The Young Progressives Party on Friday, approached a Federal High Court in Awka demanding to know the validity of the governorship primaries conducted by the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
The YPP is specifically, seeking the Court’s interpretion for Section 285 (14)(c) of the 1999 constitution and Section 87(1) of the Electoral Act (2010) as amended.
It also asked the Court to interpret the regulations and guidelines for the conduct of party primaries as provided by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the conduct of the 2021 Anambra State Governorship Election in view of the primaries held by the PDP and the APC.
In the suit No. FHC/AWK/C5/53/21 filed at the Federal High Court Awka on its behalf by D.C DeNwigwe, SAN, the YPP asked the Court to determine the validity or otherwise of the primary which the PDP conducted on 26th June, 2021.
According to the party, in view of Rule 4.5.1 and 4.5.2 of the guidelines for the conduct of political parties primaries 2018, the Court should determine if the PDP’s primary was valid following the party’s failure to submit its delegates list, seven days before the date of the primaries.
The party made reference to the judgement of the FCT High Court in Suit No. FCT/HC/BW/CV/160/2021 between Akaeze Ugochukwu Vincent and Peoples Democratic Party, and the decision of the Supreme Court in APC V. Marafa (2020) 6 NWLR (Pt. 1721).
It then, asked the Court to determine if INEC was right not to have barred the PDP from holding the purported primary on 26th June, 2021 that produced Valentine Ozigbo as the party’s flag bearer for the state’s 2021 governorship election and from further participation in the process of nomination of Candidates for the aforementioned election.
The YPP also asked the Court to determine whether INEC in view of the commission’s Monitoring Committee Report on the aforementioned PDP primary and the decision in APC V. Marafa (2020) 6 NWLR (Pt. 1721), can chose when to enforce provisions of the Electoral Act, Rule 4.5.1 and 4.5.2 of the guidelines for the Conduct of Political Parties Primaries 2018.
The YPP maintained that Electoral Act requires parties to submit their delegate lists to the commission, seven days before their primaries.
The party further asked the Court to determine whether INEC being a public regulatory body for political parties, was right not to have declared the purported primary conducted on 26th of June, 2021 by the PDP as a nullity.
It claimed that the primary was in violation of the judgment of the FCT High Court in Suit No. FCT/HC/BW/CV/160/2021 between Akaeze Ugochukwu Vincent and Peoples Democratic Party.
In a related development, the YPP on Friday, asked the Federal High Court, Awka to determine whether the purported Primary conducted by the All Progressives Congress on 26th June, 2021 which produced Senator Andy Uba as the party’s flag bearer should be voided or not.
In the Suit No. FHC/AWK/C5/52/21, the party through D.C DeNwigwe, SAN, asked the Court to determine the validity of the aforementioned Primary in view of Section 285 (14)(c) of the Constitution, Section 87(1) of the Electoral Act, 2010 as well as the guidelines for the conduct of party primaries as provided by INEC and the Commission’s Monitoring Committee Report on the purported Primary conducted by the APC.
The YPP also cited the case of the Supreme Court decision in APC V. Marafa (2020) 6 NWLR (Pt. 1721), among others to back up its claims.
The legal representative to Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, Yoruba activist, has asked the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, to mandate and compel the State Security Services (SSS) and its Director-General, to produce the 12 people arrested in Igboho’s house on July 2 and inquire into the circumstances constituting the grounds of their arrest and detention since that day.
The counsel, Chief Yomi Aliyu (SAN) in a Motion Exparte filed before the court pursuant to Section 32 (1) and (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and Sections 6 (6) (b), 35 940 and 36 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court further asked that the court gives an order compelling the DSS to produce the 12 people in court and show cause why they cannot be granted bail in accordance with the provisions of Section 32 ACJA 2015 and other extant laws of Nigeria.
The motion delineated FHC/ABJ/CS/647/2021, further asked the court for any such orders it may deem fit in the circumstances.
The 12 people who are applicants in the motion are Abdullateef Ofeyagbe, Amoda Babatunde aka Lady K, Tajudeen Erinoye, Diekola Ademola, Abideen Shittu, Jamiu Noah, Ayobami Donald, Adelabe Usman, Oluwapelumi Kunle, Raji Kazeem, Taiwo Opeyemi and Bamidele Sunday.
The ground upon which the motion filed against the Directorate of State Security Services was predicated includes the allegation that since their arrest and detention, efforts by their lawyers to gain access to them and offer legal representation as stipulated by the law has been frustrated by the State Security Service who had denied them access to lawyers and family members.
Also, Chief Aliyu (SAN) in the motion stated that despite the clear provisions of the law, which place responsibility on law enforcement agencies to charge suspects within 24 hours of arrest, the DSS has flagrantly disobeyed the provisions of the law and continued to keep the 12 people in detention without any charge proffered against them before a court of competent jurisdiction.
He stated further that the applicants are aware that they enjoy the constitutional protection of the presumption of innocence as well as a fair trial within a reasonable time under the applicable laws of Nigeria.
The motion was supported by an eight-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Binta Baldeh Geena, a female litigation secretary in the law firm of counsel to the applicants, a five-paragraph written address in support of the motion signed by Chief Aliyu and five other lawyers and an exhibit tagged Exhibit A, which is a letter from the counsel to the DSS to request for a visit to their clients which was certified to have been received on July 8.
Also attached to the motion was an 11-paragraph affidavit of Extreme Urgency and an affidavit of non-multiplicity of action, also deposed to by the same litigation secretary, Binta Baldeh Geena, on July 8, 2021.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the motion Exparte.
BUSTED: Nigeria's New Permanent Representative To World Trade Organisation, Adamu Parading Fake UK Varsities' Degrees
Abdulhamid Adamu, Nigeria's ambassador to the World Trade Organisation bagged a master’s degree in Business Management and Leadership and PhD from diploma mills, SaharaReporters learnt.
On Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment of Adamu as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation for four years.
The appointment was contained in a letter sent by the Office of the Chief-of-Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, to the Minister of Industry Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo.
Until his appointment, Adamu was the Acting Head, Chargé d’ Affaires of Nigeria Trade Office to the WTO, Geneva, Switzerland.
"He holds an Msc. in Economics and International Development from Clermont Ferrand University, France, a master’s degree in Business Management and Leadership from London Graduate School, UK, and a Doctorate of International Relations and Economic Diplomacy from the Commonwealth University, UK.
“He has acquired 28 years of working experience on World Trade matters and Trade Negotiations and was the campaign coordinator of Okonjo-Iweala in Geneva, Switzerland when she was vying for the position of the DG of WTO,” a report by Punch stated.
But from checks, the London Graduate School from which Adamu earned a master’s degree in Business Management and Leadership, is purely a degree mill.
A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is a company or organisation that claims to be a higher education institution but provides illegitimate academic degrees and diplomas, which are fabricated, falsified, or misrepresented, for a fee.
It was also observed that the London Graduate school has two websites, londongs.co.uk and lgsglobal.uk.
On the first website, it was stated that the institution teaches degree programmes of 'UNESCO listed Universities but does not grant its own degrees'.
There was no such notice on the second website which claims to be in partnership with the University of Chichester. However, a simple check on Chichester's website showed that it had no partnership with any London Graduate School.
The Commonwealth Open University from which Adamu earned his Doctorate of International Relations and Economic Diplomacy has also been recognised as a diploma mill.
From checks, it shares the same address with the London Graduate School, situated at Mayfair Point, 34 South Molton Street, London.
The two institutions claim to have earned the UNESCO Learning Badge for advancing the internationalisation of education but neither of the institutions is traceable on the British government's online portal (https://www.gov.uk/check-university-award-degree/recognised-bodies) where prospective students can browse for accredited tertiary education institutions in the UK.
Previous reports on the notoriety of both diploma or degree mills showed that they award higher degrees for as low as £6k (N3 million).
Operators of diploma mills send personal invitations to dignitaries offering them an honorary doctorate degree from the 'institution'.
Awardees are simply required to participate in a seminar at a designated location at which an honorary doctorate from the institution would be conferred usually at the end of a three-day "workshop”.
Awardees are charged an estimate of £6, 000 to cover course materials, lunch, snacks, among others.
As of March 2019, the National Accreditation Board (NAB) of Ghana alerted its citizens that the Commonwealth University And London Graduate School, UK have not been accredited by the relevant body to award any form of degree.
The NAB also warned distinguished personalities who accept degrees from such institutions to desist from such or do so at their own peril.
It advised citizens to verify the accreditation status and degree-awarding powers of the institutions that seek to confer on them honorary degrees to avoid any embarrassing fallouts.
Sporadic gunshots on Thursday took over the space of the Imo state House of Assembly, as six lawmakers of the house were suspended.
The Speaker, Paul Emeziem who announced the suspension of the lawmakers at the floor of the House, said that their suspension was based on “conducting themselves in an unparliamentary manner.”
But Vanguard was told that it was after the plenary had been concluded on the suspension of the lawmakers that there were gunshots in the air, which was said to be from the security operatives. Both the lawmakers and workers were seen scampering for safety.
Vanguard also gathered that some of the suspended lawmakers stormed the hallowed chambers and protested against their suspension
Among the suspended lawmakers, four are members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the others are two members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The suspended members included Uche Ogbuagu (APC, Ikeduru) Dominic Ezerioha (APC, Oru West) Micheal Crown (APC, Ihitte Uboma) Kennedy Ibe (APC, Obowo) Anyadike Nwosu ( PDP, Ezinihitte Mbaise) and Phillip Ejiogu (PDP, Owerri North).
Also, the Speaker has sacked the Chief Whip of the House, Arthur Eqwim (Ideato North) and replaced him with Obinna Okwara (Nkwerre). In the same development, the Speaker, Emeziem, dissolved all the standing committees in the House.
However, one of the suspended lawmakers, Mr Ezerioha who spoke to Vanguard briefly said: “For now I have to be mute. I represent Oru West and my people have to decide.”
The Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has summoned the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
Multiple reports have it that the minister was summoned over a parallel state secretariat he opened in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
Mohammed is expected to explain why disciplinary measures should not be taken against him for the action.
APC’s headquarters in Kwara State is located in the Tanke area of Ilorin, the state capital.
The minister’s faction unveiled its secretariat at GRA, Ilorin.
The APC national summoned Mohammed after the State Caretaker Committee Chairman, Alhaji Samari Abubakar, threatened to invoke party rules against him.
Abubakar told journalists in Abuja on Tuesday that the minister may be sanctioned in line with the party’s constitution.
The Secretary of the CECPC, Senator John Akpanudoedeh is yet to confirm or make any public statement on the case.
Similarly, the minister has not said or made any announcement on the matter.
The Senate has approved the sum of N983 billion as supplementary budget for the 2021 fiscal year.
President Muhammadu Buhari had asked the National Assembly to approve the sum of N895.842 billion supplementary budget, to enable the Federal Government procure more military equipment to combat insurgency as well as vaccines to fight COVID-19 pandemic.
However, in considering President Buhari’s request, the Senate increased the figure by N87 billion.
The reason for the increment was not given as at the time of filing this report.
The Katsina State House of Assembly has begun the process of converting all television viewing centres across the state’s 34 Local Government Areas into state Islamic Schools.
In a joint motion sponsored by a member representing Jibiya Constituency, Mustapha Yusuf-Jibia, Tuesday, the Assembly kick-started the process to abolish television viewing centres in the state.
The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Tasi’u Maigari, who presided over the plenary, said the call is in order since Islamic schools are more important than viewing centres.
Maigari said Islamic education in the state has experienced several setbacks, mostly in the rural areas and there is the need for prompt action to address the setbacks.
Mr Yusuf-Jibia on his part said the successful implementation of the bill will go a long way to curb the high rate of insecurity experienced in the state and also provide employment for the teachers that would be engaged to teach in the Islamic schools.
He referred to an encounter with some bandits, who said the Islamic schools in the state are not enough to accommodate their children.
Hence, the conversion would address this.
“If my prayer scales through, it will also help in reducing the number of Almajiri children roaming the streets in the name of begging.
“Some of these viewing centres were abandoned and had become refuse dumps, criminal hideouts and a place where redundant youths hang around,” Mr Yusuf-Jibia said.
There was a fire outbreak at the Synagogue Church of All Nations at the Ikotun area of Lagos State late on Monday.
The PUNCH gathered that the fire gutted a building in the Church’s premises.
The fire incident happened on the night of the candle procession in honour of the late founder of the Church, Prophet Temitope Joshua popularly called T.B Joshua.
Members of the church, who had attended the night of tributes and candlelight procession in his honour, were seen scampering to safety during the fire incident.
As of the time of filing this report, details of the fire incident are sketchy.
However, it was learnt that firefighters arrived at the scene of the fire incident around 12:19 am on Tuesday.
The pastor, televangelist, philanthropist, leader and founder of The Synagogue died on June 5 at the age of 57.
His widow, Evelyn Joshua, led the candlelight procession at the SCOAN Faith Resort in the Ikotun area of Lagos.
Earlier on Monday, one of the escort vans belonging to a company owned by Sarah Alade, special adviser to the President on Finance and the Economy, rammed into three tricycles in Ilorin metropolis in Kwara State.
The escort van, according to the Kwara state police, belongs to Hillcrest, an agro-allied company along Ajase-Ipo – Offa road, owned by Mrs Alade.
This newspaper learnt that the van was in the convoy of Mrs Alade’s son, Ayodele Alade, the chief executive officer of the company who is resident in Ilorin, when the accident occurred.
Multiple witnesses told this newspaper that the vehicle, on top speed, ran into the three tricycles close to the state’s Ministry of Agriculture.
They also said the timely intervention of police operatives saved the life of the escort van driver who was prevented from being lynched by an irate mob of commercial tricycle operators mobilised to the scene of the accident.
An assessment of pictures obtained from Just Events Online, a Kwara-based online medium, showed that the tricycles are a total wreckage.
Meanwhile, according to a statement issued by the police spokesperson, Ajayi Okasanmi, three people, who suffered severe injuries, are currently receiving treatment at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).
“The accident occurred when the driver of the Hilux Van lost control and collided with the tricycles which resulted in a serious crash leading to injuries on Yusuf Kadiri, Hussein Seriki and Latifat Kamarudeen ‘f’.”
“The victims already taken to UITH Okeoyi, Ilorin for medical attention and are positively responding to treatment.”
Mr Okasanmi also debunked insinuations that some persons have died and that the vehicle involved is government-owned.
“This press statement becomes necessary to correct some erroneous information making the rounds on the health condition of the victims, none of the victims died, and the vehicle involved in the accident belongs to Hillcrest Agro industrial Company, Offa, and not to the police or government.”
He further conveyed the advice of the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Bagega, who implored road users to be conscious of safety while on the highways and must make use of traffic codes and road signs at all times, noting that live has no duplicate.
Mr Alade’s telephone was unavailable on Monday afternoon and he was yet to respond to PREMIUM TIMES‘s enquiries sent via text as of press time.
His personal assistant, Tolani Tobun, when contacted, said he was on vacation and could not verify the reports.
The appeal panel of the All Progressive Congress (APC) upheld Andy Uba as the governorship candidate of the party for the Anambra governorship election scheduled to hold November 6.
Mr Uba was announced winner of the party’s primary which had 14 aspirants. Majority of the aspirants kicked against the declaration, demanding for a new primary.
The party constituted its appeal committee headed by the Gombe state governor, Inuwa Yahaya. TODAY POLITICS learnt the committee has submitted its report to the National Caretaker Committee of the party dismissing appeals challenging the candidacy of the Anambra South lawmaker.
In the report, Mr Uba, a serving senator was recommended to fly the party’s flag in the forthcoming poll while others aspirants are scheduled to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari.
An anonymous source who confirmed this to this reporter said, “I can tell you authoritatively that Senator Andy Uba remains our governorship candidate in Anambra.
“The Appeal Committee has dismissed the petitions submitted against Uba’s candidacy.
“Meanwhile all the aggrieved aspirants are scheduled to meet with Mr. President within the week. The presidency wants to see how these governorship aspirants could be persuaded to drop their grievances, that I know,” the source added.
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, has cautioned the Nigerian government on the handling of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
AYCF National President, Yerima Shettima cautioned the Nigerian government against allowing a situation that would lead to Kanu escaping again.
In a chat with DAILY POST, Shettima warned that Nigerians would be angry with the Federal Government if the IPOB leader escapes again.
Asked about the possibility of Kanu escaping again, Shettima said: “Escaping? I doubt it, the Nigerian government cannot take that kind of risk because if they do that Nigerians will be angry. I’m sure they would not do that.”
Kanu had in 2017 jumped bail granted him by Justice Binta Nyako of an Abuja Federal High Court, fleeing the country.
The IPOB leader was, however, rearrested a few weeks ago and repatriated back to Nigeria to continue his trial.
On Tuesday last week, he was brought before Justice Nyako who remanded him in custody of the Department of State Services, DSS.
garfield1: It has nothing to do with buhari.it is clearly part of the constituency projects of hon akpatason and totally his fault.infact,it could be the fault of the contractor and that of his aide who may have connived to do a shoddy job.I dont think hon akpatason will personally want to oversee a shoddy job seeing that the state is now pdp and opposition to his 4th term is high
You didn't answer the first question.....did APC & Buhari not say the same thing whilst Jonathan was in office?
Whether it is the contractor or not....on whose head does it fall?
My point of him saying PDP will say yes is that any of our politicians can do worse more.
If Obaseki builds a road as bad as this, would you isolate him?
Even if he doesn't know the job is a bad job, he will be the one to take the flak.
Did APC not say the same thing when the PDP was in power?
The man is complaining about Politician's mentality. A PDP or APC member can equally do this.
For the records, the road is been sponsored by Peter Akpatason, a 3-time member of the house of Reps and the deputy majority leader of the house. He is APC.
No fewer than 21 Yoruba Nation agitators were arrested during a rally held at Ojota, Lagos State on Saturday.
The umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, who made this known, said the arrested members were detained at Panti Police Station, Yaba, Lagos State.
Our correspondents, who monitored the rally, also saw policemen arresting protesters and dragging them into waiting police vans.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the group, Maxwell Adeleye, said, “We are making moves to bail them. They are detained at Panti Police Station. We demand immediate release of everyone arrested at the Lagos rally.”
The State Working Committee of the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo state has, after its working committee meeting called to deliberate on the report of the Investigative Committee set up to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against its Chairman, Hon. Tony Aziegbemi, has exonerated and acquited him.
The suspension has therefore been lifted.
Consequently, the Chairman, Hon. Tony Aziegbemi will resume his office with immediate effect.
We thank all party members, supporters and leaders for their cooperation and support during this period of self audit.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has told the Osun Police Command to do the needful without wasting time.
It will be recalled that one man was killed while 14 others were seriously injured when masquerade worshippers attacked Muslims in front of their mosque on Sunday, 26th June, 2021. The Commissioner of Police in the State of Osun, Olawale Olokode confirmed on Tuesday that no arrest has been made. But in a swift reaction, MURIC called on the state command to do its job.
The Islamic human rights organisation spoke through its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Wednesday, 30th June, 2021.
Akintola said, “We are getting worried. Law abiding Muslims were attacked right in front of their mosque in daylight and the police is saying no arrests have been made. We are talking about human life here. A whole Baba Adinni of an Islamic organisation was shot and killed and the police is telling the world that it has made no arrests.
“What of Kayode Esuleke, the popular masquerade leader who led the attack and whose name we supplied? Is he too hot to handle? Is he a sacred cow? What of the weapons used by the attackers, particularly the guns? Are they licenced? Can’t the police start from there? Police must make the masquaraders to produce those guns. The police know how to get them to produce it.
“We can see that the police has started footdragging. Procrastination is the thief of time. The culprits are digging in while police is hesitating to move in. Those guns will disappear into thin air in no course of time. We hope nobody is trying any hankypankies.
“Meanwhile we are still waiting to hear from Afenifere and other vocal groups. Why is everyone still silent 72 hours after the attack on Muslims? We are certain that hell would have broken loose if it had been the other way round. But everyone is mute now because Muslims are at the receiving end.
“We are gradually being given a taste of the proposed Oduduwa Republic pudding. This is what Yoruba Muslims will face in Oduduwa Republic if it becomes a reality. Currently in Yorubaland, Muslims are third class citizens. They are subjected to Christian common law, their marriages are declared illegal and their properties discarded with in haram fashion. Their wives and daughters are humiliated in public offices and schools.
“But the worst is yet to come. The protagonists of Oduduwa Republic have worse plans of oppression and persecution for Yoruba Muslims who refuse to disown or compromise their faith. It is because we want to avoid such dehumanisation that MURIC asked Afenifere and other groups agitating for Oduduwa Republic to speak up on the issue of civil Shariah and hijab in public offices and schools. They have not responded up till now. Yet they are determined to drag us willy nilly to another Somalia.
“We hereby charge the Osun Police Command to do the needful. We fingered Kayode Esuleke as the leader of those who attacked unarmed Muslims with dangerous weapons. Esuleke must be arrested. He must provide the guns used by the attackers. #muslimlivesmatter
“By the way, we are not aware that any government delegation has visited the home of the man who was killed by the masqueraders. Has any succour been provided for the women who were suddenly turned widows and the children who were unexpectedly transformed into orphans? Has the state government been proactive in a crisis that occurred within the state capital? These are questions begging for answers.”
'No Going Back On Biafra Struggle’ — IPOB Breaks Silence On Kanu’s Arrest
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has warned the Federal Government against allowing any evil befall its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
DAILY POST reports that this was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful.
The Biafra group asked members to mobilize and storm the court on next adjourned date.
It said the group would expose details of “his abduction later.”
Powerful said, “Our leader Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is presently in the custody of the Nigeria Government. This evil crime of kidnapping was masterminded by the Nigeria Government in collaboration with all those that view IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as stumbling block against their bid to hold Biafra in perpetual slavery.
“We, therefore, enjoin every IPOB member both at home and in the Diaspora and all Biafrans to remain calm because this is not the end of the road. Our Leader’s next court appearance is July 26, 2021 and Biafrans should mobilize and attend the court hearing.
“IPOB will not relent in the pursuit of Biafra freedom. We have crossed the Rubicon in our struggle for the restoration of Biafran Sovereignty. There is no going back no matter the level of intimidation by our oppressors.
“Our Leader can never be coerced into abandoning the struggle for Biafra restoration irrespective of the circumstance. At this very challenging moment in the history of our march to freedom, all IPOB family members must stand firm and resolute behind our selfless leader. We stand by him and the God of Heavens in whom we trust and rest our confidence shall not let us down. We shall triumph!
“We remind the Nigeria government and her security agencies that our Leader deserves justice and fair hearing. We also want to state unequivocally, that no harm should befall our leader. Should anything untoward happen to him, Nigeria Government will be held accountable for it.
“We are watching closely and all our intelligence units, are following up on the developments. The international community should not be quiet over the atrocities of the Nigeria Government against Biafrans. They must rise in defense of justice now!”
Kanu is currently in the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, following his arraignment on Tuesday before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
I’ve known since the beginning of the month that Nnamdi Kanu would be arrested and extradited to Nigeria, but my informant swore me to secrecy, so I kept the information to myself. Today he has been arrested and extradited to Nigeria.
While the mass resentment against Buhari in the Southeast is a justified response to his systematic exclusion of and open rhetorical and actual hostility to the region, Nnamdi Kanu is NOT a symptom of the Southeast’s legitimate angst. He is a different but related problem.
Kanu is a violent, vulgar, venomous-tongued thug that should never have been allowed to exploit the valid angst of the Southeast to rise to prominence. The intolerant, unthinking IPOB cult he has built has become a problem not just for Nigeria but for the vast majority of Igbo people everywhere.
When Kanu was burst forth to the forefront of national and international visibility in July 2015 through the Buhari regime’s thoughtless handling of Radio Biafra, I took the time to listen to him on Radio Biafra. I found a man gibbering vulgar, violent, incoherent, hate-filled but comical rants. He called Nigeria a “zoo”— or the “zoological republic”— and Nigerian citizens “monkeys” or “ill-educated vagabonds.”
He labeled Igbos who didn’t share in his idiocy as “Hausa-born children in Igboland.” His rants were also filled with racially self-hating, negrophobic rhetoric, such as his claims that black people were inherently intellectually inferior and incapable of deep thought. He said he was a “Jew.” He hasn’t changed since then.
He makes no effort to be persuasive. He simply revels in tasteless abuse, intentional prevarications, infantile temper tantrums, and a melodramatic display of rank, comical illiteracy. In my July 2015 column, I said the only people who would take him seriously and be affected by his message were people who already shared his twisted, hateful ideals, which made shutting down his station pointless. “I can bet that it does not speak for nor reach the majority of Igbo people, and that most Igbo people would snigger when they listen to it,” I wrote.
But the Buhari regime made Kanu more popular than he is worth. He was spewing his rib-tickling inanities on the fringes of the Internet and on a barely known radio station. Then, suddenly, when he started attacking President Buhari, Nigerian authorities moved in swiftly to contain him. They announced that they had successfully jammed his radio station but came back a few days later to refute an alleged libelous falsehood the station made against Buhari!
Of course, news of the “jamming” of the radio and the press release refuting what the station reportedly said against Buhari (after it was supposed to have been jammed!) caused the station—and the ideology it espouses—to make national and international headlines. And there was an enormous spike in the number of searches for “Radio Biafra” and “Nnamdi Kanu” on Google and other search engines.
This, combined with Buhari’s unambiguous antipathy toward the southeast, has sparked a resurgence of Biafran and neo-Biafran movements and periodic sanguinary communal upheavals. This was completely avoidable. If the government had ignored (or quietly diluted) Kanu and his Radio Biafra and demonstrated even token large-heartedness toward the southeast (and the deep south) in the immediate aftermath of Buhari’s epochal electoral triumph in spite of opposition from the region, we wouldn’t know of Kanu and IPOB. But Nigerian authorities couldn’t stomach an insult at Buhari.
Whatever it is, I have no tears for Kanu. No reasonable person should. But I think the man needs more sorrow than anger because he is obviously mentally unhinged.
The family of Usifo Ataga, Super TV CEO, who was allegedly killed by a 300-level student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has broken its silence on the controversy.
Chidinma Ojukwu, the suspect who has been blamed for his death, was paraded by the Lagos State Police Command on Friday.
The student had confessed killing Ataga, claiming that she did it under the influence of drugs.
She also claimed that the deceased tried to forcefully have sex with her before she stabbed him to death.
After the interview she granted during the parade, different posts and stories started circulating on social media.
Majority of those who commented mocked the Ataga family, especially his wife, rather than sympathise with them over the tragic incident.
In a statement, the family demanded privacy, asking those who have useful information to reach the police.
“Here are the facts. A little over a week ago, unknown persons savagely killed our beloved son, Usifo Ataga. With no regard for him, or his family, who love him, they viciously ended his life.”
“His children will grow up to read unkind, thoughtless words from thousands of people who have joined the lynching party in the press and the blogosphere. Our aging parents must now struggle to pick up the pieces amid a cacophony of misinformation propagated by strangers,” read the statement signed by one Dr Isi Ataga.
The Ataga family thanked the police for arresting the suspect but said there were many unanswered questions.
The family appealed to the public not to make it difficult for the police to do their job.
“A suspect has been arrested and paraded before the press. We, the Ataga Family, are grateful to the Nigerian Police for pursuing this investigation. However, like you, we have many unanswered questions. Some things don’t add up.”
“If you have any information, don’t hide behind online posts. Instead, come forward and share it with the Police.
“Here’s what we do know. The more you add to the false information in the press and on social media, the harder it is for the Nigerian Police to do their work and fully solve this case. The harder it is for a grieving family to recover from the loss of their beloved son.
“We ask, sincerely, that you let us grieve this terrible loss with some privacy. This past week and a half has been the worst period of our lives,” the statement read.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara has broken his silence on the crisis rocking the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor and some leaders of the party, including the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, have been at loggerheads.
Speaking on Saturday at the launch of a book titled “O to ge”, the governor, in what is his first public comment on the crisis, accused aggrieved leaders of the party of receiving hundreds of millions of naira as donations for the “Kwara struggle” without delivering a kobo to him.
Represented by Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi, AbdulRazaq said party officials were equally barred from campaigning with him until the presidential election had been won and the pendulum was clearly swinging in his favour.
He said Otoge, the struggle of Kwarans, did not necessarily start in 2019.
“I need to set the record straight about the party crisis. It did not begin after the election or swearing-in. It is safe to say that those who claimed to own the party in the state at that time practically disowned me until after the President had won his election and the coast became clearer back home. Here is the story.”
“Shortly after the primaries in October, the party told me they had set up a campaign structure. Nobody consulted me before doing that, even though I was the governorship candidate. They asked me to fund the campaign structure that I was not privy to. Of course I declined it.
“I would later lead my own small campaign team across the state. It is on record that the party officially boycotted my campaign tours. Party officials got the instruction not to attend my campaign. A few of them can testify to this. I went round the whole of Kwara North without the party.
“I am not aware of any decent democracy where a candidate would not be given the privilege of shaping the direction of his own campaign. It is even worse that my campaign was boycotted because I refused to be led by the nose.
“I have told these stories of the slogan and of the party issues to disabuse the mind of Kwarans or friends of Kwara who may not have had this information. In doing so, I am not claiming sole credit for the success of the struggle. Far from it. I have done so simply to clear the air, and this book launch offers the right platform to speak up.
“And for Ministers, Governors, party supporters and friends of Kwara who I later heard donated hundreds of millions of naira to support the Otoge struggle in Kwara, I want to say that I did not receive a kobo of that fund. But how that money was managed or stolen is a story for another day”, Abdulrazaq said.
The governor congratulated the author of the work Tony Oyeyiola, describing it as a commendable effort and directing the purchase of 100 copies for the government.
At a stakeholders’ meeting recently held at the open field of the Lower Niger River Basin, Ilorin, the factional chairman of the party, Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa, publicly apologised to party members for his role in “rigging the governorship primaries in favour of Abdulrazaq”.
He had said, “I never knew this is how it will turn out. When I was directed to announce him (the governor) as winner of the gubernatorial primaries by the party national leadership, I asked him when he came to me that hope you will not turn against me later. But today, the scenario is exactly opposite. Those we offended to favour him are now our friends and he is now our enemy.
“On the campaign of the party during the electioneering, far from the narrative being sponsored by our opponents that we boycotted his campaign, it was he (Abdulrazaq) who starved us of fund after he has seen that his candidature cannot be replaced anymore. That was when he started all his troubles with us.”
Ebonyi state is ranked highest in substance abuse among Nigerian states, Eze Ude, Coordinator International Society for Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Professionals (ISSUP), said.
Ude disclosed this to newsmen on Friday during conclusion of a three-day workshop.
The workshop was organised by officials of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for the National Association of Patent Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) in Abakaliki.
According to him, the state is rated above 13 per cent in the act of drug abuse, according to United Nations’ statistics.
“In United Nation report of 2018, research shows that globally, we have about 5.6% rate of substance abuse.
“In the country, we have 10.4% rate of substance abuse; when you convert it, the other way round, one will find out that Nigeria per cent in the act out-weighed the globe.
“According to the same statistics, the state is over 13 per cent with this analysis, one can see the rate of substance abuse in Ebonyi and Nigeria in general,” Ude explained.
Ude who is also a Clinical Psychologist at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, and Chief Executive Officer of Brain Care Foundation said the problem had contributed significantly in mental health of the society.
He said that large number of young men and women at the hospital were usually seen on daily basis going down as a result of drug abuse.
He added that the abuse was in addition to other mental related problems associated with substance use.
He, however, advised that people should understand its effect and stop the practice.
He further charged NAPPMED members, who are grassroots health care givers, and other stakeholders to synergise towards fight against the trend to avoid other problems emanating from the act.
Mr Aliyu Omamah, state Commander, NDLEA in his speech revealed that between January and May 2021, men of the agency had seized about 105 kilgrammes of different types of drugs in the state.
According to him, 26 per cent of the seizures is psychotropic drugs.
“According to the agency’s survey by EU and UNODC 2020, in Nigeria, 14.3 million people use drug, that is prevalence rate of 14.3 per cent (15-64 years) which is higher than the global rate of 5.6 per cent.
“4.6 million people use prescription opioids such as tramadol or cough syrup with codeine, in the state, prevalence of drug use is 12.8 per cent,” he said
He said that the workshop was to cut the supply chain of prescription drugs and to reduce the demand of the same substances.
He added that various crises confronting the state could be attributed to the use of hard drugs.
The commander stated that problems found in some homes, work places, schools, physical dangers and troubles with the law are common negative consequences associated with the drugs known as psychotropic substance.
Anambra Governorship: PDP To Go Ahead With Primary On June 26
…Adopts Automatic Delegates
In view of the two judgments of the court served on our party, the National Working Committee (NWC), on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and pursuant to Section 29(2)(b) of the PDP Constitution (2017 as amended) hereby dissolves all the executives in our Anambra state chapter.
However, our processes towards electing a candidate for the purpose of the November 6, 2021 Anambra governorship election subsist.
Our processes continue as we adopt a lawful process of allowing our eligible automatic delegates to carry out the responsibilities of electing our candidate for the governorship election.
Accordingly, the governorship primary to elect our candidate for the Anambra governorship election holds as scheduled on Saturday, June 26, 2021.
The PDP directs the South East Zonal Caretaker Committee of our party to oversee and manage the affairs of the activities of the Anambra state chapter of our party, pending when new executives will be elected for the state.
All governorship aspirants on the platform of our party, leaders, critical stakeholders, teeming members and, supporters of our party as well as the people of Anambra state are guided accordingly.
Politics › Re: Anambra 2021: YPP Asks Court To Void PDP, APC Primaries by Kwanza(op): 9:21am On Jul 10, 2021
