₦airaland Forum

The federal government said it will wade into the labour impasse currently rocking Kaduna State following commencement of 5-day warning strike by organised labour in the state, which on Tuesday took a violent turn.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said the government will invite labour leaders for a dialogue while calling on the Kaduna Governor, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai to also extend the olive branch.

Thugs on Tuesday disrupted the peaceful procession of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and affiliated unions in Kaduna, after pelting the protesters who had converged at the NEPA roundabout in the city centre.

The labour activists were in the streets as part of the second day of 5-day warning strike to protest the mass sack of workers in the state when they came under attack.

Security agents were forced to use teargas and shot severally in the air to disperse the thugs. The workers were also forced to retreat.

The Kaduna State Government came under attack over attack on the unionists with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) threatening to shut down all of its facilities nationwide if any of the labour leaders are hurt.

Daily Trust reports that the day had started amidst palpable tension following a tweet by Governor El-Rufai, declaring the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba and other union leaders wanted for economic sabotage and attack on public infrastructure.

According to El-Rufai, a “handsome reward” awaits anyone who knows where the labour leader was hiding and sends a message to the Kaduna State Ministry of Justice.

However, less than two hours after the tweet, the governor came within 100 meters of the union leaders when Wabba led a large procession to the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House had lingered at the NEPA roundabout where the governor’s siren blaring convoy passed beside them.

The governor’s convoy passed beside the protesters to the nearby gates of the headquarters of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, about 100 from the NLC members.

The gates of the distribution company were quickly opened and the governor’s convoy moved in. Ten minutes later, El-Rufai’s convoy emerged from the premises of Kaduna electric and left through an opposite route avoiding the protesters who were still at the NEPA roundabout.


How thugs attacked unionists

While the protest was ongoing at the NEPA roundabout, thugs believed to be hired by the state government arrived the area around 12:21 pm. The thugs who were crammed in two small seven-seater buses were seen alighting and brandishing sticks and knives before they began to pelt at the protesters.

Some of the thugs covered their faces with handkerchiefs but openly brandished their sticks, knives and stones, despite the presence of security agents around the protesters.

Our correspondent who observed the situation reports that some of the protesters at some point began to retaliate with stones but were prevailed upon by leaders of the union to ignore the thugs.

However, as the thugs intensified their action, journalists and protesters began to scamper for safety which gave the thugs more impetus to advance.

Policemen who were trying to calm the situation began to use teargas to disperse the crowd and had to shoot severally in the air to disperse thugs.

Speaking after the incident, the NLC president alleged that the thugs were hired to attack the protesters.

“They were hired to come and attack us. We thank God, we have dismantled them, we have chased them away because we have the number, we are not thugs and we are not using thugs, we are using Nigerian workers and we told them we are going to catch them alive and dismantle them,” he said.

Police use teargas to disperse thugs who disrupted the NLC procession in Kaduna yesterday


El-Rufai sack nurses, equates strike to banditry

In the midst of an ongoing warning strike to press on the government to rescind the mass sack of workers, the governor on Tuesday announced the dismissal of all nurses below Grade level 14 in the state.

A statement issued by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye linked his sack of nurses to a report from Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital where it was reported that nurses had disconnected oxygen from a two-day-old baby in an incubator on Monday when they joined the NLC strike.

“Apart from referring the nurses involved to the Ministry of Justice to initiate prosecution, the government also announced the dismissal of all nurses below Grade Level 14 for the illegal strike,” it stated.

It directed the Ministry of Health to advertise vacancies for the immediate recruitment of new nurses to replace those dismissed adding that: “The government has directed all its ministries, departments and agencies to submit their attendance registers to the Head of Service while Kaduna State University should submit same to the Secretary to the State Government and the Commissioner of Education.”

El-Rufai also linked the strike action embarked upon by the NLC as that of a mob equivalent of bandits kidnapping and menacing citizens in the state adding that: “Bandits illegally use arms, but the NLC’s mob action is for similar ends: to hold hostage freedoms, economic interests, livelihoods and resources of the people of Kaduna State.”

He said Kaduna State Government cannot ignore the illegal pressures brought to disrupt the operations of banks and other private businesses whose staff and customers do not have any industrial dispute with the state or any other government.

The governor reiterated that Ayuba Wabba and “his senior confederates in the NLC have been declared wanted and will be vigorously prosecuted for violations of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, the Miscellaneous Offences and the Trade Dispute (Essential Services) Acts.


Wabba dares El-Rufai as nurses say “we are not intimidated”

The National President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba has dared Malam Nasir El-Rufai to arrest him saying: “The strike is not about me, but let him come and arrest me. We are here and waiting for them.”

On their part, the Kaduna State chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives said the body was not threatened by the pronouncement by the state government adding that the local chapter of the association had joined the strike based on the directive from its national body.

The state chairman of the association, comrade Isiaku Yakubu said: “It is a national strike in solidarity with what is happening in the state so the issue of sack is something we are not threatened of. If the governor wants to sack all the nurses in Kaduna let him go ahead and sack them, it is not the National Association of Nurses and Midwives in Kaduna that will respond to them, but the national leadership of our association.”

On the allegations that nurses had locked the gates of hospitals and discharged patients on admission, he described it as false saying because nurses have no business with closing gates or discharging patients. He also called for a probe into the allegation that nurses removed incubators on an infant at Barau Dikko Hospital.


Fuel stations, banks offer skeletal services

Our correspondents who went round Kaduna on Tuesday reports that despite the palpable tension between government and labour, few banks and some filling stations offered skeletal services to customers in secret.

Daily Trust observed that though banks kept their gates shut and directed customers to use their e-channels, major customers were directed through the back door and attended to in the ban

Also, some fuel stations along the Kaduna-Zaria road as well as some on the Western bypass were seen dispensing petrol to customers.


You lack powers to declare labour leaders wanted, Falana slams El-Rufai

Senior lawyer and Interim Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), Femi Falana, SAN, knocked the Kaduna State governor for declaring Wabba and other union leaders wanted.

Falana described as “laughable” El-Rufai’s claim that the labour leaders had contravened the provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

“By the combined effect of the Trade Union Act and the Nigerian Constitution, Comrade Wabba and other labour leaders have the unquestionable rights to participate in the peaceful warning strike and mass protests against further retrenchment of workers in the Kaduna State public service.

“The Miscellaneous Offences Act is not a state statute but a federal enactment. To that extent, if Governor El Rufai has evidence that Comrade Wabba and other labour leaders have contravened any provisions of the Act he is required to lodge a complaint in any of the police stations in Kaduna State.

“The governor lacks the power to declare any alleged offender wanted under the Act or any other law whatsoever,” Falana said.


Use of thugs against workers immoral – Shehu Sani

The former senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani has condemned the use of thugs to disrupt Tuesday’s procession by the Nigeria Labour Congress in Kaduna saying strikes and protests are constitutional and fundamental rights of the Nigerian workers.

Senator Sani also stated in a statement that the declaration of the NLC president wanted by the Kaduna State Government is needless adding that: “The use of thugs to disrupt the workers’ peaceful protest in Kaduna today stands unreservedly condemned. It’s immoral and unconscionable to use thugs against trade union leaders.”

He said since the NLC action was a warning strike, it is an indication that window for dialogue to resolve the issue of the mass sacking of the Kaduna workers exist adding that a strong and proactive labour union is needed to protect and safeguard democracy.


PDP, govs ask El-Rufai to resolve face-off

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and governors under the banner of the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) and the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) yesterday tasked the Kaduna State governor to go embrace dialogue as a way of ending the stalemate.

PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, in an interview with Daily Trust, faulted the governor’s approach describing the plan to sack workers as worrisome and irresponsible.

“Development must have a human face. You don’t push people to the fringes just because you want to develop a society. That is totally irresponsible,” he said.

He also condemned the attack on unionists in Kaduna, accusing El-Rufai and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of trying to gag Nigerians from expressing their views.

On their part, the Northern Governors in a statement by chairman of the Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong, expressed concern about the impact of the strike on the state and its citizens.

While calling for dialogue and negotiations a long-standing dispute mechanism in labour relations, the Northern Governors called for restraint and de-escalation of the situation to enable for amicable settlement of the issues in question.

The APC Governors, through their Chairman, Senator Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State asked Governor El-Rufai to resolve all contentious issues with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The governors appealed to the NLC to demonstrate more commitment towards engaging governments at all levels in addressing challenges.

“Noting all the challenges facing all our states, especially given dwindling revenue, we appeal to all patriotic Nigerians, including the NLC, to demonstrate more commitment toward engaging governments at all levels to address problems. This is not the time for muscle-flexing.

“Nigerians are already overstretched with many challenges. At this critical point of our democratic journey, there cannot be limits to engagement between all governments and citizens,” the statement reads in parts.


CSOs react

Speaking on the matter, the Executive Director, Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), Ezenwa Nwagwu, said the actions of the governor are condemnable.

He said they consider the action as “uncharitable, irrational, and insensitive, especially at a time when Nigerians in all states, are battling with harsh economic realities coupled with hunger, insecurity, unemployment and poor governance.

“The state’s intention to cut back on expenses in other to meet its financial obligations to the good people of Kaduna is highly commendable, but to do that at the expense of the ordinary Nigerians whose income can only do so much for them and their families can be considered cruel and therefore unacceptable,” Nwagwu said.

Also, the executive director, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, said that Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s actions stand condemned.

“This high-handedness gives the impression that the government lacks the capacity to dialogue and use soft power approaches to resolve the issues with labour. It is antithetical to the democratic ethos for a leader to act with such an iron fist approach when dialogue and compromise can easily resolve issues,” Zikirullahi said.

The duo also condemned the governor for announcing the sacking of nurses below level 14 for joining the strike action and for describing the labour leaders as bandits.

From John Adams, Minna

The unusual happened on Friday in Kusasu Community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger state, when a group of armed bandits engaged each other in a gun battle, leading to the death of no fewer than 12 of them while scores were seriously injured.

Many others escaped for their lives, leaving their camp in Kusasu in complete disarray as members of the community watched with disbelief.

The internal fight among this group of bandits follows a sharp disagreement between the boys and their leader, popularly referred to as Mallam Dogogide who had accused his boys of shortchanging him after operations.

Mallam Dogogide is one of the leaders of the three notorious bandits groups operating within Shiroro Local governmentnment in Niger and Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State.

Mallam Dogogide, it was gathered, had also accused his boys of going against their operational rules, by killing Villagers indiscriminately and raping married women, and therefore decided to summon them for a meeting.

Mallam Dogogide was said to have, during the meeting, seized cachet of ammunition from his boys, threatening to sack them and recruit new hands for “their disloyalty” and flaunting the group rules of engagement during operation.

According to a source close to the community, Dogogide’s action did not go down well with his boys which led to a heated argument and in the process one of his boys attempted to kill him when he opened fire but the bullet could not enter his boss.

It was at this point that Dogogide and a few loyal ones opened fire and gun down 12 of the “disgruntled ones” while others escaped for their lives.

A reliable source from the community told our correspondent that after the shooting, the bandits came to the community, abducted 10 people to help them bury their colleagues that were killed.

The Villagers were however released after the burial with a stern warning not to disclose the incident to the public.

The Federal Government says it has uncovered about 476 online publication sites dedicated to daily churning out of fake news to fight the government.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja when he received officials of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations on a courtesy visit

Mohammed said the latest of the hatchet jobs by the traducers was the fake publication on President Muhammadu Buhari’s mental status.

“It will amaze you that recently we unveiled almost 476 online publication sites that are dedicated to daily engaging in churning out fake news to fight the government.

“The latest which I found ridiculous is the one that said days ago, that they had information that when Mr President was in the UK the last time, he was advised to step down because he could not even recognise members of his immediate family.

“I begin to wonder how they can go this far, simply because they know that people are gullible and they will make the fake news to go viral,’’ he said.

The minister noted that fake news is taking a new dimension and threatening the existence of the country.

He said the debilitating effects of the menace was not only on the government but on every Nigerian.

Mohammed noted that many marriages had been wrecked as a result of fake news, particularly through social media while people had lost their lives and many others committed suicide.

To buttress his position, the minister recalled a recent report where fake news almost led to the killing of 600 applicants by scammers.

“A young man sent out letters to 600 people to enlist into Nigerian Army and collected N10,000 from each of them.

“He asked them to report at the Okitipupa Army Barracks in Ondo state on a particular day to collect their letters of appointment.

“At the same time, he alerted the Commandant of the Barrack that Boko Haram insurgents were coming to invade the barrack on the same day,’’ he said.

Mohammed said his ministry had spearheaded the campaign against fake news years back before the menace got so bad.

He said the NIPR had a critical role to play in ensuring the fight against fake news.

“This is where your body comes in because you have a powerful platform to ensure that the menace of fake news is confronted squarely.

“Regrettably, however, members of this institute have been found wanting, they have most times place pecuniary interest and motives above patriotism and nationalism

“You will recall the sad incidence of the P&ID saga.

“It was a member of this institute, a firm of PR consultants that was hired to give impression to the world that Nigeria entered into agreement with P&ID and renege and have to pay about nine billion dollars.

“It took the combine interventions of this ministry and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to go to the UK to change the narrative to prove that the purported contract was a huge scam,’’ he said.

The minister admonished members of the institute to place nationalism and patriotism over and above pecuniary gains in the discharge of their duties.

He also assured NIPR of the support of the ministry in its proposed plan to use its platform to engender stakeholders interaction and engagement on national security and cohesion.

Earlier, Malam Mukhtar Sirajo, the National President and Chairman, Governing Council of NIPR said they were willing to work with the Federal Government to engender peace and unity.

He also seized the opportunity to invite the minister to the Annual General Meeting of the Institute holding in Bauchi in May.

(NAN)

A man named Makanjuola Ayedun from Isanlu community, Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State has reportedly crushed his wife, Mrs Nike Ayedun to death with a car.

The incident occurred at Gwagwalada, Abuja on Friday, May 14, 2021 around 10pm.

SaharaReporters learnt that Ayedun knocked down his wife, Nike, a staff member of World Bank office at Asokoro, Abuja while reversing his car.

It was learnt that due to the speed, the car crossed an untarred road and crashed into a building where some things were destroyed.

It was learnt that Ayedun wanted to flee when he realised that he had killed his wife, blaming the incident on brakes failure.

A source, however, told SaharaReporters that it was not an accident.

According to the source who is close to the family, the man had always physically assaulted his wife.

"The whole issue started when Nike discovered that the safe box she had got for the purpose of saving money for her son, who demanded a huge birthday party, had been broken by her husband. She then confronted him about it. That was how the husband started beating her.

"After beating the hell out of her in the house, he collected her phone so that she could not call anyone. The man went outside and turned on his car's engine while he came down to open gate. Nike ran to the gate demanding her phone. The husband said he would crush and kill her, and before she knew what was happening, the man knocked her down with full force while reversing the car," the source said.

The deceased was said to have two boys.

She was also said to be the breadwinner of the family and her husband was not employed.

The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation has reportedly indicated interest in the case.

Meanwhile, the case has been transferred from Gwagwalada Police Command to FCT Police Command, Garki, Abuja.

By Adewale Sanyaolu

Nigerians should expect an increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirt (PMS), popularly called petrol anytime soon as the Petroleum Equalisation Fund(PEF), has concluded plans to increase petroleum transportation pricing template from N3.89k per litre to N9.11k, Daily Sun investigation has revealed.

But the Executive Secretary of PEF, Mr. Ahmed Bobboi, said the pricing template was delayed due to ongoing negotiations between labour and government.

Under the National Transportation Code(NTA) supervised by PEF, an organ of the Ministry of Petroleum, collections and claims settlement under NTA is mainly collected from two kinds of product transactions; Bridged products and Local transactions.

NTA) on Bridged products are deducted at source from Marketers that are within Zone 1 and 2 (Claim Zone); while those within Zone 3-9 (Contribution Zone), are reimbursed for both the NTA and Bridging elements of their transactions.

An industry source who pleaded anonymity because of the political nature of PEF and fear of victimisation said should PEF increase NTA, price of fuel will increase. The source who lamented that PEF was a scam said that those that are meant to be contributing to PEF fund in zone 1 and 2 were not doing so, while those that are filling claims for zones 3-9 were not actually landing products at those locations.

Data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) shows that the North West region consumed more volume of petrol at 985,974,850 litres in QI 2020 compared to the Southeast region with 599,821,058 litres within the same period

The source said the idea of PEF was meant to stabilise petroleum product prices across the country, so that prices are not at variance from one location to the other.

‘‘But the irony is that prices of petrol across the country have never been the same. The price you buy a litre of petrol in Enugu is not the same as Yobe. And this is what PEF meant to address. You will find that that those that were meant to transport petrol to Maiduguri, actually sell same in Lagos but make transport claim for same under a Maiduguri depot.

“They forge documents and get the delivery papers signed to show that the products were actually delivered at Maiduguri. So over time, those that are supposed to be contributing to the fund in zones 1 and 2 were not fully complying and this created funding challenges for PEF that those they were meant to be reimbursed could not get it due to funding constraints.’’

The source added that those in zone 1 and 2 were the ones funding the fuel cost for those in very far location.

He added that this a practice that should be discouraged because it is fraud and should not have had a place if the sector have been deregulated.

‘‘Technically, this is another form of subsidy. Nobody subsidies the cost of cows, goats, beans pepper and onions that are brought from the Northern part of the country to Lagos. The price you get these items in the North is different from that of Lagos.

To make matters worse, larger chunk of the petroleum products that PEF is subsiding, eventually finds its way to other neighboring countries which included; Niger, Chad, among others.

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has revealed that several Boko Haram commanders are willing to surrender and urged the federal government to use proper engagement to negotiate with the group.

Gumi, who spoke to ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, in Kaduna yesterday after hosting the released students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna also reiterated his call on the government to negotiate with bandits.

The cleric noted that information at his disposal revealed that many Boko Haram commanders were willing to surrender and be integrated into society.

He further disclosed that the bandits were also putting pressure on him to assist them with amnesty.
“But with Boko Haram – although we have reliable information from some contacts too that many of their commanders want to surrender; So, I think that with serious engagement and government involvement in these issues on a serious note, I think we will overcome. You see, in Nigeria, we are a tribal society. So, every group has elders that they listen to,” Gumi explained.

Gumi also disclosed that he had reached out to 80 per cent of the bandits’ leaders and they were willing to surrender, adding that the remaining 20 per cent were the ones still causing havoc.
He also argued that the government should engage the bandits and provide them with schools and amnesty so that they could live a normal life.

According to him, the bandits are not more than 100,000, adding that government should be able to provide for their needs.
The cleric revealed that the bandits that kidnapped the Kaduna Greenfield University students have also suspended their initial plan to kill the students and expressed the hope that they will also regain their freedom.

On whether ransom was paid for the release of the school of forestry students, Gumi said his team did not pay any ransom.
He, however, added that some parents, who were impatient, went behind his team to tell the bandits that they were willing to pay.

Gumi pointed out that he did not know if those parents paid ransom or not.
Reacting to the issue of whether the students were molested sexually or not, Gumi disclosed that a notorious bandit who wanted to take away a female student to unknown location to molest her was killed by his colleagues to prove the point that they were not irresponsible but were just agitating for better welfare.

According to him, the bandits are different from the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the other groups agitating in the South because they believe in the government of Nigeria and other constituted authorities.
Speaking earlier at the reception he held for the released Afaka students, Gumi asked them to put the ugly past behind them and pursue their education.

“My appeal to government is to engage with the bandits so that the bandits can abandon their ways.
“They are already showing signs that they are ready. They have grievances, which I think if we come together we can cure this menace in a very short time,” he said.

He called for the cooperation of governments at all levels to resolve the security challenges.
“We want the cooperation of federal, state and local governments; the clergy and other well-meaning Nigerians should all come together to sit down and talk,” he said.

Asked how he secured the release of the students, Gumi said: “You don’t negotiate with your friend, you negotiate with your enemy. The first thing you do is to try and break the ice and break the barrier between you and the person you are negotiating with and also build confidence by demonstrating that you are not going to cheat them or deceive them.

“If there is that level of communication, then negotiation comes in the third phase.
“These are people who have been involved in this kind of criminality for a long time, we have to use psychology on them because it is not possible over night to just consent.

“But preaching to them, admonishing them and showing them the way out of their problems helped a lot in getting them to understand and release these children.”

Also in his remarks former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was represented by Mr. Vitalis Ortese, congratulated everyone for making it possible for the release of the students and expressed the hope that “this will lead to the release of other persons in captivity.”

Speaking on behalf of the parents, Mr. Friday Sani, expressed gratitude to Gumi and Obasanjo for their roles in ensuring the release of the students.

He said: “We are here to appreciate the emancipating team led by Sheikh Gumi. He stood by us to the end. We are happy that our children are back to us.
“The leaders of tomorrow who will make this country proud. We want to give God the glory for what He has done for us.

“We are praying that God will help them to overcome the trauma they went through.
“Some of us have been going in and out of hospitals for them to receive proper treatment.
“We need the support of the government to rehabilitate these children so that they will be fit enough to return to school. Today is a happy day for us.”

Meanwhile, the parents have dismissed speculations that the students were sexually molested while in captivity.
In a statement on Sunday in Kaduna, spokesman of the parents, Mr. Abdullahi Usman, said the speculations being circulated online that the students were sexually molested is not true.

Usman said while the parents were basking in the joy of having reunited with their children who were released unharmed.

“On behalf of the parents, we wish to set the records straight and hope that this will end the circulation of the fabrication of the stories. We state in unequivocal terms that none of the 37 kidnapped (now freed) Afaka students were sexually or homosexually molested by the bandits,” he said.

By Saawua Terzungwe



A group under the aegis of Youths Earnestly Demand For Goodluck E.Jonathan (YED4GEJ 2023) has asked former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2023 presidential election.


Jonathan lost power to the candidate of the then opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) in the 2015 general election, thus, putting an end to the 16 years of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) reign in the country.

National Chairman of the group, Prince Teddy Omiloli and National Director Operations, Comrade Douye Daniel in a statement on Sunday expressed optimism that Jonathan would tackle the challenges bedeviling the country if given the mandate.

The group explained that Jonathan saw the need to restructure Nigeria while in power and called for a national confab in 2014, but was not allowed to implement it, as he was voted out of office, hence the need to give him another chance.

“At this point in time, after a vivid look into the ideologies and activities of our present political players which includes the youths and elders, we saw in Goodluck Jonathan, a true democrat, a nation builder, a divine inspired goal oriented leader of integrity that has the solution to the present Nigeria problems.

“He (Jonathan) has proven that he can sacrifice anything to ensure the unity, peace and development of our great nation Nigeria.

“We, as youths of this great nation after discovering the Nigeria problems and found the solution in Goodluck Jonathan, we are calling on all Nigerians including our political elites, present administration and religious leaders to join the call for the return of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and also join our #BringbackGEJ project.

“We the youths are ready to purchase President Jonathan’s form in any party he chooses to flag from and we will fund his electioneering campaign from the beginning to end the moment he accepts this divine call,” the group said.

The ongoing battle between the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the embattled Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman, which culminated in the suspension and probe of the latter over an alleged N162.32billion unremitted funds, is another round of the many conflicts between ministers and heads of agencies and parastatals under their supervision, Daily Trust on Sunday reports.

Over the years, ministers in charge of some federal ministries have had running battles with heads of some agencies under their purviews over issues largely bordering on supremacy battles on accounts of an alleged attempt by one party to usurp the other.

With such clashes usually come allegations of insubordination, financial impropriety, abuse of office, award of contracts without following due process, non-remittance of appropriate funds to government’s coffers and other infractions.

While these ministers adduced various infractions as reasons for their ‘fights’ with heads of agencies under them, analysts, however, believe there are always more “behind the scene” reasons and vested interests for such actions.

Such altercations, according to some analysts, also affect operations of the concerned agencies, even as they erode political authority in governance across the board, with public interest suffering the most.

Two former ministers who spoke with Daily Trust on Sunday on the issue yesterday described such open confrontations as signs of indiscipline and the inability of the government to maintain a cohesive administration.

Some chief executive officers who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue said ministers would want to be on the drivers’ seats instead of providing direction to those who are the actual drivers.

“My minister, for example, would want to dictate to you who gets a particular contract and keeps sending copies of curriculum vitae for prospective employees. He would not bother about how you do what he requests. He just wants it done,’’ he said.

Another head of the agency who also craved anonymity said chief executive officers like him often drew the ire of their supervisory ministers because some instructions if carried out, could land one in trouble.

“In everything, self-preservation is the most important instinct. You cannot risk yourself to please another person,’’ he said.


Recurrent decimal

Among some of the ministers who have had running battles with heads of agencies under their purview in the last four years are former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, who orchestrated the suspension of the then director-general of the Security Exchange Commission (SEC), Mounir Gwarzo, and former Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, whose clash with the executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) at the time, Professor Usman Yusuf, led to the exit of the latter.

Others include the Minister of Power, Sale Mamman versus the managing director/chief executive officer of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET); Minister of Power versus the managing director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA); Minister of Power, Sale Mamman versus the managing director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria; Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo versus former director-general of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), and the latest one between the Minister of Transportation and suspended managing director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman.


Amaechi versus Hadiza over N162.32bn ‘unremitted’ funds

The latest of such drama is what is seen as the ‘triumph’ of Minister Amaechi in his long-drawn cold war with the managing director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman.

The Presidency, on May 6, 2021, announced the suspension of Bala-Usman, adding that she would face an administrative panel over an alleged non-remittance of N162.32billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

The suspension was announced by a presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu.

In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, dated March 4, 2021, Amaechi, had requested for the audit of NPA’s account over alleged unremitted operating surpluses between 2016 and 2020 as flagged by the Budget Office of the Federation.

The letter, titled “Remittances of operating surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account (CRF) by the Nigerian Ports Authority from 2015-date,” was signed by the minister.

“In view of the above, I wish to suggest that the financial account of the activities of the Nigerian Ports Authority be investigated for the period 2016 to 2020 to ascertain the true financial position and the outstanding unremitted balance of N165,320,962 697,” the minister stated.

But responding, the embattled NPA boss said the allegations against her were not true.

In a letter to the chief of staff to the president, Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari, dated May 5, 2021, a copy of which was made available to Daily Trust on Sunday, she said the figures provided by the Budget Office of the Federation as the operating surplus for the respective years on which basis they arrived at the shortfall were derived from submission of budgetary provision and not the actual amounts derived following the statutory audit of the authorities financial statements.

Usman further said she wished to request that the chief of staff requested the Office of the Accountant- General of the Federation, which is the statutory custodian of the status of payment to the CRF to provide clarification on the above so as to establish the true position of the organisation’s remittances to the CFR.

While the issue of non-remittance of N162.32 billion is at the heart of the ongoing probe of the NPA, observers are saying that some conflict of interests might be playing some role in the saga.

The suspended NPA boss had reportedly had clashes with the minister over ‘bypassing’ him in key decisions in procurement and other matters.

The latest quarrel, according to sources familiar with the altercation, was about the reappointment of the managing director and constitution of the new board of the NPA without Amaechi’s input.

There have been discordant tunes over the suspension of the NPA boss and the composition of an administrative panel. While some have justified her suspension and probe, others described it as a ‘witch hunt’ by the minister.


NHIS: Isaac Adewole versus Usman Yusuf

In November 2017, the then Minister of Health Isaac Adewole suspended the former executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Usman Yusuf indefinitely.

Yusuf had earlier been ordered by Adewole on July 7, 2017, to proceed on a three-month suspension to pave way for an investigation following petitions against him, one of which was the procurement of a N58million SUV without due process.

Yusuf had refused to follow the directive, saying only the president, according to the Act setting up the scheme, may appoint or remove him.

He had said that although the NHIS Act empowered the minister to give directive of a general nature to the Governing Council of the organisation and could exercise presidential mandate in the absence of the Council, such powers did not include “discipline, suspension or removal of the executive secretary from office.”

But Adewole insisted on the indefinite suspension of Yusuf, saying a committee set up to carry out an investigation had completed its investigation against the NHIS boss and had found him culpable in many areas.

President Muhammadu Buhari eventually sacked Prof Usman Yusuf in July 2019 following the recommendations of the report by an independent fact-finding panel on the NHIS.


SEC: Adeosun versus Gwarzo

In another case, a former Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and a former Director-General of the Security Exchange Commission (SEC), Mounir Gwarzo had a running battle over an allegation of financial impropriety.

On November 29, 2017, Adeosun suspended Gwarzo from office indefinitely.

Mr Gwarzo was suspended “to allow for an unhindered investigation of several allegations of financial impropriety levelled against him.”

According to a statement by Patricia Deworitshe, deputy director, Press, Federal Ministry of Finance, “the suspension is in line with the Public Service Rules (PSRs) 03405 and 03406.”

“The minister has set up an administrative panel of inquiry to investigate and determine the culpability of the director-general.

“She has directed the suspended director-general to immediately hand over to the most senior officer in the commission, pending the conclusion of the investigation,’’ the statement read.

However, Gwarzo fired back at the then minister, saying he was suspended because he refused to stop the forensic investigation of Oando Plc as directed.

He made the revelation during a public hearing on the need to intervene in the conflict involving him and the minister by the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and Institutions. He stated that the minister threatened him to either resign or risk being suspended.

“On October 18, we directed that the shares of Oando should be put on technical suspension. Ae also informed the public that a forensic audit would be undertaken on Oando.

“The following day, October 19, the minister of finance invited me to her office and queried the power I had to carry out the investigation, and I explained to her that the law had given me the power to do the investigation.

“She told me to lift the technical suspension placed on Oando. The permanent secretary was also in attendance, and it was on Friday. I tried to reason with her why it was not necessary to lift the suspension, but she told me that it was important to do that.

But in May 2019, the National Industrial Court, Abuja, ordered the immediate reinstatement of the suspended director-general of the SEC.

Justice Sanusi Kado, in his judgement, held that the then minister of finance, named as the second defendant in the suit, lacked the power to suspend the claimant (Mounir). He is, however, yet to be reinstated.


Mamman versus Ogunbiyi

In 2019, the Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, an engineer, suspended the managing director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Damilola Ogunbiyi, following what was described as “some apparent infractions in the agency and lack of due process.

The minister directed Ogunbiyi to proceed on indefinite suspension with immediate effect after she had been directed to hand over to the next most senior officer in the agency.

He also directed immediate investigations into the activities of the agency towards ‘re-positioning it for better service delivery.’

But Buhari later reversed the suspension to pave way for Ogunbiyi to take a new job at the United Nations.


Mamman versus Amobi

In 2019, the Minister of Power, Mr Sale Mamman, also ordered an immediate step-down of the managing director/chief executive officer of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET), Dr Marilyn Amobi, over myriads of complaints and a series of allegations against her.

On December 10, 2019, the management staff of the agency petitioned the federal government over Amobi’s alleged threat of physical assault on a senior member of staff, Itohan Ehiede.

But the minister,r in a statement by his special adviser on media and communication, Mr Aaron Artimas, said his action was a continuation of the reorganisation and sanitation exercise in the ministry.


Mamman versus Usman Mohammed

In May 2020, the Minister of Power, Sale Mamman also sacked the managing director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Usman Mohammed and replaced him with Sule Abdulaziz in an acting capacity.

Mohammed was sacked over an alleged $2billion (about N781bn) Siemens Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).

The document approving the sack was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari and his chief of staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.

Mohammed was replaced by Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, an engineer, as the acting managing director of the organisation.

His removal was also attributed to the frosty relationship between the TCN and other players in the power sector, which many believe has been one of the factors taking a toll on the supply of electricity to Nigerians.

Mamman, who got approval for the shakeup, was also empowered by the Presidency to immediately nominate members of the TCN board and management team.


Altercations sign of weak Presidency – Ex-minister

A two-time minister, Dr Aliyu Modibbo Umar, described the altercations between ministers and chief executives of parastatals under them as embarrassing to the government and a sign that the Presidency is weak.

Speaking to Daily Trust on Sunday, Dr Umar, who was a minister of commerce and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at different times, said the unabated altercations portrayed the president in a bad light.

The clashes, he said, also pointed to inadequacies in terms of the appointment of competent persons into key positions, as well as the collapse of key administrative structures that are meant to guide the system.

“The line of authority is very clear; the minister is in charge. No matter how privileged you are, no matter how close you are with the president, as head of a parastatal you have to go through the minister,” he said.

The ex-minister, who is an Oxford University fellow, said though the minister is in charge, however, he ought to also submit to bureaucratic authorities in his ministry, while weighing in political considerations for the professional position of senior civil servants.

Umar said the happenings since President Buhari came into office had become surprising and an issue of concern.

“It is surprising because President Buhari is not new to the office. This was not how he operated when he was there the first time. There were efficient structures and people with sufficient experience and institutional memory manning key offices in the presidency and the State House,” he said.


How to address recurrent clashes – Adoke

The immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), blamed the recurring crises between heads of agencies and ministers on permissiveness, influence peddling and nepotism in the system.

The only way to address the incessant clashes, according to him, is for government to insist on doing things the proper way and draw the curtain on indiscipline and permissiveness.

Adoke said a lot of ministers were overbearing and trying to exert much influence on parastatals and agencies under them, and by so doing, breach laws, and when that happens, there will be a crisis.

He said the undue pressure on heads of parastatals to subvert the system encourages such chief executive officers to also subvert the ministers.

“The president must not allow heads of parastatals to bypass the ministers, and ministers should not breach procedures. The reporting line must be followed. There must be discipline and an end to influence peddling. Proximity, whether religious, ethnic or regional, must not be a reason to circumvent the system,” he said.

He also criticised the situation where the functions of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has been usurped by the office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

“The Office of the Secretary to the Government is a constitutional creation. It should be allowed to fully function and not have a parallel structure in the name of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President,” he added.

The remaining 11 persons who were recently abducted from Jibiya Mosque in Katsina State have regained freedom.

DAILY POST had reported that over 40 persons were on Monday abducted from a mosque at Jibya town in the state while observing midnight prayers.

According to the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Gambo Ishaka, 30 of the abductees were immediately rescued by the joint security operatives, leaving others in captivity.

However, in a new development, an eyewitness told Channels TV on Saturday that 11 others have been freed.

He said their release was facilitated by a woman married to one of the bandits who untied them where they were kept and asked them to run away.

According to the source, about eight males and three females were able to escape, however, a nursing mother was left behind as she was unable to run.

The eyewitness stated that the infant was rescued but the mother was left because “she has swollen legs.

“The abductors are now demanding N10million ransom before they release her”, she said.

Efforts to reach the police spokesman proved abortive as at press time.

The United States government has criticised how Nigerian courts have continued to sentence citizens to long jail terms for blasphemy and death.

The US position was disclosed by the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, during the release of the 2020 International Religious Freedom Report this week.

He wondered why the Nigerian government has not brought anyone to justice for the “massacre” of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria also known as Shiites.

Quoting the report, the Blinken said, “In Nigeria, courts continue to convict people of blasphemy, sentencing them to long-term imprisonment or even death. Yet the government has still not brought anyone to justice for the military’s massacre of hundreds of Shia Muslims in 2015.”

He further stressed that religious freedom is a human right and the freedom enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adding that America would continue to defend freedom of faith globally.

“Religious freedom, like every human right, is universal. All people, everywhere, are entitled to it no matter where they live, what they believe, or what they don’t believe.

“Religious freedom can’t be fully realised unless other human rights are respected, and when governments violate their people’s right to believe and worship freely, it jeopardises all the others,” the US State Secretary noted.

The Shiites have for over five years been regularly taking to the streets particularly in Abuja to demand the release of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat.

Both of them have been in detention since December 2015 after a bloody clash between members of the group and soldiers in the convoy of the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Many Shiites members were reportedly killed by soldiers but the Nigerian Army has since denied such allegation.

On February 28, 2020, a Facebook user, Mbarak Bala, was arrested and detained in Kaduna for alleged blasphemous posts about Islam.

A 35-year-old atheist, Mubarak Bala, had also spent months in detention without trial for allegedly blaspheming Prophet Muhammed.

A Kano-based musician, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was also accused of committing blasphemy against the Prophet in a song he circulated via WhatsApp in March 2020. He was later sentenced to death by hanging by the Kano Upper Shari’a Court.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on February 4, 2021, appointed the retired service chiefs as non-career ambassadors.

The nominees are General Abayomi Olonisakin (Rtd) – Ekiti; Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (Rtd) – Borno; Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (Rtd) – Cross River; Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd) – Bauchi; and Air Vice Marshal Muhammad S. Usman (Rtd) – Kano.

Gen Olonisakin had served as Chief of Defense Staff (CDS); Buratai as Chief of Army Staff (COAS); Ibas as Chief of Naval Staff (CNS); Abubakar as Chief of Air Staff (CAS) and Usman as Chief of Defense Intelligence (CDI).

President Buhari, in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said their nomination as non-career ambassadors designate was in accordance with Section 171 (1), (2) (c) and Sub-Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

The president appointed the ex-service chiefs in 2015 and refused to bow to the pressure of relieving them of their duties until they “voluntarily” resigned.

Before their “retirement,” there had been widespread calls for their removal over failure to contain the security challenges facing the country, which critics said became exacerbated under their watch. So, their appointments as ambassadors sparked public outrage, with calls on the senate to reject their nominations.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the appointments was a plot to shield them from investigation over alleged killing of Nigerians “and crimes against humanity under their inglorious watch.”

In a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP charged the senate to eschew all partisan considerations and stand on the side of the people.

Reacting to PDP’s stand, a presidential spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, defended their nominations, saying the ex-service chiefs failed only in the eyes of those who did not know what success was.

Despite the outrage, the senate, on February 23, 2021, confirmed their nominations.

Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which screened the nominees, in a report, said “their experiences as service chiefs and in the military where they rose to the highest ranks in their careers have made them eminently qualified; and the nominees were very knowledgeable and articulate in their responses to questions directed at them by the committee.”

Sen Bulkachuwa, however, disclosed that, “The committee received petitions against their nominations as non-career ambassadors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but the petitions were dismissed.”

The Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, demanded explanation as to the rationale behind the dismissal of the petitions against the nominees by the committee, particularly against the backdrop of the senate’s resolutions in the past calling for their removal as service chiefs.

However, the Senate President, Lawan, pointed out that the senate’s resolution demanding their removal was in no way related to President Buhari’s request for it to confirm them as ambassadors-designate, adding that “these are two separate roles.”

Sen Lawan further said, “Without prejudice to what the executive will do, where we need to fight the Boko Haram insurgency and banditry, because of their experience in the field, they should be able to interact very closely and sufficiently to advice and create the atmosphere for working together for partnership and cooperation between Nigeria and those countries.

“So, I think on that scope the nominations cannot be nullified because we said they should be changed.”

Diplomatic posting

In diplomatic practice, ambassadors-designate are deployed to foreign missions only when agreemos have been sought and obtained from prospective countries. The period differs from country to country.

An agreemo is a memorandum from one country to another agreeing to the appointment of an ambassador or envoy.

After obtaining an agreemo and an envoy-designate briefed on their mandate, they will be issued Letter of Credence signed by the president or head of state, which will be presented to the president or head of state of the host country.

Sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Daily Trust Saturday that all necessary procedures for the deployment of the retired service chiefs were yet to be completed.

It was further gathered that the former military chiefs had undergone an induction (orientation) course, assigned portfolios and would resume duty when agreemos are received from the host countries.

It is not yet clear where the ex-service chiefs would serve, but sources said they are assigned to Nigeria’s neighbouring countries.
The source further said, “When the career and non-career ambassadors-designate (screened before the nomination of the former service chiefs) were assigned portfolios, neighbouring countries were left vacant. But we don’t know who will be posted there.

“You know they only make postings public when agreemos are signed by the host countries to avoid negative stories in case an ambassador is rejected.

“So we don’t know whether they have gotten the agreemos or not. That is the stage it’s right now.”

It was further gathered that a good number of agreemos had been obtained from foreign governments and the affected envoys had been presented Letters of Credence and deployed to their places of assignment.

Deployment process on course – Ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the procedure for the deployment of the former service chiefs to diplomatic posts overseas was on course.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Mr Ferdinand Nwonye, told Daily Trust that, “I don’t think anything is delaying their deployment. Things have to go according to procedure; an agreemo has to be sent and the receiving country has to respond because they are just like any other non-career ambassadors.”

Mr Nwoye added that, “I don’t know why there should be so much emphasis on them. They are going there to do the job just like other non-career ambassadors will.”

Portfolios

President Buhari had since January approved the posting of career and non-career ambassadors to foreign missions.

In a statement in January, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, announced the presidential approval.

Amb Aduda said in the statement that, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, has approved the posting of ambassadors-designate to Nigerian missions abroad. The list includes 43 career ambassadors and 52 non-career ambassadors.

“With this development, the process of requesting agreement from the prospective host countries has commenced.”

A breakdown of the postings showed that Dr Uzoma Emenike, a career diplomat, was posted to the United States, while M.I. Bashir serves as his deputy; Sarafat Ishola will serve as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom; Demola Seriki will resume in Spain; Omah Djebah in Thailand and Debo Adesina in Togo.

Tijani Muhammmad-Bande serves as Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York; Adeyinka as High Commissioner to Canada; Mohammed Rimi (United Arab Emirates); Ahmad Baba Jidda (China); Gani Bura (Lebanon); Yusuf Tuggar (Germany); Baba Madugu (Switzerland); Deborah Illiya (Congo); Modupe Irele (Hungary) and Eniola Ajayi (Netherlands).

Others are Ijeoma Chineyerem (Ireland); Abdulahi Shehu (Russia); Haruna Manta (South Africa); Kayode Laro (France); Paul Adikwu (The Vatican); Abubakar Moriki (Japan); Mrs Opunimi Akinkugbe (Greece) and Ali Magashi (South Korea).

M.O. Abam is posted to Italy; N.A. Kolo (Israel); A. Sule (India); G.Y. Hamza (Ghana); A.N. Madubike (Australia) and O.C Onowu (Belgium).

The remaining appointees are to serve as deputy ambassadors or heads of mission. They include A.E. Alleboy (France); G.E. Edokpa (United Nations), Ben Okoyen (Cuba); G.M. Okeke (Switzerland); S. Sani (UK); I.A Iwejuo (Ethiopia), A. Alatishe (Russia) and I.R. Ocheni (Germany).

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are both temporarily stuck over the principle of zoning and power rotation for their presidential tickets ahead of the 2023 election, New Telegraph can report. It was learnt that stakeholders in both parties are currently divided over which zone of the country will produce the next president and the impasse has already thrown up intense power struggle with some leaders threatening to defect if their interest in zoning is ignored.

The crisis, it was learnt, have also dovetailed into the preparation for the national conventions of the parties as the decisions from the conventions will point to where the presidential candidates will come from. Since the advent of civil rule in 1999, no political party has ever ceded the position of the President and that of the National Chairman to the same region. For the PDP, power has rotated between the South and North but for the death of former President Umaru Yar’Adua, which altered the arrangement. The incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, was elected on the platform of the APC and he is expected to serve out his second term by 2023.

The PDP had its last president from the South- South in 2015 in the person of Goodluck Jonathan, but fielded a candidate from the North-East, former Vice- President Atiku Abubakar in 2019. He, however, lost to the incumbent, President Buhari. The APC, which inaugurated a Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee almost a year ago, has not been able to fix the date for its convention, but rather extended the tenure of the Governor Mai Mala Buniled 13-man committee.

“The delay in holding our convention is tactical and deliberate. Don’t tell me that the party is busy with membership revalidation; it is all an attempt to hijack the process. While it is safe not to quickly heat up the polity ahead of the 2023 polls, the game plan is to also knock out some camps that are interested in the presidency which the cabal are opposed to,” a former Ogun State executive of the APC, who spoke on the issue said.

He further noted that: “What they are doing is to just postpone the evil day because they are aware that immediately the zoning of national officers, especially the National Chairman is done, the picture of where the presidential ticket will go to is then predictable. There is clearly an agenda and that is where the elders of the party should intervene.

“I think we may have found ourselves in a similar quagmire the PDP was prior to the 2015 presidential race before it resolved to retain its ticket in the southern part of the country. The only difference is that the incumbent is not contesting again. The APC is watching the PDP closely and I think it is vice versa.” The APC leader further stated that the issue in APC at the moment is first about power rotation from the North to South, and secondly about ceding what to particular zones, adding that, the contestation has polarized the party.

A former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, had recently said: “Nigeria’s politics is an old men’s club. The next election (2023) will be a challenging one because of a gentleman’s agreement to rotate power.” Speaking recently, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, declared that the ruling APC has no zoning arrange-ment. “There is nothing like zoning in our party. In 2015, there was no zoning; many aspirants, including former Governor Rochas Okorocha contested.

In 2019, there was no zoning; people in APC were not courageous enough to contest with President Muhammadu Buhari.” But his view ran contrary to those of Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasiru el-Rufai, and Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola that the 2023 presidency be zoned to the South after Buhari’s tenure elapses in compliance with the understanding reached by the party’s leaders during the merger talks before 2015 general election. For the PDP, which has said it may throw open its presidential ticket, the party’s forthcoming National Convention will determine whether it will still retain its ticket in the North or will shift it to the South.

The report of the PDP 2019 Election Review Committee led by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State submitted to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, recently ruffled feathers when it recommended, among other things, that the presidential flag bearer of the party for the 2023 elections should be chosen through a meritbased system But the party swiftly addressed the concerns when it said: “Due to enquiries from our members and the general public, it has become imperative to clarify that PDP is yet to adopt any of the recommendations proposed by the Senator Bala Mohammed’s Committee on the Review of the 2019 Elections. “As such, it will be incongruous for anyone to assert that any decision has been taken by PDP on the zoning of the presidency ahead of the 2023 elections.

PDP leaders, members and support-ers are enjoined to note that the party is yet to take any decision on the proposals presented by the committee.” Despite the debate over power rotation, some members of two major parties are already warming up to take a shot at the top political office in the land. Interestingly, the unofficial aspirants are from both the South and North. Among those believed to be positioning themselves for the APC ticket are a former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu (South- West), Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State (North Central) and ex-Zamfara State Governor, Ahmed Sani (North- West). Presidential hopefuls in the PDP are Atiku (North- East); Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (North-West); former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (North-West); former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido (North-West); former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki (North Central) and former Deputy National Chairman of the party, South, Chief Olabode George (South-West). George, who spoke with New Telegraph, said: “If our party is ready on the national ticket, we should sit down, think and be fair. We should sit down and look at the issues. If the APC elects somebody from the South to be its presidential candidate, isn’t that a bell with a ringing tone in our eardrums? “Do we want to pitch the North and South at the same time? There will be a period of discussions which is the normal thing we do in PDP. We should discuss this and not manipulation.

We have to be very careful because manipulation will send the party to the canvas. We must be loyal to the system and not any individual.” However, a founding member of the APC and the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Chief Osita Okechukwu, said for the sake of equity, unity and fairness, both the PDP and APC should field candidates from the same part of the country.


“My advocacy is that the two dominant parties, the APC and PDP, should adopt the 1999 Obasanjo-Falae and 2007 Yar’Adua-Buhari models and zone their tickets to a particular zone, such that head or tail, the presidency goes to that zone. This will create a sense of belonging and justice for that zone and the country. I am one of the advocates of the zoning convection to be adhered to by the two parties. “This will create equity and build unity. I believe the presidency should come to the South in 2023, when the North completes its tenure. And when it comes to the South, it should be zoned on the basis of equity. The only zone that has not benefited from the zoning convention is the South-East. That model must be used, otherwise, it won’t work.”

joshjc:
I don't think this happened in Nigeria, check the plate number

From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan


Former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, on Thursday threw a bombshell that it is not only the South West and South East of Nigeria that are agitating for carving out of Oduduwa Republic and Biafra Republic from the country, the Northern part of the country is also preparing to leave the country.

The elder statesman, however, noted that the North has actually been working assiduously to ensure a smooth take-off of probably Arewa Republic, while the South West and South East have been talking too much.

He made the disclosure in an interview with journalists in his house at Bodija, Ibadan after he observed this year’s Eid-el-Fitr prayer at the University of Ibadan Central Mosque and also hosted top politicians at his residence, including Senator Teslim Folarin, representing Oyo Central; Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, representing Oyo North in the National Assembly and the Ajia Balogun Olubadan, Chief Adegboyega Adegoke.

Answering question on agitation for self-determination in the country, Ladoja said: “Let us start with tolerance. At certain level, people will be talking, but we only know the beginning of a war, not the end. Nobody will remember how the war in Syria started and it is still on for years. And everything they built is being destroyed. So, I think we have to do it softly. We have started democracy. We are not happy with the way it is going.

“But even Quran says there will be time when God will give you good leaders; there will be time when the leaders that you are given by God are not as good because He wants you people to see the difference. We should assume that this too will pass. It started six years ago. In another two years, it will go. If you are saying because of that you want to go or do don’t want to go, who even tells you that the north is not even getting ready to go.

“Let us look at it that you people in the South are talking too much, and the people up North are acting too much. In Yorubaland, we talk too much. Even, people that don’t know anything about what the idea is all about will also speak on it.

“The North is also preparing to leave and they are working at it. Do you think it is a mistake that they are constructing railway to Niger Republic when we have not built railway from Ibadan to Kano, not even Abuja, and they said that is the first place we are going to spend our money? Can’t the refinery in Kaduna be repaired? Why are they saying they would build another refinery in Daura (Katsina State)? And they would be bringing crude oil from Niger Republic to the place. Don’t let us deceive ourselves, maybe a time will come when all of us will sit down together and separate peacefully.

“We have seen examples of countries that separated. We have two examples. One, Czechoslovakia went their separate ways peacefully, and they are still friendly allies. But Yugoslavia went into war. So, when we continue talking and engagements, if we cannot live together again, all of us will know that there is no reason to fight to keep the entity together any longer.”

On the ban placed on open grazing by all the governors in the Southern Nigeria after their meeting held in Asaba, Delta State this week, Ladoja noted that the law has been there and this is not the first time such ban would be placed on open grazing. He added that each state had done it separately in the past and he was optimistic that the coming together of the governors to place a ban on open grazing would be effective.

“Open grazing is not sustainable. We cannot say what was happening in Nigeria 50 years ago should continue today in Nigeria. What was the population 50 years ago, and what is the population today? The number of cows that people are slaughtering in the abattoir today, maybe that was what they were slaughtering in one month in years back. So, we have to find a way of going for a sustainable system. All over the world, even in Botswana, they have more cows than human beings; yet they did not have open grazing. We should also conduct it and we should now see cow herding as a business. It should be taken seriously, not where everybody can just go and say ‘I am a cow herder.’

“I think I support what they (the Southern governors) moved because the law has been there. There is open-grazing law in Oyo State. Unfortunately, we have not seen it being implemented because we still see cows roaming the streets. It is possible, now that all the Southern states’ governors have agreed on it, maybe the implementation will start in earnest.”

Ladoja stated further that the ban on the open grazing in the Southern Nigeria is part of the lasting solution to the rising insecurity in the country, saying: “Now, people have been taking about Fulani herdsmen. If there is no open grazing, there will not be so much Fulani herdsmen’s palaver again. That is the problem we have in Ibarapa and most of the problems in Benue now. So, let us start from the ban on open grazing.”

He argued that the leadership of security outfits in Nigeria is skewed in favour of only one tribe in the country, saying “a situation whereby the whole of security outfits in Nigeria are in the hands of one tribe, it doesn’t seem to go very well with all of us. We are a federation. We are not only one mono-language people. We are diverse and it is that diversity that made us strong. But it is now become our weakness. That is why people are losing interest in what the government is doing. That is why there are agitation for restructuring, dissolution and it is just because of the discontent.

“When that is in practice, it means most of the time that the best men are not in position. When you have people that are not competent, running a system, the system will at the end of it collapse. But let us only hope that Nigeria will survive.”

The National Secretary of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Alhassan Saleh, says the ban on open grazing of cattle by southern governors is an ‘empty policy’.

The governors had after a four-hour meeting in Asaba, Delta State on Tuesday agreed that open grazing should be banned.

Open grazing of cattle has often caused conflicts between host communities and migrant herders, leading to several deaths in many states.

Some of the herders have also been accused of committing other criminal acts like armed robbery, kidnapping, and murder.

Speaking to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, Saleh said herders are not the problem facing the country.

He described the southern governors as confused and mischievous.

“The governors are confused and mischievous, are herders the problem of this country? Are they Biafra people killing people up and down, burning police stations?

“They are confused, or are they not confused? If they can’t address the terrorist activities being perpetrated by Nnamdi Kanu (leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra) and his Igbo terrorist group called IPOB, I think they are really confused, if they are not confused, then they are mischievous.

“Is there anything like secret grazing? Let the governors go ahead to continue instigating their mobs to keep killing herdsmen. Can they comply with an empty policy? Where are the ranches?

“Are herdsmen the problem of this country? Are they the ones looting the treasury? They should leave the herders alone. They should stop killing innocent herders.”

The governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has said that many Nigerians are richer than Nigeria as a country.

He stated this in Benin, during a meeting of the State Transmission Committee, with over 27 professional organisations.

The governor, who urged the professionals to collaborate with his administration to expand the state’s tax net to enable the government deliver on its mandate of making the great, expressed concern over the salaries and all sources of emoluments burden of the state, which he said will soon hit N40 billion a year.

Obaseki emphatically told the professionals that the state would be developed with money from Edo people.

He said: “For us as a government to continue to behave the way we used to behave before, when the circumstances that brought us into government are totally different; I think it will be grossly unfair to God and the people of Edo State. We are in government to serve you; we want you to join us and make Edo great again.

“So, without the commitment and collaboration of these different professional groups, there is not much that we can do because right now, we spend almost N40 billion a year in paying people’s salaries and all sources of emoluments.

“In the past, we used to get that amount from oil revenue and now, that amount will have to be paid by taxes from you. Therefore, should you not have an input? Should you not have a say? And that say, should it just be about criticizing the government?

“Truly speaking, if we do not build institutions, if we continue in the old ways, trying to build super stars and strong men, we will have no future, because these strong men will die, then what now happens?”

The governor, who noted that money is no longer available for government as it used to be, insisted that the money “is with us Nigerians. Nigerians have more money than Nigeria. It is the money of Nigerians that will develop Nigeria. It is the money of Edo people that will develop Edo.

“The government can do so much and you have seen what we are trying to do with the little resources that we have. I know how much we can achieve. There is a need for all stakeholders to change their attitude towards contributing to good governance.

“For us as a government to continue to behave the way we used to behave before, when the circumstances that brought us into government are totally different; I think it will be grossly unfair to God and the people of Edo State. We are in government to serve you; we want you to join us and make Edo great again.

“So, without the commitment and collaboration of these different professional groups, there is not much that we can do because right now, we spend almost N40 billion a year in paying people’s salaries and all sources of emoluments.”

“In the past, we used to get that amount from oil revenue and now, that amount will have to be paid by taxes from you. Therefore, should you not have an input? Should you not have a say? And that say, should it just be about criticizing the government?” he asked.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called for an open and transparent investigation into the circumstances and ownership of the arrested helicopter allegedly supplying arms and food to criminals.

ACF, in a statement made available to newsmen Monday night in Kaduna, noted that the investigation might go a long way in “righting our security challenges.”

The statement signed by Emmanuel Yawe, National Publicity Secretary of the Forumsaid: “We hope the result of this investigation will clear whatever doubts there are about righting our security challenges.”

ACF also said the investigation has become pertinent in view of what it called the scandalous accusations that a former head of state is the owner of the helicopter, an allegation he has denied.

The Forum said: “Early in March this year at the height of the kidnap of students of the Jangebe Government Girls Secondary School, in Zamfara State, the Federal Government slammed a ban of flights over the state.

“In reaction, our National Chairman Chief Audu Ogbe issued a statement calling for the ban to be extended to states such as Borno, Taraba, Benue, Yobe where there were rumours that arms, foodstuffs and other supplies were being dropped for bandits by a mysterious helicopter.

“Today, there are various accounts that a helicopter that has been used to drop supplies for the criminals has been arrested.

The accounts are rather confusing with the rather scandalous accusation that a former Head of State, General Abubakar Abdulsalami is the owner of the aircraft. “The general has since dismissed the rumour that he owns it. We have diligently followed these sordid revelations in the media.”

Consequently, ACF said it: “Is convinced that there is need for an open and transparent investigation on the orders of President, Commander-in-Chief, Muhammadu Buhari.”

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), yesterday, threw its weight behind calls for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari, warning Nigeria cannot survive two more years under this regime. Speaking during AIT’s ‘Kakaaki’ programme, spokesman of the forum, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, called on members of the National Assembly to begin the process of impeaching the president, noting that the lawmakers must realise that the country is in a dire state.

Baba-Ahmed, who pointed out that the challenges bedeviling the country were more than mere talking and issuing statements, said now is the time to act.



He said: “Those who have constitutional responsibility must realise that the country is in a dire strait, and do something other than just talking and making promises. The second option is for citizens to get together and decide to do something.

“The third option is that those leaders who are failing will recognise the fact that they are the problem, and they will resign because they clearly have nothing to offer in terms of leadership,” he said.

“Or, as our democratic system provides, those with the responsibility to get them off, should impeach those who are failing. If the president can’t deliver, he should be impeached.

“Sadly, we don’t have a National Assembly that appears to have the levels of patriotism and concern beyond partisan politics to realise that when this roof falls, it also falls on their heads. Partisanship is so pronounced that the people we elected and sent to Abuja think they serve the President rather than the Nigerian people.

“Ordinarily, the legislators should look at the record of the administration, understand the areas where the President has failed, understand areas where there is clearly no evidence that they are going to do anything about it and refer to the Constitution that says the whole purpose of government is to secure citizens and pursue their welfare,” Baba-Ahmed said.

Earlier in February, the National Assembly had requested President Buhari to appear before it over the state of insecurity. However, the President did not honour the request. Section 143 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution gives the National Assembly the power to remove the President if he is incapable of effectively discharging his duty.

But the possibility of impeaching the President is low because the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), controls both chambers of the National Assembly. Also, past threats of impeachment failed to yield any action. In 2020, the PDP caucus, under the leadership of Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) threatened to commence an impeachment process over insecurity and corruption in the country. It never did.



THE Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has faulted the call by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) for the impeachment of President Buhari due to the appalling security situation in the country. BMO Chairman, Mr Niyi Akinsiju, maintained that such position by NEF was tantamount to an invitation to anarchy.

Akinsiju, who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), argued that NEF’s position was politically motivated, adding that those calling for the impeachment of the President do not mean well for the country.

He noted: “They are entitled to their own opinion on the performance of the President. However, we insist that the vast majority of Nigerians who agree that the President is living up to their expectations would not allow any move to impeach him.

“The President is on top of his game in securing the lives and properties of Nigerians. There is no country in the world that is not grappling with a security challenge or the other. Even the advanced countries of the world are not exempted.

“The President is working round the clock to addressed the concern raised by Nigerians on the issue. The security architecture is being rejigged to tackle the latest challenge, especially coming from the Southeast geopolitical zone.”

HOWEVER, an ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives on National Security has called for the submission of memoranda on a planned security summit. The four-day summit has been scheduled for May 24 to 28.

According to a statement by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Chinedu Akubueze, the deadline for submission is May 20. The Special Ad Hoc Committee on National Security was constituted by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, on March 17.

According to the statement, memoranda should be solution-focused with emphasis on “local and community level security options, strategic kinetic national security, and non-military and non-kinetic security.”

This is not the first time lawmakers will be holding security summits in the administration of President Muhamadu Buhari. In 2018, the Senate had a summit on security and another was held 14 months later in 2019.

This latest one is coming amid an increase in killings and general insecurity across the country. Last month, the lower chamber asked the President to declare a State of Emergency on security, while the lawmakers also made 11 other resolutions on security.

An opposition lawmaker, Dachung Bagos (PDP, Plateau), had said the lawmakers would consider the option of impeachment if nothing changes after the summit.

MEANWHILE, the Ado-Ekiti branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has thrown its weight behind the founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, on his recent call for a summit to address the lingering insecurity and other challenges bedeviling the country.

Babalola had last week while speaking during the 10th NBA public lecture held in his honour expressed regret over the wave of insecurity in the country and called for a summit titled ‘Summit of Hope’ where leaders across board will discuss workable solutions to prevent the nation from sliding into anarchy.

But an online report stated that the legal icon was daring the Federal Government by proposing the summit. The NBA, in its reaction, has therefore dismissed the report, which suggested that the legal icon wanted to destabilise or topple President Buhari’s government.

The NBA chairman, Adeyemi Adewumi, in a statement on Monday in Ado-Ekiti, while condemning the alleged malicious and misleading report, said Babalola was being patriotic by calling for the summit over the precarious situation in the country.


He said: “The Nigerian Bar Association condemns this criminally mischievous publication and calls on every Nigerian to disregard and discountenance its content but appreciate the patriotic and nationalistic move by way of suggestion, of Aare Afe Babalola, SAN to restore the hope of Nigerians.

“The publication is an attempt to hoodwink Nigerians into believing a negatively and falsely reported news as against the genuine reasoning behind Aare Afe Babalola’s call to restore hope for Nigerians amidst her numerous challenges.

“We wonder how the most nationalistic suggestion to summon all living former Nigerian presidents, leadership of the National Assembly, governors, religious leaders and frontline traditional rulers, as well as Civil Society Organisations, which was made in the most unparalleled good faith, now amounts to conspiracy to remove the government from power.

“The rationale behind Babalola’s call was to prevent the country from disintegrating and drifting into anarchy so that it can remain an indivisible entity. We must however state unequivocally that the law is very clear on the right of every Nigerian, including Afe Babalola, to freedom of expression as guaranteed by Section 39(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Ameneded).

“The law is equally clear on the right of every Nigerian, either singly or together, to advise government, in good faith, on how the country can move forward devoid of disintegration and anarchy.”

A pregnant woman who was one of the 37 students abducted from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State, has narrated how she lost her pregnancy in captivity.

Speaking with Daily Trust soon after reuniting with her husband at the college premises, Fatima Ibrahim Shamaki said she was two months pregnant when she and other students were abducted from the college dormitories on March 11, 2021.

NPA debacle: Hadiza Bala-Usman faces panel over N165.3bn ‘unremitted’ funds
6 police officers killed in gun attacks in Rivers
She said she lost the pregnancy due to stress she and others endured in captivity.

Fatima, however, said the bandits never knew she was pregnant, though they constantly asked who among the female students was pregnant.

She said she hid her condition for fear that they may harm her.

“I was scared because anytime some of us say we are ill, they will imply that they will just ‘finish’ the person. So I felt knowing my condition, they may decide to harm me.”

“I relied on my fellow female students to help me during the period. We all helped one another even during the monthly cycle, we would tear out our wrappers to help one another,” she said.

Fatima who also lost her father, Ibrahim Shamaki, while in captivity, said she was so ill in the forest that she fainted three times.

She said sometimes, the bandits gave them drugs such as Buscopan to relieve stomach cramp.

Narrating their ordeal in the hands of their abductors, she said they trekked in deep forest for many hours, and had their locations changed about four times and were constantly tortured.

She, however, said none of the female students was sexually assaulted.

“While we were in the forest, we slept in the open; under trees and we saw a lot of monkeys and and hyenas, there were cattle too but they belonged to the bandits,” she said.

By Adejoke Adeleye, Abeokuta
Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have rescued 22 teenage girls who were lured away from Akwa Ibom State to Ogun for prostitution.

The command’s spokesman, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi in a statement on Saturday, said the police in an operation, coordinated by the Area Commander Ota, ACP Muhideen Obe, rescued the girls.

He said the police team, upon credible intelligence received, that minors were being recruited from other states and used as commercial sex workers at KOLAB hotel in Itele Ota, stormed the said brothel at about 8.00pm, where the 22 teenagers whose ages ranged between 10 and 14 were rescued.

On interrogation, the girls narrated how they were lured from their respective villages in Akwa Ibom State to Ogun, with the promise to employ them as sales girls in restaurants and supermarkets, only for them to get to Lagos and were transferred to a brothel in Ogun State as commercial sex workers.

They narrated further that, they were deprived of using phone or any communication devices, therefore, making it impossible for them to reach out to their parents or relations.

The manager of the brothel, Isaac Ogbaji, 33, and ten other male suspects were also arrested during the operation.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Awolowo Ajogun, has ordered that the family support unit of the Area Command, Ota should take over the investigation of the case, identify the recruiting cartel and bring them to justice as soon as possible.

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority has finally been served a letter, three days after news of her suspension broke in the media.

The news of Ms Usman’s suspension was first reported on Thursday evening, with the NPA MD saying she had not been communicated.

NPA Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman
Transportation Ministry’s officials first told PREMIUM TIMES late Friday that the official was served her letter on Friday afternoon through the NPA liaison office in Abuja.

When contacted Saturday, Ms Usman confirmed the letter was scanned to her by her agency’s Abuja office on Friday evening.

In the letter dated May 6, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Magdalene Ajani, wrote: “Consequent upon the approval of Mr President to constitute an Administrative Panel of Inquiry on the Management of Nigerian Ports Authority, I am to convey the approval of the Honourable Minister to request you to step aside as the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority.”

“In view of the above, you are required to hand over to Mohammad Koko (Executive Director, Finance & Accounts) with immediate effect.

“Please, accept the warm regards of the Honourable Minister.”

Mr Amaechi had written to President Buhari on March 4 saying the yearly remittances of operating surpluses by the NPA from 2016 to 2020 was “far short of the amount due for actual remittance.”

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi (PHOTO CREDIT: @ChibuikeAmaechi)
In the letter, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the minister said within the stipulated years, the NPA failed to remit N165 billion (N165, 320, 962, 697) to the nation’s Consolidated Revenue Fund. He thereafter suggested that the financial account of the NPA be audited.

Mr Buhari approved his request after which the Ministry of Transportation wrote to the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation on April 6 asking it to nominate a firm or grant the ministry approval to appoint one to audit the NPA.

Ten days later, April 16, the Auditor-General of the Federation, Adolphus Aghughu, notified the transportation ministry that two audit firms — Messrs Muhtari Dangana & Co (Chartered Accountants) and SIAO Chartered Accountants — appointed by the NPA board, already audited the maritime agency.

In the letter, the auditor-general added that the said audit firms had indeed audited and published the accounts of NPA in 2016, 2017, and 2018 financial years and that the 2019 audit was ongoing.

The Auditor-General added that his own office also conducted periodic checks on the agency and released appropriate reports on the exercises.

Quoting the NPA law and the Nigerian constitution, the Auditor-General concluded that since reputable professional audit firms were already engaged by the NPA Board in line with the agency’s enabling act, there was no justification for the ministry to conduct a parallel audit exercise.

But after the auditor-general opposed another probe of the finances of the agency, Mr Amaechi returned to Mr Buhari with another proposal.

In the May 5 letter, which sources said he personally took to the President, Mr Amaechi wrote as follows:

“Recall the series of memoranda and the attendant approvals which the management of NPA has refused to implement.”

“One of the memoranda included the insubordination of the management of NPA. The management of the parastatal and some financial expenditures would require a review.”


PRAYER

The Ministry, therefore, requests the President to approve the setting up of an Administrative Panel of Inquiry to be headed by the Director, Maritime Services, with the Deputy Director, Legal, as the Secretary. Other members will be appointed by the Minister.

That the Managing Director of NPA should step aside until the outcome of the panel has been submitted to the President.

That Mr Mohammed Koko be appointed in her stead.

That the secretariat of the Presidency be directed to convey this approval to the Minister for Transport, to carry out the directive pending when the office of the Chief of Staff to the President will convey the approval.”

Mr Buhari okayed the above requests by simply writing on Mr Amaechi’s memo: “Your above prayers 1,2,3 and 4 approved.”

Ms Usman has denied involvement in any financial impropriety at the agency. She also said the NPA did not under-remit revenues to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.

Former United States ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, says the Nigerian elite appear to agree that the country is currently on the precipice of total failure and are seeking radical options to save Nigeria from the looming disaster.

But Campbell, in a blog post entitled “Nigeria: Anxiety over deteriorating security morphing into panic”, claims the concerned leaders are yet to come to terms with a perfect approach or strategy to salvage the ship of state from imminent collapse.

Citing recent media comments by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, former Senate President Bukola Saraki and Senior Advocate of Nigeria Robert Clarke on the state of the nation, the ex-envoy said: “Something of a consensus among Nigerian elites seems to be forming that the country is in deep trouble and that radical options must be considered.”

Of note in his statement were Soyinka’s advice to President Muhammadu Buhari to seek outside assistance in dealing with the security challenge in the country, and Buhari’s meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during which the President asked that the headquarters of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) be moved from Stuttgart, Germany to Africa, “so that it would be closer to the fight against jihadism in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin.”

Continuing, he said: “Since AFRICOM’s establishment in 2007, Nigeria has generally opposed any permanent AFRICOM presence in Africa. Critics have alleged that AFRICOM is “neocolonialist.” Buhari’s request was a reversal of longstanding policy.

“Perhaps in direct response to Clarke’s televised remarks on May 4 — as well as Sen. Saraki and other critics—Acting Director of Defense Information Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu publicly stated that the military has no intention of taking power: ‘We shall continue to remain apolitical, subordinate to civil authority, firmly loyal to the president…and the 1999 constitution.’

“In the face of the deterioration of security, doom and gloom about the future of Nigeria is widespread in public discourse. Still, Clarke went further than most—and on national television. Buhari’s AFRICOM request is an indication of a willingness to consider hitherto unacceptable options.

“Twenty-two years after the military left power and civilian, ostensibly democratic federalism was restored, it is striking that the army felt it necessary to issue a denial of any intention to seize power.

“The bottom line is that while Clarke is an outlier, something of a consensus among Nigerian elites seems to be forming that the country is in deep trouble and that radical options must be considered. But no consensus exists about what state collapse would look like, what the way forward should be, and what “radical restructuring of the Nigerian state” would actually mean or how it could be achieved.

“For now, however, the outlook would seem to be continuing, perhaps accelerating instability and uncertainty.”

Only last Tuesday, the Presidency said it was in possession of “unimpeachable” evidence of plot by some past leaders working with foreigners to forcefully sack Buhari from office.

It said dire consequences await the brains behind the alleged plot.

“The Department of State Services (DSS) on Sunday alerted on sinister moves by misguided elements to wreak havoc on the government, sovereignty and corporate existence of the country,” Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina said in a statement.

He added: “Championed by some disgruntled religious and past political leaders, the intention is to eventually throw the country into a tailspin, which would compel a forceful and undemocratic change of leadership.

“Further unimpeachable evidence shows that these disruptive elements are now recruiting the leadership of some ethnic groups and politicians round the country, with the intention of convening some sort of conference where a vote of no confidence would be passed on the President, thus throwing the land into further turmoil.

“The agent provocateurs hope to achieve through artifice and sleight of hands what they failed to do through the ballot box in the 2019 elections.

“Nigerians have opted for democratic rule, and the only accepted way to change a democratically elected government is through elections, which hold at prescribed times in the country. Any other way is patently illegal, and even treasonable. Of course, such would attract the necessary consequences.”

By Mike Odiegwu,
Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has mocked his Kaduna counterpart, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, saying the insecurity in the latter’s state was a payback of the crisis he once plotted against Rivers.

The Governor spoke on Friday when Vice-President of Rotary Club of Port Harcourt, Rotarian Obiageli Ejezie, led other leaders of the association to the Government House, Port Harcourt.

A statement signed by Wike’s Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said the delegation was in Government House to confer on the Governor the “2019/2020 Good Governance Award” for his outstanding achievements in project execution in Rivers.


While accusing the Federal Government of instigating security crises in Rivers, Wike said Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by El-Rufai, visited the Presidency to demand the withdrawal of a Commissioner of Police from Rivers.

He said: “Now, in order to cause crisis in our state, they brought the CP they wanted. At the end of the day, God did not allow them to have their way.

“But see what is happening in his state now. When you are plotting evil against somebody, evil will visit you. And that is the problems Governor El-Rufai is facing today in Kaduna State.

“I remember when I came in 2015, when they were honouring one of their friends as a Minister on live television Channels, El-Rufai had the temerity to say that (my) election cannot stand in Rivers state and that they will kick me out.”

Wike accused the Federal Government controlled by the APC of dragging Nigeria fifty years backwards following its abysmal performance.

The Governor maintained that the APC mismanaged the opportunity Nigerians gave them to make a difference and deserve to be voted out in 2023.

The Governor told the delegation in 2015, APC convinced Nigerians they were going to offer better governance than the former President Goodluck Jonathan.


But he said: “There can’t be good governance without security and this is based on rule of law. All of us are living witnesses in 2015 when it was alleged that the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan, could not perform. So Nigeria needed a change. What has happened to the change? They have taken Nigeria back by 50 years.”

Wike wondered how long the Federal government would allow the needless killings and abduction of innocent Nigerians to continue.

He said it was no longer acceptable for Nigerians to wake up daily to such ugly news of killings because they expected the government to guarantee security.

He said: “Now, you wake up every morning, students are being kidnapped in so and so State University, people have been killed in so and so State. So, it has become a norm.

“Just wake up in the morning and the first thing you will see on the front page of dailies is 10 people have been kidnapped in Niger State; 20 have been killed in Zamfara State, 5 have been killed in Imo and this happens virtually every day. So, where are we heading to?”

The Rivers Governor said his administration was doing everything possible to secure life and property of all residents in the state.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Environment who was accused of attempted rape by a teenager in January has secretly resigned his appointment from government, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

Abiodun Abdul-Balogun has also coerced the family of the victims not to testify against him in court, an action that has stopped police and the state’s department of public prosecutions from proceeding with the matter, sources said.

The accused did not deny when our correspondent confronted him with our findings. He simply pleaded that the matter be laid to rest.

How it started

A 16-year old secondary school student, Barakat Melojuekun, accused Mr Abdul-Balogun, of attempting to rape her in his residence on December 31, 2020.

She alleged that the commissioner fondled her breasts while reciting incantations, apparently to scare her. She also said her screams forced Mr Abdul-Balogun to jump off her and offer her N2,000 to shut up.

Mr Abdul-Balogun had offered her a lift, lobbied to get her telephone number, and promised to get her a job as a computer operator. Rather than getting the job, she claimed she was molested.

The teenager said she reported the case to her parents who escalated it to the police.

As expected, the police on January 1, 2021, invited the commissioner to Abigi Police Station for interrogation.

During this period, the only defence Mr Abdul-Balogun pulled was that he was being set up by his political opponents.

The allegations against the commissioner elicited outrage on social media and many Nigerians called for his removal from office and prosecution.

Suspension from office

Hours after PREMIUM TIMES’ report, the Ogun State Government announced the suspension of Mr Abdul-Balogun as commissioner.

The government in a statement signed by Tokunbo Talabi, the secretary to the Ogun State Government, said the commissioner should vacate his office pending the conclusion of the police investigation into the matter.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that police and the government promised to inform the public of the investigation’s outcome but nothing has been said four months after.

After this newspaper’s report on refusal of police to make its findings known to the public, sources confided in our reporter that Mr Abdul-Balogun has since left the government.

A close associate of the commissioner who did not want his name mentioned said the commissioner resigned from office months after the allegations in order to bury his shame and has since coerced the victim’s family.

Coercion

Before now, our correspondent reported that Mr Abdul-Balogun threatened the family of the victim. This forced the victim, Miss Melojuekun, in a short video, to plead with Nigerians to allow the matter be laid to rest.

In her video, she did not retract the allegations but simply said: “you can recall that I was the young lady in the viral video about sexual harassment by the Commissioner for the Environment in Ogun State. I am using this opportunity to thank all meaningful Nigerians that showed their support and love towards this matter.

“…I now want to use this opportunity to appeal to meaningful Nigerians to please allow this matter to rest. Thanks”, she said then in a shaky voice.

This newspaper heard that the threat never stopped even after police completed their investigation and made its findings known to the Ogun State department of public prosecution for advice.

“He threatened the victim and her family. He even offered them money that I was aware of back then but I can’t say if the family accepted it or not. The refusal of the family has since stopped the police and government from prosecuting him,” a source in the state ministry of justice told our correspondent.

Also, sources within Governor Dapo Abiodun administration told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Abdul-Balogun resigned following the shame that followed his suspension.

“He could not defend himself against the allegations and the governor insisted that he was not going to reinstate him until he did. The commissioner had to resign.”

When our correspondent reached out to the victim, she maintained that her parents have asked her to allow the matter rest.

Police, govt quiet

Sources also confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that since Mr Abdul-Balogun resigned from government, the police and Ogun State ministry of justice have failed to take the matter further.

The institutions also decided to keep mum on the matter in order not to trigger public outrage.

This newspaper spoke with the state police public relations officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, on why the force refused to act but he put the blame on the department of public prosecutions.

“We have long completed our investigation and we have sent the commissioner’s case file to the DPP for advice. We have since been waiting for the DPP to respond.”

When PREMIUM TIMES pressed further on what the police found out in its investigation, Mr Oyeyemi simply said “I can’t disclose that except the DPP advice comes out. They are the ones that will tell us to either charge him to court or not. Police cannot tell you the outcome of their investigation so you have to reach the Attorney-General.”

Our correspondent also reached out to the Attorney-General, Akingbolahan Adeniran, who confirmed that the matter has been put on hold since the embattled commissioner resigned.

He said Mr Abdul-Balogun “has resigned his appointment. He is no longer a State Government official. The Police have indeed sent the case file including an affidavit from the victim that she is not willing to testify.

“We cannot prove the offence without the victim’s testimony and it is our policy in sexual violence cases not to compel victim testimony. We have not publicised this in order not to expose her to danger from fanatics and others,” he said in a text message to our correspondent.

Confronted with our findings, Mr Abdul-Balogun did not deny his resignation and allegations that he corced the victim and her family.

“What do you want? I don’t want to talk about this matter again. This is a matter I don’t want to talk about. It was political. Even our leaders in politics have their past. It is the price for political office.

“I’m not going to say anything again. I don’t want to comment further. Just do me that favour. I don’t have comment,” the embattled politician simply said.

An activist and lawyer, Ibukun Ajibade, condemned the state government and police for not keeping the public informed.

“Something is fishy. The matter seems to have been settled behind the door and criminal matters are not meant to be treated that way. Criminal matters are to be prosecuted because crime are not committed against individuals.

“It is not at the discretion of the victim to say she’s not prosecuting the case or would not testify. The court can compel someone to even testify but I agree that if the victim is not cooperating, the success of the suit will be shaky.

“I believe that the family have been coerced but if the state is serious with the matter, they can always take it further. The law is simply enacted in interest of the rich at the expense of the poor. It is not a family affair that should be settled on the basis of alternative dispute resolution or in a round table.”

By Victor Ogunje

The National Chairman of the South West Agenda for 2023 (SWAGA), Senator Dayo Adeyeye, has called on the National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Mai Mala Buni, to place Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi on the watchlist of suspected disloyal members.

Adeyeye said this in reaction to Tuesday’s suspension of the APC ward 8 chairman in Ado Ekiti Council area, Mr. Clement Afolabi, for allegedly coordinating for SWAGA in his ward.

SWAGA is a political pressure group within the APC, rooting for Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the party’s presidential candidate, come 2023 against Fayemi’s aspiration.

But the APC Director of Media and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Party Matters, Mr. Sam Oluwalana, exonerated the party at the state level and Fayemi of blame.

Oluwalana said the suspension slammed on Afolabi was undertaken at the ward level, which he said was vested with the power to try any erring member, adding that Fayemi and the APC at the state level never interfered in the crisis.

In a statement issued by SWAGA’s Media Manager, Mr. Gboyega Adeoye yesterday, Adeyeye described the political happenings in Ekiti State under the watch of Fayemi as “a theatre of the absurd by an evil intending vicious leader with mission to smash the eggs, kill the hen and put the entire poultry on fire.

“We think it is high time we began to get weary of some strange voices within. While we condemn the recent incisive and damaging statement of the Ekiti State governor on our party, we consider the save- face measure shoddily adopted in visiting undue punitive measure on Afolabi, who, purportedly, was showing support for the presidential choice of a top notch of the APC, a serious aberration.

“SWAGA is not unaware of the underground plots to frustrate the rising political profile of Tinubu in the South-west and indeed Nigeria, as the undisputable choice to bring stability into our fragile democracy and lift the nation economically.

“The ongoing attempt to plunder and decimate our party and then leave the carcass for us to contend with, is not hidden. This we shall resist for the efforts of the builders of this democracy and many other Nigerians, who have toiled in endurance and are waiting to reap the gains.

“While we condemn the lingering undemocratic approach of Fayemi to issues in recent times and insist on a call to order, we enjoin our party men and women across country, to feel free to identify with SWAGA. SWAGA is APC and APC is SWAGA. There is no way a member can commit anti-party offence for favouring the presidential choice of a party man,” Adeyeye said.

“Fayemi should remember that 33 aspirants contested to be governor with him in APC in 2018 among whom he emerged the party’s flag-bearer. All others returned as party members after the contest without a tag. So, this new development where the suspension of a caretaker chairman is being contemplated for allegedly supporting the choice of a leader in same party, is strange.”

Defending Fayemi and the party, Oluwalana added: “This was purely an internal crisis at the ward level. The APC is a party that respects the structures from the ward to national level. If you check your records, the former ward chairman was given a fair hearing, but he refused to make use of it.

“It was wrong and demeaning for Senators Dayo Adeyeye and Babafemi Ojudu, who are respectable members of our party to think that Governor Fayemi will descend so low to remove a ward chairman or do anything that will decimate our party.

“A member of House of Representatives , Hon Sola Fatoba, who is from Ado Ekiti and even our party at the state level have started wading into the matter and we expected the duo of Senators Adeyeye and Ojudu to toe the same path. They shouldn’t be stoking the crisis.”

Nigeria’s security chiefs are currently appearing before the Senate in plenary.

Their appearance is in response to an invitation by the Senate last week – over the security situation in the country.

The security chiefs include the Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru; Chief of Naval Staff, Awwal Gambo, and Chief of Air Staff, Isiaka Amao.

Also present are the Director Generals of the State Security Service, National Intelligence Agency, and the Defence Intelligence Agency as well as the Acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba.

They arrived at the Senate plenary at 11:16 a.m. in the company of other security officers.

The senators want the security chiefs to brief them on the security situation across the country.

The lawmakers had also resolved that the Senate leadership should meet with President Muhammdu Buhari, to seek ways of addressing the security challenges bedevilling the country.

Prior to Thursday’s meeting, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, appealed for understanding from his colleagues should the security chiefs request for a supplementary budget.

“We should be able to understand why we should consider and approve such request,” he told his colleagues on Tuesday.

Thursday’s meeting is being held behind closed doors.

Before the Senate went into an executive session, Mr Lawan commended the security agencies for their work in tackling insecurity in the country while he hoped that the debate will be fruitful.

He is expected to disclose their resolution afterwards.

After nearly two months in captivity, students abducted from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, regained freedom.

Daily Trust reported how 27 students of the 37 abducted from their school dormitories were freed on Wednesday.

Their captors had earlier released 10 of them, in two batches.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Sheik Ahmad Gumi played key roles in the negotiation.

But Daily Trust gathered that aside these prominent men, one other person who made the innocent students regain freedom is the father of one of the bandits.

According to reliable sources, the negotiation process suffered setbacks after a leader of the abductors, known as Buderu, reneged on his promise even after a N15 million ransom had been paid.

Daily Trust learnt that father of one Buhari, alias General, who is also a fierce bandit, had to be brought in.

Sources said the bandit’s father used his son to force Baderu to agree on the deal but Buderu insisted that even if no more money would be given to him, a relative of his arrested at Falgore Forest in Kano State, must be released.

The students were freed after the government agreed to release the arrested cattle rustler simply identified as Laulu.

Daily Trust gathered reliably that the release of the students was delayed even after payment of ransom last month...

27 Afaka students arrive Kaduna police command yesterday
27 Afaka students arrive Kaduna police command yesterday


By
Our Reporters
Thu May 06 2021

Fifty-five days after they were abducted from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, 27 students of the 37 abducted from their school dormitories have also regained freedom Wednesday.
Sources told Daily Trust that the students were received around Kidandan in Giwa Local Government Area of the state after a ransom of about N15 million was paid to the bandits and a convict was released.


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Daily Trust gathered reliably that the release of the students was delayed even after payment of ransom last month because the bandits insisted on the release of one of their own arrested by the police.

The identified bandit, whose name was given simply as Laulu, was moved to Kaduna from a police facility in Kano on Tuesday ahead of the prisoner swap.

The negotiations suffered setbacks after the abductor, known as Buderu, reneged on his promise even after payment of the agreed sum.

The Kano State Hisbah Board and the state Association of Event Centres have agreed to work together to stop immoral dances and related actions during weddings and naming ceremonies.

The two organisations said the intervention was necessary to save the youth from embracing acts inimical to societal growth and development.

Malam Lawan Ibrahim, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Hisbah Board, said in a statement issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Kano.

It said the two organisations agreed to work together when the Chairperson of the association, Hajiya Fatima Abdulsalam, visited the board.

They agreed that focus should be on immoral dances and related actions during weddings, naming ceremonies and similar events to save the youth from embracing acts inimical to societal growth and development.

The statement said that the Commander-General of the Hisbah board, Dr Harun Ibn-Sina, pledged to work with all events centres during and after the Eid-el-fitr, to sustain orderliness in the state.

He expressed satisfaction with the visit and urged all event centres to ensure there is order and discipline in their operations.

Despite condemnation from Nigerians, Hisbah group has continued its push for Islamic agenda in the North.

The agency established to enforce Sharia law in some states in the region recently banned stylish haircuts, sagging of trousers, playing of music at social events by disk jockeys and tricycle riders from adorning their vehicles with pictures considered to be obscene and against the tenents of Islam.

This was in addition to other unusual directives reeled out by the Islamic police.

Hisbah recently made headlines for arresting a barber and his customers for allegedly over haircuts said to be offensive to Islam in Kano.

The unit is also known for arresting people for improper dressing and destroying truckloads of alcoholic drinks.

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun has again evicted 137 northerners from the state forest reserve.

Those evicted were occupying the Elegbeka forest reserve along Ifon-Owo Road.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had in February ordered herdsmen to vacate the state’s forest reserves within seven days.

Apart from ejecting the herdsmen, the governor also banned underage grazing, night grazing, and movement of cattle within the cities and highways.

Speaking with journalists in Akure, the state commander of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye described herdsmen’s continued occupation of the forest reserves as a security threat to the state.

Adeleye said all the illegal forest occupants would be escorted out of the state to wherever they came from.

He said, “We got an Intelligence report that very many people bombarded (forests at) Elegbeka–Ifon area in the state.

“We moved in and questioned the majority of them and they said they were from the northern part of the country. We asked for their mission, they were not able to give us a clear-cut (explanation) of what they were here for.

“We brought some of them (to Akure) and their sponsors here to the headquarters (of Amotekun) for proper investigation. We profiled them and found out that they were conniving with some persons in Ose to be given space for settlement in the government’s forest reserve which makes them illegal occupants in the forest reserve.”

The chairman said, “We are sending them back to where they claimed they came from.”

This comes a few days after the government evacuated 42 suspected invaders, who were arrested by Amotekun at Okitipupa, the headquarters of Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state.

The suspected invaders who hailed from Kano and Jigawa states claimed that they were invited to the state by an agent who will engage them as security guards to monitor and guide pipelines in the state.

Systemic corruption and unfair practices have been uncovered in the pension scheme for civil servants in Nigeria.

The system leaves some elderly people who have retired from the civil service sick and penniless, while government workers in pension departments solicit bribes before paying out pensions to retirees.

It also features people being declared ‘dead’ arbitrarily and having to prove they are alive before their names are reinstated on the payroll of pensioners.

These revelations, which came in the latest investigation by BBC Africa Eye, also showed that in the midst of the rot and penury associated with civil service pensions, politicians are being offered outrageous retirement packages.

New Telegraph gathered that the five month investigation began when Africa Eye was approached by Obaji Akpet – a reporter and producer from Cross River State,

Southern Nigeria, with a complaint that that his mother, a nurse, was denied her retirement benefits for several months until she was compelled to offer bribes to officials at the pension office.

According to the report, when she retired and was looking forward to receiving her benefits, she was asked to pay cash directly to an official working in the pension department before they would pay out her pension.

Via a hidden camera, Obaji filmed a civil servant accepting money, and suggesting senior managers in the department also needed to be paid before the pension paperwork would go through.

Despite these payments being made, Obaji’s mother’s pension didn’t arrive until for five months later, a delay that caused her extreme financial problems and left her feeling like she was “in hell fire” and “no more a human being.”

Africa Eye also uncovered a list of over a thousand people in Cross River State whose pensions had been stopped because the state had decided they were no longer alive. Many on the list spent months trying to prove they were alive, often travelling long distances to the state capital,

Calabar. And this doesn’t just happen in Cross River State, but is replicated in states throughout the country. Africa Eye heard firsthand testimonies about the extreme hardship caused by being arbitrarily declared ‘dead’, and trying to survive without a pension.

One man told the investigation he had travelled to the capital five times to prove he was alive and sometimes stayed there for up to two weeks, with no resources.

“At times, we sleep outside while the rain is falling, that is why I’m sick until now and my body is not like before”, he says. Others said that once they arrived at the pension office, they were subjected to treatment they describe as ‘dehumanising’.

Ekpenyong Ewa was declared dead and when her pension was stopped, after months of writing letters, visiting the offices and begging for it to be sorted out, she took an active part in a public sit-in outside the Auditor General’s office. She said she was then intimidated into making an apology, which was filmed and put on the internet to further humiliate her.

‘Ghost Pensioners’, a term used to describe people who don’t exist but are somehow ‘receiving’ pension payments, are a real problem in Nigeria and according to Jerry Uwah, a finance journalist, sometimes there are more fake pensioners than real ones on the pension books of a state.

But creating fake or ghost pensioners is not something ordinary people can do, he says: “The people at the top, they will pay those ghost pensioners immediately and the money goes in their pockets. It’s not something that a clerk can do because it would be discovered.”

At the other end of the scale, we found politicians awarding themselves huge pensions and additional perks and, in some cases, trying to change the law to give themselves even more. As one politician told us.

“What a typical state governor takes home as pension can settle the wages of over 3-4000 teachers. Why should the state dedicate such sort of money to former governors?”

Kolawole Oluwadare, the Deputy Director of SERAP, an organisation that advocates for more transparency in government, says “technology should be available to identify pensioners.”

He has been trying to find out through the courts exactly how much retired politicians receive.

The Federal Government set up a Pension Reform Taskforce in 2003 to address the complaints arising from the old pension system and evolve the new Contributory Pension Scheme. By 2015, the chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force was accused of laundering N2.3 billion from pension funds for which he is currently on trial.

The government has alleged that members of the Pension Reform Taskforce opened fake accounts and were using them to launder money that was stolen from pension funds.

Despite the president’s assurances to pensioners that the system will be sorted, Africa Eye found a pension system still hampered by corruption, causing devastation in the lives of elderly and vulnerable Nigerians while allowing the rich to retire even richer.