…Reveals How Company’s Officials Hid Under The Cover Of Transporting Sewage To Steal Nigeria’s Crude
…Another Vessel Used In Stealing Crude Oil Destroyed
Working in partnership with Tantita Security Services Ltd, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, has again recorded another major breakthrough in it’s fight against crude oil thieves, with the interception of trucks and the discovery of a depot used in stealing crude oil in Nigeria.
The discovery was made on Friday by operatives of Tantita Security Services while security the Assets belonging to the NNPC located in Warri, Delta State.
THE WHISTLER understands that the discovery of the illegal movement of Nigeria’s crude was made following intelligence reports received two weeks ago by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd and Mason Engineering indicated that the location was being used for activities outside its approval limits.
The operation saw the arrest of four crude oil thieves who were discovered to have been hiding under the guise of sewage transportation to steal crude oil.
The vessel identified as FP Amangwu used by the crude oil thieves was also destroyed by a joint team of government security agencies.
Vessel- FP Amangwu, Carrying Nigerian Crude Oil
It was learnt that Mawe Services Limited had an approval from the Nigerian Midstream and
Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to provide services within the confines of lifting sludge
However, intelligence reports indicated that the location was being used for activities
outside its approval limits.
Further intelligence also revealed that a 1,000 metric ton capacity barge was coming to berth alongside its jetty, loaded with illegal Crude Oil declared as sludge.
Speaking during a tour of the facility, the Executive Director, Operations and Technical
Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited,Captain Warredi Enisuoh said said the Barge was towed by an unknown Tugboat into Mawe Services Limited’s Jetty and left.
Stolen Crude
According to him, a team of Tantita Security Services Operatives continued to monitor the Jetty for suspicious activities.
He said during the surveillance, it was observed that a Sewage Truck with Plate No. JR7750XA visited the Jetty twice.
During its third visit on 12th May 2023, Enisuoh explained that the Truck was accosted by the Tantita Security Operatives keeping constant vigil over the area.
He said, “Upon inspection, the substance found inside the tank was not sewage, rather, Crude Oil. The driver was arrested and handed over to Government Security Operatives.
“The driver later revealed the destination of the contents, which took us to another yard inland, also operated by Mawe Services Limited. Within the Mawe Services Limited’s premises, there were two metallic cylindrical tanks of about 45,000 liters capacity, each. Both tanks were inspected and one was found to be filled up with Crude Oil.”
He explained further that the Driver of the Truck confirmed that he has been transferring the contents of the barge into the tank that was filled.
“An inspection of the Yard Security Logbook showed that the Truck visited the location severally and the contents of the Truck were well spelt out as ‘crude,” he added.
Vessel Carrying Nigerian Crude Oil
He added based on the operation of the crude oil thieves, the stolen crude oil would will be stored at a barge and then transfered to illegal refineries with smaller vehicles for processing into petrol and diesel.
This discovery is the latest in the series of disturbing findings that the NNPC’s Private Security Contractors have recently reported.
On October 6 last year, THE WHISTLER had reported how operatives of Tantita Security laid ambush to a suspected oil syndicate, and apprehended the captain and seven other crew members.
The arrest was made while the criminals were pumping crude oil from an illegal connection which they had fixed to a Chevron pipeline in the Warri River.
One week later, another illegal oil pipeline was uncovered which was used by criminals to steal crude oil from Forcados Terminal in Delta State.
The illegal pipeline was located in Okuntu Community which is a few metres away from the Forcados crude oil export terminal
The illegal 6 inch pipeline was connected to the 48 inch Trans Forcados Export Pipeline connecting the high sea where crude oil is being loaded into vessels.
It was connected with the primary intention to steal crude oil from the main pipeline operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company and Agip.
The distance from where the illegal pipeline was connected and where it was being used to load stolen crude oil into the ship is between five to six kilometers.
So far, Tantita Security Services working in collaboration with NNPC has discovered over 60 illegal connections to the trans-Escravos, trans-Forcados, and other major trunk lines by oil bunkers in Delta and Bayelsa states.
The Chairman of Heirs Holding Ltd had on Wednesday during the NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS) 2023 Annual Value Assurance Review (AVAR) in Lagos lauded the NNPC for the effort it is making in curbing crude oil theft.
According to Elumelu, due to the efforts of the NNPC Ltd, Heirs Oil & Gas has witnessed 96 per cent recovery rate.
Elumelu said, “When I listened to the Group CEO speak today (Wednesday), talking about us moving to 2.5 million barrels we challenge him to do more. I believe that it is achievable. From losing 97 per cent of our 50,000 barrels production, interestingly and it will be bad of me to have this platform and not share this here.
“That day, I got a call from the GCEO and I thought he was going to kill me for speaking up, to my greatest surprise, he said to me Tony we are sorry about what is happening, we are doing something about it, it will be corrected.
“They worked as a team and the Board of the NNPC, the FG, the security agencies, and last month our recovery factor was 96 per cent. So GCEO NNPC, you have delivered.
“I speak from experience, a beneficiary and one who cried out before and today standing up today to say we have improved our production and that is what we need to encourage more investments in the industry.”
He added, “Today (Wednesday), we lifted 501,000 barrels of oil bringing our total lifting this year alone to 2.6m barrels of oil. I am a great beneficiary of the new NNPCL
The NNPC Ltd Group Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Mele Kyari had last year while speaking during a summit organised by the
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria two weeks ago said that through the support provided by the federal government, the country is making huge success in the fight against crude oil thieves and pipeline vandals.
He had said the activities of vandals, if left unchecked, would destroy the oil and gas industry and ultimately frustrate the NNPC’s mandate of guaranteeing energy security for Nigerians.
He had said, “The government security agencies in partnership with NNPC and other companies are on the table today because if we don’t arrest pipeline vandalism, we will have no industry.
“And more than anything else, it will completely question any possibility of energy security for our country. For NNPC, we are by law required to be the guarantor of energy security for this country. This is very broad, very tough and very demanding. It means that we must supply energy to this country in all it’s forms.
“And until we arrest the current situation of theft and vandals action, it’s very difficult to take the next step. I am glad to share with you today that monumental progress have been achieved and I can tell you that in the next couple of days maximum a week, our pipelines assets will come back on stream.
“This will no doubt provide the resources that we need to go back to work to reinvest and also provide resources for our country so that other infrastructure development in our country can be delivered.”
Kyari called for the support of all stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to stop the issue of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
For those involved in this criminality, the NNPC Boss had promised that no one arrested will go unpunished.
Kyari added, “This is clearly an area that requires all of us. And whoever, anywhere, whether in NNPC, regulators, security agencies or wherever you are and whoever you are working for, as long as we know such people, please report at the portal because it is the enemy of all of us.
“Many of the connections that you have seen could not have been delivered except with the involvements of professional, it’s not possible. They are in our midst, the ones we know, we must put them on the table and that is what we are doing. We will spare no one in this action so that ultimately we can get back our assets.
“I am happy with the support we are getting from government security agencies and it is working. Also the involvements of private security is working and it has helped us.
“Many of the discoveries we made today could not have been possible without local knowledge and supporting the people who have been used to do so much and are used by criminals to do some of these things with very little things that they give them. Now, they are involved in protecting these assets and we are proud of these interventions.”
The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), Zikrullah Hassan, has said the four local airlines to airlift Nigerian pilgrims for the 2023 Hajj exercise have requested that the hajj fare be increased by $250.
According to him, the airlines – Air Peace, Azman, Max Air and Aero Contractors – based the request on the crisis in Sudan, which would require a longer travel time to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Recall that the airlines had refused to sign the airlift agreement with NAHCON due to the additional financial cost using another route.
Speaking in Abuja during a training exercise organised for staff of NAHCON, state pilgrim boards and private tour operators on Saturday, Hassan assured that the pilgrims would not be asked to bear the additional cost.
“Our local airlines after several negotiations accepted the sum of $250 to the increase in the cost of air ticket for this year’s operation. We are still looking for all avenues to resolve the attendant consequence of this money. We are still paying earnestly for a quick and peace resolution to the conflict in Sudan so that the airspace could be open and there will be a stop to the mindless killing of the people of Sudan.”
“At NAHCON, we are looking for all ways to ensure that we resolve the issue of this additional cost. We have decoded that whatever decision we will take, it will not require the pilgrims to pay additional fund into the hands of the respective pilgrim boards in their state. They will not need to pay more money.”
He added that the commission has slated May 25 for the first airlift of pilgrims out of the country.
“We have mapped out a 25 days strategic airlift operation plan that will commence on the 25th of May 2023. However, we are ready and decided to move our advance team, comprising medical and hajj officials to move to Saudi Arabia on 21st of May. We pray that the 2023 hajj will witness great improvement”
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase, says he possesses all the qualities to be the speaker of the 10th Assembly.
Wase stated this when declared his intention to run for the office of the speaker in Abuja on Friday.
He also maintained that it is his turn to lead the House of Representatives and to be the number four citizen of the country.
The lawmaker said he had made huge sacrifices in the house in the past, adding that he is experienced and competent to be the speaker.
“I was deputy to Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila as Minority Leader and in 2015 I had more than 75 per cent endowment to be a leader. But I was asked to step down and I obliged.
“In 2019, I felt I should go for speaker but again the party leaders said I should step down for Femi Gbajabiamila and I obliged even though I had the endorsement to go through and we then ran a joint campaign.
“These are part of the sacrifices I have made and in the words of my leader, President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, I say, ’emilokan’- it is my turn,” he said.
Wase said when he is elected speaker, he will focus on general orientation and image rebranding of the National Assembly.
The aspirant said he would ensure a true people’s parliament by creating an efficient and innovative parliament that would approach nation-building as a joint task irrespective of any differences.
The lawmaker promised a strong and independent parliament, with law and order as well as strong legislative oversight.
According to the aspirant, security, fiscal discipline, economic prosperity and social welfare schemes and programmes will be prioritised if elected.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has inaugurated the Electronic Certificate of Occupancy (e-CofO) saying that citizens can access their land titles and documents within 24 hours.
Fashola disclosed this at the unveiling of business process automation of certificates of occupancy for Federal Lands on Friday in Abuja.
He said the government was committed to reducing poverty and promoting prosperity adding that the digitisation of the federal lands registry would help to increase the value of lands.
He said the generation of secured documents would be printed by the Nigerian security printing and minting to eliminate forgery.
The minister urged interested applicants to begin the process via https://lands.worksandhousing.gov.ng/.
“This is to make life better; the process that used to take three months will now take about 24 hours. As head of the ministry, I will stop carrying loads of documents every weekend with the new innovation.”
The minister, who recalled how he met land title applications dated 1992 upon resumption, stressed that the new process was part of the government’s commitment to reduce poverty and influence prosperity.
“Some of the things I wanted to share are the arrears of C of O that I had the opportunity to process when the president finally delegated the authority to the ministry. Some of the documents date back to 1992.
“So somebody has been waiting for years to get a C of O and it will interest you that I signed about 6,685 of them during my tenure.
“It may look invisible but this is a step towards prosperity. This is another layer of technology deployment and I urge you to embrace it and keep it going, long after we have left.”
The minister further urged the staff of the ministry to embrace the new change and work judiciously for the benefit of Nigerians as “old habits never die”.
The acting Permanent Secretary, FMWH, Mr Folorunso Esan, said the IT solution would enable the minister, permanent secretary, other relevant stakeholders to have easy access to the automated business of the customised solution.
“The application will offer the minister an opportunity to digitally approve multiple CofO document using biometric authentication.
“As part of deploying a robust IT solution, the ministry has successfully integrated with TSA-Remita and FIRS platforms for seamless payment of land charges and stamp duty respectively.
“The web-based system would enable full audit on all staff actions thereby enhancing productivity, efficiency easy applications and payment real-time.
“Status update of CofO applications secure verification of CofO documents; a central, digital repository for all documents including digital archiving with indexing,” Esan said.
In his remarks, Mr Felix Appah, Director, of Lands and Housing Development, FMWH said the automation would ensure efficiency and improve productivity as well as ensure transparency.
Appah said it would help to check any form of fraudulent activities which was prevalent in the analogue method of processing title documents.
“The importance of issuance of C of O cannot be over-emphasised because it encourages foreign investment in mass housing thereby stimulating the operations of small and medium-scale enterprises in Nigeria.
“It also serves as collateral for the holder to secure loans which will enhance economic development.
“Embracing this new development will reduce the time frame from an average of 90 days using the manual method to a 24-hour period (1 day). This will positively boost Nigeria’s ranking on the ease of doing business,” Appah said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Executive Council approved digital automation in 2021 and the contract was awarded on February 17, 2022, to Messrs. IQSS Limited.
NAN also reports that three beneficiaries received their e-CofO at the event they are; Alhaji Muhammed Usman, Mrs Yetunde Olao and Mr Femi Babafemi.
Reports of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, seeking the introduction of Sharia Law to complement existing extant regulations on enforcing traffic rules and prosecuting offenders have been dismissed by the agency.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Corps Spokesperson, Bisi Kazeem, and made available to Punch on Saturday.
It was reported that the sector commander, FRSC, in Bauchi State, Yusuf Abdullahi, had said there was a need to create a Shari’a law to prosecute traffic offenders to curtail road crashes in the country.
Reacting, Kazeem said Abdullahi’s statement does not in any way, reflect the position of FRSC.
According to the statement, the Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, has recalled with immediate effect, the Sector Commander to the National Headquarters Abuja, for necessary administrative action for breaching the FRSC regulations and the Standard Operating Procedures.
The statement read in part “Without any reservation, it is key to inform the general public that the Federal Road Safety Corps is a Government Agency with statutory responsibilities for road safety administration in Nigeria and sensitive to the country’s multi-religious as well as heterogeneous ethnic composition.
“The Corps was founded through Decree No. 45, as amended by Decree 35 of 1992 referred to in the statute books as the FRSC Act cap 141 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. The Act was passed by the National Assembly as Federal Road Safety Corps (establishment) Act 2007.
“By this very fact, it is important to posit that the Corps is neither a religious nor sectional organisation, but a Federal Government Agency established with a mandate that is guided by the provisions of an establishment Act; and not a Sharia, Mosaic, customary, canon or any other law whatsoever that contradicts the provisions of its establishment Act, or the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Our lead agency role is shielded in our strict compliance with established regulations duly passed by the National Assembly. As such, the public is humbly called to disregard the entire content of the opinion as published because it is outrightly baseless, unfounded and does not apply to our operations and service to the Nigerian people.”
A Nigerian lady, Maimunatu Sa’idu who got married to a blind man, Dahuru Abdulhamid Idris, has revealed that it was love at first sight for her.
Saidu and Idris got married in Zakirai town of Gezawa Local Government Area, in Kano state on Friday, May 12.
In an interview with DailyTrust, Saidu said she fell in love with her husband the very first day she met with him.
Her husband, Dahuru Abdulhamid became popular in 2021 after he was interviewed on his struggles for education and how he was then serving as a volunteer teacher in a public school.
He enjoyed goodwill from so many Nigerians including an anonymous person who purchased a three-bedroom flat for him and he also got a job with the Kano state government as a teacher.
After their wedding rites, Saidu in an interview with DailyTrust expressed her love for her husband despite his physical challenge.
“I have loved him from the first day I met him and I will continue till eternity. I believe that God destined us to be together and I accept it with my heart.
He is the kind of person I want to be with in my life. He is decent, gentle and loves everything about religion. Marrying him is like fulfilling a life ambition, I promised myself I will marry the best person I love among my suitors. I will try my best to discharge my responsibilities. I will take good care of him and his entire family.”she said.
On his part, the groom said he met his life partner through her elder brother “Who happens to be my friend. From there I realized that I got a wife because of the way she accepted me despite my blindness.”
On how he will take care of his wife as a blind man, the school teacher said “Marriage is exchanging ideas, needs and responsibilities. So, she has her own responsibilities and I have mine too. I will try my best to deliver and I pray Almighty Allah to guide me right.”
Former BBNaija ‘Shine Ya Eye’ housemate Maria Chike Benjamin has recounted her ordeal after leaving the house in 2021, saying at a stage things were difficult for her mentally
The reality TV star opened up on her ordeal while featuring in this week’s episode with #Chude.
Maria also recalled how she was auditioned for BBNaija, describing 2020 as a very challenging year for her.
“2020 was a very challenging year for me. I was like, ‘What am I going to do next’, and I didn’t know much about Big Brother.
“I had few friends prior to 2019, who were encouraging me to go, and I was like, ‘No’. Later, I made up my mind because I knew I had future goals I wanted to achieve, and I thought, ‘maybe this is the platform that I needed’.
“I didn’t even tell my family I was going for Big Brother because they wouldn’t have known my real intention for being on such a platform because of the negative impression associated with ladies on such platform.
“To them, it will be ‘why do you want to showcase yourself on a reality show in Nigeria. The reality show in the UK is always trashy with people fighting, swearing at each other and all of that,’ and that is the image they would have had in their head,” she recounted
Continuing, she added “When I entered the Big Brother Naija house, I didn’t know what was going to happen afterwards.
“I didn’t even know I was going to move back to Nigeria. Everything was just like forced upon me. When I did come out of the house, I was at a stage of my life where things were difficult mentally.
“Dealing with the new ‘so-called’ fame, everything was just too much. I literally started to learn all over again at the end of 2021, when I left the house”, she added.
Maria also talked about her relationship with her late father after her parents’ divorce and how she was dealing with grief.
Defence Chief Irabor Challenges ‘Any Soldier’ To Prove Allegation Of Mass Abortion Of Boko Haram Babies
AdminThe Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has promised to grant immunity to soldiers who can substantiate the claim by Reuters that military operatives aborted over 10,000 babies of Boko Haram victims in North East.
He gave the assurance when he appeared before the special independent investigative panel on human rights violations in counter insurgency operations in the north east (SIIP-NE) in Abuja, on Friday.
Irabor said prior to his promotion to the rank of CDS, he was involved in military operations against insurgency in the north and he never saw any of such incident.
He described the report as a surprise and rude shock to him.
Asked to respond to whether the military, according Reuters, had a policy of aborting affected babies so as to block the rebirth of Boko Haram fighters, he said they are strange allusions.
“Internal security operations is against criminals and protection of civilians,” he said.
He was informed that the Reuters report included testimonies from four soliders.
The general vowed to give immunity to those four soldiers, urging the panel to ask Reuters to bring those four soldiers to testify before the panel.
But he denied the report, insisting it never happened.
Irabor added that the Red Cross Society is mostly present in most medical facilities around the war zones.
Kashim Shettima, vice-president-elect, has implored lawmakers-elect to accept the zoning arrangement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the leadership of the 10th national assembly.
Shettima spoke during a meeting some of the house of representatives members-elect on Friday.
Earlier this week, controversy ensued within APC after the party nominated Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs, and Abbas Tajudeen, a house of representatives member from Kaduna, for the national assembly leadership positions.
While Akpabio was nominated for president of the senate, Tajudeen was endorsed for the speaker of the house of representatives.
The party also nominated Barau Jibrin, senator representing Kano north, as deputy senate president, and Benjamin Kalu, a lawmaker from Abia and current house spokesperson, as deputy speaker.
The nominations have been faulted by lawmakers within and outside the party and several attempts to mitigate the rift have proven futile so far.
Speaking during the meeting with lawmakers-elect, Shettima said APC seeks to avoid a situation where all the top officials of the incoming administration would be of the same faith.
He said the circumstance could “validate the negative narrative of the Islamisation agenda of Nigeria”.
Shettima added that the leadership of the forthcoming national assembly must be inclusive because the “stability of the nation is much more important than any other consideration”.
“What we are trying to avoid is a situation whereby the number one citizen, number two citizen, the number three citizen, and the number four citizen are all of the same faith. That will lend credence, and validate the negative narrative of the Islamisation agenda of Nigeria,” the vice-president-elect said.
‘This is why my principal, a fair-minded leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is more inclined towards having the number three citizen from the South/south or the south-east. Even in the current circumstance that we find ourselves in, the stability of the nation is much more important than any other consideration.
“All other considerations have to be relegated to the background because we are talking about the stability of the nation.
“We are talking about inclusivity, we are talking about togetherness because nation-building is a continuous work in progress and politics is about perception, it is about optics. I am quite glad that Benjamin Kalu will emerge as the deputy speaker. The hope for the black man rests with the people of this country.”
The Kwara police command says a medical doctor, Ayodele Joseph, has been arrested for allegedly sedating and raping his patient during a surgery.
Paul Odama, commissioner of pilice in the state, confirmed the development in a statement in Friday.
Joseph, the chief medical doctor of Ayodele Hospital Sawmill area of Ilorin, was paraded alongside 13 other suspects at the police headquarters on Friday.
Odama said the patient who is a professional nurse had visited the hospital for surgery but found herself fully naked after the procedure.
He said the doctor has been recently charged to court over offenses bordering on conspiracy and alleged unprofessional conduct leading to the death of a patient in his facility.
“On the 5th of May, 2023, one female victim (Name Withheld) a nurse by profession reported to the police that she went to Ayodele Hospital at NO. 290, Sawmill Area, Lagos road, Ilorin for surgery, the chief medical director of the hospital one Dr Ayodele Joseph during the treatment sedated the patient which led her to become unconscious,” the statement reads.
“Before the sedation, fearing any mishap, the patient activated her telephone and placed in a vantage position to record the surgery unknown to the doctor, before the expected surgery.
“She woke up from sleep after the surgery to find herself fully naked, and when viewing the recorded video, she discovered that the said Dr Ayodele Joseph had an unlawful sexual intercourse with her while under sedation.
“Investigation led to the recovery of the video recording of the sexual action of the said doctor on the victim which was also corroborated by the medical examinations conducted on the victim.
“This same suspect (Dr Ayodele Joseph) had of recent been arraigned in court by the police for the offences of criminal conspiracy, negligent conduct, causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others and culpable homicide arising from his unprofessional conduct resulting in the death of one Nneka Akanike ‘F’ in his hospital under questionable circumstances which led to him being charged to court.”
The police commissioner added that the suspect would be charged to court again for rape after the conclusion of the investigation.
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Presidential candidate of the Labour Party Peter Obi said he is not desperate about his ambition of becoming president of Nigeria.
Obi, who is a former governor of Anambra State, said this Friday at a book presentation entitled: “Peter Obi: Many voices, one perspective” in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
“I must be the president of this country, if not today, it will be next time. I am not desperate; I am not in a hurry. I am committed to the cause of a better Nigeria,” the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi said.
Obi also said that he would respect whatever is the decision of courts in the ongoing election cases.
He urged his supporters to also respect whatever decision made, saying, they are not going to riot, rather they will continue in the struggle for a better Nigeria.
“We are peaceful; we are not going to quarrel with any politician. Don’t be discouraged about my apologies to people. As a youth, we cannot fight our fathers even when we are right. We are not going to riot. I am Nigerian. I don’t have dual citizenship, I will not run away, we must be here to right the wrongs in the country over the years,” he said.
Obi said that he is on transit and he will certainly get to the destination, noting that he is committed to the project of better Nigeria.
A civil society organisation (CSO), Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness, has urged the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to stop meddling in the leadership matter of the 10th National Assembly.
The director-general of the coalition, Dr Nwambu Gabriel, at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, said the National Assembly as an independent arm of government should be allowed to decide who presides over their affairs as encapsulated in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Nwambu condemned the move by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other vested interests to impose leaders on members of the 10th National Assembly.
He said the idea of having an independent arm of government called the legislature “is for the purpose of providing ‘checks and balances’ in such a manner to avoid the concentration of powers in one body as this would lead to usurpation of powers and consequently degenerate to dictatorship, tyranny and oppression.”
“As a CSO, we are not interested in who emerges as the Speaker or deputy, or the Senate president and deputy. Our interest is that there is a provision in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is a document that is superior to any other, including the House or Senate rules.
“We are saying that since it is a constitutional provision, the political party to which the president-elect belongs should allow the constitution to be executed to the latter.
“We are saying that interference in the process of electing the Speaker, deputy Speaker, the Senate president or the deputy Senate president would amount to usurping the powers that was ab initio meant for the National Assembly.
“An imposition of power will degenerate Nigeria to dictatorial tendencies; it is going to lead to tyranny and oppression and bring to mockery, the principles of separation of power.
“It is pertinent that all politicians and political parties and the president-elect, allow the constitution to be executed so that Nigeria will not be a mockery in the comity of nations,” he said.
Vice president-elect, Kashim Shettima has said that his principal, Bola Tinubu, wants the Senate President to be a Christian from the South-South.
According to Shettima, “That will validate the negative narrative of Islamization of Nigeria”.
His comments come amid growing protests over the nomination of preferred choices of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the presiding officers of the incoming 10th National Assembly.
Shetima met with the APC speaker and deputy speaker designate in the persons of Hon. Tajudeen Abbas from Kaduna State (North West) and Benjamin Kalu from Abia State (South East) on Friday.
The APC have purportedly endorsed Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Barau Jibrin (Kano) for Senate president and Deputy Senate President respectively.
“What we are trying to avoid is a situation whereby the number one citizen, number two citizen, the number three citizen, the number four citizen, the number four citizen are all of the same faith.
“That will validate the negative narrative of Islamization of Nigeria.
“That is why my principal, a fair minded individual, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu insists the number three citizen must come from the South/south (Christian). The stability of the nation is more important than any other consideration. We are talking about inclusivity,” Shettima said.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Assistant on Digital Communication, Bashir Ahmad, has mocked the Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi over his latest comment.
Obi had insisted that he must be the President of Nigeria.
Obi, who is challenging the victory of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu in court, said he is convinced in his spirit that he will be President.
He spoke during the launch of a book written in his honour: ‘Peter Obi: Many Voices, One Perspective’, in Awka, Anambra State.
Reacting, Ahmad described the LP flagbearer as daddy’s favourite son dreaming to be president.
Tweeting, Ahmad wrote: “So, Daddy’s favourite son insisted that he MUST be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We wish him sweet dreams.”