*CUPP AND A CASE OF MEDICAL FITNESS*

Election campaign seasons always come with lots of animated drama, and sometimes pure comedy. How else would a sane adult mind conjure some things like this latest ridiculously desperate action by none other than the notorious CUPP, a coalition with no sensible bearing? By asking that President Buhari be declared medically unfit to seek re-election, they have only shown how shallow their thinking is, which comes as no surprise.

When a rag-tag army of disgruntled elements seeking a shred of relevance where there can never be none, decide to continue disturbing the peace of a country, we can only give them a passing glance because they are merely exercising their freedom of speech. Whether this expression makes any logical meaning is a whole different ball game.

Some lawsuits are clearly dead on arrival right from where the idea was finalized, so it will definitely come as no surprise when this gets thrown out for lack of any merit and is adjudged a total waste of the time of any competent law court in the land. If this was from the Nigerian Medical Association, one might even be tempted take the claims by CUPP seriously, but the comedy is unending as Imo Ugochinyere seems hell bent on providing comic relief in the days leading up to the presidential elections on February 16, 2019.

Simple ethics of Doctor-Patient confidentiality will negate this move seeking an order from the court directing Buhari to make public the result of his medical examination. Even a student doctor knows that much about the medical profession.

Only a criminal investigation can override some professional principles. This wishy washy lawsuit is none other than a national distraction along the lines of overly hashed rumours a la “Jubrin/Jibril from Sudan”.

He who brings a case before the court where there is obviously none, should be ready to bear the burden of proof that lies on him. Ugochinyere and his CUPP eagerly seek their 15 minutes of fame, no matter how ingloriously and from anywhere they can try to scratch it up, so we are truly not surprised at this episode which only amounts to the barking of a toothless bulldog puppy.

The president and his campaign entourage would do well to pay them no mind for as the saying goes, the dog barks but the caravan moves on.

ATIKU ABUBAKAR: IMPUNITY PERSONIFIED
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a trained health inspection officer who worked for the Nigerian Customs Service and as the Vice President of Nigeria, is seen by many as an irredeemably corrupt person who many see as corruption personified for the following reasons:

* He bought the PDP ticket to be its Presidential candidate in Port Harcourt by inducing each of the delegates that voted for him $5, 000;
* Making false claim of employing 100, 000 workers in his businesses;
* As PDP Vice President he implemented the instruction of his boss and orchestrated the kidnapping and detention of the Governor of Anambra state, Dr. Ngige;
* He conspired with his boss, President Obasanjo to illegally withheld FAAC allocation for Lagos States’ Local Government Areas;
* They rigged out AD Governors in the South West in 2003 by deploying subterfuge and criminal force;
* He played leading roles in the Halliburton scandal, the Siemens fraud, the Malabu Oil field criminal deal for which he was indicted;
* His money laundering case and indictment in the United States of America has been so thoroughly documented that, it will remain indelible forever;
* His role in handing over public assets built by patriotic Nigerians over the years to his friends for a token is proof of his lack of patriotism;
* Atiku Abubakar promised to enrich his friends by selling-off the family silver to them cheaply should he become the President of Nigeria;
* Atiku’s letter to foreign countries to fight the Buhari Administration on the CJN case exposes his status as a quisling of the West and an unpatriotic man who wants see his country ruined by others;
* Atiku on National Television bragged about how he stopped a former Governor of Anambra State, Chinwoke Mbadinuju from getting his second term.

Thursday, January 31, 2019

PRESS STATEMENT BY APC PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN COUNCIL

THE FICTIONS, THE LIES AND THE FACTS IN ATIKU/OBI’S CLAIMS IN THE TV SHOW CALLED ‘THE CANDIDATES’.

Yesterday, Nigerians watched with shock and dismay the barefaced lies and outright dishonest claims of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi in the television show tagged ‘The Candidates’.

Let us tell Nigerians some of the lies they told in that programme, which some simple fact-checks would easily expose.

Lie Number 1:

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar claimed that at handover in May 2019, our GDP growth rate was 6%.

Fact Checked Truth: It is a well-documented fact that at handover, the GDP growth rate was 2.35%. The economy was on a free fall as the GDP growth rate had dropped for three consecutive quarters.

Lie Number 2:

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar claims recession was caused by the APC Government.

Fact Checked Truth: With a consistent and rapid drop of our GDP, their Coordinating Minister of the Economy at that time, Okonjo Iweala, former Central Bank Governor Prof. Charles Soludo and the Central Bank Governor at the time, now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, warned the PDP Government and Nigerians that we were headed for a recession.

Lie Number 3:

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar claimed that security challenges were restricted to the North East during their time.

Truth: Nigerians will recall that the Boko Haram activities had spread all over the North East, North West and North Central. For instance, the UN Headquarters, Police Headquarters, a Bus stop in Nyanya, a prominent Plaza in Wuse II were all bombed during the era of the last govt. A church or Mosque was bombed every week in 2013/2014. The herders-farmers’ clashes were the deadliest in 2014, claiming over 1,300 lives in a short period across the North. Boko Haram occupied over 17 Local Government Areas and hoisted their flags, effectively establishing a caliphate in the North East. All these happened before the coming of this administration.

Lie Number 4:

Peter Obi claimed that out-of-school children grew to 13.5 million under this administration .

Truth: The figure of 13.2 million out-of-school children was a 2015 survey by UNICEF. An alarm was raised by several global bodies then because the figure had grown from 10.5 million in 2010 to 13.2 million in 2015, despite record earnings of the Government at that time. In other words, Peter Obi’s claim is self-indicting.

Lie Number 5:

That Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as a Customs officer, said there was nothing wrong at that time with setting up a company that had dealings in the Ports that were under Customs’ supervision.

Truth: The Code of Conduct for Public Officers was first enshrined in the 1979 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Atiku Abubakar co-founded the company, as a serving Customs officer, three years after the 1979 Constitution came into operation. According to Section 1 of the 5th Schedule to the 1979 Constitution, a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities. By establishing a company involved in Port-related business at a time when he was an officer in the Nigeria Customs Service charged with managing the Ports, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar definitely put himself in a position where his personal (business) interest conflicted with his duties as a public officer.

Lie Number 6:

Peter Obi claims Nigeria has record poverty now.

Truth: Despite high oil revenue, according to the World Bank, extreme poverty under PDP grew to 112 million in 2013 through 2014, compared to 86 million today. India pulled their citizens out of poverty for over two decades by using the same methods Nigeria is now using today.

In summary one would have thought that in the course of the programme, ‘The Candidates’, Atiku/Obi would have modified the lies they told earlier in their campaigns and make it consistent with reality as most of them were already fact-checked by independent bodies and proven to be lies. Alas they have continued on the same path, believing that ‘If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed’.

The Summary of their Presentations:

First and foremost, Nigerians should take note that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar defined Corruption as "the use of your privileged position to either enrich yourself or enrich your relatives or even your friends". When this is juxtaposed with his earlier statement in Lagos, that he will enrich his friends if he becomes President, we can safely conclude that he will be fully in the business of corruption if he becomes President.

Secondly, Atiku/Obi made it clear to Nigerians that conflict of interests as a public servant should be the norm as, during their tenures, they found absolutely nothing wrong then and today, with investing public funds in enterprises they own or their families own. For instance, Kadaria ran Peter Obi into a ditch when she asked him if his family was not enriched as a result of using public funds for his family business ‘NEXT’.

Thirdly, their claim on experience in running anything public or private cannot stand any act of scrutiny. The Presidential candidate, who is easily a major contributor to our huge unemployment problem today as a result of his corrupt privatisation programme, counts this failure as a huge experience and wants to repeat same if elected.

Finally, their proposed Agriculture Programme which they claim to have put together to lift majority of the people out of poverty is a version of what is already being implemented by the present government under the Anchors Borrowers Programme and the Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programmes.

After watching Atiku/Obi on that programme, it has become clear to all Nigerians that our public institutions and commonwealth would be in grave danger if left in the hands of these dodgy and questionable characters who have no morals and no scruples about using and misusing public funds for private gains.

Thank you.

FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, FCIArb (UK)

Director, Strategic Communications,

APC Presidential Campaign Council,

(Official Spokesperson).

*Deji of Akure endorses “Progressives” Buhari and Osinbajo for second term*

Like a snow ball rolling downhill, the number of endorsements being heaped on the President and his Vice, Prof. Osinbajo, as he goes about on his door to door campaign is growing exponentially.

On Wednesday, 30 January 2019, the supreme traditional ruler of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi gave his own endorsement to the candidates from the ruling party.

The Deji of Akure endorsed the duo when Vice President Osinbajo paid him a courtesy call at his palace in Akure, the capital of Ondo state accompanied by the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu.

In his speech, the Oba, while speaking to the Vice President’s entourage and his subjects present said “Everybody likes to be in a progressive place. Anyone who wants to be a progressive, hands up please. Vote for the people, we are all in the same boat.

“Look at how he (VP Osinbajo) is carrying out his door-to-door campaign. He doesn’t say we know we are going to win, even though by a big ratio but he doesn’t take his campaign for granted”.

“He is still going from door-to-door to tell the people what they will do. They want to tell the people their manifesto, to tell them that their government will do better. Yesterday the Afenifere endorsed them and Afenifere is the leader of Yorubas, so Akure should follow suit to.”

Afterwards the vice president continued his unique Family Chat, visiting the home of Florence Aladetoyinbo. He will make other stops in Ondo as he continues to interact with the people from one location to the next.

On Tuesday, Afenifere, the highest-ranking pan Yoruba group, endorsed the incumbent duo who are seeking re-election for their second term on the platform of the All Progressive Congress.

This was followed by that of Owa of Idanre, Oba Frederick Aroloye, Arubiefin III who proclaimed the second term bid was secured as the people of Idanre would be voting massively for the incumbent President and Vice President. He was quoted as saying “Go and write it down, you have won.”

*Osinbajo's Unique Style of Campaigning*

It is perhaps the biggest day of their lives, the anxiety and nervousness have reached pitch fever levels, they can’t believe it, they will be hosting Nigeria’s number two man in their ‘Face Me – I Face You’ (one-bedroom) apartment.

It is their shot at stardom but something keeps telling them that the VP won’t come, its never happened before in Nigeria history that the Vice President will visit a citizen who lives in the rural area but to their amazement Vice President Yemi Osinbajo showed up.

The whole street was agog with shouts and excitement, the VP was in their ‘hood’ and he’s shaking hands and acknowledging cheers, he’s even stopping to have a chat or two with their neighbours in Ijesha, Osun State as he visited the family of Alhaji Jimoh.

Unprecedented? This is beyond that, this is breathtaking. This is a man doing what he loves to do for his country and its people. This is a man that sees no social or political barriers, in short, this is a man that has redefined our political space forever.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is connecting with people like never before, this is a trait he is known for, right from the days when he was not yet VP. He finds door-to-door campaign interesting and it is seen to be more effective in reaching out to the people, who directly communicate with him, be it the ‘Molue’ or the fast food restaurant.

Prof Osinbajo is always on the move to improve direct communication between government and the people, over the years it has become his signature style. Now members of the opposition are embracing this same style by embarking on door-to-door campaigns but its obvious that they have no connection, no chemistry, they simply just do it for the cameras.

Nigerians know that Prof Osinbajo has their best interests at heart. With him, there are no Ghana-Must-Go Bags, no rice or ankara just genuine love for Nigeria and Nigerians.

Globally, Prof Yemi Osinbajo is seen as a man of the people, always spreading happiness and love. He is not your regular African politician, who distance themselves from the people on the streets, his humanity transcends like a million stars. Little wonder the people have nicknamed him ‘The Starboy’ because they see him as one of their own guiding them towards to the next level.

Amina Ahmed, Osogbo, Osun State

*Is Russian meddling on the cards in Nigeria’s 2019 election?*

*By Bernard Oluwole/New Jersey*

The 2016 election in the United States opened my eyes to collusion and by collusion, I mean the ‘Russian Collusion’ that has led Special Counsellor Robert Mueller on an investigation. As an African American I’m seeing similar signs unravel in Nigeria and I think a collusion might on the cards.

That Atiku Abubakar, one of the presidential candidates, share the same lobbyist as President Donald Trump should be worrying to Nigerians but more disturbing is the fact that the same night that Abubakar slept at the Trump Hotel, Vice President Mike Pence was at the hotel.

That was not a coincidence in my books, it was well orchestrated by Brian Ballard, a well-known lobbyist and a long-standing Trump ally, there the collusion must have been agreed.

Fast forward to last week, the President of Nigeria for some reasons suspended the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the reaction of Abubakar and his party was startling. They decided to suspend their campaign. Who does that? Is the CJN a member of their party?

No, it only goes to show that he has been assured that even if he doesn’t campaign, he will win the election. You’re probably wondering, why I said that, the statement of the UK, US and EU after the suspension pointed to a collusion.

Following the official statements released by the US, UK and EU on the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who has immediately been replaced by an acting CJN, one begins to see an all too familiar pattern.
The sovereignty of the Nigerian state is sacrosanct; hence this gang-up is not being convened in the best interest of Nigeria.

We are still watching the daily revelations coming out from the probe of Russian meddling and collusion in the US Presidential Elections of 2016 which produced Donald Trump as US President. For our ‘friends’ in the US, UK and EU, their stance clearly amounts to crying more than the bereaved.
They would not condone such infractions from their own judges, so it is baffling how they want to advise Nigeria to do the same.

Senior justices have been suspended and tried in American and British courts, but we never heard their outcry, why is it that Nigeria has suddenly become their favorite now that Onnoghen got suspended?

We know that Atiku desperately lobbied to get into the US using a PR firm that is loyal to Trump, so the swift alignment of the Trump administration that is mouthing the same words as the PDP is not surprising, millions of dollars are doing the talking here.

The UK government also tried its best to ensure safe passage to Atiku from UK to US but could not succeed until Ballard Partners were signed up to do the job. America should first take care of her domestic problems arising from the ongoing US government shutdown, before trying to pontificate on Nigerian matters. It would do well for the UK and EU to realize that the colonial era is long gone, and Nigeria is an independent nation. We need not cross any lines here.

This trend of events portrays a grand plan of interference and meddling in Nigerian affairs in order to effect a clandestine change of government by any means necessary.

Only the real voters of Nigeria have the right to decide who wins on February 16 and will get sworn in to occupy Aso Villa as from May 29, 2019.

*Bernard Oluwole is a political commentator and social activist*

"Your CJN comment is sheer hypocrisy" -BMO chides US,UK,EU

US, UK and the European Union are not in a position to recommend to Nigeria what is not acceptable in their countries nor in other advanced democracies, and if they cannot help the country in the fight against corruption, they should not worsen the situation with insidious comments.

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) said, in reaction to a coordinated statement by the trio on the suspension of Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen, that their position smacks of hypocrisy of the worst order.

In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, BMO said the advanced democracies cannot in one breadth claim to support Nigeria’s fight against corruption and in another criticise bold steps taken in the course of the fight.

it said: “Do they want us to remain ‘fantastically corrupt’, to borrow the offensive and odious words of former British Prime Minister David Cameron, or do they want us to move against those who are giving the country a bad reputation within the ambits of Nigerian laws?

“There is nowhere in the world where the head of a country’s judiciary would be found to have committed an offence like that of Justice Onnoghen and the government would look elsewhere.

“Just like the Presidency said in its clarification on the matter, the suspended CJN was not only found to have operated several secret domiciliary accounts with unexplained amount of money which he admitted in writing but claimed to have forgotten to declare ownership of the accounts.

“Investigators also found multiple deposits of US $10,000 in some of those accounts on the same day which Justice Onnoghen has no plausible explanation for.

“This is clearly an offence under any jurisdiction, especially in advanced democracies like in the EU and the United States and there is no way the authorities in these countries would not have taken the type of action our President took.

“We are aware that, in the US, a West Virginia Supreme Court Judge Allen Loughry was suspended in June 2018 over allegations that he lied as well as used his public office for personal gains.

“India, Kenya and Malaysia are also known to have suspended Judges found to have been involved in bribery and other acts of corruption without any of these governments as much as batting an eyelid in reaction”.
BMO added that inspite of the evidence at his disposal, President Buhari did not immediately move against Justice Onnoghen until he received a valid order issued by the Code of Conduct Tribunal which is constitutionally empowered to try public officers who violate provisions of the Code of Conduct Bureau on asset declaration.

It said: “What the US and the others may not have realised is that the suspended CJN had built a hedge around himself to frustrate his trial, including the indefinite postponement of the meeting of the National Judicial Council (NJC) ostensibly to avert any consideration of the matter.

“Coming at a time Nigeria is battling to shed the toga of corruption, these countries that pressurised us to set up anti-graft agencies about twenty years ago should be hailing the President’s move rather than reading subterranean meanings to it.

“We believe that it would be careless of President Buhari not to have acted on the information at his disposal, as well as a valid court order, on a tainted Chief Justice”.

As for suggestions that the suspension of Justice Onnoghen may have some negative effects on the forthcoming election, BMO said nothing could be more preposterous.

“There is nowhere in Nigeria’s electoral laws that links the suspended CJN or any of his colleagues to the forthcoming general election or the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headed by Professor Mahmud Yakubu.

“He also has no direct link to the electoral process or any of the activities leading up to the election and would only be involved alongside the Supreme Court as the final arbiter in a Presidential election dispute”, it said

WHEN CROOKS ARE ANGRY WE UNDERSTAND!

By Sharon Faliya Cham

THE CASE BETWEEN THE PDP AND CHIEF JUSTICE(?) WALTER ONNOGHEN:

The way and manner the entire coalition of thieves and crooks in Nigeria led by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) blew their cool and even went off the rails in rabid anger over the timely and legitimate exposure of the suspicion of corruption surrounding the declaration of the assets of Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen is understandable. It is understandable, especially if you have not forgotten the morbid, pungent, unpalatable history of the PDP and their satellite groups and personalities who look upon the rogue party as a source of inspiration for their vainness, fickleness and fecklessness!

Looking at the comical noises, rants and even threats coming from the gangsters that rule over the PDP over the Justice(?) Walter Onnoghen assets affair, you could be forgiven if you think the charge or accusation of false declaration of assets against a man who heads the country's judicial arm of government is a moral virtue worthy of honour and emulation. As a matter of fact, the sons and daughters of these PDP 'thieftains' listening to them or reading about how their fathers and mothers are fuming with rage and even frothing in their mouths in opposition to the noble quest for the Chief Justice of Nigeria to come clean on his suspicious assets could think that it is a badge of honour for a public official to deceive the government and the public by falsely declaring their assets!

Well, but to we Nigerians who know and understand the gut-wrenching history of the PDP, especially their well documented story of how they plundered and stagnated the growth and prosperity of this country, we know that they will try anything ignoble to jump themselves back to power to continue from where they stopped in their looting enterprise. And that's how the story got out from certain credible sources that the petition to the Code of Conduct Tribunal against Justice(?) Walter Onnoghen was actually a checkmate on the PDP camorra's plan against the man!

Unknown to most Nigerians, the PDP camorra has done an extensive investigation on Justice(?) Onnoghen and discovered that he has such infractions concerning his assets. They confronted him with documented facts in their possession, and then tabled their offer and demands with the threat that failure to accede to their demands will be tantamount to having the facts in their possession published on social media and other media outlets. He balked, just like every other person without integrity will.

There the PDP camorra got their mouthwatering deal that the 2019 elections tribunals will be set up in their favour, especially the presidential election tribunal alongside other key National Assembly seats they are not sure of winning. The ultimate promise was that if the presidential election case comes up to the Supreme Court, Justice(?) Walter Onnoghen will lead other justices of the court to outrightly overturn the election results and award victory to the PDP on technicalities and nothing else will be done since it is the highest court of the land with the last ruling over any matter!

There you are. That's PDP's kind of democracy, and that's how they have been practising it since 2003 till 2011, for we already know that the global and domestic forces that were arrayed against them in 2015 made it surely impossible for them to perpetrate their warped version of democracy. And that is why it is always strange ,comical and equally annoying when you hear them screaming that democracy is being threatened whenever a high profile crook is being brought to book. Their warped version of democracy is, thieves and all manner of crooks occupying or have occupied high positions in government should not be called to account over anything. Remember how they even said the search on Atiku Abubakar's private jet was a threat to democracy?

Just in case you don't know, it is worthwhile to now know that the PDP camorra have done all their research and permutations regarding the 2019 elections and realized that they will not win, and one of their famed Dubai strategies was the use of clandestine investigations and blackmails over key personnel that are vital in the entire electoral process in order to get victory through the back door. Their reckoning was, if hacking and fake news cannot give them victory, then blackmail could. Hence the Walter Onnoghen affair that has now gone sour, which explains their bitter anger and threats to the corporate existence of the country using Niger Delta terrorists!

Well, unknown to them, a timely leak of their plot that necessitated the petition to the Code of Conduct Tribunal blew their whole agenda apart. Now that the secret they have over this fickle and feckless Chief Justice has been made public, their hold over him has become as useless as the uncompleted headquarters of the PDP. They cannot blackmail him again since everybody now knows he has criminally deceived the government and the public. The only struggles this fickle and feckless Judge has now are the struggle between himself and his conscience, and the struggle between himself and the Nigerian public. He has lost all credibility and honour. If he does not resign honourably, every judicial pronouncement that comes from his mouth will be scrutinized with more suspicion than a jealous wife scrutinizes her husband's shirts and pockets for traces of lipsticks, female perfumes and condoms!

What is yet to be known is how long they may have been blackmailing this fickle and feckless Chief Justice, considering the suspicious manner in which the Supreme Court under the leadership of this fickle and feckless Judge threw out the fraudulent assets declaration case of Senator Bukola Saraki who is now the Director General of the Alhaji Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign!

Nigerians should recall a PREMIUM TIMES investigative report last year about how the corrupt leadership of the National Assembly were blackmailing the Minister of Finance (at that time) Mrs Kemi Adeosun, and were extorting her of billions of naira. They knew she had a fake NYSC certificate and were using the knowledge of that fact to loot the government through her office. She only got her freedom from those buccaneers after the same PREMIUM TIMES exposed her forged NYSC certificate and she left her office. Now, with the Walter Onnoghen affair, nobody knows how many other top people this PDP camorra is blackmailing but let it be known that as hardened criminals, they will continue to play rough! We have to be rougher and tougher. And it will not be out of place for Nigerians to now demand that all the judgments made by the Supreme Court under the leadership of this fickle and feckless Judge be subjected to judicial reviews. Who knows, perhaps certain rulings may have been tweaked through blackmails.

Now you know why they are so mad that Justice(?) Walter Onnoghen has been exposed.

BUHARI AND THE ANTICS OF OPPOSITION ELEMENTS

The script is being acted in sequence and sustained by different actors- the general plot is to get President Muhammadu Buhari out of office. The plot started with the Shiite's daring masochism with the Nigerian Army, followed by the IPOB imbroglio and then the daring affront from the Niger Delta Avengers. While these flashlights of attrition were going on, the echoes of restructuring reverberated with cacophonous lightening. Almost every opinion moulders woke up with the singsong of restructuring. With Buhari in power, the country needed to be restructured, they fumed. Just as this sponsored dummy was fizzling to a vain crescendo, another antic surfaced, this time a purported fight between Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and President Muhammadu Buhari- it took Asiwaju's blanket salvo to end the rumoured bad blood.

With the above-mentioned antics not getting the desired lethal effect, they found solace in the begging and itchy fingers of online columnists who were cheaply bought to write in venom. Overnight, teachers of grammar became bashers of PMB. The stranded professors got willing companions in other disgruntled elements.

With series of failed onslaught, the sponsors of destabilization lured some ferry pastors and Islamic preachers to incite and pour venom on the Nigerian state. Just when Christians and Muslims came close to rising up against themselves, they suddenly realized that it's foolish for brothers to fight against themselves. Shamed were the belligerent shamed as common sense prevailed over bigotry.

Then came the tool of mobilization against the state is the use of musical artistes. And they got hold of innocent Tuface Idibia whose innocence was vulnerably exploited. While Audu Maikori was crying genocide, Tuface was crying hardship. What a coincidental advocacy at the same time?

Tragically, surfaced another dangerous dimension to the onslaught, the narrative of gunmen and the politicization of the senseless herdsmen killings in Benue state. Instead of looking for solutions for this pogrom, the altar became centres of agitation. The cry of annihilation pervaded the air, shout of islamization raid the air and then come the verdict of the man next to God- Olusegun Obasanjo. After this, another script surfaced and as usual, it kissed the dust, as Nigerians gave no hoot to the mischief of the egoistic man. The can of mischief is loaded and inexhaustible but while they plan, they left out the master planner who watches in majesty the infantile treachery of mortals.

The stunts continue to fail, as the mischief planners continue to unleash their antics, from nowhere, Buhari of Nigeria became Jibrin of Sudan as they argued and swore to high heavens that the president died in London and was cloned and imported home by the cabal. Even highly educated folks bought this balderdash as they supported their claims with all shades of defences. When this failed, they hatched a new song, this time, the man was no longer in charge of the Nigerian situation but mercilessly controlled by the cabals. Who are the cabal and what have the cabals influenced that has affected national development? The man asked and still begging for answers that aren’t forthcoming.

The latest and the last of the oppositions’ antics are the vituperations of the former generals. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is ranting and writing letters, Chief Theophilus Danjuma is inciting people against the president and the other old guards are mobilizing against Buhari while the masses that are the beneficiaries of Buhari's policies are doing everything to have him re-elected. And Nigerians are saying ‘Never again shall we be dictated to by the grips of those who say they are the landlords of Nigeria.

This is a chronicle of the antics used thus far by the agent of destabilization. You can choose to see sense in them or see the rubbish in them but as usual, I chose to always write from the prism of common sense.

Traducelly musing
Abdullahi O.Haruna Haruspice

*Wednesday, January 23, 2019*

*PRESS RELEASED BY APC WOMEN AND YOUTH PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN TEAM (WYPCaT)*


*ON*


*ATIKU ABUBAKAR’S VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES AND THE BURDEN OF CORRUPTION*


There has been a challenge for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar which had been insurmountable for the last 12 years until a few days ago: It was thought to be nigh impossible for him to have accomplished that with the allegations of corruption against his person in the United States which had even led to the incarceration of one of his associates Congressman William Jefferson from Louisiana who Atiku had demanded a bribe of $500,000 from according to the United States FBI, and civil charges settled by a German company Siemens AG. Nigerians, and indeed, the world, were caught agape at how he was able to get through with the stunt considering the bipartisan 328-page report (KEEPING CORRUPTION OUT OF THE UNITED STATES: FOUR CASE HISTORIES) by the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in conjunction with Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs based on the hearing of February 4th, 2010 which indicted Atiku Abubakar with his fourth wife Jennifer Douglas. The report is still on the website of the United States Senate (www.hsgac.senate.gov) where a search of Atiku’s name (Atiku Abubakar) on the webpage brings up all links with the Atiku case files –what the US Senate has about him.


The US Senate has not had a sitting to review and rescind its stand and resolution on the case of Atiku Abubakar yet, and to exonerate others who had been charged and/or convicted in relation to the Atiku case; refund monies paid as fine to the Government of the US, and to finally take the record off its webpage. This is implicative of the fact that Atiku still has a case of corruption upon his person and character in the US as revealed by the US Senate Report (cited above). The non-apprehension of Atiku in the United States can be attributed to the following reasons:


1. From available information, Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is also the Director General of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation engaged the services of an influential lobbyist with the Trump Administration, Brian D. Ballard of Ballard Partners, Inc., on September 21, 2018, to secure entry for Atiku Abubakar into the US. In an article titled ‘What does a $1.1 million lobbying contract buy in Trump’s Washington?’ by Ludd Legum (journalist and former Research Director of Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign) on his newsletter page: Popular Information, revealed that the lobbyists got paid $1.1 million on a monthly pay $90,000 on quarterly basis which does not include registration and travel expenses. He also revealed in the article that the contract (part of Duties of The Firm reads: 'It shall be the Firm's duty to consult with the Client and advocate on its behalf those issues the Client deems necessary and appropriate before the US Federal government. Issues and objectives may include, but not limited to, enhancement of US-Nigeria relations, strengthening and advancing democratic values and the rule of law in Nigeria, with the special focus in the coming months on maintaining political and security conditions free of intimidation and interference in order to ensure the success and fairness of Nigeria's national election for president in 2019. It shall further be the Firm's duty to inform the Client of developments in legislation and policy relevant to the Client's issues and objectives.') with Mr Ballard required an immediate release of $270,000 and another tranche of $270,000 in late December of 2018, which culminates in $540,000 as yet. It was also alleged that the facilitators got $800,000 for their services in getting the lobbyist. The lobbyist explored some lacunas in International Law and America’s Policy on Non-Intervention (Non-Interference) with political activities of foreign countries. The scheme was very discreet with only a very few privy to the information even among the top echelons of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Team. The United States does not publicly divulge reasons for not granting visas but Legum also revealed in his newsletter that ‘a former government official who has seen the documentation confirmed to Popular Information that Abubakar, until very recently, was banned from obtaining a US visa under Proclamation 7750’. The Presidential Proclamation 7750 was signed by President George Bush on January 12, 2004, suspending entry into the United States, of persons engaged in or benefitting from corruption, particularly for cases linked to the United States.


2. The United States has a policy prohibiting the interference with political activities of other countries. This lacuna aided the lobbyists in putting up an argument which made it seem that United States’ refusal to allow Atiku access into the country at this moment was already providing an advantage to the All Progressives Congress (APC), we should not forget that Goodluck Jonathan alleged in his book and attributed his defeat in the 2015 election to the interference of the US. Thus, any action of the United States that confers an advantage to a political party amounts to interference in the electoral process. This argument by the lobbyist was persuasive enough. Secondly, and more on informed assumption, for the United States being a government which endeavours to protect and promotes democracy around the world and having political affairs desks at their various embassies that analyse and aggregate candidates, political parties, and events where they are located, they could grant Mr Atiku a leeway as a high profile contender in the forth-coming presidential elections in Nigeria. This is because the American authorities are not unaware of the constitutional provisions and other related legislation(s) in Nigeria and the associated problems and/or political crisis which his arrest could create in the Nigerian democratic system since our constitution and electoral law only has the provision for the replacement of a dead candidate as in the case of Abubakar Audu of Kogi State (the law says the person who comes second in the primaries shall be assumed as the flag bearer), and did not envisage a case where the aspirant in a major election could be arrested, and more so, in another country on allegations of corruption. The United States Government shall not be so directly engaged in an act that would jeopardize the democracy in another country, and better still, the democracy in Nigeria; hence he could enjoy a diplomatic waiver (against arrest) because of his status as a candidate of major opposition party. His arrest at this point could be viewed by many at various quarters as being motivated by the Nigerian Government. This is despite the constitutional crisis that the country would be plunged into. Just like In the case of Uhuru Kenyatta, he was indicted by the ICC but could still move around enjoying his diplomatic immunity. The US Government could put all these considerations and look at a bigger picture for the sake of democracy. But if Atiku could not step into the United States for the last 12 years, not even to visit his beloved wife (Jennifer) who is a citizen of the United States, he is now dared to visit the United States after he must have lost the February presidential elections in Nigeria. That is when we shall be slaked of any questions regarding his arrest in the United States.


3. Based on the logic of this argument, Atiku Abubakar was granted conditional waiver for six months to enter the United States. He could not stay in the United States for more than seven days within the waiver period, neither could he communicated with any member of the US Government. He must also agreed to a 24-hour surveillance of himself while in the US.


4. The United States is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Inadmissibility of Intervention and Interference in the Domestic Affairs of States (UNGA Resolution 2131 (XX) of 1965. The resolution remains the basis for the relationship between so many member states including the US. In international law, the principle of non-intervention is not limited to the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of a state, but also includes interference on the political independence of any state. The principle of non-intervention in the local affairs of States also signifies that a State should not otherwise intervene in a dictatorial way in the internal affairs and electoral process of other States.


5. On the issue of presumption of innocence, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigerian (as altered), contains in Section 36 (5) that:


'Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty;


'Provided that nothing in this section shall invalidate any law by reason only that the law imposes upon any such person the burden of proving particular facts.'


This presumption of innocence by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not a provision peculiar to the Nigerian state alone. In the United Sates, there is also such provision of the presumption of innocence in their legal system. This means that Atiku Abubakar shall enjoy the “due process of law” and the right to “equal protection under the law” (to all, including aliens) of the United States as enshrined in the 5th and 14th amendments of the United States Constitution, respectively. Thus , Atiku remains an indicted person by the report of the US Senate (cited above);until convicted by court of competent jurisdiction


6. Having served Nigeria as the number 2 citizen of the country for eight years, Atiku Abubakar has the status of a state guest on any visit to any country in the world. Hence, the Nigerian Embassy located anywhere he would be visiting needs to be informed of his visit and adequate provisions made for his welcome. But on this particular visit, the Nigerian Embassy in the United States was not aware of the visit of Atiku Abubakar which increases the bewilderment associated with his visit to the United States. His aides here in Nigeria even denied his going to the United States until they were certain that he had arrived the Dulles International Airport in Washington DC before announcing that he was in the US. They further lodged at the Trump International Hotel Washington DC, to create the impression that the President of the United States, Donald Trump is aware of the visit which is a deceitful tactic employed by PDP upon the intelligence of Nigerians.


7. Rumour has it that (which is yet to be denied but perhaps, by seeing this article a rebuttal may be issued) that the Director General of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Team, who is also the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Bukola Saraki, slated Atiku Abubakar for his trip to the United States as an “Aide” or precisely among the retinue of the Senate President which gives him the Diplomatic immunity against arrest. That is the reason the Nigerian Embassy in the United States was not pre-informed of the visit by the former Vice President to the country: thus he was not the guest, he was in the US as part of entourage or an aide to the Senate President under the cover of Diplomatic waiver. This is in utter desperation of the PDP and Atiku himself to make a show that he has gone to the US and was not arrested as presumed by his surrogates. But Nigerians have the right to know the basis upon which the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria used in enlisting the former Vice President among his retinue to the US as an aide of his. He, Sen. Saraki, had used the powers of his office to get Atiku into the US as part of their scheme. What has the trip to the United States achieved besides photographic images? It is quite a disgrace and self-impugning, that a former Vice President for eight years, and a politician on note stoops so low to become an aide or part of an entourage to a sitting President of the Senate in order to gain entry as well as diplomatic waiver into the United States out of sheer desperation.


8. The meeting conducted in the United States with the US Chamber of Commerce was revealed to be, based on the response received by TheCable (https://www.thecable.ng/just-in-us-chamber-of-commerce-confirms-atikus-business-meeting-in-washington), from the Senior Manager, Media and External Communications of the US Chamber of Commerce, Katharine Cooksey, ‘…private, closed press, and off the record.’ As a Presidential candidate, it is onus upon him to have informed Nigerians that he has been invited for a programme in the United States and the date, venue and time should also be made public ahead of time: a candidate deceiving the electorate even before he becomes president.


9. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who has suddenly turned into an advocate for Atiku after more than a decade of cautioning Nigerians about what embodiment of evil Atiku is, has also been part of the scheme to see that Atiku gets a leeway from the US Government. Atiku himself had travelled to the United Kingdom to see how the UK government could liaise with US to broker a ground for his visit. After all failed attempts at meeting the goal of his 12-year challenge, they resorted to demeaning the office and prestige of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and made former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a mere aide to the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, in order to gain the necessary Diplomatic cover which shall grant him access into the US.


10. In an interview with the EFCC Zero Tolerance Magazine [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t9t8h9k4Qo], Obasanjo expressed wonder as to the reason the EFCC had not taken Atiku to court. He further remarked:


'We got a letter from America in June 2006, listing a number of people to be investigated; Atiku was one of them and that letter went straight to the EFCC.


'It was just shown to me because they will not be able to investigate my number two without my saying “ok”. So, I said if we got this letter from America, so be it.


'If we have agreement with FBI, Metropolitan Police and they are helping us and we are helping them and they write to us and say these are the people we want you to help us investigate, what do you think we should do? You as EFCC, what will you do coincidence or no coincidence?'


This is a remark from one of the men standing as proponents for the Atiku presidential campaign bid in the 2019 elections.


11. The question remains, Atiku and his team should provide Nigerians with a detailed explanation for his trip to the US and upon which invitation it was based. It is also expedient of him with his team to tell Nigerians why he had to be demeaned to the position of a mere aide in the Senate President’s retinue to gain access into the United States: what he had been unable to accomplish for more than a decade.


The ugly past of Atiku Abubakar is catching up with him as the evil that men do lives after them. His actions are now living after him, after he has lived them. With the 2019 general elections only a few weeks away, it is only a thing of little wonder that Atiku and his ilk get into this scheme: knowing well that it shall not exonerate him from his past sins for which he is yet to answer.


Thank you.


*PROF. USSIJU A. MEDANER*


*Directorate of Strategic Planning,*
*APC Women and Youth Presidential Campaign Team (WYPCaT).*

A Vote for APC IS a Vote For Buhari

I always read the musings of Farooq Kperogi and wonder if he really did go to school, speak less, attain the rank of a professor, he mostly sounds like a dropout from high school who is vexed with everybody and everything in this world including himself.

I am sure that those who have been unfortunate to stumble upon one or two rantings of this self-styled professor will agree that he has the reasoning of a five-year old, in some cases, a five-year old will reason better.

To say Kperogi has been seeking relevance in Nigeria for a very long time is me stating the obvious, but the problem is no one seems to know if he exists. He has found social media to be his field, where he writes all sort of hogwash.

His latest failings were documented in his Facebook post titled, “A Vote for APC ISN'T a Vote for Buhari”.

What baffles me most about this lad is the fact that he thinks many Nigerians are stupid. In his latest below-par rant, he claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari is a vegetable, which would have been excusable if YouTube was not in existence. Even in the US, you can watch President Buhari go from venue to venue, from campaign rally to campaign rally, how exactly is he a vegetable?

The only thing that is a vegetable is the brain of Kperogi. It’s understandable since he is in constant competition with Femi Fani-Kayode, Reno Omokri and others for the leading knucklehead social commentator and I could well give him a joint first place award.

Away from Buhari being a vegetable, he says there is a cabal that controls Nigeria and that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo cannot stand up to them. This is the most laughable accusation anyone can make in 2019 but of course Kperogi is not anyone, this guy revels in the stone age. He’s just another ‘Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ if you know the movie.

It is on record that the Vice President sent the name of Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN Walter Onnoghen to the Senate for approval and since then he has been the CJN until the case of his false asset declaration was exposed. Why wasn’t his appointment overturned, as claimed by this guy who lives in the United States but wants Nigeria to burn just to feed his rabid and morbid fantasies?

Secondly, he gave a directive that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) be overhauled and within minutes the former Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris overhauled SARS to FSARS.

Thirdly, as acting President he gave approval of N21 billion for the construction of the Ilorin-Omu Aran-Kabba Road, Section I. He also approved the award of N126 billion road projects spread across Kano, Bauchi, Adamawa, Kwara, Gombe, Enugu and Kaduna states.

Fourthly, he signed seven bills into law including Oaths (Amendment) Act 2017; Defence Space Administration Act 2017; Veterinary Surgeons (Amendment) Act 2017; and others.

Please were any of these actions overturned? This only goes to show that self-styled professor Kperogi has never done a single research in his life, because if he truly did any, a simple check on Google would have saved him a lot of shame and embarrassment.

The claim that the sack of former DSS boss Mamman Daura was overturned is false. He was sacked and has remained sacked, but I don’t expect Kperogi to know that, he is simply incapable of learning while throwing his online tantrums masquerading as a blog.

As for the for the 2019 presidential election, it is a done deal. No one will rig this election and President Buhari who said, ‘God Dey’ and technology through Card Reader brought him to governance has vowed to ensure that the same process is used again.

For filthy, corrupt persons like Kperogi, no good can come out of Nigeria. He is always critical of the leadership and never sees anything good because he is a totally bad person inside and out.

IF FAROOK KPEROOGI WAS A TRADER

If Farook Kperoogi was a trader, his store would always have one police man and a customer inside, at every point in time. Why? He would have sold fake items, and the unsuspecting customers would have returned with the force of law to demand a refund and call for the shutdown of his store. Worse, if he was a pharmacist, he would have been responsible for the death of a great percentage of those who make the error of patronising him.

Farook Kperoogi is a trader indeed. But his stock in trade is not the sale of household items, pharmaceuticals or general goods. He is a merchant of fake news. Of lies and of stories that have no place in reality.

Farook Kperoogi is notorious for coming up with figments of his imagination and ascribing the status of fact to them, as if they were indeed so. He does not spare his unsuspecting readers in his most recent piece: A VOTE FOR APC ISN`T A VOTE FOR BUHARI.

In this ridiculous piece he points to the existence of cabals who he claims are stealing the common wealth of the nation. In his customary fashion, he shows no evidence, and provides no proofs. This has often made many question that he is a so-called lecturer. Shouldn’t a lecturer know better that you do not make assertions like this without at least any supporting evidence?

I have stumbled on some items of commentaries online on his lecturing by his students in Kennesaw University, and their reviews have helped me understand the absurdity that he is. They have most times noted that the Associate Professor is out of touch with reality and forces his wrong opinions on them.

In this ignorant piece that he attempts to sell, Farook makes an attack on the Vice President. A laughable one. He forgets that the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has his credentials of integrity and unquestionable honesty intact. All times Professor Osinbajo has been accused of a wrong, all times it has turned out false. This cannot be said of Farook who at every time he has put his pen to paper and churned out half baked lies, he has been ridiculed and embarrassed with facts to the contrary.

He claims the Vice President is a mere figure-head. A man who teaches comprehension and communication and sees all the activities the Vice President is engaged in, yet calls him a mere figure-head is indeed a trader of fake news.

To start with, compare the Vice President with former Vice Presidents and the roles they played in office. Professor Osinbajo has stood out in terms of his active de facto participation in governance, in the economy and even in politics. It is no news that he is the only Vice President Nigeria has ever had who has acted as President, and exercised those powers as if he were the President with no shortcomings or setbacks - from the President or in the quality of the decisions he made.

As Vice President, Professor Yemi plays the constitutional and critical role of heading Nigeria’s economy. And he has done this fantastically well. He is credited for being the mind behind taking Nigeria out of recession by leading an economic management team that came up with the unconventional policies that has put Nigeria on steady growth.

He is actively leading Nigeria’s journey to diversifying the economy through the route of improving our non-oil sector growth and creating inclusiveness for the poor. The poor today are being given an opportunity to come out of poverty and take advantage of sustainable opportunities that would enable them create wealth.

Vice President Osinbajo is known to manage the Social Investment Programmes: Nigeria’s most ambitious, most credible, and most effective Social Investment attempt. It is recorded that over ten million Nigerians are in one way or the other benefitting from the programmes.

If Farook was an honest man, he would at least have put these in the front burner when he scribbled the insult of an article he penned. A compulsive liar and an evil one too. 

He also puts on the table some events that he claims to have taken place in the villa and says they indeed happened. He is obsessed with the existence of a cabal.

Asides the fact that these events exist only in the imaginations of Farook, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo does not just enjoy the respect, loyalty and honour of the friends of the President, his inner circle and his appointees, Osinbajo also enjoys the support, respect and regard of President Buhari - who has said this and shown this time without number.

The Buhari - Osinbajo relationship is blessed and orchestrated divinely - it is the most proactive, balanced and in fact the best synergy between a President and his Vice we have ever seen.

The likes of Kperoogi, the bitter rotten lemons, who are morose when good things happen may continue to sell their fake goods and fake products to unsuspecting victims. But like all fake items, they do not last, they cause a rumble in the tummy, and they are thrown away. Nigerians are wiser, they do not buy nonsense anymore.

Obasanjo's attack on TraderMoni reflects either his ignorance or mischief - Presidency



The statement purportedly attributed to former president Olusegun Obasanjo regarding Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, and the Federal Government's TraderMoni microcredit scheme if, indeed true and accurate, is most unfortunate, according to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande.

While responding to media inquiries regarding the former president’s comments over the weekend, Akande noted that “it is either that the former leader is ignorant of the true workings of Trader Moni and the role of the Vice President in its implementation or perhaps he is on a mischievous mission.”

According to Akande, the former President has demonstrated “a surprising but complete misunderstanding of the workings of TraderMoni, that is if we assume there is no mischief intended. “

Firstly, the Vice President does not personally distribute money during his visits to the markets. He goes there to assess the progress of the implementation and to create awareness for a programme designed to meet the financing need of 2 million petty traders across the country in the first instance.

Secondly, while one will not bother to further address the issue of timing of the implementation since such issues are now known to be political posturing, it is important to note that TraderMoni is being actively implemented across all states of the federation and the FCT. It is not only Lagos and Abuja as was insinuated.

These petty traders at the bottom of the economic ladder, with an inventory often less than N5,000, are beneficiaries of the TraderMoni scheme which provides N10,000 collateral/interest-free loans to them, empowerment that improves their small businesses, their families, while also contributing significantly to the economy.

Thirdly, in what is certainly a curious comment, the former President has also been quoted as describing the TraderMoni scheme as idiotic. To label such people-friendly scheme as idiotic is not only an absurdity, it is also an affront to the sensibilities of these hard working Nigerians, the beneficiaries of the micro-credit scheme.

For emphasis, the Bank of Industry implements the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, GEEP, one part of our Social Investment Programme. Enumeration Agents have been engaged to visit the markets and other points where petty traders are found to confirm that they are traders and also take their biometric information for recording purposes. After the enumeration, the N10,000 collateral free loans are then disbursed electronically through the petty traders’ phones.

TraderMoni is designed to meet the needs of the larger population of petty traders at the bottom of the pyramid who do not meet the more stringent criteria of BVN, bank accounts, market associations, cooperatives, required for bigger Market Moni loans.

Under GEEP – which has MarketMoni, FarmerMoni and TraderMoni, at least 1.5 million Nigerians are already beneficiaries of the three-pronged approach of GEEP, while N-Power has created jobs for 500,000 young Nigerians graduates, besides non-graduates. Also, almost 300,000 Nigerians have benefitted from the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), which is given to the poorest and most vulnerable among us, and over 9.2 million school pupils are being fed a free meal daily in 26 states under the Home Grown School Feeding Programme.

It bears repetition that higher economic growth potentials are associated with lower income inequality. This makes a most overwhelming case for welfare payments like the social investment schemes like the TraderMoni/MarketMoni schemes. Such a micro-credit scheme provides a higher rate of inclusion into the financial bracket and is crucial in lifting hardworking people out of poverty as has been the case in other countries like India and Brazil.

Fourthly, the former president also rehashed discredited claims suggesting that TraderMoni beneficiaries were required to tender their PVCs, and questioned the timing of the implementation.

Let me, therefore, state again that beneficiaries of TraderMoni are not required to show their Personal Voters Cards (PVCs) or any document indicating their political affiliations to qualify for the loans. This is why the enumeration is done in the open markets and wherever the traders ply their trade. This issue has been addressed several times by the Presidency in the public space. Therefore the former president’s alleged comments smirk of outright mischief as it regurgitates blatant falsehood.

Equally, if the former president had conducted a simple act of diligence, he would have found that the National Assembly had approved this programmes and budgeted for them duly.

When President Muhammadu Buhari came into office, one of the major hinges of this administration was to uplift the common man out of poverty and ensure the welfare of ordinary Nigerians. TraderMoni is one of such schemes conceived in 2016 under the Social Investment Programme of this administration.

Being a former president, Chief Obasanjo ordinarily should appreciate the impact of such far-reaching social investment schemes, which has provided what is now the largest social safety net for millions of Nigerians and is unprecedented in the nation’s history.

Again, the former president’s attack on TraderMoni and the person of the Vice President is an indicator that he may be wittingly or unwittingly playing to the sinister script of the opposition party to spread falsehood and attack the social investment programmes of the Buhari administration, which champions such impactful schemes, and which is now attracting the praise and commendation of Nigerians everywhere.

It is pertinent to state that the false allegations against TraderMoni raised again by the former president is sadly a rehash of baseless claims previously made by leading chieftains of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, whose record of profligacy, corruption and mismanagement clearly show it has no agenda to uplift the common man or improve the lives of Nigerians.

Finally, attacks such as this on a scheme that benefits the masses of our people is a direct attack on the people and this kind of conduct does not reflect very well on a former president but is only self-denigrating and of no public value. As is already now obvious, the generality of the Nigerian people will not only reject that attack but will also condemn its source. We, therefore, urge the former president to be far more circumspect and more public-spirited in his utterances going forward.

BMO TO OBJ: MAY YOU LIVE LONG TO GIVE PROPER TESTIMONY ON BUHARI

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has prayed for long life for former President Olusegun Obasanjo so that he may give the right testimony on President Muhammadu Buhari.

Reacting to the recent 16-page write-up in which the former President listed a litany of allegations against President Muhammadu Buhari, the group said the allegations are false and they are only a figment of Obasanjo’s imagination.

The group described the allegations as “a calculated attempt to divert Nigerians’ attention from the misdeeds and maladministration of the former President’s party, Peoples Democratic Party over a period of sixteen years.”

In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, BMO says it is praying for long life for former President Obasanjo so that he will live long to attest to the monumental development of the country being undertaken by the Buhari administration, which successive PDP administration knowingly denied Nigerians during their reign.

“It is instructive to note that under the Buhari administration, and in less than four years, the country has been turned into a huge construction site as we see roads, railways and sundry projects being executed across the six geo-political zones of the country, unlike the PDP era when public funds were used to enrich and line the pockets of a few privileged Nigerians.

“For the avoidance of doubt, this is an administration that focuses on people-oriented projects with the sole aim to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

“We consider the allegations against the President, APC and INEC by the former president as unfounded, cooked up, unsubstantiated, false and deliberately concocted to give the former president an unmerited relevance in the polity.

“We call on former President Obasanjo to respect himself, his age and the exalted office he once held and stop heating up the polity by constantly seeking relevance even at the risk of plunging the country into turmoil. As an elder statesman, he should know that such comments and vituperations maybe taken seriously by the unwary.”

The group then enjoined Nigerians to disregard the machinations of the former President “as he is only venting his frustration over his inability to railroad President Muhammadu Buhari to do his bidding and dance to his tune as was the case with previous administrations. We want to reassure Nigerians that the Buhari administration is determined to change their lives for the better, and will never tow the path of serving the narrow interests of a few.”

HOW ATIKU SPENT $4.8 MILION DOLLARS TO SECURE WAIVER TO ENTER AMERICA, THAT MADE ZERO IMPACT ON HIS INTEGRITY AND PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

An insider source very close to Senator Bukola Saraki, the Senate President and the Director General of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation has revealed how Senator Saraki engaged some American and other foreign Lobbyists to secure entry for Atiku Abubakar into America. Alhaji Atiku indicted by the American Senate for corrupt practices, who could not travel to United States of America for over a decade following intelligence reported that he was on the wanted list in America for various degrees of corruption offences was able to find himself into America for a less than 50-hours visit.

According to the source who preferred not to be named, he said Senator Saraki got some lobbyists who explored some loopholes in International Law and America’s Policy on Non-Intervention (Non-Interference) with political activities of foreign countries. The source said it was a very high level and secret arrangement, even most of the leaders of the Atiku Campaign Organisation and the Peoples Democratic Party were out of the picture.

The source said: “America has this policy that prohibits the country from interfering with political activities of other countries. The lobbyists simply put up well articulated argument which made it seem that America’s refusal to allow Atiku entry into America at this moment was already providing an advantage to the All Progressives Congress (APC)”. He said, in the lobbyists’ opinion, “any action of America that confers an advantage to a political party amounts to interference in the electoral process.”

It was based on this argument that Atiku Abubakar was given a waiver to enter into America and the waiver was for 6months. The entry was however subjected to so many restrictions, one of which was that Atiku could not stay in America for more that 7days on the entry within the waiver period. He added, “Atiku was prohibited from having any communication with any member of the American Government, whether of the executive or the legislature. He also signed 24 hours surveillance watch on him while in America”.

Independent investigation revealed that America is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Inadmissibility of Intervention and Interference in the Domestic Affairs of States (UNGA Resolution 2131 (XX) of 1965. The resolution has formed the basis for the relationship between so many member states including America. In international law, the principle of non-intervention is not limited to the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of a state, but also includes interference on the political independence of any state. The principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States also signifies that a State should not otherwise intervene in a dictatorial way in the internal affairs and electoral process of other States.

You would recall that weeks before Atiku Abubakar was granted waiver to enter into America, Mr. Russell Brooks, the Public Affairs Officer at the US Consulate General Lagos, was on the news to say that America would continue to remain neutral and do everything not to be seen to prefer any candidate. He said: “We are not favouring or supporting any candidate. It is up to the Nigerian people to decide. Our candidate is the process. The process should be free and fair, it should be a non-violent process. I am not talking of any plus or minus of any candidate, we are not favouring any candidate. We are not trying to influence the success of any candidate. That is not our role.”

The source made a rather more shocking revelation when he said that “the lobbyists charged $4m USD. The facilitators that link them to the lobbyists charged $800,000 USD”

Even though the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has described Atiku’s visit to United States of America as “political milestone achievement”, however the dominant public opinion is that it made zero impact on Atiku’s integrity or on his political campaign. The truth remains that should Atiku Abubakar lose in his presidential bid, he would automatically lose the privilege and waiver that got him into America after a decade of ban.

As an APC supporter puts it succinctly: “Alhaji Atiku is simply running the election to acquire diplomatic immunity to shield him from pending danger. It is the duty of Nigerians to stop him from acquiring that immunity and protection from persecution”.

Modupe Abiola
Ontario, Canada

Fourth Town Hall in Lagos in a row. Back to back VP Osinbajo today addressed the Christian community at The Grill in Ikeja, Igbos residents in Lagos in another function hall in The Grill, a group of disaffected politicians in Lagos at The Regency Hall in Alausa and the youths and professionals in Lekki.

Hundreds of them were there and he answered several questions, many of which will try a faint hearted person. He then moved to address representatives of Igbo’s in Lagos and he took time to address their concern. By the time he reeled out a list of Buhari appointees of Igbo origin and the projects ongoing in the East, the issues of marginalization and “ non juicy “ appointments fizzled out like smoke.

From there it was to Lekki where young men and women drilled him on issues of economy, unemployment and corruption.
For the disaffected politicians he generally pleaded with them to be patient while they remain committed to their party and its objectives.

With candor he took every questions and patiently explained what appears as grey area in government policy, giving statistics here, examples there and throwing wits and humor in between.

It is surprising the little the people know ,or do we say , are willing to know. For example how can anyone say that Ministries such as Trade and Investment, Education, Technology, Labour are not important or “juicy” enough for the Igbos. Or that the CBN governor and other Igbos from Delta State are no Igbos and therefore whichever position they are holding is not countable for Igbos. He also addressed the issue of who gets the Presidency in 2023. He told the audience it is the votes that will determine. Let the South West, the South East as well as the South South go and mobilize the vote and whoever brings the highest number of votes on the table picks the trophy.

Overall it was a good day and very useful interaction between the leader and the led, one that has not been experienced on this scale before.
To cap it all Osinbajo walked into Ikeja City Mall where he had engagement with the Tejuoshos who run a bookshop. He made a stop at a couple of shops. It was an afternoon of a thousand cameras. The young shoppers on seeing him could not resist the temptation to whip out their phones and took selfies with him. He did it with the patience of a shepherd and his herds. Before we left the scene scores of the photographs taken were getting back to us and a particular one with an actors had under three hours attracted close to 20,000 likes.
This in short is a life in the day of this passionate junior partner in the task of building a great Nigeria.

HOW BUHARI ADMINISTRATION IS LIFTING NIGERIANS OUT OF POVERTY – OSINBAJO


*VP continues engagements, family chats in Karu, Kubwa, Mpape, FCT communities

The implementation of the Buhari administration’s micro-credit schemes namely; the TraderMoni and MarketMoni, and other initiatives are some of the ways by which the Federal Government is incrementally lifting Nigerians out of poverty, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

The Vice President who stated this on Thursday when he continued interactions with Nigerians across diverse backgrounds with visits to Karu, Mpape and Kubwa, all satellite towns in the FCT, said more Nigerians would be lifted out of poverty if the is government re-elected for another term.

According to him, "for the very first time in the history of this country, loans are being made available for petty traders, small traders.

“It is the love for the common man that informed this government's decision to empower the poor.”

At Mpape community, Prof. Osinbajo told a gathering of artisans, women, community leaders and youths that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari was for the common people and had demonstrated same through the various empowerment schemes.

"There is MarkeMoni; there is TraderMoni; the TraderMoni is for the petty traders, the small traders, selling groundnut and other small businesses; we give them N10,000 when they repay, they get N15,000, N20,000 and on and on like that.

Explaining the rationale behind the micro-credit schemes of the Buhari administration, the Vice President said it was a step to help the traders move up.

"Because every one of us must start from somewhere; when you start poor, somebody must help you to become rich; if you are a small business woman, somebody will help so that you too will become a big business woman.”

Continuing, he said, “that is why President Muhammadu Buhari started this TraderMoni so that market women can grow their businesses gradually and after a while, they too will have enough money to be able to build their own houses and everything they want to do.

"The MarketMoni is for the bigger trader and artisans, it starts at N100,000, but you must be part of a cooperative in order to benefit from the MarketMoni.

“So, we are trying very hard, God helping us, if we are voted in, February 16, it’s the Next Level. Next Level for TraderMoni, for MarketMoni, for all the programmes that we are doing."

He assured the artisans that the Buhari administration was setting up a bank to be called the PeopleMoni Bank to lend money to artisans so that they could also grow.

Earlier at Karu, Prof. Osinbajo addressed enthusiastic members of Karu-Jikwoyi Women Progressive Movement, assuring them of the commitment of the Buhari government to improve the lots of women.

He told the women that petty traders among them would benefit from the TraderMoni scheme and other initiatives designed to uplift their lives and those of their families.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Abubakar, also addressed the women on how various social intervention programmes would impact their lives.

In Kubwa, the Vice President’s first point of call was the Yekini Aminu family at Information Quarters, where he was received by an excited and jubilant crowd among them youths who thronged the streets, danced and chanted 'four plus four, four plus four, as the Vice President's motorcade arrived Phase 4 area in Kubwa.

After a brief chat with his host, the Aminu family, the Vice President addressed the crowd on the various empowerment schemes of the Federal Government and proceeded to the Gbazango area of Kubwa to continue his visit to the area.

At Gbazango, Prof. Osinbajo and entourage proceeded to the family compound of 102 year-old Sunday Kukwaba Gazazhin, a respected Gbagyi family, accompanied by a jubilant crowd comprising residents of Gbazango and environs, including traders from the Kubwa village market.

He had a chat with the patriarch of the family and other family members through an interpreter before leaving Kubwa.

Vice President Osinbajo who had earlier launched the “Green Imperative”, an agricultural sector mechanization initiative, and chaired the monthly meeting of the National Economic Council, before leaving for the engagements in the FCT communities, returned to the State House to receive a coalition of Buhari 2019 support groups under the auspices of the “We Believe Movement”, who had embarked on a solidarity walk from the Unity Fountain to the Eagle Square.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
January 18, 2019

HOW WE PLAN TO MECHANIZE AGRIC SECTOR – VP OSINBAJO


SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE NIGERIA- BRAZIL COOPERATION PROJECT ON AGRICULTURE – “THE GREEN IMPERATIVE”, ON THE 17TH OF JANUARY, 2019



After the most eloquent speech by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Mr Audu Ogbeh, I really would have preferred not to say anything more, because I think he has captured practically everything.

It is a special privilege for me to host you all to the launch of the “Green Imperative”, our agriculture mechanization project in collaboration with the Brazilian government. The project is crucial to our signature focus on agriculture as the centerpiece of our economic diversification efforts. Practically everything you have heard about the Buhari administration has centered round agriculture, and I’m sure that we are going to hear a lot more about this focus on agriculture.

Frankly, we believe we cannot bring our nation out of poverty, especially the large numbers of the poor without significant investments in agriculture and, of course, mechanized agriculture. But also because we know the sheer number of young people who are coming into our population in the next 10 – 15 years, will certainly not only need to be fed, but will also need to have jobs, and the sort of jobs that these young people will want will not be jobs requiring hoes and cutlasses. They are going to want jobs that are more dignified and of course, jobs that would mean a decent wage and living.

This explains our focus on agriculture and especially the agro-allied value chain. It is this value chain we believe that this particular project will service, and this is where we think the game changer for this agricultural development lies.

With mechanized agriculture, everything suddenly becomes different, because even now, we have been able to do a lot more in terms of rice production and several other grains without mechanization at the level it ought to be.

Today, we are producing paddy rice as much as we need but milling and the other processes are where we fall short. So we are not able to produce and mill all of the rice that we require, but that is only a matter of months.

The key thing today is that with mechanization, whatever it is that we are able to do; we will be able to do in multiples. I think that portion of it is extremely important for us.

I think the only way we can make the quantum leap that is required, in order to advance our economy and provide the number of jobs we require, is simply what we are doing today.

As we have heard, there will be a combination of service centers where technical capacity and training will occur, to the local assembly of tractors and other agricultural machines, and we will also have processing centers where agro processing will be done.

The major dividends of all of this are the hundreds of thousands of quality jobs, that young men and women will be able to access.

We also know one of the reasons why young men and women do not warm up to agriculture in the way that they ought to and why we have such an aged farmer population is because it just isn’t attractive. But I know that from now on, all of that is certainly going to change and our young men and women would be far more interested in agriculture than they have ever been.

Today, we have made a significant difference in our journey, not just in self-sufficiency in food production, but also in creating the kinds of jobs that we could have from agriculture.

Also crucial is the private sector, an important component of this enterprise. When you hear about government projects, people tend to think that with the way government works sometimes, you don’t want to entrust all of these kinds of activities to government. But we have ensured that this will be private sector driven and we have here today, both Nigerian and Brazilian investors committed to investing and working on this project.

So we expect that this will be collaboration not just between the governments of Nigeria and Brazil, but also between Nigerian businessmen and Brazilian businessmen.

Let me therefore thank the Brazilian government through Ambassador Ricardo de Araujo, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, who has encouraged many of us to go into farming.
Mr President clearly set forth our agricultural agenda from day one. To quote him: “we must produce what we eat.” We have to be self-sufficient in food production.

Today, the President’s dream has moved closer to realization and in the next few years by God’s grace, with this project, we will with our own brains and innovation and the collaboration of our friends, especially our Brazilian friends, will realize the dreams of our people not only to produce our own food, but also to employ every able Nigerian, not just in agriculture, but in all of the agro-allied value chain and manufacturing also.

On this note, it is therefore my very special pleasure and privilege to launch the Green Imperative.

Thank you very much.

Released by:
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
January 18, 2019

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) says it has unearthed plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar to rig next month’s Presidential election.

A part of the plan “to subvert the will of the people”, according to the group, is PDP’s recent recruitment of a former INEC Chairman known to have presided over the worse election in Nigeria’s recent political history.

BMO said in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, that the rigging plot also involves spending huge sums of money on police personnel and election officials in many parts of the country.

“With their campaign daily losing steam, PDP has also resorted to accusing everyone directly or remotely connected to President Muhammadu Buhari of corruption; after realising that Nigerians are not buying any of their Dubai Strategy of lies”.

“Their leaders had been working on this plan for a while and had consciously been raising all sorts of allegations and attacking national institutions involved in the electoral process in order to divert attention from their devious agenda.

“Part of the plot is to discredit INEC’s new election guidelines which included simultaneous accreditation and voting, and which also barred collation officers from making or receiving calls on election day.

“This same style was successfully test run in all bye-elections in recent months including those won by PDP candidates, but the party did not see anything wrong with it until the Commission insisted that it would be used during the next elections”.

BMO noted that PDP is also working on infiltrating INEC by embedding its supporters among ad-hoc electoral officials as part of its rigging plan.

It consequently advised the Commission to be cautious in its recruitment plan for the general election.

“We want to place Nigerians on notice that they should be at alert and not allow PDP elements at all levels to subvert the will of the electorate.

“There is also a need for the election management body to properly scrutinise ad-hoc staff to be recruited for Election Day duty as well as pay more than a passing attention to its officials in the run up to the February 16 election.

“This is because PDP, a party that is known for electoral manipulation, and which has a lot of dirty schemes in its kitty to rig the process in favour of its Presidential candidate, needs to be put under close surveillance”, BMO concluded.

CJN ONNOGHEN: NIGERIANS MUST FIGHT CORRUPTION AT ANY LEVEL - BMO



Nigerians must unite and decisively take a stand against corruption, no matter who is involved, the Buhari Media Organisation has said.



In a statement signed by the Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, the Secretary, the group noted that the President Buhari administration is undeterred in its resolve to fight corruption at all levels of government, regardless of the position of the person, or any sentiments attached.



The group was reacting to comments made in some quarters over the recent arraignment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.



“We are aware of the sentiments from various quarters on the arraignment of the CJN, but we are equally worried that there is a mindset in the country that sets certain people to be special. The Chief Justice of the Federation leads Nigerian’s third arm of government responsible for the application of the law, he of all people must lead by example, and thus where there is suspicion as to his conduct, it is only right that the law take its course with him.”



“It is important to remind Nigerians that this Chief Justice is the same person who had, in a statement credited to him, said that wherever Nigerians saw corruption among Judges they should call it out. As long as he has nothing to hide then the law should be allowed to take its course, and this should be the mindset of all Nigerians.”



“In fact, Justice Onnoghen is reported to have admitted to have forgotten to declare some of his assets. He said he made a mistake, that is embarrassing, to say the least. A man who should know better than any law officer in the country, should appreciate that ignorance is not an excuse in law.”



The group also argued that in saner climes a chief justice of the country who had previously sat and oversaw cases of other public officials where they failed to declare their assets would have resigned honourably so as not to shame his exalted seat.



“This same Chief Justice has sat down on cases bearing on the declaration of assets by public officials, he had declared some wanting and set others free - like he did to the Senate President - so what is there if he subjects himself to the same procedure he has subjected others to. Moreover, for the sanctity of the profession and the respect for the judiciary, we would have expected that the Chief Justice step down after admitting to making such a profound mistake that casts doubt on his integrity and honesty.”



The group stated that the President Buhari administration was intent and determined to build stronger institutions and would not interfere in the matter.



“The President does not have a hand in the matter, and would not ask that it should be withdrawn, neither would he endorse it. President Buhari believes that when institutions are tested and left to work independently, they are strengthened. And this is his position.



“President Buhari at every point in time he lost an election, before his eventual victory in 2015, submitted himself to the courts and whatever they decided.”



The group called on Nigerians to attune their minds to supporting the President’s anti-corruption war, and support institutions that were set up to purge the country of corruption in any form, especially in the public life.



“Nigerians must not look at the anti-corruption fight from a partisan point of view but from one that seeks national development and restoring sanity to the country.”



The group highlighted that, “President Buhari has the political will to fight corruption and must be given all necessary support. He is the only President who has taken on the three arms of government where corruption was alleged, including his own Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), who he did not spare but fired, and who is under investigation by the EFCC.”



The group noted that the fact that top Nigerians were being investigated and prosecuted showed that the President was not sparing anyone, whether in high or in low places.

Prof Niyi Osundare wrote on CJN and it is very shameful

My Lord, Tell Me Where To Keep Your Bribe?
By Niyi Osundare
A poem by the renowned Nigerian poet


My Lord

Please tell me where to keep your bribe?

Do I drop it in your venerable chambers

Or carry the heavy booty to your immaculate mansion


Shall I bury it in the capacious water tank

In your well laundered backyard

Or will it breathe better in the septic tank

Since money can deodorize the smelliest crime


Shall I haul it up the attic

Between the ceiling and your lofty roof

Or shall I conjure the walls to open up

And swallow this sudden bounty from your honest labour


Shall I give a billion to each of your paramours

The black, the light, the Fanta-yellow

They will surely know how to keep the loot

In places too remote for the sniffing dog


Or shall I use the particulars

Of your anonymous maidservants and manservants

With their names on overflowing bank accounts

While they famish like ownerless dogs


Shall I haul it all to your village

In the valley behind seven mountains

Where potholes swallow up the hugest jeep

And Penury leaves a scar on every house


My Lord

It will take the fastest machine

Many, many days to count this booty; and lucky bank bosses

May help themselves to a fraction of the loot


My Lord

Tell me where to keep your bribe?


My Lord

Tell me where to keep your bribe?


The “last hope of the common man”

Has become the last bastion of the criminally rich

A terrible plague bestrides the land

Besieged by rapacious judges and venal lawyers


Behind the antiquated wig

And the slavish glove

The penguin gown and the obfuscating jargon

Is a rot and riot whose stench is choking the land


Behind the rituals and roted rigmaroles

Old antics connive with new tricks

Behind the prim-and-proper costumes of masquerades

Corruption stands, naked, in its insolent impunity


For sale to the highest bidder

Interlocutory and perpetual injunctions

Opulent criminals shop for pliant judges

Protect the criminal, enshrine the crime


And Election Petition Tribunals

Ah, bless those goldmines and bottomless booties!

Scoundrel vote-riggers romp to electoral victory

All hail our buyable Bench and conniving Bar


A million dollars in Their Lordship’s bedroom

A million euros in the parlor closet

Countless naira beneath the kitchen sink

Our courts are fast running out of Ghana-must-go’s*


The “Temple of Justice”

Is broken in every brick

The roof is roundly perforated

By termites of graft


My Lord

Tell me where to keep your bribe?


Judges doze in the courtroom

Having spent all night, counting money and various “gifts”

And the Chief Justice looks on with tired eyes

As Corruption usurps his gavel.


Crime pays in this country

Corruption has its handsome rewards

Just one judgement sold to the richest bidder

Will catapult Judge & Lawyer to the Billionaires’ Club


The Law, they say, is an ass

Sometimes fast, sometimes slow

But the Law in Nigeria is a vulture

Fat on the cash-and-carry carrion of murdered Conscience


Won gb’ebi f’alare

Won gb’are f’elebi**

They kill our trust in the common good

These Monsters of Mammon in their garish gowns


Unhappy the land

Where jobbers are judges

Where Impunity walks the streets

Like a large, invincible Demon


Come Sunday, they troop to the church

Friday, they mouth their mantra in pious mosques

But they pervert Justice all week long

And dig us deeper into the hellish hole


Nigeria is a huge corpse

With milling maggots on its wretched hulk

They prey every day, they prey every night

For the endless decomposition of our common soul


My Most Honourable Lord

Just tell me where to keep your bribe.


* Large, extremely tough bags used for carrying heavy cash in Nigeria


** They declare the innocent guilty

They pronounce the guilty innocent

Prof. Niyi Osundare

ATIKU BREAKING PEACE ACCORD...INCITING ANARCHY - BMO

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has been accused of inciting his followers to anarchy in the run up to the election.

Making this accusation in a press statement in Abuja yesteday, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) also accused Atiku Abubakar of contravening the terms of the peace accord signed by all Presidential candidates at the instance of the National Peace Committee.

In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, BMO said Atiku Abubakar’s recent posturing “is a blantant exhibition of bad faith.

“When the former Vice President and his party failed to show up for the agreement signing ceremony on a flimsy excuse, we raised an alarm that it was because they were not prepared to commit themselves to terms of the accord.

“Rather than focus attention on convincing Nigerians that Atiku Abubakar could do better than what President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have done in only three and half years, they have resorted to character assassination and inflammatory comments.

“It all started with pushing lies and false news to paint the President and his family in bad light. Now the PDP Presidential candidate is subtly instigating his supporters to anarchy having realised that majority of Nigerians are favourably disposed to re-electing the President".

“So for us at BMO, it is not surprising because this is what they had in mind when they initially refused to endorse the agreement”

The group also noted that Atiku, who few months ago, said he would focus on issues, has in recent times been launching personal attacks on the President and government institutions.

This, it says, is with a view to discrediting all institutions that would be involved in the forthcoming elections.

“With about a month to the Presidential polls, the opposition candidate has, directly and through proxies, been attacking President Buhari, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Police.

“The plan is clearly to discredit the President and relevant institutions in the run up to the election as well as instigate opposition supporters to resort to violence even before the first ballot is cast.

“Or how can anyone describe a situation where a former Vice President would boldly, without facts, tell PDP social media influencers that President Buhari is bent on stealing votes on February 16.

“He also alleged that the President was out to manipulate the electoral process by ensuring that ‘his relative’ collates the results even after INEC had cleared the air on Amina Zakari and her role at the National Collation Centre.

“Does it not amount to paving way for violence once it is clear that the outcome of the election does not favour him, as it is obvious from the manner the PDP is losing key members and its campaign losing steam?

“What is more shocking is that the PDP Presidential candidate through his supporters few days ago warned Anambra state governor Willie Obiano to stop campaigning for President Buhari.

“If this is not a call to violence by the militant arm of the opposition against a political leader for expressing his democratic right, we wonder what it is”, BMO said.

The group consequently urged former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar and other members of the National Peace Committee to call PDP and its Presidential candidate to order.

WE WILL NOT FORGET OUR MILITARY HEROES, VP OSINBAJO SAYS AT ARMED FORCES REMEMBRANCE SERVICE


REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH SERVICE FOR 2019 ARMED FORCES REMEMBRANCE DAY CELEBRATION HELD AT THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN CENTRE, ABUJA ON SUNDAY 13, JANUARY 2019


Today, again we participate in an annual tradition of remembering and honoring our departed military heroes. This particular Remembrance Day is perhaps more poignant than any other. In the past few weeks, we have buried 13 soldiers and one officer, and just last week, 2 Air force pilots and 3 airmen; all these men died in battle fending off Boko Haram and Isis West Africa terrorists in the Northeast of Nigeria.

In the past few years we have seen patriotism at its highest; our valiant men and women of the Armed Forces have destroyed the backbone of Boko Haram who once attacked Abuja, Kano and Kaduna, with impunity and hoisted their tattered flags over 17 Local Governments in the North East of Nigeria.

Today, both Boko Haram and Isis West Africa operate as small, even if deadly guerilla bands, in parts of Borno State. But in these battles, we have been sharply reminded that indeed “freedom is not free”. That peace is often paid for with blood and gore. And that no Nation can secure its territory without the selflessness and the supreme sacrifices of many.

And truly as someone said: "Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it, it flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it."

So as we celebrate this Remembrance Day, we solemnly thank the Almighty God for giving us men and women ready to obey the call to fight and if need be, die for the fatherland.

We are grateful that they were faithful to the cause, that they did not betray the trust of millions, that they gave up all the comforts of life and the love and affection of family that we may enjoy the same.

Our posthumous thanks to them and their families, who not only bore the fearful apprehension of their going to war, but also the heartbreak of their deaths. But our gratitude must also mean a commitment to ensuring that their families are cared for, that their children do not ask why the sacrifices they made were made at all.

As important is to ensure that they did not die in vain, this unity and territorial integrity of the nation, for which they died, must not be jeopardized by the reckless utterances and actions, which play on the religious and ethnic fault lines of our Nation.

The ordinary people of Nigeria have demonstrated time and time again, that they share common problems and that they have a common destiny. The desire for food, shelter, clothing and decent jobs is not blinkered by tribe, tongue or faith. Our unity and peaceful coexistence is the best tribute to our fallen heroes.

Your Excellencies, my Lords, today on behalf of a grateful nation, I honour the bold and brave departed and pay heartfelt tribute to their families, indeed the families daily pay the supreme sacrifice by their loss, and I thank the Almighty God for our Nation, and for the men and women of honour and courage that gave all for it.

God bless the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

God bless Nigeria.

Released by:
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
January 13, 2019

BUHARI ADMINISTRATION'S ACHIEVEMENTS HAVE RATTLED ATIKU, PDP - MINISTER

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the
massive achievements of the Buhari Administration have rattled the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar.

Reacting to the statement from Abubakar's media aide, over the
widely-circulated testimony series of the Federal Ministry of
Information and Culture to showcase the Administration's achievements,
the Minister said the action of the PDP candidate amounts to an
acknowledgement of the Administration's impressive achievements.

He dismissed as 'acute paranoia' the allegation by the former Vice
President that the APC-led federal government is using state resources
for electioneering campaign.

Alhaji Mohammed however said, in a statement issued in Ilorin on
Friday, that it is up to those who made the accusation on the use of
state resources for electioneering campaign to prove it, in line with
the maxim that he who alleges must prove.

''In publicising the activities and achievements of the federal
government, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture is only
carrying out its statutory role. Long before the elections, the
Ministry has used various platforms, including Town Hall Meetings, to
showcase the activities and achievements of the Administration.

''We understand that the PDP and the Atiku Campaign Organization have
been rattled by the achievements as well as the effectiveness of the
campaign to showcase them. We are sorry we can't help them,'' Alhaji
Mohammed said.

He however expressed surprise that the PDP that said the Buhari
Administration has not achieved anything has now turned around to
admit that the media is awash with video testimonies from Nigerians on
the Administration's achievements.

Segun Adeyemi
SA To Hon Minister of Information and Culture
Ilorin
11 Jan 2019

*24 Reasons Atiku Must Not Be President*

*Greed*

1. Atiku borrowed money from Ecobank and refused to pay back. When his name was published as a delinquent debtor, he said he never applied for the N150m loan. It was just “allocated to him”.

2. Atiku took a loan from Bank PHB in 1998 of N300m to run for Governorship of Adamawa, when he was controversially declared the winner and after becoming the Vice President the bank “cancelled” the loan.

3. Atiku should tell us what happened to the N7.5b failed Chochi Dam project, for which he brought the contractor & supervised the project.

4. What happened to the Jada Federal Government communication project awarded by Obasanjo under his supervision which N4.5b went into a failed project?

*Abuse of Office*

5. Atiku boasted that he was smart enough to set up Intels whilst he was a Customs Officer. Intels handles customs logistics and container services within the same Ports. Atiku used govt office as ‘work-chop’, a clear breach of his terms of employment.
Watch Atiku’s period as Vice Presidency witnessed longest university closure due to ASUU strike. Rather than solve the problem, Atiku seized the business opportunity to secure a university license for himself and make money from a problem he should solve but refused to solve.

*Criminal Activity*

7. According to Wikileaks, quoting a member of the Niger Delta Technical Committee on illegal bunkering, Atiku used Intels to perpetrate large scale oil bunkering and arms dealing. Little wonder Atiku says killings would continue if PMB remains in office.

*Lies*

8. ‘I made my money from letting my 1st house in Yola and building others with the rent’- Atiku, 2007 (published in Wikipeadia)

*More Lies*

9. ‘I sourced my wealth by acquiring 4 pick-up vans on hire purchase and it grew into my transport business’- Atiku, Nov 2017 (published in Premium Times)

*Even More Lies*

10. ‘I started by selling firewood’- Atiku, Nov 2018

11. Atiku is a fugitive from the law in the US. He claims he wasn’t given a visa but the US Embassy states categorically that Atiku has never applied for a visa ever since he was indicted by the US Congress on money laundering charges.

*Grand Corruption*

12. According to the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Atiku as VP Nigeria used offshore companies to siphon millions of USD to Jennifer Douglas his 4th wife in the US.

13. William Jefferson, a key accomplice of Atiku is in jail for arranging money for Atiku to influence award of contracts and licenses in Nigeria…little wonder Atiku was invited to apply for US visa but kept a safe distance from the Embassy.

14. Atiku like a bad coin was also involved in the Siemens $2.8b bribe scandal… name any bribe scandal, Atiku is there.

15. Atiku is the 1st sitting Nigerian VP that was hunted and indicted by the US for a corruption offence, even with diplomatic immunity.

*Violence*

16. According Wikileaks, quoting Makarfi former Gov of Kaduna and former PDP chairman, Atiku staged the Sharia riots that caused the burning of several buildings just to embarrass Obasanjo…no limit to desperation.

*Other Atrocities*

17. Remember the $17billion spending on electricity? Atiku owns the biggest generator importation business in Nigeria. How would he want PHCN to work?

18. Atiku as Chairman Presidential Council on Privatisation supervised the sale of government corporations to himself using cronies. He has also promised to sell NNPC and other remaining assets to his hangers on.

19. A leopard never changes its spots. In 2018, Atiku was at it again, spending an estimate of N9billion to secure PDP nomination spending $5,000 per delegate. As a businessman, he will first look for where to recover the money win or lose the election!

20. Bamanga Tukur was one of the richest people in the North East with two shipping vessels on the high seas, but just after 8 years as VP, Atiku not only became the richest in Adamawa and one of the richest in Nigeria, building 158 mansions in the country.

21. Atiku is a *religious bigot*. He built 42 mosques in Christian dominated areas of Adamawa State the citing and construction of some of these mosques created several crisis killing thousands of people and dethroning a First Class king.

22. As a retired Customs officer & VP, how did Atiku get millions of dollars without a bank loan to pay American University in Washington DC for a direct franchise license for a University with an estimated worth of $25 million.

*Let’s hear from his chief endorser*

23. “If with what I know, I support Atiku for anything God will not forgive me. If I do not know, yes. But once I know, Atiku can never enjoy my support” –
*Obj August 3, 2018*

24. “What i did not know, which came out glaringly later, was his parental background which was somewhat shadowy, his propensity to corruption, his tendency to disloyalty, his inability to say and stick to the truth all the time, a propensity for poor judgement, his belief and reliance on marabouts, his lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out on all issues and his readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety, truth and national interest for self and selfish interest”
*Obj on Atiku page 32, Lines 5-12 My Watch.*

*If Obj is acquainted of all these and change as an ordinary man, what about the so called men of God* ��‍♂!

*I think we all knew the level of corruption in Nigeria*


*May God saves us from the double faces in this country, Aameen �*!

��‍♂��‍♂��‍♂��‍♂��‍♂

WHY NIGERIANS SHOULD VOTE FOR PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI - VP OSINBAJO


*VP receives rousing reception from huge crowds in Oke-Ogun towns, Oyo State

The forthrightness and sincerity of the Buhari government is not in doubt and Nigerians should stand with this administration in the coming elections, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this over the weekend during his visits to Igbeti, Igboho, Kisi, and Saki, in the Oke-Ogun areas of Oyo State, where he was given rousing receptions by huge crowds at different stops.

The Vice President further said that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is a government for the poor and common man who lives in every local government area of the country.

According to him, "all the Social Investment Programmes of the Buhari administration is to empower the common man and the poor."

Speaking to the excited crowd at Igbeti town during a campaign rally/street chats on Friday, Prof. Osinbajo said the TraderMoni, MarketMoni and the N-Power programmes are designed to take the common people out of poverty."

"The TraderMoni is to empower the small, small traders, it is not for big business. Those in big businesses have their own, which is called the MarketMoni. We want to reach every village so that the people here will also benefit from this government, all of us will be going up, up, up," the VP emphasized.


He assured that hardworking people like artisans e.g tailors will be assisted with money to enhance their businesses, adding, "even those who are not graduates, but can read and write will be given a stipend monthly like those in the N-Power programme."

Singing a campaign song which he composed in Yoruba, "Up, up, we are going, up, up we are going," the VP enjoined the people to join hands with the government whose leaders will use the money meant for the masses to work for them and should not allow those leaders who will be stealing people's money to return.

“We have been able to do more with less resources,” Prof. Osinbajo added.

On his courtesy visit to the Paramount ruler (Onigbeti) of Igbeti Land, Oba Emmanuel Oyekan Oyebisi, Ofasegbejo III of Igbetiland, Prof. Osinbajo, commended the Oba and thanked him for a warm welcome.

Earlier, the Oba commended the Social Investment Programmes of the Buhari administration, describing it as the people's programmes, and requested for the development of natural resources such as different types of marbles available in the town for the betterment of not only the indigenes but the country at large.

While assuring the Oba that his requests would be looked into, the VP said, "Kabiyesi, this coming election is for progress, we have already seen it but if we are not cautious we may be drawn back, but God forbid it."

Following his visit to Igbeti town, Vice President Osinbajo also went to Kisi, the headquarters of Irepo Local Government Area of Oyo State, where he was received by a mammoth and excited crowd.

Prof. Osinbajo urged them to stand with the government in the coming elections.

On Saturday, on his visit to Saki Local Government Area, the Vice President also received a rousing welcome by huge crowds at different stops.

On arrival, Prof. Osinbajo paid a courtesy call to the Bagii of Saki, High Chief Abdrasheed Gazali Adegoke, where he met with traditional rulers in the area, who commended him for being “a great Vice President.” They noted that the Buhari administration deserves a second term for its efforts in improving the welfare of Nigerians.

Also, in continuation of the Family Chats, Prof. Osinbajo on Saturday visited the families of Alhaji Ganiyu Akere and Mr. & Mrs Sunday Kolajo, in Saki, Oyo State.

At Saki, the Vice President addressed rallies where he emphasized the Social Investment Programme and the Next Level plan of the Buhari administration. He noted that one of the plans include the establishment of the People’s Moni Bank that would give soft loans to Nigerians.

Prof. Osinbajo added that the people of Oke-Ogun have seen the good thing that has happened to them within this short time. He noted that the Minister of Communication, Barr. Adebayo Shitu who accompanied him on the visits was from Oke-Ogun.

Continuing, he also assured the Saki people that their request for potable water, road infrastructure and power would be looked into, as the Buhari government would continue in its efforts to improve the lives of all Nigerians.

He assured that the people would benefit from the Trans-border International Market since Saki shares border with Republic of Benin and Togo.

At the Sango area, also in Saki, the Vice President addressed a huge crowd of people in the predominantly Hausa community, where he, again, assured them of President Buhari's concern for the poor.

He said, "the next level of change is to lift everyone from poverty and provide more infrastructural development."

The people of Saki pledge their unalloyed support for the re-election of President Buhari in the forthcoming presidential election, noted Barr. Abdulwaheed Lawal who spoke on behalf of APC, in Saki. Lawal added that the people would support the Buhari administration's Next Level agenda.

Earlier in the day, Prof. Osinbajo had attended the wedding ceremony of the son of the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, in Ibadan, while he also interacted with the League of Imams and Alfas, also in Ibadan, before he proceeded to Saki Local Government, wrapping up a two-day focus on the Oke-Ogun areas of Oyo State.



Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
6th January 2019

RE: TALK OF SOUTH WEST PRESIDENCY IS ABSURD AND UNPATRIOTIC- by Yemi Ola

I stumbled on an opinion piece by a columnist, Dele Sobowale titled *TALK OF SOUTH WEST PRESIDENCY IS ABSURD AND UNPATRIOTIC.*
The piece was an apparent reaction to a statement purportedly made by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN regarding the possibility of a South West Presidency in 2023, as an aftermath of a South West aided Buhari win in 2019.

First and foremost, reading through the verified reports, it is clear that certain elements have decided to play mischief with the Vice President's visit and closed door discussion with the revered Alaafin of Oyo.

It is disturbing that the same mischievous elements dreg up falsehood and then generate a debate around it using their media collaborators.

Regardless however, Sobowale’s piece does stand history on its head on many of the issues raised.

*The Zoning Issue*

Nigeria has at least 250 major tribes, all now agglomerated to 36 States and more than 700 local government areas. This is contrary to the 6 geo-political zone fiction that has been fed to us over time. The PDP instituted an unwritten rotation of the Presidency between the North and the South commencing from 1999. Accordingly, once President Obasanjo rounded up his 2nd term, the serious PDP presidential nominations in 2007 were almost unanimously from the North. Does this however make the zoning arrangement binding on every party or every possible contestant? My answer is NO!

As a pointer, there were several Southern contestants for the Presidency in the 2007 elections. This was notwithstanding the fact that the South just completed 8 years in the presidency.

In fact, the *South East presented 5 candidates for the 2007 Presidential elections!*
It would be disrespectful to argue that high caliber personalities such as *Dim Emeka Ojukwu (who contested as flag bearer for APGA) and Chief Orji Uzor Kalu (who contested under PPA) were unserious contestants.*

Assuming without conceding that zoning the Presidency is binding, it has *never* been tribal. To argue the contrary would mean each of the 250 tribes in Nigeria must serially occupy the office, perhaps in alphabetic order. If it was tribal, how come the Northern occupants of the office in this 4th Republic have all come from Katsina State in the North West and how come all South-West occupants from 1960 till date have come from Ogun State, Abeokuta to be precise?

Even if we are to tow the geo-political zone line, it is important to note that while the Igbos produced 2 leaders in the 60s – Nnamdi Azikiwe (albeit ceremonial) and General Aguiyi-Ironsi (1963-1966), there are many other equally important and illustrous ethnic groups yet to produce any president/head of state till date and are therefore more deserving of any so-called zoning preferential treatment.

*Numbers & Candidature*

The truth of the matter is that in a democracy, parties would most likely always choose a candidate from its largest support base. No party would choose a candidate from a zone where it is not supported.
Conversely, for a geo-political zone to stand a good chance during a presidential election, it should either align behind one serious contender (as did the North in 2015) or trade-off with other zones to be the only serious front runners (as did the SW in 1999).

This perspective on candidature exposes the fallacy in Sobowale’s allegation that late Dr. Ekwueme would have been elected as President in 1999 to heal the wound of the civil war. First, the unanimous concession to the SW in 1999 was compensation for the June 12 debacle and the demise of Chief MKO Abiola. Except Sobowale is attempting to rewrite history, he would remember that the 1979 choice of a SE Vice President was partly to bring the SE back to the mainstream after the civil war. *Even at that, the NPN lost massively in the 2 SE States of Anambra and Imo.* The respected Ekwueme (who earlier lost governorship nomination to C. C. Onoh) could not even deliver the minimum 25% in those States. How can anybody posit that he could have won in 1999?

Secondly, nobody serves power a la carte. Many dispassionate observers contend that the South East would still lose the election even if all main stream political parties decide to zone the Presidency to the South East.

*In this regard, the experience at the last NBA elections represents a good pointer* .

All zones had an unwritten agreement to zone the NBA presidency to the South East. Unfortunately, the South Eastern bar associations could not agree to work together and present a single candidate.

The aftermath was the emergence of *Paul Usoro from the South-South.* The new President was rumoured to be a reluctant candidate who took advantage of the division in the ranks of the South East lawyers. *He scored 4,509 to emerge winner after defeating Mr Arthur Obi Okafor (SAN) who scored 4,423 votes and Prof Ernest Ojukwu (SAN) who scored 3,313. Imagine if one SE candidate had stepped down for the other!*

It is also a wrong and irresponsible tactic to threaten *Civil War 2 if the Presidency is not zoned to the South East* . Or is Sobowale suggesting that the boko haram insurgents would be assuaged by zoning the Presidency to the North East? Dissemination of information, thoughts and opinion through the media deserves a bit of discretion. It is a trust that must not be abused in such a cavalier manner. It is very insensitive to wish civil war on a country battling insurgency if voters do not elect a South Easterner as President.

*Who Bells the Cat?*

Either by freak of nature or by collusion, no 4th Republic mainstream party has ever nominated a presidential flagbearer from the South East.
This is undesirable as the South East has eminently qualified individuals. The followership is however an issue. Beyond the late Nnamdi Azikwe, the South East has not trusted any of its men with pan- Igbo leadership. In 2007, we had an array of stars from the SE putting their names on the ballot. *If the South East could only give 5 illustrious sons a total of a paltry 813,000 votes, why should voters from other zones give them more?* If the SE voters do not trust presidential candidates from their region, why should others? Why would an Atiku step down after one term for an Igbo Presidency when the touted candidate as APGA governor of Anambra State could only command 155,947 votes for APGA in the 2007 Presidential elections? This is even with his deep pockets, the source of which is shrouded in shady rumours. Let us not forget that the 2007 elections held when Obi was at the peak of his powers as Anambra governor. That he could not deliver 25% votes in Anambra State to APGA tells a lot about the scam he perpetrated on Anambra while he was governor. It was indeed a latent defect that started unraveling when the governor he installed to cover his tracts turned against him.

Why would the South West, with proven leaders like Tinubu, Fashola, Fayemi, Amosun, Osinbajo, Ajimobi, Amosun etc jettison a chance to be president to favour a South East zone that spurned the chance to produce a Senate President when it did not produce a single APC Senator from the SE?

According to a Yoruba saying, (at least before the days of photoshop), there is no cheating in photography, you would see yourself exactly the way you positioned yourself. The South East has a golden chance to play profitable politics for once. A massive support for the APC can convince other stakeholders that the APC can win the 2023 Presidency with a candidate from the South East. It can be argued that the SE stands a chance in the PDP if Atiku serves only one term. However, Atiku has refused to commit any such promise to paper, opening the door of deniability. Secondly, would anybody in his right senses rely on Atiku’s word? This is especially as there are more verifiable facts of his public lies than truths.

So, as we all prepare for the 2019 elections, I strongly advise the so called Mr Sobowale to avoid rewriting history right before our eyes!

Fayose’s Mischief on TraderMoni Scheme is not out of Character - Presidency

It is mischievous, but not entirely out of character, for former Governor Ayo Fayose to mindlessly attack TraderMoni, the interest-free N10,000 loans given to petty traders.



For the records, the issue of TraderMoni has been addressed several times in the public space. It is infantile for the PDP and Fayose to keep rehashing outright falsehood. It is clear from their actions that Fayose and his cronies are bereft of workable ideas and do not have any clear-cut agenda for their campaigns, so they have no choice but to resort to regurgitating spurious allegations like this. Their resort to the unending generation of fake news as a campaign strategy is not shocking, coming especially from Fayose, but it is nonetheless pitiful.



But Nigeria can see through the deception. It doesn’t matter how long they keep trying, the truth would stand. The TraderMoni scheme is not just helping the lives and businesses of ordinary Nigerians like petty traders at the bottom of the economic ladder, it is, again, proof that the Buhari administration is irretrievably focused on improving the lives of the common man.



In case Fayose has forgotten, or better still pretends not to remember, under the Buhari administration, N2.7 trillion has been spent in two budget cycles on capital, the highest in the nation’s history. This would not have been possible if not for the prudent management of resources and the absence of grand corruption for which his party PDP is well known. This government has been able to do far more with less resources, than what was obtained under past administrations, where profligacy & gross mismanagement of the country’s resources were rife.



Thus, Fayose’s feeble attempt to lump the Vice President or the Buhari administration into the sordid happenings under the PDP in past administration through spreading falsehood is not only mischievous, but a disrespect to hardworking Nigerians in their millions who are now enjoying the impact of the Social Investment Programmes of this administration.



It must be emphasized that, for the records, the repatriated $322m is now currently being applied to support the Buhari administration’s Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme under the Social Investment Programmes. Part of the conditions under which the looted funds were restored to Nigeria is that the World Bank would be involved in over-sighting its disbursements, which is what is being done now.

Thus, any claim of re-looting of any kind is totally false and must be ignored by Nigerians. Fayose and his ilk merely cry wolf where none exists; a shameless habit for which he is now well known.



Currently, almost 300,000 Nigerians in 21 states are benefitting from the CCT, where they receive a monthly stipend of N5,000. The beneficiaries are registered in the National Social Register across these states and the process of selecting beneficiaries is transparent; it is based on the World Bank’s Community Based Targeting whereby the different communities themselves identify the beneficiaries in a transparent process that is open to review and public auditing, even by Fayose, if he chosen to be that reasonable.



That the Vice President is championing the scheme across the states is because of the commitment of the administration to the common man and to ensure effective implementation.



It obviously appears that the PDP are riled by the impact of the TraderMoni scheme, where over 1.2 million petty traders are beneficiaries at the last count. The disbursement process of the TraderMoni loans is transparent and direct, while the enumeration is technology-driven, whereby enumerators meet traders at their business locations to get their data, which includes names, phone number and account number. This process is largely tied to a phone number which also doubles as a mobile money wallet. The registered phone numbers are then credited with the loan via a mobile money platform, from which the agents transfer the money to the beneficiary’s bank account or give physical cash of N10,000 in cases where no account exists. The Bank of Industry facilitates the loan disbursements in partnership with third-party agents to ensure transparency, accountability and efficiency of the process.

What is reassuring is that Nigerians are aware of the desperation of people like Fayose, who are rehashing old, baseless and worn-out allegations because they really have nothing to offer Nigerians, nor any shard of honour left to their names.



Signed by:

SIP Response Team, Presidency

THERE HE GOES AGAIN



by James Akinloye



*An editor of an otherwise respectable medium develops incurable obsession against a distinguished leader.



*The tale of a certain Abraham Ogbodo



Mr. Abraham Ogbodo seems to have an obsession with Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. He is constantly searching for what next the Vice President would do – but if he was searching with good intent it would have been better, unfortunately for this suspicious journalist, he is always on the lookout for whatever the Vice President would do with the intent to malign his character.



He claims to love him in his recent piece, ANOTHER SERMON ON PROFESSOR YEMI OSINBAJO, but I think he is mistaken love with perjorative obsession, and an embarrassing partisan slant that is easy to detect. Give it to him, Ogbodo knows what he is doing and the readers too understand his despicable mission.



Right from 2014 that President Muhammadu Buhari emerged as APC presidential candidate, this man decided to submit himself to the task of attacking the candidate. But when Prof Osinbajo became running mate, the matter became for him a lasting mission to embarrass seeing the undoubtable value Osinbajo brought to the table.



His latest article is another example of expression of this unwholesome mission. He makes an attempt to deceive his readers by painting a scenario as if the Vice President goes to markets to handover N10,000 to TraderMoni beneficiaries. Deliberate misinformation.

A click on Google to search for how the TraderMoni is disbursed by the Bank of Industry would have brought sense and clarity to Abraham’s position. Unfortunately his intent is to malign the Vice President and deceive his readers hence his conscious failure to make the necessary enquiries.



Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s visits to the markets have simply been to monitor the disbursements of these monies to the traders. He has never gone to the market to share money. The intent of the VP is simply to be with the people. Mr. Abraham may forget that leaders in government are elected for the people and there is nothing wrong whatsoever in the Vice President going to ensure a programme of the government is being carried out righteously. If Mr. Abraham Obodo is afraid that this will win the Vice President support, then he must be ready to live with this fear forever.



He fundamentally fails to understand that government is for the people and these traders are citizens as much as Governors, as much as Traditional Rulers, as much as Head of Parastatals and Agencies, and as much as business leaders who meet with the Vice President every now and then on official purposes. They are citizens as well and the Vice President has only shown himself to be a leader of the people by going down to meet with them and interact with them on their levels. It is unfortunate that his involvement in observing the disbursement of the Trader Moni loan scheme surprises people like Abraham. He perhaps looks down on the poor, and believes that nothing should be done to salvage and elevate them. A thinking derived from an aloof elitist mindset that government should be for the few, the wealthy while abandoning the majority who are poor.



Those baselessly making the accusation of electoral fraud are simply unaware and oblivious of the duties of government to the people at the least. Indeed if the government is working and fulfilling its promises to the people and that is termed vote buying then I think we need to encourage vote buying as an official practice.



Another item of controversy that Mr Abrahma raises in his opinion article is the Vice President’s comment vis-a-vis the conversation on the 2023 Presidency.



This was an innocuous remark that has been taken out of context. The Vice President was only encouraging the South-Western region of the country to participate in deciding the equation of who produces the President in 2023.



Misinterpreting him is only to subject a simple democratic and political issue to the pettiness of ethnicity. We must not pretend not to know how Nigeria’s politics operates.



It is expected as a matter of unspoken consensus that in 2023 power will shift to the south, and that means the contest to produce the President will be between the South-West, the South-South and the South-East regions. Each of the regions would have a place in the contest.



The Vice President in a discussion with leaders in the South-West has only put forward the reality that the South-West must present itself as a relevant contender and one of them is delivering on votes to Professor Osinbajo’s party. This is a fundamental in democracy.



Do we expect the Vice President to act as if he is not a member of the APC, or as if he does not want his region to contribute massively to the votes that would retain his party in power in 2023?



In the same vain, Dr. Chris Ngige encouraging the South-East to throw in their votes as part of their own contribution to show that they are equally ready participants to contest for the position of President in 2023.



Vice President Osinbajo would leave a grand legacy after his tenure in office. His landmark feats would stretch from his legal practice to his days as Attorney General of Lagos State to his role as Vice President - his legacies will certainly outlive him. The reforms he has made as Attorney General, the reforms he is making as Vice President, his leadership style as chair of the National Economic Council, his astuteness, his brilliance and his management of the Social Investment Programmes that has invested and impacted the lives of over 15 million Nigerians will speak for him. Professor Osinbajo and his boss and partner, President Buhari have brought something different to the table of government: and that is government must not neglect the poor. An ideology they have held to heart in deploying resources of State for the Nigerian people. If Abraham Ogbodo’s obsession with the Vice President clogs his eyes to seeing this, millions of Nigerians can see it.



Sunday James Akinloye is a Democratic Rights Activist, Political Commentator and the President of the Initiative to Save Democracy Group (ISD)

BMO raises alarm over Atiku's plot to bring in illicit funds
The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has raised an alarm over a grand plot by the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar to bring illicit funds into the country ahead of the 2019 elections.
It consequently wants the Central Bank of Nigeria and relevant security agencies including the Customs and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to be on the lookout for cross border movement of large sums of dollars into the country.
BMO said in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke that it is as a result of the desperation to bring money stashed abroad into the country with a view to outspending the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We have it on good authority that the PDP and its Presidential candidate are making strenuous efforts to bring in public funds stashed abroad including those from recent sales of assets in Angola which were acquired with illicit funds.
“We also know that the former Vice President has made promissory transaction commitments on a number of strategic national assets including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and a percentage holding in the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) to a foreign syndicate.
“All these are out of desperation and as a result of his inability to raise funds from governors elected on PDP platform, many of whom are themselves locked in stiff battles for their seats”, it said.
The group explained that the move by the PDP Presidential candidate follows stringent measures put in place by the CBN and EFCC to ensure sanity in the banking sector.
This BMO said is against the backdrop of how top officials of the last PDP government used some banks especially Fidelity Bank to move public funds to party officials in all states of the federation before the last election.
it added “It is clear to Atiku Abubakar and PDP elements that the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration has put in place a system that has made it difficult for the type of situation in 2015 where former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke could warehouse $115,000,000 (One hundred and fifteen million dollars) which was then shared among party officials to influence electoral officials.
“They also know that even the EFCC is very much on the alert at local airports as seen in the manner its operatives have twice in recent times intercepted undeclared sums of money running into millions of dollars.
“So these opposition elements are now working out a more crooked way of bringing in money through the borders in order to circumvent the system before and during the February 2019 elections".
BMO consequently wants all relevant agencies to double their efforts to enforce provisions of the of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 (as amended).

Achi-Okpagha giving Ohanaeze Ndigbo a bad name - Group



A political group in Nigeria says Prince Uche Achi-Okpagha is tarnishing the image and acceptability of apex Igbo socio-political organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.



Oganiru-Igbo Union (OIU) said statements credited to Achi-Okpagha does not represent what Igbos stand for, stressing that, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been hijacked by some self-seeking individuals.



President of OIU, Chief Christian U. Amadi explained that Igbos and indeed Nigerians can see through the likes of Achi-Okpagha who have added no value to Nigeria and even Igbos.



“It is not Ohanaeze Ndigbo that is the problem, it is people like Achi-Okpagha (National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze) who is led by his belly. People like him add no value to our country, they only seek to divide us.



Amadi said only last month, the group’s youth council was praising President Muhammadu Buhari for all the road construction in the region.



In November, National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro praised President Buhari in Abakaliki and said the Igbos were happy with him.



Quoting Isiguzoro, Amadi said, “I must tell you that the people of South East region are happy with President Buhari’s ingenuity particularly in the area of road rehabilitation, like the Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Okigwe and Port Harcourt highways.”



Amadi noted that groups like Ohanaeze Ndigbo should unite Nigerians and not divide the country. “Achi-Okpagha is causing people to believe that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is a divisive group that is not serving the interests of Igbos.



He added that South East governors have openly commended President Buhari and those are the people who lead the South East.



“The Home Grown School Feeding Programme has been endorsed and lauded by South East governors. The infrastructural achievements by this administration is there for all to see,” he said.



“N-Power, TraderMoni, FarmerMoni and other Social Investment Programmes have positively affected all Nigerians including Igbos.



OIU also rebuked Achi-Okpagha for saying Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is allowing President Buhari use him like toilet tissue.



“This group has no moral justification for such as statement, Amadi said, “The combination of Buhari and Osinbajo is the best Nigeria has had, they are two people with integrity, credibility and dignity.



“The chemistry between them is beyond the understanding of opposition groups like Ohanaeze,” he argued.

Amadi added that Buhari and Osinbajo will be re-elected based on the good job they have done in the last three and half years.

THIS GOVERNMENT IS FOR YOU AND WILL NOT ABANDON YOU, VP OSINBAJO ASSURES NIGERIANS
*Says Buhari administration remains committed to welfare of the poor, at Family Chats in Abuja

The Buhari administration is for all Nigerians, despite social class and status, and remains committed to improving their welfare so they can lead better lives, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Thursday during the Family Chats, where he visited the Sanwo Olatunji-David’s family at the Games Village, and interacted with Nigerians in New Kuchingoro village, and the Wuse II neighbourhood centre, all in the FCT, Abuja.

The Olatunji-David family runs a foundation called Life Builders Initiative for Education and Societal Integration, which runs a free education project called school without walls.

During the visit, the VP stated that the Buhari administration remains focused on improving the lives of Nigerians. He also highlighted the administration's Social Investment schemes, including the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, which currently provides a free, nutritious meal daily to over 9 million pupils in 26 states.

Shortly after interacting with the Olatunji-David’s family at the Games Village, Prof. Osinbajo proceeded to the neighbourhood park where he bought some local meat delicacy popularly known as Suya and interacted with some residents of the area.

“You’re the best Vice President,” excited Nigerians in the neighbourhood park said delightedly as he interacted with them.

At the New Kuchingoro village, near Games Village, the Vice President was also welcomed amidst singing and dancing by the residents.

Through an interpreter, Prof. Osinbajo assured the people there of the Federal Government’s commitment to address the challenges confronting them, adding that the Buhari administration remains committed to their welfare and that of all Nigerians.

“I want you to understand that this government is for you and will not abandon you, we will support you so you can live better lives by doing something for yourselves; that is what I can assure that we will do,” the Vice President said.

The VP added: “I have been informed of your challenges and I can assure you that the government of President Buhari has programmes that will address some of your immediate needs.

“Those of you who are into farming, we are going to support you with the necessary things that will make you less dependent – to feed yourselves, cloth yourselves and send your children to school. Those who want to trade, we are going to assist you through the TraderMoni scheme."

Citing the introduction of the N-power programme and the tech hubs initiatives, Prof. Osinbajo said Nigeria’s youths would be better placed if they leveraged on opportunities provided through the administration’s technology initiatives and the economic empowerment schemes.

While interacting with Nigerians at different points in the neighbourhoods he visited, and engaging them on issues, Prof. Osinbajo assured them of the Buhari government’s commitment to address the needs of all Nigerians, especially the poor.

During the visits, Prof. Osinbajo emphasized that the Buhari government was committed to ensuring that young people were empowered through the various initiatives introduced by the government since 2015.

At the Wuse II neighbourhood centre, the Vice President visited the Luxor Barbers shop and interacted with customers and staff. Excited Nigerians in the neighbourhood also thronged the vicinity to take photographs with the Vice President, amidst cheers from the crowd.

It would be recalled that last week Sunday, the Vice President had visited the leader of the Hausa community in Agege, Lagos, Alhaji Musa Muhammed Dogonkadai.

Similarly, on Christmas Eve, the Vice President continued the Family Chats in Wuse and Garki, Abuja, where he visited the families of Rtd. Col. Ahmed Zubair and Mr. Abdulwaheed Yusuf.

At the Family Chats, the Vice President meets with Nigerians in their homes and neighbourhoods, engaging them on issues and the Next Level plan of the Buhari administration.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
28th December, 2018
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