₦airaland Forum

By Kunle Oderemi

VARIOUS caucuses within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are digging in to gain a superior advantage ahead the national convention of the party coming up next Saturday in Abuja, amid raging and discontent across the state chapters of the party.

A number of party buffs are reportedly still fuming over the alleged manipulation of the ward, local and state congresses of the party held across the country last month, except in Ekiti and Osun states, where governorship elections will take place on July 14 and September 22 respectively.

The decision of the APC national leadership to recognise the state executives elected during the state congresses had led to some party members either going to court to challenge the action or remain resolute in their demand that they were the legitimate state party organ.

A total of 6,800 delegates are expected to participate in the convention designed to elect the new National Working Committee (NWC) to succeed the current one under Chief John Odigie-Oyegun in his capacity as national chairman..

With less than five days to the convention, major power blocs comprising members of the National Assembly elected on APC platform, leaders of the new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP faction, among others, were maintaining their stance against the scale of perceived fraud perpetrated supposedly by state governors in collaboration with other influential caucuses during the ward, local and state congresses.

Moves to reconcile the different executives arising from the conduct of parallel congresses have not yielded positive results in a number of states, including Ondo, Enugu, Imo, Bauchi and Kano, where factional leaders have been trying to consolidate.

The aggrieved members have refused to embrace the olive branch from state governors and other party leaders advised by the national organs of the APC to lead the reconciliation.

In Bauchi State, some party faithful from the constituency of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, said they were already considering another party member as replacement for him in the next general election.

Reports indicated a yawning gap among APC leaders from the South-East, following discordant tunes on the contest for the national offices zoned to the area by the party.

Some leaders of the party distanced themselves from the purported endorsement of some contestants seeking re-election, by a few party faithful, who met on Friday in the state capital.

However, loyalists of the late president of the Senate, Dr Chuba Okadigbo who are APC members are backing Chief Chidi Nwogu for the post of national organising secretary of the party.

Acting under the aegis of the Chuba Okadigbo Rainbow Organisation in APC, they adopted Honourable Nwogu at a meeting of the leaders of the group in Abuja.

The organisation was formed by Dr Okadigbo as an umbrella political body for all his supporters nationwide. Okadigbo used the organisation when he ran as vice presidential candidate with President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2003 presidential election.

They explained that their support for Nwogu was due to his loyalty to their leader throughout the period he contested with Buhari for the Presidency in 2003.

In a communiqué signed by the national leader of the organisation and Owelle Awkuzu, Chief Peter Emenaka; North-East coordinator, AlhajiYakubu Das and the South-West leader, Honourable Dare Falade, they urged President Buhari to honour Okadigbo by accepting Nwogu as the next APC national organising secretary.

They advised him to be wary of certain persons who were trying to deceive the public by parading themselves as Okadigbo’s men in a frantic bid to obtain the endorsement of President Buhari and other APC leaders.

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President Muhammadu Buhari jokingly said the ruling party,All Progressives Congress (APC) would 'abduct' the Senate Minority Whip, Philip Aduda, from the opposition People's Democratic Party.

Buhari, who expressed delight at the turnout for the homage, jokingly said that perhaps for the 2019 elections, the ruling All Progressives Congress would try and "abduct" the Senator Aduda, who was among his visitors, from the opposition People's Democratic Party.

The president said Aduda seemed to be enjoying at the Senate so much that he was "putting on weight by the day."

Noting that Nigeria was blessed with human and material resources, Buhari said: "I’m very pleased that we are working very hard collectively as Nigerians and that God in his infinite mercy who knows what is in the heart and not by mouth, will continue to guide us so that we accommodate each other at all times."

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A man who claims to have bedded more than 2, 500 women has disclosed how he achieved the feat.

Daniel Wagster , who has also been arrested and jailed for eating at an expensive restaurant without paying , described his sex life as “ fast and furious” and admits to cheating on his ex - girlfriend with 50 different women .

He claimed that he drew attention from the ladies when he was 18 and started working out and said since then , he hasn’ t gone more than two days without sex.

Wagster , who said he beds an average of four or five women a week, has even boasted about having sex with four girls in the space of 24 hours in a Manchester hotel .

But despite his tally , Wagster is reluctant to use contraception and is not bothered about making girls have abortions if they get pregnant .

He said safe sex isn’ t “ massively important ” to him , adding that he will wear a condom if he has to , but “ I ’ d rather not because it feels like I ’ m wearing a crisp packet and kills the mood. ”

The personal trainer was once arrested when he attempted to escape after eating a £450 meal .

The 29-year - old Daniel Wagster had tucked into high -end steaks at a Piccolino restaurant with three friends for a birthday night out .

The group washed their six-hour meal down with four bottles of champagne — pushing the bill up to £450 in July 2016.

Wagster attempted to bolt after complaining about the quality of two of the steaks, which was deducted from the total . He also fumed at what he called “ the slow service . ”

He was jailed for eight weeks at Warrington Magistrates ’ Court and ordered to pay the outstanding £447. 50 bill to Piccolino in Stockton Heath , Cheshire.

Defending, Zoe Earle said : “ He was left by his friends to pay for the bill . He has been made a scapegoat in this matter . ”

The court heard Wagster has 12 previous convictions for 16 offences including assault , burglary and harassment .

He was dubbed “ Britain ’ s biggest player” after claiming to have slept with more than 2, 500 women in 11 years.

By George Opara, Abuja


Senate yesterday declared the SAMSUNG Managing Director, Young Ho Jo , an illegal immigrant.

It also ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service ( NIS ) to deport Ho Jo back to South Korea, his home country.

This development followed the ongoing probe by the upper legislative chamber ’ s ad -hoc committee over the $16. 35 billion Egina Oil Field project chaired by Senator Solomon Adeola , representing Lagos West Senatorial District .

Adeola said the resolution for the deportation of the SAMSUNG managing director was adopted by the Senate last week Thursday in line with the recommendation of the ad - hoc committee in its interim report .

He added that the illegality of the South Korean residency was uncovered on the scrutiny of his papers with other operators of the Egina Oil Field project .

He said : “ Mr . Young Ho Jo , who has been working for the past two months in Nigeria as the managing director of Samsung without fulfilling legal requirements for such told us that he could not complete his documentation as a result of alleged break down of machines of the Nigeria Content Development Monitoring Board ( NCMDB) .

“ But the NCMBD wrote to us that their machines had never broken down in the period claimed , showing that the man has contravened the Local Content law
“ Going by recommendations made by this committee to the Senate and resolution adopted , SAMSUNG MD is no longer recognised on account of improper documentation as shown by papers he presented .

“ To the Senate and this committee , SAMSUNG MD is an illegal immigrant who must be deported by the Nigerian Immigration Service, to which a letter to that effect has been forwarded to the Ministry of Interior.

“ He can, however , come back to the country through proper documentation thereafter , ” he said.

However, it was also found out that the South Korean while in Nigeria violated the Local Content Act by spending $1. 6 billion out of the $3. 5 billion contract SAMSUNG got from the $16. 35 billion Egina Oil Field Project in Goje, South Korea.

Adams Oshiomole, former Governor of Edo State, has likened Olusegun Obasanjo, former President, to a cockroach who would never get enough of licking palm oil.

Speaking on Tuesday at an event in honour of the late Chief MKO Abiola chaired by human rights lawyer Femi Falana, Oshiomhole described Obasanjo as a “reluctant Head of State” who was unwilling to leave office after two democratic terms in office.

Reacting to Obasanjo’s claim that President Muhammadu Buhari was planning to hang a crime on him and arrest him, Oshiomhole encouraged the President to arrest Obasanjo if found to have committed any wrong in the past.

“He should be arrested if he has committed any offence. He arrested many of us,” Oshiomhole said.

“Falana is here and today, I am standing. Even the President who was in charge then, he is now complaining that they want to harass him. He was harassing me and he got me arrested.

“He thought he himself would not be arrested? If I were the President I would arrest him. We are all Nigerians. I remember one day I told him, I said ‘President Obasanjo, we made you President. You did not make me a Nigerian.

“‘You are our creation; I am not your creation. You must listen’. But he thought he would be in power forever and he tried to take us on the way to Zimbabwe. He was a reluctant Head of State, became President for two terms and he wanted to do a third term because a cockroach licking palm oil would never lick enough.”

Hon. Imoudu Sule, Renowned Edo born multimillionaire businessman and father of fiery preacher, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, is the current APC Leader in Auchi as well as the APC Deputy Leader, Etsako West, Edo State, Nigeria.

In a recent media chat with select journalists in Lagos, the elder statesman revealed why he’s coming out publicly this time to give his son a final warning against the backdrop of his persistent and unrelenting criticism of the President Muhammadu Buhari led APC Government.

While acknowledging and openly confessing his passionate love for his son Suleiman Johnson, and giving further reasons he continually warns the fiery priest to concentrate more on his Apostolic calling, Hon. Sule Imoudu stated categorically that he would not condone anyone who undermines the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“This is a man I love, respect and hold in high esteem for being a person of integrity over the years.”

Each time I hear people criticize my party, the (APC), my heart bleeds. Apostle Johnson Suleiman who’s my biological son and a renowned preacher of the gospel is seemingly becoming a consistent critic of the ruling party lately. And I am seriously concerned about it as numerous well-wishers are now urging me to call my son to order.

I hereby speak out to let Nigerians know that I have warned my son (Apostle Johnson Suleiman) to immediately leave politics to politicians and focus on his calling as a priest.

Being a retired Army officer, PMB is my commander in chief and the overall leader of my party, the APC. Hence, I will do anything in my capacity as a stakeholder to support Mr President for his noble repositioning of our dear country Nigeria.”

Consequently, anybody who is not supporting the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is an enemy of the nation.”

While complaining bitterly, he further explained that he decided to speak out publicly this time that his son had travelled abroad for his routine missionary work; just to let Nigerians and indeed the whole world know that his son has defied all their private talks as father and son on the subject matter; over time.

Hon. Sule Imoudu also wondered why his son who’s a philanthropist and clergy would be seen dabbling into politics every now and then.

By Musa Abdullahi Krishi


More lawmakers from both chambers of the National Assembly are joining the Buhari Parliamentary Support Group (PSG) despite a ban by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Daily Trust learnt yesterday.

The lawmakers are joining the group in the aftermath of last week’s joint executive session of the Senate and the House of Representatives, which they describe as self-serving.


Those who initiated the PSG first at the senate said they floated the group to protect and defend the interest of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group emerged following the passage of a bill in February that sought to change elections sequence in the country in such a way that National Assembly elections would come first, to be followed by governorship and state assemblies, while presidential election would be the last.

But senators such as Abdullahi Adamu, Ovie Omo-Agege and a host of others rejected the passage of the bill by the Senate and thereafter formed the PSG.

Sen. Omo-Agege specifically said the elections sequence change was targeted at President Buhari. He, along with others, were investigated and he was subsequently slammed with a suspension for 90 legislative days on April 12. A court has since voided that.

The Senate equally banned the PSG, saying it would not tolerate the existence of any such group.

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE


A 19-year old, Damilola Olawole has landed in trouble after he went to a popular supermarket and stole barbequed meat popularly known as “Kilishi” and other items as demanded by his female lover in Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that Olawole was captured by CCTV camera mounted inside the supermarket; he was then apprehended and handed over to the police.

The incident happened at the popular Twins Faja Supermarket located at the Ikotun area of Lagos where he also worked as staff.

Some of the items recovered from him included bottles of Sniper insecticide, Forever tooth gel, kilishi and others worth about N9,000.

It was gathered that Olawole was dating an unidentified older lady who asked him to provide the items. He promised to get them for her and had to steal them from the supermarket in order to deliver to her.

He was said to have hidden the items and was escaping before the security man in charge of the CCTV called him back. The security man played the video and he saw himself in the video hiding the items. He was forced to remove the items and was handed over to the police at Ikotun Division for prosecution.

It was gathered that the management insisted and asked the police to prosecute Olawole to serve as deterrent to other staff who might want to try such in the future. Hence the police charged him before Ejigbo Magistrates court for the alleged offence.

He pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, Supol Kenneth Asibor did not oppose his bail. Thus the Presiding Magistrates, Mr. T.O. Shomade granted Olawole bail in the sum of N10,000 with one surety in like sum.

He was remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect his bail condition.

The matter was adjourned till 2 July, 2018.

P.M.EXPRESS contacted the suspect to know why he stole from his place of work. Olawole said that he received N18,000 as salary as such it did not take care of his needs and he was tempted to steal the items. He said that he had pleaded with the manager but he refused insisting that he should be charged to court.

The moment a young man received a hot slap from his lover publicly after he forgot his ring during a staged marriage proposal, has been captured on camera and shared online.

A popular Twitter page, Television Nigerian (@tvnigerian), has taken to the social networking platform to share a hilarious and dramatic video clip from a marriage proposal in Benin, the Edo State capital.

The video footage shows the moment a young man went down on his knees to propose to his girlfriend while a guitarist was serenading them with love songs. When it was time to pull out the ring an begin the proposal, the man was seen searching through his pockets, all to no avail.

Angered by the dissapointment, the lady who looked humiliated gave the young man a dirty slap on the face, and eventually walked out as people watched in amazement at a fast food restaurant.

TV Nigerian shared the video and wrote; "So apparently this happened in Benin, just opposite Uniben maingate at the same Naida bakery that was rumoured to be sold by a Yahoo boy, this guy was supposed to propose to the love of his life.. But then couldn't find his ring..."

Watch the video below;
So apparently this happened in Benin, just opposite Uniben maingate at the same Naida bakery that was rumoured to be sold by a Yahoo boy, this guy was supposed to propose to the love of his life.. But then couldn't find his ring... pic.twitter.com/cqTHj0mztN

— Television Nigerian (@tvnigerian) June 11, 2018

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By Magaji Isa Hunkuyi, Jali



Hamman Adama lost four of his sons in an attack that claimed nine Fulani men in Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State. They were reportedly attacked by armed men from Mumuye.

Adama, who spoke for the affected families of the attack, alleged that it was well planned and executed by the elite of the Mumuye tribe. He wondered why the attack occurred since there was no clash between farmers and herdsmen in the area.

He disclosed that on that fateful day, he noticed an unusual movement of people in the area. He added that some of the people he saw were strangers who were brought in from different places. According to him, there was no misunderstanding between the Fulani in the area and their neighbours, the Mumuye.

Adama further said that while going to Pantisawa town at 1pm on that day, he noticed that all the people from the Mumuye tribe in the villages along the road were in war mood, with many of them carrying bows and arrows and some holding guns.

He said he was wondering what his neighbours were up to until one of his sons, Jibril, put a distress call, informing him that the Mumuye had surrounded their houses with dangerous weapons.

According to him, when he got to his community, he met hundreds of Mumuye men and other strange persons who were armed with bows, arrows and guns. When he approached them, he was told that his cow damaged a phone belonging to one of them.

“Immediately, I realised that the story of a cow damaging a phone was cooked up to justify an attack on the Fulani community,’’ Adama said. He, however, said that when he approached Mumuye elders to intervene, it was agreed that a new phone would be provided as a solution to the impending face-off.

He further said that he immediately headed back to Pantisawa to report the matter to the chief of Mumuye, Alhaji Ado, the local government council chairman and the Police Divisional Officer (DPO).

“On reaching Pantisawa I informed the Sarkin Fulani, Alhaji Abubakar Bello and chief of Mumuye about the situation in our community, and he immediately rushed to the police divisional headquarters to inform the DPO. To our surprise, the DPO refused to take action, even when there was another distress call received in his office, that Mumuye people were about to attack the Fulani community.

“We even offered to fuel police vehicles in order to convey policemen to our community, but the DPO refused to act. At this point, another distress call came from one of my sons, that they would be killed if there was further delay “he alleged.

He said that at about 7pm, one of his sons, Inusa, who luckily escaped through the mountain, informed him that all his brothers were murdered.

Adama said he saw people from Jalingo, Pupule and other surrounding villages among the attackers. “In fact, some people I know were among the attackers.

“We all agreed to provide a new phone and l rushed to Pantisawa to inform the chief of Mumuye and the police. But before l came back, six persons were hacked to death, and four out of the six are my sons,” he lamented.

He said they had lived together with people of Mumuye for several decades and they never had any misunderstanding, either on land matters or personal issues until recently when some people came and instigated unprovoked attacks.

Also speaking, the Sarkin Fulani of Yorro and a title holder in Mumuye chiefdom, Alhaji Abubakar Bello, said that although the Fulani community knew it was not true that a phone was damaged, they agreed to buy a new one so as to put the matter to rest. He wondered why the people of Mumuye breached the agreement and killed innocent persons.

He said that bodies of the dead victims were conveyed to Jalingo and buried while the entire Fulani community fled and are taking refuge in Jalingo and other places.

Bello lamented that journalists were not on ground to cover the burial for the whole world to see. “Similarly, there was no statement from the Taraba State Government to condemn the killing.

“Several members of our community, including women and children, were affected, but the government did not care to provide any relief for victims who were forced to flee their homes,” he lamented.

He gave the names of those who were killed as Jibril Hammadu; Albasu Hammadu; Mustpha Hammadu; Dahiru Umaru; Isiyaka Ali; Hamman Adama; Bello; Musa; Suleiman Baba.
When contacted, the special assistant to Governor Darius Ishaku on media affairs, Mr Bala DanAbu, said he was not aware of the killing.

A brother to one of the victims, Mallam Faruk Aliyu, said it was unfortunate that killings were being encouraged in parts of Taraba State. He alleged that those arrested were forcefully released from police facilities. He said that in Yorro, three suspects were arrested in connection with the killing of a Fulani man, but Mumuye people invaded the police station and freed the suspects.

He further alleged that in Zing town, the people of Mumuye invaded a police station and a magistrate’s court and burnt them down, simply because some suspects were arrested. He alleged that those in government were encouraging some ethnic groups to live above the law.

When contacted, the spokesman of the police, Taraba State command, ASP David Misal, confirmed the attack in Yorro, saying that five people were arrested in connection with incident.

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Lois Ugbede


President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and all other party members did not pay their party levies in all of 2015, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said in its latest financial report.

The party said it received no such contribution from all its members across the country, raising questions about how it funded its operations in an election year.

The exact number of APC’s members across the country is not clear, but officials say the figure is expected to be over a million.

Party subscriptions, membership fees and levies, charged monthly or annually on members, are a key source of funding for political parties. In fact, the APC generated N23.7 million from those sources just a year earlier: 2014.

But by 2015, the party said no member across the country, including top leaders like President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo, paid a kobo as dues, a claim analysts say is unlikely, and has cast doubt on the truthfulness of the party’s audit report.

One analyst said the claim may also mean the party, which campaigned on a promise to fight corruption, may be relying on “money bags” — instead of legitimate membership levies — for its operations, which means it would be promoting patronage and cronyism.

“It shows that something is wrong. Either they are not filling out what exactly is the true position or their internal fund raising mechanism is weak,” said Eze Onyekpere, who heads Centre for Justice, an organisation that has monitored election campaign funding for years.

“That also shows the party is not serious about internal funding and is relying a lot on money bags. You don’t need big time donors.

Little money here and there, a thousand, two, three, four, five; when you get it from a million people is a huge amount of money with which you can run a political party, rather than waiting for one donor who will give you tons of millions and expect a pound of flesh in return after the election if you win because he or she is not father Christmas. He is simply investing and he needs to make profit. That process of collecting profit is what leads to corruption and inflation of contract.”

The APC’s financial statement was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by law, and was exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.

In the election year, 2015, the party said its income came from sale of nomination forms, as well as “donations and gifts”. Sale of forms brought in N329.4 million while donations and gifts generated N275 million.


Several party leaders refused to comment on the report.

The national publicity secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, referred PREMIUM TIMES to the auditor of the party.

When contacted by phone, the auditor, George Moghalu, demanded a physical meeting, but did not make that happen at the time of this report.

The national treasurer of the party, Bala Mohammed, however told PREMIUM TIMES that as of 2015 the party had not started “enjoying levies and dues”. He could not explain how the party made money from the same levies in an earlier year.

“Membership dues are paid by every member of the party and it’s N100 per month. Levies are paid by elected office holders from the president to the council. The president, members of the National Assembly, the ministers, political appointees like chairmen of boards, members of boards, governors all pay their levies.

“Payment of dues qualifies every member of the party to enjoy all privileges within the party.

“Subscriptions are just like dues. Once you register, then you subscribe into the party, then you start paying the dues. Now we are working hard to see how the payment can be made easier for people that live in the rural areas. We are trying not to be ‘interacting’ with cash. That is why we introduced payment of dues through mobile phones.”

He explained why nothing was reflected in the parties report under subscriptions, dues and levies in 2015.

“In 2015 we haven’t started. We are now trying to start the payment because we faced a lot of difficulty with the service providers. Up till now we couldn’t reach a final agreement with them because the deduction for that N100 will easily be done through airtime. Anywhere you are once there is service, we have a short code that you can just cue in then it will deducts automatically.

“Nothing was paid in 2015, so we asked our office holders in 2016 to pay the arrears for the previous year 2015. House of Assembly holders refused to pay the arrears but Senate agreed to. But that has not been input in the records to know which is for 2016 and the arrears paid for 2015,” he said.

Mr Bala did not explain how the APC was able to generate over N20 million from levies in 2014 if the party had not started collecting such monies by 2015 as he claimed.

In an effort to find out from party members to know if they paid their membership fees and party dues that year, PREMIUM TIMES reached out to some leaders of the party.

Tunde Rahman, a spokesperson for a leader of the party, Bola Tinubu’s spokesperson, directed PREMIUM TIMES to the party.

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson did not answer his calls or reply to text messages, the same with the spokesperson of Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

A party member and director general of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, said he could not recall the last time he paid party dues.

“For a long time I don’t think, I don’t remember when last I paid, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t contribute in other ways. Membership fee is supposed to be the backbone of the party’s financial structure. I am aware it’s one of the things we do regularly but whether it has been adhered to?”

There are growing concerns over the whereabouts of Michael Adikwu and Kayode Opadokun, two of the arrowheads of the Offa bank robbery.

In a press statement on Sunday to update the public with details of the investigation into the robbery and the invitation to Senate President Bukola Saraki to explain his alleged links to the gang, Jimoh Moshood, Force Public Relations Officer (PRO), had listed Kayode Opadokun, “male, 35 years, principal suspect” and “Michael Adikwu, male, 30 years, sectional gang leader, killed 22 persons, mostly at the police station” among the 22 suspects arrested so far.

However, when the Police paraded the suspects the same day, Adiku and Opadokun were missing, sparking fears that something untoward had happened. The fears thickened on Wednesday, when Moshood addressed journalists and the two names went missing on the list of arrested suspects and gang leaders.

The big fear is that both suspects, Adikwu especially, might have been extra-judicially murdered.

Information released earlier by the Police on Adikwu stated: “Michael Adikwu, is a native of Apa LGA of Benue State, a dismissed police CPL (corporal) who was arrested, tried and dismissed from the force and charged to court by the police in 2012 in Kwara State for criminal conspiracy and aiding the escape from lawful custody of armed robbery suspects.

“He served three years in prison and subsequently found his way out in 2015. He became a vicious and notorious gang leader of armed robbery syndicate wanted for several armed robberies in Kwara and other states of the north-central and south-west.”

Adikwu, though, gave Daily Trust a contrasting account of his stay in the Police, although he did admit that he had developed a thick hatred for the Police.

“I was formerly working with the Kwara State Police Command, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS),” he said.

“I was dismissed for allowing detained suspected armed robbers to walk. It was not my fault; it was a gang-up against me. Go and ask, I was one of the finest policemen at SARS, Kwara State Command. I undertake most of the difficult tasks. But for just one mistake, which was not my fault, I got kicked out of the force. I was not given fair-hearing, so I now hate everything about the police. The killing of the policemen (by him) was not a mistake, but quite deliberate. I see them as all the same.”

His absence at the last hearing has alerted the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) — a network of 46 civil society organizations spread across Nigeria, and committed to promoting police accountability and respect for human rights.

“NOPRIN wishes to observe that the suspects paraded days ago in the Offa robbery incident did not include the alleged chief armourer, a dismissed policeman called Adikwu,” it said in a statement on Friday.

“The key suspect who was interviewed by the press said the Adikwu provided the weapons for the operation but he was not paraded. Similarly, Ayo Opadokun's son, Kayode, who was arrested, was not also paraded.

“There are emerging fears about the safety of these suspects who were not paraded. NOPRIN calls on the police to ensure the safety of the Adikwu and Kayode. They should be produced alive to have their day in court, to corroborate or rebut the police narrative that it was Senate President Saraki who provided the weapons.

“NOPRIN hereby calls on the police to publicly confirm the condition of these suspects. The police should produce the two suspects in order to douse the suspicion that they have been eliminated to cover up and to put fear in the other suspects that they would similarly be eliminated if they don't cooperate by sticking with the police narrative that it was Saraki who supplied them the weapons.”

SaharaReporters attempted to reach Moshood for clarifications, but calls and a text message to his telephone were not replied.

Dino Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West at the National Assembly, says “there is no doubt” that his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is sick.

Melaye said this on Friday evening when he appeared on Channels TV programme, Politics Today.

Melaye returned to the Senate from his ordeal at the hands of the Police and the courts in Abuja and Kogi State, to reject his designated seat as an APC senator in favour of one at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) corner, prompting insinuations he was on the verge of defecting to the erstwhile ruling party.

Asked on the programme on what platform he would be contesting to retain his seat in 2019, Melaye said: “When we get to that bridge, we shall cross it.

“Definitely I would be contesting on the platform of a political party, since the issue of independent candidature has not been signed by the President. But to tell you if it is APC or any other political party, for now I can’t say.”

Melaye was also asked if he had a problem with his party, to which he answered: “I don’t have a problem with my party but my party may have a problem with Nigerians, because of the way it is presently being run. I know the APC is sick… There is no doubt that the APC is sick.”

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Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned the governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, to stop levying spurious allegations against the national leadership of the party.

The embattled Imo State governor had alleged that the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun ‘disobeyed’ court orders regarding Congresses in Imo State and inauguration of the state’s party executives.

In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ruling party described Okorocha’s allegation as spurious, insisting that the party did not receive any court order stopping the congress.

“In reacting to recent allegations by the Imo State governor that Oyegun ‘disobeyed’ court orders regarding congresses in Imo State and inauguration of the state’s party executives, the APC wishes to state that these allegations are spurious as the party did not at any time receive any court injunctions regarding the congresses in Imo.”

“Therefore, we urge the Imo State governor to desist from making these kinds of allegations that have no basis in facts. In conducting the congresses across the country, in considering the outcomes of each one of them and in swearing in the respective state chairmen, the National Working Committee (NWC) had strictly followed the guiding rules and the constitution of the party,” the statement added.

The ruling party however advised the embattled governor to explore other mechanism spelt out in the party’s constitution.

“There is always room for redress where justified, hence, we encourage the Imo State governor to explore internal dispute resolution mechanisms spelt out by our constitution to address his perceived grievances.

“While we urge compromise among party stakeholders, the party has already mandated the Deputy National Chairman (North), Sen. Lawali Shuaibu to head our reconciliation efforts following issues that arose from recently conducted ward, local government and state congresses,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the ruling party has appealed to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to consider granting national honour on the wife of to Moshood Abiola, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

“While joining Nigerians from all walks of life in commending President Buhari for declaring June 12 as Democracy Day, as well as granting posthumous award of Nigeria’s highest national honour (Grand Commander of the Federal Republic) to Moshood Abiola, winner of the annulled presidential election of June 12, 1993, the APC calls on the president to consider granting similar honour on Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

The APC believes that Alhaja Kudirat Abiola who paid the supreme price with her assassination in Lagos on June 4, 1996 at the heat of the mobilisation for the restoration of her husband’s mandate as the winner of the 1993 presidential election, deserves to be honoured in her own right, as a heroin and martyr of democracy in Nigeria.

“APC recall how she mobilised market women, students, activists and other human rights community against military rule and the struggle for a truly democratic nation.

“The party equally commended the decision to honour Abiola’s running mate, Babagana Kingibe, and late human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi SAN with the second highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON).

“In taking this courageous and patriotic decision, the President has again displayed a sincerity of purpose and his well-known penchant for doing the right thing irrespective of political and sundry considerations,” the statement emphasised.

Former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo Friday exposed a grand plot to frame up Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon Yakubu Dogara.

Chief Obasanjo said he has received credible information from impeccable security sources of a plot against the Speaker and give him the Saraki treatment.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo who revealed that there is a plot to frame him up with phantom charges, said that the nation’s number four citizen (Speaker Yakubu Dogara) is also facing a similar threat from the same government he is serving as Speaker.



He said they aim is to silence the speaker and all dissenting voices and prevent them from speaking out against the wanton killings across the country.

“We are currently in a nation where the Number Three citizen is currently being harangued and the Number Four citizen is facing similar threat within the same Government they serve,” he said.

“There is a groundswell of our nationals that live in fear that they could be hounded, harassed, maimed or even killed as the battle for 2019 takes this worrisome dimension.”

The plot to frame up the Speaker may not be unconnected with the letter he and other APC leaders wrote to the party under the auspices of the former nPDP.

By Musa Abdullahi Krishi


A former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, said Speaker Yakubu Dogara may face the kind of harassment by security agencies that Senate President Bukola Saraki is currently facing.

Obasanjo said in a statement that he has received credible information of a plot against the Speaker to give him the Saraki treatment.


In a statement issued by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo said the plot against the Dogara was in spite of the kind of dedication and commitment he is giving to the APC government.

He said they aim to silence the Speaker and all dissenting voices and prevent them from speaking out against the wanton killings across the country.

“We are currently in a nation where the Number Three citizen is currently being harangued and the Number Four citizen is facing similar threat within the same Government they serve,” he said.

“There is a groundswell of our nationals that live in fear that they could be hounded, harassed, maimed or even killed as the battle for 2019 takes this worrisome dimension,” the statement added.

Dogara was mandated to lead negotiations with the team representing the presidency and the APC led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The National Assembly had on Tuesday held a joint closed-door session where lawmakers passed resolutions on the state of the nation.

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE


A 62-year old man simply known as James (surname withheld) got approval from his 53-year old wife, Jane, to marry a second wife after she realised that she could no longer satisfy him in bed.

P.M.EXPRESSS reports that the incident happened at Idimu Road in Ejigbo, Lagos, where the couple who had four grown up children resided.

Jane reportedly prepared a written approval for her husband to get a second wife and promised to take care of the expenses the husband will have to incur on the marriage.

P.M.EXPRESS confirmed from Jane that she gave such approval to her husband because of his enormous sexual strength and libido at his age. She explained that her husband was getting older but it had not affected his sexual drive, rather it appeared to be on the increase on daily basis. She became afraid that if they continued, she may likely pass out during the romps.

However, the offer by the woman was rejected by her husband, James, who claimed that it was against his faith to marry a second wife or commit adultery.

P.M.EXPRESS scooped that the couple got married many years back, wedded in the Catholic faith and had children who had grown up. It was gathered that they toiled to train all their children up to the university level and they had all graduated and were working.

P.M.EXPRESS learnt that their children had advised them to do less work as they placed them on salary to take care of their needs. But the woman had continued to complain to their children that their father was maltreating her and wanted to kill her. The children wondered how their father will be maltreating their mother at their almost retiring age.

Their only daughter contacted her siblings and they resolved to confront their father to know why he was maltreating their mother. When the children got to the family house, their mother then presented a written approval in the presence of the children allowing their father to marry a second wife.

It was then that the children realised the kind of maltreatment their mother meant. But their father rejected the offer insisting that he was a strong Catholic and the church does not encourage polygamy as he will not be allowed to receive holy communion.

P.M.EXPRESS confirmed from the children that they were yet at loss on the decision to take on the matter in order settle it amicably for their parents.

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By Amaka Ogoh



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Alarm was visibly written on the faces of policemen from the Lagos State Police Command, who recovered sack of guns and ammunition in a secondary school in Mushin. This discovery was made barely days after the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, raised the alarm over the increasing number of youths’ involvement in cultism.

According to the commissioner, the sack was found in Eko Boys High School. Edgal disclosed that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Alakara Police Station stormed the school after receiving tip-off through community partnership.

The commissioner said that immediately after the DPO received the information, he swung into action.

He first selected a team of crack detectives and went to the school, where the weapons were recovered. He said: “To the surprise of the DPO and his team, when the sack was opened one Magnum double- barrelled pump rifle, double-barrelled pump action gun, one Barretta pistol, 9mm live ammunition and 10 live cartridges.

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Edo state Public Works Volunteers (PUWOV) today burnt a small mock coffin which was allegedly abandoned at the sit-out centre around the King Square in Benin City.

It was gathered that the wooden mini coffin was wrapped with a white rope and black thread and kept under a flower hedge where it was discovered by a member of the group.

The discovery attracted people who thronged to the scene to gaze at the object from a distance.

Stunned, the PUWOV members resorted to an impromptu prayer session, cursing those who might be behind what they regarded as an abominable act.

Confirming the incident to newsmen in Benin, Kelly Okungbowa, vice chairman of Edo State PUWOV, described it “as one too many”.

He said one of his colleagues drew his attention to the object while returning from elsewhere in Benin.

Okungbowa described as grim the unintended hazards faced by PUWOV in the course of carrying out their work.

He, however, stated that the challenges faced by PUWOV will not stop them from clearing the environment of undesirable elements.

“Among us we have some people that God is using and we prayed against the casket, anointed it and then burned it,” he said.

“This is not the first time we are experiencing it. Sometime ago, about six months ago, when we came in the morning to do our usual morning prayer and fellowship, we met some things that were so funny, and we did our prayer.

“There is nothing we can do because we do not have power of our own. Anything we do, we put God first. The instrument we are using in this work, that makes us to succeed today, is that we call on God everyday.”

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Former Minister of Defence and respected business mogul, General TY Danjuma (Rtd) has taken his protest against killings in the North Central region of Nigeria to the United States of America.

Speaking at a session hosted by the International Committee on Nigeria (ICON), in collaboration with Heritage Foundation and 21 Wilberforce, he said the issue of extremism among some Fulani people has led to horrific attacks on villages that echo Boko-Haram tactics.

General Danjuma who was at the event with Taraba State Governor, Daruis Ishaku discussed implications of Nigeria’s escalating religious and ethnic violence. Representatives from the U.S. government and prominent NGOs also joined the discussion.

According to Danjuma “Evidence is there that President Buhari has failed. Corruption continues and ineffective governance does not confront attacks on villages.”

“If chaos continues in Nigeria, refugees will flood over West Africa, then Europe and eventually America – whether you build a wall or not,” warned General Danjuma.

Darius Ishaku, Governor of Taraba State (where Roman Catholic churches have been attacked by Fulani extremists in recent weeks), stated that his own leadership abilities are hampered by the structure of Nigerian governance. He said, “We do not have state or local police … Governors do not have power or influence to make changes in their own states.”

Also in attendance, Former Congressman Frank Wolf, Senior Distinguished Fellow at 21Wilbeforce, added that, “Europe can barely handle Syrian and Iraqi refugees so they’d be overwhelmed if Nigeria collapsed.”

He stated that Nigeria is the lynchpin of regional stability and a strategic partner with the US in the struggle against extremism and this matter should be tackled with all seriousness

General Danjuma and Governor Ishaku asked concerned American organizations to help Nigeria nurture its democracy.

“We need ‘civilized democracies’ like the US to help with our Nigerian democracy in ways that provide security for citizens of every religious affiliation, bring justice to perpetrators of violence, and empower civil society to confront atrocities and stand together to promote peace.

It will be recalled that President Trump in his recent meeting with Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari at the White House decried religious violence in Nigeria.

According to him “We encourage Nigeria’s federal, state, and local leaders to do everything in their power to immediately secure affected communities and to protect innocent civilians of all faiths, including Muslims and Christians.”

By Daramola Adebayo

The lingering crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State on Tuesday took another dimension as a faction within the party, APC Unity Forum, announced its decision to leave the party for another one where its interest would be protected.


Public Relations Officer (PRO), of the faction, Mr. Wasiu Olawale Sadare made this announcement via his Facebook page.

DAILY POST recalls that the party, in the last couple of months, has been enmershed in crisis over which of the faction will have the control of the soul of the party.

The two warring factions battling for the soul of the party are the one loyal to the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi known as SENACO and the one loyal to a former governor of the state, Alhaji Lamidi Adesina known as LAMISTS now called Unity Forum.

The crisis culminated in the factionalisation of the party which made the two groups to hold parallel local government congresses few weeks ago.

The two factions later conducted parallel state congresses a week after the parallel local government congresses were held.

Sadare, in his Facebook post sighted online by DAILY POST, however said the destination of the faction will be announced in few days.

He wrote, “Breaking: Unity Forum leaves Oyo APC… Destination to be announced in few days”.

However, all efforts made by our correspondent to get more details about the defection have proved abortive as calls made to Sadare’s phone number were not going through.

Our correspondent learnt that the planned defection may not be unconnected with the inauguration of Chief Akin Oke as the chairman of the party despite his rejection by the Unity Forum members.

Members of the Forum include: the Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu (Oyo Central), 9 House of Representatives members among whom are; Hon. Adedapo Lam Adesina (Ibadan North East/ Ibadan South East) Hon. Sunday Adepoju (Ido/ Ibarapa East), Hon. Sunbo Olugbemi (Oluyole), Hon. Michael Akintola (Egbeda Ona-Ara), Hon. Abiodun Olasupo ( Iseyin/ Itesiwaju/ Kajola), Hon. Segun Ogunwuyi (Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South/Orire and Hon. Oladele Olatunbosun.

Others are: Dr. Busari Adebisi, Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi, former Council chairman among others.

Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, was literally turned into a battleground, yesterday, when state officers, who emerged from parallel congresses conducted recently, jostled for recognition during the ceremony to inaugurate state chairmen.

As early as 10.00am, security operatives, strategically positioned at the main entrance gate and the gate leading into the building, had their hands full as they tried to curtail surging party members and their teeming supporters.

The situation was rowdy, almost all through the event, as factional chairmen and their supporters battled endlessly to enter the main hall.


In the rowdiness, two ministers were denied entry into the hall.

Despite efforts of the security details attached to the Ministers of Communication, Adebayo Shittu and that of Women Affairs, Senator Jummai Aisha Al-Hassan, gaining entrance into the hall was like the proverbial camel passing through the eye of the needle.

The situation degenerated into a shouting match amid threats by supporters of the factions denied entry, which resulted in security operatives releasing canisters of teargas to disperse protesters. It wasn’t pleasant watching the two ministers struggle to enter the hall with their orderlies.

For Communications minister, the factional chairman was not only denied entry but the party national leadership opted to give passage to the faction loyal to Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajumobi.

Defending the decision to deny the two ministers entry, a secretariat staff said they were not officially invited for the event and that they only came to ensure that their factional chairman were among those inaugurated.

On being denied entry to the event, senator AlHassan, also called Mama Taraba said she was not disappointed with the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) to restrict entry into the hall to only state chairmen.

“I was not disappointed at all that I was denied entry into the hall because I was made to understand that the NWC restricted entry into the hall to only the chairmen; for security reasons. As a politician, I was not surprised with what happened,” she said.

However, normalcy was restored shortly after the inauguration when factional chairmen from some states, who could not access the venue, stormed out and, in the process, heaped all manner of abuse on the national leadership.

Although the supporters loyal to the Communications minister had threatened fire and brimstone, including tearing the certificate of the sworn-in chairman, they, however, chickened out after the minister angrily stormed out of the secretariat.

Outstanding among the victors were the Imo State delegation whose happiness knew no bounds following the swearing in of Hilary Eke, as the authentic chairman.

Eke was re-elected. He belongs to the Imo Stakeholders unit of the party in the state.
Speaking during the inauguration, National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, charged the state party chairmen to return the party to its lost glory by announcing to Nigerians the successes of the current APC-led federal government.

“You have the onerous task maturing APC. You have to work hard to return the party to its lost glory. Also, make sure you work hard for the re-election of our president. We are aware of conflicts, disaffections and bad blood in the party. Put all these aside and work for the victory of our party in the 2019 general election.

“Go and tell the people of the great achievements recorded by the APC Government. Your government is on the right course. A firm foundation has been laid for the development of Nigeria. In spite of lean resources, the APC has achieved much more in three years. Get acquainted with the achievements put together in a document which I will make available to you. Tell Nigerians the achievements of your government.

“In infrastructure, a lot of roads have been constructed, agriculture; much rice is being produced, transport, rail is there and power, we now have 7,000 megawatts.

“There is serious need for quick reconciliation especially in Rivers, Taraba, Oyo, Delta, Lagos and others. Let the chairmen here wait and should not inaugurate their executives like the others until the issues with the congresses in such states are resolved.

“I am going to set up a committee headed by the deputy National Chairman (North) to study the situations in such states for possible actions. There will be concessions and harmonizations after the exercise within this week,” said Oyegun.

Former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri has claimed that Senate President, Bukola Saraki has repeated the mistake Atiku Abubakar made in 2003, by not using the power he had in his hands.

In a series of tweets on Monday, Omokri alleged that Saraki stopped the Senate from impeaching Buhari and must be regretting it now.

“The allegations against @bukolasaraki shows the serial dishonesty and lack of integrity displayed by the Buhari administration. It has gotten so bad that if Lai Mohammed or @GarShehu tell you good morning, you are advised to check your watch to ensure that it is indeed morning!

“@bukolasaraki made the mistake HE Atiku made in 2003. When you have power in your hand, use it, because if it leaves your hand and goes back to your enemy’s hand, your enemy will use it against you. Saraki stopped the @NGRSenate from impeaching Buhari. How he must regret it now!” he wrote.

The Nigeria Police seems to have soft-pedaled on its alleged onslaught against Saraki, over its ongoing probe into the Offa Bank robbery in Kwara.

The Police had on Sunday asked Saraki to turn himself in for questioning over the incident.

But on Monday, DAILY POST was
informed that Saraki has been asked to state his position in writing .

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Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has warned the National Assembly that former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, will publish names of indicted lawmakers if pushed too far.

Last week, the National Assembly (particularly the Senate) asked Jega to either name names of indicted members with proof or keep quiet.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said he was embarrassed by Jega’s blanket accusation of the federal legislature.

Sagay explained that Senate’s challenge to Jega to mention the names of lawmakers that had demanded bribes would bring more shame to the National Assembly.

He said Jega is not known to speak frivolously and would, most likely, have evidence which could worsen the case of the lawmakers.

“Obviously, Jega has names. I wouldn’t be surprised if, when he was presiding over INEC, some of them did that (demanded bribes). So, let them not challenge him too far. He just decided to be politically correct by not mentioning names. If they challenge him, he will mention names.

“We all have names of different people who have done different things. The fact that no one is mentioning them doesn’t mean the claims are not true. So, he is right. This corruption has been going on since 1999.

“They claim to be carrying out oversight functions and would insist that the agency they want to oversight would book their hotel rooms, pay for their food, pay for their transport and then, give them money, in addition.

What sort of result would come out of such an oversight? They have run their institution aground, making it almost irrelevant in Nigerian democracy.”

The senior advocate said for corruption to be curbed in the National Assembly, Nigerians must ensure that they elect only people of high moral standard.

He added that the lawmaker representing Kaduna Central senatorial district, Shehu Sani, is among the few incorruptible persons in the Senate.

Sagay said: “The legislature will change when people of integrity begin to enter the Senate and begin to kill that culture (of corruption).

For example, though I don’t agree with him in all things, I would be shocked if I hear that Senator Shehu Sani demanded bribe from anybody because I believe he is a man of integrity. When more and more people like that begin to come in, there would be a change.

“Secondly, there needs to be a culture of punishment and consequences and that is what we are watching out for. With the way things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised if, in future, anyone found guilty of that act would be arrested and charged.”

Sagay had, in March, promised to publish details of the allowances collected by the Senate president and other principal officers of the National Assembly.

That has not happened. He said the task had experienced some hiccups.

The senior advocate of Nigeria said it might seem lawmakers had been made to swear an oath of secrecy as some persons, who initially wanted to give him the information, begun to dilly-dally.

On why he hadn’t yet released the details, he said: “My problem is that I am not getting cooperation from my sources. There is a reluctance to disclose the truth.

It is as if we are having a cult or something because, I think people have sworn to an oath of secrecy. Nobody is coming out now but, I will continue to try.”

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By Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji

A 40-year-old driver, Abiodun Idowu, has been arrested for allegedly strangling to death, a female accountant of the company he works with, in an attempt to rape her.

The Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident to journalists on Sunday, said the arrest followed a complaint by a staffer of the company, Owolabi Moses.

He said the complainant in his report said the suspect had been ‘disturbing’ the deceased, Abimbola Hamzat, to have a love affair with him. The deceased had allegedly been refusing his advances.

Mr Oyeyemi said, on the fateful day, the 38-year-old accountant was alone in the factory when the suspect went in and attempted to rape her. The victim resisted and in the course of the struggle, the suspect allegedly strangled her to death.

The police said on the strength of the report, the Divisional Police Officer of Onipanu Division, Sangobiyi Johnson, led detectives to the scene where they met the suspect unconscious.

He said investigation revealed that the suspect having realised that he had committed a crime made efforts to kill himself by drinking Hypo and Izal, two dangerous substances.

However, the police rushed him to an hospital for medical attention where he was treated and discharged before taken into custody.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu has ordered that the suspect be transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and prosecution.

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By Kunle Olayeni 




A professor of Banking and Finance, Olukayode Somoye, has called on the Federal Government to urgently change the nation’s currency as part of measures to effectively fight corruption and ensure a stable foreign exchange regime.

The don also advised the government to reduce the pump price of fuel until electricity supply in the country significantly improves in order to allow small scale industries survive.

Somoye, who is the Acting Dean, Faculty of Administration and Management Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago- Iwoye, Ogun State, said he had previously conveyed this position to President Muhammadu Buhari on five occasions while while delivering the 82nd inaugural lecture of the university titled: “Multicratic finance, fiscal governance and sustainable development: Where does the money go?”

According to the lecturer, there is need for the government to embark on the process of changing the nation’s currency if it is serious about foreign exchange stability and putting an end to corruption problems.

The don, who declared that the proposed new currency will neutralize looted funds in the system that are being used to destabilize money supply and foreign exchange market, warned the government to desist from using foreign loans to fund its budget as he described obtaining loans to finance national development as ” a lazy idea.”

Somoye recalled that Nigeria’s current financial and economic impasse commenced in 1985 during the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) period when the leadership of the country decided to swim with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditionality which included currency devaluation.

“Having observed the dwindling fortunes of finance and development in Nigeria in the past and the unfortunate recession/ disequilibrium the country recently experienced, I have written five letters to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 2015 and 2018 conveying my views about the financial state of the nation with relevant policy prescriptions.

“These letters were copies to the Vice President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and some ministers, including the Finance Minister.

“The letters covered many areas amongst which are monetary and fiscal policies, deposit money banks, interest rates, foreign exchange rate management, treasury single account, fuel pump price, new currency, domestic and external loans, employment generation, cost of governance, entrepreneurship financing, toll gate economy and aggressive tax reforms,” he said.

Somoye, who noted that the government’s monetary and fiscal policies need re-engineering, canvassed a vigorous policy towards employment generation as he bemoaned the poor state of banks in the country.

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Omoniyi Salaudeen; Onyedika Agbedo; Olakunle Olafioye


As critical stakeholders continue to express support for a paradigm shift in the leadership of the country through the Not-Too-Young-To-Rule bill recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian youths have turned down the plea of the president who had jocularly asked them to wait till the end of his second term in 2023.

In a quick response to the president’s teaser, the National Leader of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Ahmed Yerima, declared the readiness of the youths to take over the reign of power in 2019, saying that “strategies are already being put in place to bring up somebody who would look at Nigeria as his own constituent, where all of us will begin to see ourselves as Nigerians.

“It is commendable that President Muhammadu Buhari signed the bill, but it is long overdue. It is also not enough to sign the bill, it must also be implemented. The youths must also rise to the occasion and work harder to take over the governance of this country.

“With or without the bill, nobody can stop any Nigerian from contesting any position in this country. The youths have to rise to the occasion. That the president said the youths should wait till after 2023 is a matter of opinion.

There is nowhere it is stated in the constitution that Nigerian youths should not contest or should wait till after 2023. Nigerians will decide that.”

Speaking against the back- drop of the moneybags, who currently dominate the political space, he said: “If he (Buhari) can make it, youths can also make it. So, it is not all about money.

The awareness is increasing. Nigerians are now wiser, knowing that politics is not all about money; it is about capacity to deliver and take the country to the next level.

Moneybag politics has not taken this country anywhere; rather, we are retrogressing every day. It is high time we began to look at people based on merit, based on their capacity. So, it is better to encourage the younger ones to take over the leader- ship of this country. Money or no money, we must ensure that credible leaders are elected.

“I don’t think Nigerians want to go back to the same thing over and over again. I strongly believe Nigerian youths can do it better.”

Similarly, President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, also lauded Buhari for assenting to the bill into law, adding that “it’s going to open the channel for a new, fresh, vibrant, innovative and young Nigerian of Igbo extraction to become the president of Nigeria if possible in 2019.”

He stressed that Nigerian youths are hungry for power and might run against him if he fails to appease them.

“Indeed, in my personal view, the Nigerian democracy will be strengthened if the youth tastes their popularity against Mr President in 2019.

“I salute the president for assenting to the Not-Too- Young-To-Run bill. It is a welcome development in our polity and it’s going to strengthen our democracy.

But from the point of view of how it pertains to the young generation of Ndigbo, the Not-Too-Young- To-Run Act will favour them greatly, because it means that in the nearest future, the younger generation of Ndigbo will take over all the government houses in Igbo land, having understood that those who have been occupying the government houses in the past have betrayed them.

“The Act has also opened a new chapter in our national politics and will address a lot of abnormalities in the system, which includes an Igbo man becoming the president of Nigeria, and by this I mean a young Nigerian who never saw the war.

Those who saw the war, and are alive today, are afraid of handing over power to somebody from this part of the country who witnessed the war. So, the Act will break the jinx and has, therefore, given hope to vibrant Igbo youths to run for the presidency in 2019,” Isiguzoro said.

Reminded that the president has appealed to the youths not to run against him in 2019, Isiguzoro said that Buhari has a democratic right to woo Nigerian youths, noting, however, that it was left for younger Nigerians to decide whether to run against him or not.

His words: “If the president is appealing that youths should not run against him in 2019, then there must be a concrete agreement where he would pledge to hand over to an Igbo man in 2023. But if such agreement does not come up, then a young, vibrant, Igbo man will run against him in 2019.”

Isiguzoro, however, said that the youths might consider heeding Buhari’s appeal for the singular reason that he assented to the bill, which has encouraged them to venture into politics early in their lives.

“But does it mean that Mr President is afraid of running against a young, vibrant youth possibly from any part of the country? If Mr President is afraid of the youth running against him, he must appease them before the 2019 election because Nigerian youths that I know, who are hungry for power, may run against him,” he said.

Also speaking, Secretary, Eastern Consultative Assembly, Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko, though com-
mending the bill, he expressed reservation for its workability in view of the inherent impediments against the youths in the present electoral system.

“It’s a good thing. It has opened the door for young people, but we are not excited about it because we under- stand the corruption within the electoral system. We understand the impediments to participatory democracy in Nigeria; we understand the mindset of the current leadership so nobody is excited about it,” he said.

Ugochukwu-Uko, who is former President of Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), further said that Buhari’s appeal to the youth not to run against him was not important.

“The reality is that he is likely to be defeated and he is likely not to accept it.

That is the problem facing Nigeria at the moment. His own people from his own region have been holding meetings every- day for the past two or three months to select a consensus alternative. It’s clear he is not going to survive the 2019 election.

But the problem is that he controls everything today. Will he accept the verdict of the people? The youth should face the reality that we are all in trouble if we don’t reconstruct Nigeria back to true fiscal federalism. It’s only true federalism that will save Nigeria,” he said.

Also the National Secretary, Arewa United Consultative Forum, Comrade Ibrahim Abubakar Jagaban, commended Buhari for assenting to the bill, but urged Nigerian youths to support the president’s re-election bid in 2019 instead of contesting against him.

“The passage of the bill is a step in the right direction because governance is supposed to involve all and sun- dry. There should be balance between the aged, the not- too-old and the youth.

Youths are expected to sustain leadership, but if they don’t get exposure to the nitty-gritty of leadership from the old guards, there will be no way they will be able to take over from them,” he said.

When reminded that the president who was appealing to the youths not to run against him had earlier dubbed them as lazy, Jagaban retorted: “I think that is the personal view of the president looking at it from the angle that he thinks he started a project to revamp the economy and he needs more time to consolidate.

If the youth should come out now, that may take the shine off his popularity that could help him clinch the second term mandate. I think that is the angle he is coming from.

“My view about this government is that we have a government that is keen to taking the masses along. And if a project has started in the direction, I think the government should be allowed to consummate it.

I am a youth; I don’t have any- thing against the youth, but I just think we should allow this government to complete what it has started so that we don’t fritter away the gains the government has made so far,” he said.