Okorocha & Madumere: Torn Apart By Politics

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June 27, 2019

A group of protesters purported to be backed by one of the many splinter groups of the All Progressives congress, APC, has staged a peaceful protest against the Cabal-people who allegedly hold sway and purportedly hold the Presidency to ransom.

They had taken their grievances to the Defense House-an indication of their belief that Military hold the power to effect a change as what was described Tuesday as a “balancing cabal”. They did not march to Aso rock, the seat of the Presidency.

It will be recalled that Aisha Buhari had, before the election campaigns, announced that two or three people have hijacked the presidency, and that Buhari could have achieved more if not for their influence. She did not name the people.

But this Magazine had named the people as Mamman Daura, a relation of the President,Isa Funtua, a very influential business man, and the former Chief of staff, Aba Kyari. Funtua was alleged to have been behind the re- appointment of Godwin Emefiele, the CBN Governor.

The marchers named the trio as the fulcrum of the cabal.

Aisha had lamented that Nigerians beg for favors from these men.

But rumors are rife that the group may have been prodded by unseen hands, but are but a pawn in the hands of those fighting the cabal for their own gain, who are entrenching their own machinaries towards 2023 Presidency. Analysts indicate that the triumphant entry to Lagos and the speaker of the House Femi Gbajabiamila bowing to the Ahmed Tinugu, in a recent viral video, may have been a signal that the cabal is up against a growing and formidable power block.

The battle for supremacy, which has raged silently, is gradually bursting into the open. In a compromise move, the cabal had decided to sacrifice Aba Kyari, replacing him with another. This Magazine had reported that a section of the Cabal was eying Adamu Adamu, former minister of Education, though it is becoming clearer that another Adamu, who worked with Farida Waziri, Former INEC boss, in Africonsortium, the engine house of Buhari’s former Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF deals, was put forward by Daura. He was the immediate past minister of Water Resources.

This was partly the reason for the reorganization of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation,NNPC hierarchy, sources say.

But the Tinubu Group, it was said, wants the influence of the three totally whittled, so his Presidential ambition can scale true. They are seen as the main stumbling block to him. They allegedly see the compromise as too little too late.

Super Eagles Zooms into Round of 16

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June 27, 2019

By Akinwale Kasali

The Super Eagles of Nigeria became the first Nation to qualify for the knockout stage at the on-going 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), championship in Egypt.

The Super Eagles defeated the Syli Nationale of Guinea 1-0, thanks to a header by Leganes football club defender, Kenneth Omeruo.

The Coach Gernot-Rohr tutored team recorded another successive 1-0 triumph in Alexandria to book their place in the round of 16.

The team line-up saw some changes, with captain, John Mikel Obi, Villarreal midfielder, Samuel Chukwueze and Paul Ebere Onuachu dropped from the starting line up, and were replaced by Odion Ighalo, Ahmed Musa and, Moses Simon.

The Syli Nationale of Guinea proved their mettle as no push over by foiling several forays made to their goal area by the Eagles. It took over 70 minutes before the Guinean goalkeeper, Diarra Kone, was subdued.

The Super Eagles match against Madagascar in their third group match will just be mere formality, as they have already secured qualification.

Since AFCON 2006 held in Egypt, Nigeria has not recorded a back-to-back victory in the group stage of the African showpiece. This was, however, a ‘de ja vu’ in the land of the Pharaohs.

At AFCON 2006, the Super Eagles defeated Ghana, Senegal and Zimbabwe to record Nine points and, topped the log at the tournament. A repeat of such outing in the group stage seems in the offing.

Ministerial List: Buhari Dashes Kachikwu’s Hope

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Bayo Bernard

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June 26, 2019

The hopes of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu to be re-appointed into the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari appear to have been dashed.

The writer cum politician , sources say is poised to return to government to fill the slot of Delta state in the administration.

Recall that Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina recently hinted that President Buhari will not delay in constituting his cabinet.

But few hours after that statement, President Buhari made the first appointment suggesting that he may have foreclosed the appointment of Kachikwu into his cabinet.

The appointment of Dr Thomas John as the alternate chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, sources say is a signal that Buhari is not disposed to the appointment of Dr Kachikwu in to his government for a second time.

The outgoing Group Managing Director, GMD of the NNPC, Maikanti Baru on Tuesday made the announcement, in a terse statement, directing Dr John to resume immediately.

According to Baru, “he will hold the position of the Acting Alternate Chairman of the Governing Board until a new Minister of Petroleum Resources or Minister of State for Petroleum Resources is appointed to assume the Chairmanship or Alternate Chairmanship position, respectively in line with Sections 1(3) and 2(1) of the NNPC Act.”

“The new appointment, he stated “takes effect immediately.”

Aso Rock sources disclosed that President Buhari, is planning to repeat what he did during his first tenure, when he made himself the Petroleum minister, while Kachikwu was a junior minister in the cabinet.

“In that case, the new minister of state will be the alternate chair of NNPC while Buhari will be the substantive chair,” a source in the ministry said.

Another Aso Rock source also disclosed that “By appointing Dr John as alternate chair, President Buhari has either decided not to re-appoint the former minister into his cabinet or has decided to give him another portfolio.”

Those who spoke with the magazine said the tenure of Kachlkwu was tumultuous and that the president will not want to re-appoint the former minister because of his perceived controversy while he held sway in that ministry.

There are also some highly ranked officials in the presidency who believe that significant strides were not made in the nation’s oil sector with Kachikwu as minister.

For instance, those with this line of thought insist that the nation’s refineries are still not working despite all promises the minister made to repair them.

But most importantly, the factor that finally sealed the former minster’s fate, reliable sources say, was his one-time disagreement with the NNPC boss over the award of contract while President Buhari was on medical trip in London.

Apart from that, Kachikwu at a time also ran foul with former minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, over the construction of Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta state.

Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers state was President Buhari’s campaign Director General and one of his trusted aides.

Onnoghen Had Millions Of Dollars & Euros – Buhari

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June 26, 2019

By Gideon Njoku

For the first time since the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen was forced to resign from office, President Muhammadu Buhari has explained why he took the drastic action against him, even as he also said he was reluctant to do so.

In an action which was condemned by not a few Nigerians, Onnoghen was unceremoniously removed from office after he was docked before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, for deliberately not declaring all his bank accounts.

The CCT found him guilty, and recommended his removal from the high profile office. But the President, after about two months, accepted Onnoghen’s earlier resignation, instead of the recommended sack.

Now, for the first time, Buhari has revealed why he dealt with the former CJN.

Stopping short of calling Onnoghen corrupt, the President said he pushed him out because Onnoghen had millions in his bank accounts, which he neither declared, nor explained how he accumulated them. He had millions in both foreign and local currencies, the President explained.

President Buhari was speaking on June 26, in his office, when he received a faction of the Afenifere, led by Pa Ayo Fasanmi, and included APC chieftains, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chief Segun Osoba in audience.

Said the President on Onnoghen: “Anybody who cannot account for what he has, and for refusing to declare, we will have to do something about it.

“I will tell you, that was why I had to deal, though reluctantly, with the former Chief Justice, because there were millions of Dollars, Euros, not to talk of Naira, which were not declared by him.”

Expressing his disappointment, and taking a swipe at the former CJN, the President said:” I wonder what sort of conscience some of us have. How can you sit, preside and lock up people for years, and even sentence some to death, and yet, you are not doing what the constitution says you should do by occupying that vital institution.”

The President’s revelation puts to an end the speculations over the real reason why the National Judicial Commission, NJC, couldn’t save Onnoghen, and, perhaps, why, the South-South governors who, at the beginning of Onnoghen’s case threatened fire and brimstone suddenly went quiet.

Only his state government, Cross River State, instituted a case challenging his alleged mis-treatment. The case was dismissed by the Supreme Court for lack of merit. Only one of the Justices gave a dissenting judgement.

Onnoghen has since been replaced by an Acting CJN, Hon. Justice Tanko.

Ruga: South east, Others Reject Settlement, Cry Fulanisation Plot

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June 26, 2019

By Uche Mbah

All South east Governors, Governor Ortom of Benue state, Darius Ishiaku of Taraba state, and the Ondo state Governor have sworn that they will not allow the federal government to establish Ruga Cattle ranches in their states, saying that it is the first step to Fulanization.

The immediate past Minister for agriculture, Audu Ogbe, had informed the Nation of President Buhari’s approval of the Ruga settlements of Fulani in all states of the Federation, with the pilot scheme in 21 states. This was just before the winding down of the last administration.

“We are going to build settlements where herders will live, grow their cattle and produce milk. The milk will be bought by a milking parlor thus preventing their wives from moving around with milk. This is especially to avert any conflict between the herders and the farmers,” the former Minister had said.

The Federal government has made up its mind to implement the program. On Tuesday, the Presidency announced that it is going to be spread out within five years, saying that such establishments will end the activities of herdsmen who regularly clash with farmers.

Buhari has in recent times been singing a new song: “we are going to find solution to farmers herders clash”.

The Fulanis had rejected cattle colony and opted for open grazing. It therefore is surprising that suddenly they have settled for Ruga settlements, which are cattle colonies by another name.

Only recently, Miyeti Allah was said to have threatened the South east with invasion if they do not allow them to form vigilante groups.

Meanwhile, the Federal government has set up mechanisms to market the idea in various fora.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Umar, for example,has insisted that the Ruga settlements would attract investors to Nigeria.

“The Ruga settlement is one of the very important things being done by the ministry and it is one of the best things that can happen not only to Nigeria but to most of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a concept that we developed to deal with internal security,” he had said in Abuja, claiming that many states are ecstatic about it.

“We felt that to do away with herders-farmers’ conflict, we need to settle our nomads and those who breed animals. We want to put them in a place that has been developed as a settlement, where we provide water for their animals, pasture, schools for their children, security, aggro-rangers, etc. We also felt that we need to develop cattle markets whereby you don’t need to be transporting animals through very long distances. We will also bring in investors that will set up modern centers where cattle breeders can slaughter their animals. When we do that, a lot of other things will come up,” he said.

Apart from Paying For Subsidy, 70% Earnings Go For Debt Servicing, Says Sanusi

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June 25, 2019

Emir of Kano, Muhammed Sanusi II, has insisted that Nigeria spends over 70% of her earnings on debt servicing, despite spending so much to pay for fraudulent subsidy which has led to the country being on the high way to Bankruptcy.

Sanusi spoke in Kano at the third National treasury workshop organized by the office of the Accountant General of the federation. He was invited as a former Central Bank Governor to give an insight into the economy. But he did not mince words: he declared that Nigeria has gone bankrupt by every ramifications.

“Two days ago, I read that the percentage of the government’s revenue going to debt services has risen to 70.

“And then, you continue subsidizing petroleum products; and spending N1.5 trillion per annum on petroleum subsidy. And then we are subsidizing electricity tariff. And maybe, you have to borrow from the capital market or the Central Bank of Nigeria to service the shortfall in the electricity tariff, where is the money to pay salaries, where is the money for education, where other government projects,” he said.

As at two months ago, this Magazine had reported that 60% of earnings are used for debt servicing. Obviously things have gone worse within such a short period.

“The country is bankrupt and we are heading for bankruptcy. What happened is that the federal government do pay petroleum subsidy, pay electricity tariff subsidy, and if there is a rise in interest rates, Federal Government pays,” he says.

“What is more life-threatening than the subsidy that we have to sacrifice education, health sector and infrastructure for us to have cheap petroleum.

“If truly President Buhari is fighting poverty, he should remove the risk on the national financial sector and stop the subsidy regime which is fraudulent.”

Buhari has told the nation during his 2015 campaign that subsidy is a fraud being perpetrated under the Peoples Democratic Party regime. But within four years, he has paid more subsidy than was paid by PDP in sixteen years.

Sanusi has once accused Buhari of making more millionaires through his cronies that own and operate the Bureau de changes. Nigeria has been operating multiple forex regimes. Some few powerful individuals buy forex at N200 per dollar and send to their Bureau de change outlets to sell at N360 per dollar.

“(You) continue subsidizing petroleum products; and spending N1.5 trillion per annum on petroleum subsidy. And then we are subsidizing electricity tariff. And maybe, you have to borrow from the capital market or the Central Bank of Nigeria to service the shortfall in the electricity tariff, where is the money to pay salaries, where is the money for education, where other government projects,” he said.

Kidnapping: Osinbajo Lied – Afenifere

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June 25, 2019

By Ayodele Oni, Akure

Pan Yoruba social cultural organization, Afenifere, has come down heavily on the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, for playing politics with the life of Nigerians going by his remarks two days ago in the United States of America.

The vice President had told his audience in the US that reports of kidnappings and killings in Nigeria which they read in social media were exaggerated.

Rising from its meeting in Akure, Ondo state capital, on Tuesday June 25, the spokesman of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin, in a communiqué he signed, insisted that the meeting was overwhelmed by reports of traumatization of people by Fulani herdsmen/kidnappers/militia all across the Six states in the south west zone as well as Kwara and Kogi States.

The communiqué stated that there were indications of failure of state as the security forces have largely been incapable, or unwilling to safeguard the lives of people against these Criminals as none of them has been arrested, or is under trial at the moment just as all the Federal Government has done so far is to make excuses for the Boko Haram and Miyetti Allah groups that have been accused of so many crimes against the people of Nigeria.

“It is against this backdrop that the meeting was scandalized by the opportunistic and provocative utterances of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in NewYork on Sunday dismissing the danger we are faced in Yorubaland as well as by other zones in Nigeria as being “politically motivated .

“As if he is unaware that we are in a digital world ,which explains why America and Britain have issued travel directives to their citizens not travel to more than 2/3 of Nigeria, the VP without much thought for his integrity, stated “With respect to general kidnapping which we have seen in parts of the country ,again, this is not entirely new. In fact, some of the kidnapping stories you read, or listen to, are simply not true anywhere. Some are fueled by politics .”

The group frowned at this unfortunate comments by the Vice President who, insist, has shamed the Yoruba people with his very cheap politicking with the lives of Nigerians.

“Aside from the daily tales of horror across Yorubaland in the hands of these Fulani marauders, thr meeting would like Osinbajo to answer the following questions :

Is the report of the kidnap of a District Head from President Buhari’s town, Daura. from his house, on May 1 till date politically motivated ?And was the President speaking of another country when he handed kidnappers on rampage to God?

“Was former Health Minister, Prof Isaac Adewole playing politics when it was announced that his son was kidnapped? What politics was afoot when the Ondo State Governor, (Rotimi Akeredolu) recently announced that his convoy was waylaid by kidnappers ?

“If he cannot answer these questions, he should kneel before his God and ask for forgiveness for violating “Thou shall not lie” commandment.

“We further admonish him not to allow whatever ambition and political interest he serves to push him to make such infuriating comments as the number two man in the country again.

“As a people who cannot continue to bear what is going on, and we believe it is so with so many communities in Nigeria, the meeting made the following demands:

“Restate our earlier call on Mr President to separate the office of the President of Nigeria which he occupies from being also the grand patron of Miyetti Allah which we suspect makes it very difficult for security agents to go after members of this group whenever they commit or are accused of crimes.

“There must be immediate enforcement of law and order as an urgent measure to flush out these criminal elements from our society .

“There must be immediate steps taken to re-work Nigeria to take it back to the practise of Federalism so that every federating unit can have their police to secure their environment.

“In order to cut the production line of criminals and bandits, we must have the practice of Federalism in many key spheres especially the economy so that all federating units must have the rights to tap whatever is under their soil so that new corridors of prosperity are created to eradicate the massive unemployment in the county so we can cease to be the headquarters of poverty.

Vigilante: Miyetti Allah Furious, Threatens To Invade Igboland

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June 25, 2019

By Uche Mbah

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani Kayode, has expressed disgust over the reaction of Myetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to the position taken by South east leaders over their offer of help to form Vigilante groups in the South east.

Using his twitter handle, @realFFK, Fani-Kayode said that Miyetti Allah is threatening to take Igboland by force.

“I read with disgust the response of Miyetti Allah to the rejection of their demand to have a militia in the east. To say u will take Igboland by force because they won’t allow you to arm ur Fulani herdsmen is dangerous and reckless. You are baying for blood and begging for war!”, he had twitted.

It will be recalled that at a Security summit for the South east, Miyetti Allah had requested that South east governors should allow them to form vigilante groups in the South east. In the same vein, they announced their endorsement of Dave Umahi, Governor of Ebonyi state and chairman eastern governors’ forum, as their preferred Presidential candidate for 2023.

Umahi has a history of co-operation with the world recognized terrorist group, and is looked at with suspicion among hard-line Igbo iredentist.

The request was greeted with wide condemnation from various groups, with Ohaneze Ndi igbo being at the front-line.

“Ohanaeze vehemently opposes any attempt by Miyetti Allah to establish any form of vigilante group in Igboland”, said the President-General, Nnia Nwodo. “These are people who have ravaged our farms, raped our women and slaughtered their husbands. As at today, they technically enjoy immunity from arrest and prosecution. They freely display AK-47 rifles not permitted to be used by civilians. Extending this measure to them will turn them into an army of occupation and invite unavoidable confrontations with our youths. We will resist such a policy with every might available to us,”

South eastern governors also rejected the move.

A socio-cultural group, Igbo Ekunie Initiative, IEI, a coalition of Igbo professionals in Nigeria and the Diaspora, called it “reckless and provocative”.

“There is absolutely no threat in any form to the Fulani people living in the South-East nor to their business interests that should warrant the establishment of a Fulani defence corp”, they said.

Intersociety, or International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, insists they will not join issues with Miyetti Allah. “We are holding the South East Governors, mostly that of Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi States responsible for hobnobbing with the terrorists group”,The group said.

The Human Rights Liberty Access and Peace Defenders Foundation, HURIJE, blames the Federal Government for disarming local vigilante outfits in the South East and allowing the Fulani herdsmen to carry AK 47 about freely.

“Government should disarm Fulani herdsmen now because arming them in the South East in the name of establishment of vigilante will give them license to penetrate South East and kill more people, since the hands of our security personnel are tied”.

Aisha Buhari, Nkem Okeke, Others Attend Nkechi Obi’s Daughter Wedding

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June 24, 2019