Chairman of the Special Task Team on Abuja Environmental Protection, retired Squadron Leader, Abdullahi Adamu Monjel has asked street hawkers and beggars to leave Abuja immediately or risk going to jail. Adamu Monjel who spoke on Friday shortly after he led members of the Task Team on a “show of force” of its security personnel at the Jabi and Wuse Districts of Abuja, reminded beggars and street hawkers that the ultimatum given to them to leave Abuja had since expired. He said therefore that his team is going all out against offenders to completely remove them from the streets of Abuja. “We have already given them the benefit of the doubt and now the time has elapsed. What is left now is to enforce the relevant municipal laws. Anybody we arrest will be taken to court and prosecuted accordingly. “If somebody refuses to comply with the rules and regulations based on what we have said, then we will arrest the person accordingly. “As a matter of fact, we don’t want hawkers and beggars within the city centre of Abuja. They should keep away from the streets of Abuja. Anybody that wishes to come out, we are ready for the person as we will take him/her to court where he will be prosecuted and taken to jail.” Speaking on the cleanup campaign it carried out on Friday, tagged “show of force exercise.” the Chairman said it was to tell the public that the Task Team was equal to the task and would arrest whoever fails to comply with the directives as stipulated by the Abuja environmental laws. The Chairman said that his Team has started sensitization for operators of Keke Napep, unpainted taxis and motorcycles; adding that when their time expires, they too will be removed from Abuja streets even as the Keke Napep would be restricted to the very large estates. “The phase two is Keke Napep; then unpainted taxis. However, we don’t want to start with unpainted Keke Napep riders now. We want to give adequate time for sensitization so that by the time we start impounding, nobody will say ‘I didn’t know’.” [myad]
When in his 1964 GOP acceptance speech, Barry Goldwater declared that “extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice,” a reporter sitting near journalist/historian, Theodore White famously exclaimed: “My God, he’s going to run as Barry Goldwater!” Six weeks into Donald Trump’s general election campaign, Republicans are discovering that he indeed intends to run as Donald Trump. He has boasted that he could turn “presidential” — respectful, respectable, reticent, reserved bordering on boring — at will. Apparently, he can’t. GOP leaders who fell in line behind Trump after he clinched the nomination expected, or at least hoped, that he would prove malleable, willing to adjust his more extreme positions and tactics to suit a broader electorate. Two problems: First, impulse control: Trump says what he actually feels, whatever comes into his head at any moment. Second, a certain logic: Trump won the primaries Sinatra-style, his way — against the odds, the experts and the conventional rules. So why change now? “You win the pennant,” Trump explained, “and now you’re in the World Series — you gonna change?” Hence his response to the Orlando terror attack. Events like these generally benefit the challenger politically because any misfortune that befalls the nation gets attributed, fairly or not, directly or indirectly, to the incumbent party (e.g., the 2008 financial collapse). And Hillary Clinton is running as the quasi-incumbent. The textbook response for the challenger, therefore, is to offer sympathy, give a general statement or two about the failure of the incumbent’s national security policy, then step back to let the resulting national fear and loathing, amplified by the media, take effect. Instead, Trump made himself the (political) story. First, he offered himself unseemly congratulations for his prescience about terrorism. (He’d predicted more would be coming. What a visionary.) Then he went beyond blaming the president for lack of will or wisdom in fighting terrorism, and darkly implied presidential sympathy for the enemy. “There’s something going on,” he charged. He then reiterated his ban on Muslim immigration. Why? Because that’s what Trump does. And because it worked before. It was after last December’s San Bernardino massacre that Trump first called for a Muslim ban. It earned him lots of opprobrium from GOP leaders and lots of support from GOP voters. He shot up in the polls, never to descend until he clinched. So why not do it again? Because the general election is a different game. Trump assumes that the Republican electorate is representative of the national electorate. It’s not. Take the Muslim ban. Sixty-eight percent of GOP voters support it. Only 38% of Democrats do. And there are approximately 7 million more Democrats in the country. (Independents are split 51-40 in favor.) The other major example of doing what’s always worked is the ad hominem attack on big-dog opponents. It worked in the primaries. Trump went after one leading challenger after another, knocking them out sequentially. Hillary Clinton is a lousy campaigner but her machine is infinitely larger and more skilled than any of Trump’s 16 GOP competitors. More riskily, Trump is now going toe-to-toe with a sitting president. Barack Obama is no Jeb Bush. He’s not low energy. He’s a skilled campaigner who clearly despises Trump and relishes the fight. And he carries the inestimable advantage of the gravitas automatically conferred by seven and a half years of incumbency. Moreover, he now enjoys an unusually high approval rating of around 53%. Trump’s latest favorability is 29% (Washington Post-ABC News). It’s no accident that Trump’s poll numbers are sliding. A month ago, when crowned as presumptive nominee, he jumped into a virtual tie with Clinton. The polls now have him losing by an average of six points, with some showing a nine- and 12-point deficit (Reuters/Ipsos and Bloomberg). This may turn out to be temporary, but it is a clear reflection of Trump’s disastrous general election kickoff. His two-week expedition into racism in attacking the Indiana-born “Mexican” judge. His dabbling in conspiracy, from Ted Cruz’s father’s supposed involvement in the Kennedy assassination to Vince Foster’s (“very fishy”) suicide. All of which suggests, and cements, the image of a man who shoots from the hip and is prone to both wild theories and extreme policies. Reagan biographer Lou Cannon thinks that the Goldwater anecdote is apocryphal. How could anyone (even a journalist) have thought that Goldwater, who later admitted he always knew he would lose, was going to run as anything but his vintage, hard-core self? Same for Trump. Give him points for authenticity. Take away for electability. [myad]
Journalists in Abuja, especially, those covering the All Progressives Congress (APC) could not hold back their tears yesterday when the news of the death of their former chairman, Chucks Ehirim broke out. This was even as the former Nigeria Vice President Atiku Abubakar described his death as shocking. The journalist gathered around the APC national secretariat to mourn the passing away of Chuks Ehirim. The late Ehirim died at the Garki hospital after a protracted illness on thursday, the day he was supposed to celebrate his 50th birthday. In different tributes, late Ehirim’s colleagues at the APC press Corps, described his death as a rude shock and a great lost to the journalism in the country. The Journalists also described late Ehirim as the pillar of reporters covering the APC and had spent more years covering the opposition parties. The newsmen testified to the fact that late Ehirim was a progressive and passionate Journalist who contributed immensely through his reportage and news analysis to the government of change and accountability in governance. “We can vividly remember that our late colleague has been reporting President Muhammadu Buhari and his political activities since the President joined politics. “The most recent was the tour of political campaigns across the country with President Buhari and the APC during the last general elections. But unfortunately for us, our colleague died of a treatable illness. “Sadly for us again, late Chuks Ehirim did not wait to enjoy the regime of the government he laboured for” They, however, called on the leadership of the APC as a party he passionately reported and President Muhammadu Buhari, to extend kind gesture to “our colleague’s family who left behind five young children.” In his own tribute, Atiku said: “Chuks was a fair-minded professional, a conscientious journalist, a progressive democrat and committed nationalist.”
Atiku noted that the late Ehirim was a frontline champion of democratic ideals who used the medium of mass communication to advocate his avowed interest in equity, fairness and justice.
Atiku said it was painful to learn that the man, popularly called “Eze-Igbo” by his peers, for his belief in the identity of the Igbo nation within the Nigerian entity, would succumb so casually to the cold hands of death after a long struggle to install the current government of change.
The APC chieftain recalled that Ehirim’s activism dates back to his students’ union days at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, from where he later joined forces with democratic forces to battle the military in the annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections.
Atiku condoled with the Ehirim family, NUJ and his employers, The Niche on Sunday Newspaper. [myad]
The Nigerian Federal Government has scheduled a One-Day Stakeholders Forum on June 20, to address the on-going review of the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) and the re-positioning of the automotive sector.
A statement by the senior special assistant to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in media and publicity, Laolu Akande, the Forum would also focuse on how to eliminate the limitations in the implementation process of the NAIDP. He said that the, forum, scheduled to hold at Skyline Terrace Hall, Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, would also review the strategic direction options available for the repositioning of the Nigerian automotive industry as a more competitive sector that will deliver much-needed jobs for Nigerians.
“The high level stakeholders forum is intended to also engage with representatives from the industry to deliberate on how to diversify the economy, increase exports and foreign exchange earnings, and create sustainable economic development. “Stakeholder discussions will equally focus on specific actions and steps required by Government towards achieving the strategic objectives of the Development Plan.” laolu said that the Presidency and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment will host the industry forum in conjunction with the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). He said that Members of the National Assembly, Industry chieftains, bureaucrats, local and international experts as well as investors are also expected to attend the forum. [myad]
A 62-year-old wife, Tawakalitu Ariori has respectfully saved her 32 year old marriage from collapsing in court on account of lack of sex and other things demanded constantly by her 64 year old husband, Mustafa.
At the Lagos Island Customary Court, on Thursday, Tawakaltu promised that she would never starve her husband of sex and that she would constantly cook for him whenever he demands any of the two. Tawakalitu, who is a mother of two, also promised Mustafa that she would change for better, saying: “I thought that since I have reached menopause I cannot make love with my husband anymore, but now I know better.” Mustafa had on June 1 asked the court to dissolve the 32-year-old marriage on the fact that his wife had consistently denied him sex and that she had stopped cooking for him. He said that even their children and other members of the family had intervened in the matter at various times but she would not bulged, adding that same people have also pleaded on her behalf when they saw that he was serious in ending the marriage. “My wife has promised to change and I have forgiven her,” Mustafa told the court when thewy appeared on Thursday. The President of the Court, Awos Awosola, advised the couple to go and put their home in order. “If you take care of your wife and make her happy, she will also go to any length to please you,” Awosola said. [myad]
The Senate has stressed that with more advocacy on the issue of debt management and servicing, Nigerians will be better placed to lend their support to government’s effort in raising funds from the capital and bonds’ market for development purposes. The chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Shehu Sani, has advised Debt Management Office (DMO), to embark of enlightening Nigerians why debts are taken, for what purpose and what the society stands to benefit from such borrowing. Senator Shehu, who spoke at a three-day retreat, organised for members of the committee by the DMO in Minna, Niger State said with such enlightenment, Nigerians would be in a better position to support initiative aimed at driving development. He advised the DMO to develop a framework in the major languages in the country to get the citizens to understand the nitty gritty of debts. “There is need for strategy mix anchored on proper advocacy on what debt management is all about. Nigerians want to know why governments borrow, to what purpose such debts are taken and I can say that once it is well explained, the people will key into the programme. “I therefore hope that the DMO will rev up its advocacy especially in the major languages because a whole lot of Nigerians don’t seem to understand why their states governments will take loans and they cannot see why the loan was taken in the first instance. “Debt is a veritable tool for economic growth and development if properly managed. I also believe that an effective debt management that emphasizes transparency due process, and fiscal discipline can precipitate a turnaround in the economy.” Senator Shehu promised that the Senate will look at the DMO Act to amend it to meet the realities of the present economic situation, even as he said that the legislature should be involved in the negotiations of loans as it will not only enhance their capacity but offer a clear insight into the terms and conditions of such loans. Also, a member of the committee, Senator Sani Yerima, said there was need for greater collaboration between the National Assembly and the executive so that Nigerians can stand to reap the benefits of borrowed funds. Yerima explained that loans help to fast track development, employment generation and helps government to bridge the funding gap but decried a situation of arbitrary borrowing by states without a ceiling. “As governor, we had caps to what we could borrow. But today states borrow arbitrarily and leave debts that will be repaid for the next 3- to 40 years. The National Assembly will work closely with the DMO to develop a framework on this matter.” This was even as the Director General of the DMO, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo said that the workshop with the theme; Processes and Procedures for External and Domestic Borrowing and Settlement, has become imperative given the funding of the 2016 budget from loans. Nwankwo said that the federal government does not just borrow for borrowing sake but to address the challenge of development and infrastructure growth. He explained that the workshop is not only to keep the lawmakers abreast of developments in the Nigerian debt sector but to get their buy-ins in the DMO’s drive to seek for funding from the capital market. The DMO boss said that states have not been barred from raising funds rather that the National Economic Council was against borrowing from commercial banks but supports states seeking for capital from bonds, which is cheaper and more sustainable in the long run. [myad]
“Kogi voted for Audu but God voted for Yahaya Bello.” Perhaps, this quote should have been the title of this piece, but before I delve into the main issue, it is important for you to know that I am a native of Ihima in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi state. Secondly, I am a journalist with close affinity to the hierarchy of the APC and INEC. Thirdly, I am a youth. Although, I am not your constituent, but the above qualifications provide sufficient premises for me to draw conclusions or contribute to issues that have to do with Kogi, APC or the nation, particularly in the realm of politics.
I would have called your cell-phone to bare my mind to you, but knowing from experience, that you hardly pick calls nor reply text messages of people you have not met or interacted with before, I have chosen this medium only as a last resort.
When in late January, during the swearing-in of “Mallam” Bello, in a crass display of sycophancy, you abused and made mockery of the voting power of the Kogi electorates, you did not foresee what laid ahead. You had unabashedly stated that while the people of Kogi state voted en mass for the late Prince Abubakar Audu, the immortal God voted for Alhaji Yahaya Bello, and then, at the height of your self-proclaimed, albeit false claim, to prophet-hood, warned of dire divine consequences for those who may want to go against the tide.
As a partisan politician, you conveniently elected to forget the Latin maxim, Vox Populi, Vox Dei. Sir, you should have known that the voice of the people is the voice of God. The people voted for APC, irrespective of who its candidate was.
It was therefore with great consternation that on Monday, June 13, I saw you and your fellows of identical plummage flock into the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja in a manner that appeared more like a breach of protocol.
You had just finished a meeting where you constituted an 11-man disciplinary committee to probe the alleged anti-party tendencies of Gov. Bello.
While you chair the committee, other members include some “yesterday men” – Sen. Mohammed Salami Ohiare, Sen. Salihu Ohize, Sen. Abubakar Abdulrahman and Sen. Nicholas Ugbane. Others are Haddy Ametuo, Hon. Buba Jibril, Hajia Hajara Aliyu, Folasade Joseph, Suleiman Baba Ali and Barrister S. Adejoh.
And your grouse according to you is that; “Out of 15 commissioners the governor appointed, 13 are from PDP and two from the APC. Out of 105 members of the caretaker committees for the 21 local government areas, PDP has 72 and APC 33.
“Out of the 28 special advisers and senior special assistants he appointed, PDP has 24, APC one, APGA one, Labour Party one and Accord Party one”.
Knowing that you were once in the PDP along with many of those on your committee, would it be right to deny you full integration into the APC and still refer to you as “PDP guys?”
Should President Muhammadu Buhari be accused of anti-party activities for appointing Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir el-Rufai, Audu Ogbeh, Heineken Lokpobiri and many other ex-PDP bigwigs into his cabinet? While you might be right to say that some of the governor’s appointees were ex-PDP men, just like you, you would most certainly be stretching political lunacy too far to still posit that those appointees are currently card-carrying members of the PDP.
Perhaps, rather than just brandish figures, it would do you much good to mention the names of Bello’s appointees who are PDP members so that they can directly defend themselves.
In any case, these allegations, on the surface value, are weighty except that they lack any evidential value.
As you very well know, in law and in fact, the onus probandi or burden of proof lays with you. To put it more explicitly, semper necessitas probandi incumbit ei qui agit, (that is, the necessity of proof always lies with the person who lays charges).
Indeed, rather than “summoning” the governor, a power which, ab initio your committee does not possess and cannot consequently exercise, you should be proving to the relevant organs of the party, by way of a strong petition with evidences showing that your allegations are worth the paper on which they are penned.
In the light of the ethno-political fault-lines and tension in the state, would it even be a bad idea to run a Government of State Unity just as we have governments of national unity in some climes?
Distinguished, what has changed between January 27 and June 13? Why the sudden change of attitude? The governor has accused you of wanting to nominate all his appointees from the Western Senatorial flank of the state and that his insistence on “following his mind” is the reason why your ego is bruised. Anyway, that was what he said. It’s left for you to give us a counter-narrative.
Lest I forget my manners, how is family? Hope you are all doing fine? Please, say me well to Uncle Bukky, and Bros #CommonSense. Lastly, don’t forget my Ramadan rice o. Plus millet too. Boys are not smiling, atol, atol.
Ehen, don’t forget to remind Adayi Ohiare of the character that wrote the petition which eventually led to his disgraceful sack from the senate. We hear they are now together in arms against the governor.
Omeiza Ajayi, JP, is an Abuja-based Journalist and can be reached on Whatsapp via: 08050562095 or, omezonline@gmail.com.
A member of the House of Representatives has expressed concern over the renewed enquiry ordered by the lower chamber into the Abuja Centenary City Project. It would be recalled that only on Wednesday, one of the Reps members, Timothy Golu (PDP Plateau), moved a motion which snowballed into the House resolving to investigate the project. The member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, wondered why Golu did not bother to get the most basic facts about the Centenary Project before talking to the press. The member, who is also a member of the committee, expressed concern that the desperation of some of his colleagues, as well as the “hand of Esau” behind the renewed hearing, may lead to a fiasco for them all. He said that Golu was acting the script of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who he alleged, is under pressure to please those he earlier misled into thinking that he could allocate part of the Centenary City that is being developed with private funds to them. It is on record that the Senate had sometimes ago, held an elaborate Public Hearing on the Centenary City Project upon which it wrote and made public, the report on the matter two weeks ago. Information reaching us indicated that all material facts on the project, including the reports of anti-crime agencies, are before the National Assembly. It is on record that the project is run with private funds and that the government has not spent a dime on it. But, Golu told the House of Reps that the government has spent billions of naira and lost thousands of hectares of land. He also said that the project is being executed without regard to extant regulations and guidelines. [myad]
Following a formal complaint made by the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle on attempted rape of a female hotel worker in America by three members of the House of Assembly, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has ordered the investigation into the matter.
The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazak Namdas, who confirmed this in Abuja, said, “we are in receipt of a letter from the US Ambassador, alleging misconduct by some members of the National Assembly, who attended a training programme in the United States of America.
“The leaderships of the House has commenced its own part of the investigation. When it is concluded, we will brief Nigerians further on this issue.”
But, Namdas declined to answer questions on how the investigation would be conducted. He did not say if a special committee had been constituted for the assignment or whether it would be conducted by the regular Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
“When we say we will conduct an investigation, we will conduct it and there will be a report,” Namdas said.
The development came as the US formally withdrew its visas from the three lawmakers, an indication that they had been barred from future trips to the United States.
The Ambassador had written a petition to the Speaker , complaining that some members of the House of the Reps who recently visited the United States on an official programme, attempted to rape a hotel housekeeper, and that they also solicited for prostitutes. The offending members were said to be among the team who attended the just concluded International Visitor Leadership Program in Cleveland, Ohio. They are: Hon. Mohammed Garba Gololo (APC, Bauchi), Hon. Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom) and Hon. Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue). Here is the full text of Ambassador Entwistle’s letter to Speaker Dogara: “It is with regret that I must bring to your attention the following situation. Ten members of the Nigerian National Assembly recently travelled to Cleveland, Ohio as participants in the International Visitor Leadership Programme on good governance. We received troubling allegations regarding the behaviour of three members of the delegation to the U.S. Government’s flagship professional exchange programme. The U.S. Department of State and the Cleveland Council on World Affairs received reports from employees of the Cleveland hotel where the representatives stayed, alleging the representatives engaged in the following behaviour: Mohammed Garba Gololo allegedly grabbed a housekeeper in his hotel room and solicited her for sex. While the housekeeper reported this to her management, this incident could have involved local law enforcement and resulted in legal consequences for Representative Gololo. Mark Terseer Gbillah and Samuel Ikon allegedly requested hotel parking attendants assist them to solicit prostitutes. The U.S. Mission took pains to confirm these allegations and the identities of the individuals with the employees of the hotel in Cleveland. The conduct described above left a very negative impression of Nigeria, casting a shadow on Nigeria’s National Assembly, the International Visitor Leadership Program, and to the American hosts’ impression of Nigeria as a whole. Such conduct could affect some participants’ ability to travel to the United States in the future.” While the majority of Nigerian visitors to the United States do behave appropriately, even a few Nigerians demonstrating poor judgment leads to a poor impression of the Nigerian people generally, though it is far from accurate. Such incidents jeopardise the ability of future programming and make host institutions and organizations less likely to welcome similar visits in the future. In addition, most of the members of this group reacted very negatively to my deputy when she brought this matter to their attention, further calling into question their judgement and commitment to the goals of the International Visitor Leadership Programme. This leads us to question whether to include National Assembly members for other similar programmes in the future. I request, in the strongest possible terms, you share this message with members of the National Assembly so they understand the seriousness of these issues, and the potential consequences of their actions, not only for themselves as individuals, but also for the future of such programmes designed to benefit Nigeria.” However, the accused persons have vehemently denied the allegations. Hon Mark Terseer Gbillah has this to say: “This is an affront on the National Assembly and Nigeria, it appears they have ulterior motives. We are not going to take this lightly; we will take legal actions against the US government. It is a dent on our image. I went on the trip with my wife and baby and insisted that she stayed with me, but they told me the accommodation was meant for only participants. So, at Cleveland Renaissance where we were, opposite the Quicken Loan Arena, the Cleveland Cavalier Basketball team played a match and many people came to lodge at the same hotel, and they claimed that we spoke with car park attendants. We didn’t go with cars, so how could we have spoken with attendants? I saw the ambassador (Entwistle) and went to greet him and he told me how a few of us tarnished the image of the House. I advised him to make it formal so that we can know who was involved and what actually happened. It was after this encounter that they called us to their premises and said they were identified by their accusers in a group picture. This is curious. No video footage. They didn’t accost us while we were in US. We suspect this is a calculated attempt to rubbish the National Assembly. Is this how they would have investigated their congressmen? Do they know that there were other black people who came to watch the match? How could they have identified us in a picture without our knowledge? We, the concerned members, have written to the speaker indicating the facts and demanding footage of our stay in the hotel. We also want them to provide access to our accusers to identify us. But most importantly, we would be demanding compensation from the US government for defamation of character.” Here’s what Hon Mohammed Garba Gololo said: “Let me, from the outset, express my shock and dismay at the contents of the letter generally and particularly affects me. These are totally false, unfounded and baseless allegations against me. I categorically deny any such incident happened, I never grabbed any housekeeper nor did I solicit for sex. I also take this issue very seriously not only because I am a honourable member representing a hallowed institution, but because of my integrity as a husband and father. How would my family and in-laws react to these wild and grave allegations? I demand an apology and retraction of these allegations or I shall not hesitate to engage the services of lawyers and not only to clear my name, but to seek redress for the damages done to my reputation. I insist that evidence of the allegations against me be produced. It is, therefore, in the interest of both countries to investigate this matter thoroughly to get to the root of it and I am ready to go back to Cleveland at my expense to establish my innocence without prejudice to my rights, press charges against libellous allegations.” Hon Samuel Ikon could not be reached for comments. Meanwhile, the spokesman for the House, Abdulrazaq Namdas, confirmed the receipt of the letter from the embassy. One of them said: “I cannot believe this. Something must be wrong somewhere. We were all in the same hotel and this same man (Gololo) was there as well. He has all the capacity to get a woman in the city if he wanted to, but he is somebody we all know loves his wife and family so much. The lady did not even mention names, we learnt she only pointed at the man in the group photograph we took during the programme. Again, this issue was reported two weeks after we left the hotel. Why was this not done while we were there? The lady in question did not shout immediately and one wonders if truly there was such thing. We did not know anything until the letter written to the Speaker went round all of us who were in Cleveland for the meeting. It is shocking.” [myad]
Embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ali Modu Sheriff has promised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the refund N40 million, representing the share he received for 2015 Presidential campaign loot. The amount is part of the N24.29 billion poll loot, allegedly facilitated by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. Modu Sheriff who was given administrative bail by the operatives of the anti-graft agency at its Maiduguri, Borno State capital office, had earlier arrived the office, escorted by a detachment of riot policemen. He was grilled by the EFCC investigators from 10am when he arrived till about 5.30pm. An EFCC source said: “based on previous interactions with some leaders of the PDP in Borno State, we isolated issues for him and asked him to respond to the allegation that he benefitted from the N450million allocated to the state by Diezani as campaign funds. “One of the issues was the N40million traced to him through Hon. Kumalia for security. “Sheriff admitted receiving the cash and made a firm commitment to return it as soon as possible. “Based on Sheriff’s pledge, he was granted an administrative bail.” A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren confirmed the grilling of Sheriff. The statement said: “A former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Shariff, was grilled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Maiduguri zonal office on Wednesday for his involvement in sharing the sum of N40m. “Investigation is ongoing as Shariff is answering questions in the EFCC office at the time of writing this report.” [myad]
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Chairman of the Special Task Team on Abuja Environmental Protection, retired Squadron Leader, Abdullahi Adamu Monjel has asked street hawkers and beggars to leave Abuja immediately or risk going to jail.
Dino Melaye, Stop Fighting ‘God’ In Kogi, By Omeiza Ajayi
I would have called your cell-phone to bare my mind to you, but knowing from experience, that you hardly pick calls nor reply text messages of people you have not met or interacted with before, I have chosen this medium only as a last resort.
When in late January, during the swearing-in of “Mallam” Bello, in a crass display of sycophancy, you abused and made mockery of the voting power of the Kogi electorates, you did not foresee what laid ahead. You had unabashedly stated that while the people of Kogi state voted en mass for the late Prince Abubakar Audu, the immortal God voted for Alhaji Yahaya Bello, and then, at the height of your self-proclaimed, albeit false claim, to prophet-hood, warned of dire divine consequences for those who may want to go against the tide.
As a partisan politician, you conveniently elected to forget the Latin maxim, Vox Populi, Vox Dei. Sir, you should have known that the voice of the people is the voice of God. The people voted for APC, irrespective of who its candidate was.
It was therefore with great consternation that on Monday, June 13, I saw you and your fellows of identical plummage flock into the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja in a manner that appeared more like a breach of protocol.
You had just finished a meeting where you constituted an 11-man disciplinary committee to probe the alleged anti-party tendencies of Gov. Bello.
While you chair the committee, other members include some “yesterday men” – Sen. Mohammed Salami Ohiare, Sen. Salihu Ohize, Sen. Abubakar Abdulrahman and Sen. Nicholas Ugbane. Others are Haddy Ametuo, Hon. Buba Jibril, Hajia Hajara Aliyu, Folasade Joseph, Suleiman Baba Ali and Barrister S. Adejoh.
And your grouse according to you is that; “Out of 15 commissioners the governor appointed, 13 are from PDP and two from the APC. Out of 105 members of the caretaker committees for the 21 local government areas, PDP has 72 and APC 33.
“Out of the 28 special advisers and senior special assistants he appointed, PDP has 24, APC one, APGA one, Labour Party one and Accord Party one”.
Knowing that you were once in the PDP along with many of those on your committee, would it be right to deny you full integration into the APC and still refer to you as “PDP guys?”
Should President Muhammadu Buhari be accused of anti-party activities for appointing Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir el-Rufai, Audu Ogbeh, Heineken Lokpobiri and many other ex-PDP bigwigs into his cabinet? While you might be right to say that some of the governor’s appointees were ex-PDP men, just like you, you would most certainly be stretching political lunacy too far to still posit that those appointees are currently card-carrying members of the PDP.
Perhaps, rather than just brandish figures, it would do you much good to mention the names of Bello’s appointees who are PDP members so that they can directly defend themselves.
In any case, these allegations, on the surface value, are weighty except that they lack any evidential value.
As you very well know, in law and in fact, the onus probandi or burden of proof lays with you. To put it more explicitly, semper necessitas probandi incumbit ei qui agit, (that is, the necessity of proof always lies with the person who lays charges).
Indeed, rather than “summoning” the governor, a power which, ab initio your committee does not possess and cannot consequently exercise, you should be proving to the relevant organs of the party, by way of a strong petition with evidences showing that your allegations are worth the paper on which they are penned.
In the light of the ethno-political fault-lines and tension in the state, would it even be a bad idea to run a Government of State Unity just as we have governments of national unity in some climes?
Distinguished, what has changed between January 27 and June 13? Why the sudden change of attitude? The governor has accused you of wanting to nominate all his appointees from the Western Senatorial flank of the state and that his insistence on “following his mind” is the reason why your ego is bruised. Anyway, that was what he said. It’s left for you to give us a counter-narrative.
Lest I forget my manners, how is family? Hope you are all doing fine? Please, say me well to Uncle Bukky, and Bros #CommonSense. Lastly, don’t forget my Ramadan rice o. Plus millet too. Boys are not smiling, atol, atol.
Ehen, don’t forget to remind Adayi Ohiare of the character that wrote the petition which eventually led to his disgraceful sack from the senate. We hear they are now together in arms against the governor.
Omeiza Ajayi, JP, is an Abuja-based Journalist and can be reached on Whatsapp via: 08050562095 or, omezonline@gmail.com.