The outgoing Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Chinedum Orji, has stated that he learnt lessons from the outcome of the just-concluded 2023 elections held in Abia and all other states.
He accused former governor, Okezie Ikpeazu of sponsoring his opponent in a rival party to thwart his bid to be elected as a member of the House of Representatives for the Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency during the recently-held National Assembly elections.
He was baring his mind against the heels of continued outbursts by critical Abia political stakeholders trailing his recent appearance and that of his father, and an ex-Abia Governor, Senator Theodore Orji, during the inauguration of Governor Alex Otti at Umuahia Township Stadium on 29th May 2023.
Orji, who represents Umuahia Central Constituency of the state, insisted that days had gone when he fought for the good political interests of close allies and friends, regretting that he was being rewarded with blackmail and propaganda targeted to dent his image.
He also clarified his recent appearance with his father and the current representative of Abia Central Senatorial District at the national assembly, Senator Theodore Orji,
“When you have a governor-elect that wrote to you or extended an invitation to you from another party, to please come and witness his inauguration; when you have a governor-elect reaching out to one of his predecessors who happened to be my own father, to please come and be a guest on his inauguration; if you are in my shoes, what will you do? I am throwing the question to you, the journalists. You will honour the invitation.
“Is it about politics or Abia State? Let me tell you something, my dear brother. The days of Chinedum Orji (Ikuku) fighting other people’s wars are over. If you want to fight anybody, come out and do the fights yourself. Don’t hide under anybody.
“I fought against the current governor twice between 2015 and 2019. You all know about it. At the end of the day, who told you those people I was fighting for? Did the person I fought for not reach out to the people I fought against? Who told you?
“All these people who were our enemies, didn’t the former governor go behind and reconcile with them? Didn’t he go and reconcile with them? Why must my own be a topic? Did he not visit President Tinubu the other day? Have you people killed him?
“It is a season of do me, I do you. I went there out of courtesy. And immediately he was inaugurated as governor, I left. And since that time, he has been naming those people who worked with him. Did you see my name? Did you see my relation’s name? Did you see the name of anybody close to me there?
“When you are hobnobbing with my enemies in the night. When you sponsored my opponent in the night, and I decided to be a statesman, and you had an issue with that. But you were sponsoring my opponents, and you want me to continue fighting your enemies for you. So that when I fight, you win. And you go by 2 am, you invite him to your place and reconcile with him. He will then tell him how bad and cankerous the boy is. He is always fighting. I didn’t send him. I didn’t do this. All those “gamji”(scam) don pass. All those gamji period don pass.
“If you want to fight, you fight. You come out and do the fighting by yourself. So, if you fight me directly, i will fight you also directly. Am a man and I’m not afraid of them. But for me, while i will doing the fightings for you and you keep quiet. So, attending Otti’s inuaguration is about Abia state”.
Recall that Theodore Orji, and the son and Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji were said to have single-handedly installed Okezie Ikpeazu as governor of the state after keenly contested gubernatorial elections in 2015 and 2019.
Ikpeazu defeated Otti twice.
However, Ikpeazu lost the bid to install his anointed successor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the just-concluded 2023 elections held in the state.
[DailyPost]
Barely 48 hours to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, top contenders for principal offices of the federal legislature have intensified campaigns against the preferred candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) .
This is in utter disdain to the appeal by President Bola Tinubu to the APC aspirants in the leadership race of both chambers to support the candidates endorsed by the governing party.
LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered yesterday that the opposing camps in both chambers continued their push for the top seats, setting the stage for an intense race for the position.
The Senate, it was learnt, remained divided between the Democratic and Stability groups who are still pushing to ensure one in their camps emerges chairman of the National Assembly.
In the House of Representatives, the aggrieved G-6 aspirants are poised to unveil their consensus candidate in opposition to the APC’s preferred candidate.
But intrigues surrounding the contest for the top legislative seats took a twist yesterday as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleged plot to arrest members who are opposed to the APC’s zoning arrangement.
This comes as Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged the lawmakers-elect to place the interest of the nation above personal interests, as they choose their National Assembly leadership, stressing that the nation’s stability should be utmost on their minds as they convene on Tuesday.
It would be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC had zoned the Senate president position to the South-South, specifically endorsing former Niger Delta minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio, as its candidate for Senate president position, with Senator Barau Jibrin from the North West as his anointed deputy.
In the House of Representatives, the Speaker position was zoned to the North West, with Hon Tajudeen Abbas as the preferred candidate, and Hon Benjamin Kalu from the South East as his deputy.
In the Senate former Zamfara governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari; former Abia State governor, Orji Uzo Kalu, and Senator Osita Izunaso are strongly opposed the party’s choice, while the G-6 aggrieved aspirants have also disagreed with the party in the House of Representatives.
There has been a raging opposition to the party’s zoning arrangement with particular emphasis that two presiding officers in the National Assembly cannot emerge from one geopolitical zone.
Tinubu had on Thursday night at a meeting with National Assembly members-elect insisted that the choice of Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin for Senate president and deputy Senate president, as well as Abbas and Kalu for Speaker and deputy Speaker stands.
But as the Tuesday June 13 inauguration of the 10th Assembly inches closer, the G-6 members have remained adamant.
LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that the group which comprises the out gone deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, Muktar Betara (Borno), Aminu Sani Jaji (Zamfara),Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (Plateau), Miriam Onuoha (Imo) and Sada Soli (Katsina) were to meet Saturday night in Abuja to field one of them for the race.
A source told our correspondent yesterday that one of the plans on the staple of the power cabals is to change the venue of the inauguration at the last minute, thereby causing chaos and confusion.
“The reason they have perfected giving to the public is that the NASS complex is under renovation and that it will be dangerous to allow a huge crowd in there. We are already aware too that the likely venues being proposed secretly are the State House Banquet or the International Conference Centre.
“We are aware of all these, including the fact that Yari, Kalu, Betara and Wase have been placed on surveillance for over three weeks by the DSS and even the EFCC. Anything can happen, including that they’d be denied access to wherever the power cabals finally agree to use as an alternative venue,” the source who did not want his name in print said.
Another source close to the G-6 told this paper that the group is meeting this night in Abuja to decide on who will contest with Abbas on Tuesday.
“They have made up their minds. Even if any of them decides to back the anointed candidate, others will still feature some who will challenge that decision on the floor. The outcome of the meeting will be made public and a consensus candidate from G-6 will be unveiled,” the source said.
Wase and Betara were absent at President Tinubu’s meeting with the lawmakers from all political parties, while Jaji boycotted the parley with APC members-elect.
The deputy Speaker of the 9th House had said he would go ahead to contest for the speakership seat because it has been prophesied that he would become Speaker.
Meanwhile, a frontline member of the G-6 said he will soon make an official statement about his decision on the race for the Speaker of the 10th House.
The Plateau lawmaker, in a tweet on his official Twitter handle on yesterday said he was in talks with other aspirants on the way forward and will make an announcement as soon as consultations are concluded.
“Within the last 72 hours, have visited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu three (3) times at the Presidential villa on one on one meetings that all together lasted for more than one hour.
“The discussions have to do with my ambition of becoming the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives and the Leadership issue of the 10th Assembly.
“I thank Mr. President for this honour and unique show of love to me and to the good people of Pankshin/Kanake/Kanam Federal Constituency. I appeal to my supporters, Honorable Colleagues in particular to remain calm as I am in deep discussions and consultations with my fellow aspirants and some national leaders. After all deliberations, an official statement will be issued in this regard. Thank you my father and Mr. President,” he said.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, said the outcome of power-play in the Senate would ultimately influence the result of the 10th Assembly Speakership race.
Ogene who is also spokesperson of the ‘Greater Majority’, a group comprising all opposition members- elect in the House maintained that they shelved their speakership ambition to prevent the APC from having a ready-made excuse for poor performance.
The lawmaker who stated this while speaking with select journalists in Abuja at the Weekend added that the endorsement of Hon Abass and Hon Kalu by the APC for Speaker and deputy was already a ‘fait accompli’.
Ogene said: “The outcome of the power-play in the Senate may ultimately influence, one way or another, the final outcome of the race.”
On why the Greater Majority dropped its speakership aspiration, he said, “Although the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria unambiguously directed, in Section 50(1)(b) that ‘Members of the House of Representatives shall elect a Speaker and Deputy Speaker from among themselves,’ I suspect that most members of the Greater Majority simply decided to adorn the toga of statesmen and women by deciding not to put forward candidates for the Speaker and deputy Speaker positions.
“This stance, I envisage, was taken to prevent the ruling APC from having a ready-made excuse in the event where the administration does not leave up to expectations.
“So, essentially, it wasn’t a case of abandoning an opportunity to present a Speaker, but rather a patriotic decision by the Greater Majority to allow the incoming government to take off on a smooth sail.
“For an Abass who in one legislative cycle of four years sponsored a total of 74 bills – 22 of which received presidential assent – and Kalu, with over 40 Bills, both men, I dare say, appear to have fulfilled the conditions precedent for their emergence as Speaker and deputy Speaker.
“Indeed, for the Abass/Kalu, the inclusion of the South East in the equation is a major master stroke. Till date, no other speakership aspirant has offered the zone anything.
PDP Alleges Plot To Arrest Lawmakers-Elect Who Oppose Zoning
Meanwhile, the PDP yesterday raised the alarm over plots to arrest members-elect who are opposed to the preferred candidates of the APC.
The national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba, who accused some elements within the APC of being behind the plot, said the move is aimed at intimidating and harassing lawmakers-elect to choose the party’s candidate.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, the PDP spokesman who decried attempts to undermine the independence of the legislature insisted that the members-elect in both houses must be allowed to elect their leadership.
Ologunagba urged the lawmaker-elect to remain steadfast in asserting their independence in the election of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
He said, “Since the PDP made its position known, feelers from public discourse indicated that some elements in the APC have become agitated and resorted to plots to influence the emergence of the leadership of the National Assembly outside the floor.
“Information at our disposal reveals attempts by such APC elements to intimidate, harass and threaten lawmakers-elect with the view to influencing the emergence of the leadership of the National Assembly.
“Reports in the public space indicate plots to arrest individuals who are considered to be strong proponents of the independence of the legislature and the right of members-elect to elect their leadership.
“The PDP notes that the independence of the legislature is a prerequisite for a virile democracy and therefore insists that the members-elect in both houses must be allowed to elect their leadership.”
Meanwhile, as the campaign on who emerged as the next Senate President continue, South South Solidarity group has called on Nigerians especially the newly elected Senators to ensure that Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin are elected as the next Senate President and deputy.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja, the Convener of the group, Peter Ikpen Ilefa, said the unity of Nigeria should be paramount.
“We, the critical stakeholders within the political space of the South-Southern Nigeria under the aegis of the South-South Solidarity Group have found it necessary to call on all Nigerians on the need to build a rock-solid foundation for the purposeful administration of our country under the new dawn in our body polity.
“We are here to inundate the nation on the imperatives of the emergence of the new leadership of the 10th national assembly and the focus here today as usual is to demonstrate our solidarity for the emergence of distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio’s as the next Senate President of Nigeria and Sen Jibrin Barau as Deputy Senate President.”
Allow Senators To Elect Their Leaders, Northern Elders Insists
Meanwhile, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has called on all Nigerians to allow Senators-elect to elect who will lead them in the 10th assembly.
Chairman of the forum and former vice chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU) Zaria, Prof Ango Abdullahi, advised that members-elect of the National Assembly should be left alone to elect its own leaders.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Abdullahi emphasised that the National Assembly is an independent body and no external force should meddle into its affairs.
He stated: “Now we are at a point where the National Assembly is supposed to have leaders. Each chamber of the National Assembly is independent to decide how this should be done.
“But the basic foundation is the constitution of the country which stipulates very clearly that there would be such an institution and how it will be formed. As far as we know the Constitution should be strictly adhered to, by all concerned. All concerned here is the National Assembly, on deciding who would be the Senate President, the Speaker and other positions.
“The National Assembly is an autonomous body and decides its own leadership and mode of operation as long as it is within the context of the Constitution of this country. If we should advise people who care for this nation, the National Assembly members-elect should be left entirely alone to decide who their leaders would be.
“We like to appeal to our leaders, friends and associates in parties and government that this is honest advice and that the National Assembly should be free. This is the kind of democracy we require.
“The ruling party is not in charge of the National Assembly, the NASS is an independent body. The ruling party only has members in the National Assembly and they may direct them to do their biddings but they should also allow those who do not belong to the ruling party to also exercise their rights. Their rights include demand for the leadership of the NASS. I think this should be respected.”
He further warned against religious extremism, saying that there is no religious party in Nigeria and that every Nigerian has free will to interact in whatever part of society.
S’West Media Stakeholders Back S’East For Senate President
Meanwhile, a group of seasoned journalists, concerned media managers and veteran journalists under the aegis of the South West media stakeholders has advised the APC and other stakeholders to zone the Senate president to South West.
The group noted the need for a Southeasterner to become the Senate president is necessary to heal the wounds of the past.
They added that this will help to accommodate the interests and yearnings of the Igbo nation.
The group made these disclosures during a press conference held on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital and addressed by Mr. Kolawole Ilori, Founding Editor of Tell Magazine.
Ilori who was flanked with former Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Oyo state council, Victor Oluwadamilare and Mrs Bose Oyewole, a former NAWOJ Chairperson in Oyo state, noted that as media practitioners, it is their duty to enjoin members of the 10th National Assembly to choose the right Senate President for the sake of Nigeria and democracy.
He added that for equity and fairness, the choice of a South Easterner is sine qua non.
He said that for good governance to endure in the country, the media must have a voice of its own in the scheme of things.
Ilori further explained that the leadership of the Senate has to be anchored by a sound Senator who has a high pedigree with an unblemished record.
Stressing that the best man for the job of Senate President at this time is Senator Osita Bonaventure Izunazo from Imo state, he added that the senator remains the most consistent and reliable party faithful over the years.
“For equity and fairness, the choice of a South Easterner, is sine qua non to healing the wounds of the past and genuinely accommodate the interests and yearnings of the Igbo nation. Izunaso’s choice will be the much-needed ‘Balm of Gilead’, to douse the general tension in the South East,” he noted.
Akpabio, Kalu Fail APC Integrity Test, Says APC Media Outfit
Meanwhile, a media outfit of the APC, the APC NewsOnline, has said two of the leading aspirants for the position of Senate president didn’t pass an Integrity Test conducted on them by the media organisation.
The APC NewsOnline, in a statement issued and released to the media in Abuja at the weekend, revealed that the duo of Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu did not pass its integrity test.
The statement signed by the publisher of the multimedia outfit, Dr. Tom Ohikere, said the two senators “are unsuitable” for the esteemed position of Senate president.
Ohikere, a former two term commissioner of Information and Culture in Kogi State said the APC NewsOnline conducted the Integrity Test on only the aspirants from the South where it said, the media organization believed the Senate President should come from.
APC NewsOnline, which Dr Ohikere said was officially registered by the party and has been at the forefront of promoting the political activities and achievements of the party, consequently conducted the integrity test on the trio of Senator Godwilll Akpabio, Senator Orju Uzor Kalu, and Senator Osita Izunaso out of whom the online platform passed Senator Izunaso.
Out of the three contenders from the southern part of Nigeria, Ohikere, said only Senator Izunaso passed the APC Integrity Test.
Nation’s Stability Should Be Superior – Shetimma
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the memories of what they have accomplished will not fade away.
He spoke during the valedictory session of the 9th Assembly at the National Assembly.
According to Shettima, the 9th Senate was not the end of the road for their members, adding that the Senators should ensure that no voice was inferior.
“Let us remember that our journey has just begun,” Kashim said, stating that they should continue to serve humanity.
“The stability of the nation is superior to the stability of your pockets on Tuesday,” Kashim Shettima told the lawmakers-elect, urging them to abide by the decision of the APC leadership.
On her part, wife of the president, Remi Tinubu, said she never knew she would get to the Senate even when a journalist had asked her why she can’t start from the House of Representatives.
“But in the end, I served three terms in the Senate. I contemplated retiring to serve my family because serving the nation takes a lot of sacrifice.
“But over the years, we made a lot of friends. Nigeria is represented here and we came together, with the kind of people we had here, we have moved the country forward.
“Number 10 will give us double grace. This administration needs the support of the 10 assembly,” Remi said, urging the new Senators to ensure that they elect leaders that will help the present administration.
Also, the Senate chief whip, Orji Kalu, who is also vying for the office of the Senate president, has said that Nigeria has not been fair to him despite his contribution to nation building.
Kalu who shed tears during the valedictory session of the 9th Assembly at the National Assembly said people he gave transport fare to travel to Lagos are now living in wealth, while calling him a thief.
Kalu thanked the 9th Senate for standing by him during his difficult times, insisting that Nigeria has not been fair to him.
“When I had a problem, most of the Senators stood by me. We went through a difficult period. Before I went into politics, I could buy anything I wanted. I am not a thief. People I gave transport money to Victoria Island (VI) are now in wealth and living as saints while I am being called a thief. This country is not fair to some of us. People who cannot explain their source of wealth are not thieves.
“I have factories in Lagos, Aba and Ota in Ogun State. They call me a thief,” Kalu said, as he broke down in tears during the valedictory session of the 9th assembly.
Even though the only order of the day in the order paper was the valedictory session, it marks the end of the 9th Senate.
LEADERSHIP Sunday reports that certificate of service, copies of legacy report and video clips were also shared to all the Senators
The rules of the Senate were suspended to invite some of their colleagues who were supposed to be part of the session, including Vice President Kashim Shettima; Uba Sani; APC deputy chairman (North), Abubakar Kyari; deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State; former deputy governor of Zamfara State, Mohammed Hassan, and first lady, Remi Tinubu.
In the Senate sitting arraignment, only principal officers are allowed to sit in the front row but the rules were suspended.
Speaking during the session, Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege said he was chosen not because he was the most qualified to be the deputy Senate president, adding that it was a great privilege.
He said the finance Act, PIA and Electoral Act were landmark laws, even as he urged Senators-elect to give the present administration the maximum support.
[Leadership]
For 12 years, insecurity has been the bane of Nigeria. Since the symbolic bombing of the police headquarters in June 2011 and the UN building a few weeks later by Boko Haram insurgents, the problem has degenerated into an existential threat that has swept across the North East, turning the region into killing fields and displacing millions of people.
Despite the government’s effort to curb the problem, there has not been a respite, as other non-state actors such as ISWAP, killer herdsmen, cultists, unknown gunmen and bandits joined the fray, unleashing bloodletting on the country.
As of today, no part of the country is safe from kidnapping, and no day will pass without the sad news of killing. The South-East region, which had previously enjoyed relative security, is ravaged by the so-called “unknown gunmen” that continually unleash mayhem sporadically across states.
There is no further evidence that Nigeria is at war with itself than the disturbing fact that various military operations are going on across the country.
The failure to tame insecurity has become an albatross hanging on the necks of successive governments. In retrospect, it was what led to the electoral defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan, whose opponent, Muhammadu Buhari, campaigned vigorously on ending the insecurity siege.
Sadly, as he bowed out of office on May 29, 2023, life turned full circle, and Buhari’s biggest failure was still insecurity, despite spending over N5 trillion on defence.
The day he handed over the reins of power and returned to his hometown of Daura, the country was not any safer than it was eight years ago.
Therefore, the biggest expectation of Nigerians from the new administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the assurance of safety and security for the citizenry.
However, the first 12 days of the new government were fraught with the same old problem of insecurity, with no less than 170 Nigerians killed in various attacks and more than 160 kidnapped.
At least 50 people died in Sokoto, 49 in Zamfara, 40 in Benue, 17 in Rivers, six in Katsina, three in Plateau, two each in Kaduna, Ogun, Delta, and Oyo, while Ondo and Lagos states recorded one death each.
Some of the worst killings were recorded in Zamfara State, where over 31 villagers were slain in Janbako and Sakida villages of Maradun Local Government Area on June 3 by armed men suspected to be bandits.
Benue also recorded heavy casualties on the same day, when over 25 people were reportedly killed in an attack by unknown gunmen at Imande Mbakange and other neighbouring communities in Mbacher Council Ward of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area.
Sokoto State was also among the worst-hit states of the week, with 50 people reported killed in cold blood across two local governments by gunmen suspected to be bandits.
The spate of killings has become worrisome for Nigerians, leading to pessimism that the problem will not end anytime soon.
Speaking with DAILY POST, the President of the Eagle Crime Awareness Prevention Initiative, ECAPI, Samuel Eniola Adam, said the solution to the problem requires that citizens work in concert with the government to fight crimes.
He ascribed the failure to curb the problem thus far to the lack of credible intelligence, which in turn, he avowed, is due to the poor relationships between Nigerians and law enforcement agencies.
According to him: “Security is everybody’s business. What is the strength of the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria? We can’t put the blame entirely on security agents. We have to be part of the security―ourselves and our families have to be part of the security. Curbing crime in our society is a collective job. Many people fail to have a good understanding of law enforcement, and this is why we are having challenges.”
He avowed that security operatives are not magicians, stressing that “we in society know these bad guys, but we compromise with the criminals all because we are scared of being arrested if we report crimes to law enforcement agencies.”
He said further: “We don’t have good rapport with the security agents. I’m calling on Nigerians to be open to security operatives. You and your family members should be close to law enforcement, and then we will have a very peaceful society.
“If you ask those residents what their DPO’s number is, they cannot provide it; they don’t have contact with the police commissioner. This is where we are having issues. It is not about the law enforcement agencies.”
He summed up his position thus: “It is not the government’s problem; it is our problem, and we are the ones that can solve it.”
Security columnist Ben Okezie, in his contribution, dismissed the insinuation that the recent spate of killings across the country was orchestrated to frustrate the current administration.
“It is the same attack that has been going on; nothing is new,” he affirmed.
According to Okezie: “President Bola Tinubu needs to rejig the security system. And I think that is what he is already doing because he has already called the security chiefs and told them what he expects to see soon.
“I believe he is currently watching their performances before making some changes to bring in more vibrant and capable people that can handle the situation.”
He, on the other hand, argued that curbing the menace is in the hands of security agencies.
“I have always been advocating that whenever attacks happen, hold the security chief in that jurisdiction responsible. For instance, if there is an attack in Kubwa, the government should go straight to those in charge of security in that area; the security personnel in charge of the area should know when bad people are coming in and what is going on in that immediate community. They should be held responsible for any incident,” he stated.
Okezie expatiated further: “For instance, when you hold a Commissioner of Police responsible for an attack, he will also hold the Area Commander responsible, and he will [in turn] also hold the DPO responsible.
“By the time you are not satisfied with their efforts, you can sack them. By doing that, you will see that many of them will sit up. But in a situation where you are not punishing anybody despite whatever attack that occurs, people will keep dying.”
In the meantime, Nigerians have been watching every move of the new president, and many are optimistic that he will solve the problem.
In his inauguration speech, the president declared that “security shall be a top priority of our administration.”
Another encouraging gesture from him was his recent meeting with the security chiefs, during which he tasked them with coming up with a new template for the country’s security architecture.
Many, however, believed he has not matched rhetoric with action because of his failure to appoint the National Security Adviser (NSA), which they believed should be among his first few appointments.
Presently, there are speculations that former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, is favoured for the position, but Nigerians from all walks of life have faulted it, with various theories advanced as to why he will be a square peg in a round hole.
While most Nigerians are not mentioning names, they prefer the President to appoint someone with a military background who could bring experience and the required acumen to coordinate the fight against insecurity and put an end to the nightmare.
Other names being mentioned as candidates for the NSA include retired generals AbdulRahman Dambazau, a former Minister of Interior, and Mohamed Buba Marwa, the present Chairman and CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
For now, the killing of Nigerians by various criminal elements goes on unabated, and the new government has yet to show any seriousness in tackling the problem beyond rhetoric.
[DailyPost]
New details have emerged about how President Bola Tinubu endorsed the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for the senate presidency.
Close sources that spoke with Punch revealed that this agreement was settled a day before the All Progressives Congress’s presidential primary.
In the meeting leading up to the primary, which took place in Abuja from June 6 to 8, 2022, Tinubu reportedly asked Akpabio to step down in his favour.
“Tinubu said if the former governor would agree, it would send a positive signal to the audience and other aspirants since he (Akpabio) would be the first aspirant to be invited to the podium to speak,” said one source.
Responding to Akpabio’s concern about his future prospects, Tinubu assured him that he would be supported in becoming the President of the Senate.
The source added, “Asiwaju (Tinubu) assured him that he would be supported to emerge as the President of the Senate. As they were speaking, an influential woman (name withheld) also came in. That was how the deal was sealed.”
Outgoing Senate President Ahmad Lawan, who sought Akpabio’s support during the primary, was allegedly turned down by the latter, with Akpabio citing his commitment to Tinubu.
It’s rumoured that this incident has strained the relationship between Akpabio and Lawan, leading to accusations of misconduct against Akpabio during his time as Minister of Niger Delta.
The tension is exacerbated by Akpabio’s controversial revelation in July 2020 that some contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission were given to federal legislators, a statement he was reportedly asked not to disclose by the chairman of the probe panel.
The Department of State Services is likely to approach the court on Tuesday to obtain an order to keep the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, in its custody for as long as his interrogation will last.
A source in the DSS confided in one of our correspondents that the secret police would likely approach the court to obtain an order to detain the suspended CBN boss for an indefinite period to allow for unfettered interrogation.
President Bola Tinubu had on Friday suspended Emefiele from office with immediate effect.
This was sequel to the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy, according to a statement by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey.
According to the statement, Emefiele was directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), Mr Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, who will act as the CBN governor pending the conclusion of the investigation and the reforms.
The suspended apex bank boss was arrested in Lagos on Saturday by DSS operatives and flown to Abuja in a private jet.
A viral video showed the suspended apex bank boss driven to the tarmac in an unmarked Hilux van accompanied by security agents. After disembarking from the vehicle, he was escorted into a waiting plane where security operatives were waiting to receive him. One of the operatives, who closely followed Emefiele, had in his hands a pair of handcuffs.
The source stated, “He (Emefiele) is going to be with us for some time. We may obtain a court order to further detain him. The previous charges against him are there and further investigations may add to that. You know that he is a big man, and we have to make sure that the loose ends are tightened before we take him to court.
“Recall that we were looking for him before his suspension. Now that we have him, we will hear from him; hear what he has to say on those issues we have highlighted before.”
The source added that the DSS had assembled a team of crack interrogators to quiz Emefiele on wide ranging issues, including alleged terrorism financing and mismanagement of the economy and the apex bank.
“We have a team of interrogators, who are going to quiz and obtain statements from him. We won’t bungle our case. But honestly, Nigerians need to know what happened and why we were looking for him the other time,” the source added.
Meanwhile, Emefiele’s arrest is a precursor to the imminent purge of the top echelon of the apex bank, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.
It was gathered on Saturday that other top directors of the CBN would be interrogated in the coming weeks as part of a comprehensive probe of Emefiele’s administration as directed by the President.
Dependable sources said the secret police would likely go after senior officials in the procurement department of the CBN as well as special advisers to the embattled governor.
A source stated, “One of those under the radar of the DSS is a special adviser to the CBN governor.
“He retired from the CBN in 2021 as a director but was retained by Emefiele as a special adviser. He is believed to have an inside knowledge of all the actions taken by Emefiele.
“Other subjects of interest are senior officials and directors in the procurement department. The fact is that many top directors will be invited or arrested for questioning in the weeks ahead.”
One of our correspondents learnt that Emefiele, his aides and other top directors would be grilled on a number of issues relating to loans worth billions of naira given to farmers under the Fadama scheme, which were believed to have been marred by fraud; the controversial sale of Polaris Bank, which was also allegedly fraught with irregularities; alleged financing of the Indigenous People of Biafra by the suspended CBN boss, and other allegations bordering on forex fraud.
The CBN chiefs are also expected to answer tough questions on the apex bank’s fiscal policies, including the handling of the naira redesign policy, which led to the scarcity of naira notes and caused a nationwide economic crisis, resulting in riots, attacks on banks and death of some citizens.
“Their level of complicity will determine if they will retain their jobs or face prosecution at the end of investigation,” another source stated.
Earlier on Saturday, the spokesman of the DSS, Dr Peter Afunaya, confirmed that the suspended CBN governor was in the custody of the agency and would undergo interrogation.
He said in a statement, “The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby confirms that Mr Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is now in its custody for some investigative reasons.
“The public, particularly the media, is enjoined to apply utmost caution in the reportage and narratives concerning this.”
This was a follow-up to an earlier statement by Afunaya in which he said Emefiele was not yet in the custody of the secret police.
Home, office deserted
Indications also emerged on Saturday that the DSS might conduct a search on the residence and office of the suspended apex bank governor as part of its investigation.
Another source in the secret police said, “He (Emefiele) has been on the watch list of the service for long, now that he has been arrested, he will be spending the night in custody at our headquarters and may not be released anytime soon. There is also the likelihood of his residence and office being searched in furtherance of the service’s investigation.”
Sunday PUNCH reports that the DSS had been on the trail of the suspended CBN governor and had even approached a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory to arrest him.
But Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, said the secret police did not provide any concrete evidence to substantiate its claims that Emefiele was involved in terrorism financing and economic crimes.
Among allegations levied against the embattled CBN governor by the DSS are terrorism financing, mismanagement of Nigeria’s social investment programme and the Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme, among others.
Meanwhile, the residence of the suspended CBN boss in the Maitama area of the FCT was deserted on Saturday.
Our correspondents, who were there from noon till around 3pm, did not observe the presence of security operatives around his residence. Also, no movement of persons or vehicles was observed in the compound.
At the CBN headquarters, our correspondents only observed the presence of the apex bank’s security men.
This was contrary to what happened earlier in the year when a team of policemen was seen at his home. Also, his office was not spared as there were reports of operatives of the Department of State Services invasion of the CBN.
Naira loses 76% value under Emefiele
The naira has lost about 76.17 per cent of its value since June 2014 when the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, took office, according to findings by Sunday PUNCH.
It was observed that the naira official rate compared to the US dollar had fallen from N164 to N462.4 (or 64.53 per cent) since June 2014.
Within the same timeframe, the naira has weakened from $1/N183 to $1/N768 in the parallel market.
This also indicates the currency has suffered 76.17 per cent depreciation since 2014 under Emefiele.
Although he was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in February 2014 after the suspension of Lamido Sanusi, his predecessor, Emefiele officially assumed duty in June of that year.
He was re-appointed for a second term of five years in 2022 by the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari.
Sunday PUNCH further observed that the naira lost significant value under Emefiele than most CBN governors since 1999.
In July last year, the Senate resolved to summon the CBN governor to educate and inform senators in a closed-session on the reasons for the rapid depreciation in the value of the naira against foreign currencies.
It also mandated its Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions to assess the impact of the CBN intervention funds meant to support critical sectors of the economy
The resolutions were reached by lawmakers after the upper chamber considered a motion sponsored by Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi.
A breakdown of how the currency moved under each CBN governor showed that under Joseph Sanusi, the naira-to-dollar exchange rate moved from N99 to N132. Joseph Sanusi spent five years at the helm of the apex bank between 1999 and 2004.
Under Chukwuma Soludo (2004-2009), the dollar exchange rate moved from N133 to N147, while under Lamido Sanusi (June 2009-February 2014), the dollar exchange rate moved from N148 to N157.
Under Emefiele, the value of the naira to the dollar weakened significantly despite efforts to ensure stability by the CBN.
In a bid to manage the value of the naira, the CBN introduced a number of policies, such as stopping forex supply to importers of 41 items that could be produced locally, offering N5 for every $1 remitted to Nigeria through Internal Money Transfer Organisations, and banning the supply of forex to Bureaux De Change, among others.
Specifically, in March 2021, the bank introduced the ‘Naira 4 Dollar Scheme’, intended to boost the inflow of Diaspora remittances into the country. This programme works by paying Diaspora remittance recipients an incentive of N5 for every $1 received through a licensed IMT operator.
In May 2021, the CBN adopted the NAFEX rate as the benchmark rate. This initiative simply meant that rather than having multiple official rates (e.g. CBN rate at N379/$ vs. IEFX rate of N410/$ at the time), the bank simply decided to reduce the number of official rates.
In July 2021, the CBN announced the discontinuation of foreign exchange sales to BDC operators. Emefiele alleged that some BDCs’ actions contravened the agreement with the apex bank by seeking to maximise profits, which he deemed excessive.
In February 2022, the CBN extended the naira for dollar scheme from the IMTOs to the IEFX window.
Specifically, the CBN released instructions that outline that it would facilitate the payment of N65 for every US dollar repatriated and sold at the Investors and Exporters’ Window.
However, these policies have not been able to maintain naira stability.
The World Bank disagreed with the CBN on how it tried to achieve price stabilisation of the naira, adding that the currency should be allowed to respond to real pressures and not be bottled up by the apex bank.
It added that the country’s exchange rate strategy was discouraging investors and increasing inflation.
A Global Finance Report also said that the CBN had failed to curb rising inflation and stop the naira from sliding against the US dollar.
The World Bank in its Africa’s Pulse report for April 2023 noted that the naira lost 10.2 per cent of its value in 2022.
This came as rising food and fuel prices spiked high inflation in the country in 2022.
Economists give opinions
A professor of Economics at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Prof Sheriffdeen Tella, said there were certain political and economic issues triggering naira devaluation.
On the economic issue, he said the increase in imports over exports and illicit capital flow were major reasons for naira depreciation.
He said, “The devaluation is caused by both political and economic issues. The economic issue is that we continue to import goods and we are not exporting much beyond oil. Also, the non-oil sector is not doing very well, and we are still importing more.
“There is also the issue of illicit capital flow. That is, people taking foreign currencies without caution. The coronavirus pandemic has also affected output.”
On the political issue, he explained that the CBN had been intentionally devaluing the naira in order to increase the funds given to state governments.
Tella added, “On political grounds, the CBN, probably with collusion from the Ministry of Finance, has been devaluing the value of the naira officially to increase the amount of naira given to state governments.
“The official devaluation of the naira has taken place twice, and that is a political thing. They are doing it to satisfy fiscal expenditures.”
He urged the government to address these issues to achieve naira appreciation.
A professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Uyo and Chairman, Foundation for Economic Research and Training, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, condemned the intentional devaluation of the naira by the CBN.
“When you devalue, you are hoping that the goods you export will be cheaper; you can export more and earn more revenue. However, our major export is crude petroleum, and we don’t control the price or output. So, we don’t get anything from the government’s outright devaluation,” he said.
Ekpo urged the government to boost production and ensure that the country had a strong and productive economy.
He stated, “The only way we can stop the devaluation of currency is production. We need to produce more goods and services, and export them to earn foreign exchange. That is our basic problem in Nigeria; we consume what we don’t produce.
“The government needs to build an economy that is strong and doesn’t rely on one commodity.”
A former President of the World Bank Group, David Malpass, recently warned that Nigeria’s parallel exchange rate was harmful as it would worsen future debt service payments and increase the risk of debt distress.
Malpass said this in a blog post titled, ‘Parallel Exchange Rates: The World Bank’s Approach to Helping People in Developing Countries’, published on the bank’s website.
According to Malpass, about 24 emerging and developing economies, including Nigeria, have an active parallel currency market.
“In at least 14 of them, the exchange rate premium—the difference between the official and the parallel rate— is a material problem, exceeding 10 per cent,” he added.
In the blog post, it was disclosed that Nigeria had an exchange rate premium of 61.7 per cent as of March 2023.
The World Bank chief noted that parallel exchange rates were expensive and could drive corruption.
[Punch]
The Department of State Services (DSS) is set to interrogate others alongside the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
In the move to investigate Emefiele also a little longer, the DSS on Tuesday is expected to obtain an order to keep him in their custody for as long as his interrogation will last.
A source that spoke with Punch on the development said the DSS would likely approach the court to obtain an order to detain Emefiele for an indefinite period.
Naija News recalls that President Bola Tinubu on Friday suspended Emefiele from office with immediate effect.
Emefiele was suspended with a move to reform the financial sector of the economy.
This was stated in a statement released by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey.
Emefiele was directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi as the acting CBN Governor.
Thereafter, Emefiele was arrested in Lagos on Saturday by DSS operatives and flown to Abuja in a private jet.
The source speaking on the interrogation move stated, “He (Emefiele) is going to be with us for some time. We may obtain a court order to further detain him. The previous charges against him are there and further investigations may add to that. You know that he is a big man, and we have to make sure that the loose ends are tightened before we take him to court.
“Recall that we were looking for him before his suspension. Now that we have him, we will hear from him; hear what he has to say on those issues we have highlighted before.”
The source added that the DSS had assembled a team of crack interrogators to quiz Emefiele on wide-ranging issues, including alleged terrorism financing and mismanagement of the economy and the apex bank.
“We have a team of interrogators, who are going to quiz and obtain statements from him. We won’t bungle our case. But honestly, Nigerians need to know what happened and why we were looking for him the other time,” the source added.
Sources that spoke with the platform also stated that other top directors of the CBN would be interrogated in the coming weeks as part of a comprehensive probe of Emefiele’s administration as directed by the President.
According to the source, DSS would likely go after senior officials in the procurement department of the CBN as well as special advisers to the embattled governor.
A source stated, “One of those under the radar of the DSS is a special adviser to the CBN governor.
“He retired from the CBN in 2021 as a director but was retained by Emefiele as a special adviser. He is believed to have an inside knowledge of all the actions taken by Emefiele.
“Other subjects of interest are senior officials and directors in the procurement department. The fact is that many top directors will be invited or arrested for questioning in the weeks ahead.”
It was noted that Emefiele, his aides and other top directors would be grilled on a number of issues relating to loans worth billions of naira given to farmers under the Fadama scheme, which were believed to have been marred by fraud; the controversial sale of Polaris Bank, which was also allegedly fraught with irregularities; alleged financing of the Indigenous People of Biafra by the suspended CBN boss, and other allegations bordering on forex fraud.
The CBN chiefs are also expected to answer tough questions on the apex bank’s fiscal policies, including the handling of the naira redesign policy, which led to the scarcity of naira notes and caused a nationwide economic crisis, resulting in riots, attacks on banks and death of some citizens.
Another source stated, “Their level of complicity will determine if they will retain their jobs or face prosecution at the end of the investigation.”
The Labour Party (LP) has criticised the suspension of Godwin Emefiele as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by President Bola Tinubu.
On Friday, President Bola Tinubu suspended Emefiele and directed that he transfers his responsibilities to the deputy governor, operations directorate.
Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, the deputy governor, is expected to act as the CBN governor pending the conclusion of an investigation ordered by the president into Emefiele’s activities.
Earlier, the Department of State Services (DSS) announced that Emefiele is currently in its custody for “some investigative reasons”.
In a statement on Saturday, Obiora Ifoh, national publicity secretary of LP, said the president does not have the power to suspend Emefiele without seeking the permission of the national assembly.
“The leadership of the Labour Party is disturbed by the decision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend/sack the governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, albeit unconstitutionally without seeking the permission of the national assembly and we insist that the action was not in good taste and sounds punitive,” the statement reads.
The opposition party alleged that the suspended CBN governor is being punished for the naira redesign policy he introduced to check “vote buying” in the last election.
“Most Nigerians will not forget in a hurry the famous naira redesign policy initiated by Emefiele primarily to check vote buying in the last general election,” Ifoh said.
“A noble policy which a particular candidate then, unfortunately, believed was targeted at him. To him, it was a mortal sin which cannot be forgiven and must be punished. Labour Party believes that Emefiele, a fall guy, is paying for his “sin”.
“The government said the suspension of Emefiele is “sequel to the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy.”
It is laughable to read that statement as most Nigerians are already aware of the intention of the government.
If indeed, there is any government agency that should be investigated with this utmost urgency, should it not be the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu?
“This is the institution that is responsible for the mockery of our democracy. This is an institution which asked and received N355 billion in taxpayers’ money to conduct, the worst-ever election in the history of Nigeria and in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is an election umpire that has shamelessly chosen to be partisan during and after the election, even at the tribunal.
“Finally, we urge the APC-led government to carry out a thorough investigation of the CBN and particularly, the last APC government’s interference in the operation of the apex bank.
“Nigerians will not tolerate political and peripheral investigation. We suggest a forensic auditing by an independent firm and by so doing, maybe the real culprits, not just Emefiele will be unearthed.”
[TheCable]
Notwithstanding efforts by the outgoing Ninth National Assembly to wash off its tag of ‘rubber stamp’, Senator Binos Dauda Yaroe, on Saturday, said he was in agreement with Nigerians that the Ninth Senate was actually rubber stamp.
Yaroe who represents Adamawa South spoke while contributing to debate during the valedictory session of the Senate in Abuja.
He insisted that the recent suspension and arrest of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele over corruption allegations by the Department of State Services was an indictment of the National Assembly for failure to carry out its oversight activities as required.
He urged the incoming 10th National Assembly to be alive to their responsibilities by being a watchdog of the executive.
He said: “I agree with those who say the ninth Senate is a rubber stamp.
“Furthermore the suspension of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele and subjecting him to investigation is a mild indictment of the National Assembly. This is so because if we had done our oversight duties properly, we would not have gotten to this level.
“I hope the 10th Senate will take its job as the watchdog of the Executive more seriously. I also hope that the 10th Senate will operate and adhere to its own rules, take their rules on the procedures of the bills in rule 76, 77 and 78 for instance those bills for second reading are circulated to all senators.
“But very often, bills will pass first and second reading without senators searching for them. I hope the 10th Senate will conduct its business more properly.”
- Obi, LP play footage of INEC’s Yakubu, Okoye speaking on election results’ transmission
- We complied with all guidelines, regulations, Atiku’s witnesses tell court
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), yesterday rejected two applications by Mr. Peter Obi and his party, the Labour Party (LP) to issue and deliver interrogatories to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The court said the applications lacked merit.
Obi and the LP had filed the applications to obtain more information from INEC and to have the first application heard outside the pre-hearing session.
Ruling on the applications yesterday, the court’s five-member panel was unanimous that the two applications were filed outside the time allowed by law.
The Presiding Justice (PJ), Justice Haruna Tsammani said the petitioners did not establish any circumstance of extreme urgency that would have made the court exercise discretion in their favour.
He said the situation the petitioners found themselves in was self-induced and could not pass as special circumstances on which the court could act in their favour.
Paragraph 17(1) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2022, according to him, requires the petitioners to file all applications within 10 days of filing their reply to the defendants’ responses to their petition.
The judge observed that while the petitioners filed their last reply on April 21, they filed the application, in which they sought to serve INEC interrogatories on May 22, the day the court ended the pre-hearing session.
He added that even though the application was actually filed on May 22, the petitioners’ lawyer failed to draw the court’s attention to it, as was required of him.
“I do not believe that the application was filed before the proceedings of that day. Even if it was filed before the proceedings of that day, the lawyer did not bring that fact to the attention of the court,” the judge said.
He held that it was wrong for the petitioners’ lawyer to attempt to avoid taking the blame for failing to act within the time allowed by the law.
“The application is incompetent having not been filed within the time allowed by law and the court has no jurisdiction to hear it. This application is hereby struck out,” Justice Tsammani said.
Shortly after the ruling, another lawyer to the petitioners, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) applied to play two videos which they tendered on Friday.
The first, which was footage of a press briefing by INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, showed him talking about plans for the election and pledging that BVAS would be used for voter accreditation, while results would be transmitted from polling units in real-time.
The second one showed INEC’s National Commissioner, Festus Okoye explaining the efforts made to address the glitches experienced during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Part of the second video also showed President Bola Tinubu announcing his selection of Kashim Shettma as his running mate for the election, which Okutepa claimed supported their case of double nomination.
After the videos were played, the petitioners proceeded to tender some Certified True Copies (CTCs) of INEC materials, including Forms EC40G (PU), EC40G and EC40G1 from Benue State.
Further hearing in the petition has been adjourned till 9 am on Tuesday.
Earlier yesterday, two former members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who worked as INEC ad-hoc staff during the last elections, said they complied with all rules and regulations in carrying out their assignment.
Alheri Ayuba and Sadiya Mohammed Haruna who were subpoenaed witnesses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, spoke while testifying as the petitioners’ 17th and 18th witnesses before the PEPC.
Ayuba and Haruna said the whole process went well except for the hitch they experienced while trying to upload the images of the result sheets immediately at their polling units, using the BVAS machine.
They, however, said they failed to include, in the written statements, their inability to upload the results.
Led in evidence by the petitioners’ lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), Ayuba and Haruna said they served as polling unit Presiding Officers in Abuja.
The witnesses adopted their written statements after lawyers to the respondents – Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) for INEC, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) for President Bola Tinubu and Solomon Umoh (SAN) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) – raised objections to the admission of their testimonies.
Under cross-examination by Pinheiro, Ayuba said: “I performed my duties diligently on the day of the election. I confirm that the election went smoothly besides the issue of the BVAS that failed to upload results.
“BVAS was used to accredit all the voters. After sorting the results, I announced it to everybody’s hearing. I entered the results diligently in the presence of everybody at the polling unit,” she said.
The witness added that all the agents of the political parties present got copies of the result sheet (Form EC8A), the original copy of which she personally submitted at the Ward Collation Centre.
“It was the image of the Form EC8A that I captured with the BVAS that I tried to upload, but I could not,” Ayuba said.
Under cross-examination by Ukala, Ayuba said she conducted herself strictly in compliance with INEC Guidelines and Regulations for the conduct of elections.
The witness said she was neither induced nor influenced by anybody to manipulate the process.
“The results that I entered in Form EC8A were the correct results in the polling unit. I took the results by myself to the Ward Collation Centre l. I am aware that the results were fully collated at the Ward Collation Centre,” she said.
Ayuba said she did not include, in her statement, that she encountered challenges while trying to upload the results.
While being cross-examined by another lawyer to INEC, Steve Adehi (SAN), Haruna said: “On the day of the election, I carried out my duty as we were taught.
“Apart from the BVAS problem, which was about transmission, every other thing went well. At the end of the election, I sorted out the votes and entered them in Form EC8A manually. I gave copies to party agents.
“It was when I tried to transmit the image of the results sheet that the BVAS failed. The party agents followed me up to the Ward Collation Centre.
“They refused to go and insisted on following me to the Ward Collation Centre where I submitted the results in Form EC8A,” she said.
Under cross-examination by Ukala, the witness also said she complied with all the rules and was not induced by anyone in the course of the election.
Haruna said after Form EC8A was duly signed by party agents and herself, she took a photograph of the form with the BVAS device and posted a copy of the result in a conspicuous place for people to see.
At the conclusion of Haruna’s testimony, the court adjourned further hearing in the petition till next Tuesday at 2 pm.
Nigerian chef, Damilola Adeparusi, has set out to beat Hilda Baci’s unofficial record, who is awaiting the confirmation of her 100hrs record-breaking cook-a-thon from Guinness World Records.
Recall that Hilda made headlines in May after beating Indian chef Lata Tondon’s 87 hours and 45 minutes record achieved in September 2019.
Here are the things you should know about the young chef Chef Damilola Adeparusi.
Damilola, who is attempting to break Hilda’s record, began her journey on June 9, 2023, and as of today, she has been cooking for over 30 hours.
Born Damilola Adeparusi, the young chef now fondly addressed as Chef Dammy is an Ekiti indigene and is attempting to break the record in Ilupeju, Ekiti.
Besides being a chef, Damilola is also a poet, songwriter, and editor. Her official social media pages carry these titles as well.
Damilola is a vivaciously curious person, noting via her official pages her love for researching and learning about new things.
She is representing a church, Spirit Word Global Mission, in the cook-a-thon currently in Ekiti State and is attempting to break Hilda’s 100hrs record with her 120 hours goal.
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Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, on Saturday appealed to the emotions of the senators-elect by urging them to vote for the stability of the country and not their individual pockets.
Shettima made the appeal during Saturday’s valedictory session which brought the 9th assembly (Senate) to a close as the presiding officer, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, adjourned sitting sine die.
This would pave the way for the new assembly to be convened on Tuesday 13 June with a letter to the Clerk of the National Assembly from the president.
The All Progressives Congress, with a slim majority (59) in the Senate, is racing against time to produce the president it has anointed.
The National Working Committee of the party had announced former Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, as its preferred choice.
This has not gone down well with other aspirants like Orji Uzor Kalu, Abdul-Azeez Yari, and Osita Osinazu who have maintained that they would not bow to any external interference and manipulation of the second organ of l government.
Although there has been a lukewarm approach to cement the preferred candidates from the leadership of the APC, Shettima maintained a middle ground on Saturday when he urged the senators-elect to look hard and make a choice for the survival of the country.
“To my incoming colleagues, I will leave you with a parable, ‘the stability of this nation is superior to the stability of our pockets’. On Tuesday, let us vote wisely, let us vote for the Nigerian nation,” he said.
Describing them as “friends who have become an integral part of my history,” he added that, “We have served shoulder to shoulder in the face of adversity and worked relentlessly for the betterment of our Nation.”a
It was a moment of absolute silence and emotion as the Senate Whip and former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, APC, Abia North delivered his 9th Senate valedictory speech at the floor of the red chamber, stating that he is not a thief.
Sen. Kalu at the start of his speech said that his speech would be a little bit emotional, and other members of the Senate were close to tears as he narrated how has been treated politically, especially by those he helped build and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that he spent his money to nurture.
Kalu who went through psychological torture a few months ago following the death of his beloved wife, Ifeoma extended his gratitude to members of the Senate who were there for him even at the time he was dragged before the court.
Kalu said, “I believe we are dispersing, not separating from ourselves.
“I went through one of my best times in life in this senate and also went through one of the difficult periods also in this Senate.
“Before I came to the Senate before I came into politics, I can buy anything anybody can buy. I am not a thief.
“I am not a thief. Those that put me in prison know the reason why they put me in prison.
“They took over all my businesses and wanted to kill me. But I survived it. And today, I am in the senate with you people.
“It is not the end to what we have done; it is not the end to united Nigeria; it is not the end to being one’s brother’s keeper, but the senators I mentioned (earlier) were with me. I never lacked.
“When the PDP that I was their governor for two terms was being formed, I brought every money they used in forming that party.
“Every penny in 1997 and 1998 and I later became a thief and people I gave transport money from my house in VI (Victoria Island, Lagos) became agents. This is what Nigeria represents.
“I want to thank my colleagues for giving me these four years of uninterrupted support. This is because this country is not fair to so many of us.
“I helped build this country. I employed more than 13, 800 workers. Other people employed nobody and nobody asked them about the source of their wealth.
“I have three factories in Lagos Nigeria, I have two factories in Otta manufacturing, I have three factories in Aba manufacturing and I am a thief and people that cannot explain where their source of wealth came from, are not thieves. I leave everything in the hands of God”.
Sen. Kalu, who is the 10th Senate President hopeful has the support of majority of Nigerians, the Senate and the House of Representatives, past federal lawmakers and non-lawmakers.
The Police have dared ex-Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State to prove that his cars were stolen.
After the raid on his residences in Gusau and Maradun, Matawalle had claimed he was robbed.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, the former governor had said, “I have never seen this kind of stupidity where someone’s house will just be entered without any permission as if we are in a lawless country.
“I am in Abuja and nobody told me that any court gave that order or invite me and I refused to answer. The saddest thing is that, in my Gusau house, all my wives’ rooms were broken, even hijabs have been taken away. Stoves were all put in a car and taken away.
“In my Maradun house, they took away all campaign cars that people gave us as contributions, including those I bought in United States even before becoming governor, you know I was a car seller. I will not ask them to bring the cars back, everybody knows that I have cars. This is robbery, they entered everywhere in my houses, even my daughter’s wedding clothing materials (Kayan Lefe) were not spared.”
But in a statement on Saturday evening, ASP Yazid Abubakar, Police Public Relations Officer in Zamfara, challenged anyone who felt his items were stolen to come forward with evidence.
“The Command is currently investigating a Complaint of missing Zamfara State Government vehicles. Members of the public who have useful information about these missing vehicles are humbly requested to come forward with such information to assist the Investigation.”
“Persons who feel their vehicles were wrongfully attached while executing search warrants during the course of this investigation are advised to produce proof of ownership to claim such vehicles.
“Members of the public will be duly informed of the outcome of this Investigation and are further advised to desist from spreading false information to mislead the public which is capable of inciting disturbance that can attract arrest and prosecution.”
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has called two additional witnesses to further prove his allegation of malpractice at the Feb. 25 election.
The two make a total of 18 witnesses he has so far called out of 100 witnesses planned for the exercise.
Abubakar and his party filed their petitions against the election of President Bola Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and INEC at the Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja.
They are challenging the outcome of the election on the ground that INEC, the electoral umpire, did not conduct the election in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
At the resumed hearing on Saturday, one of Abubakar’s new witnesses, Ms Alheri Ayuba, said she was unhappy at her inability to upload results from her polling unit unto INEC’s Result Viewing Portal.
“There was a form that I filled at the ward centre where I stated that I was not happy at my inability to transmit the result.
“I could not log into the INEC portal. If I had logged into the system and posted the result perhaps it could have “pending’’ status and when network is restored, it would upload,’’ she said.
The witness also told the court that she was not induced or influenced by any politician before or during the election.
The second witness, Ms Sadiya Haruna, told the court that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machine she used malfunctioned.
Haruna told the court that the result she entered manually at her polling unit was what she took to the ward collation officer and that party agents assigned to the unit monitored the entire process.
She said she took a photo shot of the result as collated manually on the result sheet with the BVAS machine, but that she couldn’t ascertain whether it was retained in the machine or not.
Earlier, INEC’s counsel, Mr Kemi Pinhero (SAN) and Mr Akin Olujimi (SAN) counsel for President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima, objected to the admission of the witnesses’ statements in evidence.
Mr Abiodun Fashanu (SAN), counsel for APC aligned with their objection.
The counsel submitted that their reason for objecting to the admission of the witnesses’ statements on oath would be advanced at the stage of final addresses.
They, however, did not oppose the invitation of the witnesses to testify before the court as well as the presentation of their letters of employment as Presiding Officers for the election by INEC.
Abubakar’s counsel, Mr Chris Uche (SAN) who led both witnesses in evidence prayed the court to discountenance objections by the respondents and admit the witnesses’ testimonies.
Presiding Justice Haruna Tsammani reserved ruling on the objections until the final judgment.
Justice Tsammani also adjourned further hearing in the petition till June 13.