An epic battle is now set between the Ebora of Owu, Olusegun Obasanjo; the All Progressives Congress, APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leadership. Come September 22, 2018, Osun people will be electing a new Governor. Chances are that the main contenders within the party are Ishiaka Gboyega Oyetola, Tinubu’s Cousin and the APC candidate; Ademola Adeleke, a Senator standing for PDP, and Fatai Akinade Akinbade, former PDP Osun state Party Chairman contesting under African Democratic Party, ADC. ADC wa the brainchild of former Presient Obasanjo in his quest to send the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, packing from Aso Rock.
Oyetola’s emergence as the flag bearer of the APC was fraught with protests and grumblings within the party. There were allegations of impositions, that his election was more of a selection , and that it was more of an endorsement that anything else-an allegation that the state leadership expectedly denies. It was gathered that mumbling are still going on due to those who felt shortchanged by the election.
Senator Adeleke emerged as the PDP flag-bearer, while the third runner up was Fatai Akinbade. Akinbade believed he was the preferred candidate but that he was being discriminated against within the party. On the advice of his former boss and the leader of ADC in Osun, former governor Olagunsoye Oyinola, he decamped from the PDP to the ADC. Meanwhile, a former secretary to the Osun state government, Kazeem Adio, has already won the nomination for the governorship candidacy, and had his name already submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the ADC flag bearer. but he needed little persuasion to voluntary relinquish the position to Akinbade. Now Akinbade is the flag bearer, with Justice Folahanmi Oloyide as running mate. Oloyide was retired as a high court judge by the National Judicial Commission in controversial circumstances, though many see her as a courageous Judge who was able to stand up to erring authority. But Adeleke has been having a running battle with the courts over his academic qualifications, that he has no school leaving certificate. An uncle to the ace musician Davido, he shot into prominence in the social media when he won the senatorial election and danced his heart out.
Indications are that former president Obasanjo wants to use the Osun election for popularity test for his new party, ADC. Recently, Obasanjo confirmed his readmission back to the PDP. He has been a close associate of Olagunsoye Oyinola, who is alleged to be his eyes in the Osun election.With Adeleke’s certificate controversy recently settled by the courts, the PDP, according to the National leadership, are now prepared to meet fire for fire in the elections. And Tinubu has federal might-and deep pockets-in his favor.
Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has left the door open on a potential move for Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, after saying the club could still do business before the Spanish transfer window closes, Sky sports reports.
Despite being handed the captain’s armband for the opening 2-1 win against Leicester City, Pogba’s comments after the game hinted at tensions at Old Trafford.
Asked about Pogba after Barcelona’s 2-1 Super Cup win against Sevilla, Bartomeu said: “I won’t speak of any names, we have respect for all clubs and there are 20 days left.
“We’ll see which players come out. We’re focused on the league, so it’s best to ask (Eric) Abidal,(Ramon) Planes or Pep Segura about players.
“There’s still time to do business.”
Andres Iniesta, Paulinho and Andre Gomes have left Barcelona this summer and the Catalan club may have to wait if they are to further strengthen their midfield following the arrivals of Arturo Vidal and Arthur, with Manchester United unlikely to want to part with Pogba during this window.
“We are never going to find another Andres Iniesta, that’s impossible because there is only one and he is in Japan,” said Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde.
Barcelona arch rival, Real Madrid, who just appointed new coach, Julen Lopetegui, will commence his job as the new coach of Real Madrid.
The Madrid club will be without both Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane gone and Julen Lopetegui in, a new era at Real Madrid officially begins when they face city rivals Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup in Tallinn on Wednesday evening.
Lopetegui will be eager to seize the chance to get his hands on a first piece of silverware since replacing Zidane, who quit the Spanish giants days after leading them to a third successive Champions League crown against Liverpool in May.
Real’s announcement that Lopetegui would take over led to him being sensationally sacked by Spain on the eve of the World Cup in Russia.
La Roja went on to lose on penalties to the hosts in the last 16 with Fernando Hierro in charge, and the 51-year-old Lopetegui has now turned the page to a new chapter in his career.
It has been a turbulent summer at times for Real, with Ronaldo having been sold and no marquee signing brought in to replace him. Pre-season results have been largely positive, but Lopetegui could hardly have been handed a tougher start in his first competitive outing.
If Real are to win a third consecutive Super Cup, and a record-equalling fifth overall, they must get the better of an Atletico side who have proven a match for their neighbours in the years since Diego Simeone became coach.
Atletico have themselves won twice before in this annual meeting of the European champions and Europa League winners, and they come here to the Estonian capital fresh from beating Marseille 3-0 in the Europa League final in May.
“My first official game is a final. A match that Real Madrid have earned the right to play in once again,” Lopetegui told his new club’s official website.
Of Atletico, he added: “They’re a team we know well and it’ll be a local derby. It’s all set up to be a great match and a great final.”
– Life without Ronaldo –
Lopetegui knows the compact, 15,000-capacity Lillekula Stadium well, having coached Spain to victory here in the under-19 European Championship in 2012.
He returns in charge of a team that must demonstrate it can cope going forward without Ronaldo, sold to Juventus after nine prolific years.
Wednesday’s game could come too soon for Luka Modric, with the Croatian playmaker only just back from a post-World Cup holiday. Meanwhile, new signings Thibaut Courtois and Alvaro Odriozola have travelled.
Belgium goalkeeper Courtois, who joined from Chelsea last week for a reported fee of 35 million euros ($40.6 million), will hope to play against the club he represented during a three-year loan spell.
Spain right-back Odriozola, recruited from Real Sociedad, is set to miss the game due to injury.
“Pre-season has gone well, it has been positive. The players are starting to take on board our concepts, even if little adjustments still need to be made,” Lopetegui said after Saturday’s 3-1 friendly win over AC Milan.
It has been a rather more serene couple of months for Atletico, especially with star striker Antoine Griezmann opting to reject a move to Barcelona and stay at the club.
Griezmann and defender Lucas Hernandez are only just back after helping France to World Cup glory, while new signings include their compatriot Thomas Lemar, Croatian striker Nikola Kalinic and Portuguese star Gelson Martins.
Simeone is aiming for his seventh trophy as Atletico coach, although he will have to watch the game from the stands as he serves a touchline ban.
“We need to improve on what we did last season. Expectations are high,” said Simeone, who is hoping to lay down a marker for a campaign that will culminate with the Champions League final being played in their own stadium.
“We have work to do, because after a year and a half without signing anybody, five or six new players have arrived.”
In another development, Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko has joined AC Milan on loan, both clubs announced on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old Frenchman joins the Serie A side on a one-year deal with an option to make the move permanent, the Italian club said.
Following the unpalatable news trending about the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has ordered the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to immediately begin the overhaul of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
Osinbajo also directed the National Human Rights Commission to set up a panel to probe allegations of rights abuse by the Police unit.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists.
Akande said the Acting President’s directive was based on persistent complaints being made by members of the public against the SARS.
He stressed that Osinbajo also directed the Police IG to ensure that any unit that will emerge from the overhaul is intelligence-driven and restricted to the prevention and detection of crimes.
The statement read, “Following persistent complaints and reports on the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad that border on allegations of human rights violations, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has directed the Inspector General of Police to, with immediate effect, overhaul the management and activities of SARS and ensure that any unit that will emerge from the process will be intelligence-driven and restricted to the prevention and detection of armed robbery and kidnapping, and apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences, and nothing more.
“The Acting President has also directed the IGP to ensure that all operatives in the emerging unit conduct their operations in strict adherence to the rule of law and with due regard to International Human Rights Law and the constitutionally guaranteed rights of suspects.
“The operatives should also bear proper identification anytime they are on duty.
“In the meantime, the Acting President has directed the National Human Rights Commission to set up a special panel that will conduct an investigation of the alleged unlawful activities of SARS in order to afford members of the general public the opportunity to present their grievances with a view to ensuring redress.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, boss, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is presently swimming in trouble waters, as the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday insisted that the Inspector-General of Police must arrest and produce the Chairman, in court on Aug. 16.
Justice Stephen Pam gave the order following the absence of Yakubu’s team of lawyers in court and there was no explanation as to why they were absent.
Pam said, “At the commencement of proceedings, counsel for the applicant, Kanayo Okafor, informed the court that the Court of Appeal on Monday asked the court to stay proceedings in the matter.
“The counsel for the respondent is not in court and no reason has been given for their absence.
“The contempt proceedings and the bench warrant issued for the arrest of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman still subsists, the I-G is to carry out the order of the arrest of Yakubu.
“This court being a court of record has nothing to prove that there was an order for stay from the Court of Appeal.”
However, while the judge was delivering his ruling, a lawyer in the team of Yakubu’s counsel walked into the court and made attempts to call the judge’s attention to his presence.
This was, however, in vain as Justice Pam adjourned the matter until Aug. 16 for continuation.
The News Agency of Nigeria gathered that the counsel was late because he was at the Court of Appeal making efforts to get the ruling to present to the lower court, but the ruling was not yet ready.
The court had on August 1, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Yakubu for “flagrant” disobedience of court orders.
Also, the Court of Appeal vacated the arrest order on Monday and ordered a stay of proceedings pending the determination of the substantive case.
The lower court, however, insisted that no such order had been communicated to it and being a court of record, it needed a document to show that there was such an order and not verbal information.
No one gave the Falconets a chance. After the team’s 1-0 loss to Germany in the opening match of the Group D encounter, soccer enthusisats had written them off.
The team bounced back in their second group game against Haiti, winning by Rasheedat Ajibade solitary spot kick in the first half of the encounter to signal the preparedness of the Falconets to make a mark in France.
Again, stand –in Captain Rasheedat Ajibade was the heroine as the Nigeria U20 girls weaved their way into the 9thFIFA U20 Women’s World Cup quarter finals following a 1-1 draw with their Chinese counterparts in Dinan/Léhon on Monday evening.
The Falconets’ top scorer in the African qualifying series tapped in at the near post in a last –gasp effort from a cross by Aishat Bello, to break Chinese hearts and shoot Africa’s most successful women’s football team at the World Cup level to their seventh berth in the knockout stages in nine editions of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals.
The Nigerians needed a draw to advance in second place alongside Group D leaders Germany and were lucky to progress after the last gasp strike.
Zhang Linyan gave China the breakthrough they needed with a 41st minute goal, and they were on their way to the last eight until Ajibade’s strike which ensured the Falconets finished Group D in second place on goals balance from the Asians, though on same number of points (four). Germany finished top of the pool with maximum nine points.
Nigeria thus advanced on four points; same as the Chinese but with a superior goals difference after losing their opening game to Germany 1-0 before a hard-fought 1-0 win over Haiti on Thursday.
But it was evident the Chinese were hard done by, not for lack of trying but for sheer luck, as the Asian girls wept profusely and uncontrollably in front of the 1,534 fans at the match venue.
The Falconets play Group C winners Spain, who played an entertaining 2-2 draw against USA in Dinan-Lehon same day, in Concaneau, on Thursday.
The draw ensured USA, most successful team of the competition alongside Germany with three titles, were eliminated from the competition for the first time in the group stage, while Japan joined the Spanish in the quarter-finals as Group C runners-up.
In other quarter-finals pairings, hosts France battle champions North Korea, England play Netherlands, while Japan slug it out against Germany, who reached the last eight on maximum points.
General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, praised the ladies for their effort: “The Falconets deserve commendation for the way they fought all the way to the end and got the important goal. The NFF is proud of their dedication, discipline and commitment, and we believe they have what it takes to overcome Spain in the quarter finals
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, When In Need Foundation (WIN), has brought succour to the medically challenged people of Nasarawa State.
W.I.N, founded by Dr. Ecton-Dunkley, which since inception has been run with her savings, investment and salary, on June 18th embark on another challenge by taking free medical mission initiative to Kardako Health Centre, Kardako Nasarawa State.
The medical support team included the 15 Medical Doctors, 10 Pharmacists, 15 Optometrists, Nurses and about 20 Volunteers support team. With the crowd who came to get free healthcare, screened for various diseases, malaria, typhoid and high blood pressure among others. Not less than 3000 people were seen by a doctor, evaluated, checked for particular ailments etc. Malaria was the most prevalent of the illnesses and the statistics is jarring in north central region of Nigeria.
According to the organisers, during this healthcare free medical intervention, medical supplies enough to fill one 40 foot container was shipped from the United States, wheel Chairs, vitamins, blood pressure monitors, over the counter prescriptions etc.
Ecton- Dunkley said that the aim of the fopundation is to affect the lives of medically challenged people positively and also give them succour, because not all of them could afford the exhorbitant prices of drugs and other medical things needed.
The foundation disclosed that the train will soon move to another state, promising that other states will benefit immensely from the CSR they are offering
It is accepted that life is not necessarily measured by the length of time spent on earth but by how it impacts on people and the society. Yet, longevity is one of the most cherished aspirations of human beings. To see one’s children and grandchildren, to reminisce on times past, to mentor younger ones who are privileged to drink from one’s fountain of wisdom, to have the opportunity to make peace with our maker before exiting this planet are, no doubt, some of the abiding benefits of old age.
When old age is accompanied by impact, society is moved to celebrate such a person. That is what is expected as Dr. Peter Otunuya Odili, CON, the third Governor of Rivers State (1999-2007), attains the age of 70 on August 15, 2018. Like any other politician, Odili will naturally mean different things to different people. As managing director/editor-in-chief of Champion Newspapers Limited between February 2000 and January 2008, I had the privilege of interacting with him at close quarters before his tenure, of two terms, (1999-2007) ended. I therefore consider it a joyful undertaking to pay this tribute to a man whose commitment to service; patriotism, philanthropy, and loyalty to friendship match the loftiest human ideals attainable.
Looking back, one of the most remarkable qualities of Odili was his determination to ensure that the people of Rivers State enjoyed the dividends of democracy by providing visionary leadership in two areas. If my recollection is correct, he laid great emphasis on political education and leadership development. Just emerging then from military rule, he made it a point to assemble a corps of young men and women on whose shoulders the future of the state would rest. It is a measure of his visionary leadership that, through astute mentoring, he incubated a corps of younger politicians many of whom are today holding strategic positions at all levels of governmental administration in Nigeria. The persons concerned are well known and they know themselves!
Beyond that, Odili had the vision of establishing legacy projects through ambitious infrastructural development. I will mention one of such projects, the Omoku Power Plant not because it was the only one but for the important reason that it epitomized the quintessential Odili, a gentle giant who, for the love of his people, was prepared to strive where angels feared to dare to tread. At Omoku, Odili demonstrated the power of vision over tradition, of courage over criticism, of love over fear. Before Omoku, no level of government had tried an independent power project of that magnitude. To make matters worse, the terrain was terrifyingly discouraging: it demanded the highest of civil engineering expertise and enormous resources to stabilize the swampy soil. Naturally the criticisms cascaded not as drops but in torrents. Odili remained undaunted. In the end, he prevailed. Many years later, I was extremely elated when the regional head of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, in Port Harcourt, disclosed that about 75 percent of the power consumed in capital city, was generated from the Omoku Power Plant. I said to myself: here is the power of vision.
For a man with his kind of focus, it is only to be expected that Odili would place premium attention on education. He did. For him, emphasis on education encompassed infrastructure and manpower development at home, complemented with global benchmarking abroad. I recall an incident at the Port Harcourt International Airport. Our flight, from Lagos, had just touched down and there was this large group of young men and women whose excitement literally illuminated the departure area of the airport. Why were they so happy, I enquired? I was informed that those were students on the scholarship of the Rivers State Government who were about leaving for one of the Asian countries, either Singapore or Indonesia. Odili had opened the floodgates of overseas education to the children of all classes of parents.
In spite of the challenge of militancy and cultism, Odili was determined to make Rivers unique. At the same time, he never missed any opportunity to make Nigeria great. He believed, and I hope, still believes that the legitimate aspiration of states for greater self-expression should not be allowed to undermine national unity and political stability. As Governor, he never discriminated against anybody. To him, gender, tribe, religion and all labels should never erode our sense of common humanity. With this enduring philosophy, he supported very legitimate cause to the extent that the governance environment permitted. Those who know him will agree that Odili is the epitome of compassion and philanthropy.
What I distilled from my interaction with Odili was his strong belief in the promise of a greater Nigeria; he always felt that sub-cultural nationalism should never truncate the promise of a Nigeria that would be the undeniable leader in Africa. To drive home his point, he made friends across all the divides to the extent that he was loved and admired by people-traditional rulers, religious leaders, students, artisans, etc-all over the country so much so that at some point, his popularity or, put differently, national appeal, could only be compared to that of the late MKO Abiola. So, for those who invested emotionally and professionally in his run for president in 2007, it was from the perspective of a people who genuinely yearned for a bridge-builder, a visionary politician, a statesman who, then 59, was endowed with the energy, focus and presence of mind to consolidate on whatever gains that had been achieved post-military Nigeria. That the dream died, is now history.
However, we can take consolation that the disappointments of the past have not deterred Odili from continuing to contribute, in profound and diverse ways, to national development, the most recent being the commencement of the PAMO University of Medical Sciences in Port Harcourt, the first specialized, medicine only, university, in Nigeria. Surprising? Not so. For those who do not know, Odili, an alumnus of the University of Nigeria, UNN, is a medical doctor. Medicine is, should I say, his second love since his first love is his wife, the inimitable Hon. Justice Mary Ukaego Odili, Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria! We should be grateful to this judicial Amazon, this scion of the Nzenwa royal family in Obizi, Ezinihitte Mbaise of Imo State, with her children, for standing behind this outstanding humanist, for allowing him to touch the lives of many, including mine, in unforgettable ways. His name is Peter and he has been a solid rock to friends, family, state, nation, society and humanity. We may not all be present at the anniversary; yet neither words nor gifts nor physical presence can express the depth of gratitude owed by us all.
This is wishing His Excellency, Sir (Dr.) Peter Otunuya Odili, CON, happy 70th birthday and many more years of God’s blessings.
Though the All Progressives Congress, APC, has dismissed insinuations that President Muhammadu Buhari may withdraw from the 2019 presidential election, party insiders have confided in The Source that there are indeed a concerted efforts to put in place a plan B in the event that the president eventually yields to pressure to back out of the race on age and health grounds.
There are indications that prominent political leaders and Emirs in the North are pilling pressure on Buhari to withdraw from the race, not only on age and health grounds, but also to salvage what remains of his integrity. They argue that the President’s hitherto rock-solid goodwill and integrity have virtually vanished beyond recall hence the need for him to quit next year rather than attract more odium and opprobrium to the region for another four years.
Since the APC will eventually replace him with a Northern candidate and with the opposition Peoples democratic party, PDP also fielding a Northern presidential candidate who most likely will rule for eight years, if elected the North, they say, has nothing to lose but more to gain if Buhari withdraws from the presidential race.
Udeogaranya: Wants Buhari to step down for him
So, in other not to be caught napping, APC is reportedly secretly searching for a stand by presidential candidate, who must not be above 60 as Buhari’s replacement. The magazine learnt that if Buhari decides not to run, the party will opt for a younger candidate to match the PDP’s. The opposition party, sources claim, have ruled out candidates who are above 60 as its standard flag bearer for next year’s presidential election.
Apart from Buhari, there are other APC presidential aspirants who have vowed to snatch the party’s presidential ticket from the incumbent. One of them, Charles Udeogaranya insists he is better qualified and prepared than Buhari to lead Nigeria. According to him, if given the APC presidential ticket and eventually wins the 2019 presidential election, he will perform better than the president. Udeogaranya who is the former Lagos state Chairman of the African Renaissance Party, ARP, therefore, want Buhari to withdraw from the presidential race and back him instead.
More facts have emerged why President Muhammadu Buhari, could not muster the political will to fire his political security Chieftains fingered over the last three years to be an embarrassment to the Administration because of their actions.This is because the security Chieftains were said to have a dossier on how he was elected President of Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander -In -Chief of the Armed Forforces in the 2015 general election. Buhari may have had at the back of his mind that the security Chieftains and could spill the beans if he sacks them. It is not surprising why he has decided to complete his first term in office with them despite the fact that one or two of them have reached their retirement age.
They are Lawan Lawal Daura, former Director General, Department of State Security, DSS, Ibrahim Idris, Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Magu, acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrahman Dambazau, minister of Internal Affairs among others. The Buhari political appointees were part of the former Goodluck Jonathan security team. Recall that Daura was a Director of DSS, Dambazau, who retired as a Lt. General was the Chief of Army Staff. He had claimed at a time that he was under intense pressure to topple the Jonathan Administration but could not do it because he did not want to scuttle the country’s nascent Democracy while Idris was the Commissioner of Police in Kano state, where Buhari got the winning vote to defeat a sitting President. The three key security appointees, according to security sources, were said to be informants to Buhari, despite being key players in former President Goodluck Administration both at the Federal and state level.
The duo Daura and Dambazau, for instance, later became members of the Buhari security team in the 2015 general election and thus, were compensated with appointments that turned off their head .
Given the role which they were said to have played to facilitate the election of Buhari in the general election, John Ene, a political analysts said they turned themselves to tin god and above the law. Dambazau, the Minister of Interior may have set the stage for others to copy that they are above the law when he was said to have masterminded the recall and reinstatement of Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms. The minister was said to have engaged the services of Daura who mobilized his officials to provide security cover for Maina who was on the wanted list of the government until he finally escaped the country.
IT was an opportunity for Buhari to prove to Dambazau and the other members of his team involved in the Maina saga that he can bite but he never did. He had another opportunity to redeem his image when he ordered Idris, the IGP, to relocate his office to Makurdi, the Benue state Capital at the height of the Herdsmen Killing of farmers in the state and dispossessing of their land which was turned down but he never did.
Unknown to many the major problem of the Buhari Administration was not Dambazau or the IGP but Daura, the spy master of the government. Given the role which he played during the Administration of the former President Jonathan to pass security information to Buhari he was also said to be doing so against him by leaking security information of the government plot against Bukola Saraki, the Senate President to him, described by many as a betrayal of trust. That much was confirmed by Wahab Abdulrahman, a former DSS official and ally of Daura. ”He will go and get information on plans for Saraki from Buhari and leak it to him”, he had said.
Yemi Osinbajo: Acting President, Restores Honour To The APC Government
The Magazine learnt that there was intense pressure on Buhari to sack the DSS boss on the allegation of disloyalty but he refused do so insisting that Daura has not not anything wrong to warrant his sack. This may have entered his head to do worse by embarking on actions to embarrass Buhari and his government and possibly turn the table against him. He was said to have hatched out a plot based on security talks with the President on how to unseat Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu , the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Deputy Senate President ,which was said to have been approved by the president.
Daura, according to sources was said to have assured the President that the plot would never leak. Based on the assurance, he was said to have given him the nod to go ahead with his plans. Going by the top level approval, Daura was said to have detailed the DSS operatives to take over the residences of the duo on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, and ensure that they did not leave their premises under any guise to the National Assembly Complex.
Unknown to Buhari, the information had leaked to Saraki who had left his residence to his office at the Complex before the DSS operatives arrived to carry out their mission but Ekweremadu was not lucky. He was blocked. The failure of the DSS plot may have dawned on Buhari that there was a mole in his government and he was ready to have his own pound of flesh. The pressure on the President over the failed security plot may have been much that on Friday August 3, he proceeded to Britain on a 10 -day vacation. He was said to have transmitted a letter to the Senate that Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President will act on his behalf. Not many people understood his body language when he left the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The DSS boss may have known that he had lost the trust of the President that he came out with another plot to invade the National Assembly. Insiders said Daura may have made up his mind to invade the National Assembly in order to warm himself to the President’s heart.
The source disclosed that the plot had leaked to the President who did not caution him to stop the operation. He knew at the back of his mind that the operation would fail because Saraki informants leaked the plan to him. True to his belief , the operation failed. It was therefore not surprising that when Osinbajo reached out to Buhari that the DSS would have to go for embarrassing the government, he did not hesitate giving his approval.
Femi Adesina, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President alluded much to this when he said the dismissal of the former DSS boss by the Osinbajo, the acting President was not ”without the knowledge of Buhari”. Adesina was said to have told those that cares to listen that that the ”Presidency was one and hence the decision of such magnitude could not have been taken without a sense of unanimity between the President and the Vice President. There have been insinuations that that Buhari gave his nod to sack the APC government Enforcement officer because Osinbajo threatened to resign if Daura was not relieved of his exalted security office for embarrassing the government.
Political observers stressed that the actions of the political appointees, particular, Daura, was not unexpected. They confirmed that Daura took a cue from Ibrahim Babangida, popular as IBB, retired General and former Chief of Army Staff, CAS, and who incidentally became Nigeria’s Military Head of state in 1985 actions under Buhari as a Head of State between December 31, 1983 and August 1985. As the then Chief of Army Staff IBB was said to have mobilized soldiers to search the of late Obafemi Awlowo’s House at Apapa, Lagos. and seizure of his international passport . He was said to have also statoined soldiers at Ikenne , his home town, Ogun state. This is in addition to the seizure of his International passport , claiming that ” it was order from above”.
The same treatment was meted to a Muslim Cleric, Sheik Abubakar Gumi. Buhari never spoke out against the action of his soldiers or bring to book those who caused the embarrassment to the government, fueling speculation that he was in support of their action. The soldiers attack on the two elder statesmen and several others who sufferred the same humiliation created the impression in the mind of people that Buhari was a dictator. It was not surprising why Daura and the others could take things for granted under him believing that he could do nothing.
Idris’ recen report to the acting President on the DSS invasion of the National Assembly speaks volume. ”the former DSS boss acted unilaterally without informing Osinbajo, the acting President of the so-called intelligence report neither did he share the same report with the police and other security agencies about the planned invasion”, he had said. He denied that the police had a hand in the plot.
The invasion of the National Assembly by the DSS , ostensibly to serve pecuniary interest may have forced Saraki, the Senate President to speak out, ”this is not the kind of Democracy the country had bargained for.”
Many believe that Buhari emboldened Daura and the others from the onset to think that they were ”above the law”. Daura, for instance, could mobilise his men at any time to investigate anybody including government officials who could not acknowledge him as the boss. He was said to have been instrumental to the refusal of the Senate to confirm Ibrahim Magu, the President’s nomination as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, because of alleged secret security report on him.
Abullahi Sabi, spokes person of the Senate alluded much to the report which described the chief corruption fighter himself as being corrupt. The DSS report, according to a National Assembly source had exposed Magu’s N20 million yearly rental apartment at Abuja and the one time expensive air transport service he allegedly enjoyed at N2.5 million. The service was said to have involved a private jet belonging to one Air Commodore Mohammed Umar, rtd.
The former DSS boss report on Magu was also said to have contained information that he had at one time been arrested by Farida Waziri, a retired Justice and former Chairman of the EFCC for” stashing official government files at home ”. Wahab Abdullrahman, a former close ally of Daura in DSS confirmed that the standoff between the Senate and Buhari over the”’ appointment of Magu as the head of the EFCC was as a result of the memos from the DSS which the lawmakers referenced as a basis for rejecting him”.
Security sources told the Magazine that Daura’s hatred for Magu was his refusal to share information on high profile cases being investigated by the Commission. That much was also confirmed by Abdulrahman, who claimed that” he wanted to use such information to extort money from people” in an interview with Premium Times. It was learnt that Magu had told the former DSS boss that he would never report to him as he is only answerable to the President who appointed him. that may have angered him to fight for Magu’s removal. He got it wrong as Magu has the backing of Buhari.
More so, he was said to have been instrumental to the sacking of Ita Ekpeyong, a former Director General of the agency by producing several fake reports about him to Buhari who did not hesitate in doing so.
His sack may have opened a can of worms about him forcing the opposition PDP to challenge Buhari to speak out on the ” alleged N21 billion, guns and thousands of voters cards found in his residence during a search by the police in his house on the orders of the acting President if he was not in support of him. But the DSS had denid the report. Tony OPUIYO, the agency spokesman said ther was no iota of truth in the allegation that N21 billion and unspecified number of permanent votrs cards were found in Daura’s house either in Abuja or his home state, Katsina. Opuiyo said there was no search in his house by anysecurity agency.
Magu’s actions also leaves much to be desired. Apart freezing individuals account , on the orders of the Presidency, he was said to have extended it to state government accounts, making nonsense of the Democratic principles . He had started with the freezing of the accounts of Ekiti state government account but Ayodele Fayose, the state governor could not take it as he had dragged the Commission to Court and the account was subbsequently lifted. The latest on the list was the freezing of the accounts of Benue and Akwa Ibom states by the Commission over allegations of suspicious transactions which contravened the country’s Money Laundering Act.
The Accounts of Benue state may have been closed to punish Daniel Ortom for decamping from the All Progressive Congress,APC, to the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, while that of Akwa Ibom was said to have been closed to punish Emmanuel Udom, the PDP governor of the state for disobeying Godswell Akpabio , the former governor of the state to serve for only one term and allow the Oron zone to produce the next governor of the state. The refusal of the PDP governor to accede to the directive may have forced Akpabio to bow to pressure from the Presidency and EFCC probe of allegation of corruption hanging on his neck to meet Buhari in London to finalize arrangement on his defection to APC. Indeed, he did. But EFCC has denied freezing of those accounts.
But Udom, the state governor may have called the bluff when he sacked Ibanga Akpabio, Senator Akpabio’s younger brother who was the state former Commissioner for Labour, Productivity and Manpower Development and Victor Antai, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism . The governor was said to have sacked the duo for their disloyalty by going to the Uyo airport to receive Senator Akabio who was in the state to formally decamp to APC.
Political analysts believe that the sacking of the two Commissioners was a tacit declaration of war on Akpabio by Udom. The 2019 general election would determine whether Akabio will still calls the shots in the state that endeared him to the APC leadership who promised to make him the Senate president if the Daura coup to remove Saraki and Ekweremadu had succeeded. The question on the lips of most people was: what would be the position of the Akwa Ibom State born Senator now that he has resigned as the minority leader and brought Shame to APC because of his personal ambition?
Magu, according to sources is also warming up to investigate Daura over an alleged N17 billion scam in the DSS. The police which is currently interrogating the former strong man in the Buhari Administration was to have concluded its investigation and now ready to hand over his case file to the EFCC for further interrogation to explain how the N17 billion traced to the agency was utilized.
The money, according to insiders was left behind by Ekpeyong, a former DG of the agency. The former DG was said to have received N20 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, with the approval of former President Goodluck Jonathan towards the tail end of the administration. Daura was said to have frustrated the arrest of the DG of the agency and his counterpart at Nigeria Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ayo Oke to avoid opening up on the alleged amount. But the buble had long burst as the EFFC prepares to take over the investigation which would further nail Daura, officials said.
Not many people knew Mohammed Buhari, a brigadier General who is still in the Army but appointed Principal Staff Officer, PSO, to Hameed Ali, a retired Colonel and Comptroller General , Nigeria Customs Service, NCS. The kebbi state born Army brigadier General , according to Customs sources is said to be a link between Ali and the Customs Comptrollers at the seaports and land border stations.
The influenced wielded by Buhari in the power equation at Customs Headquarters may have forestalled why Ali ,the Customs Comptroller General , do not have close relationship or direct dealing with the Comptrollers.
Investigation by the Magazine shows that Area Comptrollers who were said to have had any message for the Comptroller general passed it t through him. It is not surprising why Buhari, the PSO to Ali is seen by many as the head of the cabal at the Customs Headquarters.
The Magazine learnt that soldiers and Customs Enforcement officers armed to the teeth storm his residence every morning to guide his movement and clear the road on his way to the office . It could not be ascertained whether he is a close relation of President Muhammadu Buhari or not.
Insiders told the Magazine that Brigadier General Buhari was not new to Customs internal politics and its operations. This is because of several years of interactions with Customs personnel at the seaports which had exposed him to the dynamics of the Service as a revenue generating a revenue generating agency as a middle level senior officer. source the Magazine that he had known some of the senior Customs officers , between the ranks of Comptrollers and Deputy Comptroller Generals who are at the helm of affairs in the agency toady t as member of the a military Task Force on port operations.
Compt Aliyu Redeployed To FOU, Zone A
This may have positioned him as the right person to be appointed as Ali’s PSO. The Customs Comptroller general may have opted for an Army PSO instead ofa career Customs officeras PSO because of lack of trust.
Investigation by the Magazine shows that that what the Army PSO is doing at the Customs Headquarters could not have been different from what a career Customs officer PSO would have done: acting as a link between the Comptroller General and the members of the Management team including the Area Comptrollers.
The Magazine learnt that the Brigadier General is so powerful that he can influence the Customs Comptroller General on any policy matter including deployment of Comptrollers and Deputy Comptrollers to strategic Seat at the Commands, particular the sea ports. It was gathered that Comptrollers who had understood the enormous powers wielded by the Brigadier General at the customs Headquarters usually sneak into his residence at night to lobby.
One of such regular visitors was said to be Mohammed Aliyu, a former Comptroller of Seme Command from kebbi state, north west Nigeria. He was said to have compensated him for his loyalty by influencing his deployment to Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, to replace his close friend, Muhammed Uba Garba who was made to swap position with him as he was redeployed to Seme Command .
The Seme border station had been shadow of itself in the recent years because of the ban on 41 items from accessing the foreign exchange market by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. This may have been made worse by the poor state of the Lagos -Seme Expressway as truck laden goods regularly fall on the road, forcing many importers to relocate to A papa and Tin-can island port to take delivery of their cargoes while smuggling of Tahailand foreign parboiled rice and vehicles thrive.
Aliyu may not be the only Comptroller whose redeployment to a choice Command was was said to have been influenced by him. Mention was also made of Sarki-Kebbi, a former Comptroller of Western Marine Command, WMC, Apapa, who was said to bevery ineffective in curtailing the activities of water ways smugglers because of lack of operational crafts despites promises by Ali to equip the Command. The PSO may have put a smile in his face by influencing his redeployment to FOU, Zone B, Kaduna, which would keep him busy because of the activities of rice and vehicle smugglers in the north western states of Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zanfara, Kano and Jigawa which are under his jurisdiction.
Another notable Comptroller who he allegedly influenced his redeployment was Abubakar Bashir, former Comptroller, Port Harcourt Area II (Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone Command) . He was said to have been redeployed to the busy Apapa Command, where the Brigadier General had at one time worked as a member of a military Task Force at the port.
Olusemire Kayode, a former Comptroller of Kaduna/Katsina Command who was also on the good book of the PSO was said to have been redeployed toFOU, Zone C, Owerri, Imo state at his prompting.
It was learnt that Comptrollers whose postings were influenced in the past by Emirs turned out to be the losers as neither the PSO nor Ali could listen to appeals to favour them in the recent deployment of 70 Comptrollers. The old Comptrollers who were said to have been treated shabbily, according to sources were those who may have refused to play ball as expected by the Customs cabal.
A senior Customs officer told the Magazine that Ali, the Customs Comptroller General and the PSO may be acting out a script by ensuring that the majority of the Customs Area Comptrollers this time around were selected from the north west geo-political region without following the Federal Character policy as enshrined in the 199 Constitution as amended.
Indeed, one posting that had continued to raise dust was that of Bashir, the former Comptroller of Onne Command to Apapa . This is because of the fear that he may not be able to effectively control the release of cargoes at the port because of the recent seizure of a container load of military uniforms and other items allegedly released from the Onne port along the Aba- PortHarcourt road last July y FOU, Zone C personnel under his nose.
The intercepted Container, according to Joseph Attah, a Deputy Comptroller and the Customs spokesman in a Statement was taken to Owerri where” proper examination was carried out” in the presence of the importer’s representative . The examination of the Container was said to have revealed 11 bales containing new sets of sewn military uniforms Each bale, according to him contained 4000 pairs of sewn military camouflage, 15 cartons containing Altana combat booths. The cartons were said to have been with 20 pairs each and concealed in some sacks of other garments.
Ahead of the 2019 general election, security experts fears that Bashir may have been a wrong choice to be sent to Apapa for now because of the fears that illegal arms dealers and their agents who were having it tough at Tin-can Island port because of the vigilance of Customs and Security agencies personnel at the port who have refused to be compromised want to test the will of the new Comptroller at Apapa by re-routing their arms import through the premier port. Between September , l2017 and July 2018 the Command had intercepted Container loads of arms at the port and which based on inter-agency relationship was said to have been handed over to the Department of State Security, DSS, for safekeeping. The Customs Comptroller General ‘s PSO may have known the criticism that would trail the deployment of Bashir
Onye Chukwukadibia, a Lagos based trader said the duo of Bashir and Aliyu, have to prove bookers wrong that they merited their postings to Apapa and FOU, Zone a respectively by ensuring that they do the right thing without Compromise.
He Chukwukadia has a word of advice for Aliyu and his patrol team le and escort team leaders: to ensure must ensure effective monitoring of te movement of transit cargoes from the seaport to either Republic of Niger or Chad until it gets to its destination before taking their leave.
This is because of past experience where transit cargoes allegedly loaded with arms and ammunitions had developed wings on the road in the north. It is not surprising why there are proliferation of guns and other dangerous weapons in the north, smuggled into the country through unapproved routes. Ali, the Comptroller General confirmed that smuggling had been on the increase in the country in the recent time because of the porous borders.
