The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has attributed the Boko Haram insurgency and recent agitations in parts of Nigeria to people funding them using funds that were acquired in questionable ways.

Magu, who spoke at a town hall meeting with Civil Society groups in Kano State today, Friday, said that the fight against corruption is a fight for the survival of Nigeria.

The meeting was organized to develop new strategies which would make the fight against corruption more effective and also bridge the gap to reach out even to the grassroots.

The EFCC boss said: “I think corruption is the cause of all these agitations. Corrupt people are the ones behind most of these agitations and even the insurgency of the Boko Haram and the Niger Delta militants are all fundamental causes of these things and you can trace it to corrupt practices. They are funded by looters who stole our money and are using the stolen money to divide our people.”

He advised Nigerians to be more united against ethnic, religious or political affiliations, stressing that “righteousness will continue to win over evil no matter how long”.

“We need journalists more than any other professionals in the fight against corruption. If we really want to fight corruption and if journalists really key into the fight, we would finish it in less than one year.”

Source: Channelstv. [myad]

“Will any person in his right senses believe that the way out of our problems in Nigeria is separation? We have past that stage. We have many problems if we can talk about them and we must talk about them. We must find solution to them.”

These were the views of the former two-time President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo when he spoke today, Friday, at Effurun, Delta State. He was apparently alluding to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu and other pro-Biafra agitators.

Obasanjo said that he is praying for a change of mentality by the Biafra agitators, adding that if he had a magic wand: “I would make one wish that God should change our mentality; I believe that is the problem of this country.”

He advised Nigerians not to be deceived by those calling for war, saying that such people had not witnessed one before.

While in Warri, Delta State for facility tour of Lee Engineering and Construction Company, Obasanjo lamented the agitation by certain elements in the country for the dismember, meant of Nigeria, stressing that those who advocating separation through violent means have not seen the effect of war.

“The answer to our problem is mind set. If we need restructuring at all, it is the restructuring of our mind set. How can anybody say the answer to our problem is separation? It is diversity that makes us great as a nation. The beauty of Nigeria Nigeria is in its diversity. The greatness of Nigeria is in our diversity. There is nothing wrong with Nigeria but a lot is wrong with Nigerians. What we need to do is to change.

The former president maintained that there was nothing wrong in people agitating for equity, justice and fairness in the distribution of the nation’s wealth adding however that “when we speak up that things are not good enough, we must be prepared to offer something better and not dismemberment.”

Obasanjo said that when we substitute injustice, inequity and marginalization with equity, justice and fairness Nigeria will make progress.

He called on the Federal Government to give the needed support for indigenous companies in the country to thrive.

“Nigerians who have visions like Chief Leemon Ikpea must be encouraged and supported to grow their businesses. This country of ours must be developed by ensuring that that we grow businesses and entrepreneurs who have visions like my brother and friend must be supported,” the ex-Nigerian leader said.

He lamented that Nigeria over the years have failed to harness her best human assets  adding that “what we do wrong in Nigeria is that we do not make use of our assets”.

While encouraging the management of the company to continue to work to improve on the standard it has set over the years Obasanjo said it is only through commitment and dedication that Nigeria can make the needed economic progress.

The chief executive officer of Lee Engineering and Construction Company, Ikpea, described Obasanjo as a great patriot and nationalists who helped in laying the foundation for the development of local content in Nigeria.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the inspection tour, Ikpea said he was inspired by some of the patriotic acts of Obasanjo in establishing Lee Engineering.

Citing Obasanjo’s Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) and the technical crash programme, Ikpea said “We are indeed inspired by some of these patriotic acts to venture into establishing a full production factory, dedicated to in-country manufacture of plants and equipment for the oil, gas and power sector”.

While seeking the support of the former president “in our national quest to meet with current global standards in technological advancement, and the drive to increase indigenous capacity utilization in the oil, gas and called industry,” Ikpea said such support will help indigenous companies excel and help contribution to the overall economic progress of the Nigeria.

Ikpea who is one of Nigeria’s indigenous fabricator in the oil and gas sector as well as a representative of major offshore technology companies in the world “The Local Content Act was a boost for those of us in the sector who are Nigerians but more still need to be done by the government to give indigenous companies in the oil and gas strength so that we can continue to support the government in boosting the Nigeria economy.

“What the government has done with the Local Content Act is to lay the foundation for Nigerians in the sector to build a stronger and better oil and gas industry but it still needs to do more so that we can have enough financial muscles to go into research and development of modern day offshore technologies in the country.” [myad]

The President General of the Ohanaeze, Chief John Nnia Nwodo has made it clear that Igbos would not want Nigeria to be split because they have more at stake than any other ethnic groups in the country.

He stressed that the apex Igbo organization would prefer that the country is restructured than break up as being agitated for by some Igbo youths.

A statement from the Office of the President General quoted him as telling a cross section of Ndigbo leaders in Abuja that no ethnic group has more stake in Nigeria project than the Igbo and as such cannot consider a break up as a viable option.

The Ohanaeze boss said that there is no part of this country where Ndigbo have not invested their resources even without any corresponding investment from others in Igboland.

He said that while Ohanaeze understands and appreciates the circumstances that prompted the youth agitations under the MASSOB and IPOB platform, the elders do not believe that leaving the country is a reasonable option at this time.

Nwodo said that the various segments of Igbo leadership comprising the Ohanaeze leadership, Governors, National Assembly members, Traditional and religious leaders after deliberating on the situation in Enugu came to the conclusion that the restructuring option is the reasonable way to go.

He said that restructuring will bring Nigeria to a level where every person of whatever tribe, religion or class would have a sense of belonging and in return give in their best for the development of the country.

Nwodo also announced that steps are being taken by the apex body leadership to carry along the youths of the region and ensure that the Ndigbo have a common and unified position on the way forward for them.

The Ohanaeze President General insisted that equal partnership, equal ownership and level playing ground for all is the right way to go to bring the best in our people and set the country on the path of growth and development. [myad]

An Abuja Federal High Court has rejected the embattled Senator Dino Melya’s motion for a temporary injunction restraining Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from proceeding with the process of recalling him back to his village in the Kogi West Senatorial Zone until the determination of suit challenging his recall.

However, the court has suspended the process of the recall.

Justice John Tsoho, who announced the suspension of the process, directed all the parties to maintain their status quo until September 29 when the court will hear the suit challenging bid by Melaye’s constituents to recall him from the Senate.

Justice Tsoho ruled that the parties should “maintain status quo pending the hearing of the motion on notice” and adjourned the case to September 29 for hearing of the motion on notice as well as for the applications filed by three individuals, led by Chief Cornelius Olowo, who equally applied to be made parties in the suit. Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) argued Melaye’s ex-parte motion.

Determined to save his seat, Senator Melaye had dragged the INEC before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, seeking an order stopping the ongoing process by his constituents to recall him.

In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/587/2017, with INEC as the only defendant, Melaye faulted the recall process, saying it was tainted with political malice and initiated by his political enemies.

In the originating Summons he filed through his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, the embattled lawmaker prayed the court to declare that the petition presented to INEC for his recall was illegal, unlawful, wrongful, unconstitutional, invalid, null and void and of no effect in law. He also prayed the court for a declaration that the petition purportedly forwarded to the INEC was invalid and of no effect, the same being signed by fictitious, dead and none existing persons in his senatorial district, as well as for an order of injunction restraining INEC from commencing or further continuing or completing the process of his recall.

Senator Dino Melaye had earlier ran to his colleagues at the Senate to present his ordeals from which the Senate told INEC that it is wasting its time trying to recall Senator Melaye.

Describing the recall moves of Melaye as an exercise in futility that would become a waste of time and resources of the state, the Senate said INEC is aware of relevant sections of the constitution which the cumbersome process of recall must follow.

It had also noted that the various stages passed so far in the move, as facilitated by the electoral umpire, were not in line with laid down constitutional procedures and guidelines.

Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a point of order raised against the recall move by Senator Dino Melaye himself. Recall also that some electorates in Kogi state had gathered 188,588 signatures out of the 360,098 registered voters in Kogi West representing 52% percent and taken same in ‘Ghana-must-go’bags to INEC, demanding that the electoral body continue with the processes towards recalling the senator. INEC too had confirmed receiving the signatories and billed a date to commence with the process.

Senator Melaye had, however, said he discovered many signatures of dead men, including those of late prominent politicians in the state, maintaining that the signatures were forged or were inputed without the consent and knowledge of the owners.