Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, has given a 30-Day ultimatum to all Miners engaged in the illegal extraction of mineral resources across the country to join notable Mining Cooperatives across the country.
Alake, while reading the riot act stated that all those who violate this order will face the full wrath of the law.
At a World Press Conference held in Abuja, the nation’s Capital, the Minister unveiled a plan to set up a Surveillance Task Force that would include Policemen and other relevant agencies to secure the Mines in the country.
Announcing the 30-day ultimatum to Miners and plan to introduce security operatives which are parts of his seven transformation agenda, Alake said he is perturbed that a country with precious minerals like gold, bitumen, lithium and uranium in massive proportions could fail to use the resources to liberate its citizens.
He said, “I am giving illegal Miners in this country just 30 days grace to join cooperatives or find another vocation. Also, the proposed Task Force will be domiciled in the Ministry and will comprise operatives of all the relevant Security Agencies.
“For the last time, let me declare again that the ministry is giving such persons 30 days grace to join a miners’ co-operative or find another vocation to do.
“On the expiration of the period, the full weight of the law will fall on anyone seen on a mining site without a determinable status. This message will be interpreted into Nigerian languages and broadcast on the radio to ensure no one is ignorant of this directive.
“From October, a rejuvenated security regime will become active in the solid minerals sector. This will include the Mine Police, sourced from the Nigeria Police and specially trained to detect illegal mining and apprehend offenders. The new Mines Surveillance Security Task Force will coordinate the Mines Police and proactively address high-risk incidences of breach of Mining Laws. The Federal and State governments will also be encouraged to allocate the prosecution of cases against illegal miners to competent courts.”
Over the years, Illegal mining of mineral resources in the nation has continued to remain a worrisome trend for the Federal Government.
The Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr. Dele Alake, has revealed that a Solid Minerals Corporation is on the way, as part of the seven point agenda of the present administration.
Alake also disclosed that the Ministry will add, at least, 50 per cent to the Nigerian economy, just as he said the Ministry is poised to attract Foreign Direct Investment to the country.
A statement by Alaba Balogun, Deputy Director of Press in the Ministry stated that the Minister, spoke on Sunday during the unveiling of the ‘Agenda for the Transformation of the Solid Minerals for International Competitiveness and Domestic Prosperity’, in Abuja.
According to him, under the seven-point agenda are Joint Ventures with Mining Multinationals, Big Data on specific seven priority minerals and their deposits, 30-day grace for illegal miners to join artisanal cooperatives, Mines Surveillance Task Force and Mine Police, Comprehensive review of all mining licenses and the creation of six Mineral Processing Centres to focus on Value-Added products.
“President Bola Tinubu has taken firm, courageous decisions that have reset the logic of the Nigerian economy. The removal of subsidy and the adoption of a single exchange rate are among the fundamental transformational policies of this administration.
“This radical approach to making the economy resilient in the long term is the guiding principle of the management of the Ministry.
“The Ministry has to take the bull by the horns if the country must reap the harvest of the trillion dollars worth of minerals under the ground across the country.
“To achieve this laudable objective, there has to be a paradigm shift in the strategy by re-positioning the sector in terms of the human and capital factors that can drive its transformation.”
Shedding light on the creation of the Nigerian Solid Minerals Corporation, the Minister said: “Mining is big business. Nigeria must assert its presence in this environment by replicating its strategic positioning in the petroleum sector by setting up a corporate body that plays in this field.
“Consequently, the Ministry shall work towards the incorporation of the Nigerian Solid Minerals Corporation.”
He explained further that corporate body will have subsidiaries doing business in the seven priority areas that require immediate intervention and focus which include: Gold, Coal, Limestone, Bitumen, Lead, Iron-ore and Baryte.
“Existing enterprises, such as the National Iron-Ore Company, and ongoing arrangements, such as the Bitumen Concessioning Programme, will be reviewed to fit into this new system.
“The proposed Corporation will seek and secure partnership investment agreements with big multinational companies worldwide to leverage on the attractive investment-friendly regime operating in the country to secure massive Foreign Direct Investment for the mining sector.
“The positioning of the national corporation as a guarantor and protector of the partnership agreements is expected to assure partners of our seriousness and fidelity.
“Similarly, the Solid Minerals Corporation will provide robust support for Nigerian businessmen seeking funding abroad and help to authenticate their investment proposals to speed up the commitment of their partners to invest.
“Domestically, the Solid Minerals Corporation will engage the Nigerian financial system, which has demonstrated palpable reluctance to support mineral prospecting and mining because of the long-term gestation of value generation by developing a Fund to facilitate investments in mining at interest rates that will be mutually agreed.”
The minister said the country will leverage on the abundant precious minerals including gold, manganese, bitumen, lithium, iron ore, lead, zinc, limestone, uranium, columbite, barite, kaolin, gemstones, coal, topaz and copper that are in massive proportions to attract investors into country.
Nigeria has an estimated reserves include Gold (1 million ounces); Limestone (568 metric tonnes), Lead/Zinc, (Baryte (15 million metric tonnes), Bitumen (N1.1 billion barrels), Iron Ore (3 billion Metric Tonnes) and Coal, (N396 million).
Following the spate of insecurity in the State, Zamfara State Government has disclosed that it is not ready to negotiate with Bandits.
Instead, State Governor, Dauda Lawal, said he will support Security Agencies to stamp out banditry and other forms of criminality
His predecessor, now Minister for State, Defence, Bello Matawalle, had, at least, on two occasions, negotiated with bandits. His action did nothing to improve the situation.
Reiterating the Governor’s position, Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mannir Mu’azu Haidara, stated over the weekend that the Government is working tirelessly to bring an end to the spate of insecurity in the State.
Haidara added that bad Governance plunged the State into what it is today, and has also left it behind for many years.
According to him, the Governor has started implementing a road map that would see the State emerge from years of banditry and utter neglect of governance.
The Commissioner made this disclosure while fielding questions posed by journalists in Lagos. He stressed that Governor Lawal would place priority on rebuilding communities shattered by years of insecurity and engage in projects of urban and rural development that would fast-track recovery.
Haidara said that the Zamfara State Governor would remain firm in his position of not negotiating with bandits but would rather support all the security agencies in the fight against crime.
“For Governor Lawal, there is no going back on never negotiating with bandits and putting all commitment to making sure that people of Zamfara state live without the fear of being attacked.
“The top priority of Governor Dauda Lawal is making Zamfara state secure and free from years of insecurity,” Haidara said.
On governance, the Commissioner said that the present administration under the leadership of Governor Lawal is currently restoring sanity.
He noted that the first thing the Governor did was to make sure that the three months unpaid salaries of workers left by the last administration were settled, while also giving attention to efforts to settle all other entitlements of workers.
“Right now, some projects of urban development have started and are ongoing; more projects will be embarked upon in both urban and rural areas,” he said.
On education, Haidara pointed out that a plan is in place to make sure that the quality of education is improved across all levels and the learning environment is upgraded to a befitting level.
“Years of bad governance had left Zamfara behind for many years. Now, Governor Dauda Lawal has taken on the daunting task of creating a new Zamfara that will be on track with progress and development. It is a huge task that will require a lot of resources.
“But Governor Dauda Lawal has the will and the massive support of the people of Zamfara state to make this possible,” the Commissioner said.
Haidara also called on the media and other stakeholders to support the administration of Lawal, who, he said, is on a mission to rescue Zamfara State and its people.
Embattled Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, is enmeshed in a very scandalous allegations.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Jarret Tenebe, has publicly accused Shaibu of stealing.
In a petition he submitted to the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun, Tenebe alleged that he saw Shaibu in possession of his wristwatch worth the sum of $250,000 US which was taken from him by the Police when Shaibu, allegedly, caused his arrest and that of others, and tried to frame them of being in possession of guns. He alleged that Shaibu tried to plant the guns on them.
Luckily for them, he said, the Edo State Police Command cleared them after their humiliating detention. He claimed, however, that his gold wristwatch on which his name was inscribed with diamonds, was not returned to him.
Speaking to Journalists at Force Headquarters where he went to submit his petition to the IGP, following his claim that the Edo State Police Command refused to investigate his allegations of theft against the embattled Deputy Governor, Tenebe said he was shocked to see Shaibu wearing the wristwatch at a function both of them attended in the United States of America.
After submitting his petition at the Force Headquarters Abuja, Tenebe told Journalists that he was interested in recovering his gold wrist watch from the Deputy Governor.
Tenebe, who is the Deputy Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Edo State, alleged that he sighted his diamond plaited wristwatch on which his name was inscribed with Shaibu who brazenly wore it in the US.
According to him, “I am here to submit a petition to the IGP against the Commissioner of Police in Benin. Before the election, we were abducted by Philip Shuaibu and his Police Orderlies to Benin where he tried to force a gun into our hand.
“We resisted and refused to take the gun from him. He took us to the state CID where my diamond plaited wrist watch and ring were taken from me. I wrote this down in my statement that my diamond watch was siezed by the Deputy Governor’s Orderlies.
“They took my finger print to ascertain whether the gun was from us and discovered that it wasn’t. Since then, the issue has been there, and my wrist watch, no investigation.
“When I was released, as I was going at Jattu, Philip Shuaibu supervised and they shot at me. I identified them. The matter was reported at the Area command Auchi and was later transferred to the CID in Benin.
But to my dismay, this year, I went to America, New York, I heard about an Afemai event that was taken place in New Jersey, I attended. To my surprise, I saw the Deputy Governor with my wrist watch with my name inscribed on it. I wanted to embarrass him, but prevailed upon because it was outside the country.
“I came back to Nigeria and then reported. Till date, nothing has been done. So I wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police to collect my wrist watch for me.
“If not returned, I will confront him and collect my watch. Anywhere I see him, I will collect any wristwatch he is wearing. All I ask for is that the IGP should compel the Commissioner of Police to collect my watch for me. The matter has turned to issue of theft. That watch is worth $250,000.”
There has been no response from Shaibu, his office, or the Police, but some people insist the allegation could be part of a ploy to soil Shaibu’s image and finally deal with him.
The Deputy Governor has been having a running battle with his Principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki. Shaibu alleges there is a plan to impeach him. A couple of weeks ago, he ran to a Federal High Court, Abuja, for protection against any impeachment plan by the Governor and the House of Assembly. The Court obliged him.
Tinubu undeniably has many skeletons in his closet, but Chicago State University isn’t one of them.
I’m no fan of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Anyone who has followed my writing in the last few years will attest that I rank in the top three severest critics of his person, record, and politics.
But I’d be remiss in my self-imposed lifetime commitment to pursue the truth irrespective of where it leads me and expose falsehood irrespective of the consequences if I ignore the renewed, systematic dissemination of easily refutable lies about Tinubu not having graduated from Chicago State University (CSU).
Tinubu undeniably has many skeletons in his closet, but Chicago State University isn’t one of them. There is no question that the man who is known today as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended CSU for two years and graduated from it in 1979.
His study at CSU—a four-year, state-funded, historically Black university—was shortened because he transferred two years’ worth of college credit from Richard J. Daley College, a community college (equivalent to a diploma-awarding institution in Nigeria) in Chicago, which started life as William J. Bogan Junior College in 1960, got renamed Southwest College in 1970, and got renamed yet again as Richard J. Daley College in 1976.
That Tinubu graduated from CSU has never been in dispute. It was his claim to have attended or graduated from the elite, highly-ranked, privately owned University of Chicago that was a lie, but he later took back this claim and blamed it on an unintentional error by Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi.
In June 2022, when fresh, widely shared, and obviously politically inspired doubts were raised about the authenticity of Tinubu’s graduation from CSU, I took advantage of my being a professor here in the US and reached out to friends and colleagues at the school to help me verify this information.
A friend, who is a professor of English at the university, went to the registrar’s office and confirmed that Tinubu indeed attended and graduated from CSU.
“Please be advised that Bola A Tinubu attended Chicago State University from August 1977 [to] June 1979. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with Honors on June 22, 1979. His major was accounting,” a statement from the office of the Registrar of the university read.
I shared this finding in a June 27, 2022, article titled “A Bola Tinubu Graduated From Chicago State University,” which several news outlets and blogs picked up. I wrote that “A Bola A. Tinubu” had graduated from CSU because I hadn’t conclusively authenticated the identity of the person and didn’t want to make any evidence-free association of the name with then-presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
But as I pointed out in a later column titled “Lies and Truth About Obi, Atiku, and Tinubu,” I can now confidently establish that the Bola A. Tinubu who graduated from CSU in 1979 is the same Bola A. Tinubu who is president of Nigeria today. I know this because the yearbook photo of the 1979 CSU cohort features the headshot of an unmistakably younger Tinubu, even though his last name was misspelt as “THUBV.” I’ll come back to this point shortly.
In the past few days, a seemingly coordinated misinformation campaign has been relaunched to resuscitate the lie that Tinubu didn’t graduate from CSU.
The rehabilitation of the lie is being constructed on a hexad of appealing but ultimately self-contradictory inaccuracies and innuendos.
The first is that a search of Bola A. Tinubu in the archive of U.S. college graduation records yields zero matches. Well, that’s because Tinubu’s last name was misspelt as “THUBV” in his final graduation record. But a search of “Bola A. THUBV” (which one Engr. Stanley with the Twitter handle @Engr_Stanley_EC did) turns up the record of a male who graduated from CSU with a degree in Business Administration (and a concentration in accounting).
Non-Western names are always liable to be misspelled here. I know because I’ve suffered this multiple times. Apparently, Tinubu wrote his name in longhand, as was the practice then, and whoever was responsible for entering the final records couldn’t correctly make out Tinubu’s handwriting. It’s easy to see how handwritten “I” and “N” can be mistaken for “H” and how “U” can be mistaken for “V.”
Of course, it’s reasonable to assume that Tinubu complained, and a correction was later issued for his degree certificate, but it was too late for the information that was sent to the National Student Clearinghouse.
The second trigger for the rehabilitation of the lie is a putative July 8, 2011, FBI letter to the EFCC, which allegedly concluded that its search of Bola “Tinubo” in Chicago State University’s records showed that no such person ever enrolled at the school.
Well, duh (as Americans would say to signal that something is self-evidently obvious), no “Bola Tinubo” exists anywhere in the world. Had the FBI searched for “Bola A. Tinubu” at CSU’s registrar’s office, it would have found out that a person with that name graduated from the school in 1979.
The third lifeline for the revival of the falsehood is that a transcript oddly dated “0/76” from Southwest College belonged to a female.
As I pointed out earlier, Richard J. Daley College used to be called Southwest College until late 1976. So, when Tinubu first enrolled at the school in 1975, it was called Southwest College, but by the time he graduated from it in 1977, it had been renamed Richard J. Daley College.
There are several red flags with the transcript, the boldest being the numbering scheme of the social security number shown in it. The nine-digit U.S. social security number is divided into a three-digit area number, a two-digit group number, and a four-digit serial number. It has always been that way.
But the social security number in the Southwest College transcript supposedly belonging to a female Bola A Tinubu is 231-060-595. That’s an impossible numbering scheme for a US social security number. Plus, the transcript isn’t properly dated and leaves the spaces for date of birth and record of high school blank. These are no trivial red flags of inauthenticity.
The fourth reason some people have infused a new life to the lie that Tinubu didn’t graduate from CSU is that the university locked its Twitter account in response to unremittingly vitriolic denunciations from some Nigerians. They say that indicates that the school is guilty of issuing a fake degree to Tinubu. That’s tortured logic. People and organisations routinely lock their Twitter accounts when they are subjected to an unceasing torrent of caustic online abuse.
In April, a TIME magazine reporter by the name of Astha Rajvanshi, who wrote a profile on Tinubu after he made it to the magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, was forced to lock her Twitter account after political fanatics relentlessly cursed, defamed, and threatened her for doing her job.
Farook Kperogi
CSU is obviously unaccustomed to the quantum of negative attention it’s receiving from a group of Nigerians who are still smarting from the outcome of the last presidential election. It obviously wants to stop it.
The fifth impetus for the revival of the lie that Tinubu couldn’t have graduated from CSU is that Tinubu withdrew claims that he attended primary and secondary schools in Nigeria, which means he didn’t possess the qualifications to be admitted to a U.S. higher education institution.
Well, it’s entirely possible to earn a degree in America without ever attending a secondary school. There’s something called the General Educational Development test (or GED) for people who didn’t earn a high diploma before the age of 18. A close American friend and colleague of mine by the name of Matt Duffy didn’t have a high school diploma. He had a GED, but he ended up getting a Ph.D.
I am not saying that was what happened with Tinubu. I don’t have the facts to make that claim. But it’s reasonable to assume that since it’s widely speculated that Tinubu changed the identity he had at birth, he disclaimed all associations with the schools he attended in his actual hometown in Osun and took a GED test in Chicago. In any case, most community colleges (and non-flagship state schools) have open enrollment policies, which means just about anybody can get into them.
Finally, the fact that Tinubu doesn’t want CSU to release his academic record— and the fact that the university has spurned requests to release his records— is being held up as an indication that he had no academic record there and that Tinubu and CSU are acting in cahoots to cover up a crime.
Well, there’s something called the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which forbids all universities and colleges in the United States from disclosing the academic records of a student to a third party. Every year, I (and all university employees who handle students’ grades here) have to undergo training on how not to disclose students’ records to third parties, including parents, without students’ written permission.
Schools can only confirm directory information, such as whether or not a student graduated from a school, which CSU has done repeatedly. And why would Tinubu accede in writing to his academic records being released to political opponents? Most people won’t, even if it’s just for the pleasure of seeing their opponents squirm in anger and frustration.
Months to the Edo State Governorship Election, former Edo State Governor, Senator Oserheimen Osunbor has formally declared his intention to run for Edo gubernatorial race.
Osunbor made his intention known at the weekend in his hometown Iruekpen in Edo Central District.
The Professor of Law said that he decided to to contest for the coveted office after his consultation with his people both in Edo North and South Senatorial districts.
Speaking at the declaration, Osunbor said charity begins at home and it’s appropriate to let his immediate constituency know first about his intentions to run.
He added: “This gathering is for me to formally disclose my intentions to run for the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
“I solicit your maximum support towards achieving this mission of ours.
He urged the people to bury their hatchets and let bygones be bygones even as he promised to represent them well once he is able to get his party’s ticket.
Osunbor added that it was the turn of Edo Central to present the next governor of our beloved state.
The current Governor is from Edo South, Edo North presented the Minister which now leaves Edo Central to produce the next governor.
”I have consulted widely and everyone seems to be in sync that it is the turn of Edo Central.
“I’m aware of the pains of my people in Edo state especially of the Esans.
I’m not vying because of my self interest but for the interest of the people.
”If given the opportunity, I can assure you that I will deliver on my promises.
“I have intimidating qualifications and have gotten the assurances of even those outside my party that they will work assiduously with me once I secure my party nomination.”
Osunbor who plans to contest under the APC, was a Governor under the PDP before the Supreme Court sacked him in favour of Adams Oshiomhole.
President Bola Tinubu has described his Vice Kashim Shettima as very Courageous as Shettima marks his 57th birthday.
In a statement on Saturday, Tinubu said: “As you mark your 57th year, I take a moment to reflect on the journey we have undertaken together in the service of our great nation.
“Your story, from the classrooms of the University of Maiduguri to the highest echelons of leadership, serves as a testament to your undying loyalty, unwavering commitment and unparalleled wisdom.
“Your courage, especially during those trying years in Borno State, has left an inedible mark. It’s not just your tenacity in the face of adversity that stands out, but the intellectual prowess and innovative spirit you bring to every challenge.
“I’m not just proud to have you as our Vice President; I am honored to count you as a friend. May the years ahead continue to be filled with the same grace, wisdom and strength you have shown over the decades.
“Happy 57th, Kashim. Here’s to many more years of shared success and collaboration. Cheers”
Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have raised voices over rising wave of kidnappings and killings in the State in recent time.
Aribasoye’s concern arose due to Wednesday killing of one at his constituents and abduction of another two persons same day in the State.
The Speaker declared that: “These actions of killings and kidnapping of people were highly reprehensible and condemnable. How can people be killed in such a gory manner? It was senseless and these should be resisted by all men of good hearts and consciences.
“I have received reports of how the evil doers perpetrated the act and I know that their action was to make Ikole constituency 2 unsafe for inhabitants because this could cripple economic activities if the perpetrators are not tamed.
“There have been reported cases of people being feared to go to their farms because of the activities of these evil-minded individuals. This will surely affect individual’s standard of living and income and as well jeopardize the efforts of the state government to bolster the food security status of our dear state.
“Time has come for the state government and all the towns to rally support for the local vigilance groups and Amotekun Corps to work in synergy with the conventional security outfits to upscale their intelligence gathering mechanism to be able to respond positively to the current situation.”
The state PDP in a statement on Saturday pointed out that “It is disheartening to observe the rampant and distressing incidents of kidnapping taking place in Ekiti State. It seems as though there is a lack of effective leadership and responsibility in ensuring the security of the people in Ekiti.
A statement signed by Aare Amerijoye noted that “Ekiti PDP averred that these acts of violence do not discriminate; both prominent individuals and ordinary citizens have fallen victim to these heinous crimes. The situation has reached a point where even farmers going about their daily lives are targeted.
“The Party asserts that it is an act of cruelty for a ruling Party that has pushed her citizens deeper into poverty and displayed insensitivity towards their well-being to be unable to ensure their security.
“A government that demonstrates apathy towards the welfare and safety of her citizens is highly irresponsible and inept.”
On way out, PDP advised that “Community Policing: The active involvement of community members in maintaining law and order can foster trust between the police and the community. This collaboration can enhance intelligence gathering and enable swift responses to incidents.
“Legislation and Judicial Measures: Strict laws against kidnapping must be enacted and followed by swift and fair trials for the accused criminals. This will serve as a deterrent to potential kidnappers.”
Reactions have been trailing Saturday’s Local Government Election in Edo State as the Labour Party (LP) rejected the outcome of the polls.
Publicity Secretary of LP, Sam Uroupa, in a statement, accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of manipulating the electoral process.
“Election materials distributed to the various LGAs by Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) were forcefully taken away at gun point in Okada, Ovia North East council areas. The electoral materials arrived Okada at about 11:00pm on Friday, 1st September, 2023.
“Eyewitness account has it that PDP thugs numbering over fifty were stationed at the entrance of the Secretariat where the materials were taken to, they started shouting and shooting sporadically to scare away all Labour Party(LP) members. We don’t want Labour Party here. It is PDP we are working for.
“The vehicles that were parked beside the hoodlums were all from Edo State Government House, suspected to have conveyed them there. As we speak, both the sensitive and non-sensitive materials are still in their custody.
“As a Party, we consider this as EDSIEC connivance with the PDP led government to hijack the process. If not why would they have to deliberately delay the distribution of materials till late in the night?
“EDSIEC should not make any attempt to announce any result already written in Government House because we are reliably informed that they delayed the distribution of the materials till night to enable the Government House plan of hijacking the process.
“In Ovia South West, it is the same thing, PDP thugs came with sporadic shooting and cart away the voting materials going to Ofunama ward, Inikorogha ward, Udo, Siloko and several other wards. In Oredo ward 7, the voters were chased away at Garrick, there were no materials brought to the place.
“As peak there is no election in the affected areas. The situation is no different in many other places.
“The entire exercise is been hijacked as there is no voting taking place in all the polling units across the the State. Edo Labour Party rejects the outcome of today’s election.”
Unless a miracle happens, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, will be kicked out of his office within Government House in a few days time.
When that happens, it will mark the worst humiliation of Shaibu as a Deputy Governor by his boss and former political ally, Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Obaseki has, according to reports, ordered that Shaibu be relocated from the Deputy Governor’s office, located within Government House, to an office outside Government House. This relocation could mark the end of Shaibu’s access to the Governor.
In the past couple of weeks, Shaibu has faced public humiliation in the hands of the Governor, who according to Shaibu, is not happy that he dared have the ambition to succeed him in office as Governor.
In Nigeria, it is a cardinal sin for Deputy Governors to aspire to succeed their bosses in office.
Obaseki has, however, accused Shaibu of stabbing him at the back, an allegation the embattled Deputy Governor strongly denied, and, on, at least, two occasions, publicly proclaimed his loyalty to the Governor. But he, also, pointed out that his loyalty does not stop him from his aspiration to succeed the Governor in office.
His pledge of loyalty has cut no ice with Obaseki who, in the past couple of weeks, has publicly cut Shaibu to size.
For instance, at the Thanksgiving Service to mark the anniversary of the creation of Edo State, a Security Officer blocked Shaibu from his attempt to greet the Governor, who looked on, unconcerned, as the ugly drama played out. An Aide to the Governor justified the incident by saying “the Security officer was only doing his job.”
A couple of days later at another function, Shaibu’s entourage which included his Media people, was blocked from accompanying him to the function. The Deputy Governor, reportedly, stormed out in anger. In response, the Governor sacked Shaibu’s Media Crew.
Before now, sensing a plan to impeach him, Shaibu had ran to a Federal High Court in Abuja for protection. He was granted, but both the Governor and the House of Assembly denied there was any such plan to impeach him.
Obaseki and Shaibu were both of the All Progressives Congress, APC. They defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, when the APC, under the Leadership of Obaseki’s political mentor and predecessor in office, Adams Oshiomhole, denied Obaseki a second term ticket. Both Obaseki and Shaibu won the second term in office under the PDP. Recently, Obaseki accused Shaibu of plans to defect to the APC, but Shaibu dismissed it as a huge lie.
Shaibu’s new office, according to a report in Saturday Punch, is located at 7 Dennis Osadebey Avenue, close to the Government House.
Reported the Paper: “The building used to be the office of the Edo State Public Procurement Office which was inaugurated by former governor Adams Oshiomhole, on December 16, 2014. In fact, the plaque stating the inauguration date is etched by the entrance of the building.
“A signboard with the inscription, ‘Office of the Deputy Governor’ is erected at the entrance.”
The leadership of the PDP has not been able to successfully intervene in the rift between the two former allies which is likely to affect the outcome of the oncoming Governorship election.
