₦airaland Forum

by Oluseyi Awojulugbe




Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, the minister of state for petroleum, says he lost about six kilogrammes in weight when they tried to remove subsidy on petroleum products in 2016.

Speaking on Hard Copy, a programme on Channels TV, the junior minister said there is a lot to deal with when subsidy removal is to be carried out.

“If you want to take away subsidy, you have to deal with the unions and Nigerians. Everybody is saying take away subsidy and you will have a solution. When I did it in 2016, I think I must have lost between 10 and 15 pounds,” he said.

Expressing regrets at the current state of the nation’s refineries, Kachikwu said the refineries almost need to be shut down.

“If there is one area where I feel sad, its the refineries because there is a huge gulf between my pronouncements and where I’d like it to be and what we’ve been able to achieve.

“The reality today is that we are still below 15% of utilisation of those refineries because they need to maintained, reworked, they almost need to be shut down and completely refurbished.

“Neglect of over a decade is forcing us to say are these scraps or how much will it cost to fix them.

“The 2019 plan is off, there is absolutely no way given that no contractual terms have been reached by the NNPC and the potential investors. So there is no way that you can get refineries to 90% capacity template in 2019 and for us to exit complete importation of petroleum products.”

Kachikwu said the recent high petrol consumption figures in the country are alarming, adding that even the president is questioning the figures.

“I’m questioning those numbers and we are now tracking products that are coming into the country for the first time. So in a matter of two months, we will be able to say for certain what we consume.”

On the issue of the reported $60 billion loss due to non-review of production sharing contracts, Kachikwu said “there is a difference between an opportunity loss and a loss. Nobody had done anything about the law and it has gone on for years, it’s not new.

“I was talking at the time about the opportunity lost not money earned that was lost.”

By Owei Lakemfa




PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari was Petroleum Minister from 1976-78 and Governor of North-Eastern State, comprising today’s Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Yobe, Taraba and Adamawa states. He was also Head of State for 20 months from December 31, 1983.

So when as a presidential candidate he told the country in 2011 that the much touted fuel subsidy is a fraud, it was assumed he knew what he was talking about. He asked the basic question: “Who is subsidizing who?” He explained the cost process and told the public that fuel subsidy in an oil-soaked country like ours, is nothing but corruption; a brazen theft of public funds.

As to how we can determine the true cost of a litre of fuel, he worked it out brilliantly: “the cost of one barrel at the wellhead and then the cost of transportation to the refinery, the cost of refining it and its cost at the pump.”

Based on this basic economics he concluded: “If anybody says he is subsidizing anything, he is a fraud.” Last Wednesday, April 18, 2019, President Buhari presided over the meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, and allowed himself to be cowed by the subsidy sharks into accepting the delusion that there is high fuel subsidy.

He let himself be conned into believing the International Monetary Fund, IMF, claims of fuel subsidy which must be removed to allow higher fuel prices. As in the past, the hike will hurt the Nigerian people, negatively affect the economy and significantly increase mass poverty. Already, under the Buhari Presidency, Nigeria, with 87 million citizens under the poverty line, has attained the dubious status of being the poverty capital of the world.

For the Buhari leadership, it is no longer a question of whether fuel prices will be increased; it is when. His Minister of Finance, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, at a press briefing said: “We need to find how we can exit fuel subsidy.

But how do we do that? We do that only when we have enough buffers to cushion the effects of the removal for our people…In some countries, they provide buses to transport people, in some countries they provide subsidies for people that are directly requiring the subsidies…

We have not found a way to do it. What we are doing now, the subsidy, it is everybody that is benefiting, whereas it should be the people that are really vulnerable that need it.” Her speech contains four main ingredients. First, that Buhari and his government accept the contrived fuel subsidy. Secondly, that the administration agrees with the IMF that fuel subsidy is like cancer which must be removed.

Thirdly, that fuel price would be hiked. Fourthly, because Buhari loves poor Nigerians, he wants to cushion the effects of the price hike. The issue of ‘cushioning’ the effects, is a fraudulent old trick repeatedly played on Nigerians.

For instance, when in 1989 and 1991, the Babangida regime increased fuel prices, it introduced “cushioning” effects by launching a Bus Mass Transit Programme, MTP, and establishing the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure, DFRRI.

In the case of the Jonathan administration, after increasing prices on January 1, 2012, it established the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, as “cushioning” effect. The fraudulent logic in these cosmetic cushioning effects, is that subsidy favours only the rich, there is, therefore, the need to assist the poor to bear the pains.

While the Babangida and Jonathan governments, were more straight forward on these issues, the Buhari government engages in camouflage. It is giving the impression that it is sorry for the people that is why it must first put cushioning effects in place before increasing the price.

This does not tally with its previous actions. On May 11, 2016, it jerked fuel price from N87 to N145 without any so-called cushioning effects. Nigerians would not be unwise if they believe the Finance Minister when she said: “We should not be contemplating removing the subsidy because, indeed when we do, there will be people that will suffer.”

In reality, it is like the tiger stalking its prey. In fact, while the Buhari government had claimed that it was not paying subsidy and that it had thereby saved the country N1.4 trillion annually, in truth, it was paying about that amount as fuel subsidy. Dr. Agbon Izielen, a Nigerian oil expert based in Texas, United States in December 2011, put flesh on Buhari’s informed submission on fuel pricing: “At the refinery gate in Port Harcourt, the cost of a barrel of Qua Iboe crude oil is made up of the finding/development cost ($3.5/bbl) and a production/storage/transportation cost of $1.50 per barrel.

Thus, at $5 per barrel, we can get Nigerian Qua Iboe crude to the refining gates at Port Harcourt and Warri. One barrel is 42 gallons or 159 litres. The price of one barrel of petrol at the depot gate is the sum of the cost of crude oil, the refining cost and the pipeline transportation cost.

Refining costs are at $12.6 per barrel and pipeline distribution costs are $1.50 per barrel. The distribution margins (retailers, transporters, dealers, bridging funds, administrative charges, etc.) are N15.49/litre or $16.58 per barrel.

The true cost of one barrel of petrol at the Mobil filling station in Port Harcourt or anywhere else in Nigeria is, therefore, ($5 +$12.6+$1.5+$16.6) or $35.7 per barrel. This is equal to N33.36 per litre compared to the official price of N65 per litre.”

Armed with such scientific analysis, the Trade Union Movement that December 2011, met then President Goodluck Jonathan. I was the Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. The government technical team led by then Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, tried to bamboozle us with all sorts of statistics, slides, videos and subsidy statements to justify the administration’s claims that the landing cost was N141 per litre.

We punctured holes in the presentation and showed the statistics to be padded. We went further to ask Dr. Okonjo-Iweala that since the government claimed that it had a 60 per cent local refining capacity, she should tell us the cost of a litre of locally refined fuel. She flared up, protesting that she was not a liar.

At that point, President Jonathan intervened, asking us to come with our statistics to the next meeting slated for January 2012. But that was aborted as the government on January 1, 2012, increased a litre of fuel from N65 to N141. With that, mass street protests and strikes swept through the country. Although the waves did not sweep away the Jonathan government, it never recovered from the effects. Except the Yar’Adua administration, all governments since 1987, had feasted on the fuel subsidy fraud.

Meanwhile, the APC has debunked insinuations that it will force senators-elect and House members-elect to sign an undertaking on the choice of principal officers.

Aloysius Attah, Onitsha




https://www.sunnewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Ngozi.jpg



If the dead could talk or even be given a second chance to come back to life, youthful Charity Ngozi Ezeh would not contemplate taking the decision to return home to take her preparatory lessons for JAMB and the nursing school.

Ngozi aged 20 was the first daughter and second child of seven children of Jonathan and Ginika Ezeh of Imufu community, Enugu-Ezike, Igbo-Eze North LGA, Enugu State.

She was brought up in Abuja where her parents eked out a living. Despite being low income earners, the parents struggled to see her through both private and public schools in Abuja until she wrote her WAEC and NECO exams including JAMB two year ago. Though she could not gain admission into the higher school in the same year owing to her not having a credit in Chemistry, she did not relent, but took another WAEC and was successful.

Unrelenting in her desire to train as a nurse, the family decided to bring her nearer home and that was how she relocated to her hometown to retake JAMB and also write admission exams for a nearby nursing school in Nsukka.

But the family decision, despite being the wisest for them at the time of the implementation, has turned out to be their greatest miscalculation and loss.

Ngozi’s aspiration to become a nurse has not only turned out a pipe dream, but her life was brutally cut short on March 27, this year by yet-to-be identified assailants who not only raped her callously, but also strangled her to death in a bush path behind the community secondary school.

For the family, it is a very bleak Easter celebration while darkness seemed to have enveloped their entire household. To say the least, the sunshine in their family has been taken away in a most callous manner, a situation that will only take divine intervention to forestall further calamity in the family because the parents have remained inconsolable since then. Worst hit, is the mother who has been oscillating between going nuts and retaining sanity since the incident happened.


My ‘soul’ has been taken away from me –Father

Sunday Sun reporter managed to extract some words from the distraught family during a visit to their home at Orukpa, Imufu community. Amidst sobs and sighs, Ngozi’s father, Jonathan, recalled the event of the day before he heard the shattering news of his daughter’s death.

Having relocated to the village from Abuja last year leaving the wife and the other children in the Federal Capital Territory, Ngozi and the second to the last born joined him in the village this January.

As if he had a premonition that danger was lurking around the corner for her daughter, he has been so protective of her that he made it a point of duty to drop her daily on his motorcycle in the lesson centre at Ogrute and also comes back to take her home after the day’s activity.

“I take her to the lesson centre everyday, but I couldn’t find her when I went back to pick her back around 6:20p.m that day. I was confused because I know that she doesn’t know much people around having come back newly from Abuja. I was restless when I got home and I raised the alarm immediately. Some people told me to relax that she may have decided to chill out with some boys, but I didn’t take that because I know her as a very reserved and pious daughter of mine.

“It was the next day that we heard people gathering somewhere talking about a young girl that was raped and murdered. They called me to come to the scene probably to identify her and lo and behold, when I got there, it was my beloved daughter, lying stone cold, legs parted, her skirt and under wear removed.

“This was a girl that has lived all her life in Abuja until now that she decided to be closer home in order to fulfill her life dream of becoming a nurse. They have taken away my soul and I can only cry unto God to handle this situation for me and my family. I want justice. I want to see those who killed my precious daughter so I can say thank you to him/them,” he said bursting into tears.


The worst phone call I’ve ever received in my life- Ngozi’s mother

Mrs Ginika Eze, Ngozi’s mother while recounting how she got to know about her daughter’s death said the phone call that Ngozi was missing remain the worst call she had ever received in her life. She noted that before now, she was so attached to her that it was very difficult for her to allow Ngozi relocate to the village this year because of her studies.

“I was too close to her to the extent that I had to think about it one day critically where I asked myself does it mean that she will not get married and relocate to her husband’s family one day. That was how I allowed her to leave me in Abuja more so as it also concerns her future and happiness which has always been nursing. But since she relocated, we talk on daily basis and on that day, I called as usual, but her line was switched off and I had to call her daddy. I asked my husband why her number was not available and he muttered some incoherent words saying that they have been searching for her. The next call was that her dead body has been found. It remains a great shock to me because if she had been sick before now, it would have been somehow understandable.

“My brain is bursting to pieces as I think about this. They told me Ngozi is dead, but I’m yet to understand the reality or circumstances of her death. If she had died in my arms after some period of sickness, it will pain me, but I will take it as her fate, but to brutally cut short the life of a harmless girl just like that, makes me go insane.”

When asked to describe the kind of person Ngozi was to her, she said: “She has been a very bright girl. That is my pains. If she was the wayward type, I would have taken it as her reward for such lifestyle, but this is a girl whose lifestyle revolves around church, home and studies, nothing more. She doesn’t have time for boys or such intimate stuffs.”


Traditional ruler sheds tears, vows to ensure justice

The Traditional Ruler of Imufu Community, Igwe Remigius Attah, while commenting on the incident expressed sadness on the gruesome killing of the young girl.

He said that the entire community, including those at home and abroad, have decided to get to the root of the matter to ensure that the culprits are apprehended and justice served too.

“I cannot remember the last time I shed tears, but I cried like a baby that day after seeing what happened to that young girl. It is a heinous crime against humanity. Our people are united in seeking justice over the situation. Though the assailants took away the young girls phone after accomplishing their devilish task, we have succeeded in tracking the phone records of the girl. Two persons that spoke with the girl that day she was murdered have been arrested and are making useful statements to the police now. I’m only appealing to the law enforcement agencies to be up and doing and avoid any compromise in investigation and prosecution of this matter. It is a sad situation,” the traditional ruler lamented.

The Catholic Church in the community has also taken a spiritual angle to the matter. Sunday Sun learnt that the Parish Priest of St Joseph’s Parish, Imufu, Rev. Fr Rufus Achinike rallied the entire parishioners to embark on seven days rosary procession for the soul of the departed and for God to expose the culprits.

The President General, Imufu Town Union, Lawrence Mamah described the situation as pathetic. He described the deceased as a young girl with energy and focus and revealed that the 14 branches of Imufu Town Union across the federation have agreed to support the security agencies to unravel the circumstances surrounding the girl’s murder.

Mamah who recently retired from the Nigerian Police said that was the first time such incident has happened in the community hence the resolve to tackle the situation without hesitation to ensure that it doesn’t repeat.

“What we need in this case is justice. The family is in pain because they lost the same person that they are struggling to train so that she will even be the bread winner in the family. Her life was cut short and the most painful was the rape. The signs they left in her body was very visible and it is appalling and barbaric that such a thing is happening here.”

He appreciated the police for their effort so far, but didn’t mince words in saying that they should do more.

“There should be a concerted effort, a crack team that should be following this. This is an organised crime and this girl was with an android phone the day she was killed.

She was supposed to sit for JAMB. We are ready to follow it both spiritually and otherwise to ensure that justice is done. We are calling on the Commissioner of Police to take up this matter personally.

“Governor Ugwuanyi is also a listening governor and we call on him to come to the aid of the family and help ensure justice too. The Catholic Church here has been trying their best and we are also calling on Non-Governmental Organisations that handle women and gender issues to also wade into this matter. This is a crime against humanity and nobody should ignore it. Today, it is the family of Jonathan Eze, tomorrow it may be another person’s turn,” Mamah said.

When the reporter visited the Ogrute Police Division, the DPO in charge was not available, but a senior officer who pleaded anonymity said that it was the police that deposited Ngozi’s corpse at the District Hospital Mortuary while the case file and suspects will be transferred to the Enugu Police headquarters.

Ibrahim’s petition to the police


Ibrahim (Oluwakemi’s husband), in a petition to the Police Zone 2 Headquarters in Lagos, among others, accused the Police Sergeant of unnecessary intimidation, harassment and raping his wife at gunpoint.

He said his trouble began the moment he stood surety for one Dele, who had been freed on bail by a court but could not perfect his bail one year after.

In the petition addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Headquarters, Lagos, Ibrahim alleged threat to his life and illegal confiscation of his property by men of the Zonal Intervention Squad, Obada-Oko Police Unit, Ogun State.

Ibrahim also accused a member of the police special squad of raping his wife.

In the petition dated March 18, 2019, Ibrahim’s lawyer, Tunji Busari of Cognate Solicitors and Zita Agwunobi Chambers,

said his client stood surety to one Oladele who was charged to court on a trump up allegation of armed robbery, and was freed following a suit (No. MSH/6C/2015) challenging the arrest.

He said Oladele had been freed by the court but the police refused to release his cars and his ATM card with which the sum of N5,000,000.00 was withdrawn from his bank account, among other alleged forcible confiscation of his household items by the men of the Zonal Intervention Squad at Obada Oko Police Unit, Ogun State.

Busari said immediately Oladele was released, men of ZIS started trailing one of his sureties “in person of our client, Mr. Ibrahim, for acting as a saviour and for sponsoring a petition dated 11th June, 2018 against the aforementioned men of the unit, reporting their illegal operations to the Inspector General of Police, F.C.T Abuja for targeting and arresting an innocent Nigerian who was pursuing his legitimate business by hanging a pent-up charge of armed robbery on his neck and thereby confiscated the victim’s properties like cars, cash and household items and raped the victim’s wife to negotiate the victim’s release.

“Our client was being trailed for quite a long time, but when he could not be hounded by these dark angels, one of our client’s staff was arrested in order to get to our client in person of Mr. Abolaji, who was eventually released to one surety who happened to be our client’s friend, in person of one Mr. Shina”.

The said Mr. Shina, according to the petition, was allegedly cajoled into believing that “our client’s staff had some interview at the unit office situated at Obada-Oko, Ogun State, at a time in the month of June, 2018. When Mr. Shina got to the ZIS office, they prevailed on him by threatening to sniff life out of him if he failed to co-operate with them in order to get our client arrested at all cost.

”That was how our client was arrested at Sango-Ota and whisked away to their office at Obada-Oko without any complaint against him and neither has he ever robbed in his life, let alone being armed.”

The petition further reads that “his illegal arrest was made on the 22nd day of June, 2018 with severe torture and inhuman treatment for almost two months to confess to their prepared in-office allegations that never existed anywhere. While in custody, our client’s address and details about his various homes and business offices were obtained from him.

“One of our client’s wives, who was in a friend’s naming ceremony party at Oru Ijebu, Ogun State, was trailed and traced upon collecting her number from our client, who was in their detention cell. Our client’s wife was arrested with some of his friends at the party, obtained some cash from them and illegally confiscated a Lexus Jeep belonging to one of the well-wishers at the party that day.”

The solicitor to the petitioner stated that the purpose of arresting Mr. Ibrahim’s wife was to trace all his properties and their locations by manipulating his wife.

“In the course of releasing our client in one of the various, ultimate searches for his properties scattered within Ibadan, Oyo State, and Ijebu in Ogun State, one of the Police Sergeants in the unit raped Mrs. Oluwakemi, boasting to snatch her from our client at gunpoint by threatening to terminate her life should she fail to co-operate with him.

“In the course of this police pressure, torture and unprofessional activities running contrary to the law of the land, particularly the Police Act which conditions the method of operation of policemen in discharging their duty of criminal prevention, investigation, prosecution of offenders in court and general administration of criminal justice and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), the aforementioned men of the unit wildly swung into action and seized 18 assorted Toyota and Honda CRV brand of cars from the office of our client at his car shop where he sells cars.”

Busari noted that to his client’s chagrin, “the aforementioned bad eggs of the Police went ahead to confiscate our client’s company documents as they threatened to render him poor on earth before sending him to the great beyond if he should try to expose them. Our client’s cell phones, electronic household furniture and foodstuffs were even not left out of their seizures.

“Our client was not in any criminal picture or wanted list before he stood surety for Mr. Oladele, who was discharged and acquitted but they (men of ZIS) still converted his cars to their own personal use fraudulently”.

Busari said in the petition that two policemen, identified as Abel and Saheed, attached to the fiery squad, visited Ibrahim where he was remanded and warned him not to make any attempt to recover his seized cars.

“Our client received the dreadful visit of two of the Police Sergeants in the case while in prison pending perfection of our client’s judicial bail from court, with severe threats that they knew he would be freed by the courts, but if he valued his life, he must not make any attempt to recover the seized vehicles, among other items. Otherwise, our client would not be lucky to have escaped being killed in cold blood as his friend was lucky to escape overseas. This threat was issued on him on the 6th of November while he was released by the court shortly after.

“Our client has been hiding himself in his fatherland because of the fear of being killed together with his family while his business empire had collapsed as all the cars confiscated at the pleasure of the men of the above mentioned unit have eaten deep into his finances and therefore left him into financial virus… while those customers to whom he sold those cars …had been troubling him with legal actions to take over their property through phantom allegations.

He said: ”Dele was arrested on trumped up charges by ZIS operatives. They claimed he was involved in car theft, using master keys, so they took all his cars and other valuables. Dele was granted bail but was unable to perfect the bail as there was nobody to stand for him for over one year, and the case had no headway because it was contrived by the police to keep him shut after hugely extorting him.

”When I learnt about what he was going through, I carried out checks and got to know that he was truly being caged by the policemen in a bid to corner his cars and valuables. I then decided to stand as surety for him and he was released from remand and subsequently freed from the case.

“The ZIS operatives felt their misdeed would be uncovered since Dele must have briefed me about his travails in their hands, hence, they decided to come for me too after finding out about me.

“Dele has since relocated to Europe after he was released from prison, while his vehicles are still with the police squad. He said he did not want to fight to reclaim his vehicles because of what he went through in the hands of ZIS operatives.

“They really dealt with me while I was in their custody. I was slapped many times and didn’t believe I could still hear clearly. They also inhumanly treated my other wife, Adejoke, several times, even in my presence.

”Throughout my two-month detention without trial, none of those they claimed were my victims came there to confront me or showed up. I also did not see the person or persons who purportedly wrote a petition against me. Moreover, I told them where I bought some of my vehicles, but they did not go there to find out at all.

”Yet, one of them had the effrontery to rape my wife at gunpoint. I am crying out now to the world and I am prepared to ask my wife to return to the country to confront him (the policeman). If he hadn’t raped my wife at gunpoint, I would not have said so.

“The sexual molestation of my wife, Oluwakemi, is very painful, because she was not the one the police were looking for. The first time and second time were devastating to me emotionally, and the more reason why I decided to relocate her abroad after the Police Sergeant raped her the second time at gunpoint. I believe her because she forwarded some of the messages he sent to her phone to me.

”I did not do any wonder bank business and I am not an armed robber, contrary to what they want you (reporter) to believe. The only reason why they arrested me was to silence me permanently, so I would not have my cars and other property they took away back, like they did to Dele. When they failed to realise their intention, they quickly arraigned me before an Ifo Magistrate Court and alleged that I robbed someone of his car at Papalanto.

”As God would have it, a High Court sitting in Abeokuta, presided over by Justice P.F. Oduniyi, freed me on bail, but operatives of ZIS continued to threaten my life and subject me to undue harassment. If they have any evidence or proof that I have robbed anyone, let them bring out such evidence. If there are people they claimed I defrauded in several parts of the country, let them bring those victims out.’’


She can’t substantiate her claims, says ZIS Commander

Contacted, the Commander of ZIS, Mr Gbenga Megbope, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), faulted Ibrahim’s allegations, saying his petition to police authorities was meant to divert attention from his crimes and pervert justice.

”The matter is in court, but we are looking for him now because we learnt that he has been released on bail. He has jumped bail several times and lied against one of my men, saying he raped his wife. The question is: where was she raped? In her house or a hotel? At which police station was the incident reported? He said terrible things in a petition to the police and we are making efforts to re-arrest him now.

”We were not aware that he was freed on bail. But we later got to know that he had been freed. He had also defrauded many people in Abuja where he operated a wonder bank and his victims are looking for him. I don’t know why he should be freed while the court is still awaiting a legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). But if the court has released him, we cannot query the right of the court on that. But he has many other cases to answer and we are looking for him. I have given the statements he wrote to the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer (Ms Dolapo Badmus).

”We are also looking for Dele, who he got his cars from, and the only way we can get the man is by arresting Ibrahim. He would be arrested and paraded soon. If his wife was raped, is it the media that she should go to or the police? The fact of the matter is that while we were trailing him, we tacked all his contacts and zeroed in on his wife in order to get him but all our efforts failed.

”Initially, the woman cooperated with us and she was ready to help us. He has other wives, one of whom was operating a wonder bank, and we arrested that one too.

“The woman (Oluwakemi) should substantiate her allegations. Otherwise, she should be very careful, as she could be charged for giving wrong information. Ask her the facts in her possession to prove her case. Where was she raped? Did she report the matter to the police? Which hospital certified her to be a rape victim? Was there any mark of violence on her body? Are there eyewitnesses?

”Many of her husband’s victims in Abuja have been to our office (in Abeokuta) and we are looking for him. A case of armed robbery is usually first charged before a magistrate court, but most times, the suspects would file another suit in High Court arguing that their fundamental human rights have been violated, and they are sometimes released on bail. That must have been what the suspect did to secure his freedom.”

Megbope’s explanation was, however, disputed by Ibrahim, who said that the police subjected him to torture and brutality to make him endorse prepared statements the minions of law claimed were his.

A special police outfit, the Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS), an arm of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) based in Abeokuta, Ogun State, is enmeshed in controversy as the wife of a suspect being investigated by its operatives alleged that one of them took advantage of the investigation to rape her twice in her home at gunpoint, reports KUNLE AKINRINADE.

AN air of indictment hangs over a special police outfit, the Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS), in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, four years after it was created to tackle crimes and lawlessness in the state. A sergeant attached to the squad is fingered in the rape of the wife of a suspect the squad was investigating for alleged inter-state robbery and fraudulent practices.

The Police Sergeant (names withheld), a special detective in charge of tracking criminals and their accomplices, is accused by the suspect’s wife, Oluwakemi (surname withheld), of raping her twice at gunpoint in her home in Abeokuta.

The woman, who said she was compelled to flee the country shortly after the police sergeant allegedly raped her the second time, said she decided to open up, following alleged threats by the errant policeman to deal with her if she spills the bean on their encounters.

The 39-year-old woman said she was yet to overcome the trauma she went through at the hands of the Police Sergeant.

Reliving her ordeal in a conversation with our correspondent, Oluwakemi, the victim of the alleged rape, opted to speak in Yoruba “so that my explanation will be clear to you.”

She said: “In 2015, I started working (as sales supervisor) at a lounge inside the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta. By

early 2016, I started receiving calls from a stranger, and I told my husband about it.

“I told my husband that the caller identified himself to me and said that he wanted to find out some things about him (husband). My husband does not live with me because he has other wives, but he visits regularly. My husband said I should ask him to come to my place of work if he needed any information. The policeman called me again and I told him to come over to where I was working if he had anything to ask me about my husband.

“When he showed up, he identified himself as an operative of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) attached to ZIS. He started saying that he would have disgraced and brutalised me if I was not a woman. He said he had been trailing one Ibrahim and found my GSM number on his mobile telephone.

“I responded by telling him that the person he had just mentioned is my husband. Then he said my husband was a robber and he was trying to track him. I told him that my husband is not a robber but a printer and businessman whose printing press is located in Ago Iwoye area of Ogun State, where he also has another wife that operates a big shop. He said he would need my cooperation to get to my husband, but I told him that my husband was not a criminal and that he should not be disturbing me.

”The people around us did not know what was going on because the conversation was just between us. He tried to intimidate me by saying that I was once arrested when my husband was being trailed by the police. But I told him that the case he was talking about was about a disagreement my husband had with his business partners over money and that I was eventually released. After that, he left.”

Oluwakemi said he thought the matter had ended only to realise later that she was gravely mistaken, as the Police Sergeant, according to her, showed up again a few weeks later. This time, however, he was not there to ask Oluwakemi about her husband’s whereabouts. He and some friends he came with, she alleged, simply enjoyed themselves at the lounge and asked her to pick the bill.

She said: “He returned a few weeks later with some of his friends and bought a lot of drinks and refreshments without paying a dime. He simply dropped the bill on me. I could not refuse it because he is a policeman.

“A few months later, I left the employ

of the lounge to concentrate on my small business at Ijemo in Abeokuta. I guess he went to my former place of work but he was told that I had resigned. He called me on my mobile phone and accused me of running away, saying that he had information on my shop and residence.

“I was shocked the day he showed up at my shop. He took some drinks and other provisions without paying a dime. He also visited my shop at other times, taking items away without paying a dime. I could not prevent him from taking the items away because I was hapless and there was no one I could call to fight for me since he is a policeman.’’


Fresh ordeal

Oluwakemi alleged that her ordeal at the hand of the Police Sergeant assumed a different dimension when he allegedly visited her residence when her children had gone to school and other neighbours had gone out, and raped her at gunpoint.

She said: ”I was at home in my residence at Oke Ejigbo area of Abeokuta in October 2017 when I was told that someone was looking for me. My children had just left for school and I was not expecting any visitor. I was shocked when I opened the door to our apartment only to find the policeman standing at my door.

“I asked him why he had to trail me to my residence when I was not a criminal. I also reminded him that I had told him where my husband lived. He asked me to cooperate with him to arrest my husband, promising to share the money he would extort from him with me.

”I told him that if my husband was that rich, there would have been no need for me to work as hard as I was doing or obtain a loan from a micro-credit organisation called LAPO for my business. He then explained that his team had located my husband’s printing press and residence in Ago Iwoye but had not been able to apprehend him. He said the only thing that could make him leave me and my husband alone was for him to sleep with me, but I declined.

“I could not accede to his demand for sex because I am a decent and hardworking housewife. I told him that since he had found my husband’s business address and residence, he did not need to come to me again, not to talk of demanding an affair with me. But he pulled up his shirt to show me his pistol and forcibly slept with me.

“I told my husband about what the policeman had done to me and he was very angry. In early February 2018, he again visited my residence. He came in an ash coloured Camry car at about 11 am and raped me at gunpoint. I could not raise the alarm because he was usually armed with a pistol.”

Realising that she was allegedly being turned into a sex machine by the policeman, Oluwakemi said she was left with no choice but to move out of the house a few days after she was allegedly raped the second time.

”He raped me because he was armed and the house I lived in then was

usually deserted in the morning. The only person around was our landlady, who is physically challenged. It was for this reason that I moved out of the building a few days later before I left for Saudi Arabia in June, 2018, courtesy of my husband.

”I came to Saudi Arabia on June 8, 2018 and he arrested my husband a few days later and started threatening me with messages on IMO (a phone application), warning that I risked arrest if I ventured to return to the country. I had to ask my boss in Saudi Arabia to get me a new mobile phone in order to prevent him from sending me further threats.

”My husband was hard up at the time he was being hunted by the police simply because he stood surety for someone that later jumped bail. He actually stood surety for one of his friends, who was remanded in prison pending the perfection of his bail. It was from there that the police started their problem with him, saying that he is a robber.

“My husband is not a robber. He has receipts for all the items in his possession, including his vehicles. He would buy cars, use and resell them, and none of those who bought cars from him has ever complained that he sold stolen cars to them or that someone complained to the police that my husband stole their car.”

Our correspondent contacted the spokesperson of Zone 2 Police Headquarters, Ms Dolapo Badmus, but she said she was unaware of a petition Oluwakemi’s husband claimed to have submitte

d to the zonal police headquarters over the matter and sundry allegations. On her request, a detailed enquiry was forwarded to her whatsApp platform and short message service, but she has since not reverted to our correspondent, and did not also answer the calls our correspondent placed to her mobile phone penultimate Saturday.

Allegations baseless, contrived, says Police Sergeant

Our correspondent sought the reaction of the Police Sergeant at the centre of the controversy, but he denied the rape allegation, saying that it was contrived by the woman and her husband in their bid to escape justice.

He said: ”Actually, I should not be the one to respond (to the allegations). A petition had been submitted at the Force Headquarters regarding this matter, and it is currently being investigated. Even our Zonal Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ms Badmus, is in the know of the case and she has reverted to your office on this matter.”

Told by our correspondent that Ms Badmus was yet to respond to our enquiries on the matter, the Police Sergeant asked: ”Did the woman (Oluwakemi) speak with you directly?”

“Yes, she spoke to me directly from her base in Saudi Arabia,” said our correspondent.

Then the Police Sergeant said: ”The woman in question (Oluwakemi) was out of the country before her husband was arrested. What really happened was that we had been looking

for a man called Dele, who specialised in using master keys to steal cars from where they were parked.

“Along the line, we arrested one Godwin in Ughelli, Delta State, during which more than 30 vehicles were recovered in the operation. It was discovered that some of the vehicles were allegedly given to Ibrahim (Oluwakemi’s husband).

“But we could not arrest him, so we tracked his (mobile) phone and got his wife’s number, through which we tried to get her husband. That was why I trailed her to where she was working.

“She admitted that Ibrahim was her husband but that they were no longer together because he had abandoned her. Even the woman admitted that she was arrested and detained at the state police headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, and subsequently charged to a court when her husband was accused of hijacking a truck.

“She also said that she was prosecuted because her husband transferred part of the proceeds of the loot to her bank account. Hence, she agreed to cooperate with us because she said that she didn’t want to suffer again for a crime she didn’t commit. So, I said if she wanted us to help her, she should also help us, and we started calling her.

“I remember that there was one particular Sunday when she said Ibrahim would be in Ijebu, and we even trailed their first daughter to the house she claimed to be her husband’s residence. But along the line, I guess they reconciled and she stopped cooperating with us.

“When I could not reach the woman any longer, we started using our informant in Ijebu to get him(her husband). Then her husband called me after we arrested his second wife and one of his aides who was working with him to operate a wonder bank, saying that all my discussion with his first wife had been relayed to him. He then told me that his wife was no longer in the country.

“In fact, three days after we arrested Ibrahim, his wife (Oluwakemi) called me on the phone with an international number, saying that her husband was not a robber but a businessman. But I asked her not to call my phone number anymore.

”Before we arrested Ibrahim, he had written a petition against us, and the matter was referred to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Lagos. I am not the one investigating the case. There is an IPO, but my responsibility is to track suspects.

”Let her bring out the proof that I raped her, if it is by word of mouth or messages. You are free to carry out checks whether I carry pistol around as official rifle. Where did she make a report when I allegedly raped her? The reason she travelled abroad is because her husband knew that we could only get him through the woman.

“She complained that her husband was no longer visiting her and took my team to Ago Iwoye where her husband was living with his second wife. She took us to the shop her husband was using (as printing press) and the second wife’s shop. May be she made up with her husband or probably he gave her some money and she decided to change her mind.

“Nobody forced her when we discovered that we could no longer get her husband through her. Instead, we explored other options to arrest her husband. We tracked her husband to Ibadan through one of his employees that ran his wonder bank in Ibadan where I think he has another wife.

”I never visited her residence at Oke Ejigbo in Abeokuta. She is not my taste. Why would I rape someone at gunpoint? I am a professional and trained police officer. I wouldn’t do that. My visits to her were to get her husband through her; nothing more.

”After we arrested the said Godwin at Ughelli, Delta State, he mentioned Rasheed and one Dele. Ask Ibrahim how he got his cars. It was through Dele. He claimed he

didn’t follow the suspects to the scene of robbery, but he got his cars from robbers.

“He wrote a statement to that effect. Even though he claimed he was not at the scene of the robbery, he bought the stolen cars and was asked to produce the said Dele; Dele had been arrested several times for robbery.”

Informed about the Police Sergeant’s response to her allegations, Oluwakemi said she was more than ready to confront him face to face, if the latter insisted that he never came to her residence at Oke Ejigbo to rape her.

She said: ”I am crying out now to reveal what he did to me. If I had reported the matter to the police, there was the tendency that it would not see the light of day. You know he is a SARS operative, and with the way they usually terrify people, I fear for my life because of the way they might harass me. He cannot say it in my presence that he did not visit my residence or rape me twice.

”As to whether I took them to Ago Iwoye to arrest my husband, that is not true. I only told him where my husband lives. I did not take him to my husband’s residence, neither did I accompany him to Ago Iwoye to arrest my husband. It was even he who told me on the phone that he had visited my husband’s residence. I even sent some of the messages he sent to me to my husband.’’

ABEOKUTA – President, Nigerian Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, has disbanded the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal headed by Justice Chinwe Onyeabo.

A source closed to the tribunal told Sunday INDEPENDENT that an internal memo had been addressed to Justice Onyeabo and two other members of the Tribunal; Justice D. A. Onyigbenu and Justice (Khadi) M.L. Omar, informing them to leave Ogun State for another assignment.

It was further gathered that one Justice Josephine Coker from Lagos Division would now head the newly constituted three man panel which included Justice Kabir Dabo who is a member of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in the State, and one Justice Jubril, from Kano Division.

The development, it was gathered, might not be unconnected with a motion on notice dated April 15, filled by the All Progressives Congress, (APC), calling on members of the tribunal to recuse themselves from further sitting as members of the tribunal.

In the alternative, the APC prayed the President of the Appeal Court to constitute a new panel different from the panel headed by Onyeabo.

The APC accused the panel of violating the right to fair hearing in the two factional petitions filled by Labour Party against the emergence of Dapo Abiodun of the APC as the Governor-Elect of the State.

The Labour Party had filled two factional petitions; one filled by a former Secretary of the Party, Comrade Ogini Olaposi and the other, by the Chairman of the Party in the State, Abayomi Arabanbi.

When contacted, the Secretary of the Tribunal, Nyior Henry Sekulla said he has no authority to respond to issues of whether the panel has been disbanded or not.

He however confirmed that there “has been reshufflement one way or the other across the federation”, adding that ‘Ogun State is likely to be affected or has been affected, but the situation will get clearer after we resume from the Easter break’.

Tinubu freed, Orubebe convicted — remembering the CCT cases of five prominent Nigerians


History was made when Walter Onnoghen, embattled chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), entered the dock at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). He was charged with false assets declaration exactly two years after the CCT discharged and acquitted Saraki of similar charges.

In the heat of the trial, Onnoghen turned in his resignation but that did not save him from the hammer of the tribunal. On Thursday, Danladi Umar, CCT chairman, found him guilty of the six counts preferred against him by the federal government.

The tribunal chairman ordered that he be removed from the office and also prevented from holding public office for 10 years. He also ordered that the money in the five bank accounts of Onnoghen that he did not declare be confiscated.

In this piece, we look at how some prominent Nigerians fared when they walked this path.

BUKOLA SARAKI


In September 2015, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) filed an 18-count charge of false asset declaration against Saraki at the CCT. The trial, which commenced in March 2016, lasted 1,018 days before he was let off the hook.

In June 2018, the CCT dismissed the charges against Saraki on the grounds that the prosecution, with its four witnesses and 49 exhibits tendered, only led to hearsay evidence.

However, the federal government filed an appeal and a month later, the supreme court ruled that Saraki had no case to answer at the CCT.

You can read how his trial played out here.

GODSDAY ORUBEBE


Godsday Orubebe, former minister of Niger Delta affairs, was slammed with a one-count charge of false declaration of asset by the federal government in 2016.

He was accused of failing to declare a property known as plot 2057, Asokoro, Abuja, while he was a public officer.



Orubebe had told the tribunal that the property was no longer his as of the time he went into public service.

He said he had sold the property to his creditor; hence he saw no need to declare what was not his.

But the tribunal convicted him on the premise that the title deeds of the property still bore his name.

Umar found him guilty of the charge and ordered a seizure of the property.

However, an appeal court overturned the judgment of the CCT in 2017, ruling that it was clear that Orubebe sold the property even if the title deeds still had his name on them.

Orubebe came into limelight when he tried to disrupt the collation of the 2015 presidential election results in Abuja.

SYLVESTER NGWUTA


Sylvester Ngwuta, a supreme court judge, was first arraigned before the CCT on an 8-count charge bothering on false assets declaration in 2017.

Ngwuta is one of the federal judges whose residence was raided by the Department of State Service (DSS) in October 2016. The secret police had claimed that it uncovered huge sums of money in various denominations. On February 10, 2017, the office of the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) filed a 10-count charge against Ngwuta at the tribunal.

In May of the same year, the CCT quashed the false asset charges and discharged Ngwuta.



The tribunal said Ngwuta could not be tried before it unless he had been subjected to disciplinary processes of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Onnoghen’s lawyers had raised this before the CCT but Umar waved it aside.

BOLA TINUBU


Bola Tinubu, ex-governor of Lagos was arraigned before the CCT in November 2011 for allegedly operating foreign bank accounts, contrary to the constitution. Tinubu was accused of operating 10 foreign accounts during his tenure as governor between 1999 and 2007 in the charges filed against him by CCB at the tribunal.

However, the three-man panel of the tribunal dismissed the case at the second appearance of the former governor at the court.

It held that “there is no significant basis to proceed against Tinubu as the charges were “defective and shoddy.”

The tribunal held that the charges did not disclose a prima facie case against the accused person as there was no proof of evidence attached to the charge.

Umar said the charges against Tinubu did not show that the accounts were held by the accused persons.

“Some (of the foreign accounts) even bear female names…how can the accused be made to answer such charges?” he said.

IKE EKWEREMADU


In March 2018, Festus Keyamo, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), filed a suit on behalf of the federal government seeking the temporary forfeiture of alleged undeclared assets traced to Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president

Twenty-two properties were reportedly traced to the deputy senate president, nine in Nigeria, two in the UK, eight in Dubai and three are in the US.

Following the purported discovery, Abubakar Malami, attorney general of the federation (AGF), had filed a false declaration of assets charge against Ekweremadu before the CCT.

Ekweremadu was said to have failed to disclose the foreign assets in his declarations to the CCB.

In October 2018, the federal government filed charges against Ekweremadu and Bassey Akpan, senator representing Akwa Ibom north-east district, for alleged failure to declare their assets.

He was billed to be arraigned before the CCT in March 2018 but that never saw the light of the day. The deputy senate president denied all the allegations, saying he has no case to answer.

by Tony Akowe, Abuja


Former General Secretary of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) Comrade Frank Kokori on Thursday shared emotional tears when Organised Labour stood solidly behind him to insist he be inaugurated as Chairman of the Board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

This was after the Minister of Labour and Employment dropped his name and appointed another chairman.

The inauguration of the Board of the NSITF by the Minister had been delayed for over one year by the Minister, leading to a conflict between him and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who insisted that the board be inaugurated in line with the directives of the President.

However when the Minister decided to inaugurate the Board, Kokori’s name was omitted and replaced with Austin Enajemo-Isire as chairman, a position strongly resisted by Organised Labour who stormed the Minister’s conference room to demand that Kokori be inaugurated.



In his show of gratitude to his former colleagues, Kokori could not help but shed tears, saying he was being oppressed by the Minister even though he laid his life for the actualisation of democracy in the country.

In a shaken voice, Kokori told the Labour leaders: “Today, I am very emotional and want to cry. I want to weep for this country. I am proud of you, my comrades. I have done my best for this country.

“When nobody raised their voice against the military, I came out against the military to fight for freedom and democracy of Nigeria.

“I spent four good years in one of the worst prisons in the world, in Bama prison and in solitary confinement.

“In 1997, I was declared a prisoner of war by Pope John Paul. The same year, the Madibba, Nelson Mandela also declared me a notable world prisoner of conscience.

“I stood for this country and in all my years of service, there were temptations to take some of the biggest bribe.

“But I stood my ground for democracy and 20 years into the same democracy, Comrade Kokori is being oppressed by somebody like Ngige. What is the reason?

“The reason is because Frank Kokori is regarded as a man of integrity, a man of honour and a transparent Nigerian.



“This is a government that talks of integrity and you allowed a man like Ngige to humiliate me for two years after my appointment.

“Yesterday, they now said I should go to Micheal Imoudu. If they had given me Micheal Imoudu when I retired from NUPENG, I should have accepted.

“Why should I subject myself to trauma for two years and you promised that the appointment remains and congratulated me for more than five times.

“The President assured me during the last June 12 exercise that they will not do anything to my appointment.

“I feel Ngige is on his own, dropping the name of the President, not the President I know and who assured me that he will not change my name.

“I am thankful to the Nigeria labour movement and the great union called the National Union of Petroleum and Natural gas.

“I spent the whole of my youthful life to build this union as a fighting machine. I thank you all for your support and may God bless you all.”

By John Chikezie and Ese Ologe




Justice Sherifat Solebo of an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, yesterday heard how a 30-year-old school principal, Samson Adeyemo, allegedly lured and raped 17-year-old twin sisters (names withheld) on the school premises.

Sometime in 2016, the principal reportedly lured the twins to his office on separate occasions, had sexual intercourse with them, and eventually impregnated one of them.

One of the girls, who testified in court, said that the principal kept a camp bed inside his office which he uses for his sexual escapades.

The twins were both in SS1, but in separate classes, when the principal had sex with them which they hid from each other.

The state prosecutor, M. S. Oshodi, said the defendant committed the alleged offence sometime in 2016 at Beckley Estate, Abule-Egba.

Testifying before the court, the victim, who was impregnated as a result of the rape, said that she aborted the baby through the help of her mother, who took her to a nurse.

She said: “I was still in SS1 when the incident happened. On that day, I was in my classroom when the principal entered and asked if my class teacher was around. I said no. He then ordered me to follow him to his office.

“When we got to his office, he started calling me sweet names before removing my school uniform. He thereafter had sexual intercourse with me and instructed me not to tell anyone.

“He continued having sex with me over a long period of time until I became pregnant.

“I didn’t even know that I was pregnant until one of our neighbours noticed some changes in my body and informed my mother.

“It was my neighbour that found out and told my mother. When my mother confronted me with a slap, I immediately told her that the principal has been having sex with me inside his office.

“My mum immediately called the principal and asked him, and he admitted impregnating me. He then told my mother that we should keep the baby but my mother refused.

“The principal begged my mother not to abort the pregnancy but she refused and took me to a nurse to remove it. My mother told him that she cannot allow me carry a baby, at my age, which would impact my future.

“It was when my mother insisted on terminating the pregnancy that the principal now gave us money for the abortion. So I aborted the pregnancy.

“As a result of the abortion, my parents withdrew me from the school and enrolled me at the defendant’s father’s school.”

When asked if her father knew about the pregnancy, she said he was unaware until after the pregnancy had been terminated because he was rarely at home.

She added that she was taken to Mirabel Centre for medical examinations.

Narrating how she found out that the school principal also had sexual intercourse with her twin sister, she said, “when the incident happened, I did not tell anyone, not even my twin sister, because the principal had already instructed me not to.

“It was when I became pregnant and I told my mother who was responsible that my twin sister then opened up to my mother too.

“She told my mother that the school principal was also having sexual intercourse with her in the same office.

“She also told my mother that the principal was also sleeping with three other girls in her class. She said that the three girls confided in her and told her what the principal had been doing to them.”

The victim further told the court that a medical examination was also conducted on her twin sister after which they were taken to the police station to make statements.

Justice Solebo, however, ordered the prosecutor to tell the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Response Team (DSVRT) to go back and sensitise the children in those schools so that they could know their rights on issues of child abuse and reproductive rights.

The judge thereafter granted bail to Adeyemo in the sum of N1 million with two responsible sureties in like sum.

Solebo ordered that the two sureties must own properties in Lagos State and must present evidence of tax payment in the last three years.

The matter was thereafter adjourned till May 23 for continuation of trial.

By Juliet Akoje, Abuja



Members of the Coalition of Indigenous Communities of Abuja (CICA) yesterday laid siege to the gates of National Assembly causing a major gridlock at the main entrance.

They also blocked the villa gate and gate to office of Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF).

They carried placards with inscriptions as: It Is Seven Days Now That FCT Native Was Killed; Nigerian Army Stop Killing FCT Natives; and Protect Residents And Their Property, Not The Opposite.

Leader of the group, Dalhatu Musa, said they would not give up until their demands were met.

The group had embarked on renewed protest last Thursday over alleged killing and maiming of some indigenes by some military personnel over Nigerian Army’s alleged forceful acquisition of their land in Giri, Kpakuru, Ido Saraki, Zuba and Tungan Maje.

Musa said the struggle to stop military brutality over their land started in 2016 and had continued without positive any outcome, adding that as law-abiding citizens they had petitioned Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello and set up a committee to look into the matter.

He said: “We were told that the military was not allocated the land they were laying claim to. So, we had expected that they would revert to status quo and stop harassing us.

“Unfortunately, one of our kinsmen was killed last week and several others injured when the military tried to forcefully eject them from the land they were farming on.

“When this matter started, we petitioned the FCT minister and we were told they were not allocated the land.

“The ministry reported he matter to the presidency and a Presidential committee was set up headed by Abba Kyari to look into the matter and they asked the army to stop whatever they were doing there.

“Still they went there with their bulldozer to dig trenches to stop the indigenes from accessing their villages and farms,” he said.

He added that they would not be deceived by promises that the National Assembly was attending to the matter, saying the Senate last week referred the matter to its Committee on Defence “as a ploy to frustrate the matter.”

Musa insisted that they would not relent until the Senate President, Bukola Saraki or Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, addressed them.

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA –



CHAIRMAN of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole last night said that the party will not share Committee Chairmanship with the opposition party in the ninth National Assembly.

This is as Oshiomhole has presented the current Majority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila as the adopted candidate of the party for the speakership position. Hon. Abdulmumini Jibrin Gbajabiamila Campaign Director confirmed to newsmen that he (Gbajabiamila) was presented to President Buhari. But a source at the meeting said, President Buhari declined to make comment on Gbajabiamila.

According to the source, Hon. Ahmed Wase (APC, Plateau) stood up after the presentation of Gbajabiamila to express surprise, that after meeting Mr. President to step down from the position of the speaker and take over as deputy speaker, his name was not mentioned at the dinner for the position. The Special Adviser to the President for Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, told State House Correspondents that Buhari called for unity among party members.

Adesina said: “90-95 percent of them are in unison, seem to agree on the position of the party..unanimity ran through the meeting. We cannot speak for five percent.

The President urged them to maintain the unity referring to what transpired in 2015…if there is disunity in their ranks, then anything can happen. He urged them to maintain the unity and stand by the position of the party.” The APC Chairman while making his remarks at the dinner hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari for House of Representatives members-elect at the Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said that the APC has about 223 members-elect out of the 360 House members and that 67 were re-elected for the ninth assembly, adding that there was no room for coalition with the opposition as the ruling APC has two-third to carryout any legislative business including amendment of the constitution.

According to him “Mr President on your behalf we have had a meeting, the NWC with the new members of the House of Representative elect who are yet to be sworn in and later they were joined by the re-elected members. And so we had an APC caucus of the house of representative which was held some weeks ago at Yardua center.

“Your excellency, I found that meeting very revealing just listeninga to the quality of intervention made by new members yet to be inaugurated. “I am convinced sir, Nigerians have mDe a very wise choice in electing the members in the house of representatives. They demonstrated deep knowledge of the challenges that we face.

They acknowledged the need to work together as a party. “I think they recogise that Nigeria realise that we have gone through some avoidable difficulties in managing your first term because we have what I can easily describe as a hostile leadership of the national assembly and there is no better evidence to this that.

The fact that people elected o. The platform of our party even in the face of pronouncements of the supreme Court that it is parties that win elections not cadidayes.

“They were elected on the basis of our platform, they were beneficiaries of the party and when it suits them they decamped and turned us to a mi ority a d created tension in the sustem, xecli ex to approve or even consider nominees fro. “His excellency for various positions, delayed budget needlessly in order to make I.

Plementation difficult and created all sorts of obstacles that you will think that the National Assembly was dominated by members of the opposition yet they were APC members. “For me sir, what I have found in life there is nothing wrong once you admit that you are human, kistakes are expected but it ca. Only become a problem if we repeat mistakes twise.

“From the lessons we have learnt fro. What happened in 2015 we are determined that in 2019 we’d not repeat those mistakes. We draw the apropriate lessons from those mistakes and we move on. If you are elected, it means you are tested and trusted. “Out of 223 APC elected members, about 67 were re-elected, the rest are new members.

“In other climes, you don’t go into coalition when you are in the majority, you do so when you don’t have the numbers. We have the numbers, out of 306, Nigerians elected 223 APC members because they don’t want Mr. president to face the trauma of 2015.

“Most of those who decamped were rejected and even those who led it were uprooted. We cannot as a party which has a comfortable majority, entrust critical committees in the hands of the PDP or opposition.

“If Nigerians wanted them, they could have voted them. In the days of PDP, every committee were chaired by PDP members. Describing the present leadership of the National Assembly as selfish, greedy, he said, “We do not need to do business with the devil for us to survive in the ninth Assembly.

“In African family, we sit down in a closed door to address issues, the good news is that there is a role for everyone. “Neither mr president nor the party expects the National Assembly to be rubber stamps, we don’t have rubbers…But we will not fight in Wuse market.

“Both the re-elected and new members are entitled to heading committees “We have asked our people not to share what belongs to us with other party members. “I don’t have apologies against forces of retrogression.” Gbajabiamila’s main challenger, Chairman Committee on Agricultural Productions and Services, Hon. Muhammad Monguno had last week withdrew from the race for Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives.

Monguno, who represents Marte/Monguno/Nganzai Federal Constituency of Borno State, said Gbajabiamila was the most qualified among all contenders. Still in the race are House spokesman Abdulrazak Namdas (APC, Adamawa), Ahmed Wase (APC, Plateau), Chike Okafor from Imo State who declared his intention yesterday and Umar Bago (APC, Niger). Those in attendance were Secretary to the Government or the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, among others.

By John Owen Nwachukwu




A former Nigerian Ambassador to Switzerland and ex-Administrative Officer representing the Queen of England, Yahaya Kwande, has described the corruption fight of President Muhammadu Buhari as ‘nonsense.’


The 90-year-old Northern elder told Sun that even before Buhari formed his cabinet in 2015, he (Kwande) told the world that the President cannot fight corruption.

He said that people thought Buhari would cut off his neck for speaking the truth, adding that the current method of war against graft will not work in Nigeria system.


According to him, “I said something on the fight against corruption and they kept on repeating it on the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) because they thought Buhari will cut my neck.

“They interviewed me at the time he was yet to constitute his cabinet and I said he can’t even do it (fight corruption).

“They asked again, and I said Buhari cannot and I said but he will try. Now one of the policemen in Aso Rock (Presidential Villa) rang me and sent me a text again to say that they have started talking about it.


“I told them you leave here to go to Abuja and the ordinary man, poor man, 20 of them in a small bus, you are shouting that you are the leader of anti-corruption crusade in the world and in your country, the driver that is sitting driving you; for every police checkpoint he would bribe the police and somebody will take the bribe, he gives the bribe all through from Jos to Abuja; and you say you want to stop bribery in your country, every day you are lying.

“It’s nonsense, what result is it yielding if the ordinary man will not feel happy that his money is his money, and the taxi driver that manages to get some money to buy an old vehicle so that he will pick, N20, N20 on the road, only to share with somebody that is being paid and you are still shouting that you are stopping bribery and corruption because you recovered N10 billion from somebody that has kept it somewhere? Does the poor man care; does he know what is a billion?

“We heard about the billions but every day a clerk now…. I wouldn’t mention that. What bribery are you talking about that you are stopping?”

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has disclosed that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had discovered that 55 Nigerians shared a whopping sum of N1.3 billion during the past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

That amount, according to him, is equivalent to what the present administration had spent on infrastructure development in four years.


The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mohammed made this disclosure in Washington D.C. during an interview with the Voice of America (VOA).

The minister did not however, name anyone but vowed that Buhari will see to the recovery of all looted money by past administrations.


“The President is committed to the fight against corruption and the administration will continue with it.

“For example, the Treasury Single Account has instituted accountability in government‘s earnings and spendings and the whistle blower policy has led to the recovery of billions of Naira.

“It takes more than four years to clean a country endemic in corruption. However, it is on record that this administration has driven corruption under the carpet in four years.

“In the next four years, therefore, the government will consolidate on the achievements recorded particularly in the fight against corruption,” he said.

by Dyepkazah Shibayan



There was a little bit of drama at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on Monday.

Aliyu Umar, lead counsel of federal government in the trial of Walter Onnoghen, suspended chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), argued with Zainab Duke, a lawyer on his team, in the full glare of the tribunal.

An argument broke out shortly after they had entered into appearance in the case. It is not clear what led to argument but Umar was seen shouting at her.

Duke wanted to make an observation but Umar said: “Sit down, I am leading.”

At this point Danladi Umar, CCT chairman, intervened and asked what the problem was.

A police officer moved to give a microphone to Duke to speak but the senior lawyer snatched the microphone.

Umar said: “She wants to address the tribunal but I have not given her permission to do that.”

Duke got up to explain to the CCT chairman but she was not audible.

Thereafter, the lead counsel to the federal government applied that her name be removed from appearance.

“I want to apply that her name be withdrawn from appearance,” he said.

Ruling on the application, the CCT chairman said Duke should “take her leave or take her seat at the back bench.”

She walked out of the tribunal after Umar’s ruling. Both prosecution and defence adopted their addresses after which a date for judgement will be fixed.

Onnoghen, who is standing trial over alleged false assets declaration, resigned last month.

Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja



The Peoples Democratic Party has said that it is not bothered about moves by the ruling All Progressives Congress to sideline its members in the election of the presiding officers of the Ninth National Assembly.

Rather, it said it was monitoring what is ongoing in the camp of the ruling party and would act when the time comes.

The PDP said there was no way the votes of about 46 senators would not count in the election of the leadership of the Senate.

The National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, said these in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday.

He said it was not his style to be making noise about the position the party would take when the time was not ripe to elect the presiding officers of the National Assembly.

Secondus said the PDP also have what he called “unshaken confidence” in its lawmakers- elect , adding that “they are all capable to take decisions that are in the best interest of Nigeria, Nigerians and are all good party men and women.”

He added, “We are not bothered about the hue and cry by the ruling party of their winner takes all position.

“We know that politics is about negotiations, discussions and listening to people.

“The Senate is made up of former governors who have served for eight years, ex-ministers and even ambassadors. Some deputy governors are there as well.

“You don’t just summon and bark out orders at such men and women. National Assembly is the nation’s symbol of democracy.

“As a party, we are keenly watching what is ongoing. We are also hearing what some are saying about how they want to control the assembly and all that.

“We are not used to making noise. Rather, we discuss, we negotiate and we agree. When the time comes for us to take a position, we know when to strike. That is politics for you.

“Notable political players who know their onions don’t make noise on the pages of newspapers and on the screen of television stations. We know what we are doing as a party. “

Secondus said he preferred to be underrated by opponents before any election, adding that such was what happened to the PDP in the just concluded election.

“They said we were dead as a political party before the just-concluded general elections. We started with 11 states in December 2017, but got 13 states before the election. Now, we have 15 states with the hope that we would still get more because technically, we are in charge of Osun now.

“If we were not rigged out in some states and at the national level, we would have been in charge of more states. So, let the noise makers continue with their noise, while we keep talking to the people that matter,” he added.

By Henry Boyo



The oppressive impact of the myriad charges on the transactions of every owner of a bank account in Nigeria was subject of discussion, in this column in recent weeks. Media reports have also suggested that these charges, may contribute trillions of Naira income for banks annually. Indeed, the income from retained stamp duty charges, alone, may have exceeded N6 trillion, if figures bandied by NIPOST and agents are ultimately verified.

The substantial incomes from bank charges, invariably, supplement hundreds of billions of Naira income from the regular and extremely profitable business of granting loans to the CBN, States and Federal Governments and several businesses and account holders nationwide.

The above title “How Banks make Free Money from Government Funds” (www.lesleba.com) was first published soon after key decisions made at CBN’s MPC No. 90 of 22/23 July 2013, were announced. Notably, over 5 years thereafter, the question still remains, whether or not the oppressive, financial absurdity, which incumbent CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi condemned, in 2013, still prevails today? A summary of that article follows, hereafter; please read on.

“…First of all, you have got liquidity surplus in the banking industry; … there is over N1.3trn or so sitting in banks and belonging to government agencies. Now basically, they (these funds) are at zero percent interest, while banks are lending about N2trn to the government and charging 13 to 14 per cent! Now, that is a very good business model, isn’t it? Give me your money for free and I lend it to you at 14 percent; so why would I go and lend to anyone?” (Lamido Sanusi, CBN Governor, July 23, 2013)

“The above statement, which corroborates views regularly canvassed in this column, was Sanusi’s defence of CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee’s decision to raise the existing CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio) of 12 per cent to 50 per cent on all public funds, domiciled in commercial banks, in order to reduce the inflationary threat from aggressive credit expansion by banks.

“Invariably, larger cash deposits create liberal opportunities for banks to leverage on such deposits, to expand credit and thereby increase public and private sector spending, which may, inadvertently, drive higher inflation rates.”

“Thus, this latest requirement for banks to hold higher cash reserves is really an admission that the existing 12 per cent CRR, unduly, instigated credit expansion and drove higher inflation rates.” “Some critics may however, regard the much higher CRR as inappropriate, since it would also further reduce the already inadequate credit to cash beleaguered businesses.”

“This column has, consistently drawn attention to the patently reckless strategy of banks lending their so-called surplus funds (excess liquidity) at atrocious interest rates to the same CBN, which ironically, induced the systemic excess cash supply!!

“Thankfully, Sanusi may have finally recognised, according to him, that “If you want to discourage such perverse behaviour, part of it is to basically take away some of this money; a reserve requirement is therefore, supposed to make sure that the excess liquidity in the banks’ balance sheet, is evenly distributed”. Nonetheless, if CBN fails in practice, to ensure strict compliance with the new 50percent CRR policy, systemic surplus cash will persist and expectedly drive higher inflation rates with disastrous consequences for cost of loans, consumer demand and economic growth.”

“Nevertheless, Sanusi’s fear that even the higher CRR may not adequately cage inflation is probably embedded in his warning that “if spending continues, and we are concerned about the liquidity conditions, we foresee in the nearest future, continued increase in the CRR across board….” Consequently, if surplus cash deposits persist despite the new measure, CBN would further increase its already oppressive CRR beyond 50 per cent for both public and private sector deposits; predictably, this may drive interest rates beyond 30 per cent!”

“This writer has consistently decried the foolhardiness of government’s borrowing back its own cash deposits with banks, at extortionist interest rates and consequently advised instead that it would be more businesswise, for Ministries, Departments and Agencies to domicile their monthly naira allocations, internally with CBN. Regrettably our external debt strategy also follows the same self-oppressive model of borrowing what one has in undeniable excess!” (see www.lesleba.com) for “Will you Borrow Back Your Own Money and Pay 17 per cent Interest? …Ask CBN!” – 27/12/2004 and “MPR Hike: Failure of CBN’s Monetary Framework”, 01/08/2011).

“All the same, Sanusi’s new directive of 50 per cent CRR for government deposits is clearly, an uneasy half way measure, and critics may wonder why the CBN Governor cannot, in his characteristic style, take the bull by the horns, and demand that ALL government funds should be banked with CBN!”

“Invariably, total domiciliation of Government revenue in CBN, will lead to a significant contraction in systemic cash surplus, and thereby restrain inflation; regrettably, however, cost of funds to businesses may not fall significantly if government remains actively in competition with the real sector for both long and short term loans.”

“Ultimately, an enduring cure to the high cost of funds and unyielding inflationary push is to tackle the root cause of excess liquidity; i.e. to first recognise excess liquidity as the direct product of CBN’s monthly substitution of naira allocations for dollar revenue, and secondly, to also ensure that beneficiaries of the federation pool receive dollar certificates for their share of monthly allocations of foreign distributable income. This arrangement would finally exorcise the, seemingly, perennial ghost of systematic cash surplus and its train of adverse consequences on our economy and peoples’ welfare”.

“In its place, minimal, socially and industrially supportive, inflation rates will evolve with lower single-digit interest rates in tow! The naira will become much stronger, and eliminate any remote possibility of subsidising fuel prices, thus achieving the erstwhile seemingly impossible task of benignly deregulating fuel price, so that, hundreds of billions of naira saved can be ploughed into critical social infrastructure and positive social welfare programs.”

“Ultimately, the purchasing power of all income earners will improve to stimulate increasing consumer demand, which industrialists and entrepreneurs would hasten to profitably, satisfy, in a prevailing ambience of low inflation and interest rates and a much stronger naira.”

Postscript April 2019: The Treasury Single Account (TSA) which consolidated all Government funds in CBN was ultimately implemented in August 2015, based on an earlier framework developed overtime by Obasanjo, Yar’Adua/Jonathan Administrations.

Regrettably, however, TSA implementation and 50 per cent CRR still did not remove the perceived liquidity surfeit in commercial banks, as the secluded Government funds filtered into the open money market the moment MDAs made expenditures from their treasury allocations. Indeed, the Bankers’ Committee Chairman had even declared that banks’ liquidity position was not seriously affected by the reductions in CRR. Inexplicably however, after the MPC No 103rd meeting, on 23rd September 2015, CRR was reduced to 25 per cent for all public and private sector deposits and later to 22.5 per cent in March 2016. Thereafter, CBN’s CRR, MPR and liquidity ratios remained unchanged for well over 24 months, despite the attendant disruptive economic impact, until after the MPC 123rd meeting in 2019 when the MPR alone was singled out for marginal reduction from 14 per cent to 13.5 per cent!

Despite these subsisting harsh policy rates, CBN has continued to mop-up perceived Naira liquidity surplus at a rate which often correlates with Government’s annual fiscal plans! Consequently, CBN may have been compelled to pay high counterproductive double-digit interest rates to banks, in order to remove close to N9.0tn perceived surplus liquidity from the system in 2018! Invariably, conversely, the banks may have earned close to N1tn from such interest payments in 2018.

Instructively, however, banks have continued to post humongous profits annually with the prevailing business model; inexplicably, however, businesses in the productive sector have continued to wail.

A Lagos High Court in Igbosere has renewed a bench warrant for the arrest of former Super Eagles captain, Augustine Jay-Jay Okocha for alleged tax evasion.

Justice Adedayo Akintoye made the order following Okocha’s alleged failure to settle a 2017 income tax evasion case brought against him by the Lagos State Government.

The judge first made the order on January 29, following an application by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.

The ministry told the court that Okocha had also failed to appear in court since 2017 when the case was filed against him.

MICHAEL AKINOLA


https://pmexpressng.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2011-01-01-03.56.38-768x576.jpg

Most probably Mrs. Feyintola Babalola did not envisage a serious fight between the two men she engaged in secret romance in Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS confirmed that the battle between her present husband, Mr. Babalola and her lover, Abiodun Ibrahim, has become very tough and the dirty secrets are being revealed in public.

It was gathered that Feyintola had engaged both men in love affairs to the extent that they had every access to her but did not know each other till recently.
Her lover, Ibrahim, first met Feyintola, proposed to marry her, they got very intimate and she became pregnant. However, she opted for Babalola and eventually got married to him.

All the while, she still maintained both relationships; secretly met both men, made them to believe that they were responsible for the pregnancy and they took care of her and the baby.

The matter was said to have turned into a fierce battle when she was delivered of the baby and her lover, Ibrahim, visited to see the newborn baby. The husband, Babalola, later got to know and set a trap for her lover. He caught and handed Ibrahim over to the police alleging that he raped and abducted his wife and the baby.

However, there was a twist in the matter when Ibrahim told the police that despite the fact that Feyintola was staying in Babalola’s house at Bola Street in Ebute Metta, Lagos, that he was sure that he impregnated her which both of them knew before she went to his house. He explained to the police that before and after she put to bed, that he had been taking care of her and the baby and only visited the place to see his newborn baby as the father.

He challenged both the police and Babalola to carry out a DNA test to know who owns the baby while stating that Feyintola was aware of the fact and mentioned her as his witness.

However, the police charged him before the Ebute Metta for rape and alleged abduction.

The court did not take his plea after the prosecutor, Inspector Miram Dauda, asked the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for advice.

Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. A.O. Ajibade, ordered his remand in prison custody and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send to the DPP for advice.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that Feyintola has gone underground and has not shown up at the Court since the matter started.

Olukorede Yishau, Associate Editor and ‘Dare Odufowokan,


Some All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators-elect are suspecting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of plotting a secret ballot voting system to hijack the leadership of the National Assembly.

APC senators-elect, who pleaded anonymity, said the PDP was perfecting this plot ahead of the inauguration of the 9th session in June.

There is disquiet in PDP itself as interest groups root for different candidates as the next minority leader of the Red Chamber.

Three candidates are already in contention for the position. They are the current deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) and Senator Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo Central).

An APC senator-elect accused the PDP of “already laying political landmines in the path of APC” with a view to having the legislative gavel by proxy.

The source said: “While the opposition party cannot reinvent the wheel in terms of the colouration of the legislature during the 9th session of National Assembly, it is trying to foist on the winning party, the Senate in particular, APC candidates that would do its bidding, using the Rule Book of National Assembly to achieve it.

“In implementing the plan, members of the opposition, with a large war chest made available by those being investigated by anti-corruption agencies, are ready to infiltrate National Assembly bureaucracy to perfect their plan.”

A ranking APC Senator said: “PDP is using their chieftains. They will begin the implementation of the two-pronged plan by engaging the top echelon of National Assembly bureaucracy and some APC Senators-elect for their buy-in on the need to continue the use of the forged 2015 Rule Book, especially its secret ballot provision, which paved the way for the emergence of the current Senate President, Bukola Saraki against the directives of his then party-APC

“You know the former Clerk of the Senate allowed the forged Rule Book to be used during the inauguration of the 8th Senate as he capitalised on the absence of APC Senators in the red chamber and to complicate the situation Senator Saraki insisted on using the forged book after he was sworn in as the Senate President.

“Remember that secret voting provision was smuggled into the forged Rule Book used for the 2015 elections despite our protest because secret voting is alien to parliamentary practices. When it comes to voting in the parliaments worldwide, open voting is used.

“What is now expected of the current Clerk of the National Assembly is not to use the forged book for the inauguration of the 9th Session of the Senate, come June this year.

“What happened in 2015 inauguration will not repeat itself because we shall all be present during this year’s inauguration and we shall not allow the forged Rule Book to be used. We will insist on open voting as practised in all parliaments in the world and the National Assembly bureaucracy has already been put on notice.”

A senator-elect explained: “We underrated the capacity of PDP to go to any length to achieve its aims and objectives during 2015 elections of presiding officers of the National Assembly while we were totally naïve about the crucial role of the bureaucracy in the scheme of things in the legislature, a situation that turned the table in favour of the opposition despite being in the minority. We are aware of their political manoeuvres and ready to expose sources of funds for their National Assembly intervention.”

Ekweremadu, Melaye in contention for minority leader

Three Senators elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are leading the race for the Minority Leader position in the forthcoming 9th session of the Senate, according to feelers from the party.

Topping the list is the outgoing Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

Also in contention are Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) and Senator Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo Central).

Rooting for each of them are diverse groups in the PDP.

Sources told The Nation that while the party leadership appears to be heavily in favour of Ekweremadu emerging as minority leader in view of his vast experience, some other groups in the party have different ideas on who should occupy the position.

The party leadership’s decision, it was gathered, may not be unconnected with the desire for a strong personality to lead the PDP in the next dispensation, as part of a larger plan to hijack the leadership of the National Assembly at an appropriate time.

A party chieftain from the Southeast said the PDP believes Ekweremadu has the ability to keep the APC on its toes.

“The PDP plans to give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) serious opposition in the next dispensation,” the party chieftain said.

“We want to prove that we have what it takes to be taken serious as a real alternative to the APC by Nigerians. We can only do these when we live up to the people’s expectation from an opposition party, especially in the national assembly.

“To this end, we have considered that the current leadership of our party in the Senate, as represented by the highest ranking senator there, Senator Ekweremadu, be retained in the 9th assembly. We are sure that if he remains the leader of the PDP senators, the APC will be kept on its toes until we take over the assembly.”

Another party leader said Ekweremadu “solidly fits the bill. We need a man like him to stand up to the APC senators.”

But PDP stakeholders in the Southwest and the Northcentral are projecting other senators for the plum opposition job.

One source said: “it is incorrect to say there is any crisis in the PDP over this issue.

“Yes, people are suggesting various opinions as regards who should be the Minority Leader even when the party’s national leadership is advocating a particular direction for obvious reasons.

“But other opinions are welcome and that should not be interpreted to mean there is a crisis.”

Some interest groups in the Southwest recently cautioned the PDP leadership against taking the position of Minority Leader away from the zone.

The Southwest PDP Frontiers (SWPF), led by Asipa Iyanda Adeoye Ogunfojuri, in a statement by him and Ameen Adekanye warned the party against repeating the alleged ill-treatment meted out to the zone during the struggle for the position of national chairman.

“We are speaking out early enough to avoid being told that we kept mute when it mattered, for that was what we were told after the Southwest was disgraced out of the PDP national chairmanship race,” they said.

“The position of Minority Leader in the senate is currently being held by the Southwest, and since nothing has changed as regards the zoning at the national level, it shouldn’t be taken away from us.

“It is worrisome to see that the body language of many of our leaders suggests the possibility of the position being used to compensate another zone for whatever reason.

“The Southwest will no longer agree to be sacrificed within the opposition party, more so when we have eminently qualified persons that can serve in the said capacity.”

The Nation also gathered that some PDP stakeholders from the Northcentral recently met leaders of the party in the zone and expressed their desire to have Senator Dino Melaye supported to lead the PDP caucus in the senate.

According to sources, the stakeholders pleaded with the leaders against supporting any arrangement that denies the zone a chance to produce the next Minority Leader of the Red Chamber.

“The Northcentral too is pushing for Dino Melaye. In their opinion, the Kogi West senator is eminently qualified and equipped to lead other PDP senators. They also argued that since the zone will be losing the senate presidency currently held by Senator Bukola Saraki, it is just proper that it be compensated with the Minority Leadership in the interest of equity,” our source added.

When the 9th assembly is convened, the Southeast PDP will have at least 11 Senators having lost one seat each in Anambra, Abia and Imo states. One other seat in Imo is still in contention.

The Southsouth PDP will have about 15 senators following the loss of one seat each too in Bayelsa, Edo and Delta states. Party sources said the majority of the senators from the two zones may support the party’s choice.


The Southwest boasts of only three PDP senators-elect.

The party got a senate seat each in Ondo, Oyo and Osun states during the last national assembly elections. Dr. Kola Balogun was elected to represent Oyo South while Chief Francis Fadahunsi will be representing Osun East. Both are first timers.

Senator Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo central) is returning for a second term.

He was first elected in 2011, but lost his re-election bid in 2015. He is a ranking senator and sources say he is the candidate of many Southwest PDP leaders and chieftains for the position of Senate Minority Leader in the next dispensation.

“He is the man they want as replacement for current Senate Minority Leader, Biodun Olujimi, who will not be returning to the senate,” said a party source.

The Northcentral will have about five senators in the next dispensation as it could only manage to add a seat each from Kogi and Plateau states to the clean sweep it got in Benue State. The surprise loss of all the three senatorial seats in Kwara, including that of Senate President Bukola Saraki, depleted its numerical strength in the Senate.

Melaye will be the only ranking senator from the zone in the 9th assembly. Senators-elect Gabriel Suswam (Benue northeast), Yisa Orker-Jev (Benue northwest) and Abba Moro (Benue south) are all going to the Senate for the first time.

Another fresher is Istifanus Dung from Plateau north.

This perhaps informed the choice of Melaye as the candidate of some major stakeholders in the zone.

By Steve Uzoechi, Ali Garba, Clement Ekong, and Sola Adeyemo, Kunle Olayeni



It is not an unusual occurrence in Nigeria since the First Republic, to have a rancorous and baleful transition between an outgoing administration and an incoming one, especially when the individuals involved belong to different political parties. The tune may however be different if a government is transiting within the same political party. This scenario had been witnessed at both state and federal levels of government, especially since the return to civil rule in 1999. But the situation has become more pronounced now, after the just concluded general elections, as some governors and their incoming successors have already started bickering, with both parties accusing one another of perpetrating unwholesome acts. In the fallout of this, there had been exaggerations and understatements, concoctions and conjectures, innuendos and insinuations, lies and half-truths as well as facts and truths, depending on the side one is viewing the issue from. Many political analysts have argued that all these arose in order for some outgoing governors and their successors to play politics with issues on ground and give excuses why they are leaving an empty treasury or why they cannot hit the ground running.

A political analyst, Comrade Oladunle Agbomila, noted that the situation will continue, as long as the political atmosphere is saturated with pecuniary gains, and political players have the mentality of ‘winner takes all’. “Politics is supposed to be a free contest devoid of all these rancour but the money involved is too mouth-watering for them not to fight. While some governors are busy increasing salaries, others employing more workers, all in a bid to increase the wage bill and set landmines for incoming administrations. “Don’t you know that, if a new governor as many hurdles to cross in his administration, he or she won’t have time probing his predecessor as he would be busy looking for how to succeed. In the same vein, if an outgone governor is facing EFCC and battling with court case, he won’t have the time to plot against his successor. This is why they go through all these dirty bickering”, he lamented. A look at few cases at hand strengthened Saturday Telegraph investigations across the states, which revealed that, such unwholesome bickering by the outgoing and incoming governors, had gone a long way in undermining the true essence of governance.


Bauchi

In Bauchi State, the outgoing governor, Muhammed Abubakar, had been alleged of embarking on last minute efforts to make governance unbearable for the incoming administration. Abubakar, who is yet to recover from the shock of his defeat in a state broadcast in a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa Service, said his defeat is still a shock to him, saying he never expected defeat at the polls. Fresh facts emerging from the camp of the governorelect, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, revealed that Abubakar was secretly recruiting teachers and other civil servants with the aim of making the incoming administration to lose focus in delivering its electoral mandate to the people of the state. Mohammed had also recently accused Abubakar of awarding contracts and making last minute financial transactions, saying that the outgoing governor is busy increasing the state’s debt burden. “It beats my imagination that instead of focusing on closing its books, the outgoing government has chosen the dishonorable option of emptying the treasury and overburdening the government with enormous debt again.”

The incoming governor further alleged that there were plans on ground to ensure that part of the Paris Club grant received from the Federal Government, which amounted to N4 billion, would be hastily disbursed in a matter of days to cronies, phony companies and their likes for the renovation of schools. “We are aware of the deliberate and systematic attempt to move state assets to unknown destinations, sometimes in broad daylight. The civil servants who are involved in this systematic theft will not go unpunished. “For the avoidance of doubt the incoming administration will conduct a thorough capital inventory and forensics audit of all financial transactions”, Mohammed had threatened while warning the beneficiaries of such largesse to be wary of the unwholesome act. In its reaction, the Bauchi State Government denied all the allegations, saying they were aimed at tarnishing the records of the Abubakar’s administration. Speaking to our correspondent in a telephone interview, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Sade, denied all the allegations, saying they are “false and unfounded.” “As far as we are concerned, we have not employed anybody and we are not planning to employ anyone before the end of this administration, even a single person has not been employed. They are mere insinuations. Adamawa In Adamawa, all seems not well following the defeat of the incumbent Governor, Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla, by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri. Rumours making the round is that Jibrilla, has in the last few weeks, been embarking on massive recruitment exercise of teachers and civil servants, which observers argue is in bad taste, given the fact that the handover date to the incoming administration is around the corner.

Indications to this effect emerged during the week, when our correspondent visited the state’s Secretariat and the state’s Education Board, to behold the convergence of hundreds of applicants, especially youths, who gathered at various ministries either to be enlisted or interviewed for employment into ministries and parastatal before the inauguration of the incoming administration. One of such applicants, Mohammed Abdullahi, who spoke with Saturday Telegraph on the issue, said the process for teachers’ recruitment actually started late last year but was extended till date. Similarly, other applicants who spoke on the ongoing recruitment drive, blamed the outgoing government for not embarking on the exercise long before now, even though they decided to keep it until the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government was sacked. However, finding by Saturday Telegraph revealed that another fundamental issue that is likely to undermine the incoming administration’s preparedness is the issue of workers’ salaries. It was learnt that as at the time of filing this report, the March salaries are yet to be paid, considering the fact that Adamawa State is one of the state where salaries play a crucial role in all all the 21 local government areas. The outgoing governor is also accused of attempts to award more road contracts, and this is seen as an attempt to undermine and throw a spanner in the works of the new administration. Meanwhile, Fintiri while inaugurating a 65-member committee for the smooth transition, warned the outgoing administration that any recruitment exercise not done before the end of 2018 might not be honoured.


Oyo

In Oyo State, political rivalry between the outgoing administration of Senator Abiola Ajimobi of the APC and the opposition PDP, has resurfaced following the victory of Mr. Seyi Makinde. This is because Makinde defeated Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the anointed APC candidate in the state for the March 9 gubernatorial election and Governor Ajimobi, who aspired to return to the Senate, lost the race for the Oyo South senatorial district to Dr. Kola Balogun also of the PDP. However, subsequent actions from Ajimobi and his party, according to the PDP have signaled an imminent transition laden with bitterness and booby traps.

Though Ajimobi’s government believes otherwise, Makinde who had paid a visit to the governor, shortly after his victory, has sooner than later, raised the alarm of ill-intended broth being concocted against his incoming administration. He had during the visit promised not to probe Ajimobi’s 8-year administration, but upon discovering that Ajimobi allegedly approved some contracts to the tune of N30 billion within a day with readiness to release funds with dispatch, Makinde took a detour, vowing to review all contracts awarded in the wake of the March 9 gubernatorial election and others that are linked to it. The governor-elect also alleged that, “there are plans to mischievously increase the wages of Tertiary Institutions staff for the next two months without actually paying them before May 29, thereby leaving the new administration to grapple with the burden.” But the APC, responding through its Publicity Secretary, Dr AbdulAzeez Olatunde, asked Makinde “to stop chasing shadows and prepare for the art of governance which will start on May 29, after the completion of the unprecedented second term in office of Ajimobi.” The party said it expected Makinde “to be brainstorming and focus on how to further raise the bar of governance and deliver on his electoral promises instead of raising unfounded, malicious and mischievous allegations of emptying the Oyo State treasury.”


Ogun

In Ogun State, ahead of the May 29 handover date, the camps of Governor Ibikunle Amosun and the governor-elect, Prince Dapo Abiodun, are locked in a fresh tussle over last minute appointments and transactions by the outgoing administration. The development, Saturday Telegraph gathered, has raised tension between the two camps even as they continued to fight each other at the election petitions tribunal over the outcome of the March 9 governorship election in the state. Amosun supported the Allied People’s Movement (APM) gubernatorial candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, in the election but Abiodun, who ran on the ticket of All Progressives Congress (APC), defeated the governor’s anointed to emerge victorious at the polls. Some of the adversarial moves by the Amosun government include the appointments of 21 new permanent secretaries; as well as management and Governing Councils for Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH) and Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia.

Also, the outgoing government recently announced new General Managers for both Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC) and Ogun State Television (OGTV), despite the fact that they had been in acting capacities for almost a year. Supporters of the Governor- elect insisted that the appointments were done in bad faith and would be reviewed upon assumption of office. Some of them recalled that Amosun relieved many permanent secretaries inherited from his predecessor of their appointments, stressing that similar action should not be unexpected. The state Publicity Secretary, Ogun APC Caretaker Committee, Tunde Oladunjoye, specifically accused the outgoing government of awards of contracts, sales and auctioning of government properties, and secret recruitments into the civil service Oladunjoye, in a statement titled, “11th hour transactions: Caveat Emptor (Buyers Beware), said the last minute decisions would not be binding on the new government. He said: “It has come to our notice that the outgoing administration of His Excellency Senator Ibikunle Amosun, is busy with last minute awards of contracts, selling and auctioning of government properties, and secrete recruitments into the civil service, in a way to tie the hands of the incoming Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. “While we find these reported last-minutes awards of contracts, withdrawals from treasury, sales of land and illegal recruitment of Senator Amosun’s cronies into senior positions of the Ogun State Civil Service, very shocking, our party wishes to warn the members of the general public that such hurried transactions would not necessarily be binding on the incoming administration. “We urge Ogun State’s top senior civil servants not to be part of the desperate moves of the departing Governor to undermine socio-economic stability of our State, by engaging in, condoning or being part of any act that breaches or constitute a flagrant abuse of laid-down rules, regulations and due process. However, Amosun appears to be unmoved by criticisms over his appointments. Speaking during the week, the governor vowed to work till his last day in office and discharge his obligation to the state irrespective of whatever his critics say or do. The governor’s media aides, when contacted, declined comments on the specific allegations levelled against the outgoing administration by Abiodun’s supporters.


Imo

Since the declaration of Chief Emeka Ihedioha as winner of the March 9 governorship election in Imo State, the state government under Governor Rochas Okorocha has left no one in doubt about his grave misgivings with Ihedioha’s emergence. The Transition Technical Committee set up by Ihedioha to pave the way for seamless transition and handover which is supposed to liaise with government doesn’t seem to be getting the needed support from government. Sources confirmed to our correspondent that the committee has so far met with a brick wall in all their efforts to reach out and engage the outgoing government. The Secretary of the Transition Committee, Chinedu Okpaleke, when contacted by our correspondent said that the committee had reached out to the outgoing government but have not yet gotten any response from the Okorocha government. He said: “This committee is not averse to working with the outgoing government and we have made deliberate and polite efforts to that effect. About two weeks we wrote the government a letter to this effect, we have gotten no response, by next week we will send out a reminder to the Government. That notwithstanding, we shall keep working while we keep reaching out.” Reacting also, the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Mark Uchendu had dismissed the claims by the PDP as fallacious saying: “Their claims are untrue. Government did not auction any vehicle this year. The vehicles were auctioned last year after they were duly evaluated.

"By 6am, she would have come out and started selling food to the people, but we did not see her early this morning," her neighbour said. "We decided to check her room, and knocked the door but she failed to open. So, we broke the door. It was then we discovered her dead body with two calabashes containing some concoctions and charms near her lifeless body in the room."


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A 36-year-old estranged house wife simply identified has Toyin has been found dead in Akure, the Ondo State capital, SaharaReporters has learnt

Toyin, a food vendor, was found dead in her one-room apartment on Thursday morning by her neighbours.

The mother of three was found lifeless at her No 24, Tipper Garage residence in Isikan after it was discovered she was not yet out in the morning as was her habit.

Some neighbours who confirmed the death of the woman told journalists that she normally wakes up very early daily to sell food on the street to her customers.

One of the neigbours said the owman decided to divorce her husband due to his numerous extra marital affairs.

"By 6am, she would have come out and started selling food to the people, but we did not see her early this morning," she said.

"We decided to check her room, and knocked the door but she failed to open. So, we broke the door. It was then we discovered her dead body with two calabashes containing some concoctions and charms near her lifeless body in the room.

"One of us was meticulous enough to quickly check her mobile phone; we discovered she called a number saved as 'Alfa' at 1am of midnight."

In a related development, a 50-year-old woman known as Iya Dunsi has been murdered at Ikarem Akoko by suspected ritualists.

The woman, who is also a palm oil seller, was killed near her house at Odiolowo area of Arigidi in Akoko Northwest Local Government Area.

The two breasts of the woman were removed while some parts of her body were tied with charms.

Femi Joseph, the spokesman of the Ondo State Police Command, also confirmed the gruesome murder, saying: "The woman was returning home from a trip to the North and it was already late in the night.

"Unfortunately, she had come down from the vehicle and had nearly got to her apartment when this evil men struck and killed her for rituals."

Kingsley Adeniyi



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A senior officer of the Nigeria Customs Service has died after he was attacked by a swarm of bees while on patrol duty.

Abba Abubakar, an officer operating at the Seme customs command, along Ashipa axis of Badagry, Lagos, met his untimely death Tuesday after he was stung by the bees, the agency said in a statement.

“With sadness and deep sorrow, the Seme Area Command announces the death of our colleague CSC Abba, A.,” Saidu Abdullahi, the spokesperson of the Seme customs command, said in the statement on Wednesday.

“The sad event occurred yesterday due to an attack by a swarm of bees around Ashipa axis, Lagos- Badagry Express way.

“We pray that Allah (SWT) shower His mercy and grant him the highest level of Jannah, and give his family the patience and fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. Aameen.”

Mr Abdullahi described the deceased as an astute officer who discharged his duties diligently.

“He has never failed to report at his duty post daily. We regret to lose such a gallant officers,” Mr Abdullahi said.

The Yobe State-born officer was survived by his wife and children.

By Tony Ezimakor



Abuja – Nigeria’s premier university, the University of Ibadan, is enmeshed in alleged corruption scandal bordering on misappropriation of varsity funds totalling over N1.98 billion.

It was learnt that the sum is substantially internally generated annually from school fees and other levies charged by the university for postgraduate, undergraduate, diploma, and distance learning programmes.

A group of students and varsity dons who levelled the allegation were already spoiling for a showdown with the authorities.

Some of the agitators claim that they were putting together a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

They have also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to beam the anti-corruption searchlight on the institution.

But Dr. Michael Alatise, the University Bursar, said those complaining should come out bold with facts. He said emphatically that he could beat his chest for the University of Ibadan when it comes to transparency.

The agitators regretted that despite huge revenue generated by the institution, learning facilities such as laboratories, libraries, and materials for research had continued to elude key centres and departments of the institution.

They also pointed out that petitions filed against the immediate past and present management of the institution had been ignored or bypassed.

One of the petitioners disclosed that the postgraduate school of the institution, in particular, was the bedrock of the alleged corruption crippling the institution.

According to her, the postgraduate school is run on collegiate system, allowing it to enjoy a quasi-semi-autonomous status.

As a result, she claimed, accounts of the postgraduate school were not subjected to scrutiny by the varsity authorities even though the provost of the postgraduate college reports directly to the vice chancellor, and the finance office headed by a deputy bursar also reports to the office of the vice chancellor.

She lamented that though the University of Ibadan, as the country’s premier university, was generating huge revenue compared to her peers, amounting close to N1.98 billion annually, it sadly has little to show for it in terms of modern teaching and research infrastructure and facilities.

Documentary evidence gleaned by this newspaper revealed that the postgraduate output of the University of Ibadan, including diplomas in 2016 alone totalled 4,169, and the Master’s programme having the highest chunk of 3,611 in all disciplines.

A total of 449 and 109, respectively, enrolled for PhD and diploma programmes in that year.

Similarly, the graduate output, according to pocket statistics released by the institution in the same year, is put at 10,064.

The number includes graduates from UI campus, Distance Learning Centre, and affiliated institutions.

In terms of chargeable fees, our findings revealed that for post graduate students admission, the university made an estimated N133.3 million annually from N35, 000 paid as acceptance fees and raked in about N471, 200,000 from postgraduate students as tuition fees of N124, 000 for science, law, social science, and humanities.

According to our source, only 40% of the sum per student gets to the teaching department.

“The remaining, over N100,000 or so per student, was retained in the Postgraduate College for administration of programmes, and it is between the provost of the college and the vice chancellor of the university.”

Despite the reasonable sums generated, it was learnt that quite a little is ploughed into the system in terms of equipment.

It was further gathered that the last time teaching and research equipment were upgraded in the institution, especially for science students/courses, was in the era of Professor Olufemi Bamiro that lapsed in 2010.

Said another source, “Regrettably, most of that equipment are now outdated, some are not functioning, or completely damaged or in disuse because of poor maintenance by the present and immediate past management of the varsity.

“How can we compete favourably with the rest of the world or expect any development as a nation if we continue to produce students that are not up to date with facilities and equipment in their course of study?

“How can we raise our heads high in the committee of dons in the world and say we have produced the best if even we, as teachers, are not availed the latest equipment in our field of practice? It is garbage in, garbage out for us and that is the sad truth.”

According to her, TETFUND was supporting varsities with construction of buildings and the university was also heavily subsidised by the Federal Government which pays the salaries of all the staff of the institution, which is over one billion naira per month.

She alleged that little scrutiny was given to the almost N2 billion being generated by the university.

More worrisome to the agitators are the threats by the varsity management against perceived critics of the administration.

She said at least two of those who are bold to speak out against the alleged corruption and maladministration in the university have been coerced into submission through phony staff disciplinary actions.

“Some have been suspended or dismissed by the authority and that is why we are asking the anti-graft agencies and most especially President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the visitor to the university, to look into this matter so as to salvage not only the premier university but also the entire education sector,” she added.

Dr. Alatise, who debunked the allegations, said the university was not only transparent in deployment of funds, it was also prudent in the utilisation of fees paid by students of the university.

“To the best of my knowledge, student fees is the prerogative of the university to utilise. It is not as if it is targeted at any particular project.

“Where any fund is targeted at any particular project, such fund is labelled. I’m not sure there is any student that got receipt for developmental fee for specific project.

“What do students pay for? Students pay for tuition, they pay for accommodation, they pay for medical, they pay for sports, and these are specific fee items. So, what they are talking about, I don’t know, I don’t know where that is coming from.

“Development of infrastructure in the university normally should be funded by government through series of interventions, and it is a continuous process.

“For instance, the seed fund of N98 million, we are yet to deploy for various projects it is meant for. This Friday, the university’s tender’s board will be meeting to decide for which projects the fund will be used.

“And it cannot be for only postgraduate programmes. We have postgraduate programmes, we have undergraduate programmes.

“It can only be for facilities that need updating, and then we deploy the funds to those projects.

“You see, if it is University of Ibadan, I can beat my chest for transparency. No funds can be used for any project it was not earmarked.

“You know, in UI, everybody can speak, everybody writes. If those making the allegations say they are victimised, then they should give more information. What they are talking about is strange. In fact, I have no idea”, he said.

by Okodili Ndidi



Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, Monday gave hint why he wants to go to National Assembly as Senator representing Imo West Senatorial zone.

He said that he wants to build a strong political bring between the Southeast and other geopolitical zones of the country.

The governor also hinted that he would pursue the policy of Free Education at the National Assembly “so that the children of the poorest in the society would have hope of survival in Nigeria”.

According to him, “I also want to use the opportunity in the Senate to rebuild the Political Bridge that has linked the South East with the rest of Nigerians. The Political Bridge is somehow faulty and it is dutifully incumbent on me to rebuild this bridge so that Igbos will play a recognized role in the Politics of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

He continued that “I am going to the Senate to promote the course of ordinary Nigerians. These are some of the things I am going to the Senate to do. Otherwise, I have no business there”.

Governor Okorocha who spoke when he received the new Commander, 34 Field Artillery Brigade (FAB) Obinze Brigadier-General Yusuf Tukura when he came on Courtesy Call at the Government House Owerri, also disclosed that he is leaving behind a viable and secured State.

He said that his administration in the State from 2011 to 2019 saw the disappearance of kidnapping, armed robbery, ritual killings, baby factories, militancy and other organized crimes in the State, adding that he would not be happy to hear that these crimes are back to the State when he has left.

He said “We have enjoyed a very good working relationship with all the past Army Commanders and we are hopeful it will continue. Imo is a peaceful State. It was made peaceful through the efforts of the rescue mission government, in partnership with other Security Agencies in the State.

“The transformation you have seen in Imo State eight years down the line is as a result of Sacrifice. A leader who does not make sacrifices has no business with leadership. What you are seeing in Imo is a product of sacrifice. Sacrifice of self, Sacrifice of Comfort and personality, denial of yourself who you are, that you might serve your people well”

By Temidayo Akinsuy



Lagos – With few months to the conduct of the governorship election in Kogi State, the state governor, Yahaya Bello, who is seeking reelection, has practically abandoned governance and has temporarily relocated to Abuja to lobby President Muhammadu Buhari, first lady Aisha Buhari and other leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Bello, who was sworn in as the fourth civilian governor of Kogi State on January 27, 2016, was picked by the leadership of the APC to replace the late Abubakar Audu, the original party’s candidate who died before the governorship election held on November 21, 2015 was concluded.

Audu was leading the candidate of the PDP, former Gov. Idris Wada, before the election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).


Many had thought the late Audu’s running mate, James Faleke, a serving member of the House of Representatives, would replace him, but the party’s leadership led by its former national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, opted for Bello, who emerged first runner-up in the party’s primaries.

Since assuming office, he has been having running battle with some stakeholders in the state especially those who were aggrieved with the manner with which he emerged as the beneficiary of the late Audu’s ticket.

Sources also alleged that aside issues of unpaid salaries which has given Kogi a negative image amongst the 36 states in the country, the governor is also in the habit of fighting everyone, especially the leadership of the party in his state, House of Assembly members and serving federal lawmakers.

Sources in the state told Daily Independent that since the conclusion of the presidential election which was won by President Buhari, the governor is rarely seen in the state as he has practically relocated to Abuja where he is lobbying major stakeholders in the party as well as those in the presidency to give him a soft landing.

It was also reported that while Adams Oshiomhole was favourably disposed to direct primaries which was adopted by the party in the just concluded elections, the embattled governor was canvassing for indirect primaries where selected delegates will vote.

According to a source, “Right now, Governor Yahaya Bello has temporarily relocated to Abuja over his ambition to secure a second term ticket. Governance in Kogi is at its lowest ebb now. He promised new direction when he was sworn-in but right now, there is no direction at all.

“There is this fear that APC leadership under Adams Oshiomhole will adopt the direct primary method, where all the party members will vote to elect their governorship candidate. I think that is what the governor is trying to prevent now, even before INEC announces a date for the election.”

According to another source, who is a member of the state’s House of Assembly, “Bello is fighting different people in the state. There is this impression that he is not popular among the citizens, both young and old, especially the civil servants who constitute the majority of the people in the state.

“There are several petitions against him written by members of the APC to the party secretariat in Abuja. The crux of the petition is that APC will lose woefully in the state if they field him as the candidate. They said even if he rigs the election, he cannot win. The situation is that bad.

“He is close to the first lady, Aisha Buhari, and he is using that to lobby the president. You hardly find him in Kogi these days”.

However, speaking with our correspondent, Onogwu Mohammed, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, denied the allegations, saying the governor has remained in the state and even cancelled a trip with President Buhari to Jordan in order to attend to security issues in the state.

“That is a lie from the pit of hell concocted by the imagination of those who are only interested in spreading falsehood. Governor Yahaya Bello was billed to travel with Mr. President to Jordan alongside with Governors Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo and Badaru of Jigawa State.

“The governor has been on ground in the state since last week and has not traveled to Abuja. He had to cancel that trip to Jordan with President Buhari because from the security reports he gathered, there was a plot to threaten the peace of the people of Omala Local Government Area.


“So, he cancelled that trip and has been on ground in Kogi State. He held meetings with the various security agencies in Kogi. Based on the meeting, the security apparatus in Kogi moved to Omala Local Government Area and they were there till yesterday morning until they repelled the attack.

“The governor is presently in the state, coming to office, attending to issues that borders on the well-being of the people of Kogi State. To say the governor has relocated to Abuja because of second term is a lie and should not be taken serious by well-meaning Nigerians.

“Yahaya Bello is not after second term in office. He is not desperate about getting himself a second term ticket by relocating to Abuja. He is assuring himself of a second term ticket by giving the people of Kogi State good governance”.

When Daily Independent sought the position of the APC national chairman on the issue, one of his aides said he is not concerned with the issue at the moment, adding that the focus of Oshiomhole now is the issue of the National Assembly leadership so that the mistakes of 2015 will not repeat itself.

“The national chairman takes matters as they come. The Kogi election will come up later in the year. What is pressing now is the issue of the National Assembly leadership which will take place in June”, he said.

by Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja



Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday met behind closed doors with the former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume.

Ndume has been aspiring to be President of the 9th Senate due for inauguration in June.

He had declared his intention to run for the number three highest political office despite endorsement of the current Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan for the position by the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC).

Ndume, declined to speak on camera with State House correspondents on Monday at the end of about one- hour meeting with Osinbajo.

But he indicated that he was not ready to step down from the race.

When asked by reporters whether he would step down, he asked rhetorically: “Me?”

He declined to speak further on the Senate Presidency race as he maintained that he was still holding consultation.

“This is not the time to talk now because I am still holding consultation,” he stated.

By Ahmed Musa




Abuja – Indications have emerged to the effect that a storm is brewing within the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus of the House of Representatives, especially returning and newly elected members, Daily Independent reports.

The reason, according to a highly placed source who spoke to Daily Independent on Sunday, is that incumbent speaker, Yakubu Dogara, who’s currently in the opposition is holding meetings with aggrieved APC lawmakers.

The source, who asked not to be named for personal reasons, also said the leadership of the APC is aware of Dogara’s scheming and is monitoring its members and their activities building up to the leadership elections in June.

While the source did not mention how many APC lawmakers were holding meetings with Dogara and who they are, he, however, stated that a major contender for the seat of speaker from the North Central, Ahmed Idris Wase, was also approached by the group for meetings with Dogara, but has serially stayed away.

“I can tell you that they have tried severally to get Wase to attend the meetings, but he kept dodging them. One of them even said the speaker is considering him for the deputy speakership position if he aligns with him, but Wase has refused to attend”, he said.

Probed to name the members attending the meetings with Dogara, the source said he could only say that “many APC members from other zones are not happy with the party’s apparent favouritism towards the South West”.

He said reactions and protest against the move are reasons why many members are declaring their intentions to run for the office.

Recall that on the day Femi Gbajabiamila, a top contender in the speakership race and a possible anointed candidate of the party, declared to run, another lawmaker from North Central, Muhammed Umar Bago from Niger, also declared his intention to run.

Since Bago and Gbajabiamila’s declarations, another North Central lawmaker, John Dyegh from Benue has also joined the race.

Dyegh, formerly touted to head the speakership campaign of Idris Wase, declared during the week in a twist of event many have described as a protest against the party’s arm twisting tactics, as well as the manner Wase has kept the North Central caucus in the dark regarding recent developments they got wind of.

It was said that Wase whom the caucus was rooting for was being offered deputy speakership position to run with Gbajabiamila, but didn’t deem it fit to inform the caucus and keep them on the same page.

Asked if Dogara has hijacked the caucus, the source declined to comment.

He, however, said, “All I can say is that many members are not happy with what the party leadership is doing with the zoning arrangements, and they’re realigning”.

Dogara is said to have the support of the 123 PDP members with promises of better deals for them if they could also bring their friends on the APC side to his camp.

The speaker is said to have waited with bated breath whilst working underground to see cracks in APC walls and exploit same to his advantage, as it was in 2015.

He is said to be capitalising on certain alleged negative records of Gbajabiamila and the fact that many members are resisting his candidature as protest against any overbearing influence from the outside when it comes to distributing committee portfolios.