₦airaland Forum

On 14th May 2014, for desecrating a holy land, a former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced to six years in prison. The judge also fined him one million shekels about 289,000 dollars and ordered that 560,000 shekels in his assets be seized. Olmert was found guilty by the Tel-Aviv District Court of accepting a 500,000 shekel bribe from developers of a controversial apartment complex known as HOLY LAND after which planning and zoning laws were changed, and another 60,000 shekels for another project, and sentenced accordingly.
The 68 year old prime Minister was convicted in March, interestingly not necessarily for crimes he allegedly committed as a Prime Minister, but in connection with the real estate deal that took place while he was Mayor of Jerusalem. The sentencing must have humbled the man who left power in 2009, following a gale of alleged corruption charges. That he is now going to prison for a bribe he took as a Mayor many years is pointer to the fact that there is nothing like just a little sin. It also tells us that no matter how long it takes to be discovered or decided, crimes should always be punished. More significantly, it is pointer to the fact that laws should be no respecter of persons no matter the status in the society.
Former prime Minister Olmert’s regret would have been that he did not have an opportunity of plea bargaining or soft landing, two major concepts that have been widely abused to shield influential Nigerians from Punishment for stealing and other corrupt practices. Even more worrisome is that the people that will be leading to beg on behalf of these people are religious leaders, Bishops, cardinals, traditional rulers and educated elites and some educated illiterates, who will tell you why it didn’t it start from this person. This person is a thief, that person is a thief. He is a member of that party, that is why he won’t be touched. As a matter of fact, Former President Goodluck Jonathan as a judge could have dismissed his crime as stealing and not corruption. How could accepting a mere 500,000 shekels have amounted to corruption?
Unfortunately, Former Prime Minister Olmert is not a Nigerian. In Israel, there is no academic or legal gymnastic of trying to make any distinction between stealing and corruption; just as there are no safety nets for corrupt individuals, no matter how highly placed. Indeed, the Trial judge, Judge david Rozen who was disgusted by Former prime Minister Olmert’s crime made a profound statements while delivering the judgment. According to the Judge, bribery offences contaminate the public sector and cause the structure of government to collapse. He added: “people who receive bribe give rise to a feeling of disgust and cause the public to despise the state’s institutions. The taker of bribes is like a traitor who betrays the public trust that was given to him- trust without which a proper public service cannot be maintained. How much in Nigeria where people do not only take bribe, kick back from Contractors, but also loot Public funds with impunity. There are a lot of revelations in the last one year. Some call it witch hunting, some call it ethnic cleansing. Some say it is one sided. But none of these individuals have denied not receiving money nor betraying public trust.
Yes the Judge acknowledged that Former Prime Minister Olmert had made a large contribution to the country, he nonetheless had no choice than to sentence him because his offences were noxious and he was guilty of moral turpitude. Under Israeli laws, this precludes Former Prime Olmert from running for public office for seven years after finishing his jail term. His only hope is for his appeal to be upheld. The former Prime minister’s comportment in the court room was also instructive. He reportedly stood quietly in the court room and his head bowed.
Nigeria has many lessons to learn from almost everything about Former Prime Minister Olmert’ trial and conviction. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who served as Olmert deputy Prime and Foerign Minister said: “It is a difficult day when a former prime minister is sentenced” adding “ I have complete trust in the court and law enforcement officials.” Here political, religious or ethnic undertones would have been read into the case and everyone else, excluding the criminal, wouldhave been blamed for the crime. Some will call it witch-hunt.
Some gullible Nigerians will being to ask questions that makes someone sick. Why starting from these persons. Why not start from this person and that person. Why prosecuting only members of these parties, why not the ruling party? Is Amaechi not corrupt? Is Tinubu not corrupt? Is Fayemi and Fayose not corrupt? What of Babaginda’s wife, What of Turai Yar’dua? What of Buhari’s wife Hand bag and wrist watch? And so may oher annoying and useless sentiments. I am not the spokesman of these individuals. But the little information I have, Tinubu was investigated during PDP Government, if they have evidence against him, they would have nailed him. If they have but did not use it, that shows how gullible that Government was. In the case of Amaechi, I believe the current Governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike should copy from Benue State Governor and do the needful as the man is doing with Gabriel Suswan, instead of whipping cheap sentiments. Also the APC as a party has challenged the Opposition PDP on many occasions to provide to the public all those corruption charges against their members. Then let it be on record that they did not do anything.
That we suffered a collective national economic and social rape under The Former President Goodluck Jonathan is sad. For patience, His wife who has no known history of visible work or commerce too brazenly and boldly attempt to legally claim ownership of $31.4 Million, obvious proceed of corruption, in our increasingly volatile country induces a breath-taking psycho-economic depression into our national psyche. It did not only reveal the shocking ignorance of a thief who is merely validating her criminality; the audacity of the claimant calls into question EFFC’s investigative and prosecutorial prowess. In the same breath, it portrays our society as an unstandardized society moving towards a dialectical inequality in pursuant of justice. If not, Patience Goodluck should have been on trial for corruption like her allies in crime that have been arraigned in court. Corruption is only an economic crime. It is a crime that lays foundation for the commission of other crimes.
Nigeria’s complex crises are difficult to understand without accepting corruption as a species of violence. A people bounded by Boko Haram in the north, avengers in the south-south, Biafra in the East, Herdsmen on rampage, Kidnappers on the loose, and Armed Robbers on the road have a lot to understand about evolution of violence. They need to know all forms of violence work together for worse for any society that loves oppression, embraces injustice and promotes inequality. They need to know what the persistent ubiquitous violence is sub-cultural reaction to the Twin Towers of Evil of Unjust Wealth and Unjust poverty that corruption has built! Corruption destroys the basis for equality and equity, weakens institutions and structure in order to enthrone and sustain perversion of justice. Corruption shrinks resources available for development. It makes access to education difficult. It blocks the road to healthcare and frustrates path to security and welfare. It replaces government with mafia and rights with might. It re-configure a state and imposes on it a pyramid of disaster. When a country becomes a pyramid where a tiny conical top are occupied by few who corner all available resources leaving the broad base of the pyramid to the many who are condemned to poverty and misery, such a country is ripe for any form of violence; whether of economic or of value!
The State prepares crime that violence perpetrators merely commit. When you open window for corruption, you inevitably shut the door against peace. Corruption negotiates people out of existence. It creates a new world where self-help is attractive by manufacturing people that will use all means t fight back at a society that has taken them off radar of equal opportunity and enforced the de-marketization of their citizenship. Corruption humiliates its victims, who often are the poor who become poorer and make a society ripe for committing violent crimes. It provides the motivation, the opportunity and the environment that violence needs to thrive.
If we want peace, we must steer away our country from this entanglement.
We cannot afford or sustain a country where people draw inspiration from their own callous oppressors; a nation where thieves are heroes; and blood thirsty criminals are mentors! A nation that can no longer differentiate between evil and good; between righteousness and sin! A nation that uses the prism of tribe to determine who is just or unjust. A nation whose scale of justice stands on ‘Mudus’ of corruption. A nation whose people are being stripped unclad!
In saner climes, crime suspects hardly want to go to courts. In Nigeria, they want to be swiftly charged to court because they know that our courts are often citadels of corruption-propelled injustice! We cannot continue to have a ruling class using corruption to weaken all apparatuses of social and legal justice, destroying the capacity of Judges to dispense appropriate justice and damage a whole legal system of a country; and worse still, turning around to benefit from its own willful incapacitation of justice administration architecture under the guise of human rights.
James Ibori was discharged and acquitted under our corruption-damaged legal process only to be convicted for the same offence in the United Kingdom. President Buhari must never again allow our country to be so ridiculed under his watch. Not even with the ‘human rights’ blackmail that has become the battle cry for the liberty of the lawless.
A nation cannot continue to build the barometre to measure human rights on what happens to this that are too defended and too protected to uphold national trust. Doing that amounts to isolating legal justice from social justice. It is not what happens the out-of-control power merchants that counts. The truest form of justice seeks to protect the weak from the strong; not a cannon fodder for cruel violators of all that is decent about humanity.
Economy, security and corruption are still issues on the front burner of Buhari’s agenda. While the war against corruption is catching global attention with a noticeable margin of success at home, the same cannot be said about the economy and national security. Buhari must design his war against corruption in a way that ensures that recovered loot breathes life into the comatose economy.
Buhari’s inaugural speech a year ago assured justice to all. A pledge to be loyal and faithful to all without owing allegiance to anybody or cabal. It stuck the core of national depreciation and ignited a wow for redemption and remediation. Based on it, we can say that we have a president who is not unmindful of the national challenges and the travails of Nigeria but also willing to protect the integrity of his oath of office. He must make the country work for all, especially the poor who have become the nation’s traditional burden bearers. He must stop listening to witches and their sorrowful songs. All the witches must be hunted down. It is in my bible that we should ‘suffer not the witch to live’. If you have stolen Nigeria’s money, you are a witch that must be hunted down. Your witchcraft has led to the death of many on the bad roads and in ill-equipped hospitals, among others! Buhari must not submit to blackmail. It is not in the constitution that fighting corruption is subject for Federal Character. It is neither a gender issue nor a party affair. The question is, did you steal or not? Great that Nigerians are increasingly owing the war against corruption. They are now speaking against their oppressors. Their oppressors are tagging their arrest and prosecution, ‘witch hunt’ as if ‘witch-hunt’ is a defense in law. They are emotionally blackmailing the government that put them on trial under legitimate legal process and procedure. We must ignore them and focus on taking back our country. No state buys gun for her police if the intention is not hunt down her witches; the vampires that criminally suck the blood out of her economy, and invariably her citizens, among others. A state that has been turned to a criminopolis by larger-than-life vampires must adopt all available strategies, including witch-hunting, to vanquish the nest of her witches. Let those who calle their criminal trial political know that it is not for joke that Aristotle called man ‘a political animal’! Where there is politics of mindless stealing, there must be proportional politics of ruthless consequences.
We must make it clear to people that we can end terrorism and other extreme violence and crime, not with a barrel of bullets, when w e build a country where no single person takes what belongs to millions of people; a nation that gets worried when individuals and groups are growing taller than law and fatter than justice. To achieve this in our country, change begins with Patience Jonathan!
Corruption is a monster that has slowed the development of this country. We must join the fight against it. Had it been the way APC under President Buhari is fighting Corruption, that PDP under President Goodluck did the same, I believe we would not have been where we are today. Any Nigerian no matter his status in the society caught in any corrupt practice should be dealt with. I am not a fan of plea bargaining or soft landing. Our Judges should help us to deal with this monster. They should not entertain all these frivolous motions and delay tactics of some so called Senior Advocate of Corrupt Nigerians. I believe our Judges should learn from this judge of Israel who gave this landmark judgement.
Otimkpu Paschal, a graduate of International studies and Diplomacy, University of Benin, a Public affair analyst writes from Abuja, Nigeria.

atlantic breeze or whatever you call yourself,stop misleading the public. Obiano has not contributed a single metre talk more of a kilometre on this road.this road was started by peter obi. the only thing obiano did on enugu-onitsha road was the three flyovers he did and the white marking on that road. learn to appreciate what peter did in anambra. it is almost three years now,we are yet to see obiano's impact. it is only in social media that willie is working. stop taking glory from peters work in the name of apga did them. let your principal do his own. i wish people liike ben bruce and others will visit this state for once. stop telling s what we know more than you guys. we are yet to see the impact of 5million dollars ugu export. many lies and lies.. we will not be deceived again when the time comes. elections are not won on social media. ask Jonathan Goodluck

I saw this post in Build up Nigeria with this statement.Some were thanking channels televison.The distribution of capital projects in the 2016 budget mirrors President Muhammadu Buhari's electoral victory of 2015. I actually thought he was joking about the 97%-5%, but hey, you can't argue with facts. Thank you Channels Television for this expose, but i disagree with these statements. there is no fact in what is presented here.
i have seen this post during budget presentation before. you do not need to blame buhari here. i have said it time without number,our senators from south east needed to be recalled. they do not know what they want there to do. they are frustrating this government not to make in road to south east. i have evidences. for example,Buhari included 2 Niger bridge in 2016 budget. he included enugu-onitsha road,enugu-port harcourt road. but do you know that our senators were there, the budget provisions for these projects were slashed and some even removed,none of them uttered a word. if not that buhari insisted that his original budget be returned. these figures you see here will be very low. also, on the issue of amount, we have 5 states to compare others with 6 states. this year,we have a better share to compare what was given to us in 2013,2014,2015 and 2016 budget. i am not defending buhari. i am not his spokesman. but as a player in this field,i know what i am saying. In 2013, bayelsa state has only 8 Local Govts. do you know how much they got. what was given to bayelsa state as a state is more than what was given to south east as a zone.
Also, you have to look at the projects the govt wants to execute. in the south east, we have 2nd Niger bridge,enugu-port harcourt road,enugu-onitsha road,nnewi-okigwe road,aba-itua-calabar road and the completion of dualization of owerri-port harcourt road. these are the projects they have for us in 2016 budget. most of these zones you see,it is only south east that has no rail project. the north central you see is the middle belt and they central to all parts of nigeria.most of the roads there needed to be completed so that people travelling to other parts of nigeria will have access to good roads and that is where saraki comes from. it is not buhari zone. and most of these projects were not new projects. what these government wanted to do is put in money and complete them before moving into new projects. download the budget from budget office website and see. look at that Kaduna-abuja railproject. it was not built by Buhari. but he made sure it is completed and put to use. look at enugu-onitsha road,they have done 30% work there. buhari voted 5billion for it to be completed. look at 2nd Niger bridge,there was no money for the project,but buhari voted 13 billion for it.
Also did north central gave buahri his highest vote in 2015 election,the answer is no. it is northwest and north east. even what buhari got in south east is more than south south. so there is no basis for this article. my people are not well informed. What we want as a group is that let the ones appropriated be completed and new ones set up. also in considering new projects, we want Mr President to look at the possibilities of giving us railway from aba-onitsha and from onitsha to abakiliki. Thank you all

rubbish article and i believe gullible people like you will believe it. state the source of your article or you remain silent for your life

senator Sani, you are a confused fellow. Are you sure you are in Nigeria? Do you use to read your newspapers and follow events. For clarification purpose,Soludo has ceased to be a member of PDP since 2010 after the Governorship election which he contested and lost. He left and joined Apga. When Apga robbed him of the mandate. he resigned and decided to be on his own. Secondly, When Soludo came in to join Obasanjo Government, He was first economic adviser to Obasanjo. He worked with others to exit Nigeria from PAris debt. He was moved to CBN as Governor,His records there have not matched. Soludo never worked with any government in Nigeria when a barrel of oil was $140. Senator Sani, go and check your records very well. You do not know anything. i am so sorry for yoour senatorial zone. Right now, Nigeria needs people like Soludo to reposition the economy. The ploicy framework for CBN was tagged FX 2020. it was developed by Soludo. Had it being that Emefiel was being used, he would have continued from Sanusi

this fayose is not worthy to be a local govt chairmen. was APC the people that made you and wike to bring in Sherriff to become the national chairman in the first place. this shows you have been working for APC. Mr Governor,go and hide. you are a disgrace to PDP. you and wike are cause of what is happening in PDP today. Go and tell your boy, Sherriff to resign and find a way to compensate him

freeze stop using fake identity. i have seen your posts and what you represent. you can say all you care. attack the message and not the messenger. besides i dont argue with educated illiterates who does not have anything to say on issues only to whip cheap sentiments

As a Country, we should have a truly transformed heart for genuine and dedicated service instead of focusing on the things of the world and political power that will last forever. Our Leaders should not see elections as their ultimate destines and then become desperate. Rather focus should be what will truly be beneficial to the people and the nation. At this ,many Nigerians are looking back on their lives and sensitizing that many years of opportunities had been stolen from us through our land that was divinely assigned with grand economy and greatest of Nigerians. Those with right mind can recount panorama of leadership errors, self centredness, incompetence, besetting transgression, corruption, fraud and untrustworthiness had outsized administrative impact in many years of the country’s independence.
As Edo State prepares to go to Poll to elect who will continue from where Comrade Governor stopped or who will take Edo State backward to where it was 8 years ago. Onething has been running through my mind. Where is Chief Sir Lucky Igbinedion, the Former Governor of Edo State, One time Chairman of Oredo Local Government, who His former PA and SSG to The Edo state Government is contesting for the Governorship Slot under once almighty Peoples Democratic Party. I believe that these two individuals are like Rice and stew. One cannot do without the other. Why hiding the influence of Chief Lucky in scheme of things. Is it because he is a bad market? That the Our Pastor Governor does not want him to spoil his market for him. It is clear fact that whatever Our Pastor Governor was, is and will be, Chief Lucky hands are in it. I expected Chief Lucky to lead the campaign instead of leaving it for old Generals whoever want to leave the stage for the younger generations. Even at over 70s, 80s and close to 90s years of old, these Old Generals of looting still want to lead the campaign for Our Pastor Governor to be. Why castigating Chief Lucky in the morning and dinning with him in the night updating him on the Journey so far and how the campaign is unfolding.
Even in the context of constant flux and the implication that everything is perpetually evolving, the latest contribution by Chief Lucky Igbinedion, a former Governor of Edo State, to the business of image laundering,or more precisely, reputation laundering, stretches imaginative elastic to yield a point. Ahead of 57th Birthday on May 13th 2014, I could vividly recalled what Chief Lucky declared in an interview he granted with Journalists in His Abuja Residence, where he said and I quote:” in the darkest of days when I was the governor and the state was broke and could not pay salaries, I would run to these two individuals and they would borrow me money. They borrowed the state money”. Then the lenders in question, excuse Igbinedion illiterate usuage, were his father and Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and the Chairman Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees then, Chief Anthony Anenih. In case anyone needed corroboration, Chief Lucky said,” Chief Anenih is around here, you can go and ask him whether I borrowed money from him or not”. What about his father? Should not he also be asked whether he actually lent money to Edo state through his son?
His claims prompt disturbing dimensions, including reflections on the riches of the named individuals, their motives, their possible gains from such deals, especially in economic terms as well as in relation to manipulative influence in the corridors of power. It stand to reason that Chief Lucky Igbinedion may have unwittingly provided insights into the phenomenon of political godfatherism, long identified as a major drawback of the country’s politics, with negatively weighty implications for socio-economic development. It also stands to reason that Chief Lucky and His team of Administrators then led by the SSG to Edo State Government, Pastor Ize-iyamu were colossal failures. In issues of Governance, states in Nigeria now need a man with innovations, visions and creativity to govern states now. It is very clear that what is coming from Abuja is not enough to pay salaries talk more of providing basic infrastructure for the people. Today in Edo State, comrade Adams Oshimole does not owe salaries to state Government workers, he is not borrowing from individuals to pay salaries. Rather most of the borrowing of the Comrade Governor is for infrastructural Development. Any government that wants to succeed must not borrow to pay salary. Not only is Comrade Governor not borrowing when other states are doing so, He has set a standard in the country for being the only Governor that is paying N25,000.00 as a minimum wage, when most Governors in Oil Rich Niger Delta Region are owing salaries ranging from 5, 6, 8, 10, 13 months respectively. What this has shown is that Oshimole is a blessing to the people of Edo State. This is because He was not elected by the people to lament, but to provide the leadership which the state has lacked over the years. It stands to reason that the Comrade Governor and His team of administrators led by the past and current SSG and His economic adviser led by Dr Godwin Obaseki were genius in management of the affairs of Edo people. They will not satisfy everybody, but with continuation of those agenda by someone who is inside the government is a very big advantage.
Back to the issue of discussion, from a more perspective, Chief Lucky’s revelations, hint at illegalities, particularly on account of the implied non-official nature of the process, which is why they have the character of disclosure. Apparently, the stated deals were known only to a closed ring of collaborators ( Chief Luck, Pastor SSG, Esama and Chief Anenih), outside the view of lawful institutional structures that should otherwise be aware of, if not endorse such course of action. Some people were wondering what these old generals were doing at Our Pastor Campaign flag off. They are the one to coordinate the campaigns, so that they may likely get the monies they borrowed Chief Lucky back since Comrade Governor has refused to dance to their tones.
From the look of things, Chief Igbinedion manifested not only social anxiety, but perhaps also a sense of guilt. Seven years after he left office following two four-year terms from 1999-2007, he seems to have suddenly awakened to the fact that his track record needed clarification, especially in the light of superlatively superior governmental performance by Comrade Adams Oshimole, who is on the final stage of his government, with a agenda: FINISHING WELL. Indeed, Chief Luck’s power years pale into insignificance, expect as a model of ineptitude when compared with Oshimole’s tenure, which is widely acclaimed as demonstrative of good governance and an example of competent administration. Moreover against this background, it is possible that Chief Luck may have a guilty conscience for frittering away his time in power, which is general acknowledged as an era of wastefulness and wasted opportunities of Edo State. Sadly, he cannot turn the hands of clock, but he believes he can use our Pastor to get what is left for them in Edo State or if possible recover those monies they borrowed without following the due process.
Chief Lucky’s defensiveness mirrored a subconscious burden conveyed by his words. “for you to loot, he declared,” there must be something. Edo state had no money”. This latter logic is contradicted by the fact that in January 2008, he was declared wanted by EFCC concerning 142 counts of financial fraud. Specifically, he was alleged to have embezzled 24 MILLION DOLLARS using front companies and he gave himself up in the same month. Furthermore, in December 2008 he was convicted by the Federal High Court, Enugu, on corruption related charges. He was actually fined 3.5 MILLION NAIRA after peading guilty to a one-count charge of neglecting to make a declaration of his interest in account in a new generation bank. So Edo people, hope you are reading this. Astoundingly, Chief Lucky said,” if anything, it is EDO State that owes me money and not me owing EDO State”. If the borrowing and the lending were open only to him and his collaborators, as the picture he painted suggested, it is intriguing that he has an obviously misplaced sense of the state government’s financial indebtedness to him. It is unclear whether he implied that he also lent money to the state, which he did not recover before he left office. If he did lend the money on his path at that time, what his occupation and monthly salary income before he became a Governor.
This character took hyperbole to a new heights with his claims that somewhere along the line, he got tired of the office of the Governor and desired to quit before the end of his tenure, which would have been unprecedented in the country’s political history and earned him a place in the pantheon of frustrated patriots, if he could be dignified by such description. Then he somersaulted, uttering words that expressed absolute nonsense. :first and foremost, ”he began,” you do not have the money to do some projects you want to do even though there was no way I would have completed the projects with the whole money in the whole world”. Tragically, this declaration unveiled his unpreparedness for helmsmanship as well as fundamental visionlessness. Without intending to do so, he also betrayed the fact that he ran a government of uncompleted projects, meaning that he left a legacy, if it could be so called, of inchoateness, which amounts to nothing.
This article is not a propaganda issue; I want you to look for his interview on the Nation newspaper 12th and 13th May, 2014. I leave you to judge more from that side. Onething that is very clear in this Election, the two major candidates has been in power before now. One served as SSG to Chief Luck and the other as Chief Economic Adviser to Comrade Governor. It is also on records that the Chief Economic Adviser to the Comrade Governor never collected a salary for those eight years. What a man of impeccable integrity. Putting Edo State first, before his personal gains. I have not seen a leader like this. The good people of Edo state, I am leaving you to make your choice. Are you to move forward or backward? Your vote will determine that. I rest my case.

I have always stand on the path of truth. I only want to address issues and not sentiment. I am not from Edo state, but I have spent most of my life and time there. During this Electioneering campaign, PDP led by Tony Anineh and Dan Orbi brought to the fore the issue of marginalization of Esan Land. They accused the Comrade Governor of not doing anything in that land which in fact was a lie. Most of my friends here like Nkemakonam Olman Nwonwu, chigozie nwokocha and many others i cannot mention can testify how uromi,iguben,ewato,ubiaja,ohordua,ewohimi,ekpon and host of other communities around these places look like and how edo state mostly benin look like, even auchi. most of these my friends are outside the country. i do not think if they come back,they will recognise these places today. It has been a success story in all these communities and even their schools. I stand to be corrected.
Now on other issues about these Esan land, i want to people to judge who is against Esan land here. ‪#‎TRUTH_ONLY‬.
THE ISSUE OF MARGINALISATION HAS TAKEN A NEW DIMENSION IN EDO STATE POLITICS PARTICULARLY EDO CENTRAL.
5 MINISTERS PRODUCED BY ESAN SINCE THE PAST 16 YEARS OF DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA: Edo Central Senatorial District in focus. Esans (The two blocks that makes up the district .
AGBAZILLO AND OKPEBHOLO.)
AGBAZILLO
*ESAN N/E- UROMI
*ESAN S/E- UBIAJA
OKPEBHOLO
*ESAN CENTRAL - IRRUA
*ESAN WEST - EKPOMA
*IGUEBEN - IGUEBEN
1) Chief Anenih - Minister for works (from Uromi) Agbazillo
2) Sen. Ugbesia - Minister for Environment (from Ubiaja) Agbazillo
3) Dr. Itotoh - Minister for States Internal Affairs (from Uromi ) Agbazillo
4) Arch. Onolelemen - Minister for State Environment (from Uromi) Agbazillo
5) Arch. Onolelemen - Minister for works (from Uromi) Agbazillo.
FEDERAL JUICY APPOINTMENTS
1) Prof. Ibadin - GMD UBTH (From Uromi) Agbazillo
2) Prof. Okojie - Secretary NUC (from Uromi) Agbazillo
3)Prof. Onoheabhi-Rector, Institute of Building
Technology, Uromi. (from Uromi) Agbazillo etc.
"Why must Esan people vote PDP when in Esan, most of us have been
marginalised while Uromi remains the Israel," he said.--Onojie of Okpoji
Who is marginalizing Esan people in Edo State, who is marginalizing Esan people in Esan Land?

i do not join issues with some educated illiterates on this nairaland. i have made my point. i went to school to acquire knowledge for service. none of you have disputed the facts i stated in my article. i did not collect any kobo from anybody and i am not expecting you to like my write. one problem you guys have is that you will not attack the message but the messenger. elections are not won on social media. if it being won on social media,jonathan would have still being president by now. i dont know oshimole. he does not know me. look at my profile and all my posts. it has been well written and precise

As a Country, we should have a truly transformed heart for genuine and dedicated service instead of focusing on the things of the world and political power that will last forever. Our Leaders should not see elections as their ultimate destines and then become desperate. Rather focus should be what will truly be beneficial to the people and the nation. At this ,many Nigerians are looking back on their lives and sensitizing that many years of opportunities had been stolen from us through our land that was divinely assigned with grand economy and greatest of Nigerians. Those with right mind can recount panorama of leadership errors, self centredness, incompetence, besetting transgression, corruption, fraud and untrustworthiness had outsized administrative impact in many years of the country’s independence.
As Edo State prepares to go to Poll to elect who will continue from where Comrade Governor stopped or who will take Edo State backward to where it was 8 years ago. Onething has been running through my mind. Where is Chief Sir Lucky Igbinedion, the Former Governor of Edo State, One time Chairman of Oredo Local Government, who His former PA and SSG to The Edo state Government is contesting for the Governorship Slot under once almighty Peoples Democratic Party. I believe that these two individuals are like Rice and stew. One cannot do without the other. Why hiding the influence of Chief Lucky in scheme of things. Is it because he is a bad market? That the Our Pastor Governor does not want him to spoil his market for him. It is clear fact that whatever Our Pastor Governor was, is and will be, Chief Lucky hands are in it. I expected Chief Lucky to lead the campaign instead of leaving it for old Generals whoever want to leave the stage for the younger generations. Even at over 70s, 80s and close to 90s years of old, these Old Generals of looting still want to lead the campaign for Our Pastor Governor to be. Why castigating Chief Lucky in the morning and dinning with him in the night updating him on the Journey so far and how the campaign is unfolding.
Even in the context of constant flux and the implication that everything is perpetually evolving, the latest contribution by Chief Lucky Igbinedion, a former Governor of Edo State, to the business of image laundering,or more precisely, reputation laundering, stretches imaginative elastic to yield a point. Ahead of 57th Birthday on May 13th 2014, I could vividly recalled what Chief Lucky declared in an interview he granted with Journalists in His Abuja Residence, where he said and I quote:” in the darkest of days when I was the governor and the state was broke and could not pay salaries, I would run to these two individuals and they would borrow me money. They borrowed the state money”. Then the lenders in question, excuse Igbinedion illiterate usuage, were his father and Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and the Chairman Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees then, Chief Anthony Anenih. In case anyone needed corroboration, Chief Lucky said,” Chief Anenih is around here, you can go and ask him whether I borrowed money from him or not”. What about his father? Should not he also be asked whether he actually lent money to Edo state through his son?
His claims prompt disturbing dimensions, including reflections on the riches of the named individuals, their motives, their possible gains from such deals, especially in economic terms as well as in relation to manipulative influence in the corridors of power. It stand to reason that Chief Lucky Igbinedion may have unwittingly provided insights into the phenomenon of political godfatherism, long identified as a major drawback of the country’s politics, with negatively weighty implications for socio-economic development. It also stands to reason that Chief Lucky and His team of Administrators then led by the SSG to Edo State Government, Pastor Ize-iyamu were colossal failures. In issues of Governance, states in Nigeria now need a man with innovations, visions and creativity to govern states now. It is very clear that what is coming from Abuja is not enough to pay salaries talk more of providing basic infrastructure for the people. Today in Edo State, comrade Adams Oshimole does not owe salaries to state Government workers, he is not borrowing from individuals to pay salaries. Rather most of the borrowing of the Comrade Governor is for infrastructural Development. Any government that wants to succeed must not borrow to pay salary. Not only is Comrade Governor not borrowing when other states are doing so, He has set a standard in the country for being the only Governor that is paying N25,000.00 as a minimum wage, when most Governors in Oil Rich Niger Delta Region are owing salaries ranging from 5, 6, 8, 10, 13 months respectively. What this has shown is that Oshimole is a blessing to the people of Edo State. This is because He was not elected by the people to lament, but to provide the leadership which the state has lacked over the years. It stands to reason that the Comrade Governor and His team of administrators led by the past and current SSG and His economic adviser led by Dr Godwin Obaseki were genius in management of the affairs of Edo people. They will not satisfy everybody, but with continuation of those agenda by someone who is inside the government is a very big advantage.
Back to the issue of discussion, from a more perspective, Chief Lucky’s revelations, hint at illegalities, particularly on account of the implied non-official nature of the process, which is why they have the character of disclosure. Apparently, the stated deals were known only to a closed ring of collaborators ( Chief Luck, Pastor SSG, Esama and Chief Anenih), outside the view of lawful institutional structures that should otherwise be aware of, if not endorse such course of action. Some people were wondering what these old generals were doing at Our Pastor Campaign flag off. They are the one to coordinate the campaigns, so that they may likely get the monies they borrowed Chief Lucky back since Comrade Governor has refused to dance to their tones.
From the look of things, Chief Igbinedion manifested not only social anxiety, but perhaps also a sense of guilt. Seven years after he left office following two four-year terms from 1999-2007, he seems to have suddenly awakened to the fact that his track record needed clarification, especially in the light of superlatively superior governmental performance by Comrade Adams Oshimole, who is on the final stage of his government, with a agenda: FINISHING WELL. Indeed, Chief Luck’s power years pale into insignificance, expect as a model of ineptitude when compared with Oshimole’s tenure, which is widely acclaimed as demonstrative of good governance and an example of competent administration. Moreover against this background, it is possible that Chief Luck may have a guilty conscience for frittering away his time in power, which is general acknowledged as an era of wastefulness and wasted opportunities of Edo State. Sadly, he cannot turn the hands of clock, but he believes he can use our Pastor to get what is left for them in Edo State or if possible recover those monies they borrowed without following the due process.
Chief Lucky’s defensiveness mirrored a subconscious burden conveyed by his words. “for you to loot, he declared,” there must be something. Edo state had no money”. This latter logic is contradicted by the fact that in January 2008, he was declared wanted by EFCC concerning 142 counts of financial fraud. Specifically, he was alleged to have embezzled 24 MILLION DOLLARS using front companies and he gave himself up in the same month. Furthermore, in December 2008 he was convicted by the Federal High Court, Enugu, on corruption related charges. He was actually fined 3.5 MILLION NAIRA after peading guilty to a one-count charge of neglecting to make a declaration of his interest in account in a new generation bank. So Edo people, hope you are reading this. Astoundingly, Chief Lucky said,” if anything, it is EDO State that owes me money and not me owing EDO State”. If the borrowing and the lending were open only to him and his collaborators, as the picture he painted suggested, it is intriguing that he has an obviously misplaced sense of the state government’s financial indebtedness to him. It is unclear whether he implied that he also lent money to the state, which he did not recover before he left office. If he did lend the money on his path at that time, what his occupation and monthly salary income before he became a Governor.
This character took hyperbole to a new heights with his claims that somewhere along the line, he got tired of the office of the Governor and desired to quit before the end of his tenure, which would have been unprecedented in the country’s political history and earned him a place in the pantheon of frustrated patriots, if he could be dignified by such description. Then he somersaulted, uttering words that expressed absolute nonsense. :first and foremost, ”he began,” you do not have the money to do some projects you want to do even though there was no way I would have completed the projects with the whole money in the whole world”. Tragically, this declaration unveiled his unpreparedness for helmsmanship as well as fundamental visionlessness. Without intending to do so, he also betrayed the fact that he ran a government of uncompleted projects, meaning that he left a legacy, if it could be so called, of inchoateness, which amounts to nothing.
This article is not a propaganda issue; I want you to look for his interview on the Nation newspaper 12th and 13th May, 2014. I leave you to judge more from that side. Onething that is very clear in this Election, the two major candidates has been in power before now. One served as SSG to Chief Luck and the other as Chief Economic Adviser to Comrade Governor. It is also on records that the Chief Economic Adviser to the Comrade Governor never collected a salary for those eight years. What a man of impeccable integrity. Putting Edo State first, before his personal gains. I have not seen a leader like this. The good people of Edo state, I am leaving you to make your choice. Are you to move forward or backward? Your vote will determine that. I rest my case.

On 14th May 2014, for desecrating a holy land, a former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced to six years in prison. The judge also fined him one million shekels about 289,000 dollars and ordered that 560,000 shekels in his assets be seized. Olmert was found guilty by the Tel-aviv District Court of accepting a 500,000 shekel bribe from developers of a controversial apartment complex known as HOLY LAND after which planning and zoning laws were changed, and another 60,000 shekels for another project, and sentenced accordingly.
The 68 year old prime Minister was convicted in March, interestingly not necessarily for crimes he allegedly committed as a Prime Minister, but in connection with the real estate deal that took place while he was Mayor of Jerusalem. The sentencing must have humbled the man who left power in 2009, following a gale of alleged corruption charges. That he is now going to prison for a bribe he took as a Mayor many years is pointer to the fact that there is nothing like just a little sin. It also tells us that no matter how long it takes to be discovered or decided, crimes should always be punished. More significantly, it is pointer to the fact that laws should be no respecter of persons no matter the status in the society.
Former prime Minister Olmert’s regret would have been that he did not have an opportunity of plea bargaining or soft landing, two major concepts that have been widely abused to shield influential Nigerians from Punishment for stealing and other corrupt practices. Even more worrisome is that the people that will be leading to beg on behalf of these people are religious leaders, Bishops, cardinals, traditional rulers and educated elites and some educated illiterates, who will tell you why it didn’t it start from this person. This person is a thief, that person is a thief. He is a member of that party, that is why he won’t be touched. As a matter of fact, Former President Goodluck Jonathan as a judge could have dismissed his crime as stealing and not corruption. How could accepting a mere 500,000 shekels have amounted to corruption?
Unfortunately, Former Prime Minister Olmert is not a Nigerian. In Israel, there is no academic or legal gymnastic of trying to make any distinction between stealing and corruption; just as there are no safety nets for corrupt individuals, no matter how highly placed. Indeed, the Trial judge, Judge david Rozen who was disgusted by Former prime Minister Olmert’s crime made a profound statements while delivering the judgment. According to the Judge, bribery offences contaminate the public sector and cause the structure of government to collapse. He added: “people who receive bribe give rise to a feeling of disgust and cause the public to despise the state’s institutions. The taker of bribes is like a traitor who betrays the public trust that was given to him- trust without which a proper public service cannot be maintained. How much in Nigeria where people do not only take bribe, kick back from Contractors, but also loot Public funds with impunity. There are a lot of revelations in the last one year. Some call it witch hunting, some call it ethnic cleansing. Some say it is one sided. But none of these individuals have denied not receiving money nor betraying public trust.
Yes the Judge acknowledged that Former Prime Minister Olmert had made a large contribution to the country, he nonetheless had no choice than to sentence him because his offences were noxious and he was guilty of moral turpitude. Under Israeli laws, this precludes Former Prime Olmert from running for public office for seven years after finishing his jail term. His only hope is for his appeal to be upheld. The former Prime minister’s comportment in the court room was also instructive. He reportedly stood quietly in the court room and his head bowed.
Nigeria has many lessons to learn from almost everything about Former Prime Minister Olmert’ trial and conviction. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who served as Olmert deputy Prime and Foerign Minister said: “It is a difficult day when a former prime minister is sentenced” adding “ I have complete trust in the court and law enforcement officials.” Here political, religious or ethnic undertones would have been read into the case and everyone else, excluding the criminal, wouldhave been blamed for the crime. Some will call it witch-hunt, they are against the igbos, they want to exclude the igbos from the position.
Nigerians look forward to that difficult day when one of their former leaders or even the people that they are being tried now would be shown the way to prison; some of them deserve to be behind bars considering the mind-boggling corruption they perpetrated in office. That they walk about freely and even insult our sensibility with their insensitive comments and actions make our hearts bleed.
Some gullible Nigerians will being to ask questions that makes someone sick. Why starting from these persons. Why not start from this person and that person. Who prosecuting only members of these parties, why not the ruling party? Is Amaechi not corrupt? Is Tinubu not corrupt? Is Fayemi and Fayose not corrupt? I am not the spokesman of these individuals. But the little information I have, Tinubu was investigated during PDP Government, if they have evidence against him, they would have nailed him. If they have but did not use it, that shows how gullible that Government was. In the case of Amaechi, I believe the current Governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike should copy from Benue State Governor and do the needful as the man is doing with Gabriel Suswan, instead of whipping cheap sentiments. Also the APC as a party has challenged the Opposition PDP on many occasions to provide to the public all those corruption charges against their members. Then let it be on record that they did not do anything.
Last month, The PDP Caucus in the National Assembly said they are withdrawing their support for President Buhari on the premise that the anti-corruption agenda of Mr president is one sided. The PDP Caucus must be reminded of their primary responsibility of lawmaking and representation of their constituents at the National Assembly. I advise the PDP Senate Caucus at the National Assembly not to allow political shenanigans to becloud overall national interest.
On allegations of selective prosecution of the anti-corruption war, the I asked the PDP and most especially Governor fayose and Wike to approach anti-graft agencies with petitions against anybody suspected to have indulged in corrupt practices. The PDP Caucus allegations of a selective anti-corruption fight and “belligerent” stance of the current administration is hogwash and baseless, If the PDP and its agents have proof of corruption against anybody, We advise that they approach anti-graft agencies constitutionally mandated to handle such cases, instead of declaring innocence on newspaper pages and other media outlets. The poor Nigerians urged anti-corruption agencies “not to be stampeded and blackmailed by this new plot and continue to employ all legitimate avenues in investigating and prosecuting ongoing corruption cases. The generality of Nigerians clamour for all looters of public funds to be brought to book. I want EFCC to assure Nigerians that the political will and sincerity of purpose of
the current administration to tackle corruption remains resolute.

Corruption is a monster that has slowed the development of this country. We must join the fight against it. Had it been the way APC under President Buhari is fighting Corruption, PDP under President Goodluck did the same, I believe we would not have been where we are today. Any Nigerian no matter his status in the society caught in any corrupt practice should be dealt with. I am not a fan of plea bargaining or soft landing. Our Judges should help us to deal with this monster. They should not entertain all these frivolous motions and delay tactics of some so called Senior Advocate of Corrupt Nigerians. I believe our Judges should learn from this judge of Israel who gave this landmark judgement.

Otimkpu Paschal, a graduate of International studies and Diplomacy, University of Benin, a public affairs analyst writes from Awka Anambra State.

Reforms change the status quo and people are resistant to a change for a number of reasons. One: there are those who are benefitting from the status quo. If you change the status quo, you cut them off from their income base. There are those who are philosophically opposed to private sector doing anything. They believe that government must continue to nurture its citizen: providing telecoms, health and education. They ask you what is the role of government is if not to fend for its people. So, there are those who are philosophically opposed to it based on their ideology. The reform is not by accident. It was based on empirical evidences.
In the 60s and 70s, for instance, government was into banking, insurance, cement manufacturing, petroleum, railway, education, health etc. Government was in every sector and Nigeria had then at the Federal level over 600 state owned enterprises. They were supposed to do business and return profit to government, but not only did they not make profit and return dividends to government, they were also talking from the treasury. So Nigeria Government then under Obasanjo looked at it and reviewed it said no, every businessman or woman that makes investment in business is expecting dividends. But here we are; we are not getting dividends, we are losing tax revenue because those enterprises that are government owned did not pay tax. So that brought in the reforms we are seeing in the past 16 years till date. If you remember First Bank, UBA, Afribank and Union Banks when they were government owned and now, you can see the difference. In those days, those banks operated only in Nigeria and in some states; there was hardly any of them having any branch out the country. But today, because they are under private sector, most of the banks have branches in Africa, UK, China, and so on. This is because they are driven by private sector capital and private sector entrepreneurial spirit.
The problem with government owned enterprises is that there is no entrepreneurial spirit driving them. So, government now realized like I said that even if I invest so much, I will not get anything in return. Then let us stop the losses. Then come privatization. Companies owned by Government have been privatized and after privatization, the reforms started. And they started with the telecommunication sector and we see the impact today. Remember in those days when it was only NITEL (Nigeria Telecommunications Limited) government owned, if you wanted to make an international call, you have to enter your car or bus or cab, bike to get to the city, get to business centre and wait for hours. Even you did not make the call, they will still charge you an amount. In those days when government was controlling the telecom sector, we have about 450,000 lines. Today, with the private sector investment, we have over 120 million GSM lines and the companies have invested cumulatively over 50 billion dollars in the sector alone. And they are investing more because Nigeria has the market with its population base. That is the beauty of reforms once you create a conducive environment for the private sector to thrive and you create an enabling environment for them to invest, you make the sector bankable.
Nigeria National assembly owe this nation a great deal by passing enabling laws that will make it easier for investors to invest in our country. For example, each time you want to privatized NITEL, the National assembly will say do not proceed. With the reforms and with the liberalization of the telecom sector, nobody remembers NITEL again. We are not missing NITEL because the sector has been liberalized and competition has been introduced and there are players in the sector. Two, the issue of mode of privatization of NITEL is purely a legal matter. NITEL owes over 400 billion in debts. If this company is to be run by government as some people have suggested, it then means that government has to cough out money to resolve those liabilities. N400 billion in healths, in education, road construction can do Nigeria a lot of good. Why should we put such money for a government to revive NITEL when it is no longer a critical infrastructure in the Nigeria economy? If NITEL does not come up again at all, Nigerians will still survive in terms of access to telecommunication.
Another area which government can focus its attention now is our Oil and gas sector, most importantly Nigeria refineries. Like president Obasanjo said, his greatest regret as a President of Nigeria is not privatizing NNPC and our refineries. Many people may not like the face of the man called Obasanjo, but most of his economic policies, is what we are benefitting as a Nation today. Successive Governments have not built on those achievements. There is urgent need to privatize our refineries so that we can enjoy the benefits of what we are enjoying on telecom sector. I believe once there are a lot of players in a sector and there is competition among them, then Nigerians will have to options to choose from. When government announced that they were considering the privatization of refineries, the National Union of petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) threatened to shut down the refineries. Government met them. They told government that they were not averse to government looking for options and business model for handling the privatization,
After that, there were some conflicting statements by branches of the same NUPENG and PENGASSAN to the effect that they opposed to privatization. And government is now conscious that if we do not have a unified voice between NUPENG and PRNGASSAN about the privatization, then there is a risk. This is because they can shut down the economy and no responsible President will want to create pains for his people. But I believe to privatize this sector is long over due. Like I said earlier, : there are those who are benefitting from the status quo. If you change the status quo, you cut them off from their income base. There are those who are philosophically opposed to private sector doing anything. They believe that government must continue to nurture its citizen: providing telecoms, health and education. They ask you what is the role of government is if not to fend for its people. So, there are those who are philosophically opposed to it based on their ideology.
Let me categorically say this, PENGASSAN and NUPENG have all agreed that there is need to privatize. They have realized and they have said on many occasions that Turn Around maintenance (TAM) is not sufficient, that government should bring the refineries back on stream. In the last 16 years, TAM was awarded to our Brother Company, Sir Emeka Offor Company for the TAM. What has happened with the contract? There are other investments that need to be in place and we understand that government is not in a position to make such investment, or rather it is not government priority to raise those kinds of monies that will completely revamp the refineries. Even the Labour unions have realized also that privatization is imminent. I understand their fear. What they craving for is that government should have LNG model, which is to say that government should still have a stake, labour should still have a stake in the refineries. I believe government should not be opposed to this idea. I strongly believe that this has been a long standing policy of NCP that Labour Unions should have stakes in the companies privatized. So government and Labour unions should be on the same page so that Government should kick start the privatization of the refineries because it is long overdue. From my own understanding of the sector, in this oil and gas sector, Nigeria has locked up a lot of potentials that our economy has. There are more than 10 industries that can spring up using the by-products of the refineries. Most of these items we do not see them. Most of them are being imported, thus putting more pressure on naira. Once we get our refineries working, there will be other spinoff industries that will come up from there. It will create jobs, manufacture products that Nigeria will sell locally and internationally and grown our economy.
This now brings me to the issue of Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). The National Assembly needs to expeditiously, aggressively handle the issue of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). The PIB is critical because presently, the regulatory powers are dispersed; Ministry of Petroleum Resources has regulatory powers, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has regulatory powers, the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has regulatory powers, NNPC has regulatory powers and that is why over the years, many investors have collected licences for refineries, but none of them has set up expect one or two. Now, all this while, why have not they made investments in these refineries? It is because the regulatory environment is not clear and the major challenge for Nigeria now is the issue of fuel and gas. I believe if we have the PIB passed and create a regulator that has all the power of regulating the industry concentrated in one place like NCC in Telecom sector, that regulatory agency will now conduct an industry study and set cost reflective prices for gas and for other related products which will now provide clarity for investors to invest. So, I want to appeal to the National Assembly and to all stakeholders to come together and quickly pass the PIB. Let us remove those controversies clauses that have stalled the passage of the bill. Nigerians stand to gain more from the passage of that bill than we stand to oppose. Let us move our people from poverty with this singular bill.
Otimkpu Paschal, a graduate of International studies and Diplomacy, University of Benin, a Public affair analyst writes from Awka Anambra State.

The Man is no longer a practicing Lawyer in the USA. Check your facts very well. This is the lat incident in court that happened.
Last Friday, Nigeria achieved a significant milestone in its war against corruption and looting of public funds.

But the war and the victory were on foreign soil in faraway Washington DC, where United States District Court Judge Barbara Jacobs Rothstein announced a default judgement against Emeka Ugwuonye in a case that has lasted over five years.

The judge found Mr. Ugwuonye liable on all claims made by the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington DC, and awarded the Embassy monetary damages in excess of $2 million.

Mr. Ugwuonye’s troubles in the United States with the Embassy, his former client, concern diversion of $1.55 million proceeds of tax refunds in a real estate transaction in Washington DC he undertook for the Embassy.

Mr. Ugwuonye, who practiced law in the State of Maryland, has proved to be a bad lawyer, but perhaps an even worse gambler or mathematician who chose the risk of a $1.55 million check in exchange for monetary damages that could rise to $6.2million. He also stands to lose his professional licence and even personal liberty.

In the five years in which Mr. Ugwuonye has been defendant rather than counsel in a State of Maryland courtroom, he has suffered loss after loss, including even the very companies he used in the real estate transaction on behalf of the embassy, for failure to pay property taxes.

He has forfeited, at least twice, ECU Associates PC, the firm he used in some of the real estate transactions. Originally incorporated in July 1999, the firm was forfeited in October 2006, following which Mr. Ugwuonye incorporated ECU Law PC with the State of Maryland between January and March 2007.
Between April and June 2007, Mr. Ugwuonye somehow revived ECU Associates PC to receive money from the Nigerian Embassy for shady real estate deals, but he would eventually forfeit the company to the State of Maryland, like ECU Law PC.

In October 2009, Mr. Ugwonye sued various Nigerian citizens and reporters who questioned his sale of the properties and handling of the tax refunds. He lost all those cases.

He has also remained suspended from practicing law in Washington DC and New York jurisdictions after the state of Maryland suspended him for mishandling cases involving some of his clients.

Filing a motion for default judgement on May 23, the Embassy asked the judge to compel Mr. Ugwuonye and his firm to pay $6.2 million in restitution and additional costs, as follows:

· $1.55 million in base compensatory damages;

· Prejudgment interest on the tax refund in the amount of 6% per annum commencing on November 20, 2007;

· Punitive damages in an amount equal to two times the total compensatory damages, inclusive of prejudgment interest;

· Post-judgment interest in accordance with 28U.S.C. § 1961; and

· Such other relief as the court may deem just and proper.

Evidence presented to demonstrate the scope and severity of Mr. Ugwuonye’s fraud in the matter and his contempt of the Court’s procedures and orders included documents showing that he recovered the tax refund on the Embassy’s behalf, lied to the Embassy concerning the whereabouts of the funds, and proceeded to use the funds for his personal benefit.

But as had been the pattern, Mr. Ugwuonye was absent at the hearing, having filed a 3:00 a.m. motion requesting an indefinite continuance of the case
“He did this clearly fearing vigorous questioning and simply failed to appear, in the process further exasperating the court,” said a lawyer for the Embassy who noted that Mr. Ugwuonye’s absence was particularly glaring in light of the court’s scheduling order which cautioned him not only to be present, but also prepared to respond to [the] Plaintiff’s allegations.”

The lawyer recalled Mr. Ugwuonye’s flouting of discovery deadlines; court deadlines to file motions and oppositions to motions; failure to produce documents and information in discovery; violating a court order compelling discovery, and failing to appear at his duly noticed deposition, all of them held as evidence of obvious disrespect for the U.S. justice system.

In her judgement, Judge Rothstein announced her intention to award the Embassy $1.55 million in compensatory damages, pre-judgment interest at a rate of 6% per annum, post-judgment interest, and certain categories of attorneys’ fees and costs, bringing compensatory damages and pre-judgment interest alone, as of that day—July 12, 2013—to $2,075,131.30.

The judge will issue a written order over the next few weeks summarizing her findings and specifying the full scope of damages she is awarding. She has already indicated that she will seriously consider the Embassy’s request for punitive damages.

A lawyer familiar with the case said, “An award of punitive damages in the context of default judgment is highly unusual in the U.S. legal system when the parties have not directly litigated the merits of the case.

“Nonetheless, Judge Rothstein agreed to consider a punitive damages award due to the extraordinary nature of the matter. Specifically, she expressed concern that the Embassy’s views of the U.S. legal profession had been tarnished by Mr. Ugwuonye’s outrageous misconduct.”

Beyond all that, it is noteworthy that Judge Rothstein urged the parties to pursue the bar complaint the Embassy has filed against Mr. Ugwuonye in the State of Maryland, another highly unusual step on the part of the judge, but reflecting the severity of Mr. Ugwuonye’s professional fall.

The irony however, is that while Mr. Ugwuonye is being made to pay back what he stole from Nigeria in far away America, he has tactically relocated to Nigeria where he is rebranding himself as an “anti-corruption crusader”.

In Nigeria where Mr. Ugwuonye is facing several other criminal charges, he continues to thumb his nose at the justice system, with perhaps a solid understanding that the justice system is weak and slow.
In the Senate, the committee investigating how the Embassy of Nigeria came to sell off many properties in the Maryland area in the first place and the propriety of the sale of those real estate holdings has treated Mr. Ugwuonye like a star, even allowing him get away with a petition in which he sought to turn his accusers and victims into criminals

This is man is an idiot. He thought we do not know more about him. He is a criminal who defrauded Nigeria Embassy in US for over 1.5 million dollars. do not waste your time on him. kindly google about him at google.com them type his name. I leave you with rest. The statements reads:
Disgraced Maryland-based attorney Emeka Ugwuonye, who is at the center of a scam in which he illegally pocketed $1.55 million that belonged to the Nigerian embassy in the US, has suffered yet another legal setback. SaharaReporters has discovered that U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland issued an order on May 5, 2015 dismissing Mr. Ugwuonye’s bankruptcy petition.
Mr. Ugwuonye, who was found liable by a US Superior Court for embezzling $1.55 million belonging to the Nigerian embassy in the US, may have filed for bankruptcy in order to limit his financial liability to the embassy worth more than $2 million.

In 2013, US District Court judge, Barbara Rothstein, had ordered Mr. to immediately refund $1.55 million in tax refunds he stole from the Nigerian embassy in Washington, DC in 2007. Judge Rothstein also held Mr. Ugwuonye liable to a pre-judgment interest at a rate of 6% per annum. The total judgment against the shady lawyer totaled $2,075,131.30 as of July 12, 2013, the date of Judge Rothstein’s verdict.

Judge Rothstein had found Mr. Ugwuonye and his law firm liable for misappropriating $1.55 million in withheld taxes that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) subsequently refunded to the benefit of the Nigerian embassy. The IRS had refunded the funds to the embassy via Mr. Ugwuonye who once represented the embassy and oversaw the sale of the embassy’s buildings in DC and surrounding areas. The tax was refunded because the embassy, as a sovereign entity, is not liable to pay American taxes.

The Bankruptcy Court dismissed Mr. Ugwuonye’s bankruptcy petition due to the lawyer’s failure to pay the $849 balance due on his filing fee. Mr. Ugwuonye’s bankruptcy petition is now deemed imperiled after more than ten days past since the order to complete payment. “We expect the court to declare a formal closure of the case,” said a lawyer who is familiar with the details of the case.

Mr. Ugwuonye can file a new bankruptcy proceeding, provided he pays the full filing fee. SaharaReporters also learned that a lawyer who represented Mr. Ugwuonye in the bankruptcy petition had filed a motion to withdraw his representation. Even though the Bankruptcy Court had denied the lawyer’s motion, the attorney would have no obligation to represent Mr. Ugwuonye should he file a new bankruptcy petition.

After SaharaReporters first exposed the $1.5 million embezzlement, Mr. Ugwuonye filed a defamation lawsuit against the website and several commentators on social media. He claimed that the Nigerian government owed him fees for unrelated legal work, adding that he was entitled to seize the embassy’s funds. But the Nigerian government officially denied that Mr. Ugwuonye was owed outstanding fees for any legal work.

Mr. Ugwuonye lost both his original defamation lawsuit against SaharaReporters as well as his appeal. In addition, Justice Rothstein ruled against him in a case filed by the embassy to recover its funds from the lawyer.

A lawyer representing the Nigerian embassy said that his client intended to aggressively go after Mr. Ugwuonye’s assets in order to recover as much of the $2 million judgment as possible.

Why Buhari Is Right In Detaining Nnamdi Kanu And Dasuki.... The Position Of Law

Ever since some law courts admitted former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Biafra agitator Nnamdi Kanu to bail and they were not promptly released, there has been lots of hot air released, either backing or attacking their continued detention.

Today, I write to say that I think President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) and the Federal Government are right in law, contrary to the loud crowd’s assertion of ‘human rights’. first, let me state it clearly here, I am not against anybody nor group, but we must always do things in accordance with the laws of the land.

The detention of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Nnamdi Kanu has generated a lot of debate and even criticisms against the Federal Government and the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari (PMB). These criticisms reached their peak after the President’s responses to some questions on the issue in his maiden presidential media chat of Wednesday December 30. Some legal luminaries and human rights activists vehemently contend that the Government violated court orders granting the said accused persons bail.

The Vanguard of Monday January 4 reported several senior lawyers, including the current NBA president, contending that the Government is guilty of disregarding court orders on the issue. Some argue that the Federal Government should have released Kanu or deported him after seven days. These critics have turned the trial of the duo into the trial of the State that is accusing them. I put it to 2/3 of Our so called lawyers even those in the rank of SANs that they do not know the true position of our laws. most of them who claim to be so good and sound in the field of law do not know the law itself. Even the ones claiming to be standing for Nnamdi Kanu and Dasuki do not know the true position of laws of the land.

The one million dollar question now begging for answer is therefore: Is the Federal Government really in breach of Court Orders? The answer to this question is NO. Let me say outright here that the President’s opinion on this matter is in accord with the judgement of the Supreme Court in Dokubo-Asari v. F.R.N. (2007) All FWLR (Pt. 375) p. 558 where the Supreme Court held at page 585 thus:

“…Where national security is threatened or there is the real likelihood of it being threatened, human rights or the individual rights of those responsible take second place. Human rights or individual rights must be suspended until the national security can be protected or well taken care of. This is not anything new. The corporate existence of Nigeria as a united, harmonious, indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation is certainly greater than any citizen’s liberty or right.”

This is the law as enunciated by a unanimous decision of the apex court of the land during Yar'dua regime. The law is what the courts say it is, and not what we see in statute books. Therefore, PMB’s opinion on this matter is more in tandem with the spirit of the constitution and the law than that of those senior legal minds and human rights activists.
It is true Kanu was granted bail on October 17. On the day he claimed to have perfected his bail conditions, he was already too late as the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) had already filed a fresh six-count charge against him. Thus, in law, Kanu was released on bail for the earlier charges and then re-arrested on the new charges, which charge sheet was served on him the day he perfected those conditions.

When Kanu was arraigned on the fresh charges before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, he declined to enter his plea and objected to the jurisdiction of the court to try him, accusing the judge of bias. Consequently, the judge rightly disqualified himself and remitted the case file to the Chief Judge for redirection.

Like Kanu, Dasuki and three others were arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory by the EFCC on a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering and criminal breach of trust. On December 18 Dasuki and others were granted bail on the said 19-count charge. The former NSA perfected his bail conditions and was released on bail. Later, the government found fresh pieces of evidence against him and he was re-arrested and re-arraigned on a 22-count charge.

He was again granted bail and, after his release, the government re-arrested him at the gate of the court on yet another fresh set of charges.

The law is settled that any bail granted an accused is completely related to the offence(s) for which he is charged. So, if after he has been granted bail the prosecution charges him for another offence for which no bail has been granted and no plea taken, then the accused can be re-arrested.

Some of the lawyers seem to have admitted this leg of the argument. However, the problem they seem to have is the timing of the re-arrest. They opine that even though the Government has a right to re-arrest them on fresh charges, that should not come immediately after release. They further reason that the FG should have lumped the charges together instead of bringing them piecemeal.

Again, these submissions are without any basis. It is within the exclusive prerogative of the prosecution (and not anybody else) to decide whether, when and how to charge accused persons. In these matters, the AGF is the law unto himself! He is not subject to the control of anyone as far as the exercise of his powers is concerned. See State v. S.O. Ilori & 2 others (1983) 2 S.C. 155 and Amaefule v. State (1988) 2 NWLR (part 75) page 156.

One lawyer argued that Kanu should have been released after seven days of detention or deported from Nigeria in accordance with the Immigration Act. The lawyer even initiated an online petition on December 31 calling on the President to resign from office or be impeached for the alleged breaches. It was countered by another petition of Buhari supporters on www.ipetition.com <http://www.ipetition.com>. At the time of writing (noon Friday January cool, the anti-Buharis have gathered 2,997 signatures in 9 days while the pro-Buharis have gathered 12,343 in 5 days, and still counting.

This aside, is seven days detention and/or deportation the punishments for the offence Kanu is charged with? Kanu is facing a 6-count charge, one of which is treason. By section 41 (c) of the CCA, treason is a capital offence which attracts the Death Sentence. It is a matter of common knowledge that Kanu has threatened to wage war against Nigeria and has taken several steps to make his threat real.

Dasuki, on the other hand, is charged with crimes bordering misappropriation of funds set aside for the procurement of arms to battle the Boko Haram insurgency and illegal possession of firearms. Furthermore, there is the fear he may jump bail; in fact he has said he wants to jet out to receive ‘medical attention’ abroad; the habit of many a high profile figure charged with crime.

And could the opinion of the President in the said media chat influence the judge? It depends: for some judges it may make no difference; for some, it may influence the judge against the accused persons; for yet others, it may influence them in favour of the accused persons (true for judges who want to assert their authority and independence). There is no certainty as to whether and in which way the influence of that opinion goes.

So, finally, we resort again to the Supreme Court “Where national security is threatened…individual rights of those responsible take second place...” and say PMB is right by law. At this point, I am calling on my Igbo brothers to come back home. Let us reason on the way forward. Violence does not pay. I call upon the wife of Late Ikemba Ndi Igbo as a matter of urgency to build a sound and digital Library for Ikemba if it at Nnewi His Country Home or at Enugu where people mostly the younger generation who did not witness the Civil war to know more and equally to tap from what went wrong in the past and the way forward. Before 2011 elections, when IBB visited Ojukwu at His Residence before the Northern Elders did mock primaries between Atiku and IBB, Ojukwu addressed Ndi Igbo urging us to support the Northerners. what happened the press statement. I will come up with issue and many more at appropriate time. I rest my case.

Why Buhari Is Right In Detaining Nnamdi Kanu And Dasuki.... The Position Of Law

Ever since some law courts admitted former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Biafra agitator Nnamdi Kanu to bail and they were not promptly released, there has been lots of hot air released, either backing or attacking their continued detention.

Today, I write to say that I think President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) and the Federal Government are right in law, contrary to the loud crowd’s assertion of ‘human rights’. first, let me state it clearly here, I am not against anybody nor group. I am an Igbo man from Agu-ukwu Nri in Anaocha Local Govt of Anambra State. but we must always do things in accordance with the laws of the land.

The detention of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Nnamdi Kanu has generated a lot of debate and even criticisms against the Federal Government and the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari (PMB). These criticisms reached their peak after the President’s responses to some questions on the issue in his maiden presidential media chat of Wednesday December 30. Some legal luminaries and human rights activists vehemently contend that the Government violated court orders granting the said accused persons bail.

The Vanguard of Monday January 4 reported several senior lawyers, including the current NBA president, contending that the Government is guilty of disregarding court orders on the issue. Some argue that the Federal Government should have released Kanu or deported him after seven days. These critics have turned the trial of the duo into the trial of the State that is accusing them. I put it to 2/3 of Our so called lawyers even those in the rank of SANs that they do not know the true position of our laws. most of them who claim to be so good and sound in the field of law do not know the law itself. Even the ones claiming to be standing for Nnamdi Kanu and Dasuki do not know the true position of laws of the land.

The one million dollar question now begging for answer is therefore: Is the Federal Government really in breach of Court Orders? The answer to this question is NO. Let me say outright here that the President’s opinion on this matter is in accord with the judgement of the Supreme Court in Dokubo-Asari v. F.R.N. (2007) All FWLR (Pt. 375) p. 558 where the Supreme Court held at page 585 thus:

“…Where national security is threatened or there is the real likelihood of it being threatened, human rights or the individual rights of those responsible take second place. Human rights or individual rights must be suspended until the national security can be protected or well taken care of. This is not anything new. The corporate existence of Nigeria as a united, harmonious, indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation is certainly greater than any citizen’s liberty or right.”

This is the law as enunciated by a unanimous decision of the apex court of the land during Yar'dua regime. The law is what the courts say it is, and not what we see in statute books. Therefore, PMB’s opinion on this matter is more in tandem with the spirit of the constitution and the law than that of those senior legal minds and human rights activists.
It is true Kanu was granted bail on October 17. On the day he claimed to have perfected his bail conditions, he was already too late as the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) had already filed a fresh six-count charge against him. Thus, in law, Kanu was released on bail for the earlier charges and then re-arrested on the new charges, which charge sheet was served on him the day he perfected those conditions.

When Kanu was arraigned on the fresh charges before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, he declined to enter his plea and objected to the jurisdiction of the court to try him, accusing the judge of bias. Consequently, the judge rightly disqualified himself and remitted the case file to the Chief Judge for redirection.

Like Kanu, Dasuki and three others were arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory by the EFCC on a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering and criminal breach of trust. On December 18 Dasuki and others were granted bail on the said 19-count charge. The former NSA perfected his bail conditions and was released on bail. Later, the government found fresh pieces of evidence against him and he was re-arrested and re-arraigned on a 22-count charge.

He was again granted bail and, after his release, the government re-arrested him at the gate of the court on yet another fresh set of charges.

The law is settled that any bail granted an accused is completely related to the offence(s) for which he is charged. So, if after he has been granted bail the prosecution charges him for another offence for which no bail has been granted and no plea taken, then the accused can be re-arrested.

Some of the lawyers seem to have admitted this leg of the argument. However, the problem they seem to have is the timing of the re-arrest. They opine that even though the Government has a right to re-arrest them on fresh charges, that should not come immediately after release. They further reason that the FG should have lumped the charges together instead of bringing them piecemeal.

Again, these submissions are without any basis. It is within the exclusive prerogative of the prosecution (and not anybody else) to decide whether, when and how to charge accused persons. In these matters, the AGF is the law unto himself! He is not subject to the control of anyone as far as the exercise of his powers is concerned. See State v. S.O. Ilori & 2 others (1983) 2 S.C. 155 and Amaefule v. State (1988) 2 NWLR (part 75) page 156.

One lawyer argued that Kanu should have been released after seven days of detention or deported from Nigeria in accordance with the Immigration Act. The lawyer even initiated an online petition on December 31 calling on the President to resign from office or be impeached for the alleged breaches. It was countered by another petition of Buhari supporters on www.ipetition.com <http://www.ipetition.com>. At the time of writing (noon Friday January cool, the anti-Buharis have gathered 2,997 signatures in 9 days while the pro-Buharis have gathered 12,343 in 5 days, and still counting.

This aside, is seven days detention and/or deportation the punishments for the offence Kanu is charged with? Kanu is facing a 6-count charge, one of which is treason. By section 41 (c) of the CCA, treason is a capital offence which attracts the Death Sentence. It is a matter of common knowledge that Kanu has threatened to wage war against Nigeria and has taken several steps to make his threat real.

Dasuki, on the other hand, is charged with crimes bordering misappropriation of funds set aside for the procurement of arms to battle the Boko Haram insurgency and illegal possession of firearms. Furthermore, there is the fear he may jump bail; in fact he has said he wants to jet out to receive ‘medical attention’ abroad; the habit of many a high profile figure charged with crime.

And could the opinion of the President in the said media chat influence the judge? It depends: for some judges it may make no difference; for some, it may influence the judge against the accused persons; for yet others, it may influence them in favour of the accused persons (true for judges who want to assert their authority and independence). There is no certainty as to whether and in which way the influence of that opinion goes.

So, finally, we resort again to the Supreme Court “Where national security is threatened…individual rights of those responsible take second place...” and say PMB is right by law. At this point, I am calling on my Igbo brothers to come back home. Let us reason on the way forward. Violence does not pay. I call upon the wife of Late Ikemba Ndi Igbo as a matter of urgency to build a sound and digital Library for Ikemba if it at Nnewi His Country Home or at Enugu where people mostly the younger generation who did not witness the Civil war to know more and equally to tap from what went wrong in the past and the way forward. Before 2011 elections, when IBB visited Ojukwu at His Residence before the Northern Elders did mock primaries between Atiku and IBB, Ojukwu addressed Ndi Igbo urging us to support the Northerners. what happened the press statement. I will come up with issue and many more at appropriate time. I rest my case.

Why Buhari Is Right In Detaining Nnamdi Kanu And Dasuki.... The Position Of Law

Ever since some law courts admitted former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Biafra agitator Nnamdi Kanu to bail and they were not promptly released, there has been lots of hot air released, either backing or attacking their continued detention.

Today, I write to say that I think President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) and the Federal Government are right in law, contrary to the loud crowd’s assertion of ‘human rights’. first, let me state it clearly here, I am not against anybody nor group. I am an Igbo man from Agu-ukwu Nri in Anaocha Local Govt of Anambra State. but we must always do things in accordance with the laws of the land.

The detention of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Nnamdi Kanu has generated a lot of debate and even criticisms against the Federal Government and the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari (PMB). These criticisms reached their peak after the President’s responses to some questions on the issue in his maiden presidential media chat of Wednesday December 30. Some legal luminaries and human rights activists vehemently contend that the Government violated court orders granting the said accused persons bail.

The Vanguard of Monday January 4 reported several senior lawyers, including the current NBA president, contending that the Government is guilty of disregarding court orders on the issue. Some argue that the Federal Government should have released Kanu or deported him after seven days. These critics have turned the trial of the duo into the trial of the State that is accusing them. I put it to 2/3 of Our so called lawyers even those in the rank of SANs that they do not know the true position of our laws. most of them who claim to be so good and sound in the field of law do not know the law itself. Even the ones claiming to be standing for Nnamdi Kanu and Dasuki do not know the true position of laws of the land.

The one million dollar question now begging for answer is therefore: Is the Federal Government really in breach of Court Orders? The answer to this question is NO. Let me say outright here that the President’s opinion on this matter is in accord with the judgement of the Supreme Court in Dokubo-Asari v. F.R.N. (2007) All FWLR (Pt. 375) p. 558 where the Supreme Court held at page 585 thus:

“…Where national security is threatened or there is the real likelihood of it being threatened, human rights or the individual rights of those responsible take second place. Human rights or individual rights must be suspended until the national security can be protected or well taken care of. This is not anything new. The corporate existence of Nigeria as a united, harmonious, indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation is certainly greater than any citizen’s liberty or right.”

This is the law as enunciated by a unanimous decision of the apex court of the land during Yar'dua regime. The law is what the courts say it is, and not what we see in statute books. Therefore, PMB’s opinion on this matter is more in tandem with the spirit of the constitution and the law than that of those senior legal minds and human rights activists.
It is true Kanu was granted bail on October 17. On the day he claimed to have perfected his bail conditions, he was already too late as the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) had already filed a fresh six-count charge against him. Thus, in law, Kanu was released on bail for the earlier charges and then re-arrested on the new charges, which charge sheet was served on him the day he perfected those conditions.

When Kanu was arraigned on the fresh charges before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, he declined to enter his plea and objected to the jurisdiction of the court to try him, accusing the judge of bias. Consequently, the judge rightly disqualified himself and remitted the case file to the Chief Judge for redirection.

Like Kanu, Dasuki and three others were arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory by the EFCC on a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering and criminal breach of trust. On December 18 Dasuki and others were granted bail on the said 19-count charge. The former NSA perfected his bail conditions and was released on bail. Later, the government found fresh pieces of evidence against him and he was re-arrested and re-arraigned on a 22-count charge.

He was again granted bail and, after his release, the government re-arrested him at the gate of the court on yet another fresh set of charges.

The law is settled that any bail granted an accused is completely related to the offence(s) for which he is charged. So, if after he has been granted bail the prosecution charges him for another offence for which no bail has been granted and no plea taken, then the accused can be re-arrested.

Some of the lawyers seem to have admitted this leg of the argument. However, the problem they seem to have is the timing of the re-arrest. They opine that even though the Government has a right to re-arrest them on fresh charges, that should not come immediately after release. They further reason that the FG should have lumped the charges together instead of bringing them piecemeal.

Again, these submissions are without any basis. It is within the exclusive prerogative of the prosecution (and not anybody else) to decide whether, when and how to charge accused persons. In these matters, the AGF is the law unto himself! He is not subject to the control of anyone as far as the exercise of his powers is concerned. See State v. S.O. Ilori & 2 others (1983) 2 S.C. 155 and Amaefule v. State (1988) 2 NWLR (part 75) page 156.

One lawyer argued that Kanu should have been released after seven days of detention or deported from Nigeria in accordance with the Immigration Act. The lawyer even initiated an online petition on December 31 calling on the President to resign from office or be impeached for the alleged breaches. It was countered by another petition of Buhari supporters on www.ipetition.com <http://www.ipetition.com>. At the time of writing (noon Friday January cool, the anti-Buharis have gathered 2,997 signatures in 9 days while the pro-Buharis have gathered 12,343 in 5 days, and still counting.

This aside, is seven days detention and/or deportation the punishments for the offence Kanu is charged with? Kanu is facing a 6-count charge, one of which is treason. By section 41 (c) of the CCA, treason is a capital offence which attracts the Death Sentence. It is a matter of common knowledge that Kanu has threatened to wage war against Nigeria and has taken several steps to make his threat real.

Dasuki, on the other hand, is charged with crimes bordering misappropriation of funds set aside for the procurement of arms to battle the Boko Haram insurgency and illegal possession of firearms. Furthermore, there is the fear he may jump bail; in fact he has said he wants to jet out to receive ‘medical attention’ abroad; the habit of many a high profile figure charged with crime.

And could the opinion of the President in the said media chat influence the judge? It depends: for some judges it may make no difference; for some, it may influence the judge against the accused persons; for yet others, it may influence them in favour of the accused persons (true for judges who want to assert their authority and independence). There is no certainty as to whether and in which way the influence of that opinion goes.

So, finally, we resort again to the Supreme Court “Where national security is threatened…individual rights of those responsible take second place...” and say PMB is right by law. At this point, I am calling on my Igbo brothers to come back home. Let us reason on the way forward. Violence does not pay. I call upon the wife of Late Ikemba Ndi Igbo as a matter of urgency to build a sound and digital Library for Ikemba if it at Nnewi His Country Home or at Enugu where people mostly the younger generation who did not witness the Civil war to know more and equally to tap from what went wrong in the past and the way forward. Before 2011 elections, when IBB visited Ojukwu at His Residence before the Northern Elders did mock primaries between Atiku and IBB, Ojukwu addressed Ndi Igbo urging us to support the Northerners. what happened the press statement. I will come up with issue and many more at appropriate time. I rest my case.

On Colonel Sambo Dasuki...
Did the DSS contravene any law or disobeyed the court by re-arresting Sambo Dasuki? I don't think so. The Court judgement of December 21 granted Sambo Dasuki and others bail in a N9billion fraud case. Though Dasuki and others were released from prison after meeting bail condition, he was re-arrested after stepping out of prison.

We have to note that the bail was respected by the DSS but unfortunately for him(Dasuki), the judgement of the court didn't grant him any immunity from further arrest. Hence, the government committed no offence in re-arresting him. But why is he even looking for bail when he should be more concerned with clearing his name as regards the $2.2billion arms fund that he allegedly looted with his friends? Why should a "big thief" be using bail to walk free while a poor man languish in prison for years on "awaiting-trial"? I think the government should be encouraged to re-arrest him each time he's granted bail.

I don't believe in abuse of the law but I believe that people should be encouraged to keep off from crimes while the government must be encouraged to fight alleged criminals with the law irrespective of who the perpetrator is.

It is my opinion that Messrs Kanu, Dasuki and others should prepare their defence and prove their innocence before the judge.

Did Kanu Really Commit Treason?
What constitute treason in Nigeria? The offence of treason can be found in sections 37 to 49 of the Nigeria criminal code.

According to section 37(1) of the Nigeria criminal code; Any person who levies war against the State, in order to intimidate or overawe the President or the Governor of a State, is guilty of treason, and is liable to the punishment of death. Section 37(2) further stated that Any person conspiring
with any person, either within or without Nigeria, to levy war against the State with intent to cause such levying of war as would be treason if committed by a citizen of Nigeria, is guilty of treason and is liable to the punishment of death:.

Through radio biafra, Kanu preached inciting messages and even went as far as soliciting for arms with intent to wage war against the State. This was captured in a video that has gone viral. I think that breached section 37(2) of Nigeria criminal code(in my opinion). It is however left for the judge to make pronouncement. for those that asked me the question, yes he did. Biafra is of the mind

Ever since some law courts admitted former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Biafra agitator Nnamdi Kanu to bail and they were not promptly released, there has been lots of hot air released, either backing or attacking their continued detention.

Today, I write to say that I think President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) and the Federal Government are right in law, contrary to the loud crowd’s assertion of ‘human rights’. first, let me state it clearly here, I am not against anybody nor group. I am an Igbo man from Agu-ukwu Nri in Anaocha Local Govt of Anambra State. but we must always do things in accordance with the laws of the land.

The detention of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Nnamdi Kanu has generated a lot of debate and even criticisms against the Federal Government and the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari (PMB). These criticisms reached their peak after the President’s responses to some questions on the issue in his maiden presidential media chat of Wednesday December 30. Some legal luminaries and human rights activists vehemently contend that the Government violated court orders granting the said accused persons bail.

The Vanguard of Monday January 4 reported several senior lawyers, including the current NBA president, contending that the Government is guilty of disregarding court orders on the issue. Some argue that the Federal Government should have released Kanu or deported him after seven days. These critics have turned the trial of the duo into the trial of the State that is accusing them. I put it to 2/3 of Our so called lawyers even those in the rank of SANs that they do not know the true position of our laws. most of them who claim to be so good and sound in the field of law do not know the law itself. Even the ones claiming to be standing for Nnamdi Kanu and Dasuki do not know the true position of laws of the land.

The one million dollar question now begging for answer is therefore: Is the Federal Government really in breach of Court Orders? The answer to this question is NO. Let me say outright here that the President’s opinion on this matter is in accord with the judgement of the Supreme Court in Dokubo-Asari v. F.R.N. (2007) All FWLR (Pt. 375) p. 558 where the Supreme Court held at page 585 thus:

“…Where national security is threatened or there is the real likelihood of it being threatened, human rights or the individual rights of those responsible take second place. Human rights or individual rights must be suspended until the national security can be protected or well taken care of. This is not anything new. The corporate existence of Nigeria as a united, harmonious, indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation is certainly greater than any citizen’s liberty or right.”

This is the law as enunciated by a unanimous decision of the apex court of the land during Yar'dua regime. The law is what the courts say it is, and not what we see in statute books. Therefore, PMB’s opinion on this matter is more in tandem with the spirit of the constitution and the law than that of those senior legal minds and human rights activists.
It is true Kanu was granted bail on October 17. On the day he claimed to have perfected his bail conditions, he was already too late as the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) had already filed a fresh six-count charge against him. Thus, in law, Kanu was released on bail for the earlier charges and then re-arrested on the new charges, which charge sheet was served on him the day he perfected those conditions.

When Kanu was arraigned on the fresh charges before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, he declined to enter his plea and objected to the jurisdiction of the court to try him, accusing the judge of bias. Consequently, the judge rightly disqualified himself and remitted the case file to the Chief Judge for redirection.

Like Kanu, Dasuki and three others were arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory by the EFCC on a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering and criminal breach of trust. On December 18 Dasuki and others were granted bail on the said 19-count charge. The former NSA perfected his bail conditions and was released on bail. Later, the government found fresh pieces of evidence against him and he was re-arrested and re-arraigned on a 22-count charge.

He was again granted bail and, after his release, the government re-arrested him at the gate of the court on yet another fresh set of charges.

The law is settled that any bail granted an accused is completely related to the offence(s) for which he is charged. So, if after he has been granted bail the prosecution charges him for another offence for which no bail has been granted and no plea taken, then the accused can be re-arrested.

Some of the lawyers seem to have admitted this leg of the argument. However, the problem they seem to have is the timing of the re-arrest. They opine that even though the Government has a right to re-arrest them on fresh charges, that should not come immediately after release. They further reason that the FG should have lumped the charges together instead of bringing them piecemeal.

Again, these submissions are without any basis. It is within the exclusive prerogative of the prosecution (and not anybody else) to decide whether, when and how to charge accused persons. In these matters, the AGF is the law unto himself! He is not subject to the control of anyone as far as the exercise of his powers is concerned. See State v. S.O. Ilori & 2 others (1983) 2 S.C. 155 and Amaefule v. State (1988) 2 NWLR (part 75) page 156.

One lawyer argued that Kanu should have been released after seven days of detention or deported from Nigeria in accordance with the Immigration Act. The lawyer even initiated an online petition on December 31 calling on the President to resign from office or be impeached for the alleged breaches. It was countered by another petition of Buhari supporters on www.ipetition.com <http://www.ipetition.com>. At the time of writing (noon Friday January cool, the anti-Buharis have gathered 2,997 signatures in 9 days while the pro-Buharis have gathered 12,343 in 5 days, and still counting.

This aside, is seven days detention and/or deportation the punishments for the offence Kanu is charged with? Kanu is facing a 6-count charge, one of which is treason. By section 41 (c) of the CCA, treason is a capital offence which attracts the Death Sentence. It is a matter of common knowledge that Kanu has threatened to wage war against Nigeria and has taken several steps to make his threat real.

Dasuki, on the other hand, is charged with crimes bordering misappropriation of funds set aside for the procurement of arms to battle the Boko Haram insurgency and illegal possession of firearms. Furthermore, there is the fear he may jump bail; in fact he has said he wants to jet out to receive ‘medical attention’ abroad; the habit of many a high profile figure charged with crime.

And could the opinion of the President in the said media chat influence the judge? It depends: for some judges it may make no difference; for some, it may influence the judge against the accused persons; for yet others, it may influence them in favour of the accused persons (true for judges who want to assert their authority and independence). There is no certainty as to whether and in which way the influence of that opinion goes.

So, finally, we resort again to the Supreme Court “Where national security is threatened…individual rights of those responsible take second place...” and say PMB is right by law. At this point, I am calling on my Igbo brothers to come back home. Let us reason on the way forward. Violence does not pay. I call upon the wife of Late Ikemba Ndi Igbo as a matter of urgency to build a sound and digital Library for Ikemba if it at Nnewi His Country Home or at Enugu where people mostly the younger generation who did not witness the Civil war to know more and equally to tap from what went wrong in the past and the way forward. Before 2011 elections, when IBB visited Ojukwu at His Residence before the Northern Elders did mock primaries between Atiku and IBB, Ojukwu addressed Ndi Igbo urging us to support the Northerners. what happened the press statement. I will come up with issue and many more at appropriate time. I rest my case.

well, Dasuki apart from money laundering issues with FG, there are first and second charge of being in possession of fire arms which is equally a threat to national security. On Kanu,he is being charged of treasonable felony which is a national security issue. Have you listened to Radio Biafra. Have you heard the violence, inciting words and what have you that is coming out from this guy. LOL....... He has entered ooooo... The only solution to this, is political settlement. You can ask Asari Dokunbo what happened to him during Obasanjo Regime when He threatened the corporate existence of the country. Abiola despite winning the 1993 Election which we all know, but because NEC led by Prof Nwosu did not declare him winner,he went ahead to pronounce himself as President of Nigeria. He was arrested and charged for treasonable felony. See Umunnem, there are rules of engagement. The worst thing that happened to Kanu is to allow DSS to apprehend him. An Igbo adage says He who fights and run away,lives to fight another day. That was what Ojukwu did when Biafra war was too much for him.

lol.... what a confused group and elites. please stop misleading our youths. Do your research very well. For avoidance of doubt. Let me educate you guys on why buhari is right to detain them and disobey court orders.

Ever since some law courts admitted former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Biafra agitator Nnamdi Kanu to bail and they were not promptly released, there has been lots of hot air released, either backing or attacking their continued detention.

Today, I write to say that I think President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) and the Federal Government are right in law, contrary to the loud crowd’s assertion of ‘human rights’. first, let me state it clearly here, I am not against anybody nor group. I am an Igbo man from Agu-ukwu Nri in Anaocha Local Govt of Anambra State. but we must always do things in accordance with the laws of the land.

The detention of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Nnamdi Kanu has generated a lot of debate and even criticisms against the Federal Government and the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari (PMB). These criticisms reached their peak after the President’s responses to some questions on the issue in his maiden presidential media chat of Wednesday December 30. Some legal luminaries and human rights activists vehemently contend that the Government violated court orders granting the said accused persons bail.

The Vanguard of Monday January 4 reported several senior lawyers, including the current NBA president, contending that the Government is guilty of disregarding court orders on the issue. Some argue that the Federal Government should have released Kanu or deported him after seven days. These critics have turned the trial of the duo into the trial of the State that is accusing them. I put it to 2/3 of Our so called lawyers even those in the rank of SANs that they do not know the true position of our laws. most of them who claim to be so good and sound in the field of law do not know the law itself. Even the ones claiming to be standing for Nnamdi Kanu and Dasuki do not know the true position of laws of the land.

The one million dollar question now begging for answer is therefore: Is the Federal Government really in breach of Court Orders? The answer to this question is NO. Let me say outright here that the President’s opinion on this matter is in accord with the judgement of the Supreme Court in Dokubo-Asari v. F.R.N. (2007) All FWLR (Pt. 375) p. 558 where the Supreme Court held at page 585 thus:

“…Where national security is threatened or there is the real likelihood of it being threatened, human rights or the individual rights of those responsible take second place. Human rights or individual rights must be suspended until the national security can be protected or well taken care of. This is not anything new. The corporate existence of Nigeria as a united, harmonious, indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation is certainly greater than any citizen’s liberty or right.”

This is the law as enunciated by a unanimous decision of the apex court of the land during Yar'dua regime. The law is what the courts say it is, and not what we see in statute books. Therefore, PMB’s opinion on this matter is more in tandem with the spirit of the constitution and the law than that of those senior legal minds and human rights activists.
It is true Kanu was granted bail on October 17. On the day he claimed to have perfected his bail conditions, he was already too late as the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) had already filed a fresh six-count charge against him. Thus, in law, Kanu was released on bail for the earlier charges and then re-arrested on the new charges, which charge sheet was served on him the day he perfected those conditions.

When Kanu was arraigned on the fresh charges before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, he declined to enter his plea and objected to the jurisdiction of the court to try him, accusing the judge of bias. Consequently, the judge rightly disqualified himself and remitted the case file to the Chief Judge for redirection.

Like Kanu, Dasuki and three others were arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory by the EFCC on a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering and criminal breach of trust. On December 18 Dasuki and others were granted bail on the said 19-count charge. The former NSA perfected his bail conditions and was released on bail. Later, the government found fresh pieces of evidence against him and he was re-arrested and re-arraigned on a 22-count charge.

He was again granted bail and, after his release, the government re-arrested him at the gate of the court on yet another fresh set of charges.

The law is settled that any bail granted an accused is completely related to the offence(s) for which he is charged. So, if after he has been granted bail the prosecution charges him for another offence for which no bail has been granted and no plea taken, then the accused can be re-arrested.

Some of the lawyers seem to have admitted this leg of the argument. However, the problem they seem to have is the timing of the re-arrest. They opine that even though the Government has a right to re-arrest them on fresh charges, that should not come immediately after release. They further reason that the FG should have lumped the charges together instead of bringing them piecemeal.

Again, these submissions are without any basis. It is within the exclusive prerogative of the prosecution (and not anybody else) to decide whether, when and how to charge accused persons. In these matters, the AGF is the law unto himself! He is not subject to the control of anyone as far as the exercise of his powers is concerned. See State v. S.O. Ilori & 2 others (1983) 2 S.C. 155 and Amaefule v. State (1988) 2 NWLR (part 75) page 156.

One lawyer argued that Kanu should have been released after seven days of detention or deported from Nigeria in accordance with the Immigration Act. The lawyer even initiated an online petition on December 31 calling on the President to resign from office or be impeached for the alleged breaches. It was countered by another petition of Buhari supporters on www.ipetition.com <http://www.ipetition.com>. At the time of writing (noon Friday January cool, the anti-Buharis have gathered 2,997 signatures in 9 days while the pro-Buharis have gathered 12,343 in 5 days, and still counting.

This aside, is seven days detention and/or deportation the punishments for the offence Kanu is charged with? Kanu is facing a 6-count charge, one of which is treason. By section 41 (c) of the CCA, treason is a capital offence which attracts the Death Sentence. It is a matter of common knowledge that Kanu has threatened to wage war against Nigeria and has taken several steps to make his threat real.

Dasuki, on the other hand, is charged with crimes bordering misappropriation of funds set aside for the procurement of arms to battle the Boko Haram insurgency and illegal possession of firearms. Furthermore, there is the fear he may jump bail; in fact he has said he wants to jet out to receive ‘medical attention’ abroad; the habit of many a high profile figure charged with crime.

And could the opinion of the President in the said media chat influence the judge? It depends: for some judges it may make no difference; for some, it may influence the judge against the accused persons; for yet others, it may influence them in favour of the accused persons (true for judges who want to assert their authority and independence). There is no certainty as to whether and in which way the influence of that opinion goes.

So, finally, we resort again to the Supreme Court “Where national security is threatened…individual rights of those responsible take second place...” and say PMB is right by law. At this point, I am calling on my Igbo brothers to come back home. Let us reason on the way forward. Violence does not pay. I rest my case.

I am for real. There are many more hard truth Umunnem kwesiri ima (my brothers need to know)

Ever since some law courts admitted former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Biafra agitator Nnamdi Kanu to bail and they were not promptly released, there has been lots of hot air released, either backing or attacking their continued detention.

Today, I write to say that I think President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) and the Federal Government are right in law, contrary to the loud crowd’s assertion of ‘human rights’. first, let me state it clearly here, I am not against anybody nor group. I am an Igbo man from Agu-ukwu Nri in Anaocha Local Govt of Anambra State. but we must always do things in accordance with the laws of the land.

The detention of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Nnamdi Kanu has generated a lot of debate and even criticisms against the Federal Government and the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari (PMB). These criticisms reached their peak after the President’s responses to some questions on the issue in his maiden presidential media chat of Wednesday December 30. Some legal luminaries and human rights activists vehemently contend that the Government violated court orders granting the said accused persons bail.

The Vanguard of Monday January 4 reported several senior lawyers, including the current NBA president, contending that the Government is guilty of disregarding court orders on the issue. Some argue that the Federal Government should have released Kanu or deported him after seven days. These critics have turned the trial of the duo into the trial of the State that is accusing them. I put it to 2/3 of Our so called lawyers even those in the rank of SANs that they do not know the true position of our laws. most of them who claim to be so good and sound in the field of law do not know the law itself. Even the ones claiming to be standing for Nnamdi Kanu and Dasuki do not know the true position of laws of the land.

The one million dollar question now begging for answer is therefore: Is the Federal Government really in breach of Court Orders? The answer to this question is NO. Let me say outright here that the President’s opinion on this matter is in accord with the judgement of the Supreme Court in Dokubo-Asari v. F.R.N. (2007) All FWLR (Pt. 375) p. 558 where the Supreme Court held at page 585 thus:

“…Where national security is threatened or there is the real likelihood of it being threatened, human rights or the individual rights of those responsible take second place. Human rights or individual rights must be suspended until the national security can be protected or well taken care of. This is not anything new. The corporate existence of Nigeria as a united, harmonious, indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation is certainly greater than any citizen’s liberty or right.”

This is the law as enunciated by a unanimous decision of the apex court of the land during Yar'dua regime. The law is what the courts say it is, and not what we see in statute books. Therefore, PMB’s opinion on this matter is more in tandem with the spirit of the constitution and the law than that of those senior legal minds and human rights activists.
It is true Kanu was granted bail on October 17. On the day he claimed to have perfected his bail conditions, he was already too late as the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) had already filed a fresh six-count charge against him. Thus, in law, Kanu was released on bail for the earlier charges and then re-arrested on the new charges, which charge sheet was served on him the day he perfected those conditions.

When Kanu was arraigned on the fresh charges before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, he declined to enter his plea and objected to the jurisdiction of the court to try him, accusing the judge of bias. Consequently, the judge rightly disqualified himself and remitted the case file to the Chief Judge for redirection.

Like Kanu, Dasuki and three others were arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory by the EFCC on a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering and criminal breach of trust. On December 18 Dasuki and others were granted bail on the said 19-count charge. The former NSA perfected his bail conditions and was released on bail. Later, the government found fresh pieces of evidence against him and he was re-arrested and re-arraigned on a 22-count charge.

He was again granted bail and, after his release, the government re-arrested him at the gate of the court on yet another fresh set of charges.

The law is settled that any bail granted an accused is completely related to the offence(s) for which he is charged. So, if after he has been granted bail the prosecution charges him for another offence for which no bail has been granted and no plea taken, then the accused can be re-arrested.

Some of the lawyers seem to have admitted this leg of the argument. However, the problem they seem to have is the timing of the re-arrest. They opine that even though the Government has a right to re-arrest them on fresh charges, that should not come immediately after release. They further reason that the FG should have lumped the charges together instead of bringing them piecemeal.

Again, these submissions are without any basis. It is within the exclusive prerogative of the prosecution (and not anybody else) to decide whether, when and how to charge accused persons. In these matters, the AGF is the law unto himself! He is not subject to the control of anyone as far as the exercise of his powers is concerned. See State v. S.O. Ilori & 2 others (1983) 2 S.C. 155 and Amaefule v. State (1988) 2 NWLR (part 75) page 156.

One lawyer argued that Kanu should have been released after seven days of detention or deported from Nigeria in accordance with the Immigration Act. The lawyer even initiated an online petition on December 31 calling on the President to resign from office or be impeached for the alleged breaches. It was countered by another petition of Buhari supporters on www.ipetition.com <http://www.ipetition.com>. At the time of writing (noon Friday January cool, the anti-Buharis have gathered 2,997 signatures in 9 days while the pro-Buharis have gathered 12,343 in 5 days, and still counting.

This aside, is seven days detention and/or deportation the punishments for the offence Kanu is charged with? Kanu is facing a 6-count charge, one of which is treason. By section 41 (c) of the CCA, treason is a capital offence which attracts the Death Sentence. It is a matter of common knowledge that Kanu has threatened to wage war against Nigeria and has taken several steps to make his threat real.

Dasuki, on the other hand, is charged with crimes bordering misappropriation of funds set aside for the procurement of arms to battle the Boko Haram insurgency and illegal possession of firearms. Furthermore, there is the fear he may jump bail; in fact he has said he wants to jet out to receive ‘medical attention’ abroad; the habit of many a high profile figure charged with crime.

And could the opinion of the President in the said media chat influence the judge? It depends: for some judges it may make no difference; for some, it may influence the judge against the accused persons; for yet others, it may influence them in favour of the accused persons (true for judges who want to assert their authority and independence). There is no certainty as to whether and in which way the influence of that opinion goes.

So, finally, we resort again to the Supreme Court “Where national security is threatened…individual rights of those responsible take second place...” and say PMB is right by law. At this point, I am calling on my Igbo brothers to come back home. Let us reason on the way forward. Violence does not pay. I call upon the wife of Late Ikemba Ndi Igbo as a matter of urgency to build a sound and digital Library for Ikemba if it at Nnewi His Country Home or at Enugu where people mostly the younger generation who did not witness the Civil war to know more and equally to tap from what went wrong in the past and the way forward. Before 2011 elections, when IBB visited Ojukwu at His Residence before the Northern Elders did mock primaries between Atiku and IBB, Ojukwu addressed Ndi Igbo urging us to support the Northerners. what happened the press statement. I will come up with issue and many more at appropriate time. I rest my case.