Four suspected members of Boko Haram who disguised as visitors tothe Pompomari Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Damaturu, capital of Yobe state, have been promptly nabbed by officers of Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), before they could cause bomb explosive havoc.
the Executive Secretary, Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA , Alhaji Musa Jidawa,), who confirmed the arrest of the four insurgents, told newsmen today in Damaturu that two suspected terrorists who had earlier came in disguise as visitors to see relations at the camp were apprehended while another, who came separately later, were also arrested as they were trying to enter the camp.
“Security operatives and some IDPs screening entries and exit from the camp identified the suspects, who were later confirmed as insurgents by the IDPs from their communities.’’
He said that the last suspect came to the camp where his father, mother, wife and child were all taking refuge.
The SEMA executive secretary said: “a member of his Turo Kura village identified the suspect and raised an alarm, saying he belong to the sect and the suspect’s father, also an IDP at the camp, confirmed it, which led to his arrest.”
The suspect’s father, who pleaded not to be identified, told newsmen that he narrowly escaped from the son in the village when he targeted to kill him, adding: “I have nothing to do with him; he should be arrested and killed just like he killed others.’’
The SEMA secretary said the Agency had reinforced security checks and means of identification to ensure that non-members do not slip into the camp.
Kogi State University, Ayangba, has expelled 68 students for examination malpractice and poor academic performance.
A statement by the Registrar of the university, Dr. Yakubu Abubakar in Lokoja today, said that 19 of the affected students were expelled for various examination misconducts and 49 others withdrawn for poor academic performance.
Abubakar noted that some students also had their admissions withdrawn for failure to register within the stipulated period and wrong entry requirements and that the affected students cut across all the faculties.
He said that Professor Mohammed Abdulkadir has been appointed the new Vice Chancellor of the university to take over from Professor Hassan Isah, whose tenure expired on Oct. 12.
He added that Abdulkadir had since resumed duty, and that until his appointment, he was a professor of economic history from Bayero University, Kano.
The registrar said that while taking over from his predecessor, the new vice chancellor promised to run an inclusive and consultative administration and appealed to stakeholders to join hands with him in moving the school forward. [myad]
An 83-year-old man, one Saliu Oteniya, has been sentenced by a mobile court in Ondo town to nine months imprisonment with hard labour for defecating indiscriminately around the premises of his house.
The court also sentenced 15 others who are landlords in the community to the same jail term each for allegedly violating various environmental offences.
The prosecutor, Mrs. Elizabeth Akinfemisoye, said the octogenarian who is the landlord of a residential building located at No 23, Lokun Street in Ondo, was summoned to the court for allegedly defecating in and around his premises.
The other accused persons were also charged with failure to provide toilets and sanitary dustbins in their houses while existing ones in their respective houses had been filled up.
According to her, the offence was capable of causing disease outbreak in the area, risking the health of residents. [myad]
File photo: Ekiti state Governor, Ayodele Fayose standing at the court premises in Ekiti state
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has called ond President Muhammadu Buhari to give Kayode Fayemi who has just been cleared by the Senate for ministerial position, representing Ekiti state for what he called “Grade A” ministry. “Ekiti State, being one of the States created last n the country, deserves a ministerial portfolio that will have direct impact on the people, not just a minister for the sake of federal character.”
A statement today by his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, quoted Fayose as saying that his position is not to favour any individual but in the collective interest of Ekiti people.
Fayose, who said it was not enough for Ekiti State to have just a ministerial slot as provided in Section 15 (3) of the 1999 Constitution, added that President Buhari must give the Minister Designate from the State a portfolio that will benefit the State and its people.
“We don’t want just a ministry, we want a ministry that will be of direct benefit to our people and I am urging President Buhari to be mindful of our people’s expectation when allocating portfolios to the ministers designate.
“Our people want one of the best ministries where developmental efforts of the State government can be adequately complemented, not just a ministry that will only be of benefit to the minister and his immediate family members.” [myad]
Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, has said members of Boko Haram are now using a strategy, by attacking soft targets in the North East as a way attracting attention, having almost lost the battle even as he confirmed that the insurgents are still in control of two Local Government Areas in Borno State.
Alhaji Kashim Shettima who spoke when the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir David Lawan, leadingd a six-man delegation on a condolence Visit to the Borno State Government, called on him, dismissed insinuation that the attacks were acts of authority of the insurgents.
“They (Boko Haram insurgents) are presently controlling two local governments in Borno State; Abadam and Mobbar and partially in Marte” even as he insisted that the bombings that were witnessed in recent times were only to show to the world that the terrorists were still around and have no relevance to their prowess.
“At some points, Boko Haram overran 20 out of our 27 local government areas in Borno State. They overran four local government areas in Adamawa and two in Yobe.”
He said that to forestall further attacks in mosques, he had summoned all Imams of mosques in Maiduguri, Jere and surrounding areas as well as district heads, village heads and those manning streets called lawans and Bulamas, for a security meeting which will be led by the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Elkanemi.
The governor said the meeting scheduled for today would discuss firm measures that might require policy pronouncements required to address the renewed attacks.
The SGF said, “the president on hearing what befell Adamawa and Borno states and the country decided to set up this team to come and commiserate with you.
“The president is always compassionate and emotional when things like these happen to the people of Borno state, Nigeria is indeed very sad that these things continue to reoccur so often.
“Defeating insurgency on the battle ground is different from defeating it from the urban areas. And knowing that their days are numbered, it is clear that they have changed their styles and strategies and have now resorted to bomb even in religious areas, no one would have expected that one would have woken up to explode himself in a mosque, killing Muslims and maiming innocent worshippers in mosque.
“The president has said we should highlight that security is everybody’s business, because some of these people live among us and the only way we can eliminate this menace is by being vigilant and observant. We should monitor the activities of people that seem strange and people that look strange and people that are strangers in our midst.” [myad]
President of the National Association of Nigerian Prostitutes (NANP), Jessica Elvis has been reportedly dead, even as another prostitute, Roseline was also confirmed dead by the Enugu State Police Command in a brothel at Obollo-Afor, Udenu Council Area, after marathon sex with three customers.
.The President of the Prostitute was said to have died today in an undisclosed hospital in Benin after battling a protracted heart-related disease.
According to the Secretary General of the association, Tamar Tion in a terse text message, described Elvis’ demise as a sad loss to the group, saying: “Hi Ameh, want to inform you that we just lost our President, Jessy this afternoon. She died after battling heart-related disease for years. “It is a sad loss to NANP and we pray God to give her family and 15-year-old daughter the fortitude to bear the loss.”
Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Enugu State command of the Nigeria Police, DSP Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the death of Roseline after sleeping with three men, said that one Ikechukwu Oga has been arrested in connection with the death.
It was learnt that Ikechukwu was the third man to gone in for his turn, after two other customers when she died in the process.
According to Amaraizu, Ikechukwu, who is now the suspect “had gone to a brothel where he met with the commercial sex worker identified as Roseline in a brothel at Obollo-Afor in Udenu Local government Area of Enugu state and agreed for a sex deal.”
The statement further disclosed that the suspect bargained with Roseline and was asked to come back later as someone was already on the line. When he came back, he discovered that she was still having sex deal with another customer; Roseline told him to exercise patience as both were going to sleep till day break.”
After allegedly concluding with the second customer, she now invited the suspect into the room for his turn.
However, Ikechukwu denied any wrong doing, maintaining: “I did not conclude my first round of the deal before she complained that she was tired and that was in the midnight of today (Sunday); I had to come down and that was the last. I cannot say what led to her death.”
The dead body of the deceased had been recovered and deposited in a nearby hospital. [myad]
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has reportedly closed down a Kano-based Chinese company for allegedly producing a substandard and unregistered brand of insecticide called ‘Wave Tide Mosquito coil.’
Chief Regulatory Officer with the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC, Lagos, who led the operation, Mr. Paul Akeh,, told journalists shortly after shutting down the factory, said that the decision to shut down the company was taken when officials of the company refused to show up as directed.
“Following intelligence reports, officials of the agency had visited the company on September 28 when they discovered some violations and directed the company to regularise its registration processes with the agency.”
According to him, the chemicals used for the production of the insecticide were imported from China and labelled in Chinese language in contravention of NAFDAC’s requirements.
“Since the company is not registered by NAFDAC, the safety of its products is not ascertained or guaranteed.
“The finished products are bearing Chinese address while they are being produced in Nigeria,” Akeh noted, adding that “they import the untreated coils and pass them through their machines to add the chemicals.”
The company, Plant Fibre Mosquito Coil, the official said, is located on No.49, Maisikeli Road, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the ancient city. [myad]
The suspended President of the world’s football governing body, FIFA, Sepp Joseph Blatter, has shown interest in the former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, to succeed him in the election that is fast approaching. Speaking in Zurich, Blatter told a Swiss radio today: “The position of the FIFA president is too important to be left to just anybody. I have heard of some candidates who want to take over from me. “But I find the businessman from Nigeria, Kalu, very qualified and interesting because he is not only a businessman, but a politician with lots of contacts and corporate experience. He can bring his great experiences to bear in the running of world football. He is passionate about the game. “I remember how he sponsored one of Nigerian clubs to win the CAF championship twice. He is a man that can take world football to the next level.” Blatter said that though Kalu had not formally declared his interest, but that it was in the best interest of Africa to nominate him because of his deep passion for the game. “If Africa hopes to win the support of other federations, then they must cue behind the Nigerian businessman. “Football has developed beyond just anybody taking over. I sacked Jerome Champgne in 2010, so how can he come back to lead an Association he tried to destroy. You need a man who can command respect and win friends for football. With Kalu, Africa stands a better chance.” The Confederation of African Football is expected to meet next week to decide on a candidate for the election scheduled for next year. Kalu and Segun Odegbami are the two candidates who have shown interest in the post from Africa. [myaad]
Republican Presidential candidate, Donald Trump has condemned the killing of Saddam Hussein of Iraq and Moamer Ghadafi of Libya, saying that the world would be a better place if dictators they were still in power, top Republican US presidential hopeful Donald Trump said in comments aired Sunday.
Speaking during a rally at the Expo Hall of the Richmond International Raceway, the billionaire real estate tycoon said: “People are getting their heads chopped off. They’re being drowned. Right now it’s far worse than ever under Saddam Hussein or Gaddafi. I mean, look what happened. Libya is a catastrophe. Libya is a disaster. Iraq is a disaster. Syria is a disaster. The whole Middle East. It all blew up around Hillary Clinton and around Obama. It blew up.”
Calling Iraq the “Harvard of terrorism,” Trump said the country had turned into a “training ground for terrorists,” adding: “If you look at Iraq from years ago, I’m not saying he (Saddam) was a nice guy. He was a horrible guy but it’s better than it is now.”
Trump said his foreign policy strategy would be centered around beefing up the US military.
“All I know is this: we’re living in Medieval times … We’re living in an unbelievably dangerous and horrible world,” Trump said.
“The Trump doctrine is simple. It’s strength. It’s strength. Nobody is going to mess with us. Our military will be made stronger.” [myad]
I happen to be one of the best Nigerians to have served as Speaker for eight years. In the period I served, Speakers were impeached almost on regular basis. I have also served as a governor of Rivers State under the PDP, but during my second term, I was governor of Rivers State under APC. Distinguished senators, it is a rare privilege to stand here today to address you. I believe that this is my first time of addressing the Senate and I thank you. I thank the President for this privilege. Whether I become a minister or I not, this will go in the history book of mine that I once addressed the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but truly at the mercy of the Senate. And as you know, this is a hallowed chamber, so I am deeply humbled and honoured that I have been nominated by the President and to have been give the chance to address you on what I thought would be the little contributions I have made to the development of Nigeria. I told you earlier that my name is Chibuike Amaechi, I am truly a Nigerian. As I said to you earlier, I am the immediate past governor of Rivers State and I was the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly for eight year years, just like I was governor for eight years. I was Chairman of Conference of Speakers for two tenures and I had also the privilege of serving as Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum for two tenures too. Take it together, whether as governor or as Speaker, these two cases can tell the story of public service. TENURE AS SPEAKER During my tenure as Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, we achieved a lot. Some key bills like the Anti Kidnapping Law and the Rivers State School Rights were passed. I drafted these bills myself. I was just pained that there were some of our children who couldn’t go to school and I had to ensure that the bills became laws so that our children, parents and teachers will have their rights and privileges and that government has the obligation to fulfill them. However, my most fulfilling moment as Speaker was the passing of the Rivers State School Rights Bill. This bill clearly defines the responsibility of parents, teachers and parents to guarantee our children’s access to qualitative education. Education should not only qualitative, it must also be accessible. WHAT I DID AS GOVERNOR As governor, we inherited a state that was comatose and with the problem of insecurity. Our immediate task was, therefore, to restore security and improve the social and economic well-being of our people. These were the two pronged approach: physical and fiscal security. By fiscal, I mean putting money in the hands of Rivers people. While we confronted criminality with aggressive enforcement measures, we embarked on what we called massive social and infrastructural development. They are there for record purposes; we declared emergency in education and guaranteed free and compulsory education up to secondary school level. During my tenure as governor, we awarded contracts for the construction of over 500 primary schools and completed and furnished 3014 of these to 100 percent completion, while others were virtually completed by the time we left office in May 2015. We undertook the training and re-certification of teachers already on the payroll of the state and employed over 13,200 teachers. Our efforts and investment in the education sector did not go unnoticed, as Port Harcourt won the UNESCO world competition in 2014. We competed against cities like Moscow and Oxford. In the area of healthcare, it is on record that our government built 140 health centres and we employed a total of 400 medical doctors. When we came in, there were only 200 doctors in the employ of the government and we employed a total of 400 medical doctors. Anybody who visited Rivers State when we served would testify that we worked to bring back the old glory of Port Harcourt as the Garden City and as a third leg in the economic tripod of Nigeria. AS CHAIRMAN, NIGERIA GOVERNORS’ FORUM I don’t know what I would say because whatever I say may annoy my political brothers from the PDP. This morning, I woke up on the bad side of the bed and, as a Christian, I prayed and I opted to wear the dress I have never worn before; so I wore this, believing that in the spirit of peace, I would be asked questions that would be very peaceful. The Governors Forum started as a check to executive recklessness. The Senate President( Saraki ) was the Chairman and headed it with other governors who are here today as senators, including Senator Goje. To make me the Chairman of the forum for the first time, it happened in Kwara State and we checked the excesses, including the expenditure of the oil subsidy. There is a case in court up till now stopping the Federal Government from drawing money from the account to fund oil subsidy because we believe that if we stop the Federal Government from drawing state and local governments money, the Federal Government will not be able to bear the cost and will, therefore, remove oil subsidy which would reduce the level of corruption. Unfortunately, the case is yet to be heard. On the resource control question, I think the radical posture of the Governors Forum led to the former President asking me that I had turned the body into a union, so it’s no longer a Governors ‘ Forum, it was now a trade union and what we all were doing was to defend the lives of Nigeria and ensured that the money accruable to the country was judiciously utilized. I think the former president didn’t like it and, when my tenure expired as Chairman, I was requested not to run for second term and I thought that, as a Nigerian, I had the responsibility to exercise my right as a governor. So, I put forward for the election and, if you saw the forces against me, you would think that I would lose. Let me quote my brother and friend, Senator Jang, who was the opposition candidate. He said, ‘But North East zone supported me, North West zone supported me, North Central zone supported me and South South supported me, how did you win? You did not win, you did not win’. And I said I won, I had 19 votes and the rest are there for history to judge. MY POSITION ON CORRUPTION AND PANEL OF INQUIRY THAT ALLEGEDLY INDICTED HIM Corruption is very difficult to define. If you are a public officer and you don’t take bribe, I’ve never taken bribe in my life, but if they send a girl to you and you sleep with the girl and do her favour, you are corrupt. Corruption is a very wide concept. If people are contesting for a position and you offer your son, brother or sister an opportunity to hold that position, probably the person is not qualified, you are corrupt. So, it is difficult for me to define corruption. The reason it was difficult in my political carreer is that I was trying to test my right and fight for my right. I was once a students union leader and, believe me, if there is one man who doesn’t like corruption, I don’t like corruption. I have come here with a copy of the so-called panel report and there is no where the panel indicted me. I am here to tender the report before the Senate; no where, I repeat, there is nowhere the report indicted me. However, because there are challenges, people in Nigerian politics believe that there is the need for a compromise. I would do that, but where it clashes with my principle, I find it a bit difficult to do what people may want me to do. If you ask me to advise politicians, I find it very difficult because most politicians will want to survive and so, because I don’t do that, I face challenges. In October 25, the Supreme Court declared me as governor; don’t forget that I was facing similar challenge I am facing now. I was chased out of the country to Ghana; my family was chased out of the country, we were living in one room with my children just because I stood for my right, but God and the Supreme Court found me worthy and declared me as governor of Rivers State. HOW WE SOLD THE BUHARI BRAND We sold to the public the fact that there was massive corruption in the system. And there was the need to fight that corruption. And the only way to fight that corruption was to put a new government in place. And we had to get a signpost candidate. The signpost candidate is a man who the Nigerian public has seen as an incorruptible President. And that was why the party had to put President Buhari forward. And we thought that there was a need to do things differently. I thought that as good as the former President may have been, I don’t think he was suitable enough for the growth and development of Nigeria. So, we needed to offer opportunity to somebody we believed was better than the former President. BLUEPRINT FOR NIGERIA Amaechi at the senate When you deal with the issue of massive unemployment, you deal with the change in the economic mantra. The mono-economic situation that we have cannot survive. Nigeria cannot continue to be what we are if we continue to rely on oil. I agree with the President that there is the need to invest in agriculture. When we went to Germany, there were no natural resources that we met. If we invest in agriculture and technology, you will hire as many workers as possible. In the course of the campaign, in Borno, we saw water melon that grew naturally. If you plant just 100,000 hectares of water melon in Borno, you can be sure to engage more than 30,000 workers. You can do a similar thing around Kano and other parts of Nigeria. Look at what crops can be instituted in which area and you encourage the farmers with funding because the problem is fund from the banks and the interest rate. So, government must invest in that regard. We must diversify the economy. Mining is another area that God has blessed us with. And we also need to invest in education because some of our people are unemployable. We need to invest hugely in education. We did that in Rivers State. For four, five, six years, our budget was highest in education in Rivers State. So, if this happens, we will employ quite a number of workers. Secondly, we must improve on the social rights of the people. If you improve on the social rights of the people, there will be peace. If you have peace, there will be investors. You must have power. If you don’t have power, there will be no industrialisation. We don’t need rocket science in solving power supply. We should just look at what the problems are, remove corruption and invest in power. The reason most people don’t invest in Nigeria is that the cost of production by far outweighs the benefits you will make from your business. So, I usually say that a Nigerian is a government of his own. He hires his own security, digs his own borehole, hires his own generator, so what is government providing? ON ATTACHING PORTFOLIOS TO NOMINEES Portfolio issue is a constitutional matter. Mr President has the power to do whatever he wants to do. The Attorney General in my predecessor’s government, Dr Peter Odili said that one may be a man, but if they say you are a woman, then you are a woman. If the legislature wants ministers to be appointed with portfolios, then they must make that amendment in the Constitution. If it is not there in the Constitution, then the President can only apply his powers as allowed by the Constitution. I will be glad if I see a list with portfolios; that way, everybody knows where he is going, but now you don’t know where you are going and you don’t know if to ask me about my expertise in education or health or Niger Delta. I remember when my friend and former colleague, Danjuma Goje asked me if I had been a senator or a minister before; now I want to be a minister; after that, I will be a senator. ON NIGER DELTA RESOURCES In my former view, I believe that the resources are in the Niger Delta and their fair share is necessary; that is why there was militancy. I believe that if you don’t address social justice, the country will not be the same. When we went to Germany and we saw how they raised their fund, I felt therefore that our dependence on this natural resource is unnecessary.I believe that we should draw a poverty line that no state should collect anything less than five billion naira from the national revenue. If any state goes below five billion, then all of us should contribute to ensure that the state gets up to five billion. That is my real position on that. On the East-West Road, it is not just for the Niger Delta; it is an economic rule that will lead to economic prosperity for Nigeria. If I become the minister of Niger Delta, that will be first road that I will address. [myad]
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Four suspected members of Boko Haram who disguised as visitors to the Pompomari Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Damaturu, capital of Yobe state, have been promptly nabbed by officers of Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), before they could cause bomb explosive havoc. 
Ministerial Nomination Impasse: My story, By Rotimi Amaechi
I happen to be one of the best Nigerians to have served as Speaker for eight years. In the period I served, Speakers were impeached almost on regular basis. I have also served as a governor of Rivers State under the PDP, but during my second term, I was governor of Rivers State under APC. Distinguished senators, it is a rare privilege to stand here today to address you. I believe that this is my first time of addressing the Senate and I thank you. I thank the President for this privilege. Whether I become a minister or I not, this will go in the history book of mine that I once addressed the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but truly at the mercy of the Senate.
And as you know, this is a hallowed chamber, so I am deeply humbled and honoured that I have been nominated by the President and to have been give the chance to address you on what I thought would be the little contributions I have made to the development of Nigeria. I told you earlier that my name is Chibuike Amaechi, I am truly a Nigerian.
As I said to you earlier, I am the immediate past governor of Rivers State and I was the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly for eight year years, just like I was governor for eight years. I was Chairman of Conference of Speakers for two tenures and I had also the privilege of serving as Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum for two tenures too. Take it together, whether as governor or as Speaker, these two cases can tell the story of public service.
TENURE AS SPEAKER
During my tenure as Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, we achieved a lot. Some key bills like the Anti Kidnapping Law and the Rivers State School Rights were passed. I drafted these bills myself. I was just pained that there were some of our children who couldn’t go to school and I had to ensure that the bills became laws so that our children, parents and teachers will have their rights and privileges and that government has the obligation to fulfill them.
However, my most fulfilling moment as Speaker was the passing of the Rivers State School Rights Bill. This bill clearly defines the responsibility of parents, teachers and parents to guarantee our children’s access to qualitative education. Education should not only qualitative, it must also be accessible.
WHAT I DID AS GOVERNOR
As governor, we inherited a state that was comatose and with the problem of insecurity. Our immediate task was, therefore, to restore security and improve the social and economic well-being of our people. These were the two pronged approach: physical and fiscal security.
By fiscal, I mean putting money in the hands of Rivers people. While we confronted criminality with aggressive enforcement measures, we embarked on what we called massive social and infrastructural development. They are there for record purposes; we declared emergency in education and guaranteed free and compulsory education up to secondary school level.
During my tenure as governor, we awarded contracts for the construction of over 500 primary schools and completed and furnished 3014 of these to 100 percent completion, while others were virtually completed by the time we left office in May 2015. We undertook the training and re-certification of teachers already on the payroll of the state and employed over 13,200 teachers.
Our efforts and investment in the education sector did not go unnoticed, as Port Harcourt won the UNESCO world competition in 2014. We competed against cities like Moscow and Oxford. In the area of healthcare, it is on record that our government built 140 health centres and we employed a total of 400 medical doctors. When we came in, there were only 200 doctors in the employ of the government and we employed a total of 400 medical doctors. Anybody who visited Rivers State when we served would testify that we worked to bring back the old glory of Port Harcourt as the Garden City and as a third leg in the economic tripod of Nigeria.
AS CHAIRMAN, NIGERIA GOVERNORS’ FORUM
I don’t know what I would say because whatever I say may annoy my political brothers from the PDP. This morning, I woke up on the bad side of the bed and, as a Christian, I prayed and I opted to wear the dress I have never worn before; so I wore this, believing that in the spirit of peace, I would be asked questions that would be very peaceful.
The Governors Forum started as a check to executive recklessness. The Senate President( Saraki ) was the Chairman and headed it with other governors who are here today as senators, including Senator Goje. To make me the Chairman of the forum for the first time, it happened in Kwara State and we checked the excesses, including the expenditure of the oil subsidy. There is a case in court up till now stopping the Federal Government from drawing money from the account to fund oil subsidy because we believe that if we stop the Federal Government from drawing state and local governments money, the Federal Government will not be able to bear the cost and will, therefore, remove oil subsidy which would reduce the level of corruption. Unfortunately, the case is yet to be heard.
On the resource control question, I think the radical posture of the Governors Forum led to the former President asking me that I had turned the body into a union, so it’s no longer a Governors ‘ Forum, it was now a trade union and what we all were doing was to defend the lives of Nigeria and ensured that the money accruable to the country was judiciously utilized.
I think the former president didn’t like it and, when my tenure expired as Chairman, I was requested not to run for second term and I thought that, as a Nigerian, I had the responsibility to exercise my right as a governor. So, I put forward for the election and, if you saw the forces against me, you would think that I would lose. Let me quote my brother and friend, Senator Jang, who was the opposition candidate. He said, ‘But North East zone supported me, North West zone supported me, North Central zone supported me and South South supported me, how did you win? You did not win, you did not win’. And I said I won, I had 19 votes and the rest are there for history to judge.
MY POSITION ON CORRUPTION AND PANEL OF INQUIRY THAT ALLEGEDLY INDICTED HIM
Corruption is very difficult to define. If you are a public officer and you don’t take bribe, I’ve never taken bribe in my life, but if they send a girl to you and you sleep with the girl and do her favour, you are corrupt. Corruption is a very wide concept. If people are contesting for a position and you offer your son, brother or sister an opportunity to hold that position, probably the person is not qualified, you are corrupt. So, it is difficult for me to define corruption.
The reason it was difficult in my political carreer is that I was trying to test my right and fight for my right. I was once a students union leader and, believe me, if there is one man who doesn’t like corruption, I don’t like corruption.
I have come here with a copy of the so-called panel report and there is no where the panel indicted me. I am here to tender the report before the Senate; no where, I repeat, there is nowhere the report indicted me.
However, because there are challenges, people in Nigerian politics believe that there is the need for a compromise. I would do that, but where it clashes with my principle, I find it a bit difficult to do what people may want me to do. If you ask me to advise politicians, I find it very difficult because most politicians will want to survive and so, because I don’t do that, I face challenges.
In October 25, the Supreme Court declared me as governor; don’t forget that I was facing similar challenge I am facing now. I was chased out of the country to Ghana; my family was chased out of the country, we were living in one room with my children just because I stood for my right, but God and the Supreme Court found me worthy and declared me as governor of Rivers State.
HOW WE SOLD THE BUHARI BRAND
We sold to the public the fact that there was massive corruption in the system. And there was the need to fight that corruption. And the only way to fight that corruption was to put a new government in place. And we had to get a signpost candidate. The signpost candidate is a man who the Nigerian public has seen as an incorruptible President. And that was why the party had to put President Buhari forward. And we thought that there was a need to do things differently. I thought that as good as the former President may have been, I don’t think he was suitable enough for the growth and development of Nigeria. So, we needed to offer opportunity to somebody we believed was better than the former President.
BLUEPRINT FOR NIGERIA
Amaechi at the senate
When you deal with the issue of massive unemployment, you deal with the change in the economic mantra. The mono-economic situation that we have cannot survive. Nigeria cannot continue to be what we are if we continue to rely on oil. I agree with the President that there is the need to invest in agriculture.
When we went to Germany, there were no natural resources that we met. If we invest in agriculture and technology, you will hire as many workers as possible. In the course of the campaign, in Borno, we saw water melon that grew naturally. If you plant just 100,000 hectares of water melon in Borno, you can be sure to engage more than 30,000 workers. You can do a similar thing around Kano and other parts of Nigeria. Look at what crops can be instituted in which area and you encourage the farmers with funding because the problem is fund from the banks and the interest rate. So, government must invest in that regard.
We must diversify the economy. Mining is another area that God has blessed us with. And we also need to invest in education because some of our people are unemployable. We need to invest hugely in education. We did that in Rivers State. For four, five, six years, our budget was highest in education in Rivers State. So, if this happens, we will employ quite a number of workers.
Secondly, we must improve on the social rights of the people. If you improve on the social rights of the people, there will be peace. If you have peace, there will be investors. You must have power. If you don’t have power, there will be no industrialisation. We don’t need rocket science in solving power supply. We should just look at what the problems are, remove corruption and invest in power. The reason most people don’t invest in Nigeria is that the cost of production by far outweighs the benefits you will make from your business.
So, I usually say that a Nigerian is a government of his own. He hires his own security, digs his own borehole, hires his own generator, so what is government providing?
ON ATTACHING PORTFOLIOS TO NOMINEES
Portfolio issue is a constitutional matter. Mr President has the power to do whatever he wants to do. The Attorney General in my predecessor’s government, Dr Peter Odili said that one may be a man, but if they say you are a woman, then you are a woman.
If the legislature wants ministers to be appointed with portfolios, then they must make that amendment in the Constitution. If it is not there in the Constitution, then the President can only apply his powers as allowed by the Constitution.
I will be glad if I see a list with portfolios; that way, everybody knows where he is going, but now you don’t know where you are going and you don’t know if to ask me about my expertise in education or health or Niger Delta.
I remember when my friend and former colleague, Danjuma Goje asked me if I had been a senator or a minister before; now I want to be a minister; after that, I will be a senator.
ON NIGER DELTA RESOURCES
In my former view, I believe that the resources are in the Niger Delta and their fair share is necessary; that is why there was militancy. I believe that if you don’t address social justice, the country will not be the same. When we went to Germany and we saw how they raised their fund, I felt therefore that our dependence on this natural resource is unnecessary.I believe that we should draw a poverty line that no state should collect anything less than five billion naira from the national revenue. If any state goes below five billion, then all of us should contribute to ensure that the state gets up to five billion. That is my real position on that.
On the East-West Road, it is not just for the Niger Delta; it is an economic rule that will lead to economic prosperity for Nigeria. If I become the minister of Niger Delta, that will be first road that I will address. [myad]