*Sponsos mull convention, presidential primary in may. *Govs to meet Buhari over INEC timetable Tuesday. *Party sets up 20 sub-committees.
Following a shift in date for the 2023 general elections as announced by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), there are fresh plots by some interests in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to embark on campaign for the postponement of its national convention slated for March 26, 2022.
According to INEC, the notice of election across its offices in the country would be published February 28 while political parties have from April 4 to June 3, 2022 to conduct their primaries and ensure resolution of disputes from the exercise.
The APC had postponed its national convention three times before settling down for the 26th of March, 2022.
After two postponements in 2021, the Governor Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) which earlier settled for February 26 for the much-talked about party exercise later agreed to March 26.
Blueprint gathered that the development has, however, divided the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) on whether the March 26 date be adjusted or left as it is, even as the governors forum has a plan to hold another meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari this week over the new INEC’s timetable.
At the planned meeting with the president this week, a reliable source said a decision would be taken on whether another date be fixed for the party’s national convention or stick to March 26.
The source said: “I am aware that APC governors will meet with the president between Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss this new timeline for party primary election and to take decision on the national convention.”
Also, the proponents of the fresh plot are giving the new INEC’s timetable which mandates all political parties to hold presidential primary election between April 2022 and June 3, 2022, as reason to elongate the life-span of the Buni-led CECPC till the end of May, when national convention and presidential primary election should hold at once.
Two APC chieftains who spoke with Blueprint on the condition of anonymity said it would amount to waste of time and resources to hold national convention by March 26 and primary election six or seven weeks after, hence the call for postponement.
One of them said: “There is no more hiding behind a finger because INEC has given a timeline when our presidential candidate should emerge, so why the rush for the national convention? I think it will be wise to hold these exercises at once to avoid waste of resources, time and risk of gathering our members from across the states in Abuja within two months.
“Our message is that both our presidential candidate and the new National Working Committee (NWC) can emerge at once.”
The source said his group of APC members, in the coming days, would make an official statement to the presidency and CECPC leadership.
Another source, a senior member of the ruling party who corroborated the above position, called on the Buni-led caretaker leadership of APC to fully concentrate on emergence of zonal leaders while a new date is worked out to align with primary election between April and June.
The source said: “It is now clear that providence has planned it that Buni’s CECPC will eventually complete the tenure of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC, we should however work against this plan.”
Continuing, she said: “We will soon come out to sell this idea for our leaders on the need to have a rethink on the new date (March 26) for the national convention. We don’t have any hidden agenda rather than ensuring that our party remains stronger after this exercise and we believe that between now and May, the Caretaker Committee can still resolve more crises, ensure emergence of quality leaders at our zonal levels and handover a stronger structure to the incoming NWC members.”
Rochas Okorocha is a very greedy man. He has a very massive insatiable quest for wealth. Tinubu is the answer 2023 & tormentor of all those who don't wish this Nation to go forward. Think of a new Nigeria, Think Tinubu!
*OBJ already told his people to be part of the new party. *Promoters begin consultations,mull Adesina/ Kwakwanso tickets. * Why former President made 'I'm not partisan comments' to PDP leaders ....aims to harvest disgruntled elements from APC’s convention
Indications have emerged to suggest that a former President of the country, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is working with some stakeholders in the country to float a new political party ahead of the forthcoming General Elections scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2023. Apart from Obasanjo, other stakeholders who are said to be working quietly for the emergence of the new party include former governors of Kano and Jigawa states, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso, and Alhaji Sule Lamido.
Those also mentioned include many stakeholders who feel badly treated in the last round of congresses and National Convention of the PDP are said to be working for the actualisation of the new platform to emerge from remnants of the opposition party. Promoters of the new party are also waiting in wings.
A former Special Adviser to the President on Political Matter, Professor Rufai Alkali, is said to be providing the intellectual direction for those promoting the idea and he is said to have put forward a series of position papers for the promoters of the initiative.
Various sources have told our correspondent that no formal meeting has been called or attended by the promoters but that talks are ongoing and have been mostly exploratory “but all I can say is that a lot of grounds have so far been covered to make us reasonably conclude that the plan would eventually come to fruition.” One of the sources said Obasanjo has been traversing the length and breadth of the country to garner support from notable leaders in the political, religious and business class with a view to shore up support for his aspiration. According to the source, the wily former leader has ensured that his immediate political circle who lost out in the last convention of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are being put on standby in preparation for the move.
Obasanjo is also said to be waiting to harvest disgruntled elements that are likely to emerge in the aftermath of the forthcoming convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) scheduled for the end of February. “Baba (Obasanjo) has already told his boys to get set to be part of the new party. Don’t forget that he (Obasanjo) is not happy with the way founding fathers of the PDP are being treated by some younger elements who have hijacked it for their selfish agenda.” The source said. One of the sources stated that another reason why he is working for a new political party is to ensure that people with the requisite wherewithal are elected with a view to clearing the numerous challenges facing the country.
"Baba is concerned with the state of the nation post Buhari presidency and is working to ensure that a competent ticket of eminently qualified Nigerians is presented to Nigerians in 2023,” the source close to the former leader said, adding that a committee within the group has come up with a ticket. The source stated that the pair of President of African Development Bank (ADB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina and former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Kwakwanso, is being touted for the ticket and that the mood of the country regarding the issue of zoning would determine whoever will be the principal partner in the ticket.
“The choice of Adesina is to provide a counter to the emergence of either Bola Tinubu or Vice President Yemi Osinbajo if eventually either of them picks the APC’s ticket while Kwakwanso’s popularity in the North will prove difficult should the APC field a Northerner.” The source said. On Obasanjo’s comment at a reception of a delegation of PDP to his house recently, the source hinged the posture of the former ruler on the outcome of the last convention of the party where some elements, particularly elected governors in the party, hijacked the party from founding fathers.
He said: “How do you hope that Baba will still be with them when they disgraced him at the last convention when they schemed his boys from being elected into the National Executive Committee of the party by the governors who know next to nothing regarding how the party was formed?” One of those reportedly schemed out of reckoning include a former National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who lost to Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja in the race for the office of the National Deputy Chairman (South) of the party, a development, which the retired General considers as an affront and disrespectful.
“The opportunity came for Baba to in turn shun them when they visited him when he maintained that he would rather be a statesman than to dabble into partisan politics. Baba told them off and they knew it,” the source added. When contacted by our correspondent, spokesman to former Governor Lamido, Mansur Ahmed, feigned ignorance of such development, saying his principal remains committed to the PDP as a founding father and stakeholder. “Alhaji Sule Lamido remains committed to the ideals of the PDP and I don’t see him dumping the party. I know that some form of relationship exists between him and former President Olusegun Obasanjo which is like that of a father and son,” Ahmed said.
Some of the cars captured includes a Volkswagen Beetle (Ijapa), Peugeot 504 and 2nd-Generation Toyota Corolla Wagon.
Others are the Peugeot 404 sedan, fourth Generation Toyota Crown, Land Rover Defender, Land Rover and Renault 12.
This present administration may have scored a very low mark in terms of the high price of getting petroleum products, but many will remember it for solving the problems of fuel scarcity In the country.
In the past, Nigerians, despite Nigeria being an oil rich nation, had to queue for several hours and at times sleep at filling stations just to fill the tanks of their vehicles.
And the scarcity of fuel isn’t a problem that developed in the last administration. A trending clip taken in the 1970s takes us back to the past to see how Nigerias struggle to buy petroleum products during fuel scarcity.
In the rare footage, a very huge queues of vehicles can be seen, as motorists fights each other while waiting for their turn to buy petrol.
And if you have ever wondered which cars plied the Nigerian highways in the 1970s, then this short clip will give you a glimpse of it.
Some of the cars that were captured in the clip includes a Volkswagen Beetle (Ijapa), Peugeot 504 Station Wagon and 2nd-Generation Toyota Corolla Wagon.
Other iconic cars spotted includes a Peugeot 404 sedan, fourth Generation Toyota Crown, Land Rover Defender, Land Rover, Renault 12 and Volkswagen Transporter bus.
Drug Trafficking: Kyari, Bawa Confessed Working Directly With Cartel In Brazil, Ethiopia —NDLEA
•Promises blind justice for indictees •War against illicit drugs, trafficking yielding positive results —Marwa
THE drug trafficking saga involving disgraced top cop, Abba Kyari, further evolved on Wednesday, with details connecting him directly to barons in Brazil and Ethiopia.
Ethiopia has become a major gateway to drug spread in Africa and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at a point mid-last year placed the country’s national carrier under surveillance for allegedly returning the highest number of caught drug couriers.
The agency released a new set of incriminating information yesterday, as questions were being asked about its officers indicted by the leadership of the Nigerian Police as collaborators in the drug deals.
Femi Babafemi, the agency’s spokesperson, in a statement, promised blind justice for all involved in the drug trafficking saga, but very particular about the Kyari team connecting directly with the barons and couriers.
Police had alleged that NDLEA men at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on agreement and long association, created a safe passage for two named drug couriers before the police team later found out their accomplices and picked them up.
In what appears a disputation of Police’s claim, Babafemi said, “To correct some inaccuracies in the information in the public space that NDLEA officers at the Enugu airport were the ones who received from the cartel, details about the mule coming from Addis Ababa, the agency wishes to quote from the transcript of Abba Kyari’s recorded conversation with our undercover officer and a portion of ASP James Bawa’s statement to the police as documented in the police investigation report, a copy of which was made available to the agency, that it’s an established fact that it’s the Abba Kyari’s team that was contacted by the cartel and without doubt the records clearly show how their ring works.”
Dipping into hitherto redacted information, Babafemi who is the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, further disclosed, “Recall that after NDLEA requested for Kyari and others for interrogation. They were questioned by the police, after which they were handed over along with the report of their interrogation.
“According to the police investigation report, ASP James Bawa in his statement to the police revealed that ‘he was called by an informant identified as IK from Brazil who told him that a drug courier will be arriving on board Ethiopian Airlines in Enugu.
“He explained further that a pointer from IK, the Brazil-based informant met with him at about 1420hrs on January 19 outside the airport and showed him a picture of the courier.
“Subsequently, they sighted the suspect as he exited the airport terminal after all arrival clearance formalities, and he was arrested with another associate.”
A part of the taped conversations involving Kyari, was also released. NDLEA said, “In his own recorded conversation with our undercover officer, Kyari also said the following: ‘They are greedy, seriously greedy (referring to his informants). We tried to have them accept 40 per cent but they refused, except 50 per cent. They know the rudiment of the deal very well, they are the ones that do the packing.
‘From Brazil, one of the informants accompanied it to Ethiopia. You understand; one of the informants accompanied the goods to Ethiopia; one of the informants that give us information. He is the boy of the big baron.
‘Addis, from Addis it will be given to those to proceed further with it, he will get their snapshots without their knowledge. Yes, he will reveal those that are conveying it further, get snapshots of theirs without their knowledge and send to us (Abba Kyari’s team).
‘So we already know the goods, picture and the clothes they are wearing, hope you understand. We know your name, he will give us everything. So, automatically my team will just be waiting, they will just see you and arrest you.'”
Providing further munition to nail the disgraced cop, Babafemi’s statement also revealed, “responding to our officer’s question on whether his boys are usually stationed inside or outside the airport, Abba Kyari said, ‘Yes, yes, some are outside while some are inside. They will just allow you to finish arrival formalities and arrest you the moment you come out.’”
In what could pass for buck-passing, he concluded by saying, “the above no doubt establishes who the cartel was relating with and their modus operandi. Again, this is to correct inaccuracies in some reports and assure that the agency will not deviate from evidence-based.”
Meanwhile, the chairman, NDLEA, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retd), on Wednesday said the war against illicit drugs and trafficking in Nigeria is yielding positive results.
Marwa said this in Abuja during a sensitisation training on drugs prevention, treatment and care organised by the United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for NLDEA personnel and journalists, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.
He said the arrest of Abba Kyari is a clear message of the agency’s commitment to the fight against drug abuse.
Marwa said that those given the responsibility to fight crime, including illicit drugs trade, must not be proponents of the crime.
He also said the fight against drug abuse is a serious business as he assured that the agency remains committed to ensuring a drug-free nation.
The UNODC country representative, Oliver Stolpe, said the drug use epidemic affects around 40 million Nigerians out of which around three million have drug use disorders.
Stolpe, who lauded the efforts of the media in information dissemination, said more still needed to be done in the fight against drug abuse in Nigeria.
*NPF probes Kyari for 33 cases of money laundering. *Police recommend demotion of embattled top cop.
POLICE investigations have revealed how members of a syndicate led by international scammer, Ramon Abass, popularly known as Hushpuppi paid N235, 120, 000 to a younger brother of a former Commander, Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari.
The probe also indicates that Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, equally funnelled N44m to his brother’s bank account in multiple transactions.
However, the investigation report obtained by our correspondent on Monday, failed to disclose whether Kyari’s brother was acting as a proxy for his embattled elder brother who is currently in custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The DCP, who was suspended by the police last July for his alleged links to Hushpuppi, allegedly attempted to sell part of the cocaine which was seized from some drug dealers in Enugu, while he was on suspension.
The investigation report which was submitted to the Attorney-General of the Federation disclosed that a total of N279.120m flowed to the younger Kyari’s bank account at various times from the cyber scam syndicate members-Efe Martins (lead coordinator), Sikiru Adekoya, Usman Ibrahim, and Hussaini Ala.
It stated, “Sikiru Adekoya has many times received money from Hushpuppi and Efe and has equally transferred money to Usman Ibrahim. Adekoya after initial denial of having any financial transaction with both Hushpuppi and Efe Martins eventually admitted receiving various sums of money through transfers into his GTBank.
‘’However, he could not offer reasonable explanations of what the sums were meant for and what he did with the monies. The network of Hushpuppi Internet fraud syndicate consists of Efe Martins as the lead coordinator who through his company, Efe Martins Integrated Concept Ltd., has at various times transferred different sums of money to Sikiru Adekoya, Usman Waziri Ibrahim, Hussaini Ala.
“A junior brother to DCP Kyari is a major beneficiary of funds from the Zenith Bank account of Hussaini Ala from where he at different times received various sums totaling N218, 120, 000. He also received the sum of N44m in multiple transactions from DCP Abba Kyari.’’
He was taken into custody by the NDLEA alongside four officers after he was indicted for dealing in drugs by the police.
His accomplices include Sunday Ubuah, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agrigba and John Nuhu. Another officer, ASP John Umoru, is said to be at large.
Curiously, the Special Investigation Panel which authored the report did not invite or interrogate Kyari’s brother about the huge sums of money deposited into his bank account by the fraud syndicate and the DCP.
In its recommendations, the Force Disciplinary Committee which reviewed the SIP investigation report indicted Kyari for violating the social media policy of the Nigeria Police Force by responding to the Federal Bureau of Intelligence’s indictment on his Facebook page without recourse to laid down procedures.
Committee accuses Kyari of hobnobbing with fraudulent characters, violating the police professional ethics
For hobnobbing with fraudulent characters and violating the police professional ethics, the committee awarded Kyari the punishment of reduction in rank from DCP to ACP, stating that “the evidence of (N8mn) bribe is circumstantial in that the bribe mainly was not paid into the officer’s account nor was any proceeds of the bribe traced by the panel much less linking the officer to any such proceeds.’’
The FDC further said there was no evidence of direct fund transfer from either Hushpuppi or Efe into any of Kyari’s accounts “but there were records of various funds transfers totaling N17m which originated from Efe Martins into the accounts of Usman Waziri, Hussaini Ala and brother to DCP Kyari.”
Meanwhile, the force has intensified investigations into Kyari’s links to criminal gangs and alleged involvement in money laundering as directed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Malami had in his legal advice to the police leadership said a prima facie case of money laundering had been established against the former IRT commander.
The advice read in part, “That there exists a prima facie case of conspiracy, collaboration, receipt, conversion, transfer and/or retention of proceeds of unlawful activities contrary to the provision of Section 15, 17 & 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and Section 17 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Est) Act, Cap EI Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 against DCP Abba Kyari and other suspects in view of the overwhelming evidence showing the nature of his disguised financial transactions and activities with Abbas Hushpuppi, Efe Martins, Usman Ibrahim Waztiri, Sikiru Adekoya, Hussaini Ala and Sharon Festus who are all confirmed members of international internet fraud network.
“Although the facts and circumstances of this case as contained in the case fire are suggestive to money laundering offences against DCP Abba Kyari and his accomplices namely: Abbas Hushpuppi, Efe Martins, Usman Ibrahim Waziri, Sikiru Adekoya, Hussaini Ala and Sharon Festus; in order to successfully prosecute them, there is a need for a more thorough dissecting and tracing of the suspected 33 proceeds of crime received by DCP Abba Kyari directly or indirectly through the said accomplices.”
The AGF also ordered the police to trace the movement of money, withdrawals from the various accounts linked to Kyari and his suspected accomplices as well as the use of the funds in purchasing physical assets and properties in order to clearly expose ‘’the disguised nature of the suspected proceeds of crime.’’
Speaking to The PUNCH on Tuesday, the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said investigation into Kyari’s links to the drug gang was still ongoing as the DCP was being interrogated by detectives.
*Suspended police chief, others taken to custody after being linked to drug deals *How Presidency forced IG to release him to anti-drug agency.
There were strong indications last night that suspended police chief Abba Kyari, taken into National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) custody yesterday, will be extradited to the United States after his probe for an illicit drug deal.
Sources said the Federal Government had concluded plans with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) to hand over the deputy commissioner of police, who is wanted for taking bribe from suspected celebrity internet fraudster, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, alias Hushpuppi, from a $1.1million loot.
It was also learnt that the police authorities delayed action on Kyari for four days until the Presidency directed Inspector-General Baba Usman to release him to the NDLEA.
Shortly before he was released to the anti-drug agency alongside four other police officers indicted for the same misdemeanour, the NDLEA had declared Kyari wanted after announcing his involvement with drugs and releasing a video of his attempt to bribe operatives to the public.
Sources said President Muhammadu Buhari received a report on Kyari from the Chairman of the NDLEA, Gen. Buba Marwa.
The other suspects taken into custody are Sunday Ubuah, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP); Bawa James, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP); Inspector Simon Agrigba and Inspector John Nuhu.
According to a top source in the presidency, the Federal Government was already finalising the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with the U.S. on Kyari’s extradition.
A Presidency source said: “The Federal Government has made up its mind to extradite Kyari when the NDLEA is done with him. There is already an ongoing talk between Nigeria and the United States.
“Already, the US has forwarded indictment documents and some evidence to the Federal Government. It claimed that there is a prima facie case against Kyari. The arrest of the top police cop has confirmed the suspicion of the USA.
“The final stage is the invocation of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and Kyari will be extradited to the United States for interrogation and trial.”
Another source said: “President Buhari was properly briefed by Gen. Marwa before the agency released its fact-sheet and video clip to the public.
“It was after the briefing that the agency set the machinery in motion to arrest Kyari and four others. Two drug suspects linked with the Kyari group are already in the agency’s custody.
“The interrogation of the five police officers will begin on Tuesday (today) alongside the two drug traffickers in NDLEA’s net.
“Both the traffickers and the police officers will have the opportunity to face detectives on how Kyari became an intermediary.
“It is expected that this action may lead to the unearthing of the drug cartel in the country.”
How presidency intervened
A source said: “Since last week, the NDLEA requested the release of Kyari and four other officers by the police. They were to be handed over on Thursday but no action was taken.
“The agency waited on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and till the early hours of Monday without any communication from the police.
“When the police were foot-dragging, the agency addressed the press on the facts and video clip at its disposal. NDLEA also declared Kyari wanted.
“The presidency immediately intervened and ordered the Inspector-General of Police to arrest and transfer the suspects to NDLEA.”
A statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy of NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said justice will take its full course.
The statement said: “Few hours after he was declared wanted by the NDLEA over his involvement in a 25 kilograms cocaine deal, the Nigerian Police Force has handed over Kyari…to the anti-narcotic agency.
“Five of the wanted suspects…were driven into the National Headquarters of NDLEA in Abuja at about 5pm on Monday to formally hand them over for interrogation and further investigation.
“The agency wishes to assure that no stone will be left unturned to ensure that all suspects already in custody and those that may still be indicted in the course of the investigation will face the full weight of the law at the end of the ongoing probe.”
‘Why NDLEA declared Kyari wanted’
At a briefing on why Kyari was wanted, Babafemi said the NDLEA believed “strongly” that the suspended officer was “a member of a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline, and he needs to answer questions that crop up in an ongoing drug case in which he is the principal actor”.
He said Kyari, despite being suspended, led a team that “intercepted” some traffickers.
Giving details of Kyari’s involvement, the spokesman said: “The saga started on Friday, January 21, 2022, when DCP Kyari initiated a call to one of the NDLEA officers in Abuja at 2:12 pm.
“When the officer returned the call two minutes later, Kyari informed him he was coming to see him, to discuss an operational matter after the Juma’at service.
“He appeared at the agreed venue of the meeting with the officer and went straight to the crux of the matter.
“This was it: his team had intercepted and arrested some traffickers that came into the country from Ethiopia with, according to him, 25kg of cocaine.
“He proposed a drug deal whereby he and his team are to take 15kg of the cocaine and leave 10kg for the prosecution of the suspects arrested with the illicit drug in Enugu.
“In the meantime, the purloined cocaine will be replaced with a dummy worth 15kg. He asked the NDLEA officer to persuade men of the FCT Command, to play along as well.”
The spokesman said it was reminiscent of a recent case in which a drug kingpin flew from Brazil to negotiate the release of a 27.95 kg shipment of cocaine intercepted at the airport, offering a bribe of $24, 500 to an officer, who refused it.
“By 11: 05 am on Monday, January 24, after the agency gave the officer the green light to play along, he and Kyari began a WhatsApp call for the rest of the day. The officer conveyed ‘their’ willingness to play the game.
“At this point, Kyari disclosed that the 15kg (already taken out) was shared between the informants that provided information for the seizure and he and his men of the IRT of the Nigerian Police.
“According to him, the informants were given 7kg while his team took 8kg which was already sold.
“He then offered to pay the NDLEA team (that is the officer and the FCT commander) by selling, on their behalf, half of the remaining 10kg, thereby further reducing the original cocaine for the prosecution to just 5kg.
“At N7m per kilogram, the proceed from the 5kg would amount to N35m, at the exchange rate of N570 per dollar being the black market rate for the day, January 24, 2022. In effect, he would be delivering $61, 400 to the NDLEA team.
“He put pressure on our officer to wrap up the arrangement with the commander of the FCT Command to take custody of the drug and suspects from his men who were on ground in Abuja. At the time, he was speaking from Lagos, where he allegedly travelled for private business.”
Police point finger at NDLEA
The police accused NDLEA officers at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport of aiding drug trafficking.
Force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the IGP ordered Kyari’s and the others’ arrest following “pieces of information received from the leadership of the NDLEA on 10th February 2022”.
He said in a statement: “In line with standard administrative procedure of the Force, the Inspector General of Police ordered a high-level, discreet, and in-house investigation into the allegations.
“The interim investigations report revealed that two international drug couriers identified as Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus, both males, were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu on the 19th of January, 2022 upon their arrival from Addis Ababa aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET917.
“The arrest led to the recovery of a substantial quantity of powdery substance suspected to be cocaine from the two narcotic couriers.
“The operation, which was intelligence-driven, was undertaken by a Unit of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
“Although the case and the two suspects were subsequently transferred to the NDLEA on the 25th January, 2022, the findings of the in-house investigation ordered by the Inspector General of Police established reasonable grounds for strong suspicion that the IRT officers involved in the operation could have been involved in some underhand and unprofessional dealings as well as official corruption which compromised ethical standards in their dealings with the suspects and exhibits recovered.
“Beyond this, the Police investigation also established that the international narcotics cartel involved in this case have strong ties with some officers of the NDLEA at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu who are on their payroll.
“The two arrested drug couriers confirmed that the modus is for the transnational drug barons to conspire with the NDLEA officers on duty and send them their pre-boarding photographs for identification, seamless clearance, and unhindered passage out of the airport with the narcotics being trafficked.
“The two arrested drug couriers also confirmed that they have been enjoying this relationship with the NDLEA officers at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport since 2021 and had in this instant case of 19th January, 2022, been identified and cleared by the NDLEA officers as customary, having received their pre-departure photographs and other details prior to their arrival in Enugu, and were on their way out with the narcotics when they were apprehended by the Police.”
Police indict Kyari
The police said the panel’s findings implicated Kyari.
The statement added: “The Police investigations report also indicted DCP Abba Kyari, who had been on suspension for his alleged involvement in a different fraud case being investigated by the FBI, for complicity in the allegation of official corruption, tampering with narcotics exhibit and sundry unprofessional conducts that negate the standard administrative and investigative protocols of the Force as well as extant criminal laws.
“It is to be emphasised that DCP Abba Kyari’s involvement in these allegations occurred while his suspension from service was subsisting.
“On the strength of the findings of the in-house police investigation panel, the Inspector-General of Police has ordered the immediate arrest and transfer of all the indicted police officers to the NDLEA authorities for conclusive investigation, while appropriate disciplinary actions are also being initiated against them by the Force leadership.
“The concerned officers include DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday Ubuah, ASP Bawa James, ASP John Umoru (at large), Inspr. Simon Agrigba and John Nuhu. They have all been, accordingly, handed over to the NDLEA authorities.”
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, accused governors and senators of the South East zone of failure to end the sit-at-home order because of their political interest warning them not to seek political offices during 2023 general election if they fail to end the exercise.
It also urged the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to apologise and ask for forgiveness from Ndigbo for their mistakes and naughtiness for the sit-at-home order without consulting Igbo leaders, noting that the exercise had destroyed the socio-economic activities in the region.
In a statement issued in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State by its Secretary General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said no Igbo governor or senator deserved to seek reelection in 2023, if they lacked the courage and capacity to end activities that had ridiculed the South East.
He called on governors of the South East to proffer lasting solutions to the cessation of IPOB’s sit-at-home directive since they now blame hoodlums for hijacking the directive, adding that it had become obvious that criminals have taken advantage of IPOB’s miscalculations to unleash terror on Ndigbo.
MEANWHILE, the Anioma indigenes of Delta State resident in Lagos have endorsed the Isama of Onicha Ugbo, Chief Michael Diji, as the presidential candidate for the state chapter of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group.
They said it is the turn of the Igbo indigenes of Delta State to produce the next Ohanaeze leader, and as such, the stakeholders from the Igbo speaking communities have agreed that Diji, was most suited for the position.
Ohanaeze comprises all Igbo speaking people of Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Delta, Rivers and Enugu states. Leader of the Igbo speaking communities of Delta State recognised by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Chuks Chukwujindu Smith, said: “We the Anioma people of Delta State have unanimously endorsed Diji as our authentic candidate for President of Ohaneze Ndigbo in Lagos State.”
He explained that Njiko Ndi Anioma remained the only socio-cultural organisation of Igbo of Delta State stock affiliated to and recognised by Ohanaeze national body and following due process, it had adopted Diji, as the best candidate that would guarantee quality leadership.
Diji, an expert in the finance, leasing and logistics sectors, is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Corporate Accountants of West Africa and holds an MBA in Banking & Finance from the Lagos State University (LASU).
He also has a doctorate degree in Financial Management and Corporate Governance from the European American University, a fellow of Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria and member, Equipment Leasing Association of Nigeria, among others.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited may need an estimated N201bn worth of clean Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) to bring 170.25 million litres of adulterated product imported the country up to standard, an analysis of industry data has shown.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority had said on Tuesday that for every 200 litres of the adulterated product, 800 litres of petrol with good quality would be required for the blending that would be done.
“All the off-spec material (product) will re-blended to very good quality, and it will be certified and recertified before it goes into the market. The component that was in excess was methanol; what we agreed was that for every 200 litres of the affected volume, we need about 800 litres to blend,” the Chief Executive Officer, NMDPRA, Mr Farouk Ahmed, had said during a visit to some depots in Lagos on Wednesday after a meeting with industry stakeholders.
The regulator had on Tuesday said a limited quantity of PMS with methanol quantities above Nigeria’s specification was discovered in the supply chain.
On Wednesday, the NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, said the national oil firm received on January 20, 2022 a report from its quality inspector on the presence of emulsion particles in PMS cargoes shipped to Nigeria from Antwerp-Belgium.
He said NNPC investigation revealed the presence of methanol in four PMS cargoes imported by its DSDP (Direct Sale Direct Purchase) suppliers namely MRS, Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium, Oando and Duke Oil.
Under the DSDP scheme, selected overseas refiners, trading companies and indigenous companies are allocated crude supplies in exchange for the delivery of an equal value of petrol and other refined products to the NNPC.
MRS had in a statement issued on Tuesday said the Duke Oil, a trading arm of NNPC, supplied a cargo of PMS through a vessel that delivered a total of 36,958 metric tonnes (49.56 million litres) in Apapa between January 24 and 30.
Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium said on Thursday that one of its members, Brittania-U was the sole supplier of a cargo, containing 90,000MT (120.69 million litres) of PMS delivered on January 2 to 4.
681m litres of good fuel require for two cargoes, quantity of two cargoes remains unknown
Going by the NMDPRA’s parameter for the re-blending of the adulterated petrol, the two cargoes, containing a total of 170.25 million adulterated petrol, would require 681 million litres of clean product worth N201bn (based on a landing cost of N295 per litre).
The N201bn is a conservative estimate, as there are other costs that would be associated with the re-blending.
However, the quantity of the other two cargoes remained unknown as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday in Abuja directed service providers to fully disclose relevant information concerning the consumption of their products and compensate dissatisfied consumers.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday titled, ‘Providers of substandard fuel must be held accountable, directs President Buhari.’
Sylva had on Wednesday hinted that the government would look into possible compensation for Nigerians whose automobiles had been damaged by the contaminated fuel.
Shehu’s statement, however, quoted the President as saying that he ‘has ordered that producers and providers of consumable products be held accountable for substandard services and or products sold by them.
“The President has also given directives to the relevant government agencies to take every step in line with the laws of the country to ensure the respect and protection of consumers against market abuses and social injustices.”
Reacting to the petroleum product shortages, Buhari said the protection of consumer interests was his regime’s priority, adding that he was ready to take all necessary measures to protect consumers from hazardous products, loss or injuries from the consumption of substandard goods.
According to the presidential spokesman, Buhari has directed that in line with the law, “service providers must make full disclosure of relevant information with respect to the consumption of their products and that dissatisfied consumers are entitled to a proper redress of their complaints.”
• To announce presidential bid after APC convention •We’re yet to discuss zoning -Ruling party
There were strong indications, yesterday, that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will announce his presidential ambition immediately after the All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention, slated for Saturday, February 26.
This is even as he has reportedly got the nod of his spiritual father and General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Enoch Adeboye, to vie for the position.
The vice president’s quest was contained in an Instagram post by Omolubu2023, a support group for Osinbajo 2023, which declared him the face of hope.
The group claimed that sources close to Osinbajo’s strategy team made the disclosure at the weekend.
The group quoted the sources as saying: “In spite of the ongoing campaigns against his currently rumoured bid for the presidency by some interests in the South West, where he hails from, Osinbajo had made up his mind to give the presidency a shot. Even more instructive, inside sources claimed, was the fact that Osinbajo had received the blessing and the charge to go ahead with his ambition from Pastor Adeboye.
“Take it to the bank, he will run and he is declaring soon after the APC convention. All is set, including premium consultations already done. The coast is clear and the journey is looking good. I believe Prof. is also motivated by the increasing level of support from across the country, especially, the youths of this country.
“From the North to the South, tell me where he has visited recently and the charge has not been that he should contest? He has capacity, competence and knows what the issues are. Importantly, he can also sell them – I mean the issues. So, why will he not run? Why should the bitterness and envy of some minions stifle him?”
The group stressed that Osinbajo is unfazed by the growing allegation of betrayal and the push for him to stand down his ambition for his former principal and supposed benefactor, Bola Tinubu, who had since declared his intention to run. He was said to have described the attacks against him as the real motivation to take his chances.
“In fact, none of such bothers him. But he has done one thing though, he has called his supporters and pleaded with them never to talk down on Tinubu or engage in a mud fight with his support groups, even in the face of obvious provocation.”
Meanwhile, APC has said despite speculations, the party has not yet sat down to discuss the issue of zoning its presidential ticket.
Speaking on a television programme monitored in Lagos, yesterday, Director of Organisation at the national headquarters of the party, Ussiju Medaner, said the fact that all aspirants for the national chairmanship are from the North does not automatically mean the presidential ticket would go to the South or North.
There have been speculations that the ruling party would zone its presidential ticket to the South, which is why, till date, no southern aspirant has indicated interest in contesting for the national chairmanship of the party, and most of those who have indicated interest in contesting for the presidency on the platform of the party are all from the South, except Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
Medaner, however, said it would be faulty to assume that based on where those showing interest in the chairmanship of the party come, the party has zoned the presidential ticket.
“If you look at our pre-convention activities, you will see that the sub-committees will be announced on February 19, by this, you can see that there is no zoning committee and they have not sat to discuss anything. People have aspirations and, maybe, people from the South are gearing up too because people need to make consultations.
“If people come out early to indicate interest in the chairmanship, it doesn’t mean it is for this side or for that side. We must have a party before anyone aspires for any position; and right now, we are more focused on building the party. Once we have a party which actually belongs to all Nigerians, they will exercise their franchise because everybody is allowed within the ambits of the law,” he said.
On the issue of factions in many state chapters of the party, he claimed that most of the states have resolved their issues and that the party is working hard to ensure the February 26 national convention takes place.
They tried to stop him from playing for his home country, He refused. An African child with love for his country, lifting his people up and making his country proud in every way. As an internationally known professional Footballer, playing for Liverpool, he chose not to buy expensive things, he chose not to live an Extravagant life style, Rather, Sadio Mane, a very humble and respectful son of Bambali Village, senegal, Chose to help his people. He feeds his people with monthly household allowance, builds schools, hospitals and helps in every way. Finally, it was time to bring glory to his Nation, he didn't let anyone or anything stop him. he roared like a TERENGA lion and held on till the end. Now, he has fulfilled his promise to his People! Africa is Extremely proud of a great son of the Land. for the love of Senegal and the Motherland. Sadio is our Hero. We love you Champ! THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR YOUR PEOPLE.
Presidency rejects Financial Times report on Buhari govt’s performance
The Presidency, yesterday, rejected a Financial Times article, which described President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling of the nation’s economy and security as poor.
The article, entitled “What is Nigeria’s Government for?” was written by David Pilling, African editor of Financial Times, and published on January 31, 2022.
In the article, Pilling said Buhari had “overseen two terms of an economic slump, rising debt and a calamitous increase in kidnapping and banditry,” adding that Nigeria had “sleepwalked closer to disaster” under Buhari.
“Next year, many of the members of government will change, though not necessarily the bureaucracy behind it. Campaigning has already begun for presidential elections that in February 2023 will draw the curtain on eight years of the administration of Muhammadu Buhari, on whose somnolent watch Nigeria has sleepwalked closer to disaster.
“Buhari has overseen two terms of economic slump, rising debt and a calamitous increase in kidnapping and banditry—the one thing you might have thought a former general could control. Familiar candidates to replace him, mostly recycled old men, are already counting their money ahead of a costly electoral marathon. It takes an estimated $2bn to get a president elected. Those who pay will expect to be paid back.
“There are some promising candidates. If Yemi Osinbajo, the technocratic vice-president, were miraculously to make it through the campaign thicket and emerge as president, the hearts of Nigerian optimists would beat a little faster.
“But that may be to underestimate the depth of Nigeria’s quagmire. The problem is not so much who leads the government as the nature of government itself.
“Nigeria’s administration is fuelled by oil — though not its economy; more than 90 per cent of output is generated from non-oil activities. But for decades, the business of government — whether military or, since 1999, democratic — has been to control access to oil revenues and earn patronage by spreading petrol-dollars to federal and state supplicants.
“Outside oil, government raises a petty amount of revenue, proportionally much less than other African states. Since the provision of services is so dire, no one who can afford to pay taxes is willing to do so. Nigerians with money opt out of the system. They send their kids to private school, attend private hospitals, employ their own private security and generate their own power. The state borrows ever more heavily to fund what little capital expenditure there is and service mounting debts. Like a giant leech at the top of the body politic, government is essentially there to fund itself.”
But reacting to this, yesterday, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a letter addressed to Financial Times, said the article left out the “security gains” of Buhari’s government.
The letter read: “We wish to correct the wrong perceptions contained in the article ‘What is Nigeria’s Government For’ by David Pilling, Financial Times (UK), January 31, 2022, the letter reads.
“The caricature of a government sleepwalking into disaster (What is Nigeria’s government for? January 31, 2022) is predictable from a correspondent who jets briefly in and out of Nigeria on the same British Airways flight he so criticises.
“He highlights rising banditry in my country as proof of such slumber. What he leaves out are the security gains made over two presidential terms.
“The terror organisation Boko Haram used to administer an area the size of Belgium at the inauguration; now, they control no territory.
“The first comprehensive plan to deal with decades-old clashes between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers – experienced across the width of the Sahel – has been introduced: pilot ranches are reducing the competition for water and land that drove past tensions.
“Banditry grew out of such clashes. Criminal gangs took advantage of the instability, flush with guns that flooded the region following the Western-triggered implosion of Libya.”
President Buhari has overseen two terms of economic slump, rising debt and a calamitous increase in kidnapping and banditry
Muhammadu Buhari may go but it’s not the leader who matters, the system itself must change
On the British Airways flight between London and Nigeria’s administrative capital of Abuja, one of the airline’s most profitable routes, nearly all the space is taken up with flatbeds. The unfortunate few making their way to a crunched economy section at the back must trudge through row after row of business class.
Evidently, there is plenty of money to be made in Abuja’s corridors of power. Nigeria’s economy may be flat on its back, but the political elite flying to and from London will spend the flight flat on theirs, too.
Next year, many of the members of government will change, though not necessarily the bureaucracy behind it. Campaigning has already begun for presidential elections that in February 2023 will draw the curtain on eight years of the administration of Muhammadu Buhari, on whose somnolent watch Nigeria has sleepwalked closer to disaster.
Buhari has overseen two terms of economic slump, rising debt and a calamitous increase in kidnapping and banditry — the one thing you might have thought a former general could control. Familiar candidates to replace him, mostly recycled old men, are already counting their money ahead of a costly electoral marathon. It takes an estimated $2bn to get a president elected. Those who pay will expect to be paid back.
There are some promising candidates. If Yemi Osinbajo, the technocratic vice-president, were miraculously to make it through the campaign thicket and emerge as president, the hearts of Nigerian optimists would beat a little faster.
But that may be to underestimate the depth of Nigeria’s quagmire. The problem is not so much who leads the government as the nature of government itself.
Nigeria’s administration is fuelled by oil — though not its economy; more than 90 per cent of output is generated from non-oil activities. But for decades, the business of government — whether military or, since 1999, democratic — has been to control access to oil revenues and earn patronage by spreading petrol-dollars to federal and state supplicants.
Outside oil, government raises a petty amount of revenue, proportionally much less than other African states. Since the provision of services is so dire, no one who can afford to pay taxes is willing to do so. Nigerians with money opt out of the system. They send their kids to private school, attend private hospitals, employ their own private security and generate their own power. The state borrows ever more heavily to fund what little capital expenditure there is and service mounting debts. Like a giant leech at the top of the body politic, government is essentially there to fund itself.
This thwarts the aspirations of millions of highly capable Nigerians. Officials extract “rent” by controlling access to business opportunities. The objective thus becomes to slow down investment not speed it up.
Almost all the energy, drive and wealth creation in Nigeria happens outside government. New unregulated businesses in the booming tech sector, fashion, design and the creative arts are flourishing. Every day, tens of millions of Nigerians somehow get by, despite the efforts of those supposedly looking out for them.
As is said of India, Nigeria grows at night while the government sleeps — hardly surprising that some libertarian tech entrepreneurs want the government to withdraw and leave the private sector in charge.
In reality, the government is not too big. It is too small. The federal budget — not counting money transferred to states — is about $30bn, derisory for a population of more than 200m people. Only trust in government — and a willingness to pay taxes — can redress this balance.
Nigeria desperately needs an administration whose energies go not into preserving its own privilege but into providing public goods — basic education and health, rule of law, security, power, roads and digital infrastructure. It must remove distortions and subsidies that direct entrepreneurial activity from production to arbitrage.
The chances of a corrupt system reforming itself are slim. But if Nigeria’s ruling class cannot manage it, any remaining faith Nigerians have in their system of government will evaporate. That way lies disaster.
The insistence of the South to produce the country’s next president appears to have thrown the Northern political elite into a flurry of meetings on how best to negotiate an acceptable outcome that will keep Nigeria intact before and after 2023 amid feelings of marginalisation in the South.
Across political persuasions, influential voices in the North, Sunday Independent learnt, are split over the best approach to resolving the agitation for Southern presidency.
The Northern leaders, it was gathered, are weighing some factors that could make or break the union if not brilliantly tackled at this most tense moment of the nation’s history but there has been no agreement so far.
Even among the major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), negotiators are rumoured to have run into a brick wall.
Findings by Sunday Independent revealed that the APC is determined not to lose power in 2023, while the PDP is also determined to wrest power from the ruling party.
Investigations also revealed that two Northern blocs may have emerged, with these two blocs divided over what criterion should determine the candidate that would get their (northern) support.
While a group is singing the equity song, insisting that for Nigeria to become cohesive again, they should back a candidate from the South-East, the other insists that for Nigeria to recover from the destabilization of the past six years, a charismatic and capable candidate from any zone should get their backing.
An Abuja-based political analyst, Abdullahi Gimba, in a chat with our correspondent, said he believes that the APC and PDP are waiting on each other to elect the preferred candidates.
“I think both the APC and PDP are playing a kind of hide and seek game. From the look of things, it is likely that the APC will go towards the south to pick its flag bearer, and from all indications, PDP will likely head towards the north.
“You know the agitation everywhere now is that it is the turn of the south-east because since 1999, they have never been given an opportunity. But the argument now is, to which of the two main parties has the south-east contributed most, it is the PDP.
“But if you ask me, I will tell you that the PDP won’t look the way of the south-east because the party’s power brokers believe that they can only win the election with a candidate from the north.
“And for the APC, I want to believe that the APC power brokers will respect the gentleman’s agreement they had at the party’s formation stage. The ticket will likely go to the south and it will likely go to the south-west. You know the south-east have not contributed much to the APC and so I don’t see them as part of the APC plan,” Gimba said.
Lagos State APC Publicity Secretary in an interview said the APC is looking at a situation whereby at the appropriate time, the presidency will be zoned.
According to him, “It is a matter of conscience, morality and principle. It is a matter of gentlemanly agreement at the inception of this party, that the presidency should come to the South and zero down to the South-West.
“Whatever number of aspirants may come from the South-West for the presidency, I don’t think it is going to change anything about our expectations.”
When asked if zoning was part of APC Constitution, Oladejo said, “There are a lot of things that you don’t necessarily have to put in the constitution of a party. But they are just things that you want to believe that based on certain understanding, it will happen.
“I am not just having this conversation, a whole lot of prominent people in the party are in government, even those old enough have been able to make the situation very clear that zoning is the right and appropriate thing to do.”
Speaking on the chances of the south-east getting the APC presidential ticket, the Lagos APC spokesman explained that, “As a matter of fact, if PDP would want to lay any claim to integrity, fair play and justice, the PDP presidential ticket should be zoned to the South-East.
“Since 1999, the South- East has been very loyal and committed to the course of the PDP. Until the likes of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State crossover to APC and despite that, we can safely conclude that South-East is a region for PDP.
“I think if you have certain expectations regarding some high offices, it also behooves that we should play the right politics to be able to earn it. Power is never served a la carte, you earn it by working for it.
“So, if there is a party that should by right, consider the South-East, it should be PDP. You will agree with me that in the South-West ably led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we contributed greatly to wrestling the power from the then ruling party.
“So, we would expect as a matter of right that the presidential ticket should be zoned to the South West. We have earned it.”
...Ripples as it considers candidate from South-south • May make Al-Makura consensus national chairman
There are strong indications that the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have concluded arrangements to micro-zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the South-south geopolitical zone, thereby foreclosing the possibility of the Southeast zone getting the ticket.
This is coming on the heels of looming fresh crisis in the party following the decision of the leaders and stakeholders to endorse former governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, as the consensus candidate for the national chairman of the ruling party in the forthcoming February 26 national convention.
A credible source in the ruling party who craved anonymity told Sunday Sun that after the northern leaders of the party conceded the presidential ticket to the South, the likelihood that the party would micro-zone the presidential ticket to the South-south emerged last weekend.
The source maintained that the fate of presidential aspirants like Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Senator Orji Uzor-Kalu, and others from the South that have declared their interest for the plum job under APC may have been sealed.
The source revealed that going by the current dynamics in the party, the South-south will likely get the ticket.
Reacting to the zoning arrangement the ruling party may opt for, the source said: “The possibility of zoning the APC presidential ticket to the Southeast is almost a forgone conclusion. The possibility of the North getting the ticket is also a forgone conclusion. What I can confidently tell you is that APC will not certainly throw the ticket open because the party leaders are unanimous and in agreement that the ticket will be zoned to the South.
“I can also inform you, on good authority, that the most likely beneficiary of the micro-zoning option is not even Southwest as many envisaged, judging by the interest it is generating, but will likely be the South-south. And I can also inform you again that for now, the lot may fall on two persons from that zone.”
On the possibility of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) zoning its presidential ticket to the North affecting the APC zoning arrangement, the source argued: “We have told the party leaders that the North must sacrifice their presidential ambition regardless of the permutation of the opposition party. It will be a negation of equity, fairness and justice for the North to contest again after ruling eight years under Muhammadu Buhari. They have to sacrifice that ambition regardless of PDP’s zoning arrangement.”
The source equally dismissed the speculation that the crises rocking many state chapters of the party will pose serious threat to the proposed February 26 primary, arguing that once a consensus candidate for the national chairmanship emerges, statutory delegates may be used during the convention especially the states riddled with crisis.
“Ordinarily, the convention would have been delayed more to enable the party more time to conclude some reconciliation moves, however, Governor Buni and his committee members have tried. They also know that diminishing returns can set in if they continue to hang on to power more than necessary.
“Yes, I have heard that the state chairmen want to endorse the continuation of the Governor Buni-led Caretaker Committee especially to enable the party more time to reconcile more aggrieved members. However, we can conduct the convention in the states rocked by crisis by using statutory delegates to vote.
“We can no longer take chances because we know that the PDP is lurking around the corner to wrestle power from us. With the new election technology like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) that may be our greatest undoing. As I said, we cannot wait again especially as the APC leadership can use the statutory delegates to replace those states where there are crises,” the source argued.
Meanwhile, the choice of the former Nasarawa governor as the consensus candidate for the national chairmanship position ahead of other aspirants for the post has continued to generate tension and acrimony.
While the stakeholders hinged their choice of Al-Makura on product of the legacy parties, the Congress of Progressives Change (CPC) which has not presided over the ruling party since formation, others claimed that the party leaders have since discouraged the possibility of electing any former governor with a sitting APC governor after the lamentable incidence in Edo State between Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Our source further claimed that former Governor Al-Makura did not only win the endorsement of party leaders and major stakeholders, but also many APC governors and more importantly President Muhammadu Buhari, declaring that; “it is 80 per cent certain that Al-Makura will emerge a consensus national chairman of the APC.”
Reacting to the plans ahead of the party’s convention, our source said: “We are still exploring the option of a consensus candidate for the chairmanship of our party because apart from other reasons, it will even reduce the current tension within the party.
“From all indications, the former Nasarawa State governor, Al-Makura, may emerge as a consensus candidate, especially as he is of the CPC stock that has not yet produced the national chairman of our party. I can confirm to you that President Buhari and even many of the progressive governors have not only endorsed him, but are also rooting for him too.
“I can equally confirm to you that it is even 80 per cent certain that a consensus candidate may emerge ahead of the convention and once we achieve that, the controversial issue of state delegates to vote during the convention would be circumvented.”
Dismissing the claim, Ray Murphy, an adviser to former National Chairman of the party, Chief Odigie-Oyegun, told Sunday Sun that if there is any person to be fronted as a consensus candidate, the former governor of Benue State, George Akume stands at a more vantage position to be so endorsed.
“Akume has the experience as a two-term governor and the network. Don’t forget that he is a serving Minister with unrestrained access to Mr President and if there is any of the aspirants to get such favour, Akume who attends the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting should be considered before others. From all indications, the party may have zoned the ticket to the North-central and it favours all of them coming from that zone and Akume stands the chance of winning the position,” he argued.
The Federal Government admitted on Tuesday that the country’s economy is in crisis, with a debt service bill of ₦4.2 trillion in 2021.
In his goodwill message at the 40th Anniversary of Chartered Institute of Taxation (CITN), in Abuja, Senate President Ahmed Lawan alluded that the debt service rose from ₦2.5 trillion in 2019 to ₦4.2 trillion in 2021 while the contribution of the major revenue- generating agencies to consolidated revenue account in 2020 was ₦8.something trillion.
‘Last year it got to ₦11. 93 trillion. And today, we have almost half a trillion deficit of expenditure in terms of infrastructure delivery. Invariably, the economic problem in this country cannot happen without the active operation and collaboration of especially elitist groups like CITN and other professional bodies,’ he stated.
Lawan, who was represented by his special adviser on Economic Matters, Prof Nazif Abdullahi Darma, explained that Nigeria’s economy is a growing one with a population of over 200 million and three per cent growth rate. This implies that every year, 6 million people are added to the country.
‘Our economy is a growing one. We have over 200 million citizens. We have a growth rate of over three per cent. Meaning, every year, 6 million citizens are added.
‘On a daily basis, 26,000 babies are born. These demographic indicators are real challenges of providing quality social service welfare for its citizens,’ he stated.
The people’s participation in governance, he added, is predicated on their ability to pay tax.
‘In most democracies in the world today, people’s participation in governance is predicted on the ability of those citizens to pay taxes as and when due. And that is where we saw a lot of fundamental questions raised on the way and manner the economies are being managed because taxpayers are actually the contributors of the resources that are used in running such economies,’ he noted.
A PhD holder identified as Udoh Nse James is currently working as a labourer due to his inability to get a befitting job for someone with his qualifications.
His story was shared on LinkedIn by Engr Chinedu Eche who solicited for help for the man with a PhD in Econometrics, Masters and Bachelors degree in Accounting.
Eche revealed that he came across James at site where he was helping his team with the fabrication of Coastic Soda storage tank for Dangote Refinery.
He shared a photo of the PhD holder, and noted that he should be in an institute of learning or Research.
The Engr wrote;
”My beloved LinkedIn family;
This is Udoh Nse James.
From Akwa Ibom State
Contact number 07039187215.
First Degree B.S.C. Accounting 2005
Second Degree M.S.C Accounting 2009
Third Degree P.H.D Econometrics 2012
He is currently working as a helper on a site where my team and I are fabricating and erecting a Coastic Soda Storage tank for Dangote Refinery .
*As farmers allegedly scam CBN, import product as cover for loans taken.
*Only 20% of loans recovered in Niger, hoarding responsible for high cost of local rice –Niger RIFAN chairman
It was a moment of joy in the penultimate week as the Federal Government unveiled the Central Bank of Nigeria/RIFAN Paddy Pyramids in Abuja.
Nigerians who saw the heaps of rice were happy. Since then, many have started saying goodbye to hunger, which has become common in many households in the country. The new hope is that local rice will soon flood the Nigerian markets. But that may be a pipe dream as there are many who despite the cheers and new hope believe that the Abuja rice show was a scam
Senator Hanga Rufai is one of the stakeholders in rice production in Kano State. Speaking with Sunday Sun in a telephone interview, he dismissed the unveiling of the rice pyramid in Abuja as a scam.
According to him, the bulk of the rice they showcased was imported from the neighbouring countries to augment the small quantity produced locally in Nigeria so that they could cover up the money they have stolen from the Anchor Borrower Programme.
He said: “It is a scam. In a situation where bandits did not allow people to go to the farms, how could they have produced such a huge quantity of rice they showcased? Even where the bandits allowed farmers to farm, they didn’t allow them to harvest. In some cases, they went and razed their farms with fire. Not up to 20 per cent of our land last year and the year before was cultivated because of this banditry that is all over the Northwest.
“It is a scam because the Anchor Borrowers coordinators were stealing the money. The arrangement is for the farmers to produce rice commensurate with the money given to them, but at the end of the farming season, the coordinators of the Anchor Borrowers programme were seen running helter-skelter looking for rice to buy both internally and from foreign countries so much that a bag of rice which was hitherto sold for N10,000 went up to about N17,000 in the market. So, the rice they showcased was not actually produced in Nigeria, the bulk of it was imported from neighbouring countries like Niger, Benin Republic, and Burkina Faso.
“Kano is one of the largest producers of rice in Nigeria, we know what happened. We were there physically when they were buying rice in the market. There was production of rice, but not to the volume they showcased. If they said they produced one million tons, I am sure they did not produce up to 1000 tons.
“I have a large farm but didn’t have enough money to produce. So, I saw the Anchor Borrowers programme as an opportunity and showed interest to borrow. They featured thousands of us, but eventually, they gave about 100 of us. Each person got one bag of manure, one sprayer, a container of chemical, which was largely water, and one bag of fertilizer. I saw it as a scam and returned the items.
“The input they provided for farmers was for subsistence farming and the money they released did not reach the farmers because the leaders of the Anchor Borrowers programme stole the money. Before the former Minister of Agriculture was fired, I went to him and advised him to report the matter to the CBN, but he refused. Eventually, the president sacked him.
“So, it’s a scam. And you know that our man (Mr President) takes anything they tell him. But Nigerians know that this is a scam. The very poor people of this country know that they didn’t produce this rice pyramid. If it was produced here in Nigeria, how did a bag of rice jump from N10,000 to N28,000 or N29,000 during Christmas? So, the ordinary people were competing with them (leaders of Anchor Borrowers Programme) to buy rice in the market.
“The programme should have been run by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the states. That way, there would be competition among states. But at the end of it all, everything turned out to be a scam. It’s unfortunate.”
In the same vein, rice dealers in some parts of Lagos State have criticized the Federal Government over its claim of availability of locally grown rice in the country, describing the claim as false and misleading. Some of the traders who spoke to Sunday Sun said the pictures of rice pyramid which the government boasted so much about was not real.
When Sunday Sun correspondent visited some areas in the state, including Agege, Ipaja, Alagbado and Ogba, most dealers claimed that they did not have local rice in their stores while the few who had said they only have limited supplies and offered to sell it at marginally cheap price compared to foreign rice.
A dealer in Alagbado area of the state, Joel Oganiru, told Sunday Sun that a bag of locally grown rice costs 26,500 while the same quantity of foreign rice sold for between N27, 800 and N29, 000.
“I have less than one bag (of locally grown rice) at the moment but if you would like to buy half a bag it is N13, 250. A bag sells for N26, 500,” Oganiru said.
The dealer also confirmed that he had equally seen the purported rice pyramid on social media but said there was scarcity of the brand the last time he tried to replenish his stock. “May be they have not shipped it to Lagos,” he reasoned.
The story was not different at Agege and Ipaja-Ayobo area of the state where another rice dealer had to make three different calls to his fellow dealers before he was able to ascertain the availability of the local brand of the rice which he offered to sell at N26, 800 per bag and on the condition that the correspondent would have to wait for about 30 minutes before the product would be brought to his shop.
In Niger State, only 20 per cent of the N6.5 billion given out to farmers in Niger State under the Central Bank of Nigeria Anchor Borrowers loan being jointly supervised by the apex bank and Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) have so far been recovered from rice farmers in the state.
Between 2017 and 2019, the CBN through RIFAN, Niger State chapter, approved and disbursed the said amount as loans to 32,500 rice farmers in the state.
This loan, according to the Chairman of RIFAN in the state, Mallam Idris Abini were given in form of farmer implements and equipment, ranging from water pumps and accessories, rice seeds, sprayers, fertilizers, pre-emergency herbicides and post-emergency herbicides.
He revealed that the 20 per cent loan recovered so far in the state was made possible by the new policy introduced by CBN to appoint an individual as coordinator between the RIFAN, CBN and the farmers, and all farm inputs and equipment would be channelled through the person.
He pointed out that all the 32,500 beneficiaries of the loan in the state were made to pay 20 per cent of items given to them as equity through the coordinator, who served as a guarantor, adding that the policy was introduced by the CBN in 2019 when the farmers refused to pay back their loan.
“All items were given to the coordinator, who served as guarantor between the farmers, CBN and RIFAN. That policy has kept the programme going since 2019 till date. The CBN in its wisdom decided not to shut the door on Niger State because of her potential in rice production so it introduced the policy, and an individual was appointed to be in-charge of special RIFAN projects.
Explaining implementation modality of the new policy, Abini said: “All the inputs will be given to the Coordinator based on the number of registered farmers under him and they pay 20 per cent of the value of the items given to them as equity.”
He added that since the policy was introduced in 2019, about N195 million had been recovered from about 9,500 farmers who have benefited from the loan.
However, due to the policy and commitment towards the loan repayment shown by the state RIFAN since 2019, as contained in it reports recently presented to the National Headquarters of RIFAN, the state is being considered for the dry season funding.
Abini said about 65,000 hectares of rice farms is being cultivated by farmers in the state every year, producing an estimated 260,000 metric tons of rice in the state.
He, therefore, attributed the current high cost of the commodity to hoarding by the middlemen who want to exploit Nigerians and paint the present administration in a bad light of not doing enough in the area of rice production, stressing that “it is purely act of sabotage by some few individuals.”
Kanu previously pleaded not guilty to seven charges including terrorism and calling for secession.
Prosecutors have filed additional charges against Nigerian separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu as his trial on terrorism charges has resumed.
Kanu heads Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group he founded in 2014 that is pressing for the secession of the Igbo ethnic group’s homeland, which covers part of southeast Nigeria. The Nigerian authorities view IPOB as a terrorist group.
Kanu previously pleaded not guilty to seven charges including terrorism, calling for secession and knowingly broadcasting falsehoods about President Muhammadu Buhari.
On Tuesday Kanu faced eight additional charges, most linked to broadcasts he made between 2018 and 2021 on IPOB-run Radio Biafra that prosecutors said amounted to terrorism and incitement.
Nigerian authorities last year accused IPOB of attacks on police stations and government offices in the southeast. The group denies this and has called the accusations an attempt to force it to disband.
An attempt by the Igbo homeland to secede as the Republic of Biafra in 1967 – the year that Kanu was born – triggered a three-year civil war that killed more than 1 million people.
Lawyer Mike Ozekhome accused the state of ambushing Kanu and prosecutors of filing the additional charges “just to frustrate the trial” and keep Kanu in detention, according to a recording of proceedings made available to reporters.
Ozekhome said Kanu had not seen the new charges until Tuesday and needed time to prepare how to plead.
Media have been prevented from covering the trial, which the judge adjourned until Wednesday.
Al Jazeera’s Fidelis Mbah, reporting from Abuja, said that people in the southeast have divided opinions over Kanu’s group.
“[Kanu’s] supporters feel that the perceived injustices against the region … [have] not been corrected, and they feel the government has marginalised people in the region,” Mbah added.
Kanu was first arrested in 2015 but disappeared while on bail in April 2017. His social media posts during his absence and his Radio Biafra broadcasts outraged the government, which said they encouraged attacks on security forces.
Security agents produced him in court in Abuja on June 29 after detaining him in an undisclosed country. His lawyer alleged he was detained and mistreated in Kenya, though Kenya has denied involvement.
Kanu has filed charges alleging that he was illegally taken from Kenya and asking that he be repatriated to the United Kingdom.
A simple solution is being blow out of proportion by the fed government thereby making MNK the most popular & powerful person in Nigeria. The amended chargers seems to make MNK look like he is an Alpha male.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in the early hours of Monday to protest what they termed the negative insinuations and propaganda against Northern Nigeria.
As they marched through Kaduna metropolis, the protesters condemned the insinuations doing the round that the ‘North is bleeding’ instead they shouted that ‘the North is not bleeding’
According to them, the region is going through healing process, adding that there were efforts by security agencies to tackle the various security challenges facing the region.
The convener of the protest under the auspices of Coalition of Northern Activists for Peace (CNAP), Kaduna State, Prince Zubairu Mukhtar, said the rally was organised in appreciation of the efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and the security agencies in addressing the challenges that have bedeviled Northern Nigeria.
“The North has over time been on the spotlight with issues of insecurity, specifically banditry, terrorism and cyber propaganda. We all know for certain that the issues at stake require a multi-stakeholder approach, which is necessary considering the dynamics of the issues that have affected the socioeconomic well-being of the peaceful and loving people of Kaduna State and indeed Northern Nigeria.
“It is a known fact that the past 12 years have been challenging, especially with the havoc caused by the activities of the Boko Haram insurgent group and other militant organisations in states like Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Bauchi, Plateau and our dear Kaduna State.
“It is indeed a statement of fact that the actions of these criminal elements brought sorrow, tears and blood in a most barbaric and condemnable manner.
“As concerned stakeholders in Northern Nigeria and in kaduna State, we cannot feign ignorance to the issues affecting our state and the region, which by all indications are politically motivated.
“This is in cognizant that successive governments attempted to address the issues. However, their best wasn’t good enough, so much so that we feared that Armageddon had come.
“My comrades, Ladies and gentlemen of the press and the good people of kaduna State, we don’t need a soothsayer to tell us about the heavy economic losses that have risen due to the activities of non-state actors. We also do not need a prophet to say that hundreds of thousands of mothers and children have lost their lives in the carnage.
“At some point, we feared that peace would never return to the north. Our fears were brought about by the inability of those saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and properties that seemed handicapped for ethnic, social and political reasons.”
Over 400 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Zamfara State, who are seeking refuge in Taraba State, have been asked to return to their communities by angry Taraba youths.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the youths told truck drivers conveying the IDPs to return to Zamfara, alleging that the refugees were part of the evil taking place in their state.
“The youths in Maihula town in Bali Local Council of Taraba were said to have denied access into the town of the two trailers loaded with over 400 people said to be from Zamfara,” said one of the residents of the town who identified himself as Aliyu Bali.
He said the irate youths cited insecurity as reasons and directed the strangers to go back to where they are coming from.
Also, another resident, who could not give his name, confirmed that the youths insisted the strangers must leave the town as they would not compromise the peaceful and security network set up in the area.
“When people are complaining about the insecurity situation in the country and people are rising to defend their areas, some people from the far north think we are bleating because the president is not from our area. If you talk about happenings in the country, they tag you an enemy of the north. But look at what the north is now producing and they are fleeing their areas because of the evil that has been allowed for too long to find footing in the area.
“I do not blame the youths in Bali. In Nigeria today, if you house them they go and bring more and before you know they are everywhere and that is how the problem begins. We can not afford such problems in Taraba State. We have enough problems already,” he said.
Politics › APC National Convention: Fresh Plot To Postpone March 26 Date Thickens by MANDIPUTIN(op): 7:54am On Feb 28, 2022
