, but there was no response after the phone rang out at the third attempt. The following day, he did the same but no one picked the call. What to do? He decided to visit the address provided on the banner and successfully discovered the advertisers at 25/27 Lisabi street, off Debari Bus-stop, Palmgrove, Shomolu, Lagos.

The advertiser was ‘Coded Spot’, an open bar with a lodging facility,for ‘short time’ and full time rest. While those, who lodge for short-time pays N1, 500, others pay N5, 000 for full lodging. As the name implies, the ‘new stress killer’ centre is a coded point as not many would know that such outfit and services exist and being rendered there. Coded point shares common boundary with a one story residential building, where a little girl sells food items in the front of the building. There is no perimeter wall between the house and the bar.

Those living up stairs will always see what goes on there. Beside the joint, is a lodging area with few rooms, all bungalows. Coded Spot in its menu, sells food, drinks and point and kill among other services. The Spot plays its music low, perhaps, due to the fact that it is a stress killer centre which did no want to disturb the neighbourhood or may be as a result of business style, which does not permit loud music.

Though the bar is small in structure, yet it is serene that anybody that enters there would like to relax there. Perhaps, our correspondent was expecting to see a Spa where massage and other things will be going on as a way of easing off stress, but none of such things was there; rather it was call girls who have turned themselves into stress killers.

Though the girls were not readily available during Sunday Telegraph’s first visit, but the manager of the Coded Spot, Mr. Princewill Peters, gave out a number of one of them, who gave our correspondent a date during the last Ladies’ Night club. According to the manager, their activities for the week start from Wednesday which is designated “Ladies Night”, when he usually organised babes for the delights of the male customers.

He said: “The girls do not come today and they do not live here. But I can give you a number of one of them, Dami. I arrange correct girls here and the amount they charge depends on how you speak with them. There is one I will give you, you will like her. Her name is Dami.” Asked whether Dami lives in a hotel or stands on the street, he said, “No, the girls I organise are not those kinds of people. They operate from their homes; their parent’s house.” For National Coordinator, The Wife, Dr. (Mrs.) Nkem Okoro, this is a food for thought for those who permit their daughters to go out at night and return in a short interval.

She noted that such parents and guardians might be aiding their short-time business to thrive because within one hour she might have three ‘short rests’ with unknown customers, having been called on phone. “For those who also consent their spending a night in a fellow female friend’s house, you could be aiding her full night service (till day break) to thrive,” she added.

She warned every parent and guardian to pay close attention to what their children do and where they go, especially at night as well as the kind of friends they keep. According to her, this will help to monitor and to correct them when they start going the wrong way, adding that child up bringing is a serious task that shouldn’t be left for the women or men alone.

Dami, who had a seductive voice when spoken to on the phone, said she was willing to offer any service demanded of her as long as the pay is right. Eventually, a meeting was brokered and she responded to the date of the meeting at the Coded Spot which took our correspondent there for the second time.

On “Kill stress before stress kills you,” the fine and innocent looking Dami explained, when you have good fun, it will help to keep you free from stress as the joy of my body will keep you away from stress. “At the moment you are with me, you stop thinking about what you are thinking, your spirit will be gallant and high, you will see well and your blood will circulate well. “This will keep you away from stress. Stress is bad and you know it can lead to depression.”

Sitting over a bottle of Smirrnoroff Ice, she said: “You will be well taken care of, she stressed. Trust me. For quick rest, I charge between N2, 000 and N4, 000 while N7, 000 and above is for full servicing of your engine. When I’m done, your engine will remain alive and gallant.” Dami in her early 20s, is charming with killing smiles on her face that many men will find difficult to resist.

She has an oval face with tiny waist but well rounded hip. Her ‘girls’ are still ‘up-standing’ and inviting. I can understand when she said: “The joy of my body will keep you from stress” With either self-made or natural red lips or sexy eyes, she commands attention of the men there. Dami’s claims reminded one of a track in Marvin Gay’s album titled “Sexual Healing,” a popular track that he didn’t live to celebrate. At this point, our correspondent summarised ‘after all, Marvin Gay, the late son of a strict cleric, could be right when he titled a track in one of his albums, ‘Sexual Healing.

’ Wondering how sex would kill stress and lack of it would lead to one dying of stress a Medical Psychologist, John Adams, said: “Having sex even a few times a week has an associative relationship with improved sense of smell.” He noted that after sex, production of the hormone prolactin surges, which in turn, causes stem cells in the brain to develop new neurons in the brain’s olfactory bulb, its smell center. Sex kills depression in the body, he said, insisting that a good and healthy sex helps in reducing the risk of heart disease and improves one’s cardiovascular health. “By having sex three or more times a week, men reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke by half.

Sex, is exercise and it burns about 200 calories, which is equivalent to running for 15 minutes or playing a spirited game. Sex also helps in weight loss,” he said. According to him, the pulse rate, in an aroused person, rises from about 70 beats per minute to 150, the same as that of an athlete putting forth maximum effort.

He added that muscular contractions during intercourse work the pelvis, thighs, buttocks, arms, neck and thorax. Also, Suzzy, a young girl in her early 20s and a student of Yaba Tech as she claimed, also towed the same line. Lagos, she said, is full of stress, adding many people walk on the streets and are talking to themselves.

She said: “Some people will be in a bus and forget their bus-stop. It’s happening and it has happened to me. And this is why we need to kill this stress and live better lives. “If you don’t kill stress, stress will kill you. So, let’s go and kill the stress now. I am not expensive. I can give you quick rest for N2, 000 but if you want TDB, we will negotiate that one.

I can come to your house or we stay here, any one you prefer. “When you do this, I’m sure that there are things bordering you that you will forget. Even as we are discussing now, I’m sure your body is relaxing, forgetting those stress at work and preparing for good rest. It’s our duty to help you kill stress and depression that our government has put us into.” More so, sex therapist and African Representative of Stem Cell Transplantation Centre for Africa (STEMCETA), Dr. Perry Iloegbunam said sex is pivotal to human health and the best form of exercise.

He said: “Sex is very important to the human health and it is the best form of exercise because every part of human body is involved during sexual intercourse. During sex, the brain is fully exercised, likewise the muscles of the body. “I’m not against anybody trying to improve his sex life, but this should be done with caution.

Lack of sexual intercourse can cause serious damage to the body. Lack of sexual intercourse can cause stern psychological problem in a man or woman. “There are people, who get sick but do not know they are suffering from a sex-related problem. Once, the group of people has good sex without drugs, they are healed. But before you can enter good sexual intercourse, you have to ensure that your sexual health is sound and definitely not by using enhancement drugs. “But I’m totally against sex enhancement drugs because does not fix the problem.

For someone to have low libido, it’s a problem that does not need the popular sex enhancement herb or aphrodisiac, as it will not take care of the condition. “What you need is to fix it properly. Penis has to do with tissues and when there is problem with the tissues, it will begin to degenerate and it’s only specific drugs that will help you regenerate it and not fast fixed local concoctions.

“When you continue to use these drugs instead treating yourself, you are causing more harm to your body. Such a person is causing more harm to the body. There is an Enhancement-PeP, which helps to regenerate the damage cells and blood will start flowing normal through the penis, when this is done such a person will begin to enjoy sex. It can lead to a number of hazardous situations because they are made of hard chemical compounds.”

Olaide Oyelude, Katsina

An 18-year-old student, Ahmed Abubakar, of Government Day Secondary School in Katsina State has allegedly killed his colleague, Mikailu Mustapha, following a misunderstanding between them over a girl.

The police said Abubakar, a.k.a Sha’aban, stabbed Mustapha to death during a misunderstanding, adding that he had confessed to the crime.

Consequently, he was arraigned before a Katsina Magistrates’ Court for culpable homicide under Section 221 of the Penal Code.

The police prosecutor, ASP Sani Ado, told the court on Thursday that investigation was still in progress.

The presiding magistrate, Hajiya Fadile Dikko, adjourned the matter till June 11 and remanded the accused in prison custody.

In a related development, a 20-year-old student of the Department of Sociology at the Federal University, Dutsin-ma, Sani Anas, is also facing prosecution for allegedly being in unlawful possession of a locally-made revolver pistol and six rounds of live ammunition suspected to have been stolen.

He was charged under Section 3(1) of the Robbery and Firearms Special Provision Act, Cap. R11, LFN, 2004 and 319A of the Penal Code.

Anas was remanded in prison custody till June 13.

By Adeola Yusuf


The projection by the Federal Government that Nigeria would begin fuel export by the end of 2019 is being threatened by imminent failure of 33 modular refinery licensees across the country.These modular refinery licenses, checks by New Telegraph shows, are yet to secure Authority to construct (AtoC) several years after the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) issued them. Concerned by this development, President Muhammadu Buhari has, according to a document of the ministry of Petroleum Resources, ordered issuance of import waiver for 3 of the modular refineries.

Stating that only 10 of 43 refineries licenses had so far secured DPR’s authority to construct (A to C) license, the ministry said; “what government is doing to encourage investors; include issuance of waivers by President Muhammadu Buhari for custom duty to the three modular refineries that are in advanced stages in Rivers, Delta, and Imo states. “It means that all the equipment that will be brought in after being vetted by the government would be brought in for free without payment of custom duty,” the document stated.

“That would save them a good amount depending on the size and complexity of the refinery.” Besides, it noted: “Today, we have about 43 licensed new refineries, both modular and large sized refineries. We have 250,000 barrels licensed refinery that was given to Petrolex. “Another 100,000 barrels license refinery was given to a company in Port Harcourt.

There are many other modular refineries being established, from 1000 to 30000 barrels capacity. “The objective of modular refinery is to ensure that the big capital requirement, which seems to be the major reason why refineries are not established is overcome by building small size refineries.” About 10 of the refineries have, according to the government, been issued authority to construct, meaning that they have already been given a licence to establish, and have been certified by the DPR. “Two of the refineries are almost ready for commissioning any time soon,” Chairman, Federal Government’s zero gas flaring scheme, Mr. Bello Sulaiman, added.

“ One of them in River State is a 10,000- barrel capacity refinery made up of two modules of 5,000 each, and have reached mechanical completion stage. “A 7,000-barrel capacity modular refinery is located in Kwale, in Delta State, others are spread across the states including Imo, Nassarawa, and Lagos. “Refineries cannot be too many in Nigeria. We want to ensure that all our crude is not exported. “We want crude to be refined in Nigeria so that we can take advantage of the total value chain of crude oil conversion.”

Committed to the restoration of oil polluted sites, the minister of environment, Suleiman Hassan Zarma, has led other senior government officials on a working visit to the United Kingdom for the successful clean-up of Ogoni oil spill.

The trip which was facilitated by the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) was to enable the delegates acquire global best practices in the remediation of other sites contaminated by oil pollution across the country. The members of governing council of Hydrocarbon Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP) who were part of the tour are expected to visit five sites in the United Kingdom.

These include Biogénie’s Trecatti and Redhill soil treatment facilities in South Wales and South East England respectively, the Coed Darcy regeneration project in South Wales, the former Avenue Coking Works in the East Midlands, and ALS Laboratories in North West England. Biogénie’s Trecatti contaminated soil treatment facility in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales provides clean-up for a variety of contaminants, with special focus on soils impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons.

The facility also operates at a larger scale and could accept a wider range of different types of waste, just as it serves as the main treatment facility for London and the south east. Added to this is that the facility is used for the treatment of soil that would have been disposed as hazardous waste, even as the cleaned-up soil could be re-used for restoration and landscaping. For Redhill, the soil treatment facility revealed how decontamination processes used at other sites could be scaled up.

The Coed Darcy, being one of the largest regeneration project in the United Kingdom was formerly occupied by the BP Llandarcy Oil Refinery until operations ceased in the mid-80s. With the changes, St. Modwen is currently working with Atkins to clean up and redevelop the site in a sustainable way. By 2027, it is expected that the re-developed site would be transformed into a new £1.2 billion urban village that would house around 10,000 people.

With a legacy of coal mining, iron works, and chemical works, Chesterfield’s former Avenue Coking Works in the East Midlands is famous as one of the most heavily contaminated industrial sites in Europe. The site would provide an opportunity for HYPREP’s governing council to witness the redeveloped land. Around three-quarters of the site were restored for open space, community and ecological uses, while the remaining areas were used for residential and commercial purposes.

The visit would also enable the delegates to observe an extensive range of in-situ and ex-situ remediation techniques, such as soil washing, bioremediation, thermal desorption, separating techniques, and among others. It was envisaged that these demonstration and visits would build HYPREP’s capacity to reuse and recycle many site worn out materials, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the clean-up exercise. In addition, the ALS operates as one of the largest laboratories in Europe.

The delegates, expected to visit the Chester laboratory in north- west England would focus on quality, accreditation, sample preparation, analysis of petroleum hydrocarbons, reporting, and interpretation of analysis. During the tour, they are expected to identify the aspects that could be replicated in Nigeria in order to increase the overall quality of indigenous laboratories. UNEP’s 2011 assessment of Ogoniland revealed that bringing back important ecosystems to full productive health could take up to 30 years.

The report had recommended that a $1 billion should be set aside for the first five years of remediation activities. Upon completion, the clean-up of Ogoniland could serve as a model for replication in both Nigeria and the region. Experts had stated that the restoration of Ogoniland initiated by the federal government could prove to be the world’s most complex and longest oil clean-up exercise ever undertaken. This is why UNEP in its 2011 assessment report highlighted the severe and widespread contamination due to oil production spanning several decades.

A statement signed by the director of press in the ministry, Mr Saghir Mohammed, hinted that federal government was determined to implement UNEP recommendations. To this end, President Muhammadu Buhari upon assumption of office in 2015 promised to restore livelihoods in Ogoniland, by establishing HYPREP, an institution under the federal ministry of environment that is tasked with the clean-up process.

By CHIJIOKE IREMEKA reports



In a society like Nigeria, being a mortuary attendant is a great sin; enough reason for one’s choice of damsel to quit a thriving relationship and reject marriage proposal at the mention of mortuary attendant, since many morticians are seen as living ghost, who dine and wine with the dead. CHIJIOKE IREMEKA reports of his experiences with the dead


Spending a day with naked beautiful women and handsome men at the Iyi-Enu General Hospital Morgue, Ogidi, Anambra State, was an experience many would rather not have, but yet very educative and revealing. At the morgue, many thoughts were struggling for space on my mind.

The mind became a seat of unpardonable debates and the conclusion was this is a home of the dead, a place where beautiful women and handsome men no longer feel ashamed to welcome their visitors while naked. Some were fresh while others were dry like stockfish. Some of them came in gorgeously dressed but end up being naked without being ashamed of who sees their ‘privaties.’

These are the same ‘privaties’ they had covered and protected with every vigour but cannot fight for them again. Upon entrance to the morgue, Sunday Telegraph expected the ‘flatmates’ to rise and cover themselves as visitors were coming, but none of the ‘flatmates’ could do that. Those with small wrappers on their cold bodies could not also adjust themselves to cover their unclothedness.

More still, pains are no more; they do not feel pains anymore even as the morticians threw them like a log on the floor or upon others. They were not being pitied for, neither were the ladies treated like ladies and the men treated like kings in their palaces. In this realm, every ‘flatemate’ is equal before the other. Male’s room is not separated from that of the female, and there is no male or female toilet as the case may be. “Don’t you have respect for my body” is long thrown overboard as the only thing to distinguish a male from a female is their private parts.

They can’t answer their names anymore; they can only be identified with the help of tally, hence, the mortuary attendants have a great duty of carefulness not to miss tag anybody. Bringing out a tally, with which to identify my father’s body, and seeing number 243, got the correspondent wondering how many bodies were waiting final departure to be committed to the mother earth.

I saw my father, called on him, but he wouldn’t respond, I touched him, but he didn’t wake up, rather I felt sort of cold sensation. I spoke he didn’t speak back. At this point, it dawned on the Correspondent that life has gone, the spirit has gone, soul has left the body empty, and the body on its own, waiting to return to the dust where it came from. This is the fulfillment of the Scripture; the path of every mortal.

The life reality overwhelmed. On regular basis more bodies were being deposited in the morgue, which meant more money for the morticians, yet the attendants were not happy making much money and find it most difficult getting life partners to spend their money with.

The mortuary attendants face great stigmatisation in the society and as a result, many women do not want to marry them despite their money and handsomeness. Those who reject them still can’t do without them when a loved one drops dead and needs to be taken care of. Their profession is like a necessary evil which is appreciated at a point.

Obong John, a mortuary attendant at Iyi- Enu General Hospital is one of such people suffering from marriage rejections, relationships break up and societal stigmatization for choosing that part of profession. He said: “I lost relationships because of my profession. I lost two fiancées because I told them the truth about what I do for a living. No woman will be pleased to marry a man like us except she is not with her right senses.”

Obong is speaking of high stigma mortuary attendants and by extension, trained pathologists face in the society due to their chosen profession. He is one of those who have lost thriving relationships due to the profession. Forty-two-year-old Calabar-born Obong, could not get married to his choice lady for many years when his mates where getting married despite his financial stability.

He said: “I took my wife unawares and by the time she knew it, it was too late for her to go back; she was already pregnant of my twin boys but it wasn’t easy convincing her to stay. I thought I had lost her as usual. As at 43, I was still looking for who will accept me, but naturally I didn’t find anybody.


“Many people, especially women feel that we have a lot to do with the dead and sometimes feel we are spirits and not normal persons. The last woman I lost asked how was she to live with a man who goes out every time to dress dead people with his hand and come back to touch her with the same hand.” He noted that when a lady starts discussing with him and gets to know that he is a mortuary attendant, her emotion and passion will enter reverse gear, saying that such a lady will manage to leave that day and never returns.

He continued: “This was what I suffered for years before I decided not to tell my wife what I do until I impregnated her. It is a major problem for us. Nobody in the society wants to relate with us even the few ones that do, will not want to eat with us on the same plate.

“My wife does not eat swallow with me on the same plate because of my job. Touching her is yet another problem. It’s painful but there is nothing I can do. Some people will not want to sit near us. They feel that we are corpses too. Those that will sit with you will hold their breath as if we smell. In fact, this is the reason we hardly tell people what we do except they discover it themselves.

“Initially, for my wife to make love to me, she has to be drunk in order not to think about it or feel that she was making love to a corpse or being touched with the same hands with which I dress dead bodies. But she is getting better now but I know she is not free from her feelings yet.”

According to another mortician, Vincent Adibe from Aguleri, who confirmed the societal stigmatisation of the job, morticians are seen as abnormal people and at the same time, not respected in the society. He noted that when list of highly placed professions are mentioned in the society, nobody mentions mortuary attendants save for trained pathologists which are mentioned with great trepidation.

He said: “In some cases, you will be coming to fetch water from the tap and people will be running away from you; they give way and allow you to fetch and go before they could fetch theirs. Some of them give us a lot of allowance when they see you on the road.

“Seeing us at lonely place at night or early hours of the day is like one has seen a ghost but there is nothing to do, this is what my father taught me and transferred to me. My father used to be a traditionalist, so he trained me in his line of profession when I was in secondary school.

“He used to preserve corpses for people in the village with local dry gin (sapele water) until the bodies are to be buried. So with a time, he was employed by a hospital to manage their dead until it became something he did as profession.

He trained us with the proceeds from it and I felt one can equally make money from it. “I didn’t have problem with my wife because I married a traditionalist too who understands the things of the spirit. She is a perfect blend. She helps me a lot. It was part of what my father asked me to do so that I will not have problems getting married.

So I went for a traditional woman. My father had to charm a lady to marry her.” Sunday Telegraph learnt that some ritualists attendants make money from the human parts to sell to those need them; hence the need to ensure that the parts of the corpses brought to the morgues, especially private parts intact.

One of the ways to ensure this does not happen is by instructing the attendants to open the mouth of your loved one to sure that the tongue is still there or uncover the body for you to see that the private parts are intact or the eyes, the ears and examine the body whether there is a cut which will suggest that some internal organs like the heart and others have been removed.

Asked why they check the mouth of the dead, Edafe Efekodo, said for ritualist morticians, they sell parts. “So when you visit and demand to see the private part of the dead, they will open his mouth, private part, tongues and others to confirm these.

“We act on your instructions, so attendants will respond to your requests. But selling of parts is not done in a big hospital like this but mainly in the private morgues if you are not careful.”

Mr. Alhassan Azaah, who has over 11 years of work experience as a ‘mortuary man,’ said his life is marred by stigma. Setting out in life, he never dreamt of becoming a mortuary attendant although he was one of the best undertakers in his village. But life, with its twist and turns, offered him an opportunity to serve humanity as a mortuary attendant, so he gracefully woke up to the call, since it was going to put food on the table.

Alhassan recalls he chanced on an announcement of vacancy at the hospital, and knowing how prestigious it was to be working as a health worker; he put his documents together and applied for the job. “Will you agree to do any work here at the hospital if you are picked to work here?” was the only question he recalls he was asked during the interview session and in answering affirmative, he was asked to go and wait for the response. After several weeks of waiting, Alhassan received the all-important call notifying him of his appointment as a mortuary man.

Although it was a relieving call, he had to think through with some close relatives and out of four people whose opinions he sought; three were in support of his new appointment, hence taking up the responsibility. Although things did not turn out to be what he envisaged, he worked hard for the love for humanity as a casual worker for four years with a meagre salary.

“I worked for four years as a casual worker. I think I started working in 2006 and I worked for four years without a better salary but I was happy to be working for humanity so I continuously was committed to my work until I had my full time appointment,” he said.

He continued: “Me I no get juju. It is God who protects me. All that an individual needs is courage and the protection from the Most High God.” Recounting his numerous spiritual encounters with a dead bodies, he said: “One day, someone died and I had to collect the body from the hospital and prepare it for the morgue.

This individual died out of a spiritual battle, so when I carried it from the hospital and got to the morgue, he (corpse) put off all the lights in the morgue. “I was the only one by then, so I gather courage and shout at him to put the light on and he did and I prepared it there.

But the greatest embarrassment I have faced was the day I went to the bank to take his salary. On my arrival, I met one nurse in the bank, who what is the mortuary man doing in the bank?” He noted that all eyes were on him and so to avoid further embarrassment he decided to leave the bank but was prevailed upon and was served by one of the tellers and that has been the order since that day. In recounting this, a teary Alhassan mentioned that he had gone through several embarrassing situations in his life but that scene at the bank was the most embarrassing day of his life.

Sharing her experiences, Julie, who has a pathologist as a friend, said: “I met one pathologist, and we got on talking. When I discovered that he is a pathologist, I was a bit scared and cautious and so didn’t allow physical contact. “He trained in France and almost lost his African identity due to his long stay over there. He is fond of giving friends pecks.

One day, we were discussing and the next thing heard was a peck on the cheek. That day I felt something unusual and cold sensation on my cheek. Goose pimples were all over my body. It looks as if a corpse had touched me.

“In fact, we went for meal but I technically avoided eating together with him. I had to change my order. In one occasion, I placed my order and when his was brought in; I decided to change mine just to ensure I didn’t eat the same thing with him.

So that discrimination was there, but most time it is a thing of psychology. Asked how he relates with his wife, he said, “Well, this over 20 years marriage, so my wife has moved on. She is now familiar with my profession but I know she is nursing some funny in her my mind about me. She felt the same way you are feeling initially.”

In another development, a young lady was asked by Sunday Telegraph whether she would like to marry a rich mortician, but she said marrying a mortuary attendant will be tantamount to living the rest of her life with fear and depression, hence there is no need for doing that. “How will I tell my mother, friends and kinsmen that I am getting married to a mortician? God forbid. My family will disown me. I will be feeling that I am with a corpse in the house.

It’s not easy don’t go there at all,” said Chinyere Mbachu, a single girl believing God for marriage. “No matter how desperate I am, it has not got to the point of tying the knots with a mortician, mortuary attendant, who eats and start his day with dead people.

In fact, look at me and see the goose pimples all over by body. It’s not possible. I am not saying that they are not humans, but there other women who will marry them but I am not one of them. Thank you,” she added.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has said claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Atiku Abubakar’s nationality suggest that President Muhammadu Buhari enjoyed votes from non-Nigerians as well.

Falana explained that, saying Abubakar is originally from Cameroon implies that those who voted in his ward, including for President Muhammadu Buhari, are Cameroonians as well.

Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are challenging Buhari’s re-election at the tribunal.

The APC had, in its response to one of Atiku’s allegations, told the tribunal that the PDP candidate is not qualified to participate in the presidential election because he is from former Sarduana province of Cameroon that later joined Nigeria through a referendum.

But Falana, while speaking at a press freedom conference the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) organised in Abuja, said the APC accepted the results when Buhari defeated Atiku in the same ward in question.

“If Atiku is a now Cameroonian, doesn’t that suggest that those who voted for President Buhari in his ward for the candidate are Cameroonian citizens too?” he asked.

Oladimeji Ramon



The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, on Saturday said he defeated and retired four political godfathers in Kaduna State, saying the feat could be replicated anywhere, including Lagos State.

El-Rufai, who argued that godfathers existed only on paper or in the minds of the people, said the key to defeating them was in going directly to the people.

He, however, admitted that defeating godfathers required time and hard work.

The Kaduna State Governor spoke in Ikoyi, Lagos, at an event organised by the Bridge Club tagged, “An evening with His Excellency Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State.”

In his main speech, El-Rufai had encouraged the club members, who are businessmen, not to shy away from politics, saying it was more important than making money as bad politics could mess up their businesses.

El-Rufai said Nigeria had permanently remained a country of potential because good and competent people had distanced themselves from politics.

However, during the question and answer session, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and three-time commissioner in Lagos State, Dr Muiz Banire, noted that godfathership was one of the drawbacks for professionals and businessmen who might want to go into politics.

Banire then asked El-Rufai how godfathership could be dealt with.

Responding, El-Rufai said, “Godfatherism. This is Lagos. Let me tell you something sir; you know, Kaduna State used to be like that. There were three or four politicians in Kaduna that you could not become anything unless you had them on your side. Those were the godfathers of Kaduna politics and you had to carry them along and you know, the three words, ‘carry them along’ mean paying them regularly.

“But we chose a different path and the long and short of it now is that after this election in 2019, we have retired all of them; we had to.”

El-Rufai added that the fact that only one million out of the six million registered voters in Lagos voted in the last general elections was an opportunity to end godfathership in the state.

He said, “Here in Lagos, you have over six million registered voters, only about a million voted (in 2019 general elections); five million did not vote. If I want to run for governor of Lagos, I will start now. I will commission a study to know why those five million registered voters did not vote; where do they go on election day? Then I will start visiting them for the next four years. I will try and get just two million of them to come and vote for me; I will defeat any godfather. The key is to go to the people. The card reader and the biometric register have given us the tools to connect directly with the people. I assure you if you do that for the next four years, connecting with the people; the tin godfather, you will retire him or her permanently. But it is hard work; it requires three to four years of hard work. So, if you want to run in 2023, you should start now.”

On the question of money, El-Rufai said it would require about N2bn to do the job, which he said the businessmen could provide.

“With about N2bn; if you start, you see these guys with black ties, they will give you the N2bn. Many of the godfathers are either on paper or in the mind of people in politics. They are defeatable. We retired four of them in Kaduna State within a four-year time and they are gone. One of them boasted that he put me in the government house and he would take me out.”

Earlier in his lecture, El-Rufai said the difference between Nigeria and progressive nations of the world was because incompetent people were in charge in Nigeria.

He said, “In most of the developed worlds, the best and the brightest are in politics and public service. I urge you to google the profiles of the captains of the USA, UK, Japan, China and Singapore over the last 10 years and compare their educational and experience profile with ours, you will understand why we are where we are.

“The UK has been run by graduates of Oxford most of the time; the US has been run by graduates of Harvard and Yale most of the time in the last 100 years. You go to China, Singapore, similar profiles. In Nigeria, we have people that never went to school in our National Assembly. We have people with questionable qualifications as state governors. We will go nowhere as long as our best and brightest, people that sit in rooms like this are not in politics or public service.”

The President of Bridge Club, Mr A.U. Mustapha (SAN), who is El-Rufai’s private lawyer, described the governor as an upright and an intelligent person.

Mustapha said El-Rufai was invited so that he could tell the club members about himself, as opposed to the image being given him by the press.

Among the dignitaries at the event were the President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick; the Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Waheed Olagunju; and MD, First City Monument Bank, Adam Nuru.

https://thenationonlineng.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/clara_chime_0.jpg


Estranged wife of former Enugu State Governor, Mrs Clara Chime on Thursday asked the FCT High Court, Apo to grant her custody of her 10-year-old son.

Clara prayed the court during her response at the hearing of the petition filed by Sullivan Chime, seeking the dissolution of their 11 years marriage.

She informed the court that she was ready to divorce her husband and prayed that the custody of their son be given to her and child maintenance fee of N500,000 monthly.

Clara told the court that her son was not properly cared for and she is only allowed to see him five hours a month under heavy security.

When asked under cross-examination if she had taken a picture to present as evidence, she informed the court the she was forbidden by her husband’s stewards and security personnel from taking pictures of her .

While responding to Mr Paul Onya ,counsel to the petitioner, she informed the court that in the two previous petitions she filed she had demanded for custody of her child.

Onye then requested to tender the petitions filed at Enugu High Court and a FCT High Court as exhibits before the court.

Counsel to Clara, Mr Achibongu Iyeme, objected that the documents were not certified.

Clara also informed the court that she was depressed during her marriage because her husband only had marital relations with her only on their wedding night and never touched her so it led to her depressed condition.

Clara further denied any allegation of schizophrenia but said she only saw the CMD of neural psychiatric because her husband brought him home.

Justice Angela Otaluka ruled that documents were not admissible, she further adjourned the case till June 10 for continuation of hearing.

NAN

TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE writes on the mixed fortunes of deputy governors who contested in the 2019 elections. While some will either be returning to office or moving to National Assembly having won senatorial election, others are likely to experience precipitous loss in stature after attainment of great heights given their loss in the poll.

On May 29, when the new dispensation would be ushered in, some incumbent deputy governors will be rejoicing and looking forward to a brighter future, while some would be counting their losses following poor performance in the last general elections, especially in the March 9 governorship poll.

There were lots of surprises during the gubernatorial elections in many states as some deputy governors retained their seats, while the hopes of some were dashed. Out of the 29 states where governorship elections took place on March 9, only 16 deputy governors scaled through and got re-elected, while two were stopped by the opposition party as a result of the failure of their principals to be re-elected.

Jigawa State deputy governor, Ibrahim Hassan won a senatorial poll to emerge as Senator-elect, while the remaining 10 deputy governors are expected to leave with their governors on May 29 as a result of the completion of their terms. It is of note that none of the outgoing governors is handing over to their deputies next month.

The ambition of some of the deputy governors who contested for governorship with or without the support of their governors did not see the light of day as they failed to clinch their party’s tickets during the primary elections. Political ambitions also forced some governors and their deputies, who started very well to end their respective administrations as a divided house.


Zamfara deputy governor fails


The Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Ibrahim Wakala, aspired to step into the shoes of Governor Abdulaziz Yari, but his ambition did not see the light of the day as the governor endorsed the state Commissioner for Finance, Muktar Idris, as the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

The governorship seat was zoned to Zamfara Central, where the deputy governor and Idris hail from, but Idris was endorsed against all odds by Governor Yari and all APC stakeholders. Wakala tried to fight back, but couldn’t muster enough strength to upturn the party’s decision as Idris despite all the controversies that surrounded his candidature took part in the March 9 governorship election and won the contest.


Adebule loses out


Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule, was inaugurated on May 29, 2015, alongside her principal, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and both of them without any iota of doubt enjoyed cordial relationship in office as there was no record of disagreement during their tenure.

As a first term deputy governor, Adebule was entitled to another term, but the power tussle in Lagos APC stalled it as she and Ambode were denied return ticket by the party led by the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

As a result of internal wrangling in the APC, Ambode lost the party’s governorship ticket to a former Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC), Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was the favourite of the party’s leaders. While Ambode decided to fight back by contesting against APC’s leaders’ decision, Adebule towed the line of the party by voting for Sanwo-Olu during the governorship primary, saying that her decision was based on party’s supremacy.

With the emergence of Sanwo-Olu as governor-elect and Dr. Obafemi Hamzat as incoming deputy governor, Adebule is expected to leave the seat of power with Governor Ambode on May 29.


Two female deputy governors win


At the moment, there are four female deputy governors in Nigeria, but only two scaled through during the last governorship elections. They are Dr. Ipalibo Banigo of Rivers State and her Enugu State counterpart, Cecilia Ezeilo. The other two others, Adebule (Lagos) and Yetunde Onanuga (Ogun) will leave office on May 29.

Banigo, who is the first female deputy governor in the state, has reaffirmed her loyalty to Governor Nyesom Wike on many occasions. The medical doctor turned politician is part and parcel of the giant stride of the Wike-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in the state and she was re-elected with Governor Wike in the last gubernatorial poll.

Like her Rivers State counterpart, Ezeilo, who is the first female deputy governor of Enugu State since its creation in 1991, was re-elected in the March 9 governorship election as running mate to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. A lawyer turned politician, Ezeilo is the first female to represent Ezeagu Constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly. She served as Deputy Chief Whip and House Committee Chairman on Judiciary, Ethics and Privilege in Enugu State House of Assembly before Ugwuanyi picked her as running mate in the 2015 gubernatorial election on the platform of the PDP.


Bauchi, Adamawa deputy governors sink with principals


Audu Sule and Martins Babale, the deputy governors of Bauchi and Adamawa states are the only two incumbents that sank with their principals during the March 9 governorship elections.

Following the loss of Governors Muhammed Abubakar and Bindow Jibrilla, who ran on the platform of APC, Sule and Babale are going to be replaced on May 29 by Senator Baba Tela and Barr. Afrimu Jingi, who were the running mates to Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), respectively in the last governorship elections.

Governor Abubakar’s ambition of remaining in the Bauchi State government house beyond May 29 was truncated by Mohammed, a former Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who won the election on PDP’s platform. Mohammed scored 515,113 votes to defeat the incumbent, who polled 500,625 votes.

Babale also lost the opportunity of joining the deputy governors, who served for two consecutive terms. He and his boss, Bindow lost the Adamawa State governorship poll to the PDP due to the influence of the former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who hails from the state.

It was reported that prior to the election, there was report of cold war between Governor Bindow and Babale to the point that the governor allegedly barred his deputy from attending the APC’s statewide campaign due to what was ascribed Babale’s alleged waning popularity.

Fintiri, a former acting governor of Adamawa State won the gubernatorial poll by 376,552 votes against Bindow’s 336,386 votes. With their defeat, Sule and Babale will leave Adamawa government house next month for the arrival of the new deputy governors.


Jigawa deputy governor wins senatorial seat


While many of his colleagues were re-elected or expected to leave with their principals on May 29, the deputy governor of Jigawa State, Ibrahim Hassan, come June will be joining the league of ex-deputy governors in the Senate, when the 9th National Assembly would be inaugurated.

Hassan was declared the winner of Jigawa North-East Senatorial District during the February 23 National Assembly poll. The deputy governor, who contested on the platform of the APC, scored 184,185 votes to defeat a PDP serving senator, Ubale Shittu, who polled 103,039 votes.

With his emergence as Senator-elect, Hassan will be replaced on May 29 by a former Commissioner for Finance in the state, Umaru Namadi, who was running mate to Governor Abubakar Badaru in the last governorship election.


el-Rufai’s deputy loses senatorial bid


Kaduna State deputy governor, Barnabas Bala Bantex, contested the APC senatorial primaries and won the party’s ticket for Kaduna South Senatorial District. But despite the APC being the ruling party in the state and federal levels, he lost the contest to the incumbent, Senator Danjuma La’ah.

APC won virtually all the federal and state elected positions in Kaduna State, but Bantex was unlucky in his quest to join the league of former deputy governors in Senate. The deputy governor scored 133,287 votes against La’ah of PDP, who polled 268,923 votes.

Bantex, an architect by profession, is an experienced politician, who had served in all the three tiers of government. He once successfully ran for Chairman of Kaura Local Government Area, where he was credited with the implementation of numerous developmental projects.

He also served in the House of Representatives on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) representing Kaura Federal Constituency as the only ACN legislator in the entire North-West geo-political zone. After the birth of APC, he served as the party’s state chairman in Kaduna and was later picked as running mate to former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasri el-Rufai in the 2015 elections.


Abia, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River deputy governors, others re-elected


While some deputy governors failed to be re-elected alongside their bosses or fell out with their principals, the deputy governors of Kano, Abia, Delta, Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers, among others scaled through during the March 9 governorship polls.

Kano State deputy governor, Nasiru Gawuna, was lucky to scale through the hurdles during the March 9 governorship and supplementary elections in the state, which was won by APC that presented Governor Abdullahi Ganduje as its candidate.

Gawuna played crucial role in the governorship election as he fought hard to ensure that his party overcome former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s political force and onslaught against Governor Ganduje. Gawuna would be sworn-in on May 29 with his boss for another four years at the helms of affairs in Kano State.

Ude Oko Chukwu, was re-elected alongside his boss, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in Abia State during the last governorship poll, while Mr. Moses Ekpo is expected to be sworn-in with Governor Udom Emmanuel in Akwa Ibom State on May 29.

Cross River State deputy governor, Prof. Ivara Ejemot Esu, also scaled through the forces of the opposition in the state to be re-elected alongside Governor Benedict Ayade for the next four years.

Kingsley Otuaro (Delta), Kelechi Igwe (Ebonyi), Benson Abounu (Benue), Mannir Yakubu (Kastina), Sonni Tyoden (Plateau), Samail Yombe Dabai (Kebbi), Haruna Manu (Taraba), Ahmed Ketso (Niger) and Manir Dan’iya (Sokoto), were also re-elected on March 9 as deputies to Governors Ifeanyi Okowa, David Umahi, Samuel Ortom, Aminu Masari, Simon Lalong, Atiku Bagudu, Darius Ishaku, Abubakar Bello and Aminu Tambuwal, respectively.


Kisira, Onanuga, Adeyemo, others to leave with governors


Having served and enjoyed cordial relationship with their governors while in office, 12 deputy governors are expected to leave office with their principals on May 29, when they are expected to hand over the baton to a new government.

Ogun State deputy governor, Chief Yetunde Onanuga, is expected leave office on May 29 with his boss, Governor Ibikunle Amosun. Oyo State Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Adeyemo, is also expected to vacate office on May 29 after eight years of uninterrupted two-terms with Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

Peter Kisira (Kwara), Usman Durkwa (Borno), Charles Iliya (Gombe) and Silas Ali Agara (Nasarawa) are also expected to bow out of office next month after the completion of the second term of Governors Abdulfatai Ahmed, Kashim Shettima, Ibrahim Dankwambo and Tanko Al-Makura.


Yobe deputy not endorsed by principal


Yobe State deputy governor, Engr Abubakar D. Ali, was among those people who were tipped for governorship in the state due to his relationship with Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, but the governor backed the former APC National Secretary, Mai-Mala Buni, for the governorship contest and he won the election.

With the outcome of the governorship election in Yobe State, Ali, who is a younger brother of late Governor Mamman Bello Ali, Gaidam’s predecessor, will bow out of office as number two citizen of Yobe State on May 29.


Madumere dumped Governor Okorocha for Uzodinma


Imo State deputy governor, Prince Eze Madumere, is one of the deputy governors, who declared their intention to succeed their principals, but despite his closeness to Governor Rochas Okorocha, the governor did not give his deputy any special consideration to replace him. Rather he endorsed his Chief of Staff and son-in-law, Uche Nwosu.

Okorocha, having worked for many years with his deputy didn’t want Madumere to be left out of the politics after May 29, therefore he offered him the senatorial ticket of Imo East Senatorial District, but the offer was turned down, as Madumere who is from Owerri zone which has not produced a governor since the return to democracy in 1999, insisted that he has made up his mind to contest for the office of the governor.

Madumere in his quest to actualise his governorship ambition teamed up with other APC chieftains in Imo State to stop Governor Okorocha from producing Nwosu as APC’s governorship flag bearer in the state. The gang-up against Okorocha’s candidate materialised as Senator Hope Uzodimma emerged as APC’s governorship candidate for Imo State.

Okorocha rejected the choice of Uzodimma and backed Nwosu to pick ticket of Action Alliance (AA), while the governor remained in APC to contest for the senatorial poll. Madumere teamed up with Uzodimma in the governorship election, but both Uzodimma and Nwosu lost the governorship poll to the candidate of the PDP, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, a former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives.

Come May 29, the incumbent governors are going to experience different things as development at federal and state levels will determine their political future. While some who are in the ruling party may benefit political largesse at state or federal levels, those who lost their seats to the opposition party may face a bleak future unless they are accommodated at the federal level by the ruling APC.

It is also of note that some of the deputy governors who are serving their second term may start lobbying towards succeeding their principals in 2023 and the ambition may either strengthen or break the cordial relationship between governors and their deputies.

Apart from the 29 deputy governors whose fate after May 29 were decided by the outcome of the March 9 governorship elections, the remaining seven deputy governors future will also be determining by forthcoming governorship elections in their respective states, especially those who are in their second term.

The states where governorship elections would be held before 2023 are Kogi, Bayelsa, Edo, Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states. While Governors Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Willie Obiano (Anambra) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) are in their second terms, Governors Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and Gboyega Oyetola (Osun) are in their first terms and whatever decision they take will affect the political future of their deputies.

By Hamza Idris (Abuja) & Habibu Umar Aminu


A senior traditional title holder in Daura Emirate Council in Katsina State, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, was abducted by four gunmen who stormed his residence in the ancient city last night. The traditional ruler, who holds the title of Magajin Garin Daura, is a retired Customs Controller and a cousin of the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Faruk Umar.

A witness, who simply identified himself as Malam Abdullahi, told the Daily Trust that the gunmen stormed the residence of the traditional ruler in a convoy of two vehicles – a blue Peugeot 406 Saloon car and a Toyota Hilux. “They met him in front of his house at Kwanar Agam in the city and forcefully abducted him around 7pm after Magrib prayers.”

Another witness, Malam Muhammad, who lives in the same area with the traditional title holder, said the whole incident played out like a drama. “We all observed the Maghrib prayer in the same neighbourhood and left the mosque. The district head retreated back to his house and sat in the front…It is part of his routine to wait until after the Isha’i, the last prayer of the day, before he will retire into his house.

“However, while seated in front of his house, he received some phone calls. From all indications, those who called told him they were on their way to see him. “Few minutes after, they arrived at the house, parked their vehicles, alighted and then approached the Magajin Gari. All of a sudden, they grabbed him and whisked him into one of the waiting vehicles and sped off,” he said. “When people tried to come to his aid, the gunmen shot sporadically in the air to scare the people who were forced to run to safety,” he added.

Asked if the district head was not in company of his security aides, he said, “Only few palace courtiers were with him. This is probably because Daura and environs have always been peaceful.” A source, who craved for anonymity, said the Magajin Gari might have been targeted because of his standing. “You know he is married to Hajiya Bilki, a niece to President Muhammadu Buhari, being the daughter of his elder sister, Hajiya Rakiya.

He is also the father of Fatima, who is married to the president’s Aide De Camp (ADC), Col. Mohammed Abubakar. “We have never had this kind of incident in Daura in the past despite our proximity to the Nigerien border. Though nobody was killed or injured, the people were highly traumatised,” he said. Another source, who does not want to be named, said he lives less than 500 metres from the house of the Magajin Gari.

“When we heard the first shooting, we actually thought it was form the electric transformer nearby. However, we suddenly heard more sounds and it downed on us that it was gunshots. “Most of those we were seated together ran to safety because we only heard of things like this happening in other places. “When the shooting subsided, I summoned courage and walked towards the direction of the gunshots and lo and behold, it was the district head that was abducted,” he said.

Shortly after, hundreds of sympathizers converged on the residence of the district head while some soldiers and policemen were seen patrolling the ancient city. Daily Trust reports that most of the security challenges in Katsina State are happening in communities close to Zamfara State. ‘Abductors yet to contact family’ Credible sources told the Daily Trust that shortly after the abduction, the kidnappers who fired several shots into the air drove on high speed towards Zango, a town roughly 16 kilometres away from Daura that shares border with Niger Republic. The gunmen switched off Magajin Gari’s handsets and so they could not be reached. They also were yet to contact the family, Daily Trust heard.

Confirming the incident, the Spokesman of Daura Emirate Council, Usman Ibrahim, said some people tried to rescue the district head but the abductors fired shots in the air which scared them away. In a telephone interview with the Daily Trust, the Chairman of Daura Local Government Area, Engr. Abba Mato, also confirmed the incident. He said they had informed security operatives of the development and efforts are on to rescue the ex-Customs controller.

Engr. Mato added that besides the efforts by security agencies to rescue the high ranking traditional ruler, clerics and residents of Daura and environs have been urged to pray to Allah to unravel the perpetrators. Other sources told our correspondents that the Army, Air Force, Police, Customs and Immigrations personnel have intensified surveillance along all the corridors leading to Daura, up to border with Niger. This included Daura-Zango, Daura, Kongolam- Mai’adua and Daura Sandamu among others. “Security agencies in Niger Republic have also been alerted…We strongly believe the kidnappers would be tracked down soonest,” one of the sources said.

By Ademola Adegbite - Abuja



IT was a show of shame, on Monday in Abuja, as one of the arrested sex workers by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) openly told the Mobile Court that some task force members had “sex” with their colleagues and released them illegally before the day of judgement.

The drama started immediately after eight of the suspects, who were arraigned at the mobile court, alighted from the task force vehicle.

One of the suspects, who simply identified herself as Comfort Abbah, lamented that only eight out of over 30 people arrested were brought before the magistrate.

According to her, “we were more than 30 that were arrested by the task force. The task force members after having sex with some of the girls then released them. We are here because nobody came to get us out.”

It will be recalled that the sex workers were arrested at various night clubs and red light zones within the territory.

The crack midnight operations carried out by a combined task force team of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and the Social Development Secretariat (SDS) were said to have resulted to the arrest of over 30 sex workers and nude dancers.

However, the suspects’ protest did not stop the arraignment as the prosecution counsel, Barrister Eze Eze read the charges against the suspects before the magistrate who was already seated to hear the matter.

After reading the charges of dancing naked and causing public nuisance which the prosecution counsel said violated section 35 of the AEPB Act, four of the suspects pleaded guilty, while other four said they were not guilty of the offence.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Idayat Akanni told the suspects, who pleaded guilty that the offences attract N5, 000 fine or six months imprisonment. Following a plea for mercy by the suspects, the magistrate reduced the fine to N3, 000 which they paid and regained their freedom.

And for those who pleaded not guilty, the court adjourned the matter till April 30th for further hearing, while she granted them bail in the sum of N10, 000 each and one surety in like sum.

Meanwhile, the Acting Secretary, Social Development Secretariat, Hajia Safiya Umar, though did not disclose what happened before some of the arrested sex workers were illegally released by members of the task force, she admitted that there was a compromise that must be investigated and punished.

Umar noted that 32 girls were arrested at various red light zones in the city on Friday by the task force which she led in the operation, she expressed shock that her staff illegally released 27 without her approval.

“I must be honest with you, I have been very disappointed because we carried out the arrest 32 girls on Friday. My staff decided to give out 27 of them without my knowledge. When I got wind of that I ordered them to find and return the girls. Following that order, they went out on Saturday and arrested a different set of girls and mixed up with the remaining ones,” she lamented.

The Managing Director of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Mr Uche Orji, said the selection of Aisha Abba Kyari, the daughter of President Buhari’s Chief of Staff, as an Assistant Vice-President at the authority, was based on her academic qualifications, international and local work experiences.

Mr Orji made this known yesterday in Abuja while addressing the journalists on the financial performance of the agency in 2018.

Meanwhile, the NSIA, which manages Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, said it made a profit of N46.5bn in 2018.

The NSIA presentation made by Orji showed that the profit of the authority had more than doubled when compared with the N22.55bn recorded in 2017 financial year.

Orji said: “Despite concerns over international trade flows, slow growth in key economic indicators and increased volatility across financial market, the Authority’s investment strategy proved robust.

“Total comprehensive income, including the impact of foreign exchange gains, was N44.34bn which shows an increase from the N27.93bn recorded in 2017.

“Also, total assets recorded a growth of 16 per cent to N617.7bn at year end, showing an increase when compared to the N533.88bn of 2017.

“The return on capital employed on the core funds of the NSIA is as follows; Stabilisation Fund, 7.2 per cent, Future Generation Fund, 8.3 per cent and Nigeria Infrastructure Fund, 7.7 per cent,” he said.

Giving a review of the Authority’s activities, Orji said the NSIA was helping to reduce input-induced food price inflation through the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI).

He said that under the PFI in 2018, an additional 5.5 million bags of NPK 20:10:10 fertiliser was produced and sold in Nigeria bringing the total project output from inception to date at over 12 million bags.

In addition, Orji said that the NSIA disbursed $650m for infrastructure construction projects under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF)

Some of the projects include the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge; and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road.

Orji said that till date, the NSIA had disbursed N77.6 billion under the PIDF programme.

He said other projects being undertaken under PIDF included Mambilla Hydro-Power Project and East-West Road.

The NSIA boss also described as successful, the NSIA investment in the health sector, which had led to the establishment of a world class cancer center at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. (NAN)

Ifeanyi Onuba, Abuja



The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority on Monday dismissed claims in some quarters that due process was not followed in the recruitment of Ms Aisha Abba-Kyari who is the daughter of the Chief of Staff to the President.

A civil rights organisation, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance, had called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order an investigation into the appointment of Ms Abba Kyari as an Assistant Vice President at the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority.

The organisation also gave the Presidency notice to commence “a series of lawful civil actions in a matter of days to compel the administration to order a comprehensive investigation of this employment scam.”

Her appointment was said to have been done under alleged secret and controversial circumstances.

The Chairman of CACOBAG, Alhaji Toyin Raheem, had in a statement on Saturday, described the appointment as controversial “because it violates set procedure at the NSIA, which is the legally constituted agency that manages Nigeria’s excess crude oil revenues.”

But reacting to the development, the Managing Director, NSIA, Mr Uche Orji, described the claims by the group as false.

He said that the recruitment went through a transparent process, adding that the position was advertised in the media mid last year.

He also faulted claims by the group that the position of Assistant Vice President given to Abba Kyari’s daughter was a top management position, noting that the position was just level nine out of the 22 levels in the NSIA.

On whether she was given an official car attached to her office, he said such claims could not be true as such position did not enjoy such privilege.

Some governors are working hard to have a say in who becomes minister(s) from their states, Daily Trust leant yesterday.

In 2015, governors did not have influence in the selection of ministers following the resolve of President Muhammadu Buhari to keep the processes of the selection to himself.

However, it was gathered some governors met with the president last week after his return from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), before he travelled to the United Kingdom (UK).

An aide to one of the governors told Daily Trust that at least one governor each from five geo-political zones except the South South, attended the meeting.

He, however, said it did not mean the zone was not carried along in the discussions.

He said two of the governors recently won re-election.

“I can tell you that the governors were divided into three camps, hence the reason they didn’t meet the president on the platform of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).

“Their argument when they met the president was on the need for synergy…A kind of an opportunity for them (APC governors that won re-election and those who won for the first time) to give their input on who should be picked for the ministerial appointment,” he said.

The source added that, “This did not go down well with some governors, including two who lost their bids to go to the senate.”

He told our correspondent that some of the governors who called themselves “like minds”, including his principal, later met on another platform and selected six of them to meet the president.

It was gathered that although the president thanked the delegation for its concern to get the best for his second tenure, he allegedly told them that he was not expecting any of them to tell him who he should re-appoint.

He also told them that he was still consulting to get the best hands irrespective of party affiliation.

When asked what the governors planned to do afterwards, the source said the like minds were expected to meet on Tuesday or Thursday in Abuja.

The absence of Justice Yusuf Haliru of an FCT High Court on Monday stalled the arraignment of the governor-elect of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed.

Mohammed, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, was scheduled to be arraigned on a fresh six counts, bordering on false declaration of assets and giving false information to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.


At the court, Mohammed and his counsel and the EFCC counsel were present but the court did not sit because the judge, was on election petition duty in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Counsel for the EFCC, Mr Wahab Shittu, while speaking with newsmen, said:” the EFCC is an anti-corruption agency, it does not play politics.


“It exists to serve the public.”

On the arraignment, he said “It is a matter that was ongoing before another judge who has now been elevated to the Court of Appeal.

The expectation he said was that the matter would soon be reassigned to another judge.

“Just a week ago, the registry of this court sent us a notice that today has been fixed for the re-arraignment of the defendant.

“It was not at the instance of the court.

“You know when a case is transferred to another court, it starts de novo (afresh).”

He added that no one should see what was happening as an attempt by the EFCC to intimidate anyone.

“Let us focus on the matter before the court. EFCC exists to serve everybody,” he said.

NIGERIANS are not relenting in their call for a probe into the controversial appointment of Aisha, daughter to the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, as a top official of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).

NSIA manages the nation’s Excess Crude proceeds.

Despite her questions over her qualification, Kyari’s daughter was recently unveiled as an assistant vice-president of the body, an appointment allegedly done outside the due process.

But Nigerians are having none of it and are demanding that she must step down.

The latest call for a reversal of the appointment came from an anti-corruption civil society organisation, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance (CACOBAG).

The group placed a probe burden on the president, vowing that a no-show would compel a series of civil actions soon.

A release on Saturday, signed by the group’s chairman, Alhaji Toyin Raheem, expressed worry that Ms Abba Kyari’s appointment was considered controversial because it violated set procedure at the NSIA.

The group said, “according to media reports, the position was not publicly advertised, contrary to what was expected of such position. Besides, Aisha Abba Kyari clearly does not meet the criteria for the role. She has just five years working experience at the National Integrated Power Project where she worked up until February 2019 when she got the NSIA job. Her appointment which is a level 3 appointment is the highest level in the organisation, whereas the average working experience for that level is 10 years.”

The NGO stressed that such practice at the highest level of government should be at variance with the anti-corruption posture of the Buhari administration.

The statement further states, “more disturbing is the report that the controversial appointment followed some arm-twisting and back deals with the top management of NSIA.

“Equally disturbing is the revelation that the new employee is starting up with an annual package of N32 million. We have chosen to call for a thorough investigation of this case because a similar thing happened in Pension Commission recently, and at the end of the probe, those involved were relieved of their job.


“Five days after the Abba Kyari employment scandal leaked in the media, neither the presidency nor the management of NSIA has deemed it fit to deny any of the following claims that: members of staff at the NSIA are infuriated by the appointment; that a few of the high-level personnel privy to the recruitment initially refused to interview Ms. Abba-Kyari; that one of such persons include an executive director, Stella Ojekwe-Onyejeli, who vehemently rejected the suggestion; that the ED was, however, arm twisted into playing along as the pending confirmation of her appointment to become a second-term ED became an instrument of blackmail; that her appointment was eventually confirmed sometime in March 2019 after she acquiesced; that Halima Buba, a board member at the NSIA who was also invited to observe the process, refused to take part; that despite all this, Ms Aisha Abba Kyari has since resumed.”


The group said this was not the first time the Buhari government would be involved in secret recruitment scandal involving relatives of highly-placed persons in his cabinet, adding that a similar one occurred at the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2017 involving children of some cabinet ministers and a nephew of the president.

Tony Osauzo, Benin



President Muhammadu Buhari who embarked on an 11-day working vacation to London has been joined by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, Sunday Sun reliably gathered yesterday.

The president left the country on Thursday for the United Kingdom on a private visit.

Buhari, according to his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, is expected to return to the country on May 5.

But sources said that the president may have travelled out ostensibly to avoid pressure from lobbyists who have invaded the seat of power for ministerial and other political appointments.

The sources equally said that the APC chairman and the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have also been under intense pressure from lobbyists.

An impeccable source within the presidency, who confided in Sunday Sun, said that the president has resolved to source seasoned technocrats as members of his new cabinet, so that they can help him to actualize his agenda for the ‘Next Level,’ saying that part of the reasons he travelled was to avoid distraction by political jobbers, who have been mounting pressure on him.

It is, therefore, believed that the reported journey of Oshiomhole to London was to enable him and the president confer on the ministerial list and other key Federal appointments, devoid of pressure from lobbyists ahead of the inauguration of a new cabinet on May 29.

It was learnt that soon after the conduct of the general elections, Comrade Oshiomhole, has had to contend with lobbyists for Federal appointments.

The politicians seeking ministerial and other federal appointments were said to have invaded Abuja soon after the elections, with many of them banking on their contacts and relationship with the APC national chairman to scale through.

Many of them are said to have secured accommodations at the Federal Capital Territory to avoid paying huge hotel bills.

According to informed sources, these class of appointment seekers are determined to stay in Abuja to pursue their interest until the very end with occasional visits to their home states.

When contacted last night to confirm Oshiomhole’s journey to London, the Chief Press Secretary‎ to the APC national chairman, Mr Simon Ebegbulem, declined comment, and did not deny that his boss was in London.

Alleged plans by President Mohammadu Buhari to be his own man in the planned ministerial selection list for which it is being speculated as the reason for his travel abroad has further put party strongmen in All Progressives Congress, APC, and other ministers on edge.

Sunday INDEPENDENT, last week, exclusively reported that President Buhari had concluded plans to travel abroad with a view to having a private time in which to vet list of ministerial nominees made to him by trusted associates and to consider a performance report on his cabinet members.

According to the newspaper’s finding, the trip abroad became necessary after worries became palpable in the presidency that decisions on the proposed federal appointments after May 29 when the president would begin his second term may upset powerful stakeholders in the ruling APC, Buhari’s support base and other deeply entrenched interest groups who are believed to have begun lobbying the president on the choice of ministers and other federal appointments to be made.

The president intends to work on the final reports and list of potential aides without pressures from any quarters, it was learnt.

However, it was further gathered that the report on most of the serving ministers showed dismal performance, a development that has intensified lobbying from some party chieftains and some of the affected ministers to either retain their positions or adequately compensated.

But the tension arising from intense lobbying and outbreak of political dogfight, according to close associates of the president could stymie plans by the president to clean house in his second tenure.

As part of his campaign promises before the last general election, President Buhari, apparently overwhelmed by clamors to effect changes in his cabinet, promised just that. Backed by comprehensive audit of performance of his ministers and kitchen cabinet at his behest and undertaken by powerful friends of the president, ministers and federal appointees within his inner circle would either be given the boot or retained on the basis of given set criteria.


True to the newspapers analysis on Thursday, Femi Adesina, senior special adviser on media and publicity to the president confirmed the newspaper’s story when he told the public via a tacit news release that the president was due for a private visit to UK and that he is expected to return to Nigeria on May 5, 2019.

As also learnt by Sunday INDEPENDENT, decision by the president to compensate governors like Akinwumi Ambode, denied the ruling party ticket to run for second term in Lagos governorship election and some other aggrieved party members is said to have angered some top party chieftain like Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos.

Disagreement between him and his erstwhile political son, Ambode, is believed to have cost the governor the party ticket much to the chagrin of Buhari in the course of the governorship election in March.

As learnt by the newspaper, Buhari is said to be impressed by the governor’s performance in just four years and may consider the governor for a role in his cabinet.

But Tinubu is said to be unhappy about this because, according to those close to the party chieftain, an inclusion of Ambode in Buhari’s plans for the future will swell the ranks of powerful APC members from South West who are not in agreement with him.

Even more, a growing northern interest group wary of Tinubu’s influence and speculated presidential ambition in 2023 are now firmly in alignment with this group of South West politicians.

Already it was gathered at the weekend that some national leaders of the party may have gone ahead of the president to UK to intensify lobby also for inclusion of some outgoing governors in the new cabinet.