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Nigeria: My Heart Bleeds |The Source

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The Source
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By Bode George

I have observed critically over the last three months, and have watched with disbelief, with despair, and with dismay the gradual hurling of our country to the precipice.

The widening spread of banditry, the reckless shedding of innocent blood, the bitter murderous clashes between farmers and herdsmen, the loose brigandry – have virtually made all corners of our society insecure, vulnerable to the rule of the cudgel and machete.

Governance everywhere is fast losing its grip on the First Principles of protecting lives and properties.

From Sokoto to Lagos, from Ebonyi to Borno, from Katsina to Ogun and from the Savanah to the rain forest, lives are daily cut down without the culprits being brought to pay for their crimes. Road users are kidnapped, brutalized, exposed to all un-imaginable kinds of cruelty and then forced to pay ransom.

Even the homesteads are no longer safe as all kinds of criminals descend upon the rich and poor, breaking into private hearths, breaching our collective security, inflicting the most sadistic venom on their victims as they are brutalized and their properties stripped bare.

And even in the streets, various warlords declare their own turf wars, wielding cudgels, guns and all kinds of available missiles in pitch battles.

All over the country lives are no longer being treasured. Nothing is sacred. There are no Holy of Holies anymore. Everything is a free game. Gradually, we are slipping into the rule of the mob, in form of the Hobbesian state of Nature where the rule of the strong and the cudgel prevails.

When lives are neither treasured nor safe, and ordinary citizens cannot carry out their legitimate businesses without being hindered and molested, what then is the purpose of governance? What then is the responsibility of leadership?

The primary responsibility of Government among other things are to preserve, protect and defend her citizens from both internal and external threats.

Governments are elected to guarantee the pursuit of happiness, to ensure the protection of personal liberties, to create an atmosphere where all citizens can carry out their economic livelihoods without being subjected to oppression or being savaged by the lawlessness of incendiary actors.

Sadly, we are living in an increasingly dysfunctional society, where the structures of power are un-representative, skewed in unitary bias, devoid of democratic balance.

I strongly believe that before our country can heal from its present wounds and rectify the observable aberrations, we must address the apparent imbalances.

We must restructure the Nigerian entity to ensure its survival as a nation. There are so many aberrations thwarting equitable governance in our country. The center is too encumbered with many responsibilities. It is overburdened, stressed with unnecessary functions that ought to be devolved to the states.

Our federation is only a federation in name. It is more of a unitary system, barking out Command and Control like a military hierarchy.

This is not how Democracies operate. This is not how true Federating units function.

We must loosen the overarching power at the center and return more responsibilities to the states.

This is the normative pattern all over the world. And why should our own be different? We must re-evaluate and remodel our structures of governance to be more representative of the will of the people.

Another contributory malady in the composition of governance is the inordinate greed and the unconscionable conducts of some of those who are elected to represent and protect the interests of the people. But they often act like overlords, distant and indifferent to the will of the people.

In this instance I want to use my state as an example of the most culpable organ of power, spurred by the narrow protection of the economic interests of state actors, callous and indifferent to the economic well being of her people.

The Panel set up by Lagos state government to look into the Endsars tragedy has demonstrated an unconscionable totality in the inexplicable, hurried, greedy, selfish, inhumane, outrageous and immoral decision to re-open the Lekki Toll Gates while the blood of the Lekki martyrs are crying out for justice.

It is this unconscionable decision that forced the angry resignation of Ms Rinu Oduala from the panel.

The young woman claimed: “I cannot be part of a cover up.”

Ebun Adegbowura, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who is also a member of the Panel , has equally signaled his withdrawal from the judicial enquiry.

This is quite vitiating to the state government and the panel itself.

The treatment of peaceful protesters who were humiliated, bundled into the hot oven of the Blackmaria amid the searing heat last Saturday at Lekki Toll gate does not enhance the critical ingredients of democracy wherein citizens are guaranteed the right to protest peacefully against the obvious wrongs of power. This strong arm tactic does not make us look good in the eyes of the enlightened world.

By all standards, this is rather disturbing. The Panel set up by Lagos state to bring justice to the victims has not even thrashed out the very underpinning of its assignment but yet overturns logic on its head, peremptorily declared that the Toll gates should be re-opened, believing that the economic interests of a very few are more important than the precious lives brutally cut down during the Endsars protests on October 20, 2020.

What a show of shame!!!!

This is not just. This is not right. This is not fair. This is sad.

We are demanding that the Lagos state government through the Freedom of Information Act must publish the names of those who are managing the Toll Gates. We do remember however that there was a buy-back several years ago returning the control and ownership of the Admiralty Toll gate to the Lagos state Government. The Lekki-Ikoyi Toll gate was built from scratch with tax payers money.

How then can anyone or a company inexplicably make a legal claim to the Lekki toll gates.

Interestingly, the Lekki Concession Company has admitted that Lagos state is the owner of the Lekki Toll gate.

This much all enlightened Lagosians are already aware of.
This revelation however raises more puzzles.

One, what is the relationship between Seyi Tinubu and Lekki Concession Company?

Two, what is the relationship between Sunday Dare and the Lekki Concession Company? We all know that Sunday Dare, until he became Minister last year, was Bola Tinubu’s Good Man Friday.

There are too many untidy, dirty, stinking intimations here. That’s why we demand that the details of the Toll gate ownership should be presented to the public immediately.

A more enlightened government should dismantle the two parallel intra state Toll gates and erect a permanent monument to honor those who lost their lives at that EndSARS rally.

In fact, how much is Lagos state earning from these two Toll gates per day, per month, and annually?

It is alleged that an estimated 400 million Naira is collected on both Toll gates everyday. If we are wrong, let them bring out their books and tell us how this humongous money is being spent.

I have gone to this length to illustrate what could go wrong when there is a brazen interloper and a destructive tin-pot despot who has handcuffed the Government of our state.

This over bloated character is obsessed with the interests of the privileged few to the detriment of the majority of our citizens.

Lagos is indicative of the quality of leadership presently steering the rudder of some of our states. When the leadership is uncaring, when the leadership is restricted to personal gains, when the leadership lacks embracing accommodating largeness, there will always be the inevitable descent to ethnic and sectarian jingoism.

There will always be the withdrawal to the rule of profiteers and mercantilist characters whose fixity is to benefit from destruction and ruin.

The national leadership is advised to tackle these tendencies towards nepotistic sway and  prejudicial preferences that are basically injurious to national unity.

The seemingly intractable clashes between herdsmen and farmers across the nation which are now more pronounced in the South West can only be stopped with the outright banning of open grazing. The free ranging of cows in our forests, in the farms and even in the cities is wrong, archaic, deleterious to the economy itself.

The corralling and the ranching of cows are the model in Argentina, Brazil and all other beef producing nations of the world.

This is the time that President Muhammodu Buhari should demonstrate a rallying unifying leadership to bring all our people together. Surely, this is not the time for ethnic or sectarian jingoism. This is the time for healing. This is the time to mend the broken places and rectify the pervasive wrongs.

Our people have been living together in peace and harmony for more than one hundred years even before the colonialists imposed the rule of the gunpowder.

We must return to the path of peace. We must return to the path of fairness. We must return to the path of goodwill.

Thomas Payne, the British American Author was right when he published Common Sense on January 10, 1776 when blood was shed at the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.

And I quote:

“These are the times that try men’s souls: the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country…”

But we dare not shrink. We dare not waver from the just cause. Let us endure. Let all men and women of goodwill come together to salvage and redeem our nation. There is no other way.

Finally, I speak to you today on this Ash Wednesday which is a Holy time of fasting and atonement in Christendom just like the Ramadan is acknowledged by the faithful of the Islamic faith, I want to leave you with these spiritual quotations from the Holy Bible as reflections of the Grace of God during these Lenten period.

“Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong. “Psalm 37:13”

And Prophet Ezekiel told us during this same Lent period: “Go through the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” Ezekiel 9: 4. The words of Prophet Ezekiel are still relevant today. God invites us to express our sadness and then pray for our community our country and our world.
Finally, as a veteran and a retired Commodore of the Nigerian Navy, I plead with all Nigerians to withdraw from the Brink and ensure the national continuity.

I thank you all for listening. May God save our nation. And may the good Lord be with you all.

Chief George, a retired Navy Commodore, is a Lagosian, and a PDP Chieftain.

Kogi Gov Drags Makinde, Akeredolu, Says They Have Failed

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Bayo Bernard
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Yahaya Bello
Yahaya Bello

By Tosin Olatokunbo

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state has lashed out at some of his counterparts in the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF for failing to protect their people in line with their oath of office.

Bello has recently expressed his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election and not a few insist that his comments on salient national issues is deliberate, to position him for the top job in the country.

The controversial Kogi helmsman spoke on the crest of the abduction of over 40 students in Kankara, Niger state by bandits on Tuesday. President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered security agencies in the country to find the abductees and rescue them, even as Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger state met the president in Aso villa yesterday night.

Governors Rotimi Akeredolu and Seyi Makinde are some of the governors that have also consulted with the president, in the last few days, on how to confront the spate of insecurity in their states.

But the Kogi governor said the governors must wake up to their responsibility instead of running to the president like a weeping child, whenever they experience security problems in their various states. He said the governors have not proven themselves as true chief security officers and have let their people down.

He stated this on Channesl Televison on Thursday, where he urged other governors to take a cue from how he handled insecurity in the state, rather than throwing their hands up in helplessness. He said Kogi used to be a hot bed of criminals such as bandits and killer herdsmen, but that is in the past now after his government dealt with them.

The Kogi governor said “I must say straight away that there are some of us that are more serious on our jobs than the other. I won’t call names, there are some of us who are prioritising our jobs and are doing it very well in our various states and some are simply playing politics and the earlier we stop that, the better. Let’s reduce the burden of Mr President and let’s save the lives of our people.

“What happened in Shasha in Ibadan is most unfortunate. These are victims attacking victims. The Yorubas attacking Hausa Fulani are victims. The Hausa Fulani attacking the Yorubas are victims of maladministration, successively, from the past and even currently.

“So, when you share or compare experiences, it is just advisory, you must necessarily take somebody’s experience. And sometimes, it depends on (the) peculiarity of where you are operating from.

“In Kogi State, we are having a heterogenous kind of composition –religious wise, ethnic wise and various divergent backgrounds and we are handling it very well. So, I see no reasons why in some states where you have two tribes and they will be attacking each other.

“We should be able to stand up and stamp our feet on ground and put a stop to the menace. It is not needed. We (are) required to have empathy on our people, we should preach love and affection among our people and let us get involved in the governance of our states and let us get connected.

“At least before it gets to the level of burning houses, killing one another, burning livelihoods, markets and destroying our lives, we should have enough intelligence, we should be able to nip it in the bud and not allow it escalate before we are now talking of governors visiting each other, calling on Federal Government.

He cautioned his colleagues to stop running to Aso Rock whenever there are security breaches to be handled in their states.

“For crying our loud, are we expecting Mr President to be in Oyo State in Shasha to prevent that mayhem? Are we expecting Mr President to carry AK-47 and be safeguarding all schools? Are we expecting Mr President to be on the highway? We should get connected to our people and ensure that are connected with us as well and come up with solutions to solve this problem once and for all.”

Meanwhile, his comment is likely to elicit reactions from his colleagues who recently scolded him after he claimed the COVID 19 vaccines are meant to kill Africans.

Trump Says Pence Was A Rotten Vice President |The Source

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The Source
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Donald Trump and Mike Pence

By Charles Igbo

Former American President, Donald Trump, has some choice words to describe former Vice President, Mike Pence. Rotten. Divisive. Never liked by anybody. Ugly. Nasty. Liar. He came down very hard on Pence, accusing him of writing nasty things in an upcoming book – a Memoir.

If true, the book is likely to talk about his experience as Trump’s Vice President and give an insight into Trump’s Presidency.  It promises to be a bestseller.

Most Americans thought the two had a good work relationship. But that thought perished from Trump’s reaction when Pence refused to do his bidding to help him overturn the results of the Presidential election, which he lost to President Joe Biden.

It burst on January, the 6th, at the  Capitol, where both the Senate and the House were meeting  to certify the Presidential election results. A few days to that day, Trump had put Pence under pressure to work against the certification. The Vice President Chairs the exercise, and holds the decisive, in case of a tie.  Pence had kept an expressionless face, and his decision to his chest.

The certification process began. As soon as Trump, who was watching it on television, and had made plans for the disruption, if Pence disappointed, saw it was not going his way, he incited his supporters into invading the Capitol.

 

They did, in a deadly manner, and wreaked havoc, sent everybody scampering for their lives, including the Vice President and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Hang Pence, many of the invaders chanted. And they planned to kill Pelosi, and others. The Vice President, members of his family, and the Congress men and women, had to be smuggled out. Five people died, including a Police Officer. Two other Policemen committed suicide thereafter.

Americans called the incident “Domestic terrorism”, and for that, Trump fased an impeachment process. The House voted to impeach him. He thus set a record of being the first American President to be impeached twice, having been impeached months earlier by the House. But again, for the second time, the Senate failed to vote for  conviction.

By a vote of 57 for his conviction,  and 43 against, he was saved. Seven Republicans, had joined Democrats to vote for his conviction. But 67 votes were needed for it to succeed.

The argument was, being an Ex- President, the Congress  had  no right again to convict  him. But those who voted for his conviction  wanted to strip him of all privileges, and make him politically irrelevant. They wanted to shut him up for demystifying America and thus deny him of any right to contest for any other electable position, especially, that of  the President.

They were right to try, for he is a loose canon. He is still talking tough.He told his supporters that his incredible journey with them has just began.

On Thursday, February 17,  a viral video appeared where Trump attacked Pence, using choice, foul, words to describe him. He said Pence had just “penned ” a book where he presented him as nasty. Calling Pence a liar who did a rotten job as a Vice President, he said Pence was not liked by anybody.

It has not been confirmed if Mr Pence is indeed writing a book and, if so, when he started, but Trump says the book would be a bestseller, and that Pence would make a lot of money from it. But  Trump says he won’t  read the book.

His words: “Our former Vice President just penned a book, and he is very very angry and nasty.  He said very bad things about the President. l resent to call him a liar, and I don’t like people that write down everybody like he is doing  in the book.”

“I’m sure it will be a bestseller, but isn’t it a shame. Here is a guy that did a rotten job as a Vice President. Nobody liked  him, tremendous divisiveness, and he is going to make a lot of money on the book. I won’t be reading it.”

Trump has a reputation of running down all those who had worked with him as soon as they disagreed with him. He holds the record of the President who had the most resignations from his cabinet,  as well as the record of the President who fired most people from his Cabinet and inner circle, including two Chiefs of Staff. Many also agree that of all American Presidents in modern history, Trump was the most divisive.

Finally, Buhari Sacks Magu Without Notice, Letter: Breaks Police Jinx |The Source

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Adesina Soyooye
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Ibrahim Magu

By Adesina Soyooye

The journey of CP Ibrahim Magu to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, ended on a dramatic note on Tuesday, February 16, 2021.

President Muhammadu Buhari sacked him without notice, and without any letter. The former Acting Chairman of the EFFC heard of his final sack from Media reports, after a letter from Buhari to the Senate, asking for the confirmation Abdulrasheed Bawa as Magu’s replacement was read on the floor of the Senate by Senate President, Ahmed Lawan. However, Magu’s Lawyer, Tosin Ojomo, insists his Client has not been sacked, and remains the EFCC Boss.

Magu has been on suspension since July 2020 when he was suspended from office by Buhari after his convoy was intercepted on his way to a meeting at the Force Headquarters.

That interception marked the beginning of his end at the EFCC, as he was hauled before a Presidential Investigative Panel.

The Panel, headed by a retired President of the Court of Appeal, Ayo Salami,investigated  Magu over allegations of corruption, misconduct, and disrespect for his supervisory Minister, made against him in a petition to the President, by Abubakar Malami, Attorney General of the Federation, AGF/Minister for Justice.

The Panel which sat for three months, has since submitted its report, but no action was taken  until February 16 when a replacement for Magu was announced.

Announcing Bawa as the substantive  EFCC Chairman, the President said nothing of Magu’s fate. However, it follows that he has been sacked, without any letter, or notice. It, also, relieves Mohammed Umar, who has been Acting as the Chairman since Magu’s suspension,  of the office. At the time of writing this, it was not clear if Umar will go back to his former position, or redeployed since he is Senior in rank to Bawa.

Bawa  Breaks 18 Year-old Record

Aside from Bawa, 40, being the youngest EFCC Chair to be ever appointed, he is the only one outside the Police to head the Commission. In the 18-year existence of the EFCC, it has always been headed by either a serving or retired Police Officer.

Muhammadu Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari

Its pioneer Chairman was Nuhu Ribadu, appointed when he was an Assistant Commissioner of Police. The next was AIG Farida Waziri, appointed long after her retirement from the Police. She was followed by the just retired DIG Ibrahim Lamorde, when he was a DCP.  The next was Ibrahim Magu, appointed when he was an ACP. He leaves the office as a CP.

One of the recommendations of the Justice Ayo Salami-Panel, is to discontinue the appointment of Police Personnel to head the EFCC.

The President apparently accepted it.

Chairmanship Still In The North

However, the President kept the seemingly unwritten policy to keep the Chairmanship of the Commission in the North.

Since the setting up of the EFFC by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, all the Chairmen have been Northerners of the Muslim fate. No Southerner has headed it

Bawa, Clean As A Whistle

The EFCC, on Wednesday, moved fast to shoot down a trending story which associated Bawa, its Chairman-Designate, with corruption when he was the Head of its Port Hacourt Office. Bawa, according to the story which has been dismissed by the EFCC as fake, was involved in the fraudulent sale of some trucks in the Commission’s PH Office, forfeited to the  Federal Government.

But in a swift response, EFCC Spokesman, Wilson Uwajaren, said: “As zonal Head of the Port Hacourt Office of the Commission in 2019, Bawa’s  responsibilities did not include the sale of trucks as the Commission has a full-fledged Directorate of Assets Forfeiture and Recovery Management, in which remit of such matters reside. Abdulrasheed Bawa has no corruption record.

The statement also said that the forfeited trucks in Port Harcourt were sold through Public auction carried out after Bawa had left PH.

“It is, therefore, illogical for him to have been indicted over an auction that was not superintend by him.”

Not Magu’s Boy

The story obviously meant to dent Bawa’s image, as it also associated Bawa with Magu, dubbing him “a Magu boy”, saying that Bawa had always publicly boasted that nothing could happen to him, even after the alleged fraudulent sale of trucks. Instead of a disciplinary action against Bawa, the story said, Magu merely removed him from PH, and brought him to Abuja.

A publication on Wednesday, quoted Magu as, allegedly, saying he was surprised at Bawa’s appointment.

Recall that on Magu’s suspension, all those allegedly known as “Magu’s Boys”, were, also, suspended from office.

Nothing has been heard, yet, of their fate.

Magu Not Sacked; The Future Before Him

One of Magu’s Counsels, Tosin Ojomo, insists, however, that President Buhari has not sacked his client, Magu. He said that there has been no letter to that effect, emphasising that Magu was still on suspension as the EFCC Chairman. Ojomo, also, noted that the report of the Investigative Panel was still being awaited.

It is expected, however, that now that a substantive EFCC Chairman has been nominated, one of three things will happen, and shape Magu’s future,

*Ask Magu, a CP, to go back to his normal Police job, in which case, he would report to the IGP for deployment.

*Retire him from the NPF. At 58 years old, he is expected to retire at the age of 60 years.

*If indicted for corruption by the Panel, dismiss him from the NPF and prosecute him in Court.

Whichever ever one, he has set a record as the first EFCC boss whose confirmation was rejected by the Senate, twice,  after five years in office.And, the first to be arrested and investigated.

Again Terrorists In Army Uniform Abduct Students In Niger; Gov Shuts Schools |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Kagara Kidnap

By Ayodele Oni

Suspected terrorists, again, stormed Niger state Government-owned school at Kagara, and abducted a large number of students.

The incident, coming a few months after a similar operation occured in Katsina State, was said to have happened early Wednesday.

Early report indicated that the bandits, who reportedly dressed in military uniforms, stormed the school premises, which has a population of about 1000 students, overpowered the security guard, before escaping with the students.

In a melee which ensued, a student who refused to be abducted was killed on the school premises, while some  escaped from the bandits.

The state government has ordered immediate closure of boarding schools in the state.

Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello gave the directive after he met with leaders of the security agencies in the State over the embarrassing abduction of the students.

According to the Governor, who stated that parts of his State had already been taken over by terrorists, the closure of the Boarding schools was to ensure the safety of life.

In the meantime, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a military operation to rescue the abducted students.

Also, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has warned that frequent abduction of students in the Northern part of the country may force parents to withdraw their children from schools.

He gave the warning when he spoke on the motion of urgent national interest raised by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East) over the abduction of a yet-to-be-determined number of students at Government Science Secondary School, Kagara

The Senate President said, “Abduction of students from school happens in the northern part of Nigeria.

“With incidences like this, parents would be scared to take their wards to school, and the efforts of the past and by present leaders at providing education would be defeated.

“Service Chiefs have to secure the schools and have to carry the States along.”

After the debate on the motion, the Senate passed a resolution that called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rise up to challenges of insecurity in Nigeria by declaring a state of emergency.

Moving the motion, Senator Musa reported that the terrorists were said to have been wearing military dresses during the raid on the school which had a student population of not less than 1000.

Speaking on the motion, Senator Bima Enagi, who is also from Niger State, said, “We need to amend the constitution so that Governors should be Chief Security Officers of their States since the government at the centre had failed to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians.

“The Federal Government is busy giving palliative instead of creating employment, thus aggravating insecurity.”

Shasha Crisis: Northern Governor Warn Kinsmen Against Reprisal Attack In The North |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), has called on people in the North not to take revenge against Southerners living in any part of the North, saying such action will not solve the current problem the country is facing.

The Forum said no provocation should make anyone attack people in the region, assuring that it was doing everything possible to address the problem that happened to Northerners in Oyo State.

Governor Simon Lalong, Chairman of the Forum, made the appeal during a meeting between the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and NSGF at the Plateau State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

The Forum was reacting to the recent crisis between Yoruba and Hausa traders in Sasha Market, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Gov Lalong said, “This meeting becomes necessary and has become part of our engagement since the issue of threat on quit notice began from different groups in the country. We engage leaders from the North to find solutions and calm down the current tension following the crisis that erupted in Oyo State.

“There is no gain in taking revenge on Southerners living in the North. We have sent a delegation to Oyo to ascertain the situation and the truth about what happened. By God’s grace we will get to the bottom of the problem. The country belongs to all of us. We don’t want people to tell others to leave the region. This is totally unacceptable.

“We just came back from Kaduna after meeting with stakeholders from the North West and security agencies. So, our discussion with Northern Elders Forum this evening is fruitful. We had agreement on how to find out ways to calm down the North and assure our Northern brothers that measures are being taken. We also talked about what the states and federal government should do regarding the problem.”

In his remarks, NEF’s spokesman, Hakeem Baba Ahmed, while asking the people from the North to exercise restraint, called on the leaders from the Southern part of the country, especially the Governors, to give fair treatment to Northerners residing in the South.

Ahmed said, “We came here to lay down the complaints for the Northerners and seek for support, and we got assurance that they are on top of the situation. The Northern elders have been consistent that people from the North should not take the law into their hands.”

EFCC: Bawa’s Appointment Cast a Shadow of Nepotism on Buhari’s Govt

By
Bayo Bernard
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Abdulrasheed Bawa

President Muhammadu Buhari has effectively ended the career of Mohammed Umar Abba who was appointed on July 10, 2020 amidst suggestions that he would be confirmed as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The president has also, with the nomination of AbdulRasheed Bawa, to the Senate for confirmation, as the substantive chairman of the commission put an end to speculations that the presidency is considering the appointment of a southerner into the top position for the first time.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said on Tuesday, in a statement, that the president has forwarded the name of Abba to the Senate for confirmation.

Adesina said “President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Senate to confirm Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa as substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In a letter to the President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, the President said he was acting in accordance with Paragraph 2(3) of Part1, CAP E1 of EFCC Act 2004.

“Bawa, 40, is a trained EFCC investigator with vast experience in the investigation and prosecution of Advance Fee Fraud cases, official corruption, bank fraud, money laundering, and other economic crimes.

“He has undergone several specialized trainings in different parts of the world, and was one of the pioneer EFCC Cadet Officers in 2005. Bawa holds a B.Sc degree in Economics, and Masters in International Affairs and Diplomacy,” the statement said

Umar Abba has been acting as the boss of the anti-graft agency after President Buhari removed Ibrahim Magu over corruption related allegations and insubordination to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. He has been found guilty of the charges by the Justice Ayo Salami presidential panel, which two months ago submitted its report to President Buhari.

Bawa’s nomination has been widely applauded by many who said he’s a round peg in a round hole, considering his sterling performance as a top investigator in the EFCC. Among other things, Bawa who joined the agency as a cadet in 2005 is said to be part of the crack team of elite investigators responsible for the recovery of billions of naira for the federal government, through successful prosecution of high profile cases.

His appointment, however, came on the crest of clamour by many Nigerians for a southerner to be appointed into the position by the president, as there are non-northerners in the EFFC that can rightly fit in to the job.

Since former President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Nuhu Ribadu as the chairman of the commission in 2003, successive Chairmen of the commission have all been chosen from the northern part of the country.

Following the removal of Ribadu by late President Umaru Yar’adua in 2007, Ibrahim Lamorde was appointed as acting chairman until Farida Waziri, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG was appointed as substantive chairman by the then president. The former police top notch was later sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan, who chose in her stead, Lamorde, who was at the time, head of Operations to head the commission.

Six months after he became president on November 8, 2015 Buhari sacked Lamorde and appointed Ibrahim Magu who remained in acting position for more than four years, because the Senate failed to confirm, until last June when the crisis of confidence between him and the Malami eventually led to his ouster by the president, who directed Abba to act in his place.

The appointment of Abba, however, generated controversy as many Nigerians began to ask why the president would choose another northerner even when it’s obvious that there are many southerners who are qualified to hold the position.

The 2002 EFCC Act gives the president the power to appoint a senior police officer, at least with the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of Police to head the commission.

Before Umar was directed to take over from Magu, many names were mentioned as possible replacements of the controversial Magu, among them the Secretary of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede, who’s from Nigeria’s south west. Some APC top notch from the south east and south west, the magazine learnt, have been lobbing the president to appoint one of their own into the position since Magu ran into problem with the presidency.

The argument, then, was that Olukoyede is the most senior in the commission and should be allowed to act as the chairman, pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.

The agitation became stronger following the appointment of new Service Chiefs by the president who left out the south east. Even though the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Lucky Irabor is Igbo, the leaders from the zone insist that he’s from Delta state, south south Nigeria.

Not a few insist that the appointment of an Igbo man as EFCC chairman, for instance, could have somehow remove the shadow cast on President Buhari’s administration because of his penchant to always chose persons from a particular part of the country into choice government positions.

 

 

FG Spends N600b On Electricity Subsidy

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Bayo Bernard
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By Tosin Olatokunbo

The federal government has disclosed that a whopping N600 billion is paid annually to electricity distribution companies as subsidy, despite the bogus electricity bills paid by many consumers.

This was disclosed in Abuja, on Tuesday by the Minister of Power, Sale Mamman who said the subsidy amount to N50 billion monthly.

Many Nigerians have no prepaid meters, as such the distribution firms capitalise on this to charge them bogus bills at the end of the month. The minister said this will soon be over as the government is doing everything to solve the problem.

The minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, disclosed in a statement after the minister had a meeting with the Guild of Actors and Film Producers, also known as, Kannywood in his office.

Mamman said “Worried by the incessant complaints by ordinary Nigerians over the unavoidable and periodic increase in the cost of electricity, the Federal Government has been subsidising electricity supply in the country to the tune of over N50 billion.

“The funds are provided to augment the shortfall by the Distribution Companies (DiSCos) who have failed to defray the cost of bulk electricity supplied to them by the Generating Companies.

“However, following a minor increase in the tariff regime, the subsidy has now decreased by half, but still constitutes a serious drain on the nation’s economy.”

The minister said the federal government was worried that Discos could price the cost of electricity beyond the reach of many Nigerians, therefore, there was need to wade in by paying subsidy to discos to stabilize their operations.

He said the categorization of power supply in the country was meant to benefit the average Nigerian, noting that the privatization of power was riddled with many anomalies, and “Nigerians must understand that these companies were privatised long before the advent of this administration but the government has no alternative than to continue managing the sector before a final solution is secured.”

He said the government is working hard to find solutions to the problems, adding that the Discos have become almost impossible to manage.

Even though it is the responsibility of the distribution companies to provide meter, the minister said the federal government had to come in at a point, following complaints of outrageous billing from many Nigerians.

Despite faulty equipments, Mamman said electricity generation in the country has moved up to 5,000 megawatts from less than 4,000 megawatts inherited by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

He said the government will ensure speedy distribution of prepaid meters to consumers to reduce the problems associated with billings.

Okonjo-Iweala: Buhari Kills Two Birds With One Stone |The Source

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The Source
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Ngozi Okonjo Iweala with President Buhari

By Comfort Obi

You will, please, excuse the cliché above. But that is the only title I find suitable for this write -up. I may be wrong.

As Nigeria celebrates the record-breaking Dr Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, the import and irony of her appointment as the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, should not be lost on us.

We already  know that she is the first African to hold the position. We also know that she is the first woman to hold it. But there are two points we are either not emphasising and re-emphasising, or we are deliberately ignoring them.

One: In Nigeria, her country of birth, Okonjo-Iwela is the Biblical rejected stone.

Two: it is, surprisingly, thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari that she is, today, occupying this high profile seat.

Okonjo-Iwela, you remember, was a two-time Nigeria’s Minister for Finance. It was under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime that she was introduced to Nigeria, especially, ordinary Nigerians.

Until then, I never heard her name before, even though she was the Managing Director of the World Bank.

As the Finance Minister under Obasanjo, she shone like a million stars. She managed, quite well, an economy that had been ravaged due to a long period  of Military rule. Between her and Obasanjo, especially, due to her experience, expertise, network, and  knowing which buttons to press in the financial world, Nigeria got a much needed debt relief. I forget how much relief we got now, but what I know, however, is that  we have since gone back to Egypt. Nigeria owes more than it did when it got the debt relief.

Okonjo-iweala had a smooth, working relationship with Obasanjo, or so we thought. However, we woke up one day, and saw that she had been redeployed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We never really knew what went wrong.

Even though she could fit in there, it was not really her turf. From day one, she complained about outdated computers, and websites that had not been updated for months. She resigned from Obasanjo’s Government. And  went  back to operate at the international level, from where she came, and where she truly belongs.

But about a couple of years later, she was brought back to Nigeria by President Jonathan, given, again, the Finance Ministry, with an added responsibility. She was asked to Coordinate the  Economy. So, her portfolio was double-barelled – Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister of the Economy. Many people called her Nigeria’s Prime Minister.

Again, she started the good job of managing the economy. But the bad blood associated with politics, especially, at the time, almost, made it very difficult for her to operate. The bitterness against the Jonathan Government by the the main opposition party then, the APC, was transferred to her. The conspiracy was infectious.

For the most minute reasons, she wasinvited to the National Assembly, by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

At a point, she said an office should be provided for her at NASS, since members wouldn’t allow her work in her office over incessant invitations.

The opposition slammed on everyday basis, her management of the economy. The economy has been ruined by her, they scream. Former National Chairman of the APC, Adam’s Oshiomhole, is on record as saying: “Okonjo-Iweala has ruined the economy.” Most members of the APC are agreed that the economy collapsed under Jonathan, meaning, under Okonjo-Iweala’s management.

The Nigeria Governor’s Forum, NGF under then Rivers State Governor, now Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi fought and opposed her every inch of the way. They didn’t want any money saved. They opposed the Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF. Bring everything to the table, they said. And even went to Court to challenge the Fund. Still, we are now told by some of them who resisted the SWF, that Jonathan’s Government refused to save.

Now, this is where Buhari shocked. Even though he agreed, and still agrees with his party members that the economy collapsed under the PDP,  he saw a good product in Okonjo-Iweala. He never personally criticised her. He knew the truth about her, and the management of the economy. For that, he did the unexpected. He bent over backwards to set Okonjo-Iweala up for history.

When the opportunity came for Africa to present a candidate for the DGship of the WTO, the Nigerian Government had presented somebody else, incidentally, from the North. But a couple of days before to the end of the nomination of candidates, Buhari pulled a fast one.

He remembered a more solid candidate in Okonjo-Iweala, than the one Nogeria had earlier presented. So, he withdrew his previous nominee, and replaced him with the former Finance Minister.

Even though Okonjo-Iweala is not a politician, she has since been dubbed one by bitter politicians. In nominating her, the President ignored partisan politics for the pride of the country.

A PDP Chieftain who pleaded anonymity admitted this other day that  the President shocked them by his nomination of Okonjo-Iweala to the WTO top job.

But that was also how Buhari backed Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, Jonathan’s Minister for Agriculture, for the President of the African Development Bank, AfDB in 2015, even though Adesina had applied for the job before Buhari was sworn-in. The pride of the country came first, even though the APC, before it came to power, had slammed Adesina’s tenure as the Minister for Agriculture.

In nominating Okonjo-Iweala, and backing her until victory, Buhari killed two birds with one stone.

As mentioned earlier, he pushed partisan politics aside. Two, he proved, even if it is this once, that he could pick one of the many cerebral, over qualified,hot brains from Igboland for a top job. Now, those who argue that the President does not discriminate against the Igbo, especially, when it concerns high profile  appointments, has a  point to throw around. They will always point at Okonjo-Iweala, and tell the story of how Buhari withdrew a Norhern nominee for her. They are not likely to add that as qualified as that nominee is, he does not have as much clout as Okonjo-Iweala in international circles, and may not have secured victory for Nigeria and Africa.

Proudly from the Igbo speaking area of Delta State,  the new WTO boss is, also,  married to an Abia man.

In making history, the world is not  celebrating not just Okonjo-Iweala, it is celebrating Nigeria. It is not celebrating Delta-Igbo, Abia or South East. The world is celebrating Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria, not Okonjo- Okonjo- Iweala of Igbo speaking area of Nigeria.

The glory goes to Nigeria.

Finally, many thanks goes to Buhari for nominating her,  Jonathan for the courage he had to  bring  her back to manage the economy after her first outing,  Obasanjo for “introducing” her to most Nigerians, and her family for giving her to us, enduring all the insults thrown at her for serving her country, and  especially, for enduring the kidnapping of their matriarch because of the job  she was doing.

The Lady, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s Cultural Ambassador, who  proudly flaunts our Ankara before the world, as they  say, ROCKS.

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