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There was anxiety and tension yesterday at the Memorial Mass of the late legal icon and eminent Jurist, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Oguta, in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State when his eldest son, Mr. Charles Oputa (aka Charley Boy) daringly denied politicians, including Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha from political speeches.
Charley Boy who wore a sullen and agonising look throughout the funeral mass attended by dignitaries from all walks of life, got up immediately the State Governor, Rochas Okorocha was called to make his speech, shortly after the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan, barely finished reciting the President’s condolence message and aggressively snatched the microphone from the Governor.
The intervention of the presiding Priest and Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, could not mitigate his anger as he insisted that no politician would take advantage of his father’s burial to score “cheap political” goals.
THISDAY recalls that Charley Boy had during a day of tribute organised by Imo State government three weeks ago, walked out on the Imo state Governor when he climbed the podium to make his speech.
Consequently the visibly angry Okorocha, stormed out of the Church in the company of his Commissioners and security aides and was besieged at the gate by angry supporters, who berated Charley Boy for humiliating the Governor.
Immediately after that, the crowd began to disperse, apparently for fear of possible breakdown of law and order as security men battled to bring the situation under control.
Earlier in his sermon, Bishop Mathew Kukah who acknowledged the virtues and character of the late Judge of the Supreme Court, admitted that, “to tolerate a son like Charley Boy by a man of late Justice Oputa’s reputation, is a measure of the greatness of the man”.
Calling on Nigerians to stand up in defence of Justice and Equity, the Bishop stated that the late Oputa was obsessed with the concept of justice and equity during his life time.
“Oputa before he died, was worried about the quality of Nigerian Lawyers and Judges because he believed in the Judiciary as the hope of the nation. Today his legacies are beyond his immediate family”, Kukah noted.
Dignitaries who graced the occasion include the Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, former Anambra and Imo State Governors, Peter Obi and Ikedi Ohakim.
Others were Governors Okorocha (Imo), Willie Obiano (Anambra) Theodore Orji (Abia) and Senator Chris Ngige, among others.
Meanwhile, the Imo State government took exception to the incident that played out at the funeral church service for the late Justice Chikwudifu Oputa, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Oguta.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor (media), Mr Sam Onwuemeodo said, “It is highly regrettable that the son of the late Justice, Mr Charles Emeka Oputa, aka, Charley Boy threw caution to the wind and turned the church service into a political theater that saw him acting or playing out the script he drafted in Abuja with some Imo politicians who have remained cowed by the overwhelming popularity of Governor Rochas Okorocha”.
He said that the Imo State governor had worked together with Mr. Charley Boy both when the late Justice was sick, until the time he died and the preparation for the burial which also encouraged the state governor to make substantial financial input and also organised a special day of tribute for the late Justice at the expense of state government with Charley Boy also present with other members of the family.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
There is need to set up resettlement camps for displaced victims of Boko Haram insurgency in safer places, the member representing Bama, Kala-Balge and Ngala federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. AbdulRahman Terab said yesterday.
Terab in an interview with journalists insisted that the state of emergency declared in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe have not brought the situation under check as all the required cocktail was not included.
The lawmaker said: "There is no gainsaying that a calamity has befallen those of us from the north east due to the insurgency. However it is the growing case of internally displaced refugees, inability to farm and poor access to medical care as well as education that has assumed the front burner in the humanitarian crisis in the region."
He added that: "We have expected that the state of emergency declared does not only stop at deployment of security forces, but also rebuilding, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the destroyed communities.
"Now that the population of the internally displaced persons is growing, we expect both the state and federal governments through their refugee and relief agencies to set up camps in secure locations where these services will be provided."
He stated that this will go a long way to ensure adequate information. "This will enable us to have valid statistics and information about those affected and the types of support needed."
The lawmaker said the responsibility of resettling those affected by the crisis should not be left to government alone, insisting that: "The international community too and NGO’s also have a responsibility to provide aid and support in stemming the crises and even the eventual establishment of the camps."
On his contribution towards this, Terab said: "I have recently sponsored a motion on the floor of the House which demands the intervention of the National Refugees Commission and the Border Areas Development Commission in the establishment of camps in the affected areas."
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
A new group upon which President Goodluck Jonathan will use as a platform to contest the 2015 PDP Presidential Primary election has been inaugurated.
In 2010, President Jonathan used the Goodluck Support Group (GSG) to contest the PDP Presidential Primary election. All the support groups campaigning for the President were directed to collapse their campaigns under the GSG.
GSG as a Jonathan's campaign organisation were managed by Stella Oduah and Ahmed Gulak before they were appointed Minister of Aviation and Political Adviser to the President respectively.
Gulak was later sacked and Oduah relieved of her ministerial position. A presidency source told THISDAY that GSG was dumped because of the controversy and discredit of their leaders.
In the process to activate the Jonathan's campaign, a new group named Vibrant Transformation Awareness and Leadership Development Initiative (VITALDI) was formed.
According to inside sources, the group led by Prof Jerry Gana as grand patron and Senator Saidu Kumo as national coordinator has Hon Ifeyinwa Obegolu as secretary.
The inauguration of the new group in Abuja was attended by former Defence Minister of State, Erelu Olusola Obada, former Chief of Air Staff, Marshal Ibrahim Alfa, former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, Chairman, Police Service Commission, ex-I.G Mike Okiro , Sen. Stella Omu, Dr. Ifeyinwa Obegolu, former Internal Affairs Minister, Dr. Mohammed Shata, former House Leader, Tunde Akogun, Hon.Yakubu Barde , Mr. Enonche Ugbabe, PDP BoT member, Dr. Christy Tafida Silas, AIG Felix Ogbuadu, former FCT Police Commisioner, Lawrence Alobi, among others.
Before moving to their new office, the new campaign group operated from the PDP Legacy Office in Maitama, Abuja.
Speakers at the inauguration, called for re-awakening of a strong and sustainable ethical structure that can grow and nurture a robust purpose-driven leadership recruitment process where Nigeria’s future leaders are mentored for governance excellence in all segments of the Nigerian society.
The call was made in Abuja yesterday by former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, the Political Adviser to the President , Prof. Ahmed Rufai Alkali and the National Coordinator of Vibrant Transformation Awareness and Leadership Development Initiative (VITALDI), Senator Saidu Umar Kumo.
They spoke at the International Conference Centre Abuja, venue of a capacity-crowd formal inauguration of VITALDI which said yesterday that it emerged as a group of like-minded citizens seeking to promote, project and preserve certain fundamental gains and developmental strides of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration ahead of 2015.
Gana, who is the Grand Patron of the new group, observed that the need had come for all true citizens of the country to collaborate urgently and ensure that Nigeria remained on the path of sustainable growth and development.
According to him, the current challenges of national rebirth is not solely for the Federal Government to address but for all the critical segments of the Nigerian society starting from the led to the leader, the governed and the governing.
“The current moment in the country belongs to all Nigerians irrespective of race, region or religion, creed or class, male or female, young or old, political party A or political party B. It is for all Nigerians to rise and ensure that our collective destiny is not derailed by a common enemy attempting to seize the moment. It is for all patriotic Nigerians to ensure that they are driven by a common purpose to defeat the common enemy.
“Leaders must therefore emerge to lead at every segment of the nation. For such leaders to lead well, there should be a robust leadership recruitment process which also emphasises robust mentorship. This is what I find needful now and which the VITALDI group seeks to achieve. We fully support it”, he said.
He further noted that the outcome of the recent Ekiti State governorship election in which the incumbent governor honourably accepted defeat was a direct outcome of the conducive atmosphere created by President Goodluck Jonathan’s adherence to the principle of one man, one vote where free, fair, credible and transparent elections create peace, order and good governance.
“Mr. President’s one man, one vote is a principle not only fashioned by a wonderful leader but that which works wonders. We can get things right in this country but that is only when and where the leadership offers good leadership. The recent Ekiti election outcome was made possible because the leader in Mr. President pointed to the right way. The challenge therefore is for all Nigerians of goodwill to point the right way. This is what makes the leader”, he said.
In his own remark, Political Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Prof. Ahmed Rufai Alkali said that President Jonathan was a modern national leader who is fired by the vision and zeal to get the right things done in order to lift the nation from the low plains to the high pedestal, pointing out that the ongoing Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government was conceived as a means of repositioning the country to become a leading politically-stable, economically-viable and socially-responsive nation within the comity of nations.
“A nation is a function of its leadership. True leaders in history emerged according to the demands of their era. Great leaders become great leaders when they do great things. What makes an ordinary man like President Goodluck Jonathan a great leader is because he is doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways and the highpoint of which is to pass the template to others to become leaders in their little corners. This is where this group VITALDI is a pleasant development in the evolution of the modern Nigerian nation,” he said.
Prof. Alkali appealed to all Nigerians to embrace and preach peace always. He also called for bipartisan collaboration among all stakeholders in order to create a partnership that works well for the actualisation of the dreams and visions of the nation’s founding fathers. He expressed the President’s unshaken belief in the unity, stability and indivisibility of Nigeria, saying that the greatness of the country lay in the hands of citizens.
VITALDI’s National Coordinator, Senator Saidu Umar Kumo, who is a delegate at the ongoing National Political Conference, said the group was formed to raise the ethical bar in the country’s march to greatness, adding that it will promote, project and preserve certain ethical values which President Jonathan has espoused toward developing positive leadership values in the country.
“VITALDI aspires to take the lead in mobilising and galvanising massive support for Mr. President’s re-election bid. It is his fundamental, justiceable and inalienable right to seek re-election under the constitution. His government has started to redress identified inequities and impurities in critical sectors such as electoral reforms, power, security, agriculture, health, education, telecommunications, youth development, oil and gas, water, diplomacy, public service, housing, solid minerals, etc”, he said.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of Ikeja High Court yesterday dismissed the application filed by two oil marketers, Mahmud Tukur and Alex Ochonogor, seeking to quash the N1.8 billion fuel subsidy fraud charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The judge ruled that the application was premature. Tukur and Ochonogor had in a preliminary objection, filed through their lawyer, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), asked the court to quash the charge on the ground that the proof of evidence did not support the offences alleged against them.
The oil marketers were arraigned alongside their company, Eterna Oil and Gas Plc and another marketer, Abdullahi Alao, son of an Ibadan-based businessman, Alhaji Abdullazeez Arikesola-Alao on a nine-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and use of false documents.
The EFCC accused the oil marketers of obtaining N1.8 billion from the Federal Government for a purported importation of 80.3 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit.
Ruling on the application yesterday, Justice Lawal-Akapo said some of the issues raised by Oyetibo, particularly the sufficiency of evidence in the charge against the defendants could be raised after the prosecution closes its case. "It is the law that the court cannot delve into substantive issues at the interlocutory stage.
"Section 260 (2) of the ACJL provides that an objection to the sufficiency of the proof of evidence shall not be raised until the closure of the prosecution's case. "The provision is a mandatory requirement which renders the application premature," Lawal-Akapo said.
Moving the application then, Oyetibo had argued that the proof of evidence did not support the offences alleged against the oil marketers, adding that the criminal charge against his clients was an abuse of court process and they should be discharged.
According to him, the charge before the court arose from a joint venture agreement between Eterna Plc, Axenergy Ltd., Sahara Energy Resources and Ontario Oil for the importation of fuel.
He had further argued that Section 10 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act did not empower the EFCC to charge the defendants to court for transactions carried out by Eterna Plc.
Responding, the EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had said Section 260 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State prohibited the court from entertaining such applications.
The matter was adjourned till September15 for commencement of trial.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
More Commissioners may soon disengage from the cabinet of Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State over their ambition to contest the 2015 gubernatorial election in the state.
Already, the former Secretary to the State Government, Umana Okon Umana, former Commissioners for Finance and his Rural Development counterpart, Mr. Bassey Albert Akpan and Effiong Abia respectively had since left the state cabinet in pursuance of the 2015 governorship race.
The latest entrant in the governorship battle in the state is the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ekpenyong Eyo Ntekim from Okobo local government area, Eket Senatorial District of the state.
At the weekend, Ntekim secured royal and political blessings from the Paramount ruler of Okobo local government as well as ward and chapter leaderships of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of the area for him to contest the governorship election in the state.
At the Palace of the Paramount Ruler, His Royal Majestic Obong Bassey Andem Ibok said members of his cabinet were solidly behind Ntekim in the contest and advised him to go about his consultations and campaigns constructively and peacefully.
Praying for the Governorship hopeful, the king regretted the long neglect of the area in term of provision of social amenities, road and youth unemployment just as the ward and chapter leaderships pledged to total loyalty to ensure his ambition materialised.
They described Ntekim as a very frank and focused person with a clean record both in his political and administrative careers hence their decision to support his ambition.
Acknowledging the royal blessing, Ntekim who is a one- time State Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) said the doubting Thomas must be told that he was very resolute and firm to contest the governorship election in the state come 2015. “I am here to inform you that I have decided to contest the 2015 governorship election. We have rolled out programmes and cannot go back. I want to contest election for the office of Governor in Akwa Ibom State", he said.
“Please be frank and honest to me, if you don’t want me to contest open up. I am not coming here to deceive or lie to you. I am not contesting for councillor, chairman, State or Federal legislators or President but as Akwa Ibom State Governor.
“It is not by force but it is my personal decision to contest and very determine. If the royal fathers, the ward and chapter leaderships take a decision that I should not contest I will accept it. I am here to seek your prayers, endorsement and support”, Ntekim said
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The latest election snap poll results for the 2015 general elections have revealed that the three main factors that affect the voting behaviour of Nigerian voters are Political aspirants (41 per cent), Political parties(21 per cent) and Traditional media (TV, radio & Newspapers) (19 per cent).
According to the release by NOIPolls yesterday and signed by the Chief Operating Officer/ Director of Research NOIPolls, Dr. Bell Ihua, more female respondents were influenced by Political aspirants (46 per cent) and Political parties (23 per cent), while more male respondents are influenced by the Traditional media (23 per cent).
Ihua said that more findings revealed that almost four in 10 (38 per cent) of Nigerians were willing to accept a gift from a political party or aspirant if offered, and the majority (62 per cent) would like to receive money as a gift.
However, he noted, when asked if the gift would influence their decisions, only 12 per cent admitted a gift would certainly affect their voting decisions.
Furthermore, he said, the willingness to accept a gift decreased with a progression in age since respondents aged between 18-21 years (65 per cent) were most willing to accept a gift, and is also most likely to be influenced by a gift (43 per cent) in their voting decisions. These were some of the key findings from the recent Countdown to the 2015 Election poll conducted in the week of June 16th 2014. Ihua explained that the findings on the poll opinion were conducted between June16th to 17th 2014 by NOIPolls Limited.
He said that "a sample of 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerian adults, aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed by telephone using randomly generated numbers".
According to the Chief Operating Officer/ Director of Research, all sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage and measurement error, however with a sample of this size there is 95 per cent confidence that the results obtained are statistically accurate (given a range of plus or minus three per cent).
In Nigeria, Ihua added, there are internal and external factors that affect the voting decisions of citizens which in turn have implications on the overall outcome of elections.
He noted that "these are often the most crucial elements of elections in Nigeria because they are not limited to political parties, aspirants and the obligation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in conducting a free and fair election".
"NOIPolls conducted its latest Countdown to the 2015 Election poll with a focus on factors that influence voting decisions during elections which could in turn affect the voters’ behaviour and the outcome of elections", he said.
The Countdown to the 2015 Election Poll is conducted bi-monthly by NOIPolls; the first one was conducted in February 2014.
NOIPolls Limited, number one for country specific polling services in West Africa, works in technical partnership with the Gallup Organisation (USA), to conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
In the bid to consolidate on the gains of the Ekiti elections and ensure the Peoples Democratic Party,(PDP) records a landslide victory in 2015, the party has been advised to stick with internal democracy and avoid propping up candidates who do not reflect the wishes of the people as such could spell doom for the party and affect its electoral fortune.
In the same vein, the party was urged to adhere strictly to internal democracy which should be paramount to all stakeholders.
The group under the auspices of Orange Movement in a statement signed yesterday by its National Coordinator, Mr. Kesimba Agba, also congratulated the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu and the PDP Governor elect of Ekiti State, Chief Ayo Fayose for the resounding victory the party recorded in the last governorship elections in Ekiti State.
Agba said that the Group, which is a grassroots mobilisation and advocacy group, committed to the ideals of a credible, vibrant and a people-oriented electoral system, is satisfied that PDP won the elections through a very a transparent process, which conforms to the ideals, vision and aspiration of the Movement.
He said: “As we build-up gradually to the 2015 general elections, internal democracy should be paramount to stakeholders within the Party should be paramount to stakeholders.
" Anything short of propping up candidates who do not reflect the wishes of the people would spell doom for the Party and definitely affect its electoral fortunes in 2015".
"Let the feat achieved in Ekiti be replicated in all other states of the federation so that the people’s Democratic Party will ultimately achieve a landslide victory come 2015", he added.
According to Agba, there were certain things the National leadership of PDP can do to put the Party in a proper footing preparatory to the 2015 general elections and one of such things was to ensure that the forthcoming governorship primaries were not only free and fair but devoid of rancour "especially in Cross River State where it is perceived that the State Chapter of the Party is already manipulating the process perhaps to achieve a pre-determined motive.
“It is our position that All Aspirants should be accorded a level playing ground at the Primaries, and no individual or groups within the Party should be given undue advantage over the other.
"The electorate must be given the opportunities to decide who governs them come 2015. What happened in Ekiti state is what we want in cross river an election that would reflect the wishes and true aspiration of the people of the state".
“We are very practical. I am ready. I am prepared,” Senator Abaribe assured the party faithful, adding that he has been tested and trusted hence “you don’t need to go far to look for acceptable hand”.
He said that before coming to make his ambition public at the party secretariat he had gone to all the three senatorial zones and consulted adequately with stakeholders, including the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji.
Abaribe, a former deputy governor and now a two term Senator, said that he was well prepared to take another shot at the governorship seat to continue with the ongoing transformation of Abia under the present administration.
“It is our mission to sustain the transformation of Abia state to a technological and agricultural power house in Nigeria,” he said. According to him, the prevailing peace and security in Abia “will continue to be given prime attention by our government in a systematic way (in order) to make Abia an attractive place for all and sundry to come and do business”.
Alluding to his perceived rigid principle, Abaribe explained: “I’m not strong willed to oppress others; I’m strong willed to prevent oppression of people”.
Abia PDP chairman, Senator Emma Nwaka, who led the party executives to receive Abaribe and his entourage, expressed appreciation to the Abia South Senator for honouring the state party leadership by coming to declare his ambition. He assured that the party would have a peaceful primary election to choose its flag bearer, adding that the field would be made level enough for all contestants. Nwaka acknowledged that it would not be easy for the ruling party to choose its flag bearer given that “we have capable hands” among the people aspiring to get the gubernatorial ticket of the party.
The party chairman called on the PDP faithful to continue to give their cooperation to the party leadership in order to ensure a hitch free primaries , noting that the performance of the PDP in the recent governorship election in Ekiti State showed that the “party is where to be”.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
General Victor Malu (rtd) is now doing well after a long battle with ill-health. Or have people forgotten so soon the tough and courageous officer who was appointed to the powerful post of Chief of Army Staff by former President Obasanjo in 1999? A bit of mental juggling would not be out of place.
General Malu was one of the commanders of late General Sani Abacha in war-torn West African states. A fine officer and gentleman, General Malu would on return to the country after his ECOMOG tour of duty become the head of the kangaroo panel that prosecuted former number two man under Abacha, Oladipupo Diya, and some other top army officers for trumped-up charges of treason.
An unabashed Abacha acolyte, it was under his command that the army invaded Odi, a rustic community in Bayelsa State, and rendered it bereft of fauna and flora. Indeed, Malu had a chequered career in the army. But since his controversial retirement, the former jolly-go-fellow has seemingly gone underground. The last we heard about him was that he took ill and was flown to one of the most expensive hospitals in the United Kingdom. But the man known as ‘Lion’ back in his days as an army officer is back and is now keeping a very low profile and wonderfully doing well with his health.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
There are three things that Ayo Fayose told me during a lively and prolonged discussion in my hotel suite at the Ideal Nest Hotel in Osogbo, Osun state a few months ago. The first was that I would eventually leave the APC and that the reason that I hadn’t left at that time was because I didn’t know them yet.
In order to prove his point, he told me about what they had put him through when he left the PDP and joined their ranks a few years back (they were known as the ACN at the time) and how after a series of betrayals, misunderstandings and insults, he had no choice but to go back to the PDP where at least ‘’freedom of expression and differing opinions were welcome’’ as he so aptly put it. He said that he gave me just a few more months and that after that I would ‘’come back home’’ to the PDP just as he had done before. The second thing that he told me was that he would become the flagbearer of the PDP and that he would defeat my brother Governor Kayode Fayemi in the governorship election in Ekiti state. He concluded by saying that this would mark the beginning of the end of the APC in the south-west and indeed in the whole of Nigeria.
I did not accept any of his projections and predictions but it is self-evident that he has been proved right in all three. Not only did I discover, albeit the hard way, what the APC and it’s self-proclaimed ‘’owners’’ were really like and what their real agenda was, but I also left the party and ‘’went back home’’ to PDP just a few months later. He also made good his threat, won the PDP primaries and went on to defeat Kayode Fayemi in the governership election of Ekiti State a few months later. He has been proved right on the third count as well because the signs of ‘’the beginning of the end’’ for the APC had already started appearing long ago. With the way in which many notable leaders of the party have jumped ship in the last few weeks and months, including Ibrahim Shekarau, Attahiru Bafawara, Marcus Gundiri, Dele Belgore, Buba Marwa, yours truly and a number of others and with the quiet grumblings from within by a handful of notable and more respectable figures like Tom Ikimi, Ali Modu Sheriff, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, Segun Osoba, Niyi Adebayo and a number of others who have rightly expressed strong reservations about the way that they have been treated by the ‘’powers that be’’ from within, it is clear that the APC is not only finished but that after the special convention for its Presidential primaries in November, it will explode in a very dramatic manner. Fayose appears to have had the gift of foresight in all these matters.
Once again I offer a hearty congratulations to him and to the entire leadership of the Ekiti state PDP on their historic victory in the governorship election that took place in their state on 21st June 2014. The people of Ekiti have spoken and their choice MUST be respected by all. My heart goes out to my brother Kayode Fayemi who fought gallantly but lost the election and who remains not only a man of honour and unimpeachable integrity but also one of the finest minds in the country. He is certainly one of the most cerebral, disciplined, compassionate, accommodating and civilized leaders that the APC has within its ranks and one of those that gave it a semblance of integrity and credibility. His state broadcast where he conceded defeat to Fayose proves my point and it speaks volume. He is a first class gentleman and a good sport. Unlike most of those in his party, he knows when to call it quit and he respects the choice of the people. That is worth commending and it is worthy of emulation.
By that single act alone, Fayemi has guaranteed a place for himself in the future of Yoruba and Nigerian politics and if he can only change parties and leave the Almajiris, he will still go very far indeed. For him, the future is still very bright and the sky is the limit. I salute his courage and commend his past efforts for Nigeria and for his state. Yet the truth must be told. And that truth is that whether they want to accept it or not, the people of Ekiti State sent a very strong signal to the national leadership and stakeholders of the Almajiri People’s Congress during the election. The rejection of Fayemi at the polls had as much to do with the disgust and opprobrium that most people in the South West and indeed the country harbour and hold for the tiny cabal of dictators and demi-gods that constitute the APC leadership as much as it does for anything else. Their message is simple and clear and it is as follows: 1) They should stop playing religious politics, stop being petty and stop trying to implement a Muslim agenda in our country. 2) They should stop behaving like a primitive cult where only the opinion of one or two leaders matter and where dissent and differing opinions have no place, 3) They should stop trying to demean others and stop treating them with contempt, 4) They should stop arrogating all knowledge and all power to just a handful of people at the top that have clearly lost touch with reality. 5) They should stop taking others for granted and stop calling our Yoruba obas ‘’useless’’. 6) They should stop telling people the most disgusting, hateful, shameful and monumental lies about others. 7) They should rid themselves of their slave mentality and stop playing second fiddle to those that believe that they own Nigeria. 8) They should stop trying to enslave their people by returning the hegemonists to power through the back door in Nigeria. The simple truth is that God has turned His back on the Almajiri’s Peoples Congress. This is because of the atrocities that are being committed by a few of their leaders right at the top, because of their evil, covert and subterranean agenda, because they wish to turn the Yoruba, and indeed the entire southern part of the country, into perpetual slaves and because of their patently and unapologetic anti-Christian agenda.
Given the history of our country and the suffering of the people of the South West over the last 53 years since we gained independence from the British, no true Yoruba nationalist should have anything to do with them. I say this because to say that you are a Yoruba nationalist and at the same time you are working day and night to hand over power to a die-hard, ultra-conservative, hegemonistic, brutal dictator and despot who believes that Nigeria was bequeathed to him and to his people by God and his forefathers, is a contradiction in terms. Anything and anyone is better than that and no self-respecting Yoruba man, southerner or indeed middle-belter would ever do such a thing. Let those that have slavish souls continue to attempt to turn us all into the slaves of our collective oppressors and throw us into perpetual bondage: the rest of us will stand against them, expose them, resist them, defeat them and flush them down the toilet where they belong.
God has rejected the Almajiri Peoples Congress and the sooner they accept that hard fact and bitter truth the better it will be for them and for Nigeria. Yesterday it was Ekiti. Tomorrow it will be Osun. We will not rest until every inch of Yorubaland and, indeed Nigeria, is freed from the grip of the Almajiri Peoples Congress and their insidious and desperate Haramite allies. The days of fooling the people and winning elections by propaganda, intimidation, lies, threats and coercion are long over. The people of Ekiti have spoken and soon the rest of Nigeria shall speak as well. For the Almajiri Peoples Congress and their Haramite allies, it is all over. A new era for Ekiti begins today whilst another one ends. Yet everyone appears to be smiling and that is precisely how it ought to be. There also appears to be a distinct atmosphere of hope in the air and a new-found, refreshing and distinct sense of unity of purpose coupled with a firm resolve to allow peace to reign and to let bygones be bygones. This is a classic example of what the late Waziri Ibrahim of the defunct GNPP labeled as ‘’politics without bitterness’’ and it is very refreshing. I was particularly touched by Fayose’s declaration that there was ‘’no victor and no vanquished’’ after the election and by his promise to work with Fayemi and the Labour Party gubernatorial candidate, Opeyemi Bamidele to ‘’move the state forward’’. I salute his magnanimity in victory. I also salute the sheer courage of Fayemi and Bamidele to accept defeat in good faith and I commend them both for stretching out their hand of friendship to the winner of the election. All three of these gentlemen are well known to me and they are my friends and brothers. They are also proud sons of the Yoruba who have proved to the world that politics in the South-West can be played without any violence, rancor and bitterness. I wish them all the very best in their future endeavours.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
For Mrs. Ethel Nebo-Ezeabasili, the ousted former Chairman of the Enugu State Universal Education Board, it was sweet victory as an Enugu State High Court Presided over by Justice C.I Nwobodo last week declared her premature removal from office in 2012 as illegal and unconstitutional.
In a ruling that lasted several hours, the Court also awarded a N10 million damages and a N100,000 cost against the Governor Sullivan Chime-led government for “illegal and unconstitutional actions against” Ezeabasili.
Mrs. Ezeabasili had approached the State High Court in Enugu to declare her removal from office as illegal and unconstitutional and to award her damages over a trumped up allegation that she embezzled over N245 million belonging to the Enugu State Government. Meanwhile, Ezeabasili who had fled the State over alleged attempts on her could not be reached to react to the judgment. However, her lawyer Chief Tagbo Ike said he was happy that the attempt to tarnish the integrity and reputation his client had built over the years had failed. He described the judgment as a “triumph of justice over injustice and impunity”. “This shows that evil and political tyranny will never prevail over truth, justice, and due process forever”, he stressed. On his part, a civil society activist, Mr. Damian Okenwa described the judgment as victory for democracy. He added: “The fact that the ruling was given by a courageous and Honourable Justice of the Enugu State High Court against a sitting government of the same state shows that the judiciary remains the last hope of the common man; and that all hope is not lost for this nation.
“The ruling is another food for thought for the State Government and a warning to retrace its steps. She has won the war by exposing to the world the manner of government we have in the state.” He further stressed that the former Enugu State SUBEB Chairman had also made a point to the effect that “a public servant who has integrity and courage can say no to corrupt orders from even at his or her own peril”. It could be recalled that Ezeabasili was prematurely removed from office in 2012 following an alleged running battle between her and the Chief of Staff to Governor Sullivan Chime, Mrs. Nwobodo over the running of the State Universal Basic Education Board. In a petition at the time to the Insector-General of Police entitled “Save my Soul: Threat to My Life, Harassment and Intimidation by Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo, Chief of Staff to the Governor of Enugu State” and dated February 13, 2013, Mrs. Ezeabasili had alleged that the crux of the onslaught against her by Mrs. Nwobodo was her “principled stand against irregularities in award of contract.” She alleged that once she fought for and the state was able to access the matching grant for years 2009, 2010, and 2011, the Chief of Staff set up what she called Education Sector Committee with herself (Mrs. Nwobodo) as the Chairman and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Compliance, Mrs. Uche Nwoye as the Secretary. Other members were Commissioner for Education, Dr. Simon Ortuanya; the ENSUBEB Chairman, Mrs. Ethel Nebo Ezeabasili; former Attorney-General of Enugu State, Barr. Nduka Ikeyi; Executive Secretary, Economic Planning Commission, Mr. Dan Onyishi; and four Local Government Council Chairmen led by Mr. Cornelius Nnaji allegedly married to the governor’s relation. She alleged that after several breach of the national Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC guidelines, which the Executive Secretary of SPEB and herself called the attention of both the Governor and Mrs. Nwobodo severally to, another action plan was prepared to match the design of Mrs. Nwobodo.
She alleged: “As soon as the Action Plan was approved, the Commissioner for Education in a letter Ref ENS/ME/COM/253/11/227 dated 10th July, 2012 informed me that a committee had been set up for the award of ENSUBEB Contracts. I was completely excluded. The Contract Award Committee rather than considering all the applications only considered a few and approved only four companies to execute a contract of 583 projects. “The companies’ names so approved were” New Techniques Nigeria Limited, Raycon Nigeria Limited, J&J Techno Nigeria Limited, and Akiota Work Nigeria Limited”. “By the Procurement Act, no contractor is expected to tender or be awarded more than one lot, but in this case, the committee approved only four companies to execute 583 projects, in spite of the fact that I told them that it was not politically expedient and did not follow Due Process,” she alleged The former ENSUBEB Chairman also alleged that in addition to the N3.6 billion and 583 projects being carried out by four companies, “Eremite Ltd was to roof all the school buildings while Intercolour Paints Ltd which was actually fronts was to supply all the paintings. “I pointed out to them that the unit cost for the chairs was N8,000 by UBEC, but the Executive Secretary, Mr. Dan Onyishi was directed by the Chief of Staff to increase the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Education to accommodate the increase to N29,000, and that will be an extra N21,000 (Twenty One Thousand Naira) per chair”, she alleged.
Mrs. Ezeabasili explained that she held a meeting with the Chief of Staff on 30th October 2013, in which she told her that the method of the award of contracts was wrong, but was seriously upbraided by Mrs. Nwobodo. Her words: “She shouted at me, raised threats and abuses and told me that His Excellency would do nothing as she was in control of Enugu State. She even boasted that His Excellency only views while she approves, and walked me out of her office. She told me there and then that I was joking with my life. “She even threatened to deal with me and ensure that His Excellency removes me as Chairman of ENSUBEB.” The embattled former ENSUBEB Chairman told the Police IG in her petition that following the Chief of Staff’s directives, a pre-bid meeting was held on 31st October 2010, but unknown to her, while the meeting was going on, Mrs. Nwobodo, “sent people from the Government House and with the aid of Mr. Sylvester Nwoye, carted away 43 files in respect of projects without approval from me as Chief Executive and Accounting Officer”. She also complained that Mr. Nwoye who claimed protection by powers from above had bluntly refused to answer a query by the Head of Administration seeking explanation as to on whose authority he released the files. This and other such events resulted in a petition dated 2nd November 2012 by Mrs. Ezeabasili to the Director, State Security Service alleging an attempt on her life between Michael Okpara Square, Enugu and her office at the time. She alleged: “A group of boys in a vehicle pursued my car trying to overtake it and making effort to block me, but I narrowly escaped. Same day at night, there were gunshots in front of my house. I am in great danger. I could not sleep in my house last night and so had to escape to a church where I passed the night to avoid being killed.”
The ousted ENSUBEB Chairman told the Police IG that things came to the worst when she could not open the bids which Mrs Nwobodo had allegedly restricted to only the four companies she listed, as other contractors went to court based on which one Barrister Ivy Obi and a Court Bailiff, one Obi served her and ENSUBEB restricting her from opening the bids. She alleged that she was attacked by the Chief of Staff’s men in her Office once she announced she would not be able to open the bids based on the court processes and also refused to hand them the bid despite endless calls from the Chief of Staff and her cohorts. She added: “I narrowly escaped death in my office; and later over thirty policemen and soldiers rushed into my office and remained there for days, while Mrs. Nwobodo phoned me and was mad at me. “A distress call warned me to leave Enugu and that if I stayed till the next day, it would be difficult to leave town as the Chief of Staff had given directives to shoot me. I left Enugu hurriedly at 6.45 pm and took the new road to Abuja. I was on exile for two months during which period my 34 years old son who works in the Office of the Commissioner for Agriculture died. I could not see his corpse and I had no privilege of being at his burial.
“When the Chief of Staff, Ifeoma Nwobodo could not collect the bids from me or kill me, she, along with the Secretary to the State Government hurriedly dissolved my Board, which is tenure-based (to finally have he way) and I am challenging it in court.” The embattled Mrs. Ezeabasili explained that on her return to Enugu on 20th January 2013, the Attorney-General of Enugu State, aided and abetted by the Chief of Staff, Nwobodo, had written to the Nigeria Police informing them that she defrauded Enugu of over N245 Million.
She described the charges as trumped up and ironical because she was the one that tried best possible to preserve her integrity and state funds. She said: “After careful and prudent vetting and auditing of salaries and leave allowances of primary school teachers (on assumption of office), my Board saved a total of N454 Million in ENSUBEB Local Government Authority Account; On April 2011, this sum was released to Government through JAAC for the payment of May 2011 salaries of teachers. My action did not go down well with my board members because they were angry that I declared the whole sum to Government and since then I have known no peace”. “I have worked assiduously in my job to justify the confidence His Excellency reposed in me; unfortunately, my efforts to move education forward is being watered down by people like Mrs. Nwobodo who are in government and whose main preoccupation is to frustrate genuine efforts of hardworking and committed individuals like me, while ensuring that they give His Excellency the erroneous impression that they are loyal to him,” she had concluded.” While the Enugu people are all ears as they await the compliance of the Governor-Chime led administration to the court verdict, for Ezeabasili, a renowned politicians and woman activist, it is indeed a long walk to justice.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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