TonyeBarcanista: I said there is no evidence I never said the report is true or false. I'm yet to see it!
But even if it was/is the case, it is still not enough. It requires the court to convict him first and disqualify him based on the conviction (perjury and forgery) but that will be overtaken by event.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ @TonyeBarcanista
Your NL comments were published in the Saturday Punch of 27th of October 2018... In response to the front page story on Buhari's certificate.
PREMIUM TIMES sent Mr. Atunwa a message informing him of our findings.
In response, he said he is “fully compliant with all the legal requirements to be elected to the Office of the Governor of Kwara State.”
He added, “I did not submit any unsupported NYSC certificate as suggested by you.
“I strongly advise that you verify each and every assertion you wish to make. You may wish to make formal enquiries/verifications of all institutions concerned.
“You should also be circumspect enough to authenticate the provenance of any document you may be handed if it’s not from a formal and official source.
“An organization such as yours should not fall short of the required legal and ethical standards.”
He also told one of reporters by telephone that he broke no law because he did not submit any fake document to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He declined to explain why he failed to participate in the mandatory national service scheme.
This newspaper’s investigation did not show he submitted the document to INEC and our question to him was not along that line. We only said he submitted the document to the PDP.
However, following PREMIUM TIMES enquiry, the lawmaker, party insiders say, has triggered a scheme to replace the documents he submitted to the PDP, and withdraw the fake NYSC certificate.
“He is now planning to claim that secondary school certificate is his highest academic qualification and that he did not need to serve,” one source said.
The PDP, when contacted, said it was not aware of the forgery.
“I am not aware of this,” spokesperson Kola Ologbondiyan said of the problematic document Mr Atunwa presented to the party . “Please give me time to find out.”
A GODFATHER’S FAVOURITE
For several months leading up to the PDP primaries in late September, Mr Atunwa was not considered a favourite for the Kwara PDP governorship slot.
The race was largely seen as a battle among Shaba Lafiagi, a serving senator; Bolaji Abdullahi, a former sports minister; Abubakar Suleiman, a former national planning minister; and Ali Ahmad, the current speaker of the state Assembly.
Only Messrs Atunwa and Lafiagi remained in the race when the primaries held on October 1 in Ilorin, and the House member defeated the senator by 4,555 to 577 votes. Other candidates withdrew from the race in protest, insinuating that Senate President Saraki imposed Mr Atunwa on the party.
A RAGING EPIDEMIC
After the publication of Ms Adeosun’s scandal, there are suggestions by some Nigerians online that many Nigerians who schooled abroad did not return home to serve, but instead opted for either forged exemption or discharge certificates to clinch employments and appointments in Nigeria.
Although the investigation was published in early July, Ms Adeosun did not resign until mid-September, after the pressure from Nigerians home and away became too much for the Buhari administration to bear, and as a competitive general election was looming.
Rather than being arrested for forgery and prosecuted by federal authorities, Ms Adeosun was allowed to quietly depart Nigeria a day after he resignation, a development for which President Muhammadu Buhari was fiercely knocked by critics, who used it to ridicule his anti-corruption claims.
Mr Shittu, the communications minister who was in the race for the All Progressives Congress’ governorship ticket in Oyo State, was disqualified from the race by the ruling party after PREMIUM TIMES published another investigation showing that he evaded youth service upon graduation from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University.
While the ruling APC found Mr Shittu’s position for office untenable, Mr Buhari continued to keep him in office, more than a month after the scandal broke.
While Ms Adeosun said she did not know her certificate was forged (although PREMIUM TIMES revealed she knew at least since 2015 when senators screened her for ministerial position) Mr Shittu said he deliberately avoided service because he assumed he had done a greater service to the nation when he was elected to state parliament immediately after graduating.
contigiency: When cultural celebrations are taken to a stange and distant land, then there is a confusion about who is actually celebrating and whose land is being appeased.
It also shows that the perpetrators are obviously not serious because they end up not appeasing their own land.
WotzupNG: A BBC sports editor has apologized after he was caught saying the beauty queen who died in the Leicester helicopter crash was a mistress of football club owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
Dan Roan’s remarks were picked up by microphones outside the King Power Stadium, where flowers and candles were laid in tribute to the Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
Mr Roan was overheard saying: “The mistress who died in the crash…otherwise known as a member of staff…i.e. mistress.
“If you were a billionaire, it’s relatively expected, so we shouldn’t judge.”
The recording which was later posted on social media, sparked an outrage among football fans. Some accused him of being “disrespectful” and “thoughtless”, while another said: “Don’t come anywhere near my football club again.”
Dan Roan, who has been a BBC News’ sports editor since 2014, has apologized stating that he meant “absolutely no offence” by the comments.
He wrote on Twitter: “Just want to say sorry for some comments made in a private, off-air conversation earlier with a colleague. Absolutely no offence intended.”
A BBC spokesman said: “This was an ill-judged comment made in a private off-air conversation for which Dan has apologized.”
Vinchai Srivaddhanaprabha was killed along with two staff members, the pilot and a passenger in the Leicester helicopter crash.
The aircraft fell from the sky and burst into flames outside the King Power Stadium after developing problem. The incident occurred at about 8.30pm on Saturday.
The four other victims were employees: former beauty queen, Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare; The pilot Eric Swaffer and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz, who was also a professional pilot.
Pilot Eric Swaffer is believed to have saved the lives of hundreds of fans by steering the doomed aircraft away from vulnerable fans on the ground.
Famousbabe: A twitter user, The Village Headmaster shared this video of Muhammadu Buhari participating in NN24 2011 presidential election debate as flagbearer of CPC.
He then captioned it:
"If they tell you President @MBuhari is scared to debate, show them this video"
MrNollyzone: Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was spotted with the APC, Governorship Aspirant, Babajide Sanwoolu and also the deputy governor, Hamzat in a Governor's Advisory Council meeting held today in Marina, Lagos.
MrNollyzone: Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was spotted with the APC, Governorship Aspirant, Babajide Sanwoolu and also the deputy governor, Hamzat in a Governor's Advisory Council meeting held today in Marina, Lagos.
In the second and final part of this report, the state of two major roads being constructed by the Buhari administration are reviewed. Read the first part of the report here. Gombe-Numan Road
The Gombe-Numan federal road rehabilitation project was awarded afresh by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2016. Nearly two years into the life of the multi-billion naira contract, Nigerians plying the road are not elated about the progress of the project. The federal government awarded the contract for the completion of the rehabilitation of the Gombe-Numan-Yola road to Triacta Nigerian Limited and Chinese Geo-engineering Company (CGC). While Triacta Nigeria Limited undertakes the Gombe to Kaltungo portion of the road, CGC is to rebuild the road from Kaltungo to Numan. The phase-II of the project, located in Gombe State, is to cover the road from Gombe to Kaltungo, which covers a distance of 83km. Earlier in March, motorists plying Gombe-Numan-Yola highway were assured that the ongoing construction work on the Gombe-Kaltungo axis would be completed by June. The Project Manager of the road, Imran Khan, told the Director Federal High Way, North-East at the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Rufai Mohammed, that over 45 kilometres out of the 68 kilometres from the Gombe – Kaltungo axis of the road had been completed. From Gombe, there is a completed road portion which stretches up to Ngadao, a little village located about 30km away from Ngadao, up to the Wuro-Yola village (about 5km further). Our reporter observed in July that fresh rehabilitation works are being undertaken, with some portion of the two sides yet to be completed. A large portion of the road, which leads to Kumo town (44km away) is, however, yet to be tarred, after the recent removal of the dilapidated tarred road. All the reconstruction effort from Gombe axis heading to Kaltungo, stops some few kilometers from Kumo town. The rest of the road, which leads beyond Kumo town, up to about 18km away from Kaltungo, is still yet to be rehabilitated. PREMIUM TIMES, however, observed that a completed portion of the road, about 18km, leads up to Kaltungo town. Isa Adamu, a petty trader in Wuro-Yola village, informed PREMIUM TIMES that about 2km portion of the excavation and grading part of the road, which passes through their village (about 36km away from Gombe), was only done between the June 10 and 13. “It was not up to a month that they moved their equipment to where it is now, not far away from our village,” he said. “I think they stopped working due to Ramadan Sallah. “We are looking forward to having them return immediately so that they can tar the road on time, before the rains turn the graded road into (a) pool of mud and cause problems for travellers,” he said. Saleh Abdullahi, a vulcaniser who operates along the Gombe-Yola road, said “the completed portion that stretched up to Akko local government was done long ago, but when the minister of works came to visit the road, the contractors came to do some dressing of the road, like painting the middle and so on, and left to Kaltungo area”. Our reporter also observed the presence of road construction equipment which were parked at the spots where fresh works were being carried out. Vehicles had to dust their way through the freshly graded portion of the road which is awaiting further development. The remaining stretch of road that goes beyond Kumo town is still dotted with large potholes. Construction work ongoing along Gombe-Numan road at Wura-Yola village.
https://media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2018/10/IMG_20180614_155057.jpg Auwal Suleiman, Triacta Nigeria Limited’s quality control manager for the Gombe-Yola project, said “the Gombe-Numan-Yola rehabilitation project was awarded since 2011 but there was no mobilization for contractors to commence (the) work, until 2016, when it was finally funded”. He said the work commenced in earnest in June 2016; starting from the Gombe town to Kaltungo, in Gombe State. “And we were able to cover 23km by December of 2016. After that, we received a signal from the federal ministry of works to go to the Kaltungo end of the project which happened to be the worst part of the project. “And in 2017 we were able to cover about 18km from that axis. After tackling the worse aspect of the road, we now returned to the Gombe side of the project where we left off, to continue the work, with the intention of connecting it with the Kaltungo side. About 30km long portion of the Gombe-Numan road completed by the contractors. On the stage of the project’s completion, Mr Suleiman said “so far, about 65 per cent of the project has been completed. “There are some sections of the road that are difficult, which we have not been able to cover, especially between Kumo and Billiri towns. Even vehicles are not moving on the road. They have to go down the shoulders and so on. We hope to cover the remaining 35 per cent part of the road by December.” On the issue of funding, Mr Suleiman said the government has not been defaulting in payment. A portion of the awarded Gombe-Numan road where work is yet to be commenced by the contractors.
“This government is really trying because they have not been defaulting in terms of payment. Each time we raise certificate for part completion, they pay promptly. That is why you see us working on the road.” Traffic Challenge
The challenge being faced by Triacta Nigeria Limited, according to Mr Suleiman, is the issue of traffic on the highway. Gombe-Yola road is one of the busiest roads in North-east Nigeria. Contractors have to constantly pay attention and make provision for easy flow of traffic while the work is still ongoing. This slows down the work, he said. Another major challenge for the contractors is the rainy season, he said, which also slows down the speed of the road construction – though a common phenomenon in civil engineering. The contractors said they have engaged over 500 unskilled labourers who are mostly from Gombe, Yola, Kaltungo and other smaller villages which the road passes through. Most of the residents have not made any major complaints on how the construction efforts has made life difficult for them because the road is an existing one. Hence no one has asked for any kind of compensation due to encroachment. “There is enough space to work on, so there has never been any cause to pay compensation whatsoever,” said Triacta’s quality control manager. He added that “even if there is any private structure that is close to the highway, we see it as an encroachment and the federal government has the right of way. And that happen only when we are taking the project through the town. PREMIUM TIMES observed that there is only one bridge between Gombe and Kaltungo which is yet to be built. The management of Triacta explained that work could not start on the bridge due to some technical issues. “There is only one bridge at kilometer -44, between Gombe and Kaltungo. It is a 90 meters long bridge. We have not commenced construction of the bridge due to some issues concerning the discrepancies in the estimation and what it would actually require to build it. Project Manager Triacta Construction Company Mr Walid with Premium Times Correspondent at Shagari Quarry Sokoto State on Monday
“We came to realise that the expected depth written in the design is not going to be workable. The piling depth that was prescribed for the bridge was too small to carry the bridge. So we invited the foundation technician to come and carryout some investigation to know the exact depth of the piling foundation. “We are still waiting for that to be carried out, even though we believe it is going to be more than what they are going to specify in the bill.” The road from Gombe to Kaltungo is being built with a wearing course (which is the outlook layer) of about 4cm; with a binder course of about 10cm; then a stone base of about 20cm, and then the sub-base (laterite base) which is 15cm. There was not much filling on the road because it is an existing road, except where the contractors say they find the road level to be low. Meanwhile, the other portion of the Gombe – Numan road rehabilitation is being handled by a Chinese company, CGC (Chinese Geo-Engineering Company). It is a 113km road distance which has been in a very bad shape for a long time. PREMIUM TIMES’ visit along the road noticed work being done but at a very slow pace. None of the portion of the road which has been excavated from Cham, a village on the border of Gombe and Adamawa state in Numan Local Government Area, has been completed. Motorists are still seen pounding their ways through thick dusts of the excavated road as they ply to and from Gombe and Yola. A small number of construction workers, seen on the road, would not speak to PREMIUM TIMES or give contact details of their employers. The excavation and partial laying of stone asphalt did not go beyond Savanah Sugar Company which is less than 20km. All the remaining portion of the road, from Savanah Sugar Company through Lamurde, up to Kaltungo (about 95km) where Triacta Company started its construction to Gombe town, has been in very bad shape. A motorist, Sani Buba, seen changing a burst tyre near Lamurde town, said the bad road has so much toll on their vehicles. A portion of the awarded Gombe-Numan road where work is yet to be commenced by the contractors. https://media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2018/10/IMG_20180614_155033.jpg “We have never seen such kind of road contract in this country,” he said. “Unlike what we have in the ahead in Kaltungo up to Gombe, these contractors are just punishing us here, especially in the area that they have graded”. Efforts to get the management of CGC to comment on why the project was being executed at a very slow pace were unsuccessful. Sokoto –Tambuwal-Jega Road project
The Sokoto-Tambuwal Jega- Birnin Yauri road transverses Sokoto and Kebbi states. The project was awarded by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in December 2014. Its cost was increased from N10.6 billion to N30.5 billion then. The project was to have been completed in 36 months, which means it should have been completed in 2017. “The rehabilitation of Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Birni Yauri Road: Jega-Birni Yauri (186km) in Kebbi State was awarded in favour of Messrs Triacta Nigeria Limited in the sum of N19.8bn, thereby revising the contract sum from N10.5bn to N30.4bn with a completion period of 36 months,” the then information minister, Nurudeen Mohammed, said. However, inadequate release of funds, insecurity and slow disbursement of funds are however delaying the ongoing construction of Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega road project, according to the project manager, Triacta Construction Company, Walid Aboujaoudi. https://media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2018/10/Completed-Road-Project-FromSokoto-to-Jega.jpg Like for other road projects covered in this investigation, the works ministry refused to provide details of released funds. Slow disbursement of cash
“Part of our challenges is slow disbursement of cash,” Mr Aboujaoudi said. “If the government is willing, we could have finished phase one and two of the projects but the little payment installment is holding the project back. “The project from Sokoto, Jega and Yawuri is 311 kilometre by length. One bypass at Tambuwal is eight kilometre. Now 180 kilometre is completed. Put together, the phase one and two of the project is at 65 per cent completion stage. “The completion period depends on how much the government budgeted for the project in a year. If the government can put a budget of N7 billion in a year, we can finish the project in less than two years. But they budgeted only N2 billion. That’s what makes the project to be uncompleted. Ongoing road construction at Tambuwal Sokoto State https://media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2018/10/ongoing-road-construction-at-Tambuwal-Sokoto-State.jpg “If the government can’t increase the budget for the project, it will take several years before completion. “The more they increase the budget, the more we move fast and our rate is five-year-old. Prices of diesel, gadgets, cement are going up. It’s better for us to finish quickly because of the increasing rate.” Insecurity
Mr Aboujaoudi explained further that the issue of security is a major concern, as there are issues with workers’ safety. “They are kidnapping us. They came here to the quarry in the month of Ramadan. They killed three police officers on guard and kidnapped our colleague.” When asked how much ransom they paid before their colleagues were released, he said he was not part of the negotiation because they did everything from Abuja before the staff was released. He said, “Because of the security situation, we are scared of staying longer in the site. We are forced to leave site early in the day because of the fear of the unknown. “The host communities do complain about the slow movement of the project. We tried to explain to them our willingness to complete the project on time but the slow disbursement of funds and even the budget, is delaying the project.”
On the project impact on the host community, he said over three hundred locals were employed. “We have three quarries. One in Zamfara, one at Sokoto and also in Kebbi State. We employed over three hundred locals in the host community.” The village head of Marake in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto, Abubakar Magaji, commended the federal government over the ongoing road project. Mr Magaji called on the construction company to provide speed breaks in specific locations because of the high speed with which motorists now ply the highway. “We have little kids and our livestock are moving around. Only the speed breaker can notify some drivers to understand that they are approaching a village,” Mr Magaji said. For three months, efforts to get the details of the money disbursed to the contractors have been unsuccessful. When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Hakeem Bello, spokesperson to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, in July, he promised to get back to our reporters on details of the payments made to the affected contractors. But several weeks after our reporter sent the questions and followed up with reminders, he did not respond.
This article is a product of a partnership between PREMIUM TIMES and #Buharimeter to fact-check the state of major roads being constructed by the Buhari administration. Buharimeter is an initiative of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and the Department for International Department (DFID)
AutoReportNG: Earlier today, the minister of transportation, Rt Hon. Rotimi Amaechi was quoted to say that Nigerians should not just sit to read about constructions site alone, he advised Nigerians to go to the site, take pictures and see things for their selves. Well, as a responsible media organization who believe some much in fairness, we decided to link up with an engineer who is part of this project to get us some onsite pictures.
Nigeria had signed a contract with the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation for the construction of the Ibadan to Kaduna rail project, and the minister stated that the government was pushing hard to secure about $6.7bn loan for the project.
Amaechi said, “We’ve signed the contract but we’ve not got the loan. What is key is the loan, which is a bit difficult but we are pushing hard. If we get the loan, then they (CCECC) will start this year, because we are pushing hard. Honestly, it is one of the items I’m putting before the President for consideration.”
AutoReportNG was able to get some real-life pictures.
BoneBlogger: The minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and other passengers had an horrifying experience during a flight from Port-Harcourt, Rivers state capital to Lagos.
It was gathered that the flight via Arik airline experienced a two hour turbulence mid-air, leaving the passengers frightened and in panic as they engaged in serious prayers and praise worship aboard the plane.
Read below how it happened as shared by a flight passenger Grend Miebaka Ibimina.
THE GOD SAVED RT HON. ROTIMI C. AMAECHI AND MANY OTHERS ON ARIK AIR FLIGHT ENROUTE PH-LOS.
No place for argument! We left port Harcourt at about 22:00, experienced some turbulence while descending into Lagos, the pilot said there was storm passing through WA this period, and that it was a rare occurrence. At about 23:30, he made the first attempt to land, I sat by the window so I could see a bit more, the plane was close to touching the ground, when a sudden wind came from the side and took over the plane, pilot aborted the landing, with the plane shaking from side to side due to the wind force, and the engines crying from very high RPM, he made his way back up. People shouted, cried, prayed, and there I was forming cool guy.
My colleague siting behind said "Ibimina, that was a close call" Mr cool guy was there quite saying we will land soon, soon turned into over 2 hours of the pilot struggling to control the plane, people passing out, prayers turning into receive my soul...
But just before the failed first attempt of five attempts, the Lord asked me to pray because it will be worse, I felt it was my many documentaries on "moments before disaster" getting the better of me. For more than two hours, we died many deaths, I thought about my wife and my son, as tears dripped down my face(I just started crying again).
A thought came to me to say my final prayers, the pilot was finding it difficult to steady the plane for over an hour, then I asked myself why did He ask me to pray, if I will still die, so I refused to pray any prayer of "receive my soul" I began to shout Tamunodein!!!!(the peace of God) which happens to be my son's name, I said the storms obeyed You, they will obey you again today, I refuse to die like this!
I speak your peace and declare that You provide a window for this plane to land, by the sixth attempt HE gave us a window and we landed at about 01:02am today. The air hostes at some point started shouting, "people, call upon God, we will survive, raise your praises God is able to do it"
I can't write all that happened, but when we got off the plane, someone from the control room met us and said we went off the radar more than three times. My colleague went to the curpit to thank the pilot, and he told him, he had flown over 50 planes and has never seen this before.
They gathered today to end us, but the Lord sent HIS angels, and Rebuked them.
A thousand tongues truly won't be enough... The Lord spared our lives.
May God bless the pilot of Arik Air flight W3745 from PH - LOS, to all those that survived with me, including the minister of transport, we owe Him our lives. He is a great deliverer!!!
Mobilia: Yes....I did think that. See my experience on N.L. has been quite an interesting ride... I've had guys ask for money, want to marry for Green-card purposes, want to have me purchase items for them, pretend to be my "friend" in order to swoop in and do the Romance online "scam" etc.. Actually only (1) guy was honest about what he wanted....and although it sucks...I can't be angry with him. There was no deception on his part.....in that aspect...but of course I said "no". I find it hilarious when a guy meets you on Monday, is "in love" by Wednesday and wants to get married by Friday.....lol. Does that even make sense?
I think many guys believe a woman's desperate if she hasn't married..by a certain age. But in my country, that isn't a life/death issue. People may get concerned or may try to help out...but they don't start demeaning folks about it.
So with how things are faring in Nigeria in today's society, I know young men and older men want to desperately leave by any means necessary...so if that means marrying an older "Oyinbo", "Oyibo", or an "Akata" then he will do so...
^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ @Mobilia
Hi! Your post got me giggling here and my jaw nearly hit the floor over your encounters as stated in the your post.
LOL...
Hope you're doing Good? Just checking on you after being incommunicado for several months now.
seunmsg: Ekiti State Government has appealed to the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, extend the railway system to the state in a bid to boost its participation in international trade and achievement of the ongoing diversification of economy. State Commissioner for Commerce, Michael Ayodele, said the rail line extension was necessary because “a lot of agricultural products are being wasted in Ekiti State because of lack of opportunities to move them out en-mass for export purpose. The Commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce, Mr. Babatunde Akilo, spoke in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, yesterday at a one-day enlightenment seminar organised by the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) with the theme: “Ports Regulation: A Panacea to a Cost Effective Import/Export in Ekiti State”. Advertisement
He said: “There is a limit to which evacuation can be done by road. Extension of railway system to Ekiti State would definitely increase the export potentialities of the Shippers Council”, calling on the council to use its position “to influence the establishment of more industries in the state”, saying such would serve as catalyst to its events”. This was as stakeholders in shippers activities at the programme requested for the establishment of a warehouse in the state where their products and commodities would be housed for export rather than resorting to use of warehouses in Lagos for that purpose.
^^^^^ ^^^^^ It's in the works... extention will link Osogbo to Ado-Ekiti at a cost of $6.68 billion starting from 2018/2019! It is part of the Lagos-Kano Rail Network.
RabbleRouser: NYSC Certificate Forgery: PDP keeps mum as Razak Atunwa plots to present WAEC as highest qualification
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has refused to explain its position to Nigerians a week after its governorship candidate in Kwara State, Rasak Atunwa, was exposed for forging the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
The party’s national headquarters and its chapter in Kwara both continue to sidestep the scandal despite repeated attempts by PREMIUM TIMES to understand their position on whether Mr Atunwa would be passed to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the party’s governorship candidate.
But PREMIUM TIMES has now learnt that Mr Atunwa has not been told to withdraw from the race or be dropped by the party, which has prompted him to intensify effort aimed at retaining his party ticket ahead of INEC submission deadline.
The electoral body has scheduled November 2 as the deadline for all parties to submit names of governorship and presidential candidates. The deadline for submission of state assemblies and National Assembly candidates lapsed on October 18.
As part of his plots to escape being dropped as candidate, Mr Atunwa has already moved to present secondary school certificate as his highest qualification.
Although the embattled politician has, for years, claimed to have obtained both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from two universities in the United Kingdom, he believes submitting only a high school certificate would extricate him from the NYSC Act that requires a university graduate to participate in a yearlong national service.
Since 1973, every Nigerian who attends a university or polytechnic have been mandated by the NYSC law to participate in the national youth scheme for one year after graduation, provided the person finished before age 30.
Failure to serve would prohibit such individual from employment in Nigeria, and making false claims about serving attracts up to 14 years in jail. Also, anyone who graduates before 30 but deliberately declines to serve has committed a crime that attracts 12-month imprisonment, even if the person did not forge NYSC documents.
Only a person who obtained a degree after 30 or served in the military or won national honours medal qualifies for exemption certificate under the NYSC law.
But even if Mr Atunwa presents his high school certificate, he would still run into legal troubles for committing perjury. He had sworn under oath at Kwara State High Court in Ilorin that he had university degrees and participated in NYSC between 1995 and 1996.

The two universities he attended in England and his qualifications were also still available on his page at the National Assembly website as of 10:40 a.m. on October 29.
The lawmaker submitted forged NYSC documents to the PDP despite two raging scandals involving two Nigerian ministers.
Kemi Adeosun, Nigeria’s finance minister, was forced to resign from office over the scandal, and communications minister, Bayo Shittu, was denied governorship nomination by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State for failing to serve his fatherland upon graduation.
AUDACIOUS FORGERY
Mr Atunwa, born on October 17, 1969, said he studied law at the University of East London, graduating in 1992 at age 23.
Having earned a bachelor’s degree at 23, Mr Atunwa, going by Section 2 of the NYSC Act, should have participated in the year-long national service.
But rather than present himself for national service, Mr. Atunwa stayed back in the United Kingdom, returning only in 2005 to join the cabinet of then Governor Bukola Saraki in Kwara State at the age of 36.
Between 2005 and 2010 when he stepped down to run for office, the politician was commissioner at four different ministries: Land and Housing, Works and Transport, Information and Home Affairs and Finance.
It was not immediately clear whether or not Mr Atunwa presented any NYSC document to authorities since 2005 when he was first appointed commissioner, 2011 when he became speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly and 2015 when he became member of the House of Representatives.
But to secure the PDP governorship ticket on October 1, he submitted a counterfeit NYSC discharge certificate and accompanied it with an affidavit, indicating he lied on oath, an offence that attracts up to 14 years in jail.
Mr Atunwa — who claimed he qualified for law practice in the United Kingdom after obtaining undergraduate and master’s degrees at separate universities in London — indicated in the nomination document he submitted at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja that he partook in the youth service scheme between 1995 and 1996.

The lawmaker, who is chair of the House Committee on Justice, then accompanied it with a notarised affidavit sworn at the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin on September 10. The document was attached to his PDP expression of interest form.
He signed the document despite a clause indicating he remained automatically disqualified as candidate if any statement or information he provided is found to be false, inaccurate, or mislead the party or its agents from making proper assessment of his competence to contest the governorship election under the platform of the PDP.
For one, Mr Atunwa’s ‘certificate’ purportedly obtained in 1996 carried the signature of Walter Oki (brigadier general at the time).
But Mr Oki was only made NYSC director-general in 2002. In 1996, Soyemi Sofoluwe (brigadier general) was director-general of the corps and signed all discharge and exemption certificates during the period. He was succeeded by S.M. Dule (brigadier general), who served as director-general between 1996 and 2000.
To further crosscheck the authenticity of Mr Atunwa’s ‘certificate’, PREMIUM TIMES compared his with original ones that bore the basics of the document, especially those from foreign university graduates.
Aisha Abubakar, the minister of state trade and industry, returned to Nigeria after concluding her masters in development studies at the University of Leeds. Her certificate is marked NYSC/LA/FRN/91/18170, indicating that she served in Lagos, after graduating from a foreign university.
Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, the minister of state foreign affairs, also schooled abroad. She attended Roehampton Institute for Higher Education, affiliated with the University of Surrey and finished in 1989. She enlisted in the NYSC on October 2, 1990 and passed out on October 1, 1991. Her certificate is marked NYSC/LA/FRN/90/28750, indicating that she served in Lagos (LA) after graduating from a foreign university (FRN) in 1990.
However, Mr. Atunwa’s certificate, rather than bear FRN or FORN (code for foreign graduates) has KWP (a code reserved for graduates of Kwara State Polytechnic) as identification mark. But the politician did not graduate from Kwara Polytechnic. He claimed he attended the University of East London for the first degree and the University of London for his master’s.
“This is the most audacious forgery since PREMIUM TIMES began investigation into NYSC claims of senior government officials and politicians generally,” Liborous Oshoma, a Lagos-based legal practitioner, told PREMIUM TIMES last week.
‘BRAZEN HYPOCRISY’
Despite being amongst the top voices that called for the resignation and prosecution of Ms Adeosun, whose NYSC forgery was exposed by PREMIUM TIMES in July, the PDP appears to be plotting to sweep a similar scandal involving its members under the carpet.
Ken Asogwa, an Abuja-based lawyer and political commentator, said PDP’s failure to act on Mr Atunwa’s scandal further proves to Nigerians that the APC and PDP are not distinctly different as political parties.
“This is basically what we have been complaining about, it is not about the party in power but the people involved,” Mr Eluma Asogwa said. “There is no difference between the APC and PDP when it comes to immorality and corruption.”

Many Nigerians cited corruption as a primary reason for voting the PDP out of power in 2015, after 16 years of being in control of Nigeria’s political centre. The party apologised for its transgressions earlier this year, saying it would do business differently if given another chance in 2019, especially on corruption.
The party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has widely been seen as gaining steady momentum over incumbent Muhammadu Buhari ahead of general elections next February, but how it handles Mr Atunwa’s forgery would loom large on its chances at the poll, Mr Eluma Asogwa said.
“The PDP has not learnt from anything from its unflattering past despite its apologies that it would not condone corruption if given another chance,” the lawyer said.
“What does it take for a party that claims it would do things differently if voted into power to withdraw someone who forged certificate and apologise to Nigerians for its failure to detect the fraud before PREMIUM TIMES?”
khiaa: I'm black American and this is the only fair response as of yet, no prejudices or judgments. Kudos to you. Common sense with a fair approach. The OP is lying, there are no Visa's and fees to pay for an American to enter Canada, the U.S. and Canada share the same borderline all we need is our Identification card. I live in California which shares the same borderline with Mexico, since when do I need a passport and Visa to enter there?
^^^^^ ^^^^^ You've said it all.
When I first read the original post, I knew that some embellishments were in the post of the so-called Canada-based guy...
khiaa: I'm black American and this is the only fair response as of yet, no prejudices or judgments. Kudos to you. Common sense with a fair approach. The OP is lying, there are no Visa's and fees to pay for an American to enter Canada, the U.S. and Canada share the same borderline all we need is our Identification card. I live in California which shares the same borderline with Mexico, since when do I need a passport and Visa to enter there?
^^^^^ ^^^^^ You've said it all.
When I first read the original post, I knew that some embellishments were in the post of the so-called Canada-based guy...
FriendNG: List of 4 Standard Guage Railways Under Buhari Adminstration
1. Kaduna - Abuja: Completed & Commissioned.
2. Abuja Metro Light Rail: Completed & Commissioned.
3. Itakpe-Ajaokuta-wari: Completed (Test Run).
4. Lagos-Ibadan: 80% completion.
^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ There is Abeokuta to Ibadan line and the planned railway extention to Ekiti State. This would open up the economy of that state according to Gov Kayode Fayemi.
Well done to the FG and congrats to Nigerians on the steady infrastructural developments.
kahal29: Former Yobe state governor now the Senator representing Yobe Central in the Senate, Bukkar Abba Ibrahim, has reacted to newspaper reports where he was quoted to have declared that North-eastern states may vote against President Muhammadu Buhari, during the 2019 election.
The reports also quoted the Abba Ibrahim as saying that massive rigging may not save Buhari from imminent defeat.
But the APC senator, in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Yusuf Ali, and forwarded to DAILY POST on Monday, stated that he was quoted out of context, stressing that he never meant to disparage the party which, according to him, he worked so hard to build with other progressives elements.
The former governor restated his loyalty to the APC leadership and the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, and promised his continued support to the re-election bid of the President come 2019.
The statement reads, “Senator Dr Bukar Abba Ibrahim has reacted to newspapers reports published and making the rounds in the social media sites that he is a loyal APC party member, a chieftain and an elder statesman. President Muhammadu Buhari is his president, he supported him as he will continue to support Buhari 2019 and even beyond.
“He mean no harm or disparage the party which he fought so hard to build with other progressives element in 2015 to save Nigeria from drift and the decadence of the PDP.
“Many have given it different interpretations as it suits them, some quoted him out of context for political reasons. What he said is a wake up call for his party to work harder towards the next general elections to win overwhelmingly. “I want to make it categorically clear that Sen Bukar was misunderstood, he did not say and will never say, “Mass rigging will not save APC/Buhari, APC is worse than PDP, PMB should not expect Votes from N/East, 2019 Dicey for PMB in N/East, etc as it’s been circulated in the media.”
^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ The original story as published by Punch was Fake! This is irresponsible journalism and Senator Bukar should immediately sue all those responsible for defaming him to act as a deterrent!
Throwback: You mean how you ran away after making empty threats and chest beating at the village square, while entertaining spectators who did not know you were inviting anarchy into their community.
You fled like a coward the moment you sighted the army parading the streets, because you cherish your life, but continued to call on Igbo youths to come into your village to confront the Army, while you and your parents were already in safety.
Since the Igbos love to hate, Kanu is nature's punishment inflicted upon them to engulf them with sorrow, pain and misery.
^^^^^ ^^^^^ You actually said it the way it is... This guy ran away and kept quiet while his silly younger brother called Emma Powerful/Powerless was lying that the Nigerian Army killed his brother or had him in custody. It was all a script from the pit of hell!
Orji Uzor Kalu was right after all... a credible source told him in 2017 that this guy had ran out of Nigeria.
datproject: You better stop deceiving yourself. If you don't need N10,000, beleive me, many others need it; it is a big amount of money for many. Appreciate government when they do good and blame them when they do bad.Stop your hate and arrogance. Even in America, poor people are there not to talk of Anambra. Most of them don't reason upside down like you, they better humble themselves and get the money. Anambra people are all millionaire and yet almost every week, men and women are selling off their children just because of N5000. They are millionaire and yet the rate of crime in the east is soaring higher every day than other regions in Nigeria because of poverty. They are millionaire, yet baby factory PLC are springing up fast in most of the areas. They are millionaire, husbands batter wives daily just because of N200. You better wake up and stop acting like a 'customized-fool', thank Buhari for little he is trying to do now
VULCAN: [s]So Fashola was minister of works under Jonathan govt?
It's now I finally understand why the Bible says All (Peoples Congress) liars will go to hell. [/s]
^^^^^ ^^^^^ You didn't read my post properly!
Fasola was the Governor when Lagos requested to have the Murtala International Airport road reconstructed.
Many governors have in the years past spent theire states' money on Federal roads like Lagos state which is still being owed N53Billion by the PREVIOUS FG.
If you have already upgraded your Airtel sim card to 4G this information is not for you but if you’re yet to go for your sim upgrade, I just want to share a little information with you based on my own observations while upgrading my sim at Airtel office. I went for my airtel sim upgrade and I noticed that the staff always insist that everyone drops that old 3G sim with them after performing the sim swap. They give you the new 4G sim and collect the 3G sim from the customers, now this seems normal to almost all the customers in the office except me. I wondered what they were going to do with the old sims after collecting them from customers.
Most of the customers don’t even bother to backup and erase their contacts from the sim before handing it over to the staff or anyone doing the upgrade. Most of the Airtel 4G upgrade are done by the roadside vendors are call centers and the sim can fall into the wrong hands. It’s true that the old sim gets deactivated and the new one gets activated but that doesn’t mean you cannot see your contacts if you put the sim in another phone. We should all be security conscious at all time because I know that many people store their BVN and other sensitive information in their sim memory. I’m not saying the Airtel staff are careless or anything like that but the fact remains that they intend to either destroy those sims or recycle them therefore it is important that all your data is COMPLETELY BACKED-UP AND WIPED OFF from the sim card before handing it over to them. No need to place 100% trust in anyone (Staff or not) and say my details are safe with them, play your own role and protect yourself from telling stories that touch. Thanks.
Abuja and Lagos Airport is like cubicles and we sink in money yearly
^^^^ ^^^^ My first visit to Kotoka Airport was in 1988 while flying to Cote d'Ivoire from MMA in Lagos via one of the 4 Nigeria Airways Airbus A-310s that were freshly bought by Nigeria then.
Kotoka Airport was very ordinary with some scrap planes parked on the tarmac... but these new pictures of the airport are very lovely.
^^^^ ^^^^ I TOTALLY agree with this post! It is an EPIC response.
All military officers in the 1960s submited all their ORIGINAL CREDENTIALS to the Army and never got them back. Gen Alani Akinrinade said so in a 2015 Sunday Punch interview while defending President Mohammed Buhari over the lie by PDP that he has no certificate!
These silly guys [including those 27th of October, Saturday Punch journalists and their silly female editor who likes to write negative things about the FG and PMB] criticising PMB are insulting all our military officers who sacrificed a lot for Nigeria!
pro2010: I have been using the popular Tinder dating app from time to time, (because I travel often) for quite some years now, the app comes in handy when one is in new environs and wants to pick up girls very fast. In places like the U.S.A and Europe, this app is a soul saver as one is bound to meet a girl/guy who wants to get laid or in recent times, who wants a serious relationship. This is not the case however in Nigeria.
I use the Tinder plus (paid) so I enjoy some other privileges that free users do not. Recently I was waiting for a girl I met on Tinder in my Hotel room in Vienna, I was playing with my phone and it occurred to me that I had never tried the Nigerian locality on Tinder. I changed my location to Nigeria and started swiping.
Omo the girls and their profiles are not smiling, they practically all have raunchy almost naked pictures, most have their phone numbers for immediate contact, they offer massaging services and are strictly for hook-up. Now thats supposed to be a good thing right? Cus as guys..we just want to Bleep! NOT SO FAST HOWEVER!
After swiping a handful of profiles on the Nigerian locality (Lagos precisely) I started getting matches in less than 2hours later. The matches were comming in all through my meeting with my date. I was like, abi nah because I be fine man, or how come Niger Tinder come easy like this? When I started chatting with them, they all claimed to stay on Lagos Island (all of them) they answer all this typical Nigerian Ashawo work names like Janet, Rose, mary e.t.c (I had to advice some to get a better ''working'' name like Cynthia self), they were asking for between 20k and 50k!
I was like what? Olosho don hijack Tinder O, Tinder will soon ban Nigerian girls if this continues.
Are you on Tinder? share your experience.
^^^ ^^^ Don't be surprised one day if you see your girlfriend/fiance [who is doing graduate studies in the University] "doing runs" on the "underground business" app.
I've heard of this app years back, but I'm off to download this app now out of curiousity.
TheHerald: The advent of social media platforms which enable the connection of individuals from far and wide, has despite all odds proven to be one of the best and most sure-fire way to market products and services as well as gain connections which may otherwise prove impossible in reality. As the virtual world grows and more applications surface online, the online community has helped improve the face of business, both legitimate and illegitimate, which otherwise would have been conducted in the darkest of hours and crevices depending on its score on the illegal chain.
One of such businesses which has seen the limelight thanks to social media is the age long business of prostitution, which seems to have found the perfect way to express what would have been tagged “shameful” by the society. Some of the widespread applications and social media platforms which have lent a voice to the underground business of prostitution are Facebook, Twitter, Badoo, and Tinder. These applications have been rated as some of the top 10 applications used by Nigerians for “hookups” – a word which has different translations ranging from casual meetings, relationships, sex dates to business-“‘hookups”.
Tinder has however proved more useful to the prostitution business in Nigeria as it provides a curtain which veils individuals from both ends, providing an air of secrecy to individual participants and allowing them to choose what they are willing to offer in terms of personal details.
Tinder has facilitated in bringing the prostitution run to the doorstep of whomever is willing to purchase for the night, as the ‘booty call’ could be as far and near as one notification message away. With an added advantage of anonymity and the veil provided by the internet, Tinder ladies have proven more courageous as there is no beating about the bush, like a formal letter. Instead, you are required to go straight to the point of the business transaction; “how much are you willing to pay for what you see?”
Also, the issue of distance is not as complicated as might be expected and poses no significant problem especially after extra charges are taken into consideration. In addition to this, the online veil has also broken down the barrier of fetishes as individuals hitting these ladies up are free to express their desires to the fullest extent although with an expected higher charge.
With Tinder being the platform to engage in what would rather have put the ladies out by the curbs at night, escorts and prostitutes have become glorified celebrities who are able to live lavish and update their social media pages with the most expensive trips, jewelries, and other fashion accessories, without having to find their clients in the most obvious and illegitimate ways expected of the trade.
iGISTMORE: Nigerian Girl Blessing from Benin City in Edo State who Was Doing Asewo Work In Ghana Lowkey But was Lying To Her People That She Was Schooling In UK has just been Exposed by Ghanaian Police.
Her interview video leaked online, she was among the 41 prostitutes arrested and paraded by Ghanaian police.
miqos02: The former Chief of staff, Lt. General Ipoola Alani Akinrinade, Sunday, slammed those criticizing President Muhammadu Buhari over his statement that his West African School Certificate Examination certificate, WACE, was with the Nigerian Army.
In a statement disclosed by Mr President’s special adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the former Chief of Defence Staff insisted that Buhari has a certificate.
Angered at the spate at which Nigerians lambast Buhari over his certificate, Akinrinade blamed the Nigeria’s recording system. His words, “How many years ago ?… 50 years. And Nigeria with our (poor) record keeping and filing things into an archive. If we have an archive at all; an archive inhabited by rats and cockroaches. I think it’s an insult”.
However, clearing the air he said that the certificate saga was an insult to the Nigerian Army, noting that the time Buhari joined the Armed forces ‘there were no cutting corners’.
Read the full statement below:
“… The most annoying one is the case about (Muhammadu) Buhari not having a Certificate.
It is an insult to the Armed Forces, a terrible insult to the Armed Forces.
If they are so embedded in the system and they have lost their souls, then they can go ahead and join everybody else in castigating a General of Buhari’s calibre.
They are now talking about a School Certificate.
By the time he joined the Army in those days, there were no cutting corners.
It is later when these same Civilians took over from the Army that admission into it became less transparent.
I can give you an instance.
There was Course Five around 1964: if one did not have a School Certificate, one couldn’t apply to join the Army.
And I know up to 1963 when the last General Officer Commanding left Nigeria, there were no corners to be cut.
There was no such thing. Everything was on merit.
And that was how it was till Buhari’s time.
Buhari attended the Mons (Officer Cadet School in Aldershot in England) and the Staff College.
I don’t want to think they have an idea what they teach in those places.
And the rest of us pretend as if we don’t know what they do there.
You send a man to America for one and a half years in a Military School.
Do they think he just went there to learn how to fire a rifle ?
No.
As I speak to you, I don’t know where my original Certificate is because we gave the original to the Military Board.
They took it from us when we applied to join the Army.
You give the original copy of credentials to the Board.
They take it and keep it in your file, that’s what happened.
How many years ago ?… 50 years.
And Nigeria with our (poor) record keeping and filing things into an archive. If we have an archive at all; an archive inhabited by rats and cockroaches. I think it’s an insult.
^^^^^ ^^^^^ I made this point on Nairaland on the 26th of October 2018 about Gen. Alani Akinrinade's 2015 interview in Sunday Punch. Annoyingly, Reno Omokiri, Fani Kayode, Olabisi Deji-Folutile [the current female Editor of Saturday Punch and some of her Team of Journalists] have specialised in always insulting the FG and PMB while using Saturday Punch for propaganda attacks to de-market the FG.
Sunday Punch is very balanced because the Editor is more professional than Olabisi Deji-Folutile [the female Saturday Punch Editor!]. Every week she uses the paper to de-market the government and the management of Punch Group will need to remove that woman. She is spoiling Punch which I always enjoyed with the articles of Casmir Igbokwe and Azubuike Ishiekwene for instance.
Now ALL military officers in the 1960s submitted their ORIGINAL CREDENTIALS to the Army and never got them back. Gen Alani Akinrinade said so in a 2015 Sunday Punch interview while defending President Mohammed Buhari over the lie by PDP that he has no certificate!
These silly guys on NL [including those journalist who wrote the 27th of October, Saturday Punch article and their silly female editor who likes to write negative things about the FG and PMB] criticising PMB are insulting all the senior military officers who sacrificed a lot for Nigeria!
I hope it is not an attempt at crippling freedom of speech.
From Buhari Media Crew to Buhari Cyber Military crew
Kole work o
^^^^^^ ^^^^^^
It is not an attempt to crippled freedom of speech. It is to protect Nigerians and investments from harm and Hate Speech. Nigerians cannot afford to become refugees in West African countries with the insults that come with being refugees!
Ishilove: And half-baked, semi-literate bloggers and the gullible Nigerian social media users are active agents of fake news dissemination
^^^^^ ^^^^^ @Ishilove
Thanks for sharing my original post on this thread and giving it a boost! :-)
I know you were instrumental in getting the thread on the Front Page on the 23 of October, as an "Emeritus Super Mod!"
This is my first post ever to hit the Front Page since I started using NL in 2005!
I hope the users of NL and beyond will make good use of the Army iReport App to report Fake News, Hate Speech, and any dangerous signals being spread on WhatsApp and non-credible blogs... and foolish politicians!
We cannot afford to have Nigerians becoming refugees in neighboring West African countries with the attendant insults that come with it like that being experienced by the English-speaking Cameroonians are facing in Cross River State right now.
Thanks again Ishilove... and have fun over the weekend!
Politics › Re: Razak Atunwa Skipped NYSC, Forged Certificate - Premium Times by Konquest: 10:59pm On Oct 30, 2018
Common sense with a fair approach. The OP is lying, there are no Visa's and fees to pay for an American to enter Canada, the U.S. and Canada share the same borderline all we need is our Identification card. I live in California which shares the same borderline with Mexico, since when do I need a passport and Visa to enter there? 
