Will the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, still remain intact before the next election year, 2023? That is the question members ask behind closed doors.
But not everyone in the party will readily give a yes answer to the question, at least, not some die- hard loyalists of Asiwaju Ahmed BolaTinubu across the country who are insistent that the party as presently constituted, is heavily skewed against their Principal’s alleged 2023 presidential ambition.
The loyalists, this magazine understands, are currently mulling exiting the APC and forming a new party that will be built around Tinubu, a former Lagos state governor and National Leader of the ruling party.
The idea, according to credible sources, is for Tinubu to take a shot at the Presidency on the platform of the new party.
Oshiohmole: Was he axed to spite Tinubu?
Though this magazine cannnt confirm whether the former Lagos state governor is in league with those canvassing a divorce from the APC, and formation of a new party, he appears not happy with certain happenings in the APC.
Few days after one of his staunchest loyalists and former Osun governor, Chief Bisi Akande, descended heavily on the party over its ongoing membership revaluation exercise, Tinubu himself was to also fault the exercise.
Formidable Forces Are Against Asiwaju in the APC
One of the former Governor’s supporters told this magazine: “I can authoritatively tell you that forces arrayed against Asiwaju in the APC are formidable. They are scared of him. They know he is a formidable politician with countrywide grassroots appeal, they know that in a free contest, the APC presidential ticket will be his for the asking.That’s why they have distorted the party and skewed its structures heavily against him.
“But they will be shocked soon. We are working towards taking the soul of APC from them.We will leave the impotent carcass for them to do whatever they wish”
The Oshiohmole/ Edo Guber Election and Buni Connection
This magazine learnt that the ouster of Adams Oshiohmole as the National Chairman of the APC, his replacement with Yobe state governor,Mai Mala Buni as National Caretaker Committee Chairman, and the party’s defeat in the September 19, 2020 Edo gubernatorial election were seen by Tinubu supporters in the party as clear indicators of orchestrated plots to weaken him politically.
And these, according to them are how:
Oshiohmole: He is Tinubu’s man. Those who plotted his sack knew that with his exit, the Asiwaju would have lost a strong ally and insider in his drive to corner the 2023 APC Presidential ticket.
Edo election: Forces against Tinubu prevailed on the Presidency and the APC, as a party, to allow a free and fair election, knowing that with that, Governor Godwin Obaseki, who had just defected to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, could easily win.
The calculations were that Obaseki’s win would amount to a crushing defeat for Oshiohmole and Tinubu while the reverse would mean handing Edo on a platter of gold as a political outpost to the APC national leader.
Mala Buni’s National Caretaker Committee: Alien to the APC constitution, a National Caretaker Committee was primarily constituted to undo most of Oshiohmole policies and introduce new ones targeted at certain blocs within the party. Example, the ongoing revalidation exercise.
It was gathered that shortly after the Edo election, several chieftains of the party sympathetic to Tinubu met, reviewed the situation, and thereafter took the decision to pull out and form a new party if the forces in the APC undermining their principal do not draw back.
A Northern Agenda?
Multiple party sources told this magazine that the APC is definitely ceding its 2023 ticket to the South, and most probably to the South west but not to Tinubu. A dark horse is reportedly in the offing as APC’s Presidential candidate. “He is someone who is unstained by the baggage and corrupt tendencies of those angling for the position”, one of the sources confided.
However, a party chieftain from the South west who pleaded not to be named has accused a Northern cabal within the APC of plotting to field a weak candidate of Southern extraction ” so as to hand the presidency back to another Northerner after Buhari via the PDP which will be fielding a Northern candidate”
“This is pure self succession agenda of the North. For them, party does not matter as long as another Northerner succeeds Buhari”, he further stated.
Cards on the Table
Meanwhile, the Tinubu camp is weighing so many options including:
*Outright formation of a new party or merger of like minded parties to form a new party
*Revival of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN ( a Southwest dominated party with Tinubu as its arrowhead and leader which in 2014, along with other fringe parties, collapsed its structures to form the APC)
*Adoption and rebranding of the Alliance for Democracy, AD (which held sway in the South-west at the dawn of democracy in 1999).
Whichever way, whatever happens, the 2023 Presidential race will be interesting.
Facts are, gradually, emerging on the thinking behind the Central Bank’s ban on Cryptocurrency trading in Nigeria, a decision that has generated uproar and heated debate since it was found out to be the easiest way the younger generation is making lots of cash under the present economic conditions in the country.
Sources talked to over the weekend told this magazine it has much to do with capital flight, money laundering, and more.
Indications are that due to the fear over the collapse of the economy, poor economic policies, and excessive borrowing, many foreigners-and foreign firms are poised to repatriate their money out of the country. Besides, many government officials allegedly are moving their money out of the country. This runs into billions of dollars which will further weaken the economy and send inflation into overdrive.
“Most of the ransom allegedly paid by the Government are being repatriated out to some other African countries who are complicit in the spread of ethnic dominance of the country by certain groups.
The CBN has resisted the level of an unprecedented capital flight being witnessed in Nigeria”, a source told this magazine. With the hardline stance of the CBN, they are resorting to Cryptocurrency conversion to move such monies. This has mostly increased the volatility of Deposit money banking.
Recall that during the #endsars protest, the CBN attempted to freeze the accounts of the sponsors, but they moved fundings to cryptocurrencies. this was difficult or near impossible- to monitor. this is because Cryptocurrencies are operated outside the Central
ng system because it is a people-based virtual currency that is not bank regulated as such.
But the current issue allegedly comes from attempts to block the diaspora donations to the activities of Sunday Igboho, who has been fighting the cause of the Yoruba race against herdsmen occupying h ancestral lands.
Attempts to block such donations into his accounts and alleged threats to him on this issue resulted in reports that he declared that he does not need diaspora funds to fight the case. but the donations were moved to cryptocurrencies when the Government crackdown increased.
But a far more global worry is the issue of money laundering of global proportions. Scammers have been having a field day with bitcoin, the most popular and arguably oldest of the cryptocurrencies, to divert stimulus packages from the united states to Nigeria.
This is made possible because the regulation on cryptocurrency is weak currently, and centralized banking is having sleepless nights over it.
The President of the European Union Central Bank , Christine Lagarde, recently lamented the issue of weak regulation of the currency.
“It’s a highly speculative asset that has led to some reprehensible activity, including money laundering and any loopholes need to be closed.
“There has to be regulated. This has to be applied and agreed upon at a global level because if there is an escape that escape will be used”, she was quoted to have said recently.
The cryptos are commodity-backed, and the commodity of most choice is gold. It is said that over $300 million is being remitted to Nigeria on weekly basis through a bitcoin wallet, making Nigeria the second biggest user of cryptocurrency in the world.
Recall that the Central Bank had instructed deposit money banks and others to stop bitcoin transactions. In a circular to banks, the CBN said:
“Further to earlier regulatory directives on the subject, the Bank hereby wishes to remind regulated institutions that dealing in cryptocurrencies or facilitating payments for cryptocurrency exchanges is prohibited.
“Accordingly, all DMBs, NBFIs and OFIs are directed to identify persons and/or entities transacting in or operating cryptocurrency exchanges within their systems and ensure that such accounts are closed immediately.
“Please note that breaches of this directive will attract severe regulatory sanctions. This letter is with immediate effect,”
Unfortunately, the directive may have little impact on the transactions using bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. It is only when a transaction is labeled as a crypto transaction that it will be tracked. This is because the transactions are encrypted end to end in a complex movement of virtual cash and commodity.
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has disclosed that no going back on the ban on commercial banks and other financial institutions from trading in cryptocurrency, in line with its argument that the digital currency promotes terrorism and fraud. Last week the Godwin Emefiele-led apex bank issued a statement warning Deposit Money Banks, DMBs and others to expect sanctions if they violate the directive.
The CBN said in a circular that “Further to earlier regulatory directives on the subject, the Bank hereby wishes to remind regulated institutions that dealing in cryptocurrencies or facilitating payments for cryptocurrency exchanges is prohibited.
“Accordingly, all DMBs, NBFIs and OFIs are directed to identify persons and/or entities transacting in or operating cryptocurrency exchanges within their systems and ensure that such accounts are closed immediately.
“Please note that breaches of this directive will attract severe regulatory sanctions. This letter is with immediate effect.”
The directive has, however, attracted divergent views from Nigerians such as a former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who urged the CBN to take a second look at the ban, after reports filtered in that the apex bank has started beaming searchlight on account owners, trading in digital currency with the aim of closing such accounts.
Atikun said “The number one challenge facing Nigeria is youth unemployment. In fact, it is not a challenge, it is an emergency. It affects our economy, and is exacerbating insecurity in the nation. What Nigeria needs now, perhaps more than ever, are jobs and an opening up of our economy, especially after today’s report by the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that foreign capital inflow into Nigeria is at a four year low, having plummeted from $23.9 billion in 2019, to just $9.68 billion in 2020. Already, the nation suffered severe economic losses from the border closure, and the effects of the #COVID19 pandemic.
Emefiele: Bans Cryptocurrency to Protect National Security
This is definitely the wrong time to introduce policies that will restrict the inflow of capital into Nigeria, and I urge that the policy to prohibit the dealing and transaction of cryptocurrencies be revisited.It is possible to regulate the sub sector and prevent any abuse that may be inimical to national security. That may be a better option, than an outright shutdown. There is already immense economic pressure on our youths. It must be the job of the government, therefore, to reduce that pressure, rather than adding to it. We must create jobs in Nigeria. We must expand the economy. We must remove every impediment towards investments. We owe the Nigerian people that much
A newspaper, at the weekend claimed that the clamp down on suspicious accounts came on the heels of intelligence report from the Federal Bureau of Intelligence, FBI that cryptocurrency accounts are being used by terrorists and fraudsters to funnel illegal funds to promote their activities.
In the report by THISDAY, the federal government and CBN were said to have received intelligence report from FBI on the activities of fraudsters using cryptocurrencies to bring into the country hundreds of millions of US Dollars illegally obtained from the USA and other western economies. The CBN insist that the restriction regime is to protect Nigerians and the financial system.
Moghalu: Describes Ban As a Knee-Jack Approach
Nigerians are not taking the CBN action lightly, particularly traders who insist that the ban was a knee jack approach on the part of the regulator. For instance, a former CBN Deputy Governor and Presidential candidate, Kingsley Moghalu, said the apex bank has destroyed the livelihood of many Nigerians. According to him, digital currency trading is what many Nigerians are using to eke a living, and that such people have now been thrown under the bus as a result of the reckless regulation. He said the CBN should introduce Central Bank Digital Currency, CBDC as has been done by other countries such as China and others.
He further explained that Nigeria is among the top 10 countries with digital currency usage, a point he said should make the apex bank to retrace it tracks over the ban. He said the argument by CBN, that it took the action to protect National security is untenable, adding that all medium of exchange have their attending risks.
He described the ban as a “declaration of war by third world countries” when developed economies are trying to find a way around it. “Many central banks are not comfortable with the cryptocurrency, but they are trying to find a way around it so that it will not bring down the financial system. We are in depressed economy many Nigerians are making a living from trading in digital currency. CBN should take a risk management approach” rather than an outright ban. He noted that the CBN should not embark on a popularity contest with other countries that have taken similar action.
Meanwhile, analysts insist that terrorism and fraud cannot be used as the basis for destroying the potentials of digital currency trading. What the CBN should do, according to digital currency experts, is to ensure that cryptocurrency does not replace the naira as the nation’s legal tender.
On his part, Senator Iheyen, President Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria, SiBAN said the CBN took a right decision on the issue.
Others insist that the clamp down constitute a minus for the country at a time that a former Finance Minister, Ngozi-Okonjo Iweala is set to become the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, following her endorsement at the week end by the United State President Joe Biden.
On Thursday, 4th, February, 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari stunned most Nigerians. He nominated his immediate past Service Chiefs as non- career Ambassadors. Mr President had removed them a few days earlier, appointed their replacements, on the grounds that he needed fresh hands with fresh ideas, to fight the worsening insecurity in the country.
Ordinarily, what the President did was his simple constitutional duty. But these appointments are neither simple nor ordinary. Most Nigerians are agreed that as far as controversial appointments go, the President has broken his own record in the instant case.. Uproar and Outrage, at once, reign.
You already know the beneficiaries from this stunning appointments. But for the purpose of this write-up, a short brief is necessary.
So, stand up for the President’s ambassadorial handshake, General Abayomi Olonisakin, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, the immediate past Chief of Army Staff; Vice Admiral Ibok -Ete Ibas, the immediate past Chief of Naval Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar, the immediate past Chief of the Air Staff and, Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Usman, of the Military Intelligence. All, now, retired Military officers.
The guys are lucky. In the history of Nigeria, they take the cake as the longest serving Service Chiefs. Appointed by President Buhari soon after he was sworn into office in 2015, he allowed them to serve, and serve and serve.
Years after they ought to have retired from service, Mr President kept extending their tenures in office. He turned a deaf ear to all entreaties to let them go. Almost every stakeholder asked the President to remove them from office.
The reason was glaring.
The state of insecurity was worsening everyday. But the President thought otherwise. He did not only ignore entreaties from “ordinary people”, and some retired military officers, but he also ignored the National Assembly.
On about three occasions, the National Assembly – both the Senate and the House of Representatives, had asked Mr President to remove them from office. He played deaf.They passed a resolution to that effect. Mr President did not as much as acknowledged the resolution.
Presidential aides defended what one angry Cleric, I forget his name now, described as “the President’s abnormal stubbornness.” But Aides said nobody could stampede the President into changing his Service Chiefs. They said they were serving at the pleasure of the President. But of course.
Public officers in Nigeria serve at their own pleasure, or that of their bosses. They never serve at the pleasure of the public, or the good of the country.
Mr President’s Aides reminded us that nobody changes a winning team. Nigerians disagreed on the use of the word, “winning.” Their assessment was depressingly different. They said insecurity is worse than ever. It spread from the North to the South, no longer restricted to a particular zone. Nigeria became one of the world’s most dangerous countries to live in, or visit.
The activities of Boko Haram increased. The number of Internally Displaced People, IDP, tripled. Boko Haram got younger brothers to help in the blood letting. Bandits. Rogue Fulani herdsmen. Kidnappers. Cultists. All baying for our blood. All slaughtering innocent Nigerians.
Our gallant military officers and men, and other security personnel, were being killed and, atimes, over-ran and overwhelmed. Nigeria became one huge slaughter field under the watch of the Ex- Service Chiefs.
President Buhari and Ex-Service Chiefs
But the Presidency said we had a winning team.
We are better off than when the Buhari Government arrived, they sang everyday. They cite two examples.
“There was a time bombs were going off in Abuja”. No longer, they told us. “When we came in, Boko Haram was in control of 18 Local Government Areas in Borno State.” True?
Of all the claims of successes, that of Borno is the most confounding.
Here is why.
Elections were held in the State during the 2015 General elections. From records, the All Progressives Congress, APC, won in all the LGAs. Meaning that elections were held in all the LGAs.
Questions then: If Boko Haram was in charge of 18 LGAs, how did APC win in all the LGAs in Borno State? Who conducted the Elections? How did the then Prof Attahiru Jega’s INEC, do it? Did Boko Haram conduct the elections on INEC’s behalf, and submitted the results, thereafter? Or did some people sit down somewhere, as we see now and then, to fabricate the results and submitted to INEC?
Truth, however, till date, is: Borno state has never been free of Boko Haram since the Buhari Government. The claim, everytime, by the immediate past Army Chief, Buratai, and some elements in Government that Boko Haram has been cleared, or to use their word, decimated, in the state, and all that area, is false. The claim that no LGA in the state is occupied by the insurgents is false. A number of LGAs in the State are under the sect.
Recently, the Speaker of the Borno Stare House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, put a lie to that claim. He said his LGA is fully occupied by Boko Haram. He has not been able to go home in the past two years, he revealed.
He is not the only one.
Many Borno indigenes have not been able to go home in years. And it is not only Bornu. Yobe, Adamawa, Sokoto, Zamfara, and even President Buhari’s Katsina State, have not fared any better either. There are, also, Benue and Taraba states. And, this insecurity is spreading from State to State. From region to region.
From North to South. Nowhere is safe.
Insecurity, especially terrorism, is not a thing to celebrate. Or to throw blames around. It is just that before the Buhari administration, the then opposition party, APC, made it look as if it will be as easy as ABC to wipe terrorism off Nigeria once they came in. It was made to look like “Once we come in, it is over.” But like they say, talk is cheap. They have been in power since 2015, and the story is worse.
It is because the security situation was worse than ever that most Nigerians kept asking the President to change his Service Chiefs. It got so bad it became the subject of sermons in Mosques and Churches. But the President ignored the calls, and resisted every pressure to do that.
Obviously, the President was seeing something most Nigerians were not seeing. He was seeing something, not even the Leadership of the National Assembly and other members were not seeing. Which is not impossible. As the President and Commander-in-Chief, he is in a position to get privileged security briefings not available to others.
Which must be why he ignored the negative perception the public had of his immediate past Service Chiefs.
Where the people saw incompetence, Buhari saw competence. Where they saw inefficiency, he saw efficiency. Where they saw tiredness, he saw the strength of an angry lion. Where Nigerians scored their performances an “F”, the Commander-in-Chief scored them an “A.”
No doubt, the immediate past Service Chiefs did their best. But their best was not enough, given the scary insecurity situation in the country which has, gradually, but steadily, produced warlords in the country. It has forced different ethnic regions in the country to form their own security outfits. They go by all kinds of names, and have different designations.
In the South-west, there is the red-attired Amotekun. And of course, there is the newest rave, quickly dubbed freedom fighter, Sunday Igboho.
In most parts of the North, there is the CJTF. In Kano state, there is the Government-backed Shariah Police, Hisbah, an outfit, which has garnered such powers, that a couple of days ago, its members arrested a police officer, for daring to drink alcohol. See!
Aside from this illegal arrest, both the Federal and Kano state Governments turn a blind eye to the destruction of people’s businesses worth hundreds of millions of Naira, because “they are selling alcohol.” Yet, the Kano State Government, shamelessly, partakes in the sharing of VAT derivable from alcoholic products.
In the South-South, individual states have set up different Security outfits. Delta state launched its own recently, and so has Cross River State.
And, in the South-east, after waiting, on end, for the Governors to do something about the worsening insecurity in the region, particularly, the atrocities by rogue herdsmen, Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB took the initiative to set-up its own Security outfit, the black-uniformed Eastern Security Network, ESN.
For good measure, Kanu warned the Governors that IPOB would not allow any other security outfit set up by them to operate anywhere in the region.
This is total madness. There is total confusion in the land. If anybody was in doubt of how explosive these outfits and individuals have become, what went on in Oyo and Ogun States where Sunday Igboho held sway for days, or where Amotekun had killed a couple of people, including a policeman, or the mayhem in Orlu, Imo State, where the ESN squared-off with Soldiers and Policemen, should give an inkling to what the future holds.
In deed, the President, himself had, at least, on one occasion told the ex- Military Chiefs that their best was not enough.
The question, not a few people are asking, is:
On which basis then did the President nominate the Ex-Service Chiefs as Nigeria’s Ambassadors?
That is what the uproar is about.
For the records, the President has the right to appoint anybody he pleases to any office of his choice. His aides have so emphasised. But what is that saying about the voice of the people being the voice of God?
In the opinion of the people, these appointments do not gell. They see them as inappropriate. They see them as hasty. They see them as insensitive. They see them, according to the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, as rewards for poor performance.
The most provocative, many point out, are the nominations of Olonisakin and Buratai, the Chiefs of Defence Staff and Army, respectively.
The Army, under them, has been accused of many human rights abuses. Many petitions have been written to the effect, especially, since the sad, and yet to be resolved, incident at the Lekki Toll Gate during the #EndSARS protest by angry youths. The role, allegedly played by soldiers under Buratai is still being looked into by a Panel set up by the Government.
There are documented petitions against Buratai lodged with the International Criminal Court, ICC. Fatou Bensouda, ICC Prosecutor, has since acknowledged it, and said “Buratai is under investigation.”
So, the question: what was the hurry in nominating them Ambassadors? They have just retired, Having worked so hard, they have not even had the time to rest and bond again with their wives and children, land they are being saddled with another responsibility, as if Nigeria is barren of qualified men and women.
It is the haste associated with their nominations that Nigerians find uncomfortable and obscene. It is why Dr Junaid Mohammed has described the nominations as an insult on Nigerians.
Others rightly say it is an affront on the National Assembly, especially, the Senate, which had noted they were incapable of securing Nigeria and, on more than one occasion asked for their sack.
It is why not a few people think something is fishy, and meant to cover-up something. It is why a few Nigerians think that appointing them Ambassadors is meant to confer on them diplomatic immunity from any arrest and prosecution by the ICC, if any merit is found in the petitions before the body.
However, all hope is not lost.
Having sent their names to the Senate for “urgent confirmation”, all eyes are now focused on the Senate.
Will the Senate confirm men they had dismissed as tired and incapable of securing the country as Ambassadors.? Will they confirm, as Ambassadors, men they had asked the President to sack as Service Chiefs? If they were not able here, how able will they be outside the country? Will the Senate go back to its vomit. Will the Senators shun partisanship, and focus on Nigeria’s pride and integrity? Or, will Mr President have a rethink, and withdraw their names from the Senate as has been suggested in some quarters?
The chorus out there is: That will be the day. As you know, the Nigerian big man and woman hardly accept mistakes. They carry on without a second thought!
Islamic spiritual leader, Sheik Abubakar Gumi, has been faulted on his claims that “Freedom Fighters” in the South -east and South-west are the same as terrorists and rogue herdsmen operating across the country.
In a statement on Sunday, February 5th, 2021, signed by Col (rtd) Abimbola Sowumi and Ahmed Akorede, the Pan Yoruba coalition, Apapo O’odua Koya, (AOKOYA) said the Sheik deliberately distorted facts in other to suit his primordial ethnic interests.
The group said it now understands why Gumi did not, at any time, codemn the wanton killings, assassinations, rape and murder unleashed by his people on indigenous communities.
After meeting with some over 600 armed bandits, kidnappers and terrorists in Zamfara, Gumi said the Oodua, Igbo groups agitating for self determination are the same as armed herdsmen, terrorists and kidnappers.
AOKOYA said “It’s a shame that Sheik Gumi is comparing self determination with terrorists and violent hersmen. This is a dirty game he has adopted. He should know that terrorists kill in their bid to violently subvert the land and faith of others while self determination groups are only responding to threats of extinction brought by the terrorist groups.
AOKOYA said the demands of IPOB and Yoruba self determination groups have been submitted and acknowledged by the United Nations, ECOWAS and Africa Union wondering what international bodies support violent herdsmen and terrorists.
“To link terrorism with self determination is mischief and a veiled plot to distract local and international community from the plot by the terrorists and herdsmen to rule Nigeria through violence and terror.”
AOKOYA said the fact that Gumi enjoys the goodwill and measure of respect from murderers and spineless criminals who rape and kill indiscriminately showed the whole world deep concern about Gumi’s taste for extremism. His statement suggests that Gumi as, also, spiritual head of terrorism in Nigeria is faslely parading himself as a Clergyman.
The group said Sheik Gumi is unhappy that Igbo and Yoruba are resisting the violence imposed on them by the terrorists.
“The difference is clear. Terrorists and herdsmen adopt violence, murder, rape and savage killings which includes dismemberment of bodies of their victims. Herdsmen and terrorists adopt suicide bombing. They want to introduce a theocratic state in a plural country like Nigeria. They are also imposing their brand of faith on indigenous peoples. They profess to conquer and subdue lands that do not support them. They operate outside their own traditional homeland. They are heavily armed. It is the height of dishonesty for anyone to draw any parallel lesson between heavily armed criminal herdsmen and those agitating for self determination.
“Gumi is very dishonest He is hiding under illusion to defend his own people who are globally acknowledged perpetrators of violence. He went to meet armed terrorists and bandists.He dined and wined with them. This means he was their respected leader. He and the Federal Government know them. They are not interested in dislodging them. Infact they are protecting them.”
AOKOYA said “Sheik Gumi is comparing Sunday Adeyemo, Nnamdi Kanu with Shekarau, whose Boko Haram has murdered more than 10,000 people. It shows how unGodly Sheik Gumi is. He is a fraud, a supporter of criminals, an ethnic chauvinist who receives inglorious trophy from blood sucking rogues and murderers”
AOKOYA said “the simple logic is this, why can’t Shekarau visit the United Nations as Kanu does? Why can’t Shekarau visit UK and Europe the way Sunday Adeyemo does? Shekarau has no fixed address and his trademark is indiscriminate violence. Igboho and Kanu have never been associated with any violence except to mobilise their people against armed invaders who are thirsty for human blood and whose mission is to conquer Nigerians by force.
“IPOB and O’odua groups are only armed with ideas while Gumi’s adopted children are armed with, sub machine guns and rocket propelled grenades.”
The group said the failure of the Nigerian state to protect indigenous peoples is pushing many indigenous peoples to arm themselves so that they will not perish.
It said Gumi is desperate to cover up the atrocities of the terrorists who have painted the Nigerian landscape red with human blood.
“With the statement credited to Sheik Gumi, he is an accomplice to murder and genocide. He wants to change the narrative of the nature and form of the conflict in Nigeria. The Yoruba and the world are not deceived by his dirty antics”, the statement ended.
Justice Ayodele Salami, a former President of the Court of Appeal has kicked against the extension of the retirement age of Supreme Court justices from 70 to 75 years, adding that most justices forge their age to remain in office.
The National Assembly is planning to amend the Constitution to allow Court of Appeal and Supreme court justices to stay in office beyond 70 years. The lawmakers are proposing 75 years in the new amendment to the 1999 Constitution.
But Justice Salami who was retired from office in controversial circumstances by former President Goodluck Jonathan, told the Nation that many judges are already too old to work, as they constantly go for treatment abroad to keep in shape. .
The retired justice said the present crop of justices in the higher court is too old and that they should leave to pave the way for young and vibrant set of Nigerians to be employed into the Bench.
Salami said “It’s understood that it’s being contemplated to raise the tenure of the Supreme Court justices and possibly those of the Court of Appeal to 75 years within the next couple of weeks. To be precise, before the end of March.The profession is ominously silent over it.
“I could remember that the same issue was brought up by the Senate during my screening for the President of the Court of Appeal which was persuaded by my reasoning.
“I contended that very few of us had birth certificates. Invariably we rely on declaration of age, which is generally inflated because they are inferred from incidences or occurrences the happening of which we were not sure of.”
He said many justices are unproductive, that increasing their age of retirement would be bad for the country.
He said: “So to be increasing age which is predicated on unsure parameters could be dangerous merely because their counterparts elsewhere retire at about that age without taking into account the faulty starting point.
“The living conditions in those countries as well as their health facilities are in no manner comparable with ours. Many of them are not healthy. They regularly travel abroad for treatment, and some of them forget easily in addition to memory challenges.
“In the circumstances, some of the justices would only be there as passengers to fulfill statutory conditions without ability to make meaningful contribution. This is a condition that could easily be exploited by dishonest members of the court.
“It’s my humble opinion that the present retirement age is adequate for any sincere hardworking member of the court. It’s not only consuming but also tasking emotionally, physically and mentally. There is a pool of qualified, experienced and healthier professionals from which vacancies created by their respective retirements can be filled.”
“We should have in mind their output at old age. The interest of the nation and not preference of the justices should be paramount on the minds of the senators. The employer and not the labourer determines the duration of the contract. It’s the people who make a constitution for themselves and not an institution thereof.”
Justice Salami was the Chairman of the Judicial Commission, set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate Ibrahim Magu, sacked chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
Outrage has greeted the horrendous murder of an Owerri-based lawyer in his office located in the state capital. Shock has gripped his heartbroken colleagues. And so has fear gripped the state capital.
The lawyer, N.H.Nwankwo had left for work on Saturday. His office is located on No 43 School road, Owerri.
He went to work with his driver. When he did not return on Friday, frantic calls were made to him by his family. But there were no connections. The family then called the Chairman of the NBA, Imo State, J.I. Ogamba to relate their experience.
Ogamba acted urgently, and sent Chinedu Agu, the Secretary of the NBA , Owerri, to go and check out what was wrong.
Before then, Nwankwo’s office neighbour, Ishmael Nkwocha, had already, in response, to calls, rushed to the office. The door was locked, but he noticed a ” splashes of blood” by the door, and called in the Police.
Along with other lawyers, the Police forced open the office, and there was his gruesomely, butchered body.
He was machetted while still working on his computer.
A machete was found in his rest room. And so was a bucket of water with which the Police suspect the assailants used to wash their hands. Blood, some already congealed, spluttered everywhere, including the roof and fan.
It is not yet known when he was murdered. Perhaps, on Saturday, since he did not go back home on Saturday.
The surprise: His driver, with whom he went to work had disappeared. And so were his car and phones. He is at large.
Following is the full text of the first statement on Nwankwo’s murder as issued by the NBA, Owerri
FROM THE SECRETARIAT OF NBA OWERRI.
N.H NWANKWO, ESQ. MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD!
At about 8.15am today on my way to Church for 8.30am Mass, I received a call from the Chairman of the Bar, J.I Ogamba, Esq. detailing me to liaise with the former Secretary of the Bar, Ishmael Nkwocha Esq., to take Police to N.H Nwankwo & Co. at 43 School Road Owerri, to ascertain the safety of N.H Nwankwo, Esq. who left home for work yesterday Saturday the 6th day of February, 2021 and was yet to return from work.
However, earlier to the call, Ishmael Nkwocha, who shares same office space with him had, in response to frantic calls from his family members over the uncertainty of his whereabouts, gone to his office to meet same locked.
On opening the Entrance door, he met Nwankwo’s main office locked and with traces of blood on the door to his (Nwankwo’s) office.
Not very sure of the situation, he went to the Homicide Section of the State CID, going with him Forensic Experts from the Police Headquarters to the office to have it properly opened by themselves in order not to contaminate evidential materials.
When the forensic experts arrived at 9:56hrs with their gadgets, they opened the door only for us to find his bulky frame lying lifeless inside his office in a pool of his congealed blood.
On a closer inspection, Nwankwo appeared to have been savagely matchetted by his Assailant, as a very gaping cut was seen on his neck, a monstrous cut of not less than of about 30cm with only about less than 50percent of the flesh in his neck region holding the head.
Blood splashes were seen on the roof, fans, Printer, Computers, table, files, seats, books, bookshelves inside his office suggestive of a ferocious matchetting of his neck.
Nwankwo was suspected to have been busy working as his Printer, Computer, Standing Fan were on while a writing pad containing jottings unrelated to this incident and a Pen were found on his Desk.
A bucket of water was seen in his office, with which the Assailant must have washed his hands and Matchet used in this act.
A search of the office revealed a Matchet abandoned inside the Toilet of his office with which the Assialant was suspected to have used to cut his neck.
When his body which lay half prostrate was turned matchet cuts were seen on his Wrist also and the footprints captured by forensic experts suggested the act was done by two persons as the two footprints were unidentical.
As at the time of this Provisional report, Forensic Experts are still gathering evidential materials for their use accompanied by myself, L.C Ugorji, Uche Osuji, Ishmael Nkwocha, J.I Ogamba, D.O Nosike and a host of other Lawyers.
Meanwhile, his Driver, who reportedly was the only person with him in the office on Saturday, is at the time of this report at large, with Nwankwo’s phones, and Car no where to be found.
Arrangement has just been concluded to take the lifeless body to the Morgue.
This is one death too many; one murder too savage!
Reactions have continued to trail the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari’s to appoint Ex-Service Chiefs as non-carrer Ambassadors.
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, on Sunday, gave reasons why the Senate should not confirm ex-Service Chiefs recently nominated as ambassadors.
The nominees, by President Buhari, are: Gen Abayomi Olonisakin (rtd), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (rtd).
Frank said the Senate would be going against its many resolutions when it passed votes of no confidence on the former Military Chiefs based on incompetence.
According to him, their confirmation would amount to both chambers of the National Assembly returning to their vomit.
He listed occasions when the Senate and the House of Representatives had expressly urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the ex-military Service Chiefs over lack of capacity, incompetence and failure to stem the tide of insecurity in the country to include:
*The attack by army personnel on residents of Naka in Gwer-West Local Government Area of Benue State and the beheading of 67 rice farmers by Boko Haram insurgents in Zabarmari community in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State.
*Senate’s resolution on a motion sponsored by the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Yahaya Abudullahi, titled: “Nigerian Security Challenges: Urgent Need To Restructure, Review And Reorganize The Current Security Architecture.”
*The minority caucus in the House of Representatives again called for the sack of the service chiefs in its reaction to the attack on the convoy of the Governor of Borno State, Baba Gana Zulum, by suspected Boko Haram terrorists, on July 31, 2020.
He noted that prominent groups in the country including the Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development, apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndi’Igbo and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had, at various times, called or supported calls for the sack of the Service Chiefs over their failure to secure the country – humongous annual defence budgets notwithstanding.
To crown it all, he recalled that President Buhari had passed a vote of no confidence on the ex-military Chiefs when he told them that their “best was not good enough.”
The Bayelsa-born political activist wondered whose interest the Senate would be serving by confirming the ‘failed Generals’ as Ambassadors in the face of widespread doubt over their competence, capacity and capabilities when they were in service.
He said that Nigerians are watching to see how the Senate, especially its opposition lawmakers, will betray the confidence reposed in them by allowing this potentially egregious confirmation of the ex-military Chiefs to sail through.
“We have it on good authority that they have earmarked funds to the tune of $100,000.00 per Senator to have their way but the Senators need to show patriotism by rejecting the money and the nominees in the national interest and as true representatives of the people,” he declared
Investigations by this magazine shows that the bribe allegation, by Frank is not supported by any proof, and is one of such wild bribe allegations that remain unproven and false.
The Northern Governors Forum, NGF, has expressed its disappointment at the generalization from certain quarters that Fulanis are criminals.
The NGF has challenged States in the South to fish out criminal herdsmen, isolate them, and make them face the wrath of the law.
The Northern Governors expressed worries that the activities of criminal elements were being used to tag a particular ethnic group criminals.
Chairman of the Forum, Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State, in a statement, said the NGF believes strongly in the rights of Nigerians to reside wherever they so desire without any molestation or discrimination.
It warned that there could be danger to peaceful coexistence and national unity if a particular ethnic group is being molested and discriminated upon.
Lalong said instead of tagging a particular ethnic group as criminals, and subjecting them to danger, criminal elements among them should be exposed, isolated, and made to face the law.
The Northern Governors Forum called for calm across the country and cautioned citizens, particularly those in the South West and East, which is the most affected areas, who might have been aggrieved or targeted, to exercise restraint.
The Forum noted that the country is currently going through a lot and escalating such tensions would definitely not resolve any grievances, but rather aggravate the situation to levels that could threaten national security.
“Leaders across political, ethnic, religious and community lines should avoid utterances and actions that further fan the embers of distrust, hate, violence and retaliation which can easily escalate the situation and cause chaos.
“Relevant Government officials, traditional rulers and opinion moulders must also send the right signals to those who want to take the laws into their hands and trample on the Nigerian Constitution by attempting to deny others the rights to live and pursue their legitimate business in whatever place they choose to reside.
“They should, also, send clear and unambiguous message to those threatening the peace that they will act decisively to stop them from plunging the nation to anarchy,” the Forum’s statement said.
Following the gale of corruption that Electricity Projects are known for in Nigeria, in which successive administration since the nation experienced uninterrupted Democratic rule has used as conduit pipe to defraud the nation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged the World Bank President, David Malpass, “to exercise the Bank’s prerogative to release archival records and documents relating to spending on all approved funds to improve access to electricity in Nigeria between 1999 and 2020.”
It, also, said that the Bank’s role in the implementation of any funded electricity projects is important to be made public, in order to identify and name any executed projects, and Nigerian officials, Ministries, Departments and Agencies involved in the execution of such projects.
The World Bank Board of Directors had, last week, approved $500m “to help boost access to electricity in Nigeria and improve the performance of the electricity distribution companies in the country.”
But in the application dated 6, February, 2021, and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization urged the Bank to “explain the rationale for the approval of $500m to implement electricity projects in the country, despite reports of widespread and systemic corruption in the sector, and the failure of the authorities to enforce a court judgment ordering the release of details of payments to allegedly corrupt electricity contractors who failed to execute any projects.”
SERAP said: “This application is brought pursuant to the World Bank’s Access to Information Policy, which aims to maximize access to information and promote the public good. There is public interest in Nigerians knowing about the Bank’s supervisory role and specifically its involvement in the implementation of electricity projects, which it has so far funded.”
According to SERAP, “The $500m is part of the over one billion dollars available to Nigeria under the project titled: Nigeria Distribution Sector Recovery Program. We would be grateful for details of any transparency and accountability mechanisms under the agreement for the release of funds, including whether there is any provision that would allow Nigerians and civil society to monitor the spending of the money by the government, its agencies, and electricity distribution companies.”
SERAP also said: “Should the Bank fail and/or refuse to release the information and documents as requested, SERAP would file an appeal to the Secretariat of the Bank’s Access to Information Committee to challenge any such decision, and if it becomes necessary, to the Access to Information Appeals Board. SERAP may also consider other legal options outside the Bank’s Access to Information framework.”
The letter copied to Shubham Chaudhuri, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, read in part: “SERAP believes that releasing the information and documents would enable Nigerians and civil society to meaningfully engage in the implementation of electricity projects funded by the Bank, contribute to the greater public good, and enhance the Bank’s oft-stated commitment to transparency and accountability.
“The World Bank has been and continues to be involved in overseeing the transfer, disbursement, spending of funds on electricity projects in Nigeria. The Bank also reportedly approved a $750 million loan for Nigeria’s electricity sector in June 2020 to cut tariff shortfalls, protect the poor from price adjustments, and increase power supply to the grid. As such, the World Bank is not a neutral party in this matter.
“SERAP is seriously concerned that the funds approved by the Bank are vulnerable to corruption and mismanagement. The World Bank has a responsibility to ensure that the Nigerian authorities and their agencies are transparent and accountable to Nigerians in how they spend the approved funds for electricity projects in the country, and to reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.
“The Group also believes that the release of the requested information and documents is of paramount importance to the public interest in preserving the legitimacy, credibility and relevance of the Bank as a leading international development institution. The Bank ought to lead by example in issues such as transparency and public disclosure raised in this request.”
“It would also demonstrate that the Bank is willing to put people first in the implementation of its development and governance policies and mandates, as well as remove any suspicion of the Bank’s complicity in the alleged mismanagement of electricity projects-related funds.
“The information is also being sought to improve the ongoing fight against corruption in the country and the provision of regular and uninterrupted electricity supply to Nigerians as a fundamental human right.
“The information requested is not affected by the “deliberative” “corporate administrative matters” or “security and safety” exceptions under the Policy. The information requested is crucially required for Nigerians to know how the funds released to the authorities to improve electricity supply in the country have been spent, and monitor how the funds are being used.”
SERAP’s report, titled: “From darkness to darkness: How Nigerians Are Paying The Price For Corruption In The Electricity Sector,” documents widespread and systemic corruption in the sector, and reveals, allegedly, how about N11 trillion electricity fund was squandered by successive administrations in Nigeria since the return of democracy in 1999.
“This report raises specific questions of public interest, and the World Bank ought to be concerned about how Nigerian authorities are addressing reports of widespread and systemic corruption in the electricity sector, and to seek some answers from the authorities on the problems.
“However, as the report shows, the Bank’s funding of the electricity sector has not resulted in corresponding access of Nigerians to regular and uninterrupted electricity supply. Successive governments have failed to provide access to regular and reliable electricity supply to millions of the citizens despite budgeting trillions of naira for the power sector.”
“Millions of Nigerians still lack access to free pre-paid meters. Authorities continue to use patently illegal and inordinate estimated billing across the country, increasing consumer costs, and marginalizing Nigerians living in extreme poverty, disproportionately affecting women, children and the elderly.”
SERAP, therefore, urged Mr Malpass to:
Disclose and release information and documents relating to spending of funds approved and released to Nigeria between 1999 and 2020 to improve access to regular and uninterrupted electricity supply, including copies of supervision reports, periodic reviews and other appropriate reports on the Bank’s role in the spending and disbursement of the funds, as well as specific projects on which the funds have been spent;
Disclose implementation status and results and completion reports on the electricity projects that the Bank has so far funded in Nigeria;
Disclose information on the of level of involvement of World Bank in the implementation of electricity projects between 1999 and 2020;
Disclose information on agreements and the mechanisms the Bank is putting in place to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of all funds on electricity projects in Nigeria;
Disclose the terms and conditions of all electricity projects related funds that have been approved for Nigeria between 1999 and 2020.
