₦airaland Forum

BELOW is the $37.5m Banana Island, Lagos property belonging to former petroleum resources minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, which a Federal High Court in Lagos ordered should be temporary forfeited to the Federal Government.

The property has 24 apartments, 18 flats and six penthouses. It is located at Building 3, Block B, Bella Vista Plot 1, Zone N, Federal Government Layout, Banana Island Foreshore Estate.

Apart from the property, the court also ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sums of $2,740,197.96 and N84,537,840.70, said to be part of the rent collected on the property.

The funds were said to have been found in a Zenith Bank account number 1013612486.

THE Southwest faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has defected to the Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN).

The group said the inflammatory statement of Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose and removal of the names of some of the leaders of the party in the region at Abuja meeting yesterday was responsible for their decision to leave the party, Daily Trust had reported.

The Southwest chairman of the group and former chairman of PDP in Ondo State, Hon. Ebenezer Alabi who addressed journalists at the regional secretariat of the party in Ibadan yesterday said the Southwest PDP are resolute to leave the party for governor Fayose and his cohorts.

Social Times recalls that their defection is barely two days after Ali Modu Sheriff told his supporters nationwide not to defect to other political parties saying he was committed to bringing the party back to the grassroots.

POWERFUL multiple explosions rock Maiduguri on Tuesday night, a day after 12 persons were killed by suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers.

At least six powerful explosions occurred between 10:45 and 11:00 PM.

About four explosives were detonated simultaneously while two other powerful sounds were also heard some 15 minutes later.

Unlike the previous explosions, the current blast has a wide-range sound effect, sending its powerful sounds to many parts of the metropolis, forcing roofs to shake.

It is not clear where the blast occurred yet and efforts to get the details of the blasts were not successful as none of the official security spokespersons was available for comments.

However, a security source told the News Agency of Nigeria that soldiers had fired an artillery at a convoy of suspected Boko Haram insurgents who were trying to attack the city which caused series of explosions.

A series of blasts have hit the metropolis recently, the latest happening on Monday where 12 persons died.

FINALLY, Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber may have settled it rift with Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) boss, Col. Hameed Ali, over non-wearing of the agency’s uniform.

The Senate had in March this year summoned Mr. Ali over Customs’ plan to impound vehicles that have no import duty clearance. It specifically asked him to appear in uniform.

Ali, who said he may honour the invitation pointed out that he was not going to appear in uniform, insisting that “I was not appointed Comptroller General to wear uniform.”

Mr. Ali, a retired colonel, was appointed Customs chief in 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari, becoming the second to be so appointed from outside the service.

Ali, later honoured the invitation from the Red chamber and was walked out over his failure to wear his uniform as resolved.

The matter was later shifted to the judiciary to determined the fate of Ali.

But yesterday, Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki gave Ali, the leeway to wear “jeans and T-Shirt” to office if that would enable him to tackle and end massive smuggling of goods into the country.

This is according to a report on The Nation Newspapers.

Speaking on the role of the NCS in the battle against smugglers, Saraki said: “For the Comptroller General of Customs, let me say on a lighter note that once you end smuggling, even if you want to wear jeans and T-Shirt, I will move the motion that you should wear jeans and T-Shirt. But on a serious note, this issue is very important. Let us all work towards ending this menace once and for all.”

As at press time, Social Times has not confirmed if Saraki’s position is the resolution of the red chamber.

Lalasticlala

FOR the second time, conditions that must be met by the Presidency for it to resolve it issues with the upper legislative chamber has surfaced again.

This is coming amidst report of a committee being set up by the Federal Executive Council to settle the rift between the duo which the acting president is the chairman.

Other members of the committee include all ministers who were former senators.

These are Chris Ngige (Labour), Udoma Udoma (Budget and National Planning), Heineken Lokpobiri (State, Agriculture), Hadi Sirika (State for Aviation) and Aisha Alhassan (Women Affairs).

Other members are the Senior Special Assistants to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang (Senate) and Samaila Kawu (House of Representatives).

In an earlier report by Daily Trust Newspaper, the publication list down five conditions it gathered from anonymous sources which includes;

“The trial of Saraki is central to the crisis because it is believed that they came up with it because he ‘violated’ the interest of the presidency and the party (APC) to emerge the senate president. If his trial is stopped, there would be peace;”

“A camp in the presidency is using the senate against another. This is the second issue that must be addressed for peace to reign. Buhari should dissolve the camp, otherwise no serious progress would be made;”

“If a resolution is passed, the executive doesn’t respect it, there is general contempt against us. This must stop;”

“The president must be talking to the party for it to be talking to caucus. If the president is bringing anything to the senate, the party should be involved;”

“The fifth one is that there is no personal communication between the senators and the president. There is need for this.”

This time around, TheNation Newspaper has penciled down three conditions in its own report.

ALSO READ: Sambo: Whistleblower Arraigned For Giving False Report

Quoting it sources, the news medium tabled;

The removal of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu;

The withdrawal of a statement credited to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo through Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State that there is no going back on Magu’s nomination;

Presidency’s compliance with the resolutions/decisions/ summons of the National Assembly on budget and other issues, as well as prevailing on Power, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Raji Fashola to withdraw his statement attacking the integrity of the National Assembly.

The conditions, according to the paper, were tabled by the Senate leadership before a mediator who is trying to bring the warring sides together.

The mediator is reported to be enjoying the confidence of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The source said the Presidency had been trying to address the three conditions with only Magu’s fate still hanging in the balance.

“On Magu, the Acting President insisted that only his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari can determine the fate of the Acting chairman of EFCC.

“He said the Senate would have to wait for the return of the President.”

Regarding a statement credited to el-Rufai, the mediator said the governor ran his own errand because nothing warranted the comments in the mandate given to him to represent the Acting President. Neither the Presidency nor Osinbajo can be held liable for el-Rufai’s comments.

“As for compliance with the resolutions or decisions or summons of the National Assembly, the Presidency gave a commitment to the Senate leadership to give due regards to the legislature.”

There were however indications that the Acting President had directed the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Fashola to “clarify his statement” in a way that it will not hurt the relationship between the two arms of government.

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“This was why Fashola tactically apologised to the National Assembly in an interview with reporters on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Presidential Quarterly Business Forum held at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

“He said if he was being misunderstood, his intention was not to quarrel with anybody but to see a better Nigeria.

“The Presidency believes such a mature retraction of Fashola’s virulent comments will assuage the National Assembly.”

In complying with the directive of the Acting President, Fashola had said: “There is no problem between me as an individual and the National Assembly.

“And let me make that very clear, many of the senators and honourable members are my personal friends, and so you don’t fight your friends. But we have a disagreement.

“You will remember when President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, he had enormous support from the leadership of the National Assembly. So it means that we all agree there is a problem.

“There is also disagreement which I don’t think should make us disagreeable about the best way to implement that plan, and I think that is all there is to it.

“It is perhaps possible that in the heat of the moment, while trying to canvass different positions, we are misconstrued as fighting. But I am not fighting anybody. We have a disagreement it shouldn’t make us disagreeable.

“So my responsibility is to continue to engage. Also even if I wasn’t a minister, I am a citizen also, so the parliamentarians are also representing me.

“So these are the issues and if I have been misunderstood, my intention was not to quarrel with anybody but to see a better Nigeria which I believe they also want to see.”

FORMER National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has described an alleged amnesty granted him and his faction by the Makarfi-led faction as reckless.

Sheriff said he committed no offence against the PDP to warrant anyone giving him amnesty.



He said he did not need any amnesty from Makarfi and his group, and vehemently denied reports that he sent a congratulatory message to the PDP national chair over his victory at the Supreme Court.

He spoke through Mr. Bernard Mikko who,in a statement said:”Amnesty is a reprieve for those who have committed offence under our statutes. We did not occupy the office illegally or committed any offence.

“Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff was validly elected and was forced to vacate the National Secretariat after a joint meeting of the contending camps with the Inspector General of Police in the wake of thuggish attacks in the heat of conflicting court pronouncements.

“However, the office was officially re-opened for us after we presented the certified true copy (CTC) of the judgement of Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt division to the Inspector General of Police.

“I am therefore concerned about the future of our party in the hands of some of those who are known to have pending criminal cases bordering fraud, treasury looting and dishonesty with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“The Supreme Court of Nigeria is the highest court in our land and we await the copy of the full judgement delivered on July 12, 2017.



“No one owns the party and those making unguarded and reckless statements in the public domain should realize that the solution to the problem of Nigeria is beyond any political association. Unacceptable and unjustifiable means cannot lead to a justifiable and acceptable end”.

Mikko had earlier yesterday issued a first statement in which he denied that Sheriff sent a congratulatory message to Makarfi on his twitter handle @senatorsheriff.

He said it was mischievous for anyone to say that he congratulated Makarfi on twitter.

He said:”For the avoidance of doubt, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff does not have or own a twitter account and could not have tweeted any message.

“We therefore view the said message as fake and mischievous and should be discountenanced as that of evil doers.”

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday dismissed reports that it was investigating the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

Reports of alleged investigation of Makarfi by the Commission emerged on social media moments after the Supreme Court ruled in his favour on Wednesday.


The reports claimed that the Commission found $42million in Makarfi’s farm.

However, the EFCC in a statement issued by its spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, described the reports as false and misleading.

He said peddlers of the information were out to sow the seed of discord.

The statement reads: “The EFFC hereby warns the general public to be wary of the activities of the duo of Innocent Onyekachi Oritsetimeyin Akpotedja Adjenuhgure and Adeola Sam Opeyemi who have been misleading Nigerians with false information about the activities of the Commission.

“Barely six hours after the Supreme Court judgment in the case of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where it ruled in favour of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi’s faction, Adjenuhgure posted in his Facebook Timeline that $42 million was found in Sen. Makarfi’s farm by the EFCC ‘less than two hours after the Supreme Court judgment”.

“While many unsuspecting Nigerians shared the unfounded post, others simply copied and reposted as original which generated myriad of reactions suggestive that the Commission was a tool in the hands of the Executive to further destabilize the PDP.

“Following efforts by the Commission to correct the erroneous and misleading information through its social media platforms, some who had no ulterior motive apologized and deleted the post.

“Sadly, Adjenuhgure and Opeyemi stood their grounds as they insisted that the story was true.

“We have considered it necessary to set the records straight and to advice social media activists to be wary of Adjenuhgure and Opeyemi who are out to sow seed of discord among Nigerians as there is no EFCC investigation on Senator Makarfi.”

THE Senate President, Bukola Saraki, might be facing the same fate as the Kogi West Senatorial representative, Dino Melaye, as constituents of the Kwara Senatorial District have announced plans to recall him.

In a press statement signed by the president of Kwara Must Change, Abdulraza O Hamzat, on Tuesday, they apologized to Nigerians for electing Saraki and claimed he had not represented them as much as they wanted.



The statement reads: “Realizing the extent of damages done by the man we supplied to Nigeria as our contribution, we take full responsibility for his stay in the Senate while representing us, though we regret his actions.

“We voted for the wrong people, when we should have voted for change. We are therefore declaring that, in line with the provisions of Nigerian constitution, we the people of Kwara Central under the Kwara Must Change platform have decided to commence the process of recall against the Senate President to pave way for a more responsible senator that will represent us well, so we can begin to get better results from Nigeria.

“We the people of Kwara State are not happy with what we are getting from Nigeria, but we realized that from Nigeria, we can only get what we give. Since we are not satisfied with the result we are getting from the leadership of our nation, we have decided to review our input.

“During the just concluded Sallah Celebration, KwaraMust Change group uses the opportunity of the public holiday to meet and deliberate on the state of the nation, as well as the current state of things in our dear Kwara state.

“The leaders of our group, from across the length and breathe of the state all contributed to the discussion and in the process, we heard different tales of agony being experienced by our people on daily basis. Tears were visible in the eyes of many.



“After careful consideration of all factors that are responsible for the stagnation of our nation’s progress, both at the state and national level, we came to a very sad conclusion that indeed, what ever suffering we are experiencing today in Kwara State is a self inflicted one made out of wrong choices. We voted for the wrong people, when we should have voted for change.

“We came to the realization that, while the rest of Nigeria were voting change from one candidate to the other, bringing in new ideas and hope, we in Kwara didn’t vote for change, we voted for the same people raping our state with impunity.

“Our own change in Kwara, was supposed to be away from the corrupt ruling Saraki dynasty, which has remain a menace since our return to democracy in 1999, but we didn’t vote for change during the 2015 election, we voted for hunger, unemployment, more suffering and extreme hardship. The result is what we are witnessing today.

“Furthermore, we in Kwara, particularly in Kwara Central Senatorial District didn’t only voted for leader of the dynasty Mr. Bukola Saraki to represent us at the Senate, he is our contribution to the nation and with him as the head of the legislative arm of government, we have inflicted unimaginable damage on the psychology of the Nigerian people by contributing, arguably the most corrupt politician Nigeria has today. And to make matter worse, he became the senate President, a sensitive position capable of truncating any positive stride being made by the sincere and most patriotic anti-corruption president.

“We are sad that our contribution to Nigeria is the reason why the nation is bleeding; using the position of the Senate Presidency to hinder sincere fight against corruption, preventing genuine infrastructural development through misplaced budget allocation, while promoting fraudulent budget padding and now holding the nation to ransom, through acts of legislative impunity that is capable of derailing our fragile democracy.

“Additionally, the leader of Saraki dynasty, who is also the senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District has abandoned his primary responsibility of representing us in Kwara Central. He is more concerned in pursing personal interest, which adds no value to our well being as a people. His over ambition and quest for personal enrichment is driving him nut, leading to several questionable actions and unnecessary confrontation with the executive arm of government. This selfish pursuit has now made the Nigerian Senate abandon its constitutional responsibility of screening political appointment to score cheap political point, by way of forcing the removal of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through self help. But this is not what we sent him to do,” members of the group said.

Lalasticlala

THE Senate, on Tuesday, called on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to remove Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.

While suspending all confirmation of appointments until compliance with its resolution, the senate said the time has come for the Executive arm of government to obey its resolutions.

Details later...

AYODELE Fayose, Ekiti State Governor, has said that the hurried trip embarked to London by First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari was a confirmation that President Muhammadu Buhari’s health had deteriorated, saying that “It is six days since I addressed the press and today, I still insist that the President is indeed on life-support.”

Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka said the governor, who addressed some journalists in Lagos on Monday, insisted that “The worsen condition of the President’s health necessitated the hurried trip of our First Lady, Her Excellency Aisha Buhari to London and it is hoped that she will have the courage to tell Nigerians the truth this time around.”

He said “no one is interested in President Buhari’s death. Rather, we are interested in freeing Nigeria from the hands of these few individuals who are presently holding the country to ransom.”

Governor Fayose, who maintained that President Buhari must resign, said; “Today is the 184th day of 2017. Out of these 184 days, our President has spent 107 days abroad taking care of his health.

“How does a nation move forward when its President is spending the better part of his time abroad for Medicare?

“For how long can Nigeria and its people wait for a President who is incapacitated? For how long can our people continue to suffer just because some people want to hold on to power at all cost?

“That was the reason I raised the issue of President Buhari’s age, health and mental capacity in 2015 and warned against electing him president.”

Speaking further, the governor said; “Nigerians should be reminded that in 2010 when there was uncertainty over the health of the then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, President Buhari called on the National Assembly to impeach Yar’Adua.

“The Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who was the Spokesperson of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) also said Nigerians should be briefed daily on Yar’Adua’s health status. Lai Mohammed said then that ‘the health of the President, as a public figure cannot be of interest only to his family and friends. Nigerians have a right to know.’

“Just the same way President Buhari asked the National Assembly to remove Yar’Adua in 2010; I am also insisting that the President must be made to bow out of office so that Nigeria and its people can be saved from this state of uncertainty.



“No doubt, it has been argued that since Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is already functioning as Acting President, President Buhari can be bedridden for as long as his illness last, but the reality that
Nigerians must accept is that the Acting President cannot fully exercise the powers of the President.

“However, pending his resignation, I am also aligning myself with what Lai Mohammed said in 2010 on Yar’Adua’s health by demanding that he (Lai Mohammed) should begin a daily briefing of Nigerians based on authentic details provided by the President’s doctors.

“Nigeria belongs to all of and its collective interest remains greater than those of any individual or group and together, we must save Nigeria.”

It could be recalled that the APC had debunked Fayose’s claim as the party insisted Buhari was recovering in a robust manner. The Buhari Media Support Group had also said Fayose’s claim about Buhari was a lie.

Aufbauh:
One thing Emma Pitiful fails to comprehend and accept is that fact that it is even more difficult or nearly impossible to get biafra than to restructure going by the constitution he is referring to.


Anyway it is biafra or death according to the Ipob, anything short of that is cowardice and confusion

THE Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has asked those clamouring for restructuring of Nigeria to read Section 9 of the 1999 constitution and find out that such venture is virtually impossible.

In a statement signed by Comrade Emma Powerful, Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, in response to the meeting of South Eastern leaders in Enugu, weekend, the group said Section 9 of the 1999 constitution midwifed by General Abdulsalami Abubakar was intended to make slaves of every part of Nigeria except the North.

Part of the statement reads, “Most surprising of all in the communiqué (issued by South Eastern leaders after their meeting) was their display of ignorance of the fact that their plea for restructuring is dead on arrival because of the stringent and pro-North conditions stipulated in Section 9 of the constitution upon which any successful restructuring must be anchored.

“We strongly advise those who are clamouring for restructuring to go and read Section 9 of the constitution and carry out simple computation of two-thirds of the number of state Houses of Assembly, members of Senate, and members of House of Representatives.”

The group said it has resolved to approach the United Nations to mandate and supervise a referendum that would usher in the sovereign nation of Biafra and that it was convinced that “the restoration of the nation of Biafra is a divine project whose time has come and therefore, unstoppable, unquenchable, irreversible and irrevocable.”

As for the position of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and South East governors, IPOB argued that that body could not represent Biafra because Biafra’s geographical jurisdiction exceeded the territory under which both bodies held sway.

The IPOB said, “It is on record that Ohanaeze is purely an ethnic-based voluntary socio-cultural organisation restricted to only the Igbo-speaking people of the old Eastern region of Nigeria.

“Similarly, the lame duck governors of the unconstitutional South East oversee only some Igbo-speaking areas of the old Eastern region.

“On the contrary, the nation of Biafra covers 10 states that were carved out of the old Eastern and Midwestern regions with the addition of Biafra communities in Edo, Benue, and Kogi states.”

For these reasons, IPOB urged Biafrans to ignore the communiqué issued by the leaders on the basis that they are not qualified to speak for Biafra, saying that at the end, it is the people that will decide what they want.

Still carpeting Ohanaeze and the governors of the South East states, IPOB said, “In the said communiqué, Ohanaeze and the lame duck governors affirmed their support for a united Nigeria, a British-created contraption.

“They craved for an egalitarian and a Utopian society within the context of social and ethno-religious equity in Nigeria but they forgot that Nigeria is a ranking member of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), which contradicts section 10 of the Abdulsalami Abubakar-written fraudulent constitution of Nigeria.”

They described the communiqué issued at the end of the Ohanaeze meeting as “shameful, disgraceful and cowardly. “

DAVID Umahi, Ebonyi State Governor, thursday deplored perceived unguarded use of the social media, lamenting that given its unregulated state, the platform possesses the tendency to destroy the country.

Umahi made the remark while answering question from State House correspondents over a report that he rejected the current calls for restructuring of the country particularly from the South.

A national daily had reported that Umahi strongly opposed the agitation for restructuring insisting that the state was not yet economically viable to seek independence.

The governor who denied ever opposing restructuring, said instead, he remained an advocate of restructuring, fairness and equity, insisting that if he were the president of Nigeria, he would take far reaching decision against the use of social media.

“First, l was falsely reported. What we said was that we stand for unity of our great country Nigeria. We stand for restructuring, a country where there is fairness, there is equity, there is love. If l were the president of this country, l will do something about the social media. I think it’s destroying our country.

“We have to agree to that and we are afraid of a bill being passed. I think everyone needs to account for whatever he or she writes. So, we stand for restructuring. We stand for a more united Nigeria where everyone will respect one another,” he said.

Lalasticlala

THE demand for a referendum on a separate state of Biafra is a constitutional impossibility, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla has said.

Obono-obla was reacting to the call for a referendum by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).

In an interview with Sun Newspaper the Presidency described such calls as a waste of time and also stated that even restructuring would not solve the myriad of problems confronting the nation.

“The demand for a referendum with regards to Biafra is a constitutional impossibility. It is a legal and political impossibility. There is no provision in the constitution of the country or any other law that provides for a part of the country to break away. It is a nonsensical demand. Biafra ended on the January 15, 1970. I think the agitators are just expressing their rights to freedom of expression,” he said.

When reminded that even though it is not in the country’s constitution, the issue of referendum has become an international legal instrument for self-determination groups to realise their dream, Obono-obla said “The international law does not take precedence over the Nigerian constitution. If you want to ratify any treaty or international convention, the National Assembly has to approve it. You cannot begin to use the international law to deal with municipal, local and national issues. Let them stop wasting their time. There is nothing like that. The agitators are just wasting their time and that is why I am saying that they are just expressing their right to the freedom of expression.”

He also said if Nnamdi Kanu has flouted his bail conditions, the law would deal with him.

On why Arewa youths who recently gave the Igbo a quit notice has not been arrested even when their offence is similar to that of the IPOB leader, he said, “Which of the offences is worse? Is it the one that wants a separate state for itself and breaking away from the country or the one that gave the quit notice and says some people should leave a part of the country?”

On the cause of these sudden rise in tension and calls for disintegration in the country, Obono-Obla said, “Some people are not happy that President Muhammadu Buhari won the 2015 presidential election. Some people are not happy that their access to making big money has been blocked. They are those who want to destabilise the country. Period! When Jonathan was in power, all the major positions were taken by the South East. Then, they were not talking and they were not asking for Biafra. Why did they have to wait until Buhari came to power before the agitation. It is the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) who are sponsoring these people.”