Ize-Iyamu Media committee Chairman allegedly dump boss
By Ehi Ekhator
One of the governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Earl Osaro Onaiwu has bestowed upon himself the only candidate worthy of anointment if need be.
Osagie Ize-Iyamu
Onaiwu claimed that he was the only person that can win the governorship election for PDP in the state because of his sound background.
He berated one of the major contenders of the party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu for making a certain statement to run other aspirants down.
Onaiwu said Pastor Ize-Iyamu only saw something wrong with Oshiomhole now after keeping mute when the governor insulted Chief Tony Anenih and Chief Lucky Igbinedion.
The aspirant advised the Pastor to sort his personal problems with the governor, Adams Oshiomhole instead of looking for ways to drag them into the fracas.
Onaiwu said ” If there is anybody that will be anointed, it is me. If there is anybody that can win the election for PDP, I am the one because I come from a sound background. I am the DG, PDP Governors Forum and I am very optimistic that the PDP governors will back me. I have been in PDP since 1999. I have never defected. I am working hard. I am in the field because I don’t want anybody to feel that the PDP governors want to impose me, no. I am touching the grassroots, I am everywhere and I will continue to work until the day of the primary.
We need to breathe a fresh air in PDP, we don’t want a candidate in PDP that everybody in the opposition will attack. People carrying the rumour that one person has been anointed that is not true.
Bombarding Pastor Ize-Iyamu, Onaiwu said “Why did you not remain with Oshiomhole? You were there when Oshiomhole insulted Anenih, you were there when Oshiomhole insulted Lucky Igbinedion and others, and you did not say anything. Is it now that you saw something wrong in Oshiomhole? You cannot take us to fight a personal quarrel with Oshiomhole. If you have issues with him, sort it out and leave the party out of it.
Onaiwu revealed that Consensus candidacy as suggested by some leadership of the party is no longer feasible, adding that all the candidates are going to the primary in the belief that it will be transparent. He assured that other candidates will throw weight on the emerging candidate only if it was transparent.
“Consensus candidacy is no longer on the cards. A few people believed we should adopt a candidate but we said no, we are going to go for a transparent primary. If we don’t do that, PDP will have a big problem in Edo. Go and defeat me in a transparent primary, let the delegates go and speak their minds. When you do that and I am defeated, I will celebrate whoever emerges. But when you manipulate, there will be problem”
NAIJA CENTER NEWS had reported on Saturday that there was a gang-up ongoing against the Pastor who the other aspirants claimed is big headed. It was gathered that other aspirants are secretly meeting to strategise without inviting the Pastor.
Responding to the consensus claimed by Onaiwu, a source who spoke with our correspondent said “I told you (NCN) of a possible gang up. Didn’t I? The other three will soon reach a consensus. They have gone far and I do not see them stopping except something else comes up. It is game over for Pastor”
However, NAIJA CENTER NEWS has gathered that there may be a problem in Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s media camp as the Media committee Chairman has dumped his boss for another.
ENUGU – Scores of persons have been reportedly killed in the Fulani herdsmen invasion of Ukpabi,Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State in the early of hours of today.
Natives have fled to neighboring communities of Nkpologu and Uvuru, even as Nkpologu natives fled to Nsukka in fear of attacks.
Police Public Relations Officer,Ebere Amaraizu confirmed the incident to Vanguard on the telephone. He said a combined team of police and Army have moved to the area.
BENIN—The governorship ambition of former Secretary to Edo State Government, SSG, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, weekend, received a boost following his adoption for the governorship race by past political office holders from Edo North senatorial district.
Osagie Ize-Iyamu
The decision to back Pastor Ize-Iyamu for the governorship ticket was taken at a meeting in Fugar, headquarters of Estako Central Local Government Area of the state by the former political office holders who are members of the PDP, as well as some other affiliate groups such as women and youths groups.
The ex-political office holders said that after a thorough check on all the aspirants jostling for the Edo State governorship seat in all the political parties, they had come to the conclusion that Ize-Iyamu was the best, considering his experience, clout and temerity.
A former Speaker of Akoko-Edo legislative council, Mr. Ade Ajayi, boasted that in Ize-Iyamu, the PDP’s hope of reclaiming Edo State from the All Progressives Congress, APC, was certain, adding that like minds from the APC were willing to team up with them once Ize-Iyamu emerged the PDP candidate.
He said: “We have made serious efforts to put this together. We have looked at the profiles of all the aspirants across the party and have no doubt that PDP’s chances are brightest with Ize-Iyamu. We have since discovered that he is capable of bringing together those things needed to ensure victory for the party.”
Mr. Richard Olori from Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state moved the motion for the adoption of Ize-Iyamu, while six other persons from each of the six local government areas in the district seconded the motion.
Some of those who attended the meeting include Jaret Tenebe, Abu Dokpesi, Abu Maipata, former council chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries, supervisors and councilors in the six councils of Edo North district.
….Lauds Amnesty International on Nigeria Human Rights Violation
As controversy still surrounding the proposed Grazing Reserves Bill of President Muhammadu Buhari led-Federal Government to the National Assembly, a human rights activist and Executive Chairman, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman, has counseled the Federal Government of Nigeria to go and clear the den of Boko Haram sect, popularly called ‘Sambiza Forest’ for its proposed ‘Grazing Reserve Project’ for the Fulani Herdsmen, insisting that the Fulani Herdsmen have portended danger to the peaceful co-existence of the country since assumption of office of the President Muhammad Buhari.
Fulani Herdsmen
Reacting to the controversial proposed bill on the ‘Grazing Reserves’, Comrade Sulaiman in a signed statement on Sunday, stated that the bill would increase avoidable crisis in the land through the violent resistance across the region of the country, saying that the Fulani Herdsmen have become dangerous species across the States of the
Federation.
Sulaiman who doubled as the Chairman of the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS), advised President Buhari to drop the idea of forcing the grazing reserves bill on the States contrary to section 17,18 and 20 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, in order to save the country from imminent violent problem.
He described the proposed grazing reserves idea as ill-conceived, illegal, unconstitutional, self-serving, retrogressive, day-light robbery and time bomb which capable of igniting monumental crisis across the length and breadth of the nation, noting that it is an evil to conceive such an impunity idea which poor farmers across the land, were victims of the Fulani Herdsmen.
He called on the well meaning Nigerians and organizations including; Civil Society groups, National Assembly, Political Parties, as well as International Community to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to jettison the criminal idea, urging Buhari to implement the 2014 National Conference where a section recommended the scrapping of grazing route for the establishment of ranches in the land.
Meanwhile, Sulaiman applauded the Amnesty International for exposing the high rates of human rights abuses of the nation’s security agents, especially, the Nigeria Military in the war against Boko Haram sect, saying that the country has lost thousands of civilians because of excessiveness of Military in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria.
He recalled the excesses of the Military forces operation in the zone which lead to the extra judicial killing of civilians mistakenly suspected to be the members of the Boko Haram sect.
According to the recent report of the Amnesty International in Abuja, stated that “the conflict between the military and Boko Haram resulted in death of thousands of civilians and over 2 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the end of the year 2015.Torture and ill-treatment by the police and security forces were widespread.
Demolitions of informal settlements led to the forced eviction of thousands of people. Death sentences continued to be imposed; no executions were reported.
“The military committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity in its response to Boko Haram between 2011 to 2015. President Buhari promised to investigate evidence of several instances of war crimes by the military between June and December. However, no further action was taken to initiate independent and impartial
The Director of Finance of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman, has returned N23m to the Federal Government, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.
President Jonathan
Usman was last Thursday arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly receiving N2.5bn which emanated from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
A reliable source at the EFCC told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that she had promised to return more funds.
“Nenadi Usman has been cooperating with us. In fact, she has returned N23m to the Federal Government,” he said.
Usman, who is being quizzed by the EFCC, told investigators that all she did was based on the instructions of Jonathan, adding that she did not know that the funds belonged to taxpayers.
According to the source, Usman told investigators that as the Director of Finance of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, she was asked to set up a bank account during the build-up to the election, which she did.
She allegedly said all donations were made to Jonathan’s campaign through Joint Trust Dimensions Nigeria Limited and it was through the said account that funds were released to all campaign directors, zonal coordinators and other related parties and groups which campaigned for the PDP.
It was through the same account that the Director of Publicity, Femi Fani-Kayode, was paid N840m. It was also through the same account that the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae, and Rashidi Ladoja, allegedly received N100m each.
Ex-political adviser to Jonathan, Prof. Rufai Alkali, who was the Coordinator of the Goodluck Support Group, allegedly collected N320m on behalf of the group while several governorship candidates of the PDP equally received money from the account.
However, the EFCC source said, “She told us that she did not know the funds belonged to the Federal Government. However, we asked her why she didn’t verify and also why didn’t she set up an account bearing the name of the PDP. Why did she use her company account if not that she wanted to keep things secret.”
Meanwhile, one of the campaign managers of Jonathan’s re-election campaign said the National Intelligence Agency was aware of the alleged diversion of funds from the CBN.
It was reported that N4bn was transferred from the account of the CBN into a mysterious account known as the Ministry of External Affairs Library before it was moved to an account known as Joint Trust Dimensions Nigeria Limited which is controlled by Usman.
However, the source said the account was set up by the NIA, which is under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
It was learnt that some officials of the NIA had been quizzed by the EFCC to explain why the account was set up.
A reliable source said, “During the build-up to the last elections, when monies were going to be diverted from the account of the CBN, the Ministry of External Affairs Library was set up with the connivance of officials of the NIA. It was done so that the transaction would seem as if the money was being transferred to a Federal Government account and it would not raise any red flags. The Permanent Secretary at the Villa then drew up a memo on the instructions of the President and the CBN deposited the funds into the account of the Ministry of External Affairs.
“From there, the money was paid into Joint Trust Dimensions Nigeria Limited, from where monies were sent to all stakeholders during the electioneering. Preliminary investigations however suggest that the Ministry of External Affairs Library does not even exist.”
From the Ministry of External Affairs Library, N2.5bn was transferred to Joint Trust Dimensions Nigeria Limited while N140m cash was allegedly paid into her Zenith Bank Account with number, 1000158311, domiciled on 7, Kachia Road, Kaduna.
In a related development, security experts have called for investigation into the alleged diversion of N4bn through the NIA.
A former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, said if it was true that the agency was used for money laundering, this means it had lost credibility.
“If they are using NIA for money laundering, it means it has lost credibility. If it was being used for money laundering, a crime against the nation, this means that NIA has totally lost credibility.”
Another security analyst, Max Gbanite, said it was unlawful for politicians to use an intelligence agency to divert public funds, adding that officers involved in the alleged crime should be interrogated and made to explain what transpired. “Politicians have been embezzling money before now, but if politicians used the NIA to divert money, it is criminal and the officers in the agency need to be interrogated,” Gbanite said.
The All Progressives Congress has kept mum over allegations of political witch-hunting by Senate President Bukola Saraki.
Bukola Saraki
Saraki,in an article published in a national daily on Saturday,had attributed his trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal to political persecution for advising the party against fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the run-up to the 2015 presidential elections.
The article published by THISDAY newspaper, reads in part,”My concern was that it would not be politically smart for us to run with a Muslim-Muslim ticket. I doubt if we would have won the election if we had done this, especially after the PDP had successfully framed us as a Muslim party. This was my original sin.”
Attempts to get comments from the National Chairman APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun were futile as of 8:54pm.
Repeated calls to his mobile phone were neither picked nor returned. A total of nine calls were made to the APC chairman, the first being at 3:38pm and the last at 8:53 pm. A response to a text message sent to him was still being awaited when this report was filed.
Similar calls made to the party’s National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, indicated that it was switched off. A response to a text message sent to him was still being awaited as of 9:02pm
Calls also made to the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Timi Frank, were neither picked nor returned and he did not respond to a text message sent to him.
When contacted, the zonal Publicity Secretary of the APC (South East), Osita Okechukwu, said, “No comment.”
Also, the party’s Deputy National Vice Chairman (South), Segun Oni, neither picked nor returned calls to his line. A response to a text message sent to him was still being awaited as of 9:26pm.
Nigerians, who have laid their hands on the telephone numbers of lawmakers representing them at the Senate, have declared a telephone war on their senators by bombarding their lines with unending calls and text messages.
Those who have called senators representing their senatorial districts accused the lawmakers of poor performance and corruption.
Senate
The constituents, who decried poor representation by their senators, alleged that the lawmakers rebuffed their requests.SUNDAY PUNCH also learnt that some of the senators engaged their constituents in wars of words.
An online news medium, SaharaReporters, had published the telephone numbers of most of the 109 senators in the National Assembly, asking their constituents to express their feelings directly to those representing them in the legislature.
The Senate had attempted to amend the laws establishing the Code of Conduct Tribunal and the Code of Conduct Bureau, a development that drew the ire of the populace, before the upper chamber of the National Assembly dropped the bill after passing the second reading.
Criticisms are also trailing a proposed Grazing Bill seeking to establish ranches across the country to stem criminal activities of nomadic Fulani herdsmen.
The Senate had denied that such a bill exists.
Constituents have however besieged the various social media platforms to express their disappointment over the alleged cold responses they got from their representatives.
For instance, Portia Emilia Anthony, in a post on her Facebook page, accused former Governor of Abia State, Theodor Orji, who is now representing Abia-Central Senatorial District, of shouting at her on the phone.
She said, “I just got off the phone with a senator shouting down the phone that I am insulting him with the text I sent to him; that I have no right to tell him to vote against the Grazing Bill.
“The man is so angry and agitated, saying I should go and contest and become a senator. Can you imagine the attitude of our so-called representatives? I told him I am not interested as I don’t want to be corrupt. The man went berserk on the phone. I dropped the phone on him.
“Asking me if I know who he is, I told him that he’s a Nigerian and nothing else. Yet, another (senator) has replied and politely assured me that it won’t happen.”
“Can you believe that it was Theodore Orji of Abia state that called and shouted at me for asking him not to allow the Grazing Bill to go through? Please, let’s deal with him. He’s on 07082800***, the man is simply pathetic. #ShareAndShout.”
However, Orji also went to his Facebook page, asking Nigerians to disregard the “campaign of calumny” against him.
He posted, “Attention! Please, disregard this campaign of calumny and falsehood manufactured and being shared by one Portia Emilia Anthony, alleging that I am in support of the Grazing Bill.
“I spoke with this lady from Cross River on the phone and even though she was very rude and disrespectful, I made it clear to her that I am not in support of the said Grazing Bill.
“Please, the general public, especially those from Abia Central—Abians, Igbos and other well-meaning Nigerians — should disregard and condemn this malicious campaign of calumny.”
On its Twitter handle, SaharaReporters reported the exchange of words between a constituent and former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi, who is now representing Ekiti South.
The report had a screenshot of a mobile device showing a message from an anonymous sender to Olujimi, which read, “Don’t support amendment to CCT (Code of Conduct Tribunal) and Administration of Criminal Justice Law because of one man.
“Don’t take that car. People are suffering and you guys want to ride jeeps? You represent me in Ekiti and we are watching. Ile ni apoti n joko si de idi o! (An idiom in Yoruba used when patiently waiting for someone’s return).”
Another screenshot showing Olujimi’s response sent via 08033141***, said, “Sit anywhere. If you voted, it was not free. I paid every inch of the way. Get a job and earn a living, so you don’t keep issuing threats that you can’t enforce and you don’t keep invading the privacy of people. Only dirty people do that.”
Another screenshot of a message said to be from an “anonymous senator” had shown how the lawmaker criticised the news medium for publishing the lawmakers’ telephone numbers.
The sender said, “Above are just snippets of the deluge of calls/texts that we’ve been receiving by your ill-considered decision to release our phone numbers to the public. I believe you did not fully evaluate the way Nigerians think and act before you did so.
“My phone rings at least once every minute. Most senators have gone ahead to change their numbers. I don’t intend to do so but your decision is rather having the opposite effect from what you intended.”
The Nigerian Quagmire, who commented on the post in which the contact numbers of the senators were released on the medium’s website, claimed to have sent a message to the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
T
he person said, “Just sent a nicely worded message to Bukola to do the honorable thing and vacate the senate presidency. He’s trying his best to hand over part of the government to his cronies in the PDP. I hope he’ll take my humble advice and do the right thing.”
However, Ralph Adeniyi, said, “They don’t know their job and (they are) very rude on the phone. I have been calling Senate President Bukola Saraki’s mobile #08024544***. He already (switched) off his phone but I will keep trying.”
Babatunde Opeyemi said should the lawmakers change their telephone lines, the new ones should be provided for the public.
He said, “Our senators have activated vexing mode. In case they change their numbers, please get it for us. Dino Melaye, Stella Oduah, (Godswill) Akpabio, (Ajayi) Boroffice, all of you senators should await my call at the right time!
“I don’t know why Nigerian senators should be angry when their people call them! You represent us and can’t talk to us.”
Habeeb Adewale Mustapha, said, “(I) spoke with Senator Kabir Garba Marafa of Zamfara-Central. A man of integrity! He is sticking by common Nigerians and he has given me his words!!!”
Oluyege Paul Ayooluwa, said, “Mr. Common Sense Ben Murray-Bruce. Your number is switched off.” The senator is representing Bayelsa-East at the Senate.
A screenshot, which did not show the identity of the sender and the recipient who is a senator, had read, “Do you support the amendment to the CCB Act? If you support the amendment to the CCB Act, that means you are a total fake. Nigerians are watching, believe me. You guys (senators) are just 109 to over 150 million Nigerians.”
Another commentator, Ayo Faleti, had said, “Please call your representatives. Ask how they have been exercising the mandate you gave them. If the answer is em, em, em…, declare your disappointment and inform (them) that you will be calling back in a couple of months. And when you do, you do not want em, em… as an answer. I know most of them will soon change their numbers.”
Similarly, KennBest said, “How grateful I remain to Sahara Reporters for this list. Now they must hear from Nigerians. If they like, let them go (and) change their numbers; we’ll get an updated list.”
Ayodele Emmanuel, said, “I tell you, they will quickly change the numbers. They are not representing anybody or constituency but themselves and their cronies.”
Joel Edionwe equally said, “Good but they are after themselves. Have they ever consulted with their constituents?”
Rum Sodo said, “You want my vote but you don’t want me to have your number. Who is a fool?”
Also, Jude Wilfred, said, “Please, start calling them now to ensure this Grazing Bill before the National Assembly does not sail through. This bill, if passed, will set the country on fire.
Etiemana Ekpo, said, “I believe to hear from the people is the best way not to pass three to four bills in a day, and you can’t hear from people without a phone number.”
SUNDAY PUNCH observed that some members of the public called the senators’ numbers only to frustrate them.
For instance, Hafsah Muhammad Lalo, posted on the news website, “I have N200 (credit) on my Etisalat (line) that I am not using. Let me disturb Jonah Jang.” Jang, a former Governor of Plateau State, is representing Plateau-North at the Senate.
Similarly, Yinka Aina, said, “All you need do to punish your non-performing senator is (to) him forty times daily and don’t forget to share his number with your gateman that doesn’t speak English.”
Investigation by our correspondents showed that some of the numbers tallied with those already in SUNDAY PUNCH’s directory. However, when our correspondents called some of the numbers, those who picked the calls said they were wrong numbers.
Several other numbers called indicated that they had been switched off.
When SUNDAY PUNCH called one of the two numbers listed for former President of the Senate, David Mark, who is representing Benue-South, the voice of a young female answered and, without asking who the caller wanted to speak to, said “wrong number” and immediately hung up.
Also, when one of our correspondents called Barnabas Gemade’s number, a male voice picked the call and said, “He’s in a meeting.” He also hung up before our correspondent could ask when next the senator would be available.
Gilbert Nnaji’s line did not connect. Enyinnaya Abaribe’s line also indicated that it was unreachable, while Bayero Nafada’s failed to connect.
Some senators, whose lines were switched off, include Theodore Orji, Ben Murray-Bruce, Ali Ndume, and Goje Danjuma.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that the Senators switched off their phones after they were overwhelmd with calls from their constitutents.
A number of senators, including Godswill Akpabio, Shehu Sani and Dino Melaye, cut calls made by SUNDAY PUNCH to their mobile lines shortly after ringing.
Those who did not answer their calls include Andy Uba, Akume George, Sam Egwu, Biodun Olujimi, Ike Ekweremadu, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Adamu Aliero.
When the telephone numbers of Ajayi Boroffice, representing Ondo North and George Sekibo, representing Rivers East, were called, the responses received were “wrong number.”
When one of our correspondents called Boroffice on 08088811***, a voice answered, “Please, wrong number.”
In the case of the PDP senator from Rivers, Sekibo, a call earlier made to phone number 08033122*** was not picked. But, someone called our correspondent back with another line (08186651***) to say he saw a missed call on his MTN line. When asked if he was Sekibo, he said, “My name is Bello.”
Efforts by SUNDAY PUNCH to reach Senate President Bukola Saraki (08024544***), Buruji Kashamu (08160883***), Isiaka Adeleke (08033475***), and Babajide Omoworare (08023045***/08034737***) were unsuccessful as their phones were either switched off or not “available”.
The phone numbers allegedly belonging to Senator Joshua Dariye (08075872***, 08058728***) were said to be unallocated by Glo.
Also, all attempts to speak with Senator Remi Tinubu and Abdullahi Adamu (representing APC Nasarawa West) were unsuccessful as the two senators did not pick their calls. Text messages sent to them were not responded to.
Marafa, who replied the text message sent to his phone, said “Not at all! I have been with this number since the inception of GSM in Nigeria. It was on my bill boards during my campaigns in both 2011and 2015. It is the number known to my friends, constituents and business partners. So, to me, it is normal!”
Recall lawmakers who don’t represent you well – Bishops
The Diocesan Bishop, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Diocese of Egba, Ogun State, Rt. Reverend Emmanuel Adekunle, has advised the electorate to be courageous enough to recall any lawmaker in the National Assembly who does anything contrary to their wishes and aspirations.
He said this in Abeokuta at a media briefing on the 2016 diocesan synod of the church, which began on Friday with the theme, ‘The Beatitudes.’
Adekunle equally said events in the Senate in the past few weeks informed the need for Nigerians to be vigilant, as it appeared that some of the lawmakers were in the legislature for selfish interests and not to make life better for the people.
He said, “It is sad that many of our lawmakers in the National Assembly, most especially in the Senate, were there for selfish interests.
“The recent happenings in the Senate are shameful. I think Nigerians should be courageous enough to recall any of their representatives who are not representing them well, either in the Senate or in the House of Representatives.”
The bishop also condemned Nigerian public office holders for wanting to hold on to power at all cost, even when they were on trial for corruption.
He said, “It is only in Nigeria that public officials undergoing trial will clinch to their offices. In sane societies, once any public official is involved in a scam, and he or she is undergoing trial, he or she resigns and gives room for fair trial. By clinching to their offices, they are using that to intimidate those agencies trying them.
“Again, on the move to amend the Acts establishing the Code of Conduct Bureau and (the Code of Conduct) Tribunal, I will describe their action as that of shameless people, trying to cover their tracks. They are not doing it to save only one person but to cover their own tracks as well. It is quite shameful.
“I think the constituencies where these lawmakers emerged from, should begin to think of how to recall them back home.”
Similarly, retired Bishop of Akure Anglican Diocese, Bishop Gbolanle Gbonigi, supported the idea of recalling lawmakers found guilty of corrupt practices.
He however stated that the process of recalling was difficult in Nigerian democratic system.
He said, “I support the idea of recalling corrupt lawmakers from the National Assembly wholeheartedly. But it is one thing to say that they should be recalled, it is another thing for it to be done.
“It is not only these people that are corrupt, they came out from all of us and very many politicians are corrupt in Nigeria. If you say they should be recalled, who will recall them? They bribed the people to get to the House and they give part of the money they steal to some people in their constituencies. So, it is not as easy as one would think.”
Additional report by Samuel Awoyinfa and Peter Dada
Benin-City Many people may not have understood why Governor Adams Oshiomhole is not backing the governorship aspiration of his deputy, Dr Pius Odubu. Apart from Odubu, the APC is parading aspirants like a former Minister of Works, Engr.Chris Ogienwonyi; a former military tactician, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (retd); a former governor of the state, Prof. Osarhiemien Osunbor; the Chairman of the Edo State Economic Team, Mr Godwin Obaseki; Mr Kenneth Imasuagbon; Comrade Peter Esele; Prof. Frederick Ebegue Amadasun; and the only woman in the race, Mrs Tina Agbarha. The state Commissioner for Works, Osarodion Ogie, was initially in the race but shelved the ambition after his boss informed him of his desire to support Obaseki
Meanwhile, the relationship between the governor and his deputy has broken down in the past seven months, creating factions in the Edo APC ahead of the governorship primary in the state. The crisis blew open after Odubu’s coordinator, Barr.Humphrey Uanseoje, signed a letter with other governorship aspirants of the party such as Ogienwonyi, Imasuagbon and Barr. Omo Irabor, which they sent to the national leadership of the APC where they alleged plans by the state Chairman of the party, Anslem Ojezua, to doctor the delegates list for the gubernatorial primary with the backing of Oshiomhole. The publication shocked many watchers of the politics of the state since it would be the first time the deputy governor will be openly accusing his boss of alleged plot to manipulate the forthcoming primary of the APC.
Odubu’s loyalists and those of the governor had been in the trenches following Oshiomhole’s apparent reluctance to back his deputy whom many perceived has been very loyal to his boss since they came into office. But worried by this development, Ogie, who is known as one of the generals in the Oshiomhole’s political family, took up the initiative to settle the rift between the governor and his deputy. Ogie, in collaboration with the member representing Etsako Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Philip Shuaibu, decided to make this move, given that Odubu has been part of Oshiomhole’s political machinery since 2007.
The intention was to stop the animosity which they believed will help to keep the governor’s camp intact, ahead of the primary of the party. What Ogie did was to put persons also close to Odubu in the reconciliation committee so that the deputy governor will not lose confidence in the committee. As a result, a former Edo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Lucky James, and Chief Gabriel Oibo, who are key supporters of Odubu, were drafted into the committee. This committee held their first meeting on Sunday, April 10, 2016, where they agreed to meet with Odubu first to preach the gospel of peace to him.
When the committee met with Odubu, Ogie informed him of the need to restore peace between him and the governor, saying their visit was on a friendly note and had nothing to do with politics. Odubu was said to have expressed his grievances and informed them that he had nothing against the governor but that he was disappointed that some of his followers were being victimized due to their support for his governorship ambition. However, Odubu informed members of the committee that he was ready to hold the peace meeting with the governor whom he said he had enjoyed close relationship with until recently.
On Monday April 11, 2016, Oshiomhole came back to Benin from his village, Iyamho, where he met the peace committee waiting for him. Apart from the members of the committee, led by Ogie, the state Chairman of the APC, Anslem Ojezue; state Secretary, Chief Osaro Idah; Oshiomhole’s in-law, Victor Eboigbe and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Patrick Obahiagbon, were also at the meeting. Ogie, who opened the meeting, narrated how the group, including the deputy governor, had worked closely in the past ten years with Oshiomhole, saying it would be bad to allow bickering between the governor and his deputy to continue.
The Commissioner for Works offered the two leaders the opportunity to sort out their problem behind closed door while they excused them to do so. Philip, Oibo and James concurred with Ogie, stressing the need for the governor’s political family to be united in the run up to the party primary and the governorship election. Oshiomhole, Sunday Vanguard learnt, appreciated their concern but informed the meeting that he will prefer they were around so they could know the real issues and treat them. His deputy concurred and everybody stayed for the meeting.
Firing the first salvo, Odubu lamented that his office had been starved of funds, his political allies victimized, the governor refused to attend his wife’s birthday and, above all, the governor directed his Attorney General, Mr Henry Idahagbon, and Washington Osifo to write a petition against him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with a view to impeaching him.
The deputy governor further lamented how the governor had allegedly relegated him to the background, expressing shock that the cordial relationship, which had existed between him and the governor, broke down. But responding, Oshiomhole, who recalled how he had backed his deputy in his political battles and his several advice to him as a brother, explained that the parlous state of finance of Edo had even affected his own office and other government offices, and not only that of the deputy.
He narrated how he had been travelling without his aides due to paucity of funds. Oshiomhole went further to berate his deputy for being part of those who signed a statement accusing him of backing the state Chairman of the APC, in the alleged plot to manipulate the delegates list ahead of the primary of the party, asserting that the deputy’s action was a clear indication of an attack against his person. But Odubu, who defended himself, denied being behind the statement, explaining that his coordinator put his signature with some other party members who needed it but never knew what they wanted to use it for. But the leaders of the party expressed their doubt in his defence, saying he should have debunked the publication if he was not behind it. Odubu, however, apologised to Oshiomhole, assuring that such mistake will not be repeated.
Tension in the room heightened when Oshiomhole started responding to the allegations against him by Odubu that he did not attend his wife’s birthday and that the governor had treated him recently like a leper.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that the governor declared to the leaders that he had deliberately avoided attending events at his deputy’s house after it was revealed to him that his deputy allegedly contracted native doctors to hurt him so that Odubu will take over as governor. Oshiomhole said he was informed of the alleged plan by a leader of the party and that he had met with the native doctors whom his deputy allegedly contracted to do the damage, adding that the native doctors admitted and gave him details of how the rituals were executed.
Oshiomhole added that the party leader who leaked the information, who was out of the country, was ready to confront the deputy with the details of his alleged meeting with the witch doctors. He further stated that he could not have attended any ceremony at Odubu’s place, saying he would not want to be poisoned.
The governor’s disclosure was said to have come as a surprise to the APC leaders but it equally elicited strong rebuttal from his deputy who attributed what he described as the spurious allegation to the handiwork of his political enemies. To buttress his innocence, Odubu volunteered to contact a strong traditional doctor in Benin, so that those who accused him will come and take an oath before the gods.
He vehemently denied the allegation and reiterated his loyalty to the governor. But some of the party leaders at the meeting were said to have countered Odubu with his suggestion, informing him that he should have suggested swearing with the Bible since he is a Catholic.
But Odubu thundered that he was shocked with the allegation and would like to clear his name with whatever that will convince everyone. Some of the party leaders at the meeting admonished Odubu to end his governorship ambition. However Ogie calmed the situation and the parley ended on a good note after both parties expressed satisfaction.
As the governorship primary of the party, scheduled to hold sometime in June-July, draws closer Oshiomhole’s foot soldiers, led by Ogie, are working round the clock to ensure a united house. Odubu is viewed as one of the most formidable aspirants in the APC and cannot be taken for granted. Sunday Vanguard was informed that the governor and his deputy exchanged banters after the meeting and a date for another peace meeting was fixed for this week.
The Publisher of Ovation magazine, Dele Momodu, speaks about President Muhammadu Buhari’s government and other issues in this interview with ’NONYE BEN-NWANKWO and GBENRO ADEOYE
What is your view on the state of the country?
The state of the country now is a bit volatile. Don’t forget that a very strong political party was voted out of power last year, so naturally, the tension is still there. But my attitude to it is that the tension can be tackled by the government. There is nothing happening in Nigeria that has not happened elsewhere. In fact, we have had worse situations. In
Dele Momodu
South Africa, Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years and when he came out of prison, he could have prolonged the disunity and the tension but he was smart enough to know that the only thing that could bring about progress in a nation is an atmosphere of peace. So that is what I recommend but unfortunately, some people in Nigeria feel that the tension should continue and that we should fight to the finish. But I believe that I am a good student of history and my attitude is that every Nigerian, whether in the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress, the National Conscience Party, the Labour Party or whichever, must join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue Nigeria and he too must join hands with them.
Do you also feel that this government is slow and that nothing is really happening in spite of its promise of change?
I won’t use the word slow. I’d say we could do better. I’m not on the hot seat; I’m not the President of Nigeria, so there are things he would know that I don’t know. He would have access to more information than the ordinary man on the street. But I believe that Nigerians are very agitated at the moment. I’m seeing a lot of complaints on social media and all kinds of caricatures. You would think the government has been in power for four years. In less than one year, people are already abusing us. ‘You guys are idiots; you brought Buhari on us’, ‘Shame on all of you’. I don’t know if all of these are getting to the government but this is the feedback that we are getting. If you have been reading my articles in a national newspaper every Saturday, you must have seen that I’ve been reflecting that mood. What I know about government and power is that people (who are close to him) hardly tell the leader the truth. They tell him what they think he wants to hear; they tell him everything is under control. “Oh! Don’t mind the disgruntled elements.” In government, everybody is always disgruntled. This time last year, former President Goodluck Jonathan’s boys were busy abusing us thoroughly. There was nothing they didn’t say. But we knew we had to carry on with our mission, based on principle. I’m not a member of the APC or the PDP, but people don’t know. I was just a volunteer. Our generation, I believe, is different. These days, nobody thinks that anyone can do anything based on principles. They think it must be based on political affiliations, religious fraternity and so on. I’m just a Nigerian who wants Nigeria to be good. I’m already 55 years going on 56 and I’m just worried. When the Wole Soyinkas were describing their generation as a wasted generation, I was so sure that mine would not be wasted. But at this rate, if care is not taken, we have virtually joined that generation. No electricity, no water, bad roads, nothing. If you listened to Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s songs in the 70s and the early 80s, you can still replay the songs today and they will be relevant. The same old story! It is troubling for some of us, which is why I said we must join hands with Buhari because if he fails, we are in trouble. The President should also reach out to everybody; it does not matter whether you are a Christian or a Muslim or animist, whatever you are, we are all Nigerians at the end of the day.
Are you saying you could have done any better if you had been elected when you contested Presidency?
Me? Well, it is a matter of conjecture. The Yoruba have a saying: ‘Enu dun ro efo’ (It is easy and convenient to cook vegetable soup by mouth), so you never know until you get there. But if you asked me, naturally, the answer would be, ‘Yes, I would perform’. This is because there are basic lessons I’ve learnt, especially from the lives of some people like Chief Obafemi Awolowo- a life of service. What was the secret? He was able to assemble the best brains around, listen to them and act on whatever quality advice they gave him. Any leader who wants to succeed must do that. Your team must be able to reach you, have access to you, respect you but not be afraid of you to the extent that they cannot talk, take risks, take decisions.
Are you saying that Buhari’s ministers are afraid of him to that extent?
I wrote an article about that recently that Sir (Buhari), you need to free your ministers from this cage. What I see presently is a regime where ministers are afraid, maybe because they have not been able to get over Buhari’s first coming. But this is a democracy, so things must change. We cannot have a dictator. One of the ministers actually called me because I compared this cabinet to that of former President Goodluck Jonathan. In his time, say what you will, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was talking and reassuring the nation. You’d see her onAljazeera, CNN, defending Nigeria, their policy and so on. But that is not the case here. What we have now is a preponderance of media operatives for the government. Garba Shehu says his; Femi Adesina says his; and then you hear from the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. There have been a cacophony of information but this information has not been able to coagulate to reassure Nigerians, who are rightly anxious, that things are okay. I wrote an article titled, ‘Buhari and the burden of expectation’. To whom much is given, much is expected. People saw Buhari as a magician, either rightly or wrongly. So they expect so much from him. So those who are getting angry and asking ‘why are people saying he should do this or that, he has just started? People expected what I call Talismanic results. So they expected him to perform miracles. I told him that Nigerians expect you to perform the miracle of Jesus Christ raising Lazarus from the dead because Nigeria was virtually comatose. So my mind has been oscillating between, ‘Are we fast enough?’ or ‘Are we too slow?’ I just believe that we should jazz up some things quickly and urgently because we don’t have the luxury of time. By May, a year would have been gone. We will enter the second year by May 29 and by the third year; politicians are already jostling for the next elections. So there will be no attention paid to governance again. Now, some people are already talking about 2019. In fact, part of the battle right now is about 2019 when we have not even passed the first budget. So the executive and the legislature must bury whatever differences they have and come together for the sake of Nigeria. The judiciary must assist but what I see now is a fight between the executive and the legislature. People are abusing the judiciary of being corrupt and if we bastardise all our institutions, there will be nothing left at the end of the day.
So are you one of those pleading for more time for this government?
I always tell people that leadership is not about politics but about managing people and resources. A leader must be ready to adjust accordingly. If you are not making enough money from oil, so what do you do? Agriculture is not an overnight thing but you can set things in motion. We should begin the process of making sure we move from a mono-economy to a diversified one. Two, Chief Moshood Abiola used to tell us that when you want to cut your coat, you look at the available material. If it can give you a three-piece suit, fine. But if it can’t, reduce it to a two-piece suit, and you don’t make it too wide. Right now, I’ve not seen any sign of austerity in Nigeria. If you asked for my honest opinion, I think that Buhari should reflect austerity measure in Nigeria, especially in government. The bulk of our resources are going towards funding the politicians. I read last week that government officials should no longer fly first class. That is minor; anybody can fly anything. I fly a lot and I know how to get the best bargains. But you know in government, it is not like that. There would be an agent somewhere who is related to someone in government and he is the one writing tickets and he is writing the most expensive ones. So these are things that the government does not realise.
Do you think that the President should have pruned the size of the Presidential Air Fleet?
I think we have too many presidential jets right now; that is my opinion. I believe that we have too many and even Buhari himself had criticised that before he became the President. So I don’t know what they are waiting for. I think we are spending too much money flying round. Each time they fly, they tell me they have reduced the entourage but I don’t think so. I was in New York on my own but stayed in the same hotel with them last year July during the United Nations General Assembly and I could still see that a lot of the people were just roaming and roving around with nothing to do. I don’t see why the President should travel every time with a full entourage, especially for a country like ours. You may say that Tanzania is a small country but a broke country is also a poor country. We are very wealthy in terms of our resources and assets, but right now, we lack cash flow. So we have to show that we are serious. If my company is not making money, I can’t go and be spending money on expensive lifestyles. It’s about how you manage yourself and I don’t see that yet. We have returned to the days when people think government is about enjoyment.
Pruning the presidential air fleet was one of APC’s campaigns, so do you think all the other promises the party made were a mere gimmick to attain power?
I don’t know. There is a book I like to quote. It was written by a Brazilian author called Paulo Freire. It is titled, ‘Pedagogy of the oppressed’. There are two things I picked from the book. One is that the oppressed man respects and fears only one person- his oppressor. The second one, which is relevant to what I’m talking about, is that the oppressed man is waiting for an opportunity to become an oppressor. The only dream he has in his life is: I just want to be great. I want to get to power. But when he gets to power, the reality is different. President Buhari, I believe, is a man of modest means, humble, easy going, and I don’t think he is overtly crazy about money or primitive accumulation of wealth. I once described him as a man who is like Jesus Christ, but without disciples. If your followers don’t share in your philosophy, then everything will spiral out of control, which is what I think is happening in Nigeria.
Some people have attributed your open letter to President Buhari as a sign that you are still sulking for not being made a minister. Is that what it is about?
I know the number of people who were begging me to do everything possible to become a minister. And I told them: the only reason you want me to become a minister is so that I can go and steal on your behalf. You are not saying it because you think I’m qualified or because you love me. They told me it’s their own opportunity; that I worked for these people. And it got to a stage that even my wife said people did not allow her sleep; they would call her in the UK and say ‘Madam, talk to your husband, he is too arrogant and foolish. How can he work for Buhari so much and not get anything?’ If I was going there for service, nobody would worry me. So the mindset of an average Nigerian is still that government is the easiest way to make money. And with that kind of mindset, what can Buhari alone do?
Were you not disappointed that your name was not on the list of Buhari’s ministers?
No, I wasn’t disappointed. I actually wrote an article before the list came out on why I believed my name would not be there. People were circulating some names. But to start with, I’m not a member of their party. Anybody who wants to be a minister, an ambassador, the first prerequisite usually is to be a member of the political party. It is even almost a constitutional thing. Till today, I have never left my party, the NCP. So if I was desperate for an appointment, I would have left my party. Nobody would drive me away if I want to join the APC. As a matter of fact, my good friend, Rotimi Amaechi (Minister of Transportation), has asked me many times why I have not joined the APC. I said no, I’m not interested. I don’t know how people do it when they jump from party to party like frogs. Maybe it is because I come from a background of intellectualism. I was supposed to be a lecturer but I couldn’t get a job in the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) when I finished my Master’s degree in 1988. That was what brought me to Lagos. So I was already 28 years old by the time I arrived in Lagos in 1988. That ‘village boy’ mentality has not left me till today- ignore all the glamour. I am just who I am. I am happy contributing my quota to the development of my country. I’ve appointed myself as a global ambassador. I’ve been negotiating with rebels in Sierra Leone as far back as 2001. I would go there to visit our soldiers. You see, I read a lot and I’ve watched the lifestyles of the rich and famous elsewhere and I see how they contribute to their societies. You don’t have to be in government to contribute positively. Princess Diana used to go to Angola to campaign against land mines. You see Prince Harry going to Afghanistan to fight alongside British soldiers. Would you see the child of a Nigerian President or king ready to do all those things? That is me. But people don’t believe it because what they see is that he is the publisher of Ovation, he hobnobs with the rich and famous. Yet, I write my columns every Saturday and I’m able to tell President Buhari what nobody would tell him. I was able to write and tell Jonathan what nobody would tell him. When the late Umaru Yar’Adua cabal was holding Nigeria to ransom, I went on the street and I was not a member of the PDP and I never sat with Jonathan one on one. He is probably the only President in recent times that I never took pictures with. I’m just who I am. I’m more of a scholar. My dream is to return to the university and teach the young ones. All the experience that we have gathered should not be wasted.
Speaking of your open letter to the President, it is widely believed that it is when you are unable to get anything from the government in power that you start bad-mouthing it.
Was I a friend of Jonathan in power? I just told you that I went on the streets to fight for his right when he was being oppressed by the cabal. Did I go to them? If I was a friend of everyone in power, won’t I be a member of a big political party? People just talk. Fortunately for me, I learnt from MKO Abiola. When I came to Lagos in 1988, Abiola was probably the most hated Nigerian. Even when I was going to work in Concord Newspapers, it was because I couldn’t get a job in The Guardian. I had wanted The Guardian. When a friend suggestedConcord to me, I was reluctant to go there. I told him people said that Abiola was an Islamic fundamentalist; they said he was a millionaire fanatic. But I got to Concord and everything was different. We had a bush canteen in Concord where we could drink beer. Would you drink beer or smoke in an Islamic empire? People were smoking. So I have learnt from the lives of great people that people must talk about them. What matters is for you to be true to your beliefs, philosophy and principles. Go and check if there was any government that I didn’t know and I was bold enough to tell them the truth. The secret is that I don’t abuse people. When I write, I critique and I proffer solutions. Go and read my articles. When I met with President Buhari, I had a copy of my forthcoming book, which contained some of the articles I wrote in the last five years on Jonathan. I said ‘Sir, I appointed myself Special Adviser to the President and these are some of the things I wrote about him, but he didn’t listen’. I said I hope you won’t mind, I’m going to be playing the same role. I’ve not gone back to Buhari. When I went to see him, I was invited. Thereafter, I have never gone near the place. I’ve not met Lai Mohammed since he became the Information Minister, you would not believe it. And this is a man who has been my friend for over 20 years. I’ve not been to Amaechi’s office. We may have been together when he is in Lagos and in the same hotel or at a function. I don’t run around. Journalists are treated like poor specie in Nigeria; I respect myself. I’m older than most of the political actors on the stage today. And where I come from, we value seniority. If you don’t respect yourself, nobody is going to respect you. So when people talk and say you are defending this and that, I say I defend principle.
Were you paid by the former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Maduekwe, to launder her image with the interview you recently had with her?
That is why some people will rather leave this life of activism because whether you do it or don’t it, people must abuse you. What did I do wrong with Diezani? This is a woman that every reasonable journalist in the world would love to interview. People interviewed Osama Bin Laden. If it was in Nigeria, people would say they paid you to promote terrorism. They would change the word reportage to promotion. That is what they do anytime because Dele is not supposed to be a poor person, he is a flamboyant man, so everything he does must be for financial considerations. What insult! I’m older than Diezani. Look, I’m the only one who knows how I gain access to people. When I contacted someone that I would like to speak to Diezani, the person told her and she said, ‘Ha, no no no, Dele is our enemy.’ That was the first thing she said and the person told me. I said I was nobody’s enemy; whatever she says is what I would reproduce. A journalist must be able to give his word. People are abusing me for interviewing Diezani; what crime have I committed? Did I write in the interview that Diezani did not steal money? Where did I write it? Did I write that Diezani was the best minister in Nigeria? What did I write? Just questions and answers! Is it true that you have cancer? I took pictures with my phone and they accused me of doctoring pictures.
People said you went out of your way to try to launder her image for money.
Oh! Are you also trying to launder my image now by talking to me? No! What are you doing here? If I interview James Ibori now, people will say that I’m trying to launder his image. Is Ibori not a human being? Does he not have a right to express himself? In fact, all the things we fought against under dictatorship are what we are preaching now. It is called censorship. People have gone on exile or to prison for censorship. I was a victim. That is why I go against censorship. If somebody kills my mother today and I have an opportunity to interview him, I will ask: why did you kill my mother? But Nigerians will say you are a bastard, how can you sit and talk with the person who killed your mother? They don’t understand that it is a job. That is the nature of the job. There is no journalist who can be successful if he doesn’t have access to his subjects.
But we heard that you are being sponsored to write some of the things you write and that your open letter to Buhari was particularly sponsored by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Is that the case?
I haven’t heard that in recent time. Before, I used to hear that. When he was taken to the Code of Conduct Tribunal and I wrote in his support, some people who were his political enemies abused the hell out of me. But Tinubu is my big brother. We were comrades in exile. We have come a long way together. I fight against oppression. So did Jonathan pay me to go and demonstrate for him in Abuja? So Tinubu paid me to write that he was being victimised? Jonathan paid me to write that the cabal did not want to hand over power to him when it was obvious that the then President was not well. Some people called me a bastard for supporting Amaechi at the Senate, even to my face. I did not mind them, I carried on with my campaign. Some people are attacking me now for supporting Saraki. Why? Because I said we must resist the impunity of a man suddenly becoming a villain only when government is fighting him. And it happens every time, right from Obasanjo’s time. If a governor was not in support of Obasanjo, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission would go and pick him. I resisted it at that time. I wrote an open letter to Nuhu Ribadu that it was impunity and that it was not good to set fire on an entire village to catch a few rats. His guys came back at me seriously. I almost suedThis Day Newspaper because it was used to libel me for speaking the truth. But at the end of the day, Ribadu himself became a victim of impunity and he had to flee the country. So if they are fighting Tinubu, I don’t talk. They are fighting Saraki, I don’t talk. The day they come for me too, there will be nobody to talk.
The immediate past Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, has left the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Gov. Yuguda
Mr. Yuguda, as member of the PDP, served as minister of aviation under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and also served as governor for two terms on the platform of the party.
He briefly left the party for the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party in the run-up to the 2007 general election after he was denied the governorship ticket of the party. But he soon returned to the PDP shortly after he was elected on the platform of the ANPP.
Mr. Yuguda, who spoke to journalists in Bauchi over the telephone on Saturday said he decided to leave the PDP because the party had lost focus and presently lacked the will to bring development to Nigeria.
The PDP governed Nigeria for an unbroken 16 years beginning May 29, 1999.
It lost power to the All Progressives Congress during the 2015 general election.
Mr. Yuguda did however not disclose the political party to which he is headed, saying he was still consulting his supporters.
“Already I have told my supporters that I will not force them to leave PDP. Anybody that wants to remain in PDP is free to do so and whoever wants to move with me is welcome.
“I decided to leave PDP because the party can no longer bring development to Nigeria, it’s unfortunate that the party has lost focus,” he said.
Mr. Yuguda also prayed for the success of President Muhammadu Buhari in the discharge of his duties as president.
“We must always pray for the success of our leaders because the Holy Quran admonishes people to pray for their leaders to succeed and that is why we should pray for the success of President Buhari’s administration,” he said.
As soon as Mr. Yuguda finished speaking to the journalists, some of his supporters trooped to the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Bauchi where they publicly tore their PDP membership cards.
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, said on Saturday that the Federal Government needed 700 million dollars to upgrade its refineries to produce at maximum capacities.
Kachikwu, who is also the Group Managing Director of NNPC, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen during the re-inauguration of the Port Harcourt/Bonny Crude Supply Line at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Eleme, Rivers.
He said that due to the fact that the nation did not have such amount, advertisements had been signed for investors to come in.
According to him, we are not inviting foreign partners to take over the refineries; the total investment for that is up to $700 million and we don’t have that. Let us be honest about it.
”So, the best thing to do is to find a very creative way to bring in investors, who will come in, work with our team here;
‘’Investors, who have the skills to reactivate and upgrade facilities in this place and help us provide technical support and we will pay through the flow-out of the refined products over time,” he said.
Kachikwu emphasised that there should be no confusion about what the investors would be coming to do, since they would not come to run the refinery.
”They are coming to provide funds to take our performance on these refineries to 90 percent and to provide us with technical skills.
”So, the areas of intervention will be funding and technical support,” he said.
Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Emmanuel Kachikwu
Kachikwu said that at present, Nigerians were consuming about 45 million litres of PMS daily, while the refineries were producing 12 million litres daily as they were working at 60 per cent capacity.
He said that the nation will need to upgrade these refineries and let them develop to the point where they can perform up to 90 per cent.
He said that by the time the refineries were upgraded and they start producing at 90 per cent, about 20 million litres would be produced daily.
The minister said that with such production, it would only meet up with about half of the country’s consumption.
Kachikwu, however, apologised to Nigerians for their suffering due to the fuel scarcity and also thanked Nigerians for their patience.
He explained that the government had been able to recover the two critical crude supply pipelines; which were Escravos/Warri and Bonny/Port Harcourt crude supply pipelines.
Kachikwu said that the pipelines were down for six to seven years but had been repaired and were working and supplying crude to the refineries.
”For the first time, the refineries will get their crude, pay for it, they will sell their products and they will earn the income from that product.
”And then, they can develop and continue to maintain the refineries even after this intervention is over.
”Port Harcourt is back in production, Warri is back in production; Kaduna today is receiving and will soon be back in production. It is something of joy,” he said.
Kachikwu said, ”Lagos is easing off now from fuel scarcity and Abuja is doing the same thing; once Kaduna begins to produce, the North will see a lot of improvement.
”Over and above that, we are putting long term policies in place to ensure that while smaller marketers go out and do their stuff, we can then be the key suppliers for the rest of the country.”
He commended the workers and the contractors for a job well done; adding that he has signed the promotion letters of the PHRC staff as they deserved to be rewarded.
Kachikwu, however, said there is a lot still to be done, ”I told you I will never give up.
‘We owe Nigerians the duty to ensure that the refineries are working. We owe Nigerians that, we can’t give up,” he said.
The minister urged Nigerians to remain resilience, “support what the government is doing because this is the only way to change the system.”
Another suicide attack was on Saturday foiled by men of the civilian JTF and Troops on 7 Division Nigeria Army at Ummarati Village near on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
Soldiers dragging the suspect away
Ummarari community has been recently hit by suicide attack with the last one on a mosque more claiming more than ten worshipers were killed.
In a statement signed by the army spokesman Col. Sani Usman, the suicide bomber blew himself off while he was being prevented by some vigilant troops from wrecking havoc on the community.
The statement read; “Troops of 7 Division Garrison Forward Operation Base (FOB), today averted yet another suicide bombing catastrophe on Ummarari community by suspected Boko Haram terrorist at about 7.00am this morning.
“The suicide bomber was intercepted by the vigilant troops and the Civilian JTF while making attempt to enter the village to detonate his dangerous cargo on innocent persons in the Ummarari.
“The suicide bomber detonated the strapped Improvised Explosive Device (IED) vest on his body, thus killing himself instantly when he was forced to halt based on suspicion that he was carrying suicide bombing material.
“Thankfully, there was no any other casualty other than the suspected suicide bomber. Troops along with the Civilian JTF at the village are now combing the surrounding area to forestall further attacks and clear the environment of likely remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hibernating.”
The Peoples Democratic Party said on Friday that it had yet to recover from the fight that made former President Olusegun Obasanjo tear his membership card.
Olusegun Obasanjo
It, however, blamed its former National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who it alleged empowered Sen. Buruji Kashamu to spite the former President.
It said that the party had yet to recover from the repercussions of the action of the former chairman.
Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Ibrahim Jalo, who stated this in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Friday, also warned that the party must not make the same mistake it made in the past by denying the South-West the opportunity of producing the next national chairman of the party.
Jalo said those who misled former President Goodluck Jonathan into jettisoning the zoning system in the party emboldened Buruji, an action which he said worked against the PDP in the South-West.
He said for the party to succeed in 2019, the South-West region must not be treated with levity, adding that there were capable hands in the zone who he said, could lead the party to success during the next general elections.
Jalo said it was wrong for Buruji to be speaking for the members of the party in the zone, which he described as the foundation of civilisation in the country.
He said, “We were deceived into fighting Obasanjo, a well respected man in Nigeria and outside the country.
“It was our former chairman, Tukur, who (did that) because he thought he could cut him to size by empowering Buruji. It was the biggest mistake we ever made in the party.
“Tukur thought he could use Buruji to reduce the influence of Obasanjo, who was fighting that the party must obey the zoning formula in our party’s constitution.
“But people believed that we should go ahead with the impunity as sold by the few powerful men in our party. At the end of the day, Obasanjo had the last laugh while the party found itself in opposition today.”
Jalo said the party would also be treading a dangerous path if Buruji and his group were not checkmated in their determination to deny the South-West the opportunity of producing the next chairman of the party.
He said it was wrong for the current National Chairman of the party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, to envisage that he could continue in office after the party’s national convention in Port Harcourt on May 21.
He said, “The North has produced seven national chairmen for the party. PDP isn’t meant for the North alone.
“Solomon Lar, Audu Ogbeh, Bernabas Gemade, Ahmadu Ali, Tukur, Adamu Mu’azu and Sheriff are all from the North. Other zones have all produced the national chairman as well.
“But the South-West has yet to produce the national chairman. It is their turn and we must not deny them this opportunity.
“We need to curry the favour of the zone, because that’s where we need votes in 2019. The North is for the PDP and what the people there are expecting is the presidency and not the office of the PDP National Chairman.
“Former Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu started with only one state, which is Lagos but he later took over the entire South-West and now he’s controlling the entire country.”
Jalo listed the likes of Sen. Bode Olajumoke, Chief Bode George, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and Chief Shuaib Oyedokun as possible candidates for the office.
The Nigerian Prisons Service has denied beaten up a female lawmaker, Hon. Onyemeachi Mprakpor as reported in some quarters of the media.
According to a communique signed by the Prisons Public Relations Officer, DCP OF Enobore, The CG aides did not abuse Hon. Mprakpor.
It had been reported that the CG Dr. Peter Ezenwa Ekpendu and his aides pounce on the lawmaker for overtaking his convoy within the premises of the National Assembly.
Responding to the allegation, Enobore said “It is important to state that whereas it is true that the Controller-General was at the National Assembly on the invitation of a Committee to attend to some official issues with some of his staff, neither the pilot car in front of him nor his official car had any confrontation with anyone. He went there with 4 cars and not 20 as alleged.
“However, since it is alleged that the assault took place within the precinct of the National Assembly, precisely at the security post of the outer gate with hordes of security personnel from various agencies including that of the National Assembly on duty, it is advisable to establish what actually transpired from these security officers. The matter is currently being investigated by the Police.
“The Controller-General is a peace loving and law abiding citizen of Nigeria who has never been involved in any act of bravado, impunity or hooliganism and will never encourage any form of abuse on any Nigerian including the Honourable member of the National Assembly and will not tolerate any form of indiscipline on the part of his staff.”
The cordial relationship between Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu, has hit the rocks. Both men are on collision course over the party’s governorship ticket in the election. While Oshiomhole has left no one in doubt that Godwin Obaseki is his preferred candidate, Odubu is insisting on gunning for the ticket.
Oshiomhole
Before now, Odubu was described as the best deputy governor in the country, because of what many termed his unalloyed loyalty to his boss. But, that is no longer the case. He has set up his campaign office within the highbrow Government Reservation Area (GRA) in the state capital and notable members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) are flocking there to pledge their loyalty. But, Oshiomhole has made it clear that he would not support Odubu’s bid. “We came together, we leave together,” he was quoted as telling his deputy.
Odubu, a lawyer, hails from Orhionmwon Local Government Area. His supporters say he is the only experienced aspirant among those gunning for the ticket. This is attributed to his eight-year tenure as a lawmaker in the House of Representatives and his close to eight-year stint as deputy governor. They say Odubu showed his political relevance during the tussle between Samson Osagie and Patrick Obahiagbon; a contest where Obahiagbon, who is believed to be favoured by Oshiomhole, was narrowly defeated.
Apart from Odubu and Obaseki, top contenders for the APC ticket are: Blessing Agbomhere, Charles Airhiavbere, Prof. Amadasun Ebegue and Chris Ogiemwonyi.
Supporters of Odubu say the relationship between him and Oshiomhole has degenerated to a low level. Last year, the sacking of four commissioners by the governor signaled the parting of ways between them. The commissioners were reportedly sacked for holding political meetings with the deputy governor. Those affected were Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Chief Lucky James, Commissioner for Women Affairs Blessing Maigida, Commissioner for Basic Education Mr. Patrick Aguinede and Commissioner for Energy and Water Resources Chris Ebare. Oshiomhole, however, explained that the commissioners were removed for corrupt practices.
Several loyalists of Odubu have also been dropped from one political appointment or the other. For example, Osaretin Edoma, the member representing Orhionmwon in Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Commission (EDSOGPADEC), was kicked out for alleged corrupt practices. Osaretin told reporters he was being victimised for supporting the deputy governor and warned of dire consequences at the polls, if the governor succeeds in imposing a candidate on the party.
In January, the Vice Chairman of the APC and one of the key supporters of Odubu, Gentleman Amegor, was suspended from office. Amegor, who is also the Edo South Senatorial leader, was accused of providing a lacklustre leadership for the party.
Other accusations were that Amegor failed to implement objectives contained in the Article 13.9 of the party’s constitution; he failed to convene regular meetings of the district to discuss and resolve issues affecting the development of the party; and was also alleged to have been engaged in anti-party activities during the last presidential elections, which led to the loss of his unit and local government.
Attempts by Amegor to call a meeting of the APC in Edo South were resisted by some youths, who drove away those heading for the residence of the APC chieftain. The youths laid siege on Amegor’s residence till about 6pm.
Odubu, according to his loyalists, is now rarely invited to government functions or sent to represent the governor. For instance, he was absent at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Okpella Cement Company by the Dangote Group. He was also not present at the visit of the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom and Edaiken N’ Uselu, Prince Eheneden Erediauwa, to the Government House and in February, when the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, visited the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Edo. It was the governor’s wife, Lara, that was sent to welcome him.
Nevertheless, a peace move has begun to settle the political differences between Oshiomhole and his deputy. Sources told our reporter that a meeting was held in Abuja to prevail on Odubu to step down and that the deputy governor reportedly told those at the meeting that he would consult with his supporters. Those close to the Odubu, however, insist that he may have resolved to contest the primaries, even after settling the rift between him and his boss.
A Senior Special Assistant to Oshiomhole on Media, Curtis Ugbo, who was arraigned last week for illegal possession of firearms and making inciting statements against the governor, said his travails began when he started showing support for Odubu’s governorship bid.
Ugbo had posted the following statements on his Facebook wall after the groundbreaking ceremony of the Okpella Cement Company: “What is wrong with my boss? no senior member of government, Speaker and National Assembly member was present at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Edo State-owned cement industry, in partnership with a private company. “Is Edo State now a personal estate of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole?” Government sources said Odubu has distanced himself from the rantings of Ugbo and other political appointees who want to hide under the fracas to get at the governor. Many supporters of Odubu had wanted an all-out war with the Governor, but Odubu opted to remain calm and work towards getting the party’s ticket.
It is not yet clear how many local government areas Odubu could win at the primaries, but some party leaders claim that he has a good relationship with delegates from Orhionmwon, Uhunmwode, Ovia North East and Ovia South West, Owan East, Owan West and Egor.
A top government official, who expressed worry over the cold between Oshiomhole and Odubu, said the latter deserves some respect from the governor and that he is not a push over, as he appears on the surface. He said Odubu helped to stabilise Oshiomhole’s administration by being loyal and not becoming over ambitious in the last eight years.
Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode will have to live without one of his accounts for now.
Femi Fani-Kayode
The account has been frozen by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as it steps up investigation into the alleged N4billion campaign bazaar cash received from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in the build-up to the 2015 elections.
The funds were allegedly withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) and shared to 10 other directors, directorates, zonal directors and state directors of the Presidential Campaign Organization of Jonathan.
Fani-Kayode declared yesterday that he knew nothing about the withdrawal of the cash from the CBN or funding of the campaign by the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki.
But he admitted that campaign funds were paid into the account of a company linked with a former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Usman, from where it was shared to him and others.
He dared the EFCC to “do their worse” in a statement in Abuja entitled “The Money Transfers and the Truth about the Presidential Campaign Funds.”
The beneficiaries may be arrested for questioning by the anti-graft agency.
Details of the largesse sharing are as follows: Fani-Kayode (N840million); Goodluck Support Group (N320million); Achike Udenwa and Viola Onwuliri (N350million); Nenadi Usman (N140million); and Okey Ezenwa (N100million).
Giving his own side of the story,Fani-Kayode said he received the funds from ex-President Jonathan and he is accountable only to the former leader and not the EFCC.
He said the funds disbursed were not from public coffers and these were routed through a private company.
His words: “Our funds were given to us by the President who was the leader of our party through the Director of Finance of the PCO and we were not in a position to inquire into the sources of funding of the party’s campaign. Indeed, it was not our responsibility to do so.
“Once I got these clarifications and confirmations, I agreed to receive the funds into my bank account and use them for their stated purpose.
“The transfers were made and I used the funds to carry out all our operations during the course of the presidential campaign.
“It was an aggressive and well-run campaign and we gave our opponents a very hard time indeed. It was also very expensive and we barely had the resources that we really needed, but we did an effective job with the little we were given.
“The whole nation, including our friends and our enemies, can bear witness to that and they saw the excellent quality of our work. Hardly anyone can dispute this, yet some fail to appreciate the fact that such a strong showing costs a lot of money. Media and publicity campaigns cannot be run on goodwill alone. You need cash and plenty of it.
“During the course of the election and after its conclusion, I submitted detailed accounts of our expenses and evidence of our work to the Director of Finance of the PCO for onward transmission to the Director-General of the PCO and ultimately President Jonathan himself about how the money was spent and they were satisfied.
“Given the fact that these were not public funds, the only legal body that can inquire into our expenditure of campaign funds is President Goodluck Jonathan who set up the PCO.”
Continuing, he said: “I cannot sit by silently as my name is dragged through the mud in this way and I am convicted in the court of public opinion. This has happened to me once before and it took me seven years to clear my name. It will not happen to me again.
“Consequently I am constrained to take this opportunity to state the facts of this matter, set the record straight and await my traducers and accusers to make their next move. It is indeed time to challenge those that are making these allegations and to kill the lie.
“ The fact that my bank account was frozen on the orders of the EFCC two weeks ago without any explanation is proof of the fact that I am being targeted and that those that seek to have their wicked way with me are about to pounce.
“Given this, it is important that all the relevant facts are put before the world before I am subjected to the Dasuki treatment, put away indefinitely and not given the opportunity to defend myself before the public. Meanwhile, in their usual manner, after this is done, the EFCC will then flood the media with all manner of lies about my so-called atrocities which only exist in the figment of their imagination.
“The allegation of fraud and the receipt of public funds from the National Security Adviser’s Office and Central Bank into my bank account are false.
“These allegations are baseless, wicked, shameful and irresponsible. It is not true that any money was paid into my account by or from the National Security Adviser’s Office, the Central Bank of Nigeria or any other government agency or institution last year or at any other time.”
He said the funds were wired into his account and others through a company associated with ex-Minister Nenadi Usman.
”As the Director of Media and Publicity of the Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organization, I was asked to submit a budget for my Directorate by Chief Tony Anenih, the Presidential Adviser to the Presidential Campaign Organization and Mrs. Nenadi Usman, the Director of Finance.
“My team and I prepared the budget and it was approved.
“Rather than collect cash, for security reasons and the purposes of accountability, I was advised by the Director of Finance to open a bank account for this purpose, which I did.
“The funds were paid into that account in instalments at the beginning of last year by the Director of Finance and each deposit was authorized and approved by the Presi dential Adviser to the PCO, Chief Tony Anenih.
“The account that they used to transfer the money to me was a private company account which was owned or under the control of the Director of Finance.
“It was the same company account that was used to send money to all the other Directors of the PCO and the Zonal Directors, State Directors and all our PDP governorship and legislative candidates during the various campaigns.
“ When I asked about the sources of the funds, I was told by the Director of Finance that the funds were sourced from private individuals and private companies who opted to support and fund President Jonathan’s campaign. She told me that no money was paid into her company from any government official, account or agency. This she told me in the presence of witnesses and I believed her.
“ I was told that there was a fundraising event held by our party (PDP) which took place in early January 2015 in which billions of naira were raised specifically for the Presidential campaign. I believed this to be true and I had no reason to doubt it.”
The ex-Minister said the slush funds were shared to 10 other directors, directorates, zonal directors and state directors of the Presidential Campaign Organization of Jonathan.”
He wondered why he has been the subject of “absurd and outlandish headline stories in various newspapers which have accused me of being a fraudster and which have claimed that funds were transferred into my bank account by the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, and by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
Such stories, he claimed , portrayed him as having used public funds for the campaign of President Goodluck Jonathan.
He branded such stories as petty, shameful, nauseating and “ also a reflection of the desperation of those that seek to pull me down and destroy me simply because my opposition to this government has been unrelenting.”
“ In January 2015, I was appointed as the Director of Media and Publicity for the Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organization by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Director-General of the Campaign Organization was Senator Ahmadu Alli and the Deputy Director-Generals were Alhaji Ibrahim Turaki SAN (North) and Governor Peter Obi (South).
Chief Tony Anenih, an elder statesman and one of the most distinguished and revered leaders in our country, was the Presidential Adviser to the campaign organization.
“There were at least 10 other directors and directorates apart from me and mine including the Directorate of Mobilization which was led by the respected Professor Jerry Gana and the Directorate of Administration which was led by Alhaji Aliyu Modibbo. There were also zonal and state directors of the Presidential Campaign Organization in all the zones and states of the country.
“All these names that I have mentioned including all the other directors whose names I have not mentioned are, as far as I am aware, men and women of immense integrity and good character and they have mostly been either ministers of the Federal Republic or state governors at one time or the other in our history. It was an honour to serve alongside such people and I have absolutely no regrets about doing so.
“Yet given the fact that I was not the only director in the campaign organization and in view of the fact that all the directors and zonal and state directors got their funds from the same source and account as I did, one wonders why only I and three others should be singled out for this reprehensible treatment and these false allegations.
“ I chose to remain silent on the issue until now simply because the allegations have not been officially made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or anyone else, but the newspapers keep citing their sources “inside the EFCC” as their basis for these shameful allegations.
Mr. Josef Goebbels, Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s information minister, when Germany was in the terrible grip of the Nazi party, said that once a lie is repeated enough times, it becomes truth to those who are continuously subjected to it. This is especially so if it goes unchallenged.”
Fani-Kayode, who took swipes at the EFCC and The Nation in his statement, asked the anti-graft agency to “do the worst.”
He said: “Yet if this is an attempt to intimidate, silence or distract me, they shall fail because I am not a coward and I do not fear them or those that sent them to torment me.
“As long as Jesus is on the throne and our hands are clean, no matter how long it takes, we shall prevail and ultimately they will pay a heavy price for their malice, injustice and wickedness.
“These are facts and readers can be rest assured that I will say nothing different from this if and when I am formally asked by anyone or any agency.
“When the EFCC begins to leak their falsehood and salacious allegations to their agents in the media, kindly take note of the fact that, as usual, they will be telling tall tales and they will be lying.
“Now I challenge them to do their worse. I have no fear of them or of those who have sent them to do this dirty job. May God judge them all and may He reward them for their wickedness.
“The suggestion that the money was some kind of “cash bonanza” or “bazaar” as has been reported by the leading pro-government newspaper in the country today is childish and absurd.
“If that had been the case, I doubt that I would have been foolish enough to open a bank account to receive government funds or “bazaar funds” as this would have been easily traced.
“If I had anything to hide or if I was doing anything wrong, I would have insisted on collecting cash for my operations which would have been far easier to conceal.
“The fact that the EFCC gained access to my bank account and leaked details of it to the media, including my inflows, is not only a gross violation of my privacy, but it is also unlawful.”
