News of Professor Ekweremadu’s elevation has rattled the National space recently, coming at a time that the All Progressives Congress, APC, government was bent on dragging his towering image to the gutters with allegations of houses owned by the Deputy Senate President in choice places of Dubai, United Kingdom and the United states of America. This has been following rumors, as yet unconfirmed, of his political foray into the presidential ticket via Vice presidency to Abubakar Bukola Saraki, under the platform of a yet to be identified party. Predictably, the Buhari administration swung into action, using some of their attack dogs in the media, who allege that the trial of the Distinguished senator it imminent.
On that score the government can be accurately predicted. This Magazine once indicated that if the Kingmakers of Nigeria, generally called th Musketeers-Abdul salami Abubakar, Ibrahim Babangida, Olusegun Obasanjo and Theophilus Danjuma-will have their way, they will chose a retired Military Officer as the next Nigerian President come 2019. As such the most possible person among all contestants is Senator David Mark, a retired General.
Two days after, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, suddenly remembered that he did not properly give account of his financial stewardship as a former Senate President.
When Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice president wanted declared his intention, his company, Intel, came under tax scrutiny. His expatriate managers wee hounded and allegedly sent out of the country. So it was not surprising that Ekweremadu is having his own run. Bukola Saraki, Senate president, is undergoing his own trial at the Code of Conduct tribunal, CCT.
It is under this circumstances that news filtered in of his grand elevation as a professor of Law at the Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A release by his media man, Uche Anichukwu, indicated that he was intimated of the appointment via a letter from the University authorities.
Ekweremadu, according to the appointment letter dated February 2018, is expected to mentor doctoral students, junior lecturers, as well as take a lead in advising the university’s research centre on academic issues related to e-Governance and Strategic Government Studies.
The university, which described the senator as “a motivation to the Nigerian youths, both at home and in the diaspora,” predicated his appointment on his intellectualism and long experience in leadership in Nigeria and Africa.
It explained that its doctoral students and lecturers also have ambitions to serve in government and not just in the academia and would, therefore, benefit from his experience.
The university’s letter read in part: “Southern University was founded in 1880 and has always been at the forefront of academic research, as well as mentoring of many from the black community in the USA.
“Looking at your academic, administrative, and overall leadership in Nigeria and Africa, you fit perfectly in Southern University’s goal to remain a leading research and teaching institution in the United States and beyond.
“We are excited to have you join our university and our research centre. We believe the background you bring from your pool of experience will be most valuable to the university community as a whole.
“It is our fervent hope, sir, that you will accept this offer.
“Once again, congratulations, Professor Ike Ekweremadu.”
A senior legal practitioner and former lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC), Ekweremadu holds Ph.D. in Law and has undergone executive strategic leadership trainings at the Harvard University and Oxford University.
The senator is an author of several books and has delivered over 25 public lecturers, mainly on the subjects of good governance, constitution making, and the principles of federalism at both local and international fora such as the Osgood Hall Law School, York University, Ontario, Canada; Johns Hopkins University, Washington DC, USA; Parliament of the United Kingdom; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Federal University of Technology, Minna; University of Ibadan; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, as well as several Commonwealth and ECOWAS fora.
Ekweremadu has also held several leadership positions, including local government chairman; Chief of Staff, Government House, Enugu; Secretary to the Government of Enugu State; and is .currently serving a fourth term as senator and third term as Deputy Senate President. He is the only Nigerian that has serves as the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament.
The lawmaker is the founder of the Ikeoha Foundation, which bursary awards have supported over 3,172 youths through their university education, while 68 undergraduates are currently enjoying its full scholarship. Over 12,198 women and youths have also received basic education through the Ikeoha Foundation’s 34 Adult Literacy Centres.
Ekweremadu recognise through Professorial Chair amidst allegations of corruption
Customs: Testing Their Wills?
By Stehen Ubanna
In spite of the ban on the importation of foreign parboiled rice through the nation’s land borders, Nigeria traders had continued to test the will of Customs operatives. On Monday, March 12, 2018, the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Lagos Roving team arrested a bus, loaded with 40 bags of rice within its Ikeja premises.
The bus was said to have loaded the foreign rice at Sango Otta, Ogun state, and was expected to deliver it to the owner in Lagos . The journey to taking the items to the owner’s shop in Lagos was said to have taken the driver to many routes in Ikeja to escape the eagle eyes of the Customs operatives but finally landed at Unity road, close to the popular, Ikpodo market. From the Unity road to the FOU, Zone A, premises is about a five minutes- walk.
It was learnt that the bus had broken down at the scene, forcing a cobbler who witnessed the driver struggling to fix the bus to rush to the FOU, Zone A, premises, to pass the information about the broken down bus loaded with rice .
Acting on the Information, Okpabi Jack, the officer in-charge of the Command Lagos Roving team was said to have abandoned the official files he was treating in his office and accompanied by a Lagos based Journalist to the scene where the bus had allegedly broken down but no trace of it.
The Lagos Roving team boss could not have been patient to mobilize some gun -carrying officers to follow him because of the urgency of the message. He may have felt that further waste of time could force the driver to escape. He was said to have ordered the officers around to cordon off the streets from Unity road to Olu Ayinde to forestall any attempt by the suspected rice smuggler to escape.
Acting the directive, the officers were said to have mounted temporary road blocks on the likely streets to be followed by the smuggler while Jack, their boss, accompanied by the Journalist trekked to Unity road without his Service pistol. Many believe that he could walk down the streets of Ikeja with his Service Uniform because he has no skeleton on his cupboard.
The officer who had accompanied him secretly was said to have boarded an Okada on the way to trail the bus driver to the particular route which he had entered to escape but his contacts with the informant provided him minute by minute movement of the bus. This prepared the ground for other Roving officers who were within the premises to intercept the bus at Ola Ayinde street. Jack considered the action of the smuggler in entering their neighbourhood with smuggled as testing their wills.
When Jack eventually arrived the scene from his long trek to Unity Street in search of the bus, he met the officers surrounding bus. He ordered that an entry be made for the intercepted rice.
It was gathered that when the rice smuggler saw the Lagos Roving team boss , he knelt down pleading for forgiveness but was shouted down by one of the officers. It could not be ascertained whether the alleged smuggler was detained or allowed to go. Efforts to reach out to reach out to Attah Jerome, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs and the Command image maker to know if the smuggler was detained proved abortive. The seizure of the 40 bags of rice behind the Customs premises was coming on the heels of the interception of eight truck loads of rice from Shaky in Oyo state by the Jack -led Roving team.
As a prelude to the interception of the eight trucks load of rice , Jack and his boys were said to have laid ambush in the Oyo state rice smuggling Community for two days, Wednesday, March 7th, and Thursday March 8th, 2018. It was learnt that Muhammed Uba Garba, the Comptroller of the Command was initially reluctant to send the officers out because of the volatile nature of the area.
It was gathered that the Comptroller finally made up his mind to deploy his men to the area when the informant promised to lead the way. A source disclosed that the Comptroller may have paid the informant heavily to volunteer the information . This is to advise Comptrollers who are lobbying to be deployed to FOU, Zone , Command, that it is not a bed of roses. It takes only a Comptroller with a tough skill to be able to deal with the smugglers in the south west geo-political Zone. This is evident with the rice seizure of the intercepted foreign rice from Shaky, Oyo state on friday, March 9, 2018.
An elated Garba who could not hide his joy when his officers arrived with the eight intercepted truck loads of rice from Shaky described it as an ‘accomplished feat’. His joy knew no bounds as Dan Gladima, a Deputy Comptroller General in-charge of Enforcement and Investigation was said to have earlier sent a letter of Commendation to him for his” sterling performance” in the Command in 2017.
Those who had the opportunity of visiting Shaky Community, described the rice smuggling business in the area, as an organized Crime involving the Customs operatives and other Security agencies personnel. Past and present Comptrollers of the Oyo Command were said to have made several efforts to contain the activities of the rice cartel but that was how far they could go.
This is because of the activities of the fifth Columnists within the Security Operatives ranks including the Civilians who monitor the movement of Customs patrol teams at the land border area and information to the smugglers who always change their tactics to beat Customs to it.
Odibo Ochonma, the incumbent Comptroller of the Command knew that he was going to have a running battle with the rice smugglers in the area that he was said to have been fully prepared for them. Moreso, tthe Management were watching over him to see how far he can go in dealing with the unrepentant smugglers. He was said to have dispossessed many rice smugglers in area thousands of bag of rice over the last two months but the smuggling ring had continued in the organized Crime.
Detained Vehicles, Rice
Smuggled Rice Long Way To Release By the Police
By Stephen Ubanna
Barely two weeks after the Dente Divisional Police Station at Oyigbo, in Lagos Mainland of the Lagos state Police Command intercepted and detained nine vehicles loaded with smuggled par boiled foreign rice, it is still holding on to it despite entreaties by the Customs to release it to the appropriate Customs formation that is entitled to be in Custody of it .
The Customs Authorities may have reached out to Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, who was said to have ordered that the nine vehicles load of rice be handed over to the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja which is in the appropriate Customs Formation to handle the matter.
The IGP was said to have directed Ibrahim Adamu, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, incharge of Zone 2 Police Command to liaise with Edgar Iohimi the Lagos state Commissioner of Police to facilitate the release of the detained nine vehicles with its contents in the Dente Police Station with its contents to Customs.
It was gathered that Muhammed Uba Garba, the Comptroller of FOU, Zone, may have been forced to report the incident to Hameed Ali, a retired Colonel and Comptroller General, NCS, who reached out to the IGP, when all efforts to reach a truce with the State Police Commissioner failed.
The alleged intervention of Idris, the IGP was said to have forced Adamu, the AIG, inZone 2, Police Command, to allegedly write Garba, the Comptroller of FOU, Zone A, with a promise to release the detained vehicles loaded with smuggled rice to the Command as directed by the IGP.
Garba was optimistic that the AIG would keep to his promise of releasing the vehicles and its contents to the Command as promised. But as at press time , the Dente Police Station was still holding on to the nine detained vehicles and its smuggled rice contents. When the Magazine visited the station, last Monday, the nine vehicles were still parked in the premises .
A source told the Magazine that the police has made it clear to those that care to listen that it can only release the detained nine vehicles loaded with smuggled rice after inspections of the Customs warehouse facilities to ensure that the items would be safe.
The question on the lips of most people was :why the police are still delaying the release of the items to Customs if they have no skeleton on their cupboard? They criticized the Lagos Zone 2, Police Command insistence of coming to inspect the Customs warehouse facilities before handing over the items to .The Customs, they claimed , are the only government agency saddled with the responsibility to intercept and seize smuggled goods found in the country. Moreso, the Customs and Excise Management Act, CEMA, Cap 2004, gave the agency powers to do Police job but the Police Law never gave it powers to do Customs job.
Eye witness account told the Magazine that there was no basis for the Police to have been involved in the rice matter if there was no conspiracy. The source disclosed that the FOU, Zone A, Lagos Roving team, headed by Okpabi Jack, a Chief Superintendent of Customs and his officers had followed up the matter acting on information until the smuggler left Cotonou port, the Republic of Benin enroute to Nigeria through an illegal route in Idiroko land border station on Saturday , March 3, 2018.
The source confirmed that Jack had placed his officers at strategic positions between Idiroko and Lagos, noting that the suspected nine vehicles loaded with the smuggled rice could have fallen into the waiting hands of Customs Operatives but it fell into the waiting hand of the Police team, which allegedly claimed to be an IGP Monitory team. The Magazine was informed that the Customs had a video clip of the vehicles.
A security expert who spoke to the Magazine on condition of anonymity lambasted the police for delving into an area solely meant for the Customs to handle alone. Appealing to the Police to make haste to release the detained nine vehicles loaded with smuggled rice in the interest of peace and good working relationship with the sister agency.
The aggrieve security expert posits that Police continuous holding -on of the nine vehicles loaded with smuggled rice may not be in the overall interest of the Internally Displaced People, IDPin the camps in the north eastern states of Adamawa, Borno,and Yobe including those in the IDP camp in Edo state, in the south south geopolitical region. this is because the discplaced people are yearning to be fed from well meaning Organization as the government lean budgetary allocation to the IDPs had failed to meet their need due to contending demands.
It would be recalled that since the January 1, 2016, Presidential directive to the NCS to donate all the seized perishable items including foreign parboiled rice, the Customs alone had donated 252,666 bags of 50Kg, which were carried to the IDP camps with about 420 trailers, with each carrying 600 bags.
Investigation by the Magazine shows that much of the rice seizures donated to the IDP camps may have comec from FOU, Zone A, Ikeja , Lagos, going by the number of trucks that line up then to load the Court condemned rice to these Camps. Only recently, in one operation in Shaky alone, the Command Lagos Roving team was said to have intercepted eight trucks load of smuggled rice.
There are indications that with the quantity of seized smuggled rice in its Ikeja warehouse facity, the Nigeria Army Corps of Supply and Transport saddled with the responsibility to carry the Customs seized smuggled rice to the IDPs already had much to load from the FOU, Zone A, Customs Formation alone if the given the nod by Ali, the Comptroller General to resume.
It is not surprising why Nigerians from all walks of life had joined the Customs Authorities to plead with Adamu, the AIG, Zone 2, Police Command and Imohimi, the Lagos state Commissioner of Police to release the detained nine vehicles loaded with the smuggled rice to Customs for peace to reign.
Merkel Takes Oath Of Office For The Fourth Term
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday took the oath of office in parliament, launching her fourth-term government in Europe’s biggest economy.
Lawmakers in Berlin’s glass-domed Reichstag had elected her with a margin of 364-315 with nine abstentions. Merkel was then formally appointed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier before taking the oath of office in the lower house.
Merkel was born in Hamburg in then West Germany and moved to East Germany as an infant when her father, a Lutheran clergyman, received a pastorate in Perleberg. She obtained a doctorate in quantum chemistry in 1986 and worked as a research scientist until 1989. Merkel entered politics in the wake of the Revolutions of 1989, and briefly served as a deputy spokesperson for the first democratically elected East German Government headed by Lothar de Maizière in 1990.
Following German reunification in 1990, Merkel was elected to the Bundestag for the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and has been reelected ever since. As the protégée of Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Merkel was appointed as the Federal Minister for Women and Youth in Kohl’s government in 1991, and became the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in 1994.
After her party lost the federal election in 1998, Merkel was elected Secretary-General of the CDU before becoming the party’s first female leader two years later in the aftermath of a donations scandal that toppled Wolfgang Schäuble.
Following the 2005 federal election, Merkel was appointed Germany’s first female Chancellor at the head of a grand coalition consisting of the CDU, its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). In the 2009 federal election, the CDU obtained the largest share of the vote and Merkel was able to form a coalition government with the Free Democratic Party (FDP). At the 2013 federal election, Merkel’s CDU won a landslide victory with 41.5% of the vote and formed a second grand coalition with the SPD, after the FDP lost all of its representation in the Bundestag. In the 2017 federal election the CDU again became the largest party, and she was reelected to her fourth term on 14 March 2018.
In 2007, Merkel was President of the European Council and played a central role in the negotiation of the Treaty of Lisbon and the Berlin Declaration. One of Merkel’s consistent priorities has been to strengthen transatlantic economic relations. Merkel played a crucial role in managing the financial crisis at the European and international level, and she has been referred to as “the decider.” In domestic policy, health care reform, problems concerning future energy development and more recently her government’s approach to the ongoing migrant crisis have been major issues during her Chancellorship. On 26 March 2014, Merkel became the longest-serving incumbent head of government in the European Union and she is currently the senior G7 leader.
Mourinho Says Manchester United Not New To Heartbreaks
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho insisted European disappointment is nothing new for the English giants after losing 2-1 to Sevilla at Old Trafford to crash out of the Champions League by the same scoreline on aggregate.
Wissam Ben Yedder struck twice in four second-half minutes on Tuesday to send Sevilla into the quarter-finals for the first time in 60 years as United suffered a first European home defeat since Alex Ferguson’s Champions League farewell in 2013.
Mourinho was on the winning side that night as Real Madrid manager and also sent United out of the last 16 when Porto boss in 2004.
“I’ve sat in this chair twice before with Porto, Manchester United out, and Real Madrid, Manchester United out, so I don’t think it’s anything new for the club,” said Mourinho, who bristled at questions over his tactical approach.
“I don’t want to make a drama of it. We have no time to be sad for more than 24 hours, that’s football. It’s not the end of the world.”
The visitors were deserving winners as they controlled the game throughout, but had to wait for Ben Yedder’s introduction as a substitute 18 minutes from time to add a clinical finish by taking his Champions League tally for the season to eight goals in seven appearances.
Ben Yedder put Sevilla in front two minutes later when he blasted into the bottom corner before heading in a second shortly after.
Romelu Lukaku reduced United’s arrears, but it was too little, too late with Mourinho’s decision to once again drop Paul Pogba certain to be scrutinised.
“In the first half we played a good game apart from the last 30 metres,” said Sevilla coach Vincenzo Montella.
“In the second half we were more clinical with Ben Yedder, he made the difference today.”
Mourinho sprang a surprise before kick-off by recalling Marouane Fellaini at the expense of Pogba, who had also been dropped for the first game.
Sevilla dominated the vast majority of the first leg only to be denied by some stunning saves from David de Gea.
However, it was wayward finishing rather than the Spanish number one that prevented the visitors making the most of their ascendency for most of the match.
Indeed, of Sevilla’s 10 efforts on goal in the first period only one weak Muriel effort forced De Gea into making a save.
– Fellaini gamble backfires –
Mourinho’s gamble on Fellaini appeared to have largely backfired as he failed to impose his physical presence on Sevilla’s ball players in midfield.
Yet, the Belgian nearly made the breakthrough with United’s best move of the opening period when he latched onto Alexis Sanchez’s layoff and his powerful effort was turned behind by Sergio Rico.
The second period began in the same vein as the first with Sevilla on the front foot, and only a brilliant last-ditch tackle by Eric Bailly denied Correa a clear sight of goal.
Pogba, who cost United a then-world record £89 million ($116 million) in 2016, was eventually introduced just after the hour mark with Fellaini sacrificed. The frenchman failed to make a positive impact all through the entire duration he was on the pitch.
Pogba’s passes were faulty. He almost made his team concede a goal when he loss possession of the ball in the midfield, forcing Eric Bailly come to rescue with a fantastic tackle and displace Andrea Correa.
However, even the Frenchman couldn’t kickstart the hosts and they were eventually made to pay.
Ben Yedder had only been on the pitch for two minutes after replacing Muriel when he finally broke the deadlock in the tie with a brilliant finish low into De Gea’s bottom left-hand corner.
“Manchester United have experience in the Champions League, it was a special game for us,” said Ben Yedder.
“But I believed in myself, believed in the team and we showed we are a great team.”
Mourinho responded by throwing on Anthony Martial and Juan Mata, but their attacking edge was needed far earlier as Ben Yedder soon put the outcome beyond any doubt when he forced home a corner at the far post despite a despairing effort by De Gea.
Lukaku finally got United on the board six minutes from time when he swept home Marcus Rashford’s corner.
But it was to little avail as United have now failed to reach the quarter-finals for four straight years.
Senator Adamu Accuses Senate Of Sabotaging Buhari’s Government
The senator representing Nasarawa West Senatorial District, Abdullahi Adamu, has accused the Senate of taking decisions that are frustrating the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Adamu’s position was contained in a statement on Tuesday.
He is one of the 10 lawmakers who stormed out of the Senate chamber when the Senate passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill seeking to reshuffle elections, which those loyal to Buhari have opposed.
He said, “I believe we need to retrace our steps and reconsider our stand as legislators on matters of public interest. Our party, the APC, has the majority in both chambers of the National Assembly, yet we hold the executive prisoner of politics that are unhealthy for the polity. It is such a terrible irony that we sabotage our own government by refusing to do our part in support of the executive.
“Appointments requiring Senate approval are held up. The consequence is that the public has nicknamed the President and his administration ‘go-slow.’ The people gave us the mandate as a party to deliver. With our control of the executive and the National Assembly, there is no reason why the government cannot acquit itself and fulfil the yearnings of the people.
“Perhaps, while we are consumed with sabotaging the administration and stabbing one another in the back, we forget that in less than a year from now, we shall be required to seek the people’s re-validation of our mandate to sit in these hallowed chambers. What shall we tell them?”
The lawmaker stated that part of his “crime” was his stand on the amendment to the Electoral Act.
“Me and some of my colleagues were opposed to this amendment on the grounds that it is not the duty of the Senate to determine the order of elections. It had never been part of the Electoral Act and there is no need to deny the commission the right to do its duty as it deems fit. Happily, I am not alone in taking this stand. Some of my colleagues are opposed to it too,” he said.
When contacted, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Shabi-Abdullahi, said Adamu was entitled to his opinion.
Shabi-Abdullahi said, “He is a senator, I am a senator. He is entitled to his opinion, I am entitled to mine. Anything that we did not discuss in the chamber is not subject to my reaction. I am not here to react to whatever he has to say.”
Apapa Traffic: Navy Goes After Truck Drivers
Clears Bridges of Trailers
By Bayo Bernard
Painstaking effort by the Governor of Lagos state, Akinwumi Ambode to address the Apapa traffic gridlock appears to be yielding result. For the first time in many years Nigerians living and working in Apapa and environs are upbeat that the traffic snare will be broken following the decision of the Lagos state government to move all trucks and articulated vehicles away from all the bridges inward Apapa from Mile 2, Costain, Eko Bridge and from the Bdagry expressway end.
The state government had recently collaborated with the security forces in the country, including the Navy and Nigerian Army to bar the trucks from packing on the bridges leading to the Apapa, the nation’s premier ports and Tin can.
The first phase of moving the trucks have already started as the magazine has observed. The Flag officer Commanding, Western Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Sylvanus Abbah reiterated on Monday no going back on the order. The directive” to move the trucks away from the bridges remains,” HE stated, adding that” We do not want trucks on Lagos bridges” warning that” we would not stop until” truck owners comply. His warning came following suggestions by some truck owners that they will not comply with the order.
An all-encompassing stakeholders meeting with the state government held two weeks ago had resolved to use the military to dislodge trucks from the bridges . At the well-attended meeting by Truck owners and drivers Association, Shipping companies, representatives of customs and freight forwarding associations, government agencies and others it was resolved that security agencies carry out painstaking effort to clear the bridges within few days.
Most trucks are parked indiscriminately on the bridges by drivers who sometimes have nothing to do in the ports at that particular time. They have simply turned the bridges to parking space, one resident of Apapa, Yusuf Sule told the magazine. For years the trend has persisted while the authorities remained helpless.
Residents that could not bear the problem had relocated while those that are still managing to survive in the area have complained bitterly about the situation. Businesses have also suffered as a result of the traffic confusion. But the latest decision of the state government is not unconnected with lamentation by concerned Nigerians of possible collapse of the bridges due to the weight articulated vehicles. If such happens could lead to huge loss of human life, according to expers.
Recently on a working visit to Apapa, President of Dangote Group, Ali Dangote lamented that the menace was killing business. He disclosed that his company loses billion of naira annually to the problem. Recall that the construction of the company have embarked on the construction of some roads in Apapa to ease the congestion.
Over N4 billion have been earmarked for the project, a partnership between Dagote Group, Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA and Flower Mills Plc. This is aside the palliative work been done by other concerned stakeholders doing business in the area, though all the efforts have somehow failed to address the problem.
Therefore, the decision of the Governor Akinwumi Ambode administration to swing into action this time around by enforcing the no-parking-on-the-bridge directive, stakeholders insist is the first step in the right direction to permanently address the issue.
Already security agencies have started working to ensure compliance. The magazine learnt that the ‘vacate the bridge order’ will be carried out by combine effort of the Nigerian Police, Civil Defense, Army and the Navy. This is happening after the 48 hours window given to the truck owners have expired.
Rear Admiral Abbah disclosed that his men has started “ the enforcement in batches” to prevent a traffic standstill in the state. “if we cover all the bridges at once, there will be standstill in Lagos and we do not want that to happen. He said his men have already moved trucks around Berger and Otto Wharf while” those of Orile are being moved in batches of 10 or 20”.
The next stage is to “go after those ones still on Eko Bridge,” Abbah said.
Customs: Mohammed Wins Double
By Bayo Bernard
Last Friday March 9 was a historic one for Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba, Controller in charge of Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A. Mohammed sat in his office that day as usual not knowing what fate had in the kitty for him. The big bang for him came later that day when he got a letter of recommendation from his boss in Abuja, Col Hameed Ali( rtd) appreciating giving him a head up for the anti-smuggling effort since he became head of the Unit.
Early that day in his office he had narrated to the magazine his frustration with some powerful people in the country, in his quest to end the evil trade of smugglers who were bent on sabotaging the economy. On his part as the head of the unit Comptroller Mohammed, told the magazine that he alongside his men will not stop their patriotic duty of giving smugglers hell in line with the mandate given to him by Ali, the no-nonsense CGC.
Before the end of that day, however, Comptroller Mohammed had already walked the talk. His men made a big seizure of truck load of imported parboil rice heading to the country from Benin Republic. The rice had entered the country through the notorious Idiroko border, in Ogun state.
In a way the seizure was a respite for the controller who had earlier expressed his frustration in trying to recover nine truck load of Thailand parboiled intercepted by his men recently, but was forcefully taken to custody by some elements in the Nigerian Police Force who also stopped the suspects from being arrested.
According to information gathered by the magazine, the Customs headquarters in Abuja has swung into action with a view to get the nine trucks of foreign parboiled rice handed over to the Unit.
Meanwhile, Controller Mohammed is elated that his men are not discouraged despite the setback with the police. For him Friday, March 9 was a turning point in his career.
APC Crisis: Buhari Risks Recall
By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
A faction of the All Progressives Congress APC fiercely loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari is weighing options as to how best to counter another faction of the party opposed to the President and plotting parallel National Working Committee, NWC and National Executive Committee, NEC and state chapters across the federation.
Both factions are aiming at each other’s jugular. Reliable party sources told the Magazine that the coming second APC NEC meeting will either make or mar the party. One of the factions has warned against formal extension of the tenure of John Oyegun, APC National Chairman which is being planned at the NEC meeting. The party’s NEC met last month and pronounced Oyegun’s tenure which was due to expire in June extended.
However, the announcement was immediately followed by flurry of condemnations, litigations and threat of litigations by some party stalwarts on the ground that the move violated APC’s constitution.
June is three months away and so, to avoid constitutional encumbrance to having Oyegun superintend President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination and re-election campaigns for next year’s presidential election, The source has learnt that since the APC constitution recognizes interim or acting chairman, the coming NEC meeting will avoid the word, “extend” and simply say the APC National Chairman will remain in office as acting Chairman at the expiration of his tenure.
The pro- Buhari faction insists on retaining Oyegun because it is worried that a national convention before next year’s presidential election will not only oust the former Edo state governor but will enthrone new helmsmen at the national and state levels of the party propped up by eggheads who are not interested handing the APC 2019 presidential ticket to the president.
However, formal extension of Oyegun’s tenure at the second APC NEC meeting, an insider informs, will immediately see the anti-Buhari faction take a number of far-reaching measures that will not only bring APC to its kneels but severely damage Buhari’s second term bid.
Essentially, apart from setting up parallel national and state Executive chapters of the party, the faction is also planning an elaborate convention where a substantive national chairman will be elected and President Buhari recalled and barred from seeking second term, in the manner, South Africa’s African National Congress, ANC treated former President Jacob Zuma.
Keen followers of the unfolding crisis in APC opine that one of the fall outs would be massive defections from the party to either ex ruling party, People’s democratic party, PDP or the Social Democratic Party, SDP currently being speculated as the much talked about Third Force to undo both APC and PDP and snatch power next year.
Plane Catches Fire While Landing, Leaving Scores Dead
At least 40 people were killed and 23 injured when a Bangladeshi passenger plane crashed near Kathmandu airport Monday, an official said.
“Thirty-one people died at the spot and nine died at two hospitals in Kathmandu,” police spokesman Manoj Neupane told AFP, adding another 23 were injured.
There were 67 passengers and four crew on board the US-Bangla Airlines plane from Dhaka.
The plane crashed after catching fire while trying to land.
Witnesses described seeing the plane flying at a low height before crashing onto a football pitch at Nepal’s only international airport in the capital, Kathmandu.
Amanda Summers, an American who works in Nepal, watched the crash happen from the terrace of her home office.
“It was flying so low I thought it was going to run into the mountains,” she said.
She said it was unclear if it had reached the runway when it landed. “All of a sudden there was a blast and then another blast,” she said.