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British High Commissioner To Hand Over Stolen Bronze To Benin Monarch

By
Ayodele Oni
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Oba of Benin Palace

By Ayodele Oni

The Federal Government is set to return some of the stolen Artefacts from Benin to its original owners.

An event has been slated for next week in Benin city, Edo state, during which recovered Artefacts from Britain will be handed over to their original owners.

The process of recovering and returning the Artefacts has been thorny issue between Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Oba of Benin, Ewuare 11.

Governor Obaseki was reported to have hired a private consultant to take charge of the processes, an action which the monarch kicked against.

In a letter dated 3rd December, 2021, and signed by the secretary to the Oba of Benin, Mr  Frank Irabor disclosed that President Mohamadu Buhari has approved the return of some of the Artefacts directly to Benin monarch.

The letter, which reference BTCA40/volLVV/38, stated that two Bronzes already returned by two foreign institutions are to be handed over to the Benin monarch.

“In the name of God and Royal ancestors, the Benin Traditional Council on behalf of His Royal Majesty, Omo N’oba Uku Akpolokpolo Ewuare 11, Oba of Benin, wishes to inform the general public that His Excellency, President Mohamadu Buhari has graciously directed Nigeria High Commissioner to Britain to commence the return of the Artefacts looted from the palace of Oba of Benin in 1897 by the British government.

“The British High Commissioner will personally return the two Benin Bronzes recently handed over by Jesus College, Cambridge in Britain and University of Aberdeen in Scotland to His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin.

“This very unique auspicious occassion would take place on Monday, 13th December, 2021, at 11 am in Oba of Benin palace.

“Furthermore, this very traditional and royal event will also be an occassion to mark the celebration of the fifth coronation anniversary of the Oba which should have come up earlier in October, but postponed.

“The general public is hereby invited to join the Oba in receiving the Benin Bronze cast of Okpa Cockerel and Benin Bronze burst of an Oba.

“The Oba of Benin and good people of Edo state thank Mr President for this directive.

“This further shows that the federal government is the only constitutional authority to receive in custody Benin Bronzes and other Artefacts before being sent to their original owners, the Oba of Benin.”

EKSU Speaks On How Students Were Defrauded By Scammers

By
Ayodele Oni
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Ekiti State University

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State University (EKSU) Ado Ekiti, has for the first time, admitted that fraudsters ripped off some of its students while trying to make payments through the University’s portal.

Report of how some staff of the University defrauded the students when they successfully hacked into the University’s payment portal went viral last year, but Management kept mute.

Workers’ Unions at the University had, early this year, given the Management an ultimatum to discipline some of the staff fingered and arrested by the police in connection with the scam.

However, a statement by the University on Monday blamed some of the affected students, accusing them of flouting its directive on the mode of payment of fees.

The University’s Head, Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs, Mr Bode Olofinmuagun, who signed the statement, explained that the clarification became necessary in order not to mislead and misinform parents and the public on the issue.

He also said that it was in reaction to a recent publication on the fees fraud captioned, “EKSU students cry out as Varsity voids over N10 million school fees.”

Mr Olofinmuagun stated that the affected students disregarded the University’s policy on procedure for payment of fees and charges.

According to him, the institution had put in place the implementation of e-collection policy for the payment of all fees and charges and that the policy was part of control measures to check fraud and other irregularities.

“In line with the policy, the procedure for payment of fees and charges was uploaded on the University’s portal and website.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the procedure includes the use of username and personal password associated with each student.

“It was clearly stated that the release of username and password to a third party or external person is at the student’s risk.

“However, in spite of the above warning and after thorough investigation, it was discovered that the defrauded students disregarded the policy on procedure for payment and on their own volition, decided to pay their fees for the 2018/2019 academic session into the personal accounts of the fraudsters, rather than the University’s designated and profiled bank accounts.

“During investigation, some of the defrauded students made confessional statements, while some of them, after realising their mistakes, have made correct and genuine payments into the University’s designated accounts.

“It is equally important to let the general public know that the perpetrators of the scam were arrested by a law enforcement agency and later released on bail.

“The University Management wishes to assure that it would cooperate with the relevant law enforcement agencies to ensure that those defrauded get their monies refunded.’”

Group Demands Control Of Ebube Agu, Kanu’s Release

By
Uche Mbah
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0
Damian Okafor

By Uche Mbah

The umbrella body of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youths Worldwide, has urged South- east Governors to ensure youths take over the Government-approved security outfit, Ebube Agu.

They also urged  President Muhammadu Buhari to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and 19 others under detention for treason.

The Governors jointly established an outfit, Ebube Agu, to counter-balance the activities of the Eastern Security network, ESN, an outfit established by the IPOB. Besides, there are the unknown gunmen who Government insists are part of the ESN, but who IPOB claims are fifth columnists working for Government to produce false flags.

The OIYW, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mazi Chika Adiele, advised Buhari to re-evaluate the whole security architecture.

“We are alarmed that since the advent of our nascent democracy, successive leaders has learnt no useful lessons from our malady”, he said

“Though nation-building and nation branding policies are in principle available to all countries, we assert that the opportunities and potential benefits of such strategies strongly depend on countries’ historical, demographic, cultural, and socioeconomic conditions.

“Nigeria (is burdened) with colonial legacies, and a profoundly heterogeneous society, and weak economic foundations. It is pertinent to identify a home grown solution in halting this drift.

“Nigeria, is unfortunately at the precipice; citizens are now at the mercy of economic buccaneers whose sole purpose is to engineer clash and divert our attention from the realities of our time.

“The Igbo youths under the leadership of Engr Damian Okafor rightly feels alienated and bewildered over the lack of clarity of vision demands that President Mohammadu Buhari, rejig his administration’s security architecture to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians, and also bridge the gap between the leaders and the led.

“That the Federal Government should, immediately, declare a state of emergency to deplorable South-east roads, which have turned death traps.

“That Ndigbo Youth, should be given a level playing field, and empowered economically like their counterparts in other part of the country so as to enable us discharge our civic duties, and expedite action on the release of 19 Igbo youths who are being persecuted on trumped up charges.

“That the illegal detention of our brother and son Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, be revisited and subsequently released with immediate effect,” The Group demanded.

LG Election: Rights Group Commends Ekiti Electorate, Highlights Area Of Improvement

By
Akinwale Kasali
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NHRC

By Akinwale Kasali

The people of Ekiti State have been commended for the peaceful Local Government elections held on Saturday.

In a statement issued on Monday, December, 6th, 2021, from its preliminary reports of the election monitoring, the Nigerian Human Rights Community, NHRC, said the conduct of the election by the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission, EKSIEC, without any incidence of violence, disruption or snatching of ballot papers remains one of the strengths and opportunities associated with election and democracy in Nigeria.

“Despite the challenges Nigerians face, their preference is for democracy” the group said.

The NHRC which deployed observers and monitors in many of the  177 wards and over 140 towns and villages said there was no incident of violence adding that it was commendable that armed personnel including Amotekun were not deployed across the State to man the polling units during the elections compared with what has been seen in other States of the Federation.

“It is commendable that the State Security organ, Amotekun was not dragged into local politics in this context’, the group said

According to the NHRC ‘We observe that voters exercised their rights without threats, violence or authority bully. There were no reports of violence, killings or snatching of ballot papers. Despite the security situation across the country, the election was hitch free, SEIC staff who moved from some communities to the other were not attacked  while there were no noticeable cases of vote buying in any of the polling units monitored”

The group said the capacity of States to determine their political future is not in doubt, where there are doubts, such do not suggest that the Federal Government is better placed to conduct a superior Local Government elections, the coalition said.

The NHRC had deployed 254 monitors across 177 wards in the 16 Local Government and Local Government Development Areas, (LCDAs)

The group said the peaceful atmosphere of the election reflects the confidence of the people in democracy as the best alternative and also an expression of public confidence in the state’s electoral body.

The group commended the early arrival of voting materials and SEIC officials in majority of the polling units, the ability of SEIC to provide enough voting materials in all the units and the efficiency with which the SEIC personnel rendered their obligations adding that many states in Nigeria have a lot to learn from Ekiti State.

NHRC said the voting was orderly and organised in a way that is above the national average

The NHRC however listed some fault lines which included the following:

Distribution of polling units in Ekiti State does not meet the needs of many rural communities where voting units were sparsely stationed denying many voters  in rural areas easy access to polling units. The group said the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) should increase the number of polling units in Ekiti North, Ekiti East and Ekiti Central especially in local communities and farm settlements in the senatorial districts before the next National Elections. It urged the affected communities, SEIC and all stakeholders in the state to lead the campaign for more polling units in Ekiti State before the next elections.

NHRC also said the turn out was low, though above the national average. The group said not a single factor is responsible for the low turnout citing among others historic lack of voters’ interests in community governance, low funding of Local Governments by the Federal Authority leading to minimal impact on the political economy by local administrators which affects public interests in Local Government and also lack of community structures and effective presence of many of the registered political  parties who appear to  focus mainly on National Elections.

The NHRC said in the build up to the Ekiti Local Government election, while the ruling party engaged in aggressive campaigns, the other political parties appeared not to make any attempt to either campaign or mobilise their supporters to participate in the election.

The group said such resignation to fate is self defeatist and should not be encouraged by the opposition.

The coalition said the vigorous campaign of the ruling party suggested that the party did not assume easy victory at the poll ab initio.

NHRC said the boycott of the election by the main opposition, the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) may have affected greater engagement in the electoral process adding that the opposition is advised to constructively engage the electoral process instead of outright boycott of future elections.

Zenith Bank Boss Named CEO Of The Year At SERAS CSR Africa Awards

By
Bayo Bernard
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0

By Fola James

Zenith Bank’s Group Managing Director/ chief executive officer, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, has emerged CEO of the Year for a second consecutive year at the Sustainability, Enterprise and Responsibility, SERAS CSR Africa Awards held at the weekend in Lagos. According to the judges, he was selected for a number of reasons, including engendering a culture that promotes the continued investment in social initiatives in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. Under his leadership, the Zenith Bank’s social investments totaled NGN3.285 billion in 2020, representing nearly two per cent of the Bank’s profit after tax.

The judges found him worthy for his commitment to promoting sustainability and responsible business practices in Nigeria, by his frontal leadership of sustainability in Zenith Bank, thereby enabling best industry practices in the banking sector, and for his passion for reducing carbon emissions in the Bank’s operations.

The bank also emerged winner in four other categories at the SERAS CSR Africa Awards, carting home the awards for “Best Company in Reporting and Transparency”, “Best Company in Infrastructure Development”, “Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment”, and the coveted “Most Responsible Organisation in Africa”.

Zenith Bank was adjudged the Most Responsible Organisation in Africa, winning the overall best sustainability award, for its continued commitment to the tenets of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility, within its immediate community and in the society at large.

The commercial Bank also emerged as the winner in the category for Reporting and Transparency for its consistency in disclosing and communicating its sustainability journey and progress annually vis-a-vis environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, in line with the guidelines and protocols set by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Nigeria Sustainable Banking Principles (NSBP), NigerianExchange (NGX), United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), and United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). The Bank also ensures the assurance of its sustainability report by reputable independent third parties. In 2021, the Bank’s 2020 sustainability report was assured by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and disseminated through the Bank’s website for the public and sent to all relevant stakeholders, including the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC).

In the infrastructure development category, the Bank was voted winner for its nation-building initiatives and investments, including supporting efforts towards establishing basic services and functional security, governance, and economic and infrastructure systems, especially in Nigeria. As a testament to this and in demonstration of its commitment to the development (often referred to as reform, restructuring and rebuilding) of the Nigeria Police Force for the preservation of law and order, protection of life and property, and law enforcement in Nigeria, the Bank supported the Lagos State Security Trust Fund with N500,000,000.00 for the provision of security-enhancing facilities and infrastructure. This is in addition to contributions to other state security trust funds.

The lender was adjudged winner in the category for the Best Company in Promotion of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment for its Z-Woman initiative, which offers credit facilities to women-owned businesses at a single-digit interest rate and for a gender-balanced workforce (Women make up about 50 per cent of employees). During the reporting period, the number of women and women enterprises supported by the Bank, through the Z-Woman initiative, grew by 88.7 per cent, from 391 in 2019 to 738 in 2020.

SERAS is an initiative of TruCSR which celebrates and promotes investments by corporate organisations in the society through CSR and sustainability initiatives. It made its debut in 2007, and participation was opened to other countries of Africa in 2016.

The 2021 awards featured 387 projects by 97 organisations across Africa. The SERAS Jury Board consists of global thought and best-practices leaders from around the world such as Maria Sillanpaa (Finland); Nyasha Gwatidzo (Zimbabwe); Adesuwa Onyenokwe (Nigeria); Amjed Achour (Morocco); Charles Ojei (Nigeria); Ellen Gunning (Ireland); Gina Din-Kariuki (Kenya); Indira Kartallozi (England); Lampe Omoyele (Nigeria); Paul Kapelus (South Africa); and Scott Walker (England).

FG Acquires $29m Vaccines Amid Omicron Surge

By
Bayo Bernard
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0
Covid-19 Drug

By James Orji

Amidst the surge of Omicron, the new covid 19 variant in Nigeria the federal government has dislosed that it has procured the johnson and Johnson vaccine for $29 million. This was revaled by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire. The development also comes on the back of suggestions by health experts that many Nigerians are not prepared to take the vaccine.

Vice president Yemi Osinbajo recently said barely four per cent Nigerians will have taken the vaccine by the end of the year despite the various covid vaccines donation received from friendly nations and development partners such as the World Bank, EU US and the World Health Organisation, WHO.

“Although we have received some help from friendly nations and the Covax alliance, less than four per cent of our eligible population will have been vaccinated by the end of the year. There is no question that we cannot afford not to have our own vaccine production facilities,” Osinbajo said.

Worried by the attitudes of many Nigerians to the vaccines, the fedreal  government  recently enforced the no-vaccine jab no -work for federal civil servants by preventing un-jabbed workers from entering their offices.

Speaking on a Channels Television programme on Sunday, the minister said 40 million doses of the vaccine has been procured by the federal government, noting that the vaccines will be received in batches.

The mnister said “the 40 million doses will come in stages. We have not requested that they be brought in bulk because we are going to be receiving them as we are dispensing them. In addition to that, we have received doses from partners, friends, and other countries all going through the Covax facility and the Covax facility collates all vaccines that other countries want to give to us.”

He allayed fears over the surge of Omicron across the world, adding that the government will require the cooperation of all Nigerians to tackle the virus, saying there is no fatality yet in the country, though he expressed sadness imposed on Nigeria and many African countries by the United Kingdom, UK following the rising number of Omicron across the continent.

The UK secretary of health, Said Javid in a tweet at the weekend said, the  imposition of a travel restriction on citizens of Nigeria following is as a result of an increase in the number of cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 across the world.

He tweeted, “In light of the most recent data, we are taking further action to slow the incursion of the Omicron variant. From 4am on Monday, only UK/Irish citizens and residents travelling from Nigeria will be allowed entry and must isolate in a managed quarantine facility.

“And from 4am on Tuesday, anyone travelling to the UK from countries not on the Red List will be required to take a pre-departure test, regardless of their vaccination status.Vaccines remain our first line of defence— the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones. Please get vaccinated or #GetBoosted as soon as you can.”

The travel restrictions  took effect from 4 am on Monday December 6

Lagos 2023, Why I Dumped APC – Jandor; APC Calls Him A Mole

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

It was no  surprise that Leader of Lagos4Lagos Group, Olajide Adediran, popular as Jandor, defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to opposition Party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

For months,  there has been  disenchantment in the Lagos APC, over the running of the affairs of the Lagos State APC. The Jandor group had, especially, complained about the stranglehold of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the party. Tinubu’s leadership style did not augur well with the grass root politician and mobilizer. Thus, Jandor was persuaded to join the PDP train.

The Jandor Group, a faction of the APC in Lagos State formally joined the PDP over the weekend. They were received by former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.

According to Jandor, he left APC because the leadership was not ready to be focused unlike PDP.

“Everybody knew the events that led to our defection. We have seen that they (APC leadership) are not ready for anything. And for us, we have a vision and we are focused on it.

“We all saw what the PDP did during their congresses. They held a rancour free congress from the ward, local government, state and as well as the national levels.

“We are focused and we have the numbers. We have weighed other options and we believe it is better we move our structure to a political party that equally has a structure. You know structure wins an election.

“I am sure you know that our going into the PDP is to join forces with the opposing camp who has been longing to wrestle power from the ruling APC in Lagos State.”

Reacting to Jandor’s defection, the Lagos State APC spokesman, Seye Oladejo, said Jandor has been a mole planted in the party by the opposition party.

“I congratulate him (Jandor) for finally converting from the opposition within to the real opposition. He has always been an opposition within the Lagos APC. He has always been regarded as a mole planted in our party. We knew he has been fraternising with the PDP.

“He has failed woefully in his mission to destroy the Lagos APC. So we are not losing any sleep at all with his defection. And now he has moved to his natural habitat amongst people who have never known what structure is like in Lagos politics.

“His movement has also shown that it’s all about his ambition and not about doing well for the good people of Lagos State. We wish him well in his new party where we hope he manages to be their flag bearer. He is blindfolded by ambition and clearly in a desperate mode.”

2023: Adebanjo Says Tinubu Will Compound Nigeria’s Woes, Misery

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural Group, Afenifere, has cleared the air over the Group’s visit to the Bourdillion House, Ikoyi, Lagos of the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Chairman, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently. Many people were stunned when Adebanjo, a bitter critic of Tinubu, led his group to visit Tinubu on his return from the United Kingdom where he was for months on medical grounds. Not a few people thought they visited Tinubu in support of his strongly speculated 2023 Presidential ambition. But Adebanjo said perish the thought. He said their visit was on humanitarian grounds.

The Afenifere leader spoke in an interview with the New Telegraph.

Adebanjo: “The visit to Tinubu was purely on humanitarian ground after he came back from abroad. Some people went to London to visit him; I cannot afford to go to London. I disagree with Tinubu, but I don’t wish him to die. I am the one God used to make him the Governor, I thank God for that.

“So, when he came back from abroad, I went to greet him and we thanked God for his life. We went there purely on humanitarian ground, which is typical of Yoruba people. Even if we are fighting we should not wish the person to die.

“Our visit was purely to wish him well. I told him that he is not doing the right thing. He has been very liberal to me, but that is not the question. But is he doing the right thing for the country or not? When I criticise him, it’s not because I hate him. The Bible says God does not want a sinner to die, but to repent. I will continue to criticise him until he does the right thing.”

Adebanjo blames Tinubu for the problems Nigeria is going through. Tinubu is an enabler of the bad things happening in the country.

The elder statesman said although he wishes Tinubu no harm, he will however, not forgive him for the damages he did to Nigeria by bringing President Muhammadu Buhari to power in 2015. Tinubu has to change his ways, Adebanjo said.

On the Presidential aspiration of Tinubu in 2023, Adebanjo said that the APC National Leader will compound the woes and misery of Nigerians if elected President, stressing that claims that Tinubu is still relevant many years after he left office as Governor and that he is the most qualified for the office of the president from the South West now is deceitful and a plot to further enslave Nigerians.

“Don’t come and campaign to me about Tinubu. You cannot change my mind on that.

“People have asked me if I have forgiven him, how can we be talking of that,when he is not doing the right thing? I have been condemning him for being in alliance with Buhari. He is the cause of all the problems we have in this country. If he did not have an alliance with Buhari, we will not be in this situtation.”

He added that those tired of living would support and vote Tinubu in 2023.

I Never Said It Is Not Right For Southeast To Produce Next President – Anyim

By
The Source
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0
Anyim Pius Anyim

Frontline presidential aspirant, Senator Pius Anyim, on Sunday denied saying that it was not right for the Southeast to produce Nigeria’s next president.

Anyim, former President of the Senate, had declared his intention to seek the ticket of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to contest the 2023 presidential election.

But an online newspaper quoted him as saying on Saturday that it was not right for the Southeast to produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor.

The online platform quoted Anyim, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) as saying, “Is it right for the Southeast to produce the next president? My answer is legally no, and the reason is that the constitution is clear. The constitution says every Nigerian of 40 years is entitled to aspire for that office.”

Anyim, who spoke at an event organised by a group, United For Better Nigeria Initiative, in Abuja with the theme, “Imperative of Rotational presidency,” was further quoted to have said, “On the other side, morally, is it right? Is it an entitlement? I will say yes because the federal character principle enshrined in the constitution encourages rotation.

“The reason I have to make this clarification is that when the right you have is not legal, the only approach and the instrument you have is persuasion.”

But a statement by the frontline politician’s media office on Sunday said the report was mischievous and not a true reflection of what he said at the occasion.

Insisting that it would be contradictory for him to be aspiring for the presidency and at the same time saying it is not right for Nigeria to have a president of Igbo extraction in 2023, Anyim said his comment which was premised on a lecture he delivered at the 6th World Igbo Summit at the Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State on December 18, 2020, was grossly misrepresented.

Answering the question on whether a President of Southeast extraction is a right, Anyim said:

“Under the Constitution of Nigeria, every adult of 40 years of age is qualified to be elected to the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Accordingly, there is nothing under the law that disqualifies any Igbo man from aspiring to be President; the challenge is capacity to meet the mandatory requirement of the highest number of votes and spread.

“The other angle to this perspective is whether zoning the Presidency to the South-East geo-political zone is a right? Legally, the answer is no, but morally there is a merit in such demand.

“This expectation canvases that the federal character principle has assumed a legal backing. Just as the rotation of the Presidency is not captured in the constitution neither is the geo-political zoning arrangement.

“Still, the fact of the reality of the application of the zonal structure in our national equilibrium has assumed universal moral force that can no longer be ignored nor dispensed with.

“For such critical national office as the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria not to be rotated among the zones can only breed discontent and disharmony.”

He explained that though the quest for a president of Igbo extraction is not a legal right but an equitable one, it must be pursued with vigorous persuasion and consensus building with other regions.

Senator Anyim, therefore, called on the group which is advocating for a power shift to Southeast to double their effort by strategically engaging other Nigerians through advocacy and dialogue on the need for power to shift to the Southeast adding that in a democracy, power is not given just for asking but through deliberate and strategic engagement for mass support.

He further stated that the journey of building an equitable society is usually a challenging and tough one but many nations have arrived at the desired destination safely.

Nigeria, he said, must continue to deepen and consolidate the gains of its democracy to meet the yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerians.

I Did Not Deserve Jail, I Am Innocent – Orji Kalu

By
The Source
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0

Sunday, December, 5, 2021, is the second anniversary of the incarceration, at the Kuje prisons, Abuja, of former Governor of Abia State, now Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.

Kalu and co., including his company, SLOK, were prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over an alleged embezzlement and fraud during his tenure as Governor, to the tune of over seven billion Naira.

He was sentenced to a 12- year jail term, by a Federal High Court. But six months into his term, the Supreme Court  overturned the sentence on technical grounds, on May 8, 2020, and ordered a retrial.

Kalu was released from jail in June, 2020.

To mark the anniversary of the day he was jailed on that fateful December, 2019, morning, Senator Orji Kalu took to his verified Facebook page to bemoan the fate that befell him, his experience in jail, and insisted he is innocent of all the allegations against him.

He decried a country where those who do not work hard to make money, would want to strip those who worked hard to make money, of all their money, arguing that he was a wealthy man before he became a State Governor.

He said he has forgiven all those who ganged up against him with lies to send him to jail.

The EFCC has, however, gone back to the Federal High Court to start afresh, Senator Kalu’s prosecution, a move many people have condemned.

Following, is Senator Kalu’s thoughts on the second anniversary of his committal to jail.

Kuje: Two Years After

“Today is the second anniversary of my incarceration at the Nigerian Correctional Service Medial Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, Abuja. I was imprisoned for an offence I never committed.

“Despite all the witnesses rescuing themselves, I was pronounced guilty of 39 charges out of the 39 concocted charges leveled against me. What magic!

“In 1998, I used my money to fund the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), my former party and individuals. I built several businesses and I left more than $4 billion balance sheet before venturing into politics.

“Today, those who have done no business or multiplied any money parade themselves as holy saints whereas those who have worked hard and multiplied money are expected to be penniless. I am not a saint and should not be judged as one.

“I didn’t start life as a politician. I am a businessman; a capitalist with human face.

When I was governor 14 years ago, I served Abia with my conscience and left a prosperous and popular state. I provided security, free education, infrastructure, built hospitals, and never owed salaries or pensions. I created the enabling environment for business growth, encouraged and supported many businesses, and also grew sports.

“After I left office as Governor in 2007, I stayed out of power for 12 years and only became a Senator in 2019. The beauty of constitutional democracy is term limit and at all times, the government is a continuum.

“Today, my performance as governor is also being replicated as a Senator.

Aside from reconstruction of schools, material empowerment, medical outreach, job offers, I have completed more than 31 rural roads in Abia North and looking forward to others to be completed soon.

“My dear friends and compatriots, I am grateful to God for the six months I spent in Kuje; He sanctioned it. God knows I fear no one except Him. Those who conspired against me wanted me buried at all cost, but like the biblical Job, there is a sense in which God allowed those temporary and tragic events to happen to Job.

“My perception of life changed after the six months of incarceration – life is vanity. I did not just learn a lot of lessons, I became a reformed and better man. I was very impacted by what happened to me. More than ever, I have relearnt that kindness and forgiveness are what should rule the world, not wickedness. I have since forgiven all the people that were instrumental to my ordeal. I forgive them because they probably did not know what they were doing.

“I recall that on the first night I slept in the prison, I was questioning God. On the third day, God told me He allowed me to be imprisoned for a purpose and for a short time. I vividly recall I was scheduled to be in Wuhan, China on December 9, 2019, but my incarceration halted my journey.

“For some, my imprisonment may have meant different things to them; but for me, my family, friends, business and political associates, supporters, as well as well-wishers, it was destiny at play.

“Those who knew me early in life will bear witness that I am a child of grace and destiny. When I was a Student Union President at the University of Maiduguri, my activism led to my suspension and some of my executives from the school. Even though the school recalled me, I refused to return because my executives were not included.

“My life has been that of testimony.

For all my friends and colleagues sitting in the upper and lower echelons who stood by me and the people of Abia North during the trying period, I remain very grateful.

“Throughout the six months, I ate once a day . I am so much grateful to my lovely wife for her timely delivery of the food . Her love, care, patience , prayers and endurance kept me strong . I also thank my dear mother for her prayers and motherly concern which must have caused her so much trauma.

“God will continue to bless the two women in my life .

My special thanks and appreciation goes to the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan for his loyalty to friendship. God will bless him and his family

My profound gratitude also goes to Senator Ibikunle Amosun , Senator Kashim shettima and Senator Sani Musa and a host of others too numerous to mention. May God show you love always.

“The hatred, jealousy, betrayal, greed, bitterness in this country is enormous and terrible. People will just hate, curse, and envy you because you are successful, without considering how much hard work, energy, endurance, and patience you have expended in building businesses and your life.

“How I so much wish for love and empathy in this country. How I wish we can embrace and love each other. How I wish people could be more loving and considerate towards their neighbours with zero sentiments of tribe and language.

How I wish people can have respect for human lives. I hope that with God on our side, our dreams will someday come true.”

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