Kaduna Electric has disputed the figures by the State Internal Revenue Service to justify its threat to seal our head office for nonpayment of Pay As You Eern (PAYE) tax to the state government.
In a statement, the Head of Corporate Communications of the Electric, Abdulazeez Abdullahi said that the figure presented by the revenue people did not reflect the exact amount his organization is owing.
“We are dismayed that the state revenue service was not entirely factual in its assertions regarding our company.”
Abdulazeez admitted that it is true that his organization is owing some, but that it had since started remitting the taxes into government coffers monthly and had committed to offsetting the backlog in the nearest future.
“As a responsible corporate citizen, we are aware of the obligations we owe the state governments where we operate and we will continue to live up to those obligations and responsibilities.
“We urge officials of the state revenue service to exercise restraint and support us in discharging our duties and obligations to them.
“As we do our utmost regarding this matter, we call on all our customers including the state government to also help us by settling their outstanding electricity bills in order for us to serve the public even better.” [myad]
They showed their pernicious hands again last Sunday, and have been on the prowl since then, roaring like a lion, seeking who to devour. Purveyors of death they are, and they have killed President Muhammadu Buhari many times over, cloned the websites of international media houses to announce the hoax, but their wishes did not become horses, so they remain stranded, with nothing to ride.
Between January 19, this year, when the President first proceeded on vacation, and March 10, when he returned, they had announced his demise many times. They even created apocryphal images and footages to back up their inhuman claims, but God showed them He was the ultimate. The Real Deal, the Special One. President Buhari came back alive, and disclosed that he would still return to London at a later date for medical follow-up. He eventually left on the night of Sunday, May 7. They saw the Deux ex machina, the Invisible Hands of God, between January and March, but they are so steeped and marooned in unbelief, evil wishes and malediction, that they have started all over again. Last Sunday, they cloned popular websites for the umpteenth time, using them to announce the figment of their diseased imagination. They learnt nothing, and forgot nothing from the immediate past experience. And you begin to ask yourself, just as the Good Book also asked:”Why do the heathens rage, and the people imagine vain things?” Why do they arrogate to themselves the power that belongs only to God? “I can kill, and I can make alive,” says God in His word. But these purveyors of hate possibly don’t know God. That is why they declare a man dead, when God has not said so. Once has God spoken, and twice have I heard it, that power belongs to God. Millions upon millions of Nigerians love President Muhammadu Buhari. They love his simplicity, his forthrightness, incorruptibility, love of country, and many other virtues. And they are praying. Bombarding Heaven with petitions. Baba o, Baba o, Baba o. Olorun da Baba si fun wa, Baba o, Baba o, Baba o. Olorun da Baba si fun wa. Oh God, spare our Baba, the father of the country. Spare him for us, O Lord we pray. And Heaven is listening to the supplications. We await the full manifestation. Millions of us can follow Baba blindfolded into battle. We love him that much, and it is within our rights. But have you seen a man ever loved by everybody? Show me. Even if you feed an entire city daily, some people still won’t like your guts. So, those who are not Buharists have a right to their convictions. But must any human being be hateful to the point of wishing another person dead, and indeed broadcasting a death that never happened? Shame. Shame upon evil wishers, purveyors of lies and wickedness. Do they have blood running in their veins at all? Do they realize that wishing another person dead, is sin before God? Yet they go to churches, mosques, and other worship houses. Who are they worshiping? The Unknown God. Why do some people, a tiny but vocal minority, wish the President dead? Do they know that if God wills, the man they wish dead could outlive them by many years? There was a lady who was very active on social media in 2015, before the presidential election of that year. She was in the league of anti-Buhari elements. Oh, he was too old. Oh, he was sickly. Yes, he would soon die. The lady was rabidly pontifical in her convictions, parading herself as someone with a charmed life, who would live forever. And then, it happened! Sometime last year, she died! When I saw the news online, I just shook my head, and prayed for the repose of her soul. I did not gloat. No need to. Not in her wildest imagination could she have thought that she would pre-decease President Buhari. But who has the final say? Jehovah has the final say. The breath of man is in his nostrils, and God can decide to extinguish his candle at anytime. Jehovah has the final say. It is not by age, not by how healthy you seem, or how sickly you are. It’s a lesson some people have not learnt. They learn nothing, and forget nothing. Back to the earlier question. Why do some people want their own President dead? Why do they want the eclipse of a man who is actuated by nothing other than love for his country? Why have they constituted themselves into enemies of national progress, haters of all that is good? Why do they prefer the dark jungle of infamy to the light of a clear and bright day, signposted by freedom from rapacity and lootocracy? Who then are these enemies? “Our enemies are the political profiteers, the swindlers, the men in high and low places that seek bribes and demand 10 percent, those that seek to keep the country divided permanently so that they can remain in office as Ministers or VIPs at least, the tribalists, the nepotists, those that make the country look big for nothing before international circles, those that have corrupted our society and put the Nigerian political calendar back by their words and deeds.” Those were the words of Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, after the country’s first military coup in 1966. You may like Nzeogwu, or you may not, depending on how you view his actions and inactions. But you can hardly deny the veracity of what he said. And 51 years later, the words still ring true. The enemies of Buhari are the political profiteers. To them, political office is not about service, but about making profit. Ordinary people can go to hell, and stay there. Personal profit is the name of the game. The swindlers, too. Enemies of righteousness and transparency. They swindle man, and even try to swindle God. Of course, they wouldn’t want a new sheriff in town. They’d rather shoot him, and sing the reggae song:”I shot the sheriff…” Those that seek bribe and demand 10 percent. Enemies. Only that they are not satiated by 10 percent again. They take the entire 100 percent, and leave the country prostrate. But when a Daniel comes to judgment, and hurls them before the law, knowing neither friend nor foe, they wish that he dies. Gerrout, so that business as usual continues, they shout. Those that seek to keep the country divided permanently. Evil souls. They use all the fault lines. Religion. Ethnicity. Language. Everything. We saw it all in the 2015 elections. They cashed in on all things that divide us as a people. But Nigerians were resolute for change, and they got it. But did those people give up? Did Pharaoh desist from pursuing the people of Israel? Hell, no! Till he ended in a watery grave. The stubborn fly follows the corpse into the grave. For the greater part of this year, President Buhari has been away from home. But whether present or absent, he still looms large. The mere fact that his shadow hovers over the land riles evil workers to no end. But what can anybody do? Jehovah has the final say. The old order is giving way for a new one in Nigeria. In just two years, the back of insurgency has been broken, corruption is taking a shellacking, and the comatose economy is turning round. Despite it all, some people still wish the President dead. Sad and sorry. But thankfully, they don’t have the final say. However, if they refuse to repent, we can repent on their behalf, lest judgment comes speedily on them. How dreadful it would be. Lord, we are sorry, We’ve turned around and gone astray, Your trust for us we have betrayed, Your power we don’t recognize Your Lordship we have all despised, We cannot pretend We all now repent Forgive us Lord we pray Bring down your glory… May God bless Panam Percy Paul, who sang the song. May God accept our repentance on behalf of evil wishers. May God spare our President, and restore him to full health. Baba o, Baba o, Baba o, Oluwa da Baba si fun wa. Lord, please spare our President. Spare him for us, to the glory of your name. Let those who learn nothing, and forget nothing, be purged of all evil. Let them turn new leaf. Amen somebody!
.Adesina is Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari. [myad]
I’m a Christian; a firm believer in God and His majestic power to order the affairs of man on this plane of existence according to His perfect will. It, therefore, goes without saying that I’m also a firm believer in providence, which Wikipedia describes as “the foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth.” It was this providence that, once again, catapulted me to Las Vegas, in the state of Nevada from December 20, 2016, to January 30, 2017. In case, you have forgotten, Vegas is widely believed to be the money basket of the United States of America. Some people prefer to dub it the world headquarters of gambling. The city is sparklingly attractive.
I found myself by providence in this enthralling city as Lawrence Bisong, my son-in-law, relocated to the place from Salt Lake City in the State of Utah, the citadel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–Day Saints(LDS Church), whose parishioners are known as Mormons.
I won’t sue you for defamation if you liken my journey from Nigeria to Vegas to the well documented biblical journey of the Israelites from Egypt to The Promised land; a journey that, all things being equal, ought to have taken them only 40 days but which took them 40 solid years! Did you say ‘why’? Well, as I could not afford to pay over a million Naira for an economy return ticket, courtesy of the terrible crash of the naira at the foreign exchange market, I opted for a cheaper ticket. My son-in-law got me one on Ethiopian Airline.
This is how the trip went. After taking off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about noon on December 20, we had an hour stop-over at N’Djamena in Chad, ostensibly to refuel. Thereafter, the big bird took off for an over five hour-flight to Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. In case you didn’t know, Addis Ababa has become the hub of most international flights to almost every part of the world. Aviation is certainly a money-spinning industry for Ethiopia. In Africa, Ethiopian Airline is a clear leader. The airline operates two fully booked flights to Nigeria daily, i.e. to Lagos and Abuja.
Anyway, at the Ethiopian capital, we hopped into another Ethiopian airline plane to begin a 10-hour flight to Dublin, Ireland, where we had a stop-over of one hour. When the plane lifted up, it was for a straight 14 hour-flight to Los Angeles. After immigration formalities, I had to wait to connect a 40-minute flight to my final destination, Las Vegas. Then, the unseen hands of nature came in. My flight was delayed for six solid hours due to bad weather. When we eventually took off after the long spell, we landed at Vegas after just 40 minutes. In total, I flew almost half of the world for more than 35 hours. Boy, was it a pleasurable adventure for someone my age? Sincerely, I don’t think so.
But there is one interesting aspect of the long haul that I like: it afforded me the opportunity to mingle with different nationals. Almost all the airlines were fully booked. Some who missed their scheduled flight were rescheduled for the next flight. I was curious to know why the rush for Vegas, especially on a Friday. I got the answer from a friend I met on the trip, who introduced himself as Steve, and who told me that 99 percent of the passengers throng to Vegas, including himself,were chronic gamblers who flood the various casinos dotting the city on Fridays to fulfil their passion-gambling. “The temptation to stake your money for winning jackpot is so high you never think of any possibility of losing,” Steve told me categorically. “And when you lose, the money, your loss, goes to the government because the casinos are heavily taxed.”
Steve further told me that some hitherto terrible impoverished people had become millionaires overnight through gambling and their testimonies are a veritable source of encouragement to other gamblers to rush to the city that does not sleep and where their lives could be transformed overnight. However, the flip side is not too exciting to the heart and the ears as some who came with their life savings had not only lost all but also ended committing suicide. “When you hear of a SIN CITY, here you are,” Steve told me without betraying any emotion. .
Not only gamblers love Vegas. Airlines too. According to those who know, airlines make a hell of money flying to Vegas. They operate the cheapest flights to the city round the clock. I got a foretaste of the city shortly after I disembarked and headed to baggage claim to pick my luggage. I saw gambling machines at strategic points in the hall with some passengers gambling right there. What an infectious habit, I mused to myself. Planes were landing and taking off every five minutes, and the interesting thing is that you could not see any sigh of stress on any of the passengers.
Again, I couldn’t stop wondering how the airport could cope with hundreds of passengers in less than 30 minutes interval without any commotion. The answer is not far-fetched. Vegas is in an arid land where you see kilometres of virgin desert land sprawling before you..
The Vegas McCarran International Airport is located in an area called Paradise, 10 kilometres away from the main city. In size, the airport is three times bigger than our Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Yet, the huge size is not peculiar to the airport alone but also to all the landmark structures and monuments in Vegas; ranging from hotels to hospitals, universities etc. The planners of this city put into generous use the God-given expanse of land. I equally noticed that not only commercial planes were on the tarmac but hundreds of private jets of different colors too.
As I said, gambling in Vegas does not discriminate against class. The vice is not class sensitive. From the poor, to middle class, to millionaires, you see all classes of people trooping into various casinos/hotels to gamble. One Mr. Scott told me how a known millionaire whose businesses were going bankrupt came in with what he said was his last savings, $5 million, to stake for a jackpot but got just $3 million, losing $2 million.
What about a Chairman/CEO of a notable courier service, who according to those who know him sensed his company was going under and felt that the only way to salvage the terrible situation was to stake his last $20,000. He was lucky. According to my narrator, he gambled with the money and raked over one million dollars; just like that! What do we call that? Luck? Or providence? Help me out, dear readers.
Still that is not all about the frills and thrills of Vegas. It is an unwritten rule that any hotel in the city should have a casino. The super markets are following suit too having realized that nine out of ten visitors to Las Vegas are casino freaks. Maybe in the nearest future private homes will join the epidemic.
Ten top Casino Hotels in Vegas that make averagely N20 million dollars a week are Las Vegas, Nevada, Aria Resort, Mam Grand, Bellagio, Stratosphere, Treasure Island, The Venetian, the Mirage, Mandalay Bay, Tuscany Suites, The Cosmopolitan and Mandarin Oriental.
Room rates at these hotels range from $300- $1000 per night. Most of the hotels are not smoke free while few are. The hotels are fully booked. So, if you want to be part of the Vegas fun train, you must book your reservation three weeks ahead. You need to be there at weekend to see how people fill up the hotels to the brim, with people queuing up as if waiting to buy tickets for a block-buster movies; whereas they are just waiting to get on the machines. The casinos pay millions of dollars every week as taxes to make America more prosperous. As many as the hotels are, those who cannot afford the high rates or cannot get one take solace in sleeping in their caravans and vehicles. The weekends are like carnivals in Vegas.
If you are in Las Vegas and you have not visited a place called THE STRIP, then, your trip may be meaningless. The Americans created this city for casinos but also added irresistible tourist attractions to make you empty your wallet, and buoy their revenue base. THESTRIP is the most famous and fabulous stretch of road that has lots of incredible attractions all the way. No wonder the cliché: “Stroll the Las Vegas STRIP in all its glory.”
To enjoy the opulence and scintillating view of this place, arm yourself with a camera and wear comfortable shoes. The attraction is that almost all the major capitals in the world have one form of presence or another. Easily accessible are: Paris, London, New York, among others. Each of these has alluring landmarks to hold visitors spellbound. One can move around these areas 24 hours non-stop, and without getting tired. Las Vegas is dubbed the Sin City as some of the activities we read in the biblical city of Sodom and Gomorrah are practiced with impunity. Sex is openly advertised and you are confronted with pimps with postcards luring you to girls of easy virtues; the scarlet sisters. Random smoking and heavily drunk people are common sights too.
In spite of the weird behaviours of the revellers, Las Vegas is still touted to be one of the safest cities in America. The crime rate, I was reliably informed, is the lowest because jolly loving people roam the streets. And peradventure you are infirmed, and you need qualitative Medicare, Vegas is the place to be. It is a city that cares as much for men as also for pets. Believe this or not, Vegas has luxurious hotels specially built for dogs, cats and horses. Animals get as much quality care as humans. That is one aspect of this city of sin and gambling that you don’t want to miss the next time you visit America. Lesson learnt from Las Vegas is for Nigeria to develop her tourism which include gambling and betting to buoy her Internal Generated Revenue.
Folu Olamiti Media Consultant writes from Abuja. [myad]
Let no one be deceived, the ability of the All Progressives Congress, APC as a party that can win election in any part of Nigeria with the intervention of state apparatus now is in serious doubt. In most cases, supporters of the once unassailable party are wondering how they have been hoodwinked into accepting the APC which campaigned with a promise of change and a better deal for the people. In fairness, it is not that the manifesto of the party or its constitution is faulty. Truth is that most of those selling the change mantra after election have been less than average in their performances. At the national level, there is evident tardiness and inexplicable clumsiness. But the bulk of the mess rocking the party is at the level of the states which incidentally are closer to the people.
There is no state where APC needs to look more closely into its dwindling fortunes than Imo state where Owelle Rochas Okorocha is the Governor. He assumed office on the wave of popular protest votes. Okorocha raised the people’s hope of a better Imo state and the electorate believes him. Two years down the line though, despair has taken over in Imo state as the impact of Okorocha’s misrule is biting the people.
And the voices of dissent are very loud and clear. They have chosen a global platform to air their discomfiture.
Recall that APC enjoyed enormous support of the social media in the build up to 2015 general elections leading to vote the defeat of PDP. It is no surprise that those kicking against Okrocha’s misrule have also launched a very vitriolic hashtag called #ImoFailedMission. The Campaign on twitter has gone viral as various groups have joined in exposing what they consider the failures of Okorocha in Imo.
They have used short videos and graphic pictures to illustrate their points. See some of the tweets with the hashstag #ImoFailedMission.
Another tweet “He also promised to build 27 General hospitals in each LGA in Imo state. 2yrs to end his tenure, He’s completed none. #ImoFailedMission
“@ProjectWatch_NG tweeted “The Abandoned State of Ahiazu General Hospital .. One of the “Newly Built” Hospitals:No Gates, Bushes everywhere.. #ImoFailedMission
“Rochas envisaged that these trips or training would cost N5bn. enquiries done across 14 LGs here, no one has benefitted #ImoFailedMission
“So what happened to the N5bn planned for this trip? What happened to the promises of empowering youth in @ImoStateGovt#ImoFailedMission
These are just excerpts from a burgeoning campaign against Okorocha and let’s not make a mistake ,it is a campaign against the APC;the party could be terribly damaged if no action is taken to reclaim the confidence of the Imo electorate and beyond. Even more, the implication of all this is that the APC cup has run over in Imo and the party needs to do a lot more for it to win over the people as elections beckon.
The campaign against Okorocha portends more danger for the APC beyond Imo.For instance, many had hoped that Imo being the only APC state in the South East will become a beacon, like a benchmark for attracting other states into the party’s fold in the East. Okorocha was meant to serve as the leader to show the way. However it appears something is terribly wrong.
And the campaigns so far indicate that except something is urgently done, the dream of expanding the grip of APC into other states in the South East will be deferred. Okorocha’s lackluster performance appears to have made APC unattractive to others in the region.
It is in the light of the foregoing that APC’s wish to win election in Anambra may be in grave danger. One can recall that that the party’s National Chairman Odigie Oyegun has announced that APC wants to win the forthcoming Anambra gubernatorial election. But the raging campaign against Okorocha and the party is the equivalent of what most Nigerians call a “bad sign.”
Clearly, the party needs to wake up and shake up a few things. The leaders have to pull up their sleeves as Nigerians often say and recruit more credible leaders that will lead the campaign for the revival of APC as a matter of urgency in the South East and Nigeria as a whole. But it is in the South East that it is most urgent. Resting on its past laurels can no longer help. In fact, the bridge that helped gain inroad into Imo appears to have broken down almost irretrievably. It is a warning APC may ignore to its own peril.
The facts above also make it imperative for APC to see the need to effect immediate changes to the leadership of the organs that represent the party at the national level. In particular, observers contacted are warning that it is high time the leadership of the APC Governors is changed. Those who share this view say Okorocha is a bad advertisement for the party and having him continue as Chairman of the ruling party’s Governors’ Forum is an indication of why people in the south east – where a lot of campaign for acceptance needs to be done- and the rest of the country, may not take the party seriously henceforth. Change must begin with removing those de-marketing the APC now. [myad]
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has said that for every activity which his government undertakes since he came to power, there had always been financial gains to the people in different socio-economic categories; from the highly placed to those at the lower rung of the ladder.
Akinwumi, who spoke at a dinner he held in honour of the Presidential media team, under the umbrella of State House Press Corps, at the Lagos government House, Alausa last night (Friday), said that even the 50th anniversary of Lagos state, which is being celebrated with fanfare, has many benefits to the residents of the city and the state as a whole.
Members of the Presidential media team from various media organizations both in Nigeria and abroad, arrived in Lagos on Thursday evening for the annual retreat, and seized the opportunity to go round a few of the project which the governor had executed in his two years in office.
Governor Ambode said that those who criticized the golden Jubilee celebration as waste of scarce resources, might have understood that the money being spent is returning to the pockets of the people, including laboures, cleaners and housewives.
According to him, musicians, artisans, comedians, housewives, cleaners and others are making money by their participation in every aspect of the celebration, saying that the same money goes round the still come round within Lagos.
“we carry out projects no necessarily because we want to fulfill our electoral promises, but also to create opportunity for people to be gainfully engaged in making money by being employed to work on those project.”
The governor, who had earlier in the day, commissioned two road project at Epe, hs country home, about 80 kilomtres to Lagos and Ogudu inside the city, described himself as a messenger that had been placed by the people to better their lives, and would continue to do his best to fulfill the yearnings of such people.
The chairman of the State House Press Corps, Malam Ubale Musa thanked the governor, his information and strategy commissioner and the Chief Press Secretary, for hosting them even at a short notice.
He commended the governor for the landmark achievements his government had made within his tow years in office and wished that he would have the opportunity to continue to do more.
Meanwhile, at the commissioning of the road projet at Epe, Governor Ambode thanked tax payers in the state for performing their civic obligations,and that the taxes paid had been judiciously utilized to make life comfortable for the people through implementation of several projects.
The governor said that tax payers deserved to be commended for their efforts, saying: “our government is very grateful to Lagosians for their prayers and support particularly in the discharge of their civic responsibility through payment of taxes. It is my belief therefore, that we will continue to enjoy your unflinching support as we work together in transforming our state to the Lagos of Our Dream.
“On our part, we shall continue to ensure that your taxes are judiciously managed and utilized towards making life more comfortable for everybody,” he said.
Speaking at Epe, Ambode revealed plans by his administration to construct a standard eight-lane road from Ikorodu to Epe via Agbowa, Itoikin and Ijebu-Ode.
He said the road project would be delivered through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, while a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to that effect would be signed next week.
The governor also revealed that in a bid to scale up the socio-economic integration of the South West region, the State Government in partnership with Ogun State, would construct a top-class road from Mojoda to Ijebu-Ode junction.
The roads reconstructed and upgraded under the Epe Phase 1 Project included Lagos Road (Oke Osho/T. Junction/Aiyetoro Roundabout), Professor Agbalajobi (Aiyetoro Garage/Ita Marun-Ottin) and Oloja Estate (Bature/Otunba Adeniyi/Omotayo/Uthman Mustapha/Adekunle Rahman) roads.
Ambode, while commissioning the roads, said the completion of the project was in line with his promise during electioneering to address the challenges of gross infrastructural deficit, flooding and erosion that the people of Epe had lived with for decades.
He said: “It gladdens my heart to see that two years into the tenure of this administration, the dream of transforming Epe and its environs into a modern city is becoming a reality. The narrow roads are being redefined to give Epe a face lift. The network of roads have been complimented with street lights to provide illumination, improve security and enhance socio-economic activities.
“This is consistent with our pledge to ensure inclusive growth, where no part of the State will be left behind or neglected. The ongoing infrastructural development in Epe is a foundation for economic progress and development.” [myad]
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of about N449.6 million found in an abandoned Bureau de Change (BDC) shop at Victoria Island, Lagos, to the Federal Government.
The money was recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The forfeiture order was made by Justice Mohammed Aikawa, following a motion on notice taken before him by the commission.
The judge ordered that the money should be forfeited to the federal government as nobody had come forward to claim it.
Aikawa had on April 19, ordered temporary forfeiture of the money and adjourned for one Mohammed Tauheed, who was joined as a respondent or any other interested party, to appear.
When the case was called today, Friday, counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Idris Mohammed, told court that the interim order of April 19 was advertised in a newspaper on May 11, to bring the case to the notice of Tauheed and any interested party.
He said that apart from the newspaper publication, Tauheed was also served with the motion on notice.
Mohammed urged the judge to order the final forfeiture of the money since neither Tauheed nor anyone else came forward to claim it. Aikawa, in a short ruling, granted the application.
He said: “This court ordered, among others, that the respondent (Tauheed) and any other interested party should show cause,within 14 days, why the interim forfeiture of N449, 597,000 should not be made final.
“As far as my record shows, neither the respondent nor any other interested party has filed any affidavit or any other process to show cause why the interim order should not be made final.
“The respondent has, additionally, not filed any process in response to the motion on notice. In the circumstances, I have no option but to grant the application as prayed.
“Accordingly, I hereby order that the sum of N449, 597,000 found in possession of the respondent, which sum is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of an unlawful activity be finally forfeited to the federal government.” [myad]
Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Professor Adebiyi Daramola has been re-instated by the institution’s Governing Council.
The reinstatement of Daramola, who was suspended early this month, was made known today, Friday, through a statement signed by the Head of Information and Protocol Unit of the institution, Mr. Adegbenro Adebanjo, quoting the decision of the Governing Council.
“The Council at its meeting of Thursday May 18, 2017 presided over by its chairman, Senator Joseph Waku said Daramola should return to office and complete his term which ends on Tuesday, May 23, 2017.”
According to Adegbenro, the letter effecting the reinstatement was signed by the FUTA Registrar and Secretary to Council, Dr Modupe Ajayi, and titled ‘Reinstatement as the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure.’
The letter reads:”The Governing Council at its Special Meeting held on Thursday, 18th May, 2017 discussed extensively about your suspension as the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, by the Federal Ministry of Education.”
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has suspended appointments of all types of traditional chiefs in the capital city, even as he approved the sum of N2.6 billion for the provision of road infrastructure in Karu, a suburb of Abuja city centre.
The suspension of chieftaincy appointment was said to come as a result of complaints, petitions and legal tussles among interested parties in the capital city.
A circular by the Office of the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye, said that the issues relating to the appointment and installation into traditional positions in the FCT has sometimes led to situations that are inimical to peaceful coexistence in some of these communities.
“It had become pertinent to emphasize the provision of the FCT Chiefs (Appointment & Deposition) Act, 2007, which states that “upon the death, resignation or deposition of any Chief or Traditional Ruler, of a kind referred in sub-section (1) of this section, the Minister may approve as the successor to such office of a Chief or Traditional Ruler as the case may be, by any person appointed in that behalf by the persons charged with the responsibility of appointing persons to the office or Chief or Traditional Ruler in accordance with the provisions of any order made by the Minister after consultation with the Department of Local Government Administration.”
According to the circular, all issues of appointments, installation and Turbanning of District, Village and Ward heads have been suspended until further notice.
On the road project, the minister said that it is expected to be completed within 15 months, and will open Karu for the development of affordable housing for low income earners, maintaining clean and healthy environment and ensure slum upgrade schemes in the indigenous settlements of the area.
Other expected benefits include enhancement of economic activities among residents and also create job opportunities for teeming inhabitants of the FCT. [myad]
Yoruba youth group under the umbrella of O’odu Progressives Youth Movement (OPYM), has described the comments made by former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode on President Muhammadu Buhari as a veiled call for a coup against the President.
Fani Kayode, a PDP stalwart, had, in article yesterday, Thursday, emtitled ‘THE RINGING OF COUP BELLS AND A CAUSE FOR DEEP CONCERN,’ said that ever since 1966, the northern ruling class had always effected a coup d’etat whenever they feel sufficiently threatened with the loss of power.
“They would rather have a core northern military dictator in power than a southern leader or President. And they are prepared to kill anyone, no matter how highly placed, who stands in their way or who attempts to oppose or stop them.”
Reacting in a statement in Lagos today, Friday by the National Coordinator of the group, Kola Salawu, OPYM said that Fani-Kayode has shown himself as being among those politicians, who the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buaratai had earlier pointed
The statement reads in part:
Tragically, our brother and former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, we cannot deny him now that he has made a nuisance of himself, has confirmed knowledge of an impending coup in Nigeria because of the ill-health of President Muhammadu Buhari, in his article titled ‘THE RINGING OF COUP BELLS AND A CAUSE FOR DEEP CONCERN’.
In that article, Fani-Kayode amply demonstrated beyond doubt that he knows what he was talking about.
Only a few days ago, Fani-Kayode’s co-traveller, Dr Junaid Mohammed covertly made a similar threat of coup in an interview published by a national newspaper.
He insisted that the north would remain in power irrespective of outcomes. This made us reason that he read from the same script as Fani-Kayode.
Thankfully, military authorities issued the timely warnings for soldiers to stay out of politics and politicians stop inducing soldiers. It is a level of professionalism and dedication of the Nigerian military that we find praiseworthy, we particularly acknowledge the service chiefs who have demonstrated their commitment to our democracy in several ways.
In them, the evil people that had wanted to truncate our democracy have met their match as it has been made clear that the military will never again be available to subdue the people’s will.
To the other politicians who feel enamoured by the dubious charge for a coup being led by Fani-Kayode, our advice is for them to find other ventures to gamble on. The label of betrayal that some stereotypically stick on our ethnic stock is for the likes of Fani-Kayode and not for the Yoruba race.
We advise our brother to go get actual lawyers to defend his corruption cases in court instead of wishing for a military coup or the disintegration of the country neither would happen for him to escape all the corruption allegations against him in the various courts of law.
We want the coup mongers to give the rest of us some breathing space to properly appraise and respond to the dire problems facing our nation. These problems were the creation of the period that the same coup mongers ran the affairs of this country.
Today, Nigerians are in the pangs of economic hardship because of the poor choices made in that ugly past. Thankfully, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is doing much to return economic powers to the populace, money go into the pockets of those that work as against the era when government till became private ATMs for those in government, those who today are running from one court to the order to answer corruption charges were beneficiaries of the ATM mentality.
As we mentioned at the onset, this two year mark is a time to commend the improvement in security under the government as Boko Haram and other threats have been rolled back. Cases of armed robbery and kidnapping have reduced but still require that more be done. What remains pressing where security is concerned is the issue or killer herdsmen. It is a problem that the nation must find a lasting solution to in view of the impact it has on other aspects of our national life like food security.
Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, has complained that he was not part of the wheelbarrow story that has been trending in social media. The governor, out of anger, order immediate removal of his name from wheelbarrows which pictures have been circulating on the internet.
There have been speculations that the wheelbarrows were ’empowerment items’ to be distributed to youths in the State by the Governor.
The media aide to governor Ortom, Tever Akase, in a statement, said that the Governor has nothing to do with the wheelbarrows.
According to him, the wheelbarrows which were in possession of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), were recently donated to the state by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), for victims of crisis in parts of the state.
The statement said that the Governor couldn’t have claimed credit for the gesture, adding that the Ortom administration has numerous laudable empowerment schemes for youths of Benue and that the donation of wheelbarrows to the youths is not one of such schemes.
The statement reads in full: “The attention of Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has been drawn to pictures of wheelbarrows bearing his name and posted on social media suggesting that he plans to empower youths of the state with the carts. “We wish to make it clear that the consent of the Governor was not sought and he did not give approval for anyone to inscribe his name on the said wheelbarrows. “Governor Ortom is aware that the wheelbarrows in possession of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA were recently donated to the state by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NCFRMI, for victims of crisis in parts of the state so he couldn’t have claimed credit for the gesture. “The Ortom administration has numerous laudable empowerment schemes for youths of Benue but the donation of wheelbarrows to the youths is not one of such schemes. “Consequently, the Governor has directed Secretary to the State Government to issue a query to the Executive Secretary of SEMA to explain why the said action was taken by his office.” [myad]
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Let no one be deceived, the ability of the All Progressives Congress, APC as a party that can win election in any part of Nigeria with the intervention of state apparatus now is in serious doubt. In most cases, supporters of the once unassailable party are wondering how they have been hoodwinked into accepting the APC which campaigned with a promise of change and a better deal for the people. In fairness, it is not that the manifesto of the party or its constitution is faulty. Truth is that most of those selling the change mantra after election have been less than average in their performances. At the national level, there is evident tardiness and inexplicable clumsiness. But the bulk of the mess rocking the party is at the level of the states which incidentally are closer to the people.
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of about N449.6 million found in an abandoned Bureau de Change (BDC) shop at Victoria Island, Lagos, to the Federal Government.
They Learnt Nothing And Forgot Nothing By Femi Adesina
They showed their pernicious hands again last Sunday, and have been on the prowl since then, roaring like a lion, seeking who to devour. Purveyors of death they are, and they have killed President Muhammadu Buhari many times over, cloned the websites of international media houses to announce the hoax, but their wishes did not become horses, so they remain stranded, with nothing to ride.
Between January 19, this year, when the President first proceeded on vacation, and March 10, when he returned, they had announced his demise many times. They even created apocryphal images and footages to back up their inhuman claims, but God showed them He was the ultimate. The Real Deal, the Special One. President Buhari came back alive, and disclosed that he would still return to London at a later date for medical follow-up. He eventually left on the night of Sunday, May 7.
They saw the Deux ex machina, the Invisible Hands of God, between January and March, but they are so steeped and marooned in unbelief, evil wishes and malediction, that they have started all over again. Last Sunday, they cloned popular websites for the umpteenth time, using them to announce the figment of their diseased imagination. They learnt nothing, and forgot nothing from the immediate past experience. And you begin to ask yourself, just as the Good Book also asked:”Why do the heathens rage, and the people imagine vain things?” Why do they arrogate to themselves the power that belongs only to God? “I can kill, and I can make alive,” says God in His word. But these purveyors of hate possibly don’t know God. That is why they declare a man dead, when God has not said so. Once has God spoken, and twice have I heard it, that power belongs to God.
Millions upon millions of Nigerians love President Muhammadu Buhari. They love his simplicity, his forthrightness, incorruptibility, love of country, and many other virtues. And they are praying. Bombarding Heaven with petitions. Baba o, Baba o, Baba o. Olorun da Baba si fun wa, Baba o, Baba o, Baba o. Olorun da Baba si fun wa. Oh God, spare our Baba, the father of the country. Spare him for us, O Lord we pray. And Heaven is listening to the supplications. We await the full manifestation.
Millions of us can follow Baba blindfolded into battle. We love him that much, and it is within our rights. But have you seen a man ever loved by everybody? Show me. Even if you feed an entire city daily, some people still won’t like your guts. So, those who are not Buharists have a right to their convictions. But must any human being be hateful to the point of wishing another person dead, and indeed broadcasting a death that never happened? Shame. Shame upon evil wishers, purveyors of lies and wickedness. Do they have blood running in their veins at all? Do they realize that wishing another person dead, is sin before God? Yet they go to churches, mosques, and other worship houses. Who are they worshiping? The Unknown God.
Why do some people, a tiny but vocal minority, wish the President dead? Do they know that if God wills, the man they wish dead could outlive them by many years? There was a lady who was very active on social media in 2015, before the presidential election of that year. She was in the league of anti-Buhari elements. Oh, he was too old. Oh, he was sickly. Yes, he would soon die. The lady was rabidly pontifical in her convictions, parading herself as someone with a charmed life, who would live forever. And then, it happened! Sometime last year, she died! When I saw the news online, I just shook my head, and prayed for the repose of her soul. I did not gloat. No need to. Not in her wildest imagination could she have thought that she would pre-decease President Buhari. But who has the final say? Jehovah has the final say. The breath of man is in his nostrils, and God can decide to extinguish his candle at anytime. Jehovah has the final say. It is not by age, not by how healthy you seem, or how sickly you are. It’s a lesson some people have not learnt. They learn nothing, and forget nothing.
Back to the earlier question. Why do some people want their own President dead? Why do they want the eclipse of a man who is actuated by nothing other than love for his country? Why have they constituted themselves into enemies of national progress, haters of all that is good? Why do they prefer the dark jungle of infamy to the light of a clear and bright day, signposted by freedom from rapacity and lootocracy? Who then are these enemies?
“Our enemies are the political profiteers, the swindlers, the men in high and low places that seek bribes and demand 10 percent, those that seek to keep the country divided permanently so that they can remain in office as Ministers or VIPs at least, the tribalists, the nepotists, those that make the country look big for nothing before international circles, those that have corrupted our society and put the Nigerian political calendar back by their words and deeds.”
Those were the words of Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, after the country’s first military coup in 1966. You may like Nzeogwu, or you may not, depending on how you view his actions and inactions. But you can hardly deny the veracity of what he said. And 51 years later, the words still ring true.
The enemies of Buhari are the political profiteers. To them, political office is not about service, but about making profit. Ordinary people can go to hell, and stay there. Personal profit is the name of the game.
The swindlers, too. Enemies of righteousness and transparency. They swindle man, and even try to swindle God. Of course, they wouldn’t want a new sheriff in town. They’d rather shoot him, and sing the reggae song:”I shot the sheriff…”
Those that seek bribe and demand 10 percent. Enemies. Only that they are not satiated by 10 percent again. They take the entire 100 percent, and leave the country prostrate. But when a Daniel comes to judgment, and hurls them before the law, knowing neither friend nor foe, they wish that he dies. Gerrout, so that business as usual continues, they shout.
Those that seek to keep the country divided permanently. Evil souls. They use all the fault lines. Religion. Ethnicity. Language. Everything. We saw it all in the 2015 elections. They cashed in on all things that divide us as a people. But Nigerians were resolute for change, and they got it. But did those people give up? Did Pharaoh desist from pursuing the people of Israel? Hell, no! Till he ended in a watery grave. The stubborn fly follows the corpse into the grave.
For the greater part of this year, President Buhari has been away from home. But whether present or absent, he still looms large. The mere fact that his shadow hovers over the land riles evil workers to no end. But what can anybody do? Jehovah has the final say.
The old order is giving way for a new one in Nigeria. In just two years, the back of insurgency has been broken, corruption is taking a shellacking, and the comatose economy is turning round. Despite it all, some people still wish the President dead. Sad and sorry. But thankfully, they don’t have the final say.
However, if they refuse to repent, we can repent on their behalf, lest judgment comes speedily on them. How dreadful it would be.
Lord, we are sorry,
We’ve turned around and gone astray,
Your trust for us we have betrayed,
Your power we don’t recognize
Your Lordship we have all despised,
We cannot pretend
We all now repent
Forgive us Lord we pray
Bring down your glory…
May God bless Panam Percy Paul, who sang the song. May God accept our repentance on behalf of evil wishers. May God spare our President, and restore him to full health.
Baba o, Baba o, Baba o, Oluwa da Baba si fun wa.
Lord, please spare our President. Spare him for us, to the glory of your name. Let those who learn nothing, and forget nothing, be purged of all evil. Let them turn new leaf.
Amen somebody!
.Adesina is Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari. [myad]