THERE’S A SECRET MEMO IN GOVT AGAINST THE IGBO – SOWORE
THERE’S A SECRET MEMO IN GOVT AGAINST THE IGBO – SOWORE Nigerian politician and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has claimed that there exists a confidential memorandum within the government advising caution regarding the Igbo people. The 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) said the memo warns against an Igbo presidency. Sowore asserted that the Igbo community cannot prosper under the present structure of the nation, emphasizing that Nigeria must undergo a division for their survival. Sowore made these remarks during a recent episode of the Honest Bunch Podcast, which is co-hosted by actor Chinedu Ani Emmanuel, known as Nedu. He said, “Nigeria has an Igbo problem. There is a secret memo in the government to be careful of Igbos. The memo is against giving the Igbos political positions and opportunities. “For an Igbo man to survive in Nigeria as it is currently put together, Nigeria must break.” Meanwhile, an elder statesman, Chike Obidigbo, has warned Bianca Ojukwu that any attempt to use her appointment to halt the secessionist agitations of the Igbos would be resisted. Naija News reports that Ojukwu was among the seven new ministers sworn into office by Tinubu. Reacting to the development in a statement made available to newsmen, Obidigbo stated that the widow of the late Igbo leader, Dim Emeka Ojukwu, possessed impeccable credentials needed for nation building. He disagreed with those who suggested that Ojukwu should have rejected the appointment.
APPEAL COURT SETS UP PANEL OVER RIVERS POLITICAL CRISIS
APPEAL COURT SETS UP PANEL OVER RIVERS POLITICAL CRISIS The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem has set up a three-member special panel to hear all appeals relating to the political disputes in Rivers State, including the one between Governor Simianalayi Fubara and the House of Assembly. According to reports, the panel, led by Justice Onyekachi Otisi, has scheduled its first sitting for Thursday. Other members of the panel are Justices Misitura Bokaji-Yusuf and James Abundaga. On Monday, a panel of the court adjourned three appeals relating to the Rivers State political crises till Thursday for the consideration of the Justice Otisi led special panel. At the mention of the first appeal on Monday, Justice Justice Hamma Barka, who presided, noted that the 13th to 18th defendants were not yet served. Responding, appellant’s lawyer, Paul Erokoro (SAN) said in view of the non-service on some of the parties, the appellant shall take steps to ensure service on parties that have not been served. He said the appeal, filed by the Government of Rovers State against the Rivers State House of Assembly and 17 others, “is one of those Rivers matters for which a special panel was constituted”. He then urged the court to adjourn till 14 November when the panel will commence sitting.
NJC, COURT OF APPEAL DISPEL RUMOURS OF DEATH OF JUSTICES WHO UPHELD TINUBU’S ELECTION
NJC, COURT OF APPEAL DISPEL RUMOURS OF DEATH OF JUSTICES WHO UPHELD TINUBU’S ELECTION The National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Court of Appeal have denied reports of the mysterious deaths of two of the justices who upheld the election of President Bola Tinubu in 2023. According to the NJC and the Court of Appeal, these claims are false and misleading. The rumours suggested that two of the five justices on the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal—Justice Mistura Bolaji-Yusuf and Justice Boloukuoromo Moses Ugo—died under suspicious circumstances. Social media posts claimed Justice Bolaji-Yusuf was found dead just hours after appearing to be in good health. Another rumour stated that Justice Ugo allegedly passed away following strange noises from his room, with family members reportedly finding him bleeding and unresponsive. However, the NJC in a statement by its Secretary, Ahmed Gambo Saleh, labelled the reports as completely false. “Please ignore the news; it is a lie. The Justices are alive, well, and doing their jobs,” Saleh assured the public. Additionally, a senior official from the Court of Appeal condemned the rumours. The official described them as “the work of mischief-makers” and said that the justices were in good health. It should be recalled that the panel of judges which upheld the election results of the February 25, 2023, presidential election, declared Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the legitimate winner. The tribunal dismissed petitions from opposition candidates Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), who both contested the results.
UNLIKE YOU I’M NOT A BIGOT, WICKEDNESS IS EXTRAORDINARY FOR T-PAIN, ATIKU REPLIES TINUBU
UNLIKE YOU, I’M NOT A BIGOT, WICKEDNESS IS EXTRAORDINARY FOR T-PAIN, ATIKU REPLIES TINUBU Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies and approach to governance is killing Nigerians, and this should be his focus rather than attacking the opposition which is not in the saddle.Naija News reports that Atiku said this in a statement on Monday by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in reaction to a statement by the Presidency on Sunday.The former Vice President said, “On July 8, 2024, Tinubu announced that import duty on essential goods like food would be lifted for 150 days. But over 120 days later, the policy is yet to take off, while Nigerians continue to die daily due to increasing costs, including food inflation, which now exceeds 40%, the highest in decades.“The brazen disobedience to a government policy by Tinubu’s appointees and the failure of the finance ministry to issue a gazette after over four months reflects the fatuousness, inanity and the incompetence that characterizes the Tinubu administration.“Sadly, rather than focus on governance, they are preoccupied with verbally assaulting their opponents – Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi – while using compromised courts to foster crisis in the opposition. What a shame!”Atiku argued that Tinubu’s abysmal performance in the last 18 months had made it clear to all Nigerians that he came into office unprepared, hence the many policy flip flops that has so far characterised his tenure.He said that Tinubu was obviously unprepared for office, adding that the President acts first and thinks of the consequences afterwards.“This was why he announced an abrupt removal of petrol subsidy without any cushions. After seeing the effect, he then hurriedly decided to push a CNG initiative, which even he and his ministers have not embraced, hence their refusal to use it,” the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate said.Atiku pointed out that the CNG initiative has so far failed to fully kick off because of a lack of gas infrastructure in most states, stressing that the result is that transport costs continue to soar along with prices of food.He said: “In his mid-term expenditure framework, he projected the exchange rate at N700/$1 in 2024 and N650/$1 by 2025. Rather than sack his economic advisers, he continues to live in a fool’s paradise, deceiving Nigerians about the FX reserve of $40bn when, in fact, the net reserves are less than 20% of that. Let the CBN release its financial statements of 2023 if he is sure of his achievements.”Atiku described as unfortunate the announcement by the military authorities on the emergence of a new terror organization known as Lakurawa.He argued that coupled with the incessant grid collapses in the north due to the activities of criminal elements, Tinubu ought to focus more on improving security, which is a sine qua non for investments.The former Vice President argued that the President had decided to play politics with security by appointing his kinsmen in top security and economic positions.“Even on the economy, he put his kinsmen in every key position beginning from finance minister, trade and investment, CBN, customs and FIRS. Even President Muhammadu Buhari was not this brazen.“Unlike Tinubu, Atiku is not a bigot. He has also not refunded money to the United States for alleged drugs trafficking,” the statement added.He said despite a huge revenue challenge, Tinubu commits over $13bn to the controversial Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, rendering scores of Lagos residents homeless just to please his associates while other pressing matters are starved of funds.Atiku advised Tinubu to make hay while the sun shines as Nigerians had grown tired of his administration.He said the President has just barely two years left in office and he should focus on improving the lives…
TINUBU’S EX-MINISTER KICKS AGAINST REMOVAL, SAYS HE’S NOT GUILTY
TINUBU’S EX-MINISTER KICKS AGAINST REMOVAL,, SAYS HE’S NOT GUILTY The sacked Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Gwarzo, has kicked against his removal from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet. Gwarzo claimed that he was not guilty of poor performance. In a cabinet reshuffle on October 23, 2024, Tinubu dismissed Gwarzo alongside four other ministers. The other dismissed ministers are Minister of Women Affairs, Uju-Ken Ohanenye, Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, and the Minister of Youth Development, Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim. Commenting on the development, Gwarzo said the president informed him about the decision to relive him of his duties before the decision was made public. Speaking with BBC Hausa, the sacked minister said: “I was surprised because I wasn’t found guilty of any wrongdoing or poor performance. “And I was minister of state, with the senior minister overseeing a large portion of the Ministry’s activities. “Before the announcement, the President had informed me of his decision. “He said Kano North was overloaded with political officers, hence the need to strike a balance. We gave our advice, but it was ignored. “From there, I began to suspect that certain individuals were behind this because, to me, that wasn’t a valid reason. “If the ministerial slot is indeed meant for Kano Central, we have our 2023 governorship candidate who is also our leader in Kano Central. Why not consider giving him the position? “Gawuna should be offered the role first, unless he declines, in which case it could be given to someone else. “All other candidates from Plateau and Zamfara states who contested for the governorships were appointed to positions.”
RENO OMOKRI DEFENDS PETER OBI AGAINST GOOGLE
.RENO OMOKRI DEFENDS PETER OBI AGAINST GOOGLE Controversial political activist, Reno Omokri has defended Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 election following claims that he lied about building a branch of Savannah Bank in Anambra. Omokri said Google’s answer on the issue was wrong. Recall that Omokri since throwing his support for Bola Tinubu after years of mocking him, has been attacking Peter Obi and his followers on social media. He took to his social media page and wrote: “I may have differences with Peter Obi. However, he is not likely to have lied about building a Savannah Bank branch. Google is often right. But it is sometimes not correct. Savannah Bank could not have been founded in 1989, because I remember visiting the Savannah Bank at the current Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, with my late mother as a child. Her office was close by. I also recall visiting Savannah Bank in Port Harcourt when I visited her brother, who played for the Sharks of Port Harcourt Football Club. Both visits were after 1983 and before 1986. During the visit to Port Harcourt, my footballer uncle, Mike Okotie, alias Sunny Sparkle, took this photograph. I was between ten and twelve when this photo was taken. I know this because I checked my passports to know when I was in Nigeria and when I was abroad (I keep meticulous records). If Peter Obi lied, believe me, I would expose him in a way that would make him unable to defend himself. But I will not lie against or endorse lying about a person, even if he is a political opponent, and not speak up to say the truth just because it will benefit a person who sees me as a foe. I went to Chicago State University on September 19, 2022, intending to prove that then-candidate Bola Tinubu did not attend that school. On the contrary, I got incontrovertible documentary and photographic evidence proving that he did, and though it was against my political interests at the time, I spoke the truth. Just as I did with then-candidate Bola Tinubu, I am also doing for Peter Obi. I do not know if he actually built their branch. But I do know that Savannah Bank existed before 1989, contrary to what Google said. And Peter Obi, at that time, had the capacity to build their branch. Irrespective of where we stand on the political divide, let us denounce or praise based on truth, not lies, innuendos, and half-truths.”
Dons Eze
- Foreign Affairs
- November 11, 2024
- 97 views
TRUMP TO KICK-START MASS DEPORTATION OF IMMIGRANTS, PARDON JANUARY 6 RIOTERS ON FIRST DAY AS US PRESIDENT
TRUMP TO KICK-START MASS DEPORTATION OF IMMIGRANTS, PARDON JANUARY 6 RIOTERS ON FIRST DAY AS US PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s plans for his first day in the White House are quite ambitious, to say the least. After being asked if he’d be a dictator if re-elected, Trump responded that he wouldn’t be, “except for Day 1”. His agenda includes mass deportation of migrants, rolling back Biden administration policies on education, reshaping the federal government by firing potentially thousands of federal employees he believes are secretly working against him, and pardoning people who were arrested for their role in the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump plans to kick-start the mass deportation of migrants on his first day, AP News reports. Those arrested for participating in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot can expect pardons from Trump. Trump also mentioned his intentions to “drill, drill, drill” and close the borders. “I want to close the border, and I want to drill, drill, drill,” he said of his Day 1 plans. When he took office in 2017, he also had a long list which included immediately renegotiating trade deals, deporting migrants and putting in place measures to root out government corruption. However, those things didn’t happen all at once. Trump had said in his second term, “within two seconds” of taking office, he would fire Jack Smith, the special counsel who has been prosecuting two federal cases against him. Smith charged Trump last year with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Trump’s options for handling his state conviction in New York are limited. For instance, he cannot pardon himself for state convictions, as Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution only allows presidential pardons for federal offenses. However, as president-elect, Trump may try to leverage his status to expunge his felony conviction or avoid a prison sentence. Trump’s presidential win has put the spotlight on his campaign promise to pardon over 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack. This violent siege, sparked by Trump’s supporters, was an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. During his campaign, Trump referred to the rioters as “unbelievable patriots” and vowed to assist them on his first day in office. As president, Trump has the authority to pardon anyone convicted in federal court, District of Columbia Superior Court, or military court-martial. He can also halt ongoing prosecutions by instructing his attorney general to drop the cases. This move has sparked concerns about accountability and the potential consequences of such pardons. Critics argue that pardoning the rioters would undermine the rule of law and send a worrying message about the consequences of violent actions. Judges handling these cases have condemned Trump’s depiction of the event as a “day of love,” emphasizing the severity of the crimes committed. “I am inclined to pardon many of them,” Trump said on his social media platform in March when announcing the promise. “I can’t say for every single one, because a couple of them, probably they got out of control.”
ABC NWOSU REPLIES GOWON ON FAILURE TO IMPLEMENT ABURI ACCORD
ABC NWOSU REPLIES GOWON ON FAILURE TO IMPLEMENT ABURI ACCORD Former Minister of Health and eminent statesman, PROFESSOR A. B. C. NWOSU, in this interview responded to some of the issues raised by General Yakubu Gowon in his recent interview, on his roles in the Nigeria – Biafra War. He is of the view that there are critical issues that the former Head of State did not address, warning that “Nigeria will continue to be an unstable state until we restructure.” You must have read General Yakubu Gowon’s interview; as a person close to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and final year undergraduate who was politically active, how did you feel at the time?I felt sad. Very sad because I had expected that Gowon would reveal at least some of the things which have bothered me and Ndigbo from 1966 till now. Gowon’s interview was not only sad for me because of his self-serving half-truth but for the major things not said. I don’t think that Gowon believes that total deviation from the Aburi agreement was the cause of the civil war but everybody, and I mean everybody who was a “Biafran” at the time, doubted that it was. That’s why ‘On Aburi We Stand’ was the war cry from the East. If Aburi had been implemented there would have been no Nigeria – Biafra War. I thank the respected Journalist, Chuks Iloegbunam, for his masterful response to General Gowon published in the Vanguard. For example, when General Gowon said that he didn’t call his Secretary to Government to the Aburi meeting whilst Ojukwu did, I said to myself that General Gowon has lost it because Aburi was not a single’s tennis match between him and his so-called friend, Ojukwu. Why is Aburi critical for Nigeria?Aburi was critical because every other discussion on what had happened namely, the January 15 coup, May 29 pogrom and the July 29 counter coup had failed to resolve the matter as the various delegations had feared for their lives and would not attend further meetings. Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s meeting with Ojukwu on May 5th and 6th, 1967 did not succeed in bringing the Eastern delegation to the meeting. As Gowon correctly said, the East could not attend any meeting in Nigeria because they feared for their lives. As Gowon also said, a British war plane as well as a Naval war ship were considered but rejected by the East because of the involvement of Britain in the conflict. So the acceptable venue was General Ankrah and his offer of Aburi in Ghana. It was not a meeting between Gowon and Ojukwu, that’s why I insist it was not a single’s tennis match between the two of them. It was a meeting between General Gowon, who came with the federal cabinet secretariat; General Hassan Usman Katsina and the Secretary to the Northern Government; Governor David Ejoor, who came with the Secretary of the Midwest Government; Governor Adeyinka Adebayo, who came with the Secretary of the Western Nigerian government and Governor Odumegwu Ojukwu, who came with Eastern Nigerian government. So, it was a full-fledged Nigerian meeting to avert a war and not a meeting between Gowon and Ojukwu. SEE ALSO: Minimum Wage: Lagos will pay workers N85,000 – Sanwo-OluOne of the key unanimous decisions at Aburi was that the conflict would not be settled through a war. Therefore to say that we fought to live together is not true since all of them had agreed that fighting was not necessary and would not be used to settle the matter. In any case, the matter of dividing Nigeria into 12 states was neither tabled nor discussed at Aburi. What was discussed was devolution of powers from the centre to the federating units…
AGAIN, PRESIDENCY ATTACKS ATIKU FOR SUGGESTING WHAT HE WOULD’VE DONE DIFFERENTLY FROM TINUBU
AGAIN, PRESIDENCY ATTACKS ATIKU FOR SUGGESTING WHAT HE WOULD’VE DONE DIFFERENTLY FROM TINUBU The presidency has released the statement below as its second response to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who last week suggested things he would have done differently from the current government had he been elected president. In his statement on 3 November, Atiku listed some of the things he would have done differently if he were president. He said he would not have removed the petrol subsidy at once and would not have done it at the same time as other reforms. He also said he would have privatised the four state-owned refineries contrary to the utilisation of public funds to repair them by the Tinubu administration. In his first response the same day, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said Atiku’s suggestions were rejected by Nigerians who chose Bola Tinubu as president instead of Atiku in the 2023 election. Mr Onanuga said Atiku’s programmes “would have plunged Nigeria into a worse situation or run a regime of cronyism.” In his latest statement on Sunday, Mr Onanuga again criticised Atiku’s suggestions. “It is perplexing that he would elevate his untested, hypothetical proposal, which Nigerians soundly rejected during the 2023 Presidential Election, and seek to present it as a superior alternative to the multi-faceted reform programmes implemented by the Tinubu administration,” he wrote. Read Mr Onanuga’s latest statement below. TIME FOR ATIKU ABUBAKAR TO END HIS GRAND ILLUSIONS AND FANTASIES Since his defeat in the last election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has shown more interest in undermining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu than in addressing his party’s implosion. We suspect he is envious of Tinubu’s position—an office he has unsuccessfully sought six times. It is perplexing that he would elevate his untested, hypothetical proposal, which Nigerians soundly rejected during the 2023 Presidential Election, and seek to present it as a superior alternative to the multi-faceted reform programmes implemented by the Tinubu administration. If his plan lacked popular appeal, he must acknowledge that merely repackaging it will not resolve the social and economic challenges his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) bequeathed after 16 years.Atiku’s economic analysis demonstrates a significant misunderstanding of Nigeria’s realities. His narrative, “What We Would Have Done Differently,” indicates an inability to engage with the pressing economic realities being revitalised multidimensionally under President Tinubu’s leadership..What reforms would Atiku propose at the onset of his hypothetical and fabled presidency? While he suggests a consultation period upon assuming office, the reality is that the Nigerian economy requires immediate and decisive action. A leader must be prepared to tackle challenges from Day One, as President Tinubu has done. Atiku, going further to accuse President Tinubu of “stealing his presidency,” exposed his sense of entitlement and his disconnect from the electorate. The truth is that Tinubu rightfully won the presidency, a position Atiku was simply unqualified for due to his arrogance, insensitivity to Nigeria’s diversity, and the decision to disregard his party’s power rotation arrangement between the North and the South after eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari. Atiku’s idea of a consultation period upon entering office shows a troubling lack of awareness regarding the state of the economy, which was in dire need of urgent action. The Tinubu administration came prepared with a firm action plan to address the shortcomings that persisted during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s time when Atiku was vice president. We can only speculate what detrimental impact Atiku’s proposed lengthy town hall and Village Square meetings would have had on Nigeria’s economy if he had been elected president and taken such an approach. The country needed a proactive leader such as Tinubu, who immediately set to work on addressing economic challenges rather than one who would have squandered precious time on consultations and a…
OBASEKI IN LAGOS, DIDN’T FLEE NIGERIA
OBASEKI IN LAGOS, DIDN’T FLEE NIGERIA Outgoing Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has been spotted in Lagos, contrary to claims by governor-elect Senator Monday Okpebholo that Obaseki had fled Nigeria. This news comes from sources who informed SaharaReporters of the sighting on Sunday evening. Godwin Obaseki has been the Governor of Edo State since 2016. His initial election was under the All Progressives Congress (APC) but he later joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Okpebholo had accused Obaseki of fleeing Nigeria through the land borders. Okpebholo is expected to be sworn into office on Tuesday, meaning that Obaseki will lose his immunity. Obaseki last week said he heard that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was planning to arrest him after the expiration of his tenure as governor. In a statement made available to journalists on Sunday and signed by his media aide, Godspower Inegbe, Okpebholo said Obaseki’s whereabouts were unknown. The statement accused Obaseki of chasing out everyone from the Government House on Friday before escaping to a yet-to-be known location days before his official departure from office. “As of Friday, 8th of November, the whereabouts of Obaseki are unknown. He has chased everyone out of Edo State Government House. He has abandoned governance in the State, and he is on the run. “He has escaped through the road out of Benin. He did not pass through the airport. If he is as popular as he claims, why did he not use the airport to escape? Instead, he hired a bus and disguised while escaping from Edo State. “Obaseki is trying to push out these narratives in order to distract the public. His antics will not work. We know his plans, and we will continue to expose his shenanigans to Edo people,” the statement read. However, SaharaReporters learnt that Obaseki was spotted in Lagos on Sunday evening. “Obaseki did not flee Nigeria; it is a lie. There was nothing like that. He is in Lagos right now as I speak so there is no truth to the claim made by the governor-elect,” one of the sources said. Obaseki, on Saturday, claimed that Senator Okpebholo did not invite him to his inauguration slated for next Tuesday. “Obaseki will soon lose his immunity and if he continues to make his baseless claims, he will face the full wrath of the law very soon and he will prove his unfounded allegations when he is dragged to court,” Okpebholo warned in the statement.