Elections are now over. Actually, they have been for a while. The swearing in of a new tenure for the same administration is here.

I should have written this a while ago, a little after elections, but I have struggled about whether I should express the views I have here. I have lost the struggle and decided to express them. Hopefully, hindsight won’t show that it was an error of judgment, but if it does, then, even that is part of the learning process the introspection and expression itself represents.

As the electioneering process concluded, I thought to myself; I really should keep to my few, mostly monotone dark coloured suits, go to work and be the “technocrat” (whatever that means) I was appointed to be, and prepare to continue a life after public service in what I know best; my professional calling, not just as a lawyer, but a practicing lawyer.

However, there is a realization that has come upon me; one I will be failing incredibly in personal, self-set and imposed responsibility if I don’t disclose. And since I am still too lazy to write a book (much to the irritation and aggravation of a key mentor of mine- a professor of law, perhaps the very best and strategic lawyer I know, a prolific author, the most outstanding political officeholder I have encountered and an exemplary big brother in age, but a guiding parent in wisdom and scope), I think its important I find expression for, or “publish” these thoughts somehow.

An election, and then four years on, another election have shown and taught me some things. I think one of the most important, is a dangerous and sad pollution of our elite class to a point that those who merit the honor of the appellation or membership are far fewer in the group than those who don’t. Worse still, their intellect, clarity, commentary and credibility now sometimes (albeit sometimes inadvertently) become enablers to the sinister at worst, or mediocre at best objectives of the polluting majority. The trouble with that is obvious and needs no elaboration.

The seasons and both cycles reveal that, unlike progressing societies where the elites are a small pool of sophistication, education and commitment to governance for the larger and more vulnerable populace, our elites in our country, consider governance an instrument for self, and against the larger and more vulnerable populace. In those societies, the elites are trustees and custodians of power and wealth for the purpose of shared prosperity, justice, equality and equity, but with us, elites are appropriators of wealth for the purpose of expanding poverty, promoting inequality, eschewing equity and discarding justice.

We have abused and redefined the characterization of “elite from the prevailing norm which is RESPONSIBILITY, SELFLESSNESS and SERVICE. For us, it is SUPERIORITY, SELFISHNESS and AVARICE.
Our small elite class has re-calibrated the volume of discourse to portraying the vocal and amplified minority as the louder voice and conscience of the nation at the expense, and to the exclusion of the silent, and sometimes voiceless majority, whose voices are many, and whenever they, if they ever find it, speak in whispers. We the so called elites now mistake or arrogantly adopt our loud and amplified conversations among ourselves as the true pulse of the nation because of the decibels.

There is nothing more grievous for a nation and more traumatic for a people than the travesty of those who aspire to lead, yet scorn and disregard the voices of the people. They miss it, and their disconnection and misalignment is unmistakable, yet paradoxically, mistaken. Their philosophy is at best academic, but more realistically, selfish. They characterize vital and needed critical social investment as tokenism and vote-buying. They dishonor and disregard the hardworking and honest majority as vote-sellers who are lacking in civic responsibility, but only want some change as exchange for their crucial obligation to self, family and and nation. In reality, what they call vote-buying is actually “VOTER BUY-IN”. The beaten and broken populace bought into responsibility and compassion manifesting through the Social Investment Programs (SIP) and exercised their franchise based on that. What they are doing is contrary to what the pundits or politically weaponized elites think or say; the masses are the ones buying, not selling. They buy into the fidelity, performance and commitment of leaders they believe and trust.

I know this a political live cable, I understand and respect dissent, but I am unapologetic about how I feel, what side of it I am, and the expression thereof. And if my introspection causes us to engage in some reflection, the hard work and overcoming the dilemma of whether to express is would have been well worth, because, if the walls of the pipe of our reflections is f[color=#990000][/color]rank honesty, then it should produce a guidance that starts the work of redefining elites, and re prioritizing the silent majority.

Babatunde Irukera, Director General, Consumer Protection Council

Ahead of the November 16 governorship election, a group of young men and women in Kogi state have adopted ‘Salvage Kogi 2019’ as its mobilization platform.

In a press statement signed by Ahmadu Abdullahi, the group vowed to present the state with a credible alternative.

The group vowed to mobilize the entire state for a journey to prosperity through enthroning a new, purposeful, resourceful and people oriented leadership in the next gubernatorial election.

The group which has launched her logo, website and jingles said they are not out to fight, insult or witch-hunt any politician but to stop the twenty eight years of vision less leadership the state has faced and still facing.

The group whose composition is still sketchy said its mandate is to salvage, reposition and empower Kogi for productivity for the good the suffering people.

The cat is now out of the bag. I watched with a great concern as Ayo, the TVC anchor man on journalist hangout program led the ever vibrant Jide and one other on the Kogi executive/judiciary crises. They brought this issue to the table and dissected it like medical Doctors busy performing a surgical operation to save a life. It re-ignited and refreshed my love for journalism as a profession. While they were at it, one thought kept stretching through my mind; so Yahaya Bello's antics is this naked before the public. We have tried our best to save our dear state from this ugly situation but Bello never mind this consequence.

Now, not from my mouth but from the mouth of the professional media, what we suspected, what we knew and tried to keep from public glare is now blown open for the general public. The crises arose because of Bello's desires for the Hon. Chief Judge to be taking orders from him on how certain cases should be tried. The CJ has insisted that all his life on the bench he has not done that and could not possibly for any reason on earth start that now. I should pause here to say thank you to Hon. Justice Ajana for NOT being a stupid man, for being incorruptible, for being an upright man, for not putting us to shame, for keeping the life and blood of the Kogi state judiciary intact. This is very far from praise singing, no, this is putting the facts very straight.

When the world asked if there is a single law officer in Bello's government, some persons would simple not understand the question. Now, what can be more embarrassing than journalists, i mean non-lawyers, reading the applicable provisions of the constitution and a statute of Kogi state, and infact interpreting same to Bello and his government? It is more embarrassing to Bello and his government that some facts are made public, facts such as trying to use the Hon CJ to keep Sen-Dino Melaye in custody without bail, attempting to remove the Hon. CJ because he sure wont be a ready tool in the planned removal of the deputy governor, the withdrawal of policemen from court premises last Friday thereby exposing parties, litigants and the presiding judge to the proposed invasion by thugs etc. These fact were laid bare by journalists on TVC's journalist hangout. i see it as humiliation of Kogi as a state but its so shameful that Governor Yahaya Bello can never see it as such. Its so nauseating. It is prodigal.

Talking about last Friday's drama at high court, koton karfi, yours truly was there. I was there powerfully on solidarity. I met the hashes of the burnt tires by touts of politicians who were said to have come with funny placards early about 6am claiming to be judiciary staff of Kogi state demanding for screening. That is the level the frustration of our adversary has degenerated to. This is so ridiculous. They could only resort to this cheapest and shameful act because the handwriting on the wall is becoming bolder now that failure from all angles stare them in the face. I mean an uncommon failure. When i told you last December that there exist a high level of discipline in judiciary and that judiciary is one and impenetrable, you wont just listen, and by that error you have subjected your ego to this unnecessary trauma. Those who gave you this very ill piece of advice, those who claimed to you that as ex-senior staff of judiciary they possessed the method of dealing with judiciary are sleeping very well in their houses and have only succeeded in granting the Governor sleepless nights. How would you, without justifiable reason pounced on hundreds of judges and thousands of staff and keep their only source of livelihood away from them? How would their creator watch you from far heavens and applaud this callousness. How do you sleep daily knowing people are not fed, their children withdrawn from schools, denied access to medication, some dead and dying all for your fault, just simply to tell the world how tough you are? Sure, all these were attempt to break our spirit, but to your continuous dismay, the more you tried the more energised we had become and the more our spirits are strengthened. You may now get this fact very straight; you can never break our spirit no matter how hard you try.

I said it at the beginning of this crises that as long as you hold onto the subventions of judiciary, that is how long the doors to our courts would be locked up. Am sure you can now finally believe me. Let me remind you that i once said that we were here when you came and we will be here when you will leave and another will come. Please, also believe that. My dear Gov Bello, there was never a need for this crises if your law officers actually read law and understood law. We are an arm of this government of Kogi state, we are not your civil servants but independent public servants who are directly under the JSC. Why is this difficult for your government to understand. If only for once you will listen to advice, simply end this crises by sending nine months due subvention to the account of the judiciary. There is no ego bash in that, it is called "doing the right thing." By doing that, we will all go back to our work and i assure you we will push this ugly incidence behind us with no victor no vanguished. Doing anything other than this would simply be complicating issues.

No right thinking person, considering how you came into power would expect your kind of leadership. No. That should bring me to this advice to all politicians; never you come into power with the inherited votes of a dead man. It would surely ignite something very different and unmanageable in you. Yours in all honestly is a story of a squandered goodwill.

Illegal immigrant stabbed his fiancée to death in Austria when she mocked him for having a small penis

A man has stabbed his fiancée to death in Austria after she mocked him for having a small penis.

The man named Daban K. and who hails from Iraq, killed the woman after she had sheltered him from the Austrian authorities for several years.

The woman hid Daban in her flat when he ignored a deportation order to be sent back to Iraq from Austria.

After he was arrested for murder, the 40-year-old blamed the attack, which saw him stab his partner at least four times in the neck, on her for mocking his masculinity and being unfaithful.

Daban K., who’s full name has not been released due to Austrian privacy laws, said in a conversation with court psychiatrist, Sigrun Rossmanith, that: “She was a very good woman to me, but she repeatedly insulted me.

“She cheated on me three times with other men and did not want to have sex with me anymore. One day she told me that my penis was too small.”

The migrant had received a deportation order that he ignored and meant he should not have been in Austria when he murdered Nagsha R. in 2017.

He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison by a court in the Austrian capital Vienna on Tuesday.

WAEC: This is mere noise about nothing

There are indications that some candidates, sitting for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Utme), conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (Jamb), may be denied the opportunity of sitting for the examination, Saturday Telegraph has learnt.

This was as Jamb source declared yesterday that the examination body would not change the date, time and paper of its examinations, claiming that the fault was not from the body. The affected students, according to investigations, are those expected to write Animal Husbandry in the 2019 May/June Diet of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, which begins on Monday across secondary schools in the country.

This is as a result of the clash in the timetable of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and UTME, which falls on April 11. No fewer than 1.8 million candidates are expected to write this year’s UTME, while more than one million students had also registered for the May/June Diet of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination across the country. Meanwhile, by both timetable, WAEC students who are expected to write Animal Husbandry on April 11 by 9 am are also being expected to sit for their UTME on the same day and at the same time.

The Islamic human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) had on Thursday raised the alarm over the clash, calling for urgent review and reconciliation of the timetable by the two examination bodies to give the students ample chance to participate in the two examinations.

“We call on the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) to urgently rework their timetables to correct the clash of the days of the examinations of the two bodies, the group said. According to MURIC, the candidates had been complaining bitterly that the JAMB examination would hold on the same day they are to sit for some WAEC subjects.

In a statement issued by the Director of MURIC, Prof, Ishaq Akintola on Thursday, the group said the two bodies should review their timetable so that it would not affect the future of the students. But, while responding, a source at WAEC, who preferred anonymity, expressed dismay over the issue, saying he wondered why some people are merely making noise out of the timetable.

“Why are people making something out of nothing,” the source added, claiming that how many students or candidates are writing the subject (Animal Husbandry) in WASSCE and that the examination was conducted last year along with UTME without any noise. The source did not mention whether there was a clash in the timetable for the two examinations last year, and how it was resolved between the two examination bodies, if it really happened.

“People are just making unnecessary noise about the examinations. We did this examination last year and why the noise now,” the source further argued. Also reacting to the clash, JAMB source who spoke with Saturday Telegraph, recalled that the examination body met stakeholders last year where they all agreed to create a window to be free for the conduct of all the examinations. Now, the source, which claimed that the fault was not from JAMB, however, insisted that nothing could be done on the part of JAMB to change the timetable since the UTME paper and date had been fixed. The source said: “The fault is not from JAMB and Saturday Telegraph should talk to WAEC about this. We cannot change our examination because the date and paper have been fixed. I mean the fault is not from us.

“The window was created purposely for this kind of thing and we adhere to it, as we all agreed at the stakeholders’ meeting. We made use of the window.” But, worried by the development, MURIC had in its statement noted: “We call on both Waec and JAMB to quickly synergise. Some Waec subjects will be taken on a day that a crucial Jamb paper will also be examined."

When a prayer is answered, the person who prayed would be overwhelmed. Prayers work and answers may be so complete as to be overwhelmed. This expression may aptly describe the situation with Gov Yahaya Bello who became the 4th Executive governor of Kogi State in the most unlikely circumstance. I have no doubt of course that he prayed so hard to be able to get to that position but it appears that the position has overwhelmed him.

When his administration came on board, the catch phrase that was introduced was “New Direction " which became the basis for the New Direction Blue Print; a guide to the developmental strides and governance that was to be adopted by his administration. His youthfulness and a few other factors made Kogites both home and abroad hopeful. It was expected that he will bring some radical changes that will help alleviate the suffering of his people but before long, things began to fall apart.

To start with, there was the staff screening exercise that was incredibly woeful. Let me be clear that I am not against a staff audit that will help reposition the civil service for optimal service, but the process introduced by the Yahaya Bello’s administration was not only poor but diabolical. He got a lot of negative flacks for the screening exercise that seemed unending. After 2 years of engaging in the screening, salaries still remained unpaid, pensioners were still owed several months, there was a major downsizing and things just did not improve. The social media was agog with news of Kogites who lost their lives as a result of being unable to pay medical bills due to unpaid salaries by the state government. Yet in all of these, Yahaya Bello had a penchant for purchasing luxurious cars and building mansions while his people wallowed in abject poverty. Political appointees were living large in their SUV’s and marrying new wives while civil servants who are the engine room of governance suffered in silence.

Despite the administration’s claim to have improved the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), the administration has not shown much in terms of infrastructure. A drive through Kogi State will make you wonder if at all there is any purposeful leadership. I am not talking about the few meters of roads that some of the political appointees in the state who want to caught the attention of the Chief Of Staff; Edward Onoja ask young social media users to post online as developed infrastructure, rather, I am talking about the terrible road network across the state whereas even the Governor himself cannot boast of enjoying decent roads leading to his hometown in Okene or within the town of Okene itself. Compared to the days of late Prince Abubakar Audu who literarily turned Kogi state to a construction site with even lesser funds than this present administration, it will be safe to say that Yahaya Bello has failed in the last few years in terms of delivering the dividends of democracy to the good people of Kogi state.

In the words of Calgacus who was a chieftain of the Caledonian Confederacy who fought the Roman army of Gnaeus Jukius Agricola at the Battle of Mons Graupius in northern Scotland in AD83, “Auferre, trucidare, rapere, falsis nominibus imperium; atque, ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant” - To plunder, to slaughter, to steal, these things they misname empire: they make a desolation and they call it peace. Gov Yahaya Bello has succeeded in plundering the fortunes of APC in Kogi State, he has slaughtered the integrity of the party he has forcefully taken and given positions to underserving individuals within the party and in government appointments and has gone ahead to misname this as popularity as well as claim that the state is enjoying peace. The people who laboured so hard to build the APC were ousted by Bello for his own selfish gain and to ensure that only his stooges are in key positions. This has obviously affected his performance because you cannot expect excellence from mediocre. It may be safe to say that Gov. Yahaya Bello set himself up for failure.


Furthermore, the impasse between the Executive and Judiciary in the state is palpable. There has been a battle of wit between the Governor and the Judiciary. Bello has refused all entreaties by well meaning Nigerian to subdue his ego for the rule of law to prevail. While it is a known fact that the judiciary is expected to be an independent arm of government capable of running its own affairs under the chief Judge of the state, Bello wishes to run it as he has done with the legislature where he also holds sway through his boys there.

Let it be known to the world and anyone who cares to listen that the victory of the APC in Kogi state in the last election was simply as a result of the popularity of President Muhammed Buhari and his running mate Prof Yemi Osinbajo and not because Yahaya Bello is on ground. It is evident from how the State House of Assembly election became a do or die affair for Bello and his appointees. It is on record that Bello threatened immediate sack for any appointee who is unable to win his polling unit/ward/LGA. He gave them the go ahead to achieve this feat by any means necessary. I make bold to say that the 25/25 win bandied around as victory is total robbery of the people. The people will be at the mercy of legislatures and representative who are answerable to the Governor and not the people.
When it comes to the governorship election, there is no doubt that the people will resist the violence of Yahaya Bello and his cronies. I believe that to subdue the will of the people Bello will not slaughter all dissenting voices in Kogi to achieve the peace or empire he wants.

A dancer who dances moderately is the one who dances for long; the one who does not dance moderately courts shame. Yahaya Bello has refused to dance moderately, he has decided to fight too many battles on too many fronts, if APC allows Yahaya Bello to be its standard flagbearer without either easing him out or allowing for a free and fair primary, the party should be ready to lose Kogi State. The leadership of the party should be sensitive enough to see from the outcome of recent elections that governors who underperform are shown the way out by the people. There is no amount of photo ops with the President by Bello that will sway the will of the people. He is just simply unpopular and has become a liability to the party in Kogi State. The weakest candidate from the major opposition; PDP will defeat Yahaya Bello if an election is held today.

If the party must improve its fortune after losing out in key states where we had incumbent governors like Oyo, Bauchi and Imo, then Yahaya Bello must not be forced on the ticket or be allowed to force himself in as it is his usual style. If Kogi must be a part of Next Level engagements to the fullest, then Bello cannot be seen as the leader of the state. If need be, I urge the leadership of the party under Comrade Adams Oshiomole to evaluate opinions and ascertain if indeed, Gov Bello is a liability to the party. Kogi will be the focal point in the next couple of months and it will be really sad if APC loses the state. Let us not be deceived to think all is well. This is my kobo advise.

God bless Kogi State.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Adewale Victor
Concerned Kogite.

| By Martins Mejabi

I think, I began to have a warring emotions since that day the last elections went the way of boon for the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC); with particular reference to Kogi State, Nigeria. I mean, my intense feelings is that ‘strange one’. And that feelings is that of personal synthesis of discountenance over everything comatose. That’s why even if it take me bearing the pain and burden of moving for the exit of Yahaya Bello, the incumbent governor of Kogi State, then let me be the lone busybody bearing the pain of that headache.

I have felt a strong sense of lost. Friends have called; poured their emotions and feelings for my safety. They said I should discontinued writing against this senseless government so that I will not be nailed. Some express fear, some feels it may not be necessary since the government whom I have been writing against does not in anyway remorseful. While, others think it is not my business to hold government on it’s kneel because they are beneficiaries of the sickle government.

But put it succinctly at any risk. I think I have developed insomnia; an act that is seriously grumbling at my murdered sleep. I think, I am this affective and cognitively immersed against the wanton embrace of the unthought, unreflected and the awkward of this setting. So, apology to those friends with a good intention for my safety ( I mean those true friends) to forgive me for breaking the rule of agreement on the promise I made that I will discontinued writing against the government of the day. I think I have a superior reality beyond the limit of this circumstances this time around. Please accept my apology.

The point is simply, am sympathetic to the frustration of Kogites. I share their frustrations. I read their horror stories and to the best of it, it could not have any best services to news-dailies to sell their tabloid with unproductive and depilating stories all the time. You may agree with me, the caption of the headlines no longer attracts readers. Because it has become normal; it’s no news. That’s how pathetic Kogi is immersed in that dirtied, muddled, confused, uncertain, and unpredictable and unbridle circumstances; shuffle in hanky-panky of a shambolic and chaotic evil government.

Since we inherited this Machiavellian contraption of entrapment of government from the misgiven of that paid court judgment, one which got Gov. Bello reign of terror foisted on the people; I already knew with enough impressions in my mind that the “Hobbesian state of nature - being brutish, nasty and cruel, may be an understatement to understand the reality we suffer gladly and pulled to many with punches, of such excruciating inanities of the current trauma”. It has been a torrent of a gestapo-self-styled of an “evil genius” who is to himself a contempt and impudent.

I am sure Kogites wouldn’t miss the irony of guile and high-handedness in the context of “new direction government” in a jiffy. For me, in the last three years of Bello’s reign, I already have stories that will last me a life time to tell. I have seen perks and guilt in this threshold. I have heard of countless streaks of hunger and squalor. I must confess, I have seen a governor who display arrogance as a serious business, makes careless deeds a virtue.

And to tell it all, I may be correct or not to say the most significant achievement for Bello could be a famous segment of that rigged election. You know why? Gov. Yahaya Bello had boasted to President Buhari that he will delivered Kogi votes 1001 percent, permit me to use it this way. I know he wouldn’t want to get a few stroke of Baba’s dreaded ‘atorin’. Even prior to this period, my governor had shown a solidarity to the President that if the later asked him to jump into the fire, that he will do same.

Obviously, my extensive studies of Mr. Bello takes me much deeper to the heck, why he so much adore Mr. Buhari than Kogites, his immediate people? This also may suggest the desperate adventure into importation of military wears some months into the election timetable. Painful discovery; for as much as that discovery received public outcry, yet nothing was done against that order. That also surmise the heavy armed possession by the APC-military during the just rigged and inclusive election (so to say).

I agreed that the last election stands as the primitive character in the context of conscious fatalism of these crude elements who are claiming they have integrity and are Caesar’s of anti-corruption. Buhari even went ahead saying anybody found snatching ballot boxes should be incarcerated. Alia!, it was a statement in delusion, a statement that clear a conceptual vacuum for the APCs to prove their superior toga against all odds.

No doubt, the first elections to be conduct under President Buhari is a monumental disgrace. It’s the worst election in the history of this country. Even the observers both locals and international, including global communities can bear witness to this curiosity of mine. It is a shambolic caricature and the outcome should be widely condemn without giving it any second thought.

The one conducted by Professor Morris Iwu; though widely condemn on the ground of bribery and financial inducement was considered a hallmark of electoral heist. I think this year’s own top-up the chart of the most unthinkable. This mirage kept me wondering whether Nigeria’s major problem is the intellectual boon of these professors. But that will be a subject for another day.

Kogi state played a host to an overheated mayhem. It’s a hotbed of brewing electoral violence, with no exception to any senatorial district in the state. Kogi have its pans of flesh chopped in the morsel of a home grown killer merchant, hirer assassin in the toga and regalia of APC and on APC election-must win live-chat? It was like one going to war front. The impression and laudable conduct of thuggery that Yahaya Bello wanted when he imported military wears was here with us in the State House of Assembly like a tip of an iceberg.

I said this, because Kogi is now in a tragic tramp; if Gov. Bello can tell all his appointees, including APC House members in their respective locations to held sway the people and subvert their will; subdued them and made away with their votes with some people been attacked by hoodlums and thugs on the payroll of the governor, and this was carried out in a torrential rainfall of bullets; then November, when the governor will himself pulled the string to jostle for his re-election bid if his party considers him worthy will be like one of the war zone in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or even Syria where war has become a traditional way of life of those people.

Believe me, we had a brazen electoral fraud acted in the script of a reckless governor. And nothing more. And like I said, expect the unthought in November. I know how desperate my governor can be. The State House of Assembly was a bloody scam from the pit of hell.

The stories by the APC cronies that APC swept the 25 House of Assembly seats is a stories for the gods. A stories of disdain, of contempt, of brigandishment, of brutality, of banditry and of evil. What a stolen mandate! What a heist, what a crime against humanity. But one thing I know for sure, God is alive. That same God who crowns at His own volition and who also keep muted and allow man to manipulate his ordeal; is not confused, sleep, nor slumber rather.

I might not be justified as things stands now, because even the ‘mercy’ of the court may not be better seeked for those who believe in crying to court for redress. They may be little disappointed, for the court itself now needs more urgent help at this critical point to get their nine months salaries and emoluments paid, which was the reason for their 9 months industrial action.

Yes! Yahaya Bello makes it so, it’s a deliberate weapon to get him advantageously positioned. I have this persuasion and is hinged on the governor’s crusade for the culture of impunity. He was power-blind and appears as a rude commando with a wedge thrown into the ocean. He left no one in doubt where he stands on power-hunt and often delivers that in a language that hurts.

He has never been fair in his almost four years of reign. Too many “Iberibe” tales for one person. How did Kogites got into this? Is it true that God can be responsible for this irreparable suffering as some people says? If so, when will God be rich in panache and colorful in deliverance to Kogi from this dreaded confraternity? I therefore urge Kogites to pray and fast in order to pulled his evil government before and after November.

Martins Mejabi, is the Publisher Openreporters

A social media activist and the Director General Of Communication And Strategy For Otunba Shuaib Ipinmisho Campaign Council, Samuel Oj Temibi has warned the Ijumu Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against rigging the forthcoming House of Assembly election.

Temibi noted that the alleged plans by APC Ijumu to rig the forthcoming election has reach the maximum point to be noticed and condemned stressing that the consequences of rigging the election will be of immense magnitude if warnings are not heeded to by the party's bigwigs.

"For the past years, we have embarked on a peaceful electioneering campaign across the nooks and crannies of Ijumu, canvassing and convincing voters on the needs to vote for ADC, we let them know the stuffs we are made of, our campaign selling point is good governance. We made promise of what we will do if elected and to the glory of God, our people have seen the light in us and they have resolved to cast their votes for the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the person of Otunba Shuaib Ipinmisho. Unfortunately the information we recent gathered indicates that the administrator of Ijumu Local government in conspiration with some APC bigwigs across Ijumu have concluded plans to truncate the people's wish this coming Saturday by rigging the election yet to be conducted"

"Recently, we were reliably informed that the administrator of Ijumu Local government held some uncollected voters card which is not less that 15,000 pieces to be distributed across the villages in Ijumu, these voters card is said to be given to some groups of monetary induced persons who have no voters card to vote for the ruling party in the local government. Today, the information spreading across Ijumu is excruciatingly lugubrious where almost 40,000 ballots paper is alleged to have been thump printed by APC leaders across Ijumu local government masterminded by the administrator of Ijumu LG Hon Taofiq Isa"

"Let it be known to the general public that Ijumu residents will not tolerate the gross misconduct electoral fraud as practiced by the ruling party as we will adopt any conventional means aside violence to resist this electoral malpractice" Temibi said


Temibi urged the candidate of the All Progressive Congress in the forthcoming election to go out and campaign to the voters advising him not to rely on rigging method as the plans has already failed

Delegation of some past KSU National Presidents and Some Comrades in some schools across Kogi Sate Led by the Chairman of the committee Comr
BABATUNDE A.K.A BABYLON.
COMR ESEYIN ADEBAYO A.K.A AGBA OWE.
COMR.DADA DAVID AND
COMR.OLUGBEMI OLORUNFEMI A.K.A OJOTINA The immediate past NAKOSS PRESIDENT Kogi State University endorse Hon TEE-JAY YUSUF as their sole candidate in the forthcoming election

The students of kogi state university, kogi state polytechnic and federal college of education and the affiliated university in okene gave the committee a warm reception.

The KSU students in all the above institutions pledge their support to our dear Hon Tee-jay Yusuf in this coming election because they cannot hide from the fact,that he has performed in given back dividends of democracy to his constituency.

The chairman of the committee comr Babylon pleaded with the aggrieved students who expressed their mind and solicit for their support in making sure we re elect our most performing hon Tee-jay for what he has been able to facilitate to our dear committee devoid of sentiment in his sharing formula.

We appreciated the students from various schools aforementioned for their support and prayers for the success and victory of he Tee-jay in the forthcoming election February 16, 2019.
The aforementioned schools endorsed hon Tee-jay Yusuf as their candidate and are ready to turn out massively to vote for him come February 16,2019.
Comr babatunde Babylon
The chairman of the committee.

MY MISSION

My mission in politics is to join efforts towards uplifting the lives of our people. To achieve this goal and with God on my side, I shall make the following my top priorities if elected the member to represent Ijumu constituency in the Kogi state House Of Assembly come 2019.

MY CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES

Being a graduate of Political Science and having been a key player in partisan politics for close to two decades, I have seen and learnt a lot in the murky waters of Nigeria politics. In Kogi State, I have been actively involved in the democratic process towards engendering positive social and economic development to our people.

HEALTH

No meaningful development can take place in the absence of a healthy populace. If elected as a legislator to represent Ijumu constituency on march 2nd 2019, I shall use my office to lobby the state government to build more cottage hospitals in my constituency. My priority will not just be to ensure the provision of cottage hospitals but also to ensure that they are equipped with the best staff and equipments. I am familiar with the untold hardship many of the communities in our constituency are suffering today due to inadequate health facilities within their localities. I shall therefore give primary health care the attention it deserves if elected.

EDUCATION

Education is the main industry of our people. Development across the globe revolves around good education. In recent times the economic down turn has negatively affected the education of our children. In spite of this development we cannot afford to fold our arms and allow our generation to lie waste. I will give the education of the children of my constituency the quality attention it deserves. I shall always be a visitor to the state Ministry of Education and the government in power to ensure that my constituency is not denied its share of the right of educational programmed and projects.

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of our constituency with over 80 percent of our people engaged in it for their sustenance. In spite of their involvement in agriculture, access to farming inputs like tractors, herbicides and fertilizer have over the year remain a mirage.

I was born in Ogidi and I am always at home and had seen the plights of our farmers. If elected by the grace of God, I shall use my position to lobby and source for agriculture inputs from the private and public sector. I shall also lobby to ensure that the state government subsidizes farming inputs in the state. I strongly believe that by such efforts, our local farmers will be encouraged to invest more in agriculture while the school leavers and applicants roaming our streets would be encouraged to take interest in venturing into agriculture.

YOUTH/WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

It is often said that youths are the leaders of tomorrow while women are the sustainer's of the nation. No nation toys with the welfare of her youths and women because their critical role as the fulcrum of any meaningful development process. It is my sincere promise that if elected as a member to represent Ijumu constituency, I shall give attention to the welfare of the youths and women of my constituency.
By the grace of God I shall lobby for the creation of skill acquisition centers for the youths and women of my constituency. In my continued sojourn in politics, I have always believed that when these groups of people are empowered vices in our communities would be reduced to the barest minimum. I shall therefore give priority attention to our teeming youths and women of our great constituency if elected.

WATER AND ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

The health of our people is much dependent on their source of clean water and good electricity supply. Most of the diseases that afflict our people across the country are traceable to lack of access to portable water.

Most of boreholes provided by the previous government in our various communities have broken down. If elected as the member to represent Ijumu constituency, I shall lobby the state Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development to ensure the provision of water and electricity in our constituency.

CULTURE REJUVENATION

The Okun people are known worldwide for the high respect they accord to their God given culture. Our culture is very rich and it has attracted interest from tourists across the globe. If well harnessed, our culture is capable of generating employment, improving our socio-economic well being and enhancing peace in our various communities. Luckily, there is no Okun cultural festival in which I have not participated. I am an ardent lover of the celebration of our rich cultural heritage, if elected, I shall use my office to further upscale the development of our culture such that it could become a major revenue for our constituency.

*CONSTITUENCY PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNANCE*

In successive elections in Nigeria, our constituency has continued to participate actively. The time and resources expanded by our people during elections are enormous.
The energy deployed by our people during elections must not be a waste. Bearing this in mind, I will map out strategies to ensure that the electorates of my constituency get into positions of authority both at the civil service and political level. By the grace of God, if elected it is my promise to also extend my tentacles to Federal MDAs to ensure that the people of my constituency gain employment.
The unemployment rate in our constituency is high. It is therefore my desire to do my utmost best and lobby for employment opportunities for our people if elected into office come march 2nd 2019.

SPORTS

I will encourage sports as entertainment and professional activities for life improvement and enjoyment.
It is my desire to harness effectively the enormous potential of the sports industry and create incentives for interested youths to participate and excel in sporting activities.
This efforts will encourage the vibrant youths of my constituency at relevant levels. This can be achieved by improving inter-school sports and by entrenching inter community sporting activities among various communities in Ijumu.

CONCLUSION

My fellow Ijumu constituents, we have come a long way since the return of democracy in our nation. Past representatives of our great constituency have contributed their quota to the development of our people. I humbly appreciate the general contributions of our leaders and politicians who have held one position or the other and have thus enhanced the development of our great constituency.
The development of our constituency should always be seen as our collective responsibility. No one has the singular wisdom or resources to take our constituency to the promise land. The beauty of democracy hangs on its tenets of accommodating divergent views for sustainable development in the society. We must therefore make use of every democratic opportunity to elect a credible representatives who are capable of representing the interest of the masses of our people. As we approach the 2019 general elections, I humbly present myself as an aspirant to represent the good people of Ijumu Constituency at Kogi State House Of Assembly. My desire is to work for the good of our and promote its socioeconomic development.

I sincerely appeal to the delegates of our great party, the respected electorates of our revered constituency, the teaming civil and political leaders of our constituency to consider me for the position of the Kogi State House of Assembly For Ijumu Constituency.
I promise to represent you well. God bless you all.

OTUNBA SHUAIB ILESANMI IPINMISHO
Ijumu State Constituency Candidate For Kogi State House Of Assembly

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his entourage came out of his chopper unscathed after it crashed in Kabba, Kogi State.

Osinbajo is currently on his way to Obaro of Kabba's palace to pay homage.

The VP will proceed to Okene and Idah later today.

Full details later

The Senator representing kogi central and candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) for kogi central senate race, Sen Ahmed Ogembe has reacted to an ominous allegation against his person to eliminate the life of the flagbearer of Social Democratic Party (SDP) for kogi central senatorial race Barr Natasha Akpoti.

In a statement made by Sen Ogembe's media aide, Adetayo Opeyemi Duke, Duke emphasized that the senator representing Kogi central is a peace loving man who doesn't believe in killing to soothe his political interest.

Speaking with newsmen, Duke said "The attention of distinguished Senator Ahmed Ogembe has been drawn to a publication titled “evil machination : plans to incapacitate Natasha, blame it on APC exposed” credited to a faceless group which pride itself as Kogi Central media crew wherein they accused the senator and PDP of planning to kidnap and kill  Barr Natasha Akpoti. To set the record straight, Distinguished Senator Ahmed Ogembe is a peaceful man who do not believe anyone should die because of his ambition, he has conducted himself in a peaceful manner and urged his supporters to do same despite many provocations and violent attacks on him and his supporters"

"It is worthy of note that Senator Ogembe did not see Barr Natasha  or any other candidate for that matter running for the same office with him as an enemy who should be crushed and killed but rather partners in development of Kogi central who are encouraged by his impactful programs and peoples oriented projects and want to follow his footsteps"

Duke said that the whole world know who is desperate to kill the SDP senate candidate considering the recent events where her supporters were incessantly ambushed and killed by some political desperados.

"For the avoidance of doubt, the world know those who want Barrister Natasha dead, the world know those who unleashed violent attacks on the supporters of SDP and PDP alike, the world know those who killed Ojo Enesi. Arrest was made by the police and the culprit confessed in a viral video to be working for the APC and those in government"

"The antecedents of Senator Ogembe as a chairman of Okene local government is well known, he chaired a government that ensured peace in Okene and environs, he encouraged the youths to avoid crimes and engaged them productively but unfortunately, those gains and virtues has been lost to the current government of APC who is now championing and encouraging youths to carry arms against their own people in the name of politics"

"For us in PDP, we will continue to champion a peaceful campaign, our engagements will be issue based, we will continue to tell the people what we have done and what we will do to consolidate on our gains, we will continue to encourage our supporters not to engage anyone in violence as the blood of every of our supporters and opponents alike is precious to us and should not be spilled on the alter of politics" he said

The Senator draw the attention of security agencies especially the Nigerian police to what he described as a 'sinister' move by the APC led government in the state to create major crisis in kogi Central. He as well urged the police in the state to investigate the matter and punish those who are planning to plot evils on the him to face the full wrath of the law.

An angry woman has slammed the marriage between a young girl said to be 16 years old and a mentally unstable man in his late 50s, from a wealthy family in Ozubulu, Anambra State.
The woman said “This man in the picture carrying this girl on his leg is by name Izuchukwu Igwilo from the well known very rich Igwilo family in Ozubulu Anambra State. The man himself “Izuchukwu” is mentally unbalanced. He is suffering from demented brain. He is not normal and at the same time he is a drunkard, and he will be at least 56 years old. Now his family wants to marry a wife for him and they got this small girl for him. A 16 years old girl,
“This girl is from a very poor family… POVERTY IS A VERY BIG BASTARD …, The family of this small girl did not waste time to hand over their daughter to Izu’s family just because the Igwilo family are very rich. This girl is under age for Heaven sake. This is completely evil. Yes a big evil because Izu will not be the one to be servicing this girl because he cannot do anything. This girl will turn to a sex slave to that family and the community everybody will just be collecting their own share Devil shame on you. I know that they brainwashed this girls family that the girl will take care of Izu’s large share of land’s and other properties, but that will not make them to destroy this little girls future.
Ndi Ozubulu come and defend ur self
Culled from Daily Times
https://dailytimes.ng/16-year-old-girl-given-out-in-marriage-to-an-older-demented-man/

The Kogi State Chapter of The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has berated the Governor of Kogi State Alhaji Yahaya Bello and APC led government in the state for squandering billions of Naira accrued to the state.

NairaLand gathered that The Kogi State Chapter of African Democratic Congress accused the Gov. Of Kogi State Alhaji Yahaya Bello of embezzling the sum of 20billion Paris Club Refund (11.21bn, 6.02bn and over 6billion Naira in the first, second and third tranches respectively) the sum of 20billion bailout funds, and the whopping amount of 450 Million Ecological funds.

In a statement released by the State Publicity Secretary of the party Comr Bashir Ibrahim Ellah hinted that Gov Yahaya Bello has plunged kogi state into debt to the tune of 16billion Naira between may 2017 and January 2018.

"January 27th is not an auspicious time for kogi state government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello to celebrate rather it is a day for self-assesment and sober reflection for the Gov and his government. It is in the best interest of our collective humanity that we use this period to identify and analyse how kogi state government had managed (or mismanaged) the billions of Naira accrued to the state since the Government took over, with the lessons to determine how best to forge a better future by avoiding the pitfalls of the past"

"Today, it’s unfortunate that the State government can not till the moment pay all the entitlements owed civil servants in the state with unpaid salaries and pensions running into 24months, it was strange that inspite of the huge amount that came in form of bailout, Paris Club Refund and Ecological funds in the last three years many workers were still being owed several months arrears ranging from 5 to 24 months, while some have been receiving percentages of their salaries"

"After three years, the government can not accurately give account of N20 billion PARIS Refund(N11.21bn, N6.02bn and over N6 billion in the first, second and third tranches respectively), what about the N20 billion Bailout funds received and the withdrawer of N450 million Kogi ecological fund without due process.
The Kogi state government in the last three years have also plunged the state into debt to the tune of N16 billion between May 2017 and January 2018.

Comr Bashir Ibrahim bemoaned the deteriorating socio-economic and infrastructural condition of the state noting that Kogi State government has not done anything meaningful to make live easy for the people of the state.

"After three years, our hospitals still suffer from scarcity of funds for operation, obsolete equipment, power failure, incessant doctors' strike and poor working environment. As it were, only the rich can afford better healthcare services in mostly privately owned hospitals. The economical affluence of kogi state has now dwindled due to lack of experienced economical expert to diversify the natural resources we had in our state into wealth, we now struggle to eat two square meal a day as people. Eighty Eight(88) medical doctors resigned from Kogi civil service over poor condition of service, this is not kogi state of our dream"

"After three years, the state of insecurity in Kogi is worrisome. Armed banditry, kidnapping, political thuggery, assassinations and militancy have gradually become the order of the day. Just the other day, at the ADC campaign rally, members of our party were attacked with dangerous weapons at Anyigba and OFU which led to damaging of our campaign buses, cars and office equipments. Some of our members were also hospitalized"

The party advises Gov. Bello to be prepared to face the imminent defeat this year as the people of kogi state are eager to oust him out of power on the 22nd/23rd of November this year.

"The upcoming 2019 elections must be our collective responsibility and should be a watershed and complete break from the past. Kogites must be enthusiastically happy to vote massively against the Gov in the forthcoming gubernatorial election. We urge Kogites to come out and subsequently vote for all credible candidates of African Democratic Congress(ADC) in the State, irrespective of tribe and religion"

Comr Bashir Ibrahim assures kogites that the era of hijacking the political process by all comers and rascals will come to an end when they cast their votes for ADC in the state.

"As we reflect and reminisce, the African Democratic Congress enjoins all Kogites to join hands to move the State forward by being politically conscious and aware of the fact that, at the end our action and inaction will determine what future tomorrow holds" he stressed

We are at the cusp of the 2019 general election. As expected, politicians and party stalwarts are going back to the drawing boards, political campaigns have begun in earnest, political pundits are pontificating and the political atmosphere is already getting charged.

Kogi the ancient state of the confluence seem to be sitting on the keg of the gun powder as explosion is imminent. While we don’t pray for disaster of any kind to befall our darling state, caution should be taken. Measures need to be taken to stop the the rising cases of political assassinations that is gradually coming back to Kogi polity.

Thuggery and intimidation of perceived political opponents is at an all-time high. Kogi is gradually descending into the unenviable state of lawlessness and anarchy. It’s an unfortunate decent into the Hobbesian state of nature where life is summarily “brutish, nasty and short.



Recently, in Ihima, Enesi Ojo a young energetic Social Democratic Party (SDP) youth leader and a ward coordinator of Bar. Natasha Akpoti door to door campaign for the Kogi Central senatorial seat was hacked down to death. This dastardly act is alleged to be carried out by thugs loyal to the All Progressives Party (APC). The APC has since denied the accusation.

On the 14th of January, 2019, the children of anarchy took their evil mission to Ogugu in Olamaboro local government and its environs. It is on record that Hon. Linus Enenche and his immediate entourage were attacked by a pack of vicious looking thugs obviously baying for blood. They smashed windscreens of vehicles, and left so many people wounded. This action is an obvious crude show of force to inflict pain and induce fear on the political opponents and the voting public.They went further to disrupt an ongoing PDP ward meeting in various locations in Ogugu. This cowardly and dastardly act should be condemned in the strongest terms. This ugly narrative must change before the general elections.

Another ugly trend in Kogi polity, is the destruction of party campaign posters, bill boards and cyber bully by uncouth millennial citizens. These evil practices should be condemned in its entirety. No society thrive in an atmosphere of violent intimidation for political gains.

WAY FORWARD

There is an urgent need for a stakeholders meeting of all the political parties, opinion molders, religious leaders as well as representatives of social organizations to come together on a round table, to discuss the way to achieve peace, before, during and after the 2019 general elections. It is against this backdrop that a summit is been organized and scheduled to hold on the 23rd, January, 2019, with the theme “Violence Free Election 2019”. It is been organized by Mustapha Mona Audu, a passionate and an untiring advocate for peace and democracy. The Kogi Peace Summit promises to offer robust discussions and lectures all aiming at achieving a violent free election in 2019.



– Gabriel Ohiemi wrote from Enugu.
gabrihems@yahoo.com

A mammoth crowd of thronged the Sokoto stadium on Wednesday as President Muhammadu Buhari held his reelection campaign rally in the state.

Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), pledged to protect the integrity of Nigerians and safeguard their trust at all times

He said his administration had successfully succeeded in its three cardinal objectives of fighting corruption, revamping agriculture and improving security.

“We have succeeded in fighting Boko Haram, our farming system has tremendously improved and corruption has generously been addressed,” he said while addressing the crowd.

“I want to assure you that our party will continue in this direction in order to ensure that we successfully protect the integrity of Nigerians and our country.”

The president thanked the people of Sokoto state for their massive turnout to welcome him to the state.

Source: New Telegraph report

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, took former President Olusegun Obasanjo to the cleaners over the latter’s criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Tinubu, who rose in defence of the Buhari administration following Obasanjo’s allegation that the President is preparing to rig the forthcoming general elections, said Obasanjo should be the last to complain about election rigging.
Obasanjo, had at the weekend, accused Buhari of using security institutions to fight all critics and opponents of his administration, adding that the president was desperate to rig the coming poll.
But, in his riposte on yesterday titled: “Chief Obasanjo – At War Against His Own Deeds,” Tinubu declared that the former president lacked the moral justification to criticize Buhari.

Tinubu, who is Co-Chair of the APC Presidential Campaigns, described Obasanjo as an election rigger without peer. According to him, Obasanjo, with his missives against the president, was only projecting on the APC the misconduct he would perpetrate if still in power.
His words: “There is no election which occurred under Obasanjo’s watch or in which he participated that did not involve cheating on his part. Even the late President Umaru Musa Yar‘Adua admitted he was the beneficiary of a flawed election engineered by none other than today’s vociferous complainant.

“Obasanjo thinks he is more than the greatest Nigerian. He thinks himself greater than Nigeria itself. Unless he is allowed to lead the procession, he will groan, grouse and grit.”
The former governor of Lagos State, however, assured that the general elections will be free and fair contrary to the doomsday predictions by critics.
He maintained that neither President Buhari nor the APC have much use for Obasanjo’s reactionary policies and his megalomaniac ways.
His words: “Chief Obasanjo should be the last to complain about election rigging. His administration was an unalloyed miscarriage of justice and of the best aspirations of the Nigerian people.
“We all know he was not elected in 1999. He was handed Nigeria on a silver platter; perhaps because Nigeria was so easily given that he went about treating the nation as if it was a less than precious thing; he thought it was a cheap give-away not a privilege to govern this nation.
“This man should have positioned himself to be the father of the nation. All the goodwill that could be granted a political figure was bestowed on him. The global economy was such that it fueled our growth.

“Everyone wanted Nigeria to succeed after emerging from years of noxious military rule. Despite the flawed exercise that rendered him president, we all bit our tongues in hope that he would say and do the right things that would move Nigeria forward.
“Instead of being a unifying figure as Commander-in-chief, he lowered himself to being a divisive, vindictive conniver. There was no table which he neared that he did not upset and overturn. There was no one who came into his company for any period of time with whom he did not fall out if he expresses a thought contrary to one of his.

“He tried to convert our young democracy into a one party state. His PDP boasted that they would rule for 60 uninterrupted years. Never did they boast that they would govern us well during even one year of the sixty.
“He could have placed the economy on the path to durable growth and shared prosperity through diversification, industrialization and creation of a social safety net for the poor. Instead, he handed the economy over to a tight group of cronies, turning what should be a modern economy into a version of the mammoth trading companies that dominated the 17th and 18th century.

“The Transcorp conglomerate was intended to be a throwback to monopolistic enterprises such as the East Indian Company wherein a select handful would control the national economy’s strategic heights.
“We hoped that Obasanjo would personify statesmanship, thus showing the way to a more benign political culture. Instead, he bickered and feuded with his vice president and mostly anyone who dared remind him that he was human and thus infallible.
“Given the vast margin between the good he could have achieved and the nebulous feats that comprise his true record, Chief Obasanjo is the person most responsible for the flaws in the Nigerian political economy since 1999. His ego is as expansive as the firmament but his good deeds would fit into a modest sachet with ample room to spare.

“The worst of Obasanjo’s record, I have yet to describe. When it comes to elections, he has been a rigger without peer. There is no election which occurred under Obasanjo’s watch or in which he participated that did not involve cheating on his part. Even the late President Umaru Musa Yar‘Adua admitted he was the beneficiary of a flawed election engineered by none other than today’s vociferous complainant.

“For Obasanjo to lament over electoral malpractice is tantamount to the ocean complaining that a few raindrops are causing it to get wet.
“In his writing, Obasanjo alleges the Osun election indicates rigging will take place in the coming contests. Let’s go straight to the truth, Obasanjo has no grievance with the process. His personal history suggests fair process is the least of his concerns.
“What knocks Obasanjo off kilter is that he could not dictate the result in Osun. He told those in the PDP that he held sway in Osun and throughout the Southwest. They believed him. He led them to defeat notwithstanding the almost impossible voter turnout in PDP strongholds in that state. Obasanjo can only win an election when has the final say over the final vote tally. Otherwise, he is a troubled man.”

Tinubu noted that Obasanjo could have placed the nation’s economy on the path to durable growth and shared prosperity through diversification, industrialization and creation of a social safety net for the poor, but he bungled the opportunity and handed the economy over to a tight group of cronies.

“He and Atiku were champions of trickle-down economics. If anything good trickled down to the poor it was by accident. Obasanjo left the poor unattended because he cared nothing for them. Poverty increased under his cold indifference. Not one meaningful social program was established during his watch.

“The banking and pension deregulation he brought were geared to profit the wealthy CEO’s and managers of these financial entities. The malpractices attendant to these deregulation fiascos extinguished the savings of millions of Nigerians.
“In reliance on these artifices of Obasanjo and his ilk, many Nigerians were thrust down the lower rungs of the poverty they so desperately sought to avoid. Obasanjo’s allies gobbled the savings of the poor and still feast on them to this day.
“Chief Obasanjo is one of the last people to preach to anyone about using public funds to care for the poor. He had the gall to fret that funds should not be given to the urban poor because they are not poor enough. But his grouse does not show any defect in the administration’s program. His complaint shows the defect in Obasanjo’s humanity or lack of it.

“To complain that some people are not poor enough for his liking is to reveal that seeing human suffering does not motivate him to cure it. He would rather that people suffer it the more. Your unease and distress becomes his entertainment or at least evidence he is superior to the common man. Watching a laborer struggle against penury is no more than a spectator sport for Obasanjo.

“The most fantastic of all his claims is that this administration has returned Nigeria to the days of Abacha. If this were true, the press would be constantly closed. Obasanjo would be constricted in writing such letters. Elections would not be upon us. Atiku would not be able to freely campaign and the diversity of opinion in the public space would be suppressed.

“For Obasanjo to utter such an outrage is that he hopes lighting strikes twice. He was ushered into office after Abacha’s demise. He thinks if he can invoke Abacha’s name, the same thing will happen again.
“By hook, crook or utter fantasy, Obasanjo seeks to return to Aso Villa, not as an irritating, importuning guest but as a long-term resident. He wants to be back in control. If he cannot be president, then the president better carve from his office a special room for Obasanjo,” Tinubu said.

Source: Thisday Newspaper

Super Eagles Captain, John Mikel Obi has completed his move to Middlesbrough after passing a medical yesterday.

According to UK’s Sun, the former Chelsea midfielder, 31, travelled from London to the north-east yesterday after agreeing personal terms.

Two-time Premier League winner Mikel will join up with his new team-mates this morning after spending the past two years at Tianjin TEDA in the Chinese Super League.

Even with a year left in his contract with the Chinese team, the Nigerian captain was not ready for life in the lower league in the Far East but would rather play in the Championship in England. He parted ways with TEDA on mutual consent.

Roma and Wolfsburg are two other European teams that showed interest in the midfielder who spent over a decade at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge.

Mikel is believed to have weighed the option of a return to England because his wife and two young children are based there.

The UEFA Champions League winner will be part of a Tony Pulis side looking to bring Premier League football back to the Riverside next season.

Boro currently sits fifth in the Championship table and seven points off leaders Leeds.

Pulis’ men host Newport County on Saturday in their fourth round FA Cup clash before travelling to promotion rivals West Brom on February 2. Boro isn’t short of central midfielders but Pulis believes the physical, imposing and experienced Mikel can further strengthen the department. Mikel has played as both a holding midfielder and in a more advanced No.10 role for both club and country in the past.

He left Chelsea for Tianjin Teda two years ago but didn’t settle in China and still believes he’s got plenty to offer in a challenging and competitive division, while accepting English clubs won’t be able to offer anywhere near the lucrative salary he was earning in Asia.

Mikel hasn’t played for Nigeria since last summer’s World Cup but is being urged to return to the national scene ahead of this summer’s African Cup of Nations.

Mikel’s Coach at both the Under-20 World Cup and the Rio Olympic Dream Team, Samson Siasia said yesterday that the gangling midfielder wants to get back to proper fitness before the AFCON 2019 in Egypt.

“One thing we should know is that Mikel has not played for a while now, and he is trying to move to another club. I believe he wants to secure his job situation before he will worry about the Super Eagles.”

Mikel has vast experience of the English game, having played more than 350 games for Chelsea during his 11-year stay at Stamford Bridge.

He has quite the CV, having won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, the League Cup, Champions League and Europa League.

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Source: Daily Sun Newspaper

Minister of Interior Lt-Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd) has taken a swipe at the immediate past Inspector General of Police, IGP Abubakar Idris, accusing him of severing the relationship between the Nigeria Police Force and its supervising ministry during his reign.

Speaking when the acting IGP Mohammed Adamu paid him a courtesy visit, the minister lamented that out of the 25 memoranda the ministry took to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for deliberations, none involved the police under ex-IGP Idris.

He said he had urged IGP Adamu and his management team to look into the lingering issue of community policing, promising to provide all the assistance he needed to succeed as IGP.

“I want to first congratulate you on this position you are elevated to and add my prayers that God grants you success. I also want to appreciate your coming here on a courtesy visit, recognising the significance of the Ministry of Interior in terms of its supervisory mandate to the police and other agencies including its mandate in terms of internal security and public safety,” the minister said.

“We are happy that you took this step because since early 2016, shortly after I came in as Minister in November 2015, I had a very cordial relationship with the then IGP, Solomon Arase, but when Arase left, there was the severance of relations between the police and the Ministry of Interior.

“It was not completely though because most of our dealings in terms of internal security and public safety were with the DIG Operations and because we must do everything possible to ensure that we not only carry our supervisory mandate in terms of policy but also to ensure that police as an institution does not suffer,” he noted.

Speaking further, the minister said: “We are indeed glad that you came in with an absolutely different idea regarding this relationship. Throughout three years, we have presented more than 25 memoranda to FEC that have to do with policies concerning the country, but none of them involved the police except few that came from Police Academy, Wudil.

“So, this is the kind of thing that we must be able to avoid because you need the parent ministry to represent you at the FEC. That related with us here. We need to work together with the kind of security challenges we are experiencing in this country as you mentioned. I will appreciate the idea and concept of community policing. There are so many things in terms of policy you can drive from here.

“Ours stop at making policies because the implementation is absolutely yours. We will not interfere in that area at all. We have capable and experienced hands in the ministry that can make lots of inputs, particularly in this democratic environment that you need this process. I want to reassure that this ministry will give you all the support you need to succeed.

“We will not pretend about it; there are security challenges in the country, but they must be tackled and we must put heads together to ensure we succeed in providing for Nigerians, the security they deserve. We do hope that this is just the beginning of our working together to ensure that you succeed,” he promised.

Speaking earlier, the acting IGP pleaded for forgiveness, promising that, having retraced their steps, they would not want to be left out of the activities of the ministry.

“It is really a privilege to be received today. Since my appointment as the new acting IGP, my thought was to first visit the Ministry of Interior which is the parent ministry where Nigeria Police belongs. I have not gone anywhere on courtesy call except this one and now that I have been here; I am now free to go to other places.

“We are aware of the fact that most of the policy issues concerning police operation come from the Ministry of Interior. We don’t want to be left out. We want to be deeply involved in the activities of the ministry. We want the minister to know that we are 100 per cent ready to participate in every activity of the ministry that involves security.

“We do have challenges involving security within the country. They are challenges that can be surmounted and we can easily overcome them with the full support of the parent ministry. If we were not participating in the past the way we should, we have now retraced our steps to return and do the needful for the benefit of the country and benefit of everybody. That is the reason for our coming,” he said.

In his entourage included seven deputy inspectors generals of police (DIGs) and an assistant inspector general of police among others.

Tinubu bombs Obasanjo over attack on Buhari, APC, makes revelations [Full statement]

Source: Daily Post Nigeria

More criticisms have come the way of former president Olusegun Obasanjo over his letter where he chastised President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration, claiming the president was preparing to rig the 2019 poll.
In his response to the letter on Tuesday, former Lagos governor and Co-Chair of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaigns, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said Obasanjo was projecting unto the APC the misconduct he would perpetrate if still in power.
“Yet, the ways of Obasanjo are not those of the APC. And this difference has meant the better for Nigeria,” Tinubu said in the strongly-worded letter.
Asiwaju described the former president as an election rigger without peer.
“There is no election which occurred under Obasanjo’s watch or in which he participated that did not involve cheating on his part. Even the late President Umaru Musa Yar ‘Adua admitted he was the beneficiary of a flawed election engineered by none other than today’s vociferous complainant,” he said.
Tinubu’s riposte personally signed by him, titled “CHIEF OBASANJO – AT WAR AGAINST HIS OWN DEEDS”, reads: “Former President Obasanjo is many things to many people; but he is all things unto himself. His recent contribution to our political discourse wherein he alleges plots to steer the coming elections shows he benefits from an exceedingly faulty memory, is purely shameless or has a most wicked sense of humor. Perhaps all three are facets of his makeup and were equally on display in his latest prosaic display.
“The crux of his long tirade was the allegation that INEC is poised to cook the election results. Chief Obasanjo should not get his dander up and waste good ink for nothing. This election will be a free and open exercise of the people’s right to choose their leaders. Obasanjo makes fiery allegations against this right but offers no corroborating evidence; he presents only reams of words. This is because Obasanjo is projecting onto the APC the misconduct he would wrought if still in power. Yet, the ways of Obasanjo are not those of the APC. And this difference has meant the better for Nigeria.
“Moreover, Chief Obasanjo should be the last to complain about election rigging. His administration was an unalloyed miscarriage of justice and of the best aspirations of the Nigerian people. We all know he was not elected in 1999. He was handed Nigeria on a silver platter; perhaps because Nigeria was so easily given that he went about treating the nation as if it was a less than precious thing; he thought it was a cheap give-away not a privilege to govern this nation.
“This man should have positioned himself to be the father of the nation. All the goodwill that could be granted a political figure was bestowed on him. The global economy was such that it fueled our growth. Everyone wanted Nigeria to succeed after emerging from years of noxious military rule. Despite the flawed exercise that rendered him president, we all bit our tongues in hope that he would say and do the right things that would move Nigeria forward.
“Instead of being a unifying figure as Commander-in-chief, he lowered himself to being a divisive, vindictive conniver. There was no table which he neared that he did not upset and overturn. There was no one who came into his company for any period of time with whom he did not fall out if he expresses a thought contrary to one of his.
“He tried to convert our young democracy into a one party state. His PDP boasted that they would rule for 60 uninterrupted years. Never did they boast that they would govern us well during even one year of the sixty. He could have placed the economy on the path to durable growth and shared prosperity through diversification, industrialization and creation of a social safety net for the poor. Instead, he handed the economy over to a tight group of cronies, turning what should be a modern economy into a version of the mammoth trading companies that dominated the 17th and 18th century. The Transcorp conglomerate was intended to be a throwback to monopolistic enterprises such as the East Indian Company wherein a select handful would control the national economy’s strategic heights.
“We hoped that Obasanjo would personify statesmanship, thus showing the way to a more benign political culture. Instead, he bickered and feuded with his vice president and mostly anyone who dared remind him that he was human and thus infallible.
“Given the vast margin between the good he could have achieved and the nebulous feats that comprise his true record, Chief Obasanjo is the person most responsible for the flaws in the Nigerian political economy since 1999. His ego is as expansive as the firmament but his good deeds would fit into a modest sachet with ample room to spare.
“The worst of Obasanjo’s record, I have yet to describe. When it comes to elections, he has been a rigger without peer. There is no election which occurred under Obasanjo’s watch or in which he participated that did not involve cheating on his part. Even the late President Umaru Musa Yar ‘Adua admitted he was the beneficiary of a flawed election engineered by none other than today’s vociferous complainant. For Obasanjo to lament over electoral malpractice is tantamount to the ocean complaining that a few raindrops are causing it to get wet.
“In his writing, Obasanjo alleges the Osun election indicates rigging will take place in the coming contests. Let’s go straight to the truth, Obasanjo has no grievance with the process. His personal history suggests fair process is the least of his concerns. What knocks Obasanjo off kilter is that he could not dictate the result in Osun. He told those in the PDP that he held sway in Osun and throughout the Southwest. They believed him. He led them to defeat notwithstanding the almost impossible voter turnout in PDP strongholds in that state. Obasanjo can only win an election when has the final say over the final vote tally. Otherwise, he is a troubled man.
“In an attempt to relieve his trouble, Chief Obasanjo makes reference to a joke about INEC. He says, “The INEC was asked if the Commission was ready for the election and if it expects the election to be free, fair and credible. The INEC man is reported as saying in response, ‘we are ready with everything including the results.’” The joke has a touch of humor; we are glad that Obasanjo is not completely devoid of this most human of traits. However, he makes a telling omission by failing to give you the vintage of this bit of sarcasm.
“The jest was not born last week. It’s vintage is circa 2003- a time when a certain President Obasanjo rode roughshod over INEC. He would summon the nervous INEC chairman to the Villa, proceeding to hector the man until he gave way to Obasanjo’s demands. At Obasanjo’s urging, INEC improperly published fake election results on the gubernatorial race in Lagos. Not until a public outcry did INEC back away from rigging Lagos. A similar attempt was made in Lagos in 2007. In essence, for Obasanjo to laugh at this joke means he has belatedly developed the ability to laugh at himself.
“If Obasanjo was so committed to free elections, how could he countenance Atiku’s recent boast of single-handedly rigging elections in the Southwest. Atiku claimed that he took all states for the PDP but left Lagos alone due to some misguided affinity for me. By this statement, Atiku publicly admitted to rigged elections in the SW. Beyond resort to wholesale rigging, Atiku could never deign to be more popular and potent in the Southwest than the panoply of good and decent leaders that guided the defunct AC. Moreover, I can assure you that we did not need Atiku’s false beneficence to win the elections in Lagos. The people voted for us and their votes countered the ill-designs Obasanjo and Atiku set in motion. Thus, if Obasanjo cannot chastise Atiku for publicly boasting that he rigged elections, then Obasanjo’s display of righteous indignation is but a magician’s trick.
“His fine words and sentiments come a dozen years too late. These noble things would have greater effect had he placed them into practice when he was at the helm of affairs. At that time, he was powerful so he did as he might. Now that he lacks power, he has taken to preach that which he never did.
“In his commentary, he mentions that INEC has a record of past rigging. I wonder if he understands the admission he makes. No other president has exercised such tight control over INEC for as many years as Obasanjo. No president has had the domineering relationship with INEC that Obasanjo enjoyed. If there are reports of past INEC rigging, those reports are of Obasanjo’s making. It is the irony of ironies for Obasanjo to complain of the fruit on the table when his was the hand that planted the tree.
“Chief Obasanjo tries to further confuse matters by pointing to the case of the CJN’s assets declaration as evidence of future vote-rigging via tampering with the judiciary. Again, Obasanjo goes into a personality shift. For years, Obasanjo has boasted of himself as our corruption fighter nonpareil. The very aim of this current letter is to attack imagined INEC malfeasance. Yet, with regard to the CJN, he blithely ignores the large cache of dollars in the CJN’s account and the millions of dollars that passed through the accounts. Obasanjo seems unbothered by the unexplained presence of such sums. Perhaps Obasanjo’s nonchalance regarding the money is that he expected the funds there because he knows both the origin and reasons for the trove.
“Chief Obasanjo sinks so low as to suggest that the VP, during the exercise of his official duties, was taking the PVC numbers of market women and traders. This statement reveals the bilious nature of the man. Obasanjo even quotes the notorious Bode George in claiming that the VP was “gutting our collective treasury” by giving loans of N10,000 to market women under the administration’s empowerment programs.
“What? Giving money to poor people to enhance their lives and escape the maw of poverty is, by PDP metrics, gutting the collective treasury. If helping the poor is gutting the treasury, Atiku’s privatizing large chunks of the economy into his own pocket must have been seen by the PDP as a vital public service. Jonathan and his Petroleum Minister’s siphoning government coffers of several billion dollars to enrich the already-rich must have been viewed by the PDP as the epitome of a social safety net. Obasanjo’s and the PDP’s disdain for the common person could not be clearer.
“Obasanjo should be ashamed to even raise this issue. When he was president, the economy was on an easy sledding due to positive global trends. Obasanjo did not raise a finger to do anything for the poor. He and Atiku were champions of trickle-down economics. If anything good trickled down to the poor it was by accident. Obasanjo left the poor unattended because he cared nothing for them. Poverty increased under his cold indifference. Not one meaningful social program was established during his watch. The banking and pension deregulation he brought were geared to profit the wealthy CEO’s and managers of these financial entities. The malpractices attendant to these deregulation fiascos extinguished the savings of millions of Nigerians. In reliance on these artifices of Obasanjo and his ilk, many Nigerians were thrust down the lower rungs of the poverty they so desperately sought to avoid. Obasanjo’s allies gobbled the savings of the poor and still feast on them to this day.
“Chief Obasanjo is one of the last people to preach to anyone about using public funds to care for the poor. He had the gall to fret that funds should not be given to the urban poor because they are not poor enough. But his grouse does not show any defect in the administration’s program. His complaint shows the defect in Obasanjo’s humanity or lack of it. To complain that some people are not poor enough for his liking is to reveal that seeing human suffering does not motivate him to cure it. He would rather that people suffer it the more. Your unease and distress becomes his entertainment or at least evidence he is superior to the common man. Watching a laborer struggle against penury is no more than a spectator sport for Obasanjo.
“The most fantastic of all his claims is that this administration has returned Nigeria to the days of Abacha. If this were true, the press would be constantly closed. Obasanjo would be constricted in writing such letters. Elections would not be upon us. Atiku would not be able to freely campaign and the diversity of opinion in the public space would be suppressed.
“For Obasanjo to utter such an outrage is that he hopes lighting strikes twice. He was ushered into office after Abacha’s demise. He thinks if he can invoke Abacha’s name, the same thing will happen again. By hook, crook or utter fantasy, Obasanjo seeks to return to Aso Villa, not as an irritating, importuning guest but as a long-term resident. He wants to be back in control. If he cannot be president, then the president better carve from his office a special room for Obasanjo.
“Obasanjo thinks he is more than the greatest Nigerian. He thinks himself greater than Nigeria itself. Unless he is allowed to lead the procession, he will groan, grouse and grit. However, neither President Buhari nor the progressive APC have much use for his reactionary policies and his megalomaniac ways. Thus, we shall be forced to endure more of his letters. But enduring such missives is vastly superior and small price to pay for not having to endure a repeat of his unenlightened misgovernance”.

Source: NAN report

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Monday, declined the request by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, to make an order stopping the Code of Conduct Tribunal from proceeding with his trial.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal had on January 14 fixed January 22 for hearing in the six counts of false assets declaration filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau against Justice Onnoghen.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), had also filed a motion asking for an order directing Onnoghen to step down as the CJN pending the conclusion of his planned trial before the CCT.

Two non-governmental organisations – Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative; and International Association of Students – had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, praying for orders quashing the charges against the CJN.

In response to the NGOs, Justice Evelyn Maha of the Federal High Court, Abuja had issued two separate orders directing that status quo should be maintained in Justice Onnoghen’s case before the CCT.

In furtherance of the steps to stop Justice Onnoghen’s proposed arraignment before the CCT, his lawyers, led by Chief Adegnoyega Awomolo (SAN), went before the Court of Appeal to obtain another restraining order against the CCT.

Awomolo told a three-man Court of Appeal panel, led by Justice Abdu Aboki, that the restraining order was necessary to preserve the subject matter of the case at the CCT.

But Federal Government’s counsel, Emmanuel Omonuwa, said he was only served with the court process by Justice Onnoghen’s legal team on Monday morning and he needed at least three days to reply.

After a short deliberation among themselves, the three Justices of the appeal court declined granting Awomolo’s prayer to halt the CCT proceedings against the CJN.

“We are of the view that no form of order shall be made at his stage pending hearing of motion on notice adjourned till January 24,” the panel ruled.

However, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja reaffirmed its last week interim order stopping the CCT proceedings against Justice Onnoghen.

The industrial court gave the restraining order in a suit filed by a lawyer, Peter Abang.

On Monday, Justice Sanusi Kado of the NIC reinforced the restraining order following an ex parte application moved by Abang’s counsel, James Igwe (SAN), who said there was difficulty in serving the court’s papers personally on CCT Chairman, Danladi Umar.

The judge directed that all the parties in the suit before him should not take any step that could destroy the substance of the case pending the hearing and determination of the claimant’s motion for interlocutory injunction.

The Kogi State Chapter of African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemn in totality the continuous attacks on its members and the shambolic disruption of its campaign gathering.

We condemn the continous attacks on our party members by armed thugs of the All Progressive Congress(APC) in Kogi State. This violent trend is unacceptable and unfortunate. This trend must stop and be condemn by all. The security agencies in Kogi State must be aware.

The Kogi State Chapter of African Democratic Congress(ADC) therefore called on Kogi State Police Command to, without delay, address and halt further attacks on its members by rampaging and sponsored alleged APC thugs in Kogi State.

Bashir Ibrahim Ellah, ADC Publicity Secretary in Kogi State states this in Lokoja on Monday.

In a statement issued on Monday, the party said the continous attacks on its members by ADC thugs is condemnable and unacceptable.

"Barely 48 hours(Saturday) that our campaign train, buses and members were ambushed and attacked in Agbenema in Ayingba, another group of thugs have attacked ADC members in EJULE, OFU LGA, yesterday Monday.

"At the moment, members of our party have been seriously injured and properties destroyed.

The security agencies in Kogi State should perform their constitutional duties of securing lives and properties of the citizenry and ensuring a peaceful environment for everyone’s choice of association.

Bashir calls on Kogi State government to provide an enabling environment for issue based campaign not an act of waging war with the opposition party

We enjoined all ADC members and supporters to resist the urge of initiating any reprisal attack as ADC is a peace loving party and the party intend to maintain that, the statement reads.