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.
PETER OBI HAS POTENTIAL TO BECOME PRESIDENT IN 2027 – UTOMI, YUNUSA
PETER OBI HAS POTENTIAL TO BECOME PRESIDENT IN 2027 – UTOMI, YUNUSA Dr. Tanko Yunusa, National Coordinator of Obidient Movement, an umbrella body working to actualize the ambition of Peter Obi, the presidentiial candidate of Labour Party, LP in the 2023 general election, has expressed optimism that Obi would clinch victory in the 2027 presidential election, based on his pedigree and antecedent. Yunusa contended that history would no longer repeat itself whereby Obi won the 2023 and was denied victory through electoral fraud, adding that this time around, Obidient Movement would push for electoral reform, have enough agents at the polling units, ensure that INEC chairman would not be appointed by the president but by the masses. Yunusa who spoke in Onitsha, Anambra state on Saturday during a good governance symposium organized by the Obidient Movement in the Southeast geo-politucal zone, said since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has failed the North, the East and even the West, Obi has the potential to become the next president in 2027. Similarly, Prof. Pat Utomi, the Keynote Speaker at the symposium noted that since all avenues have failed to produce a good president for the country for many years now, the next option is to go through such a formidable movement like the Obidient Movement to achieve the desired objective. According to Utomi, “this movement is about sacrifice and together we can make Nigeria a new one”. Earlier, the convener of Peter Obi Support Network and Chairman of symposium Planning Committee, Maazi Tochukwu Ezeoke noted that the Good Governance Symposium was to Chart a New Course for the Obidient Movement in the South-East in partnership with Anambra State Support Groups, adding that the Symposium focused on strengthening and repositioning the Movement for greater impact and strategic development. Others who spoke at the event were governorrship aspirants of the Labour Party, Chief Valentine Ozigbo, Chief John Nwosu and Chief Ikenna Azomcine who noted that there is a need to change the face of Anambra state.
MY TASK IS POLITICAL, TASK IS TO CAPTURE KANO FOR APC – MINISTER
, MY APPOINTMENT IS POLITICAL, TASK IS TO CAPTURE KANO FOR APC – MINISTER The newly appointed minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, has said his mission is to deliver Kano state to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027. Ata made this known shortly after his maiden visit to Kano after being sworn into the Federal Executive Council. Speaking to journalists, he said, “My appointment was mainly for political reason, APC has lost Kano state and now it will take Kano state. The main problem is the Kano Central and I am from there. “Even as a minister I will continue to sit in this Ward, we are going to work very hard to see that APC gains control of Kano State by 2027. “My mission like I said is purely political, even that I am posted to the ministry of housing and urban development, I will do my work but I will be coming to Kano state every week so as to work towards gaining control of the state.” Ata appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the appointment, adding that it is not for his own person but for the citizens of Kano and Nigeria as well. He therefore assured the president that come 2027, Kano is going to be for APC. “This is my assurance given to the President,” he said.
- Foreign Affairs
- November 10, 2024
- 48 views
EXPERTS SUGGEST LEADERSHIP MODELS FOR AFRICA TO ENHANCE DEVELOPMENT
EXPERTS SUGGEST LEADERSHIP MODELS FOR AFRICA TO ENHANCE DEVELOPMENT The PMI in a recent report had said Africa must address the current manpower shortage in project management for capacity building for growth. Experts at the Project Management Institute (PMI) South Africa, have put forward innovations which seek to challenge the leadership approaches in Africa, in order to foster growth and development. The PMI in a release to celebrate the International Project Management (IPM) Day 2024 said the experts brought forward “traditional and international project management standards” with authentic insights. The PMI in a recent report had said Africa must address the current manpower shortage in project management for capacity building for growth. According to the report, there is an increase in the number of jobs requiring project management skills, especially in developing and emerging countries. Meanwhile, the key expert, Dr Lambert Ofoegbu at the PMI South Africa charter under the global project management umbrella said, “This groundbreaking innovation seeks to promote leadership perspectives on Agile and Hybrid Approaches throughout Africa, fostering growth, development, and raising traditional and international project management standards with authentic insights.” Ofoegbu also led a virtual panel discussion featuring distinguished PMI Fellows who examined his contributions to shaping global practice standards and noted that they were truly remarkable. The statement said Ofoegbu, who is past President of the PMI Nigeria Chapter, and a pioneer in the field of project management, has enhanced PMI’s global project management standards. The event attracted a large and engaged audience of project management professionals from around the globe. The panel of experts, comprising seasoned PMI Fellows, shared their invaluable insights and experiences on the challenges and opportunities presented by Agile and hybrid methodologies. Frank Saladis, a PMI Fellow and a founder of IPM Day, oriented the discussion by highlighting the tenets of Agile (Adaptive) and Waterfall (Predictive) Methodologies, exhibiting over 35 years of professional practice. Consistently, other PMI Fellows as panellists – Beth Ouellette (a Programme Management Professional and a Disciplined Agile Champion), and Dr Alphonso Bucero (Portfolio Management and Risk Management Professional) honed the discussion from the leadership perspectives to determine how to apply a project management methodology in hybrid projects with complex requirements. The distinguished PMI Fellows equally dissected the role leadership play in managing team dynamics and communication within a hybrid Agile-Waterfall framework, where methodologies may sometimes clash. They also highlighted common challenges and how to overcome them. “Point Blanc with PMI Fellows” is a virtual panel discussion series established by Dr. Lambert Ofoegbu and Mr Thomas Walenta (a PMI Fellow, and a past Global PMI Board Member). The statement said the series aimed to provide a platform for PMI Fellows to share their expertise on emerging trends and best practices in project management. The “Point Blanc with PMI Fellows” series, conceived and led by Dr. Ofoegbu, has proven to be a valuable platform for knowledge sharing and networking within the project management community. The PMI South Africa Chapter said its hosting of the event further solidified its commitment to delivering high-quality professional development opportunities by the Chapter Leadership. The PMI South Africa Chapter President Tunde Ojo-Aromokudu, a Project Management and Construction Professional (PMP, PMI-CP) and the VP of Professional Development Victor Chidongo, a Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP) appreciated PMI Fellows and the Convener of “Point Blanc with PMI Fellows” Panel of Discussion series for bringing the IPM Day edition to their doorstep.
TINUBU WORSE THAN ABACHA, TARGETED MINORS TO PREVENT FUTURE PROTESTS – ADEYANJU
TINUBU WORSE THAN ABACHA, TARGETED MINORS TO PREVENT FUTURE PROTESTS – ADEYANJU Activist lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu was behind the arraignment of minors arrested during the EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests. Adeyanju said the minors were arraigned by Tinubu’s administration to serve as a deterrent to prevent further protests in Nigeria. The Nigerian government had arraigned 72 protesters for engaging in the nationwide EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest. Out of the 72 protesters, 32 were minors and were initially arraigned in an Abuja Federal High Court on charges of treason. However, the Nigerian government withdrew the charges against the minors following an outcry from Nigerians. Speaking with DAILY POST, Adeyanju said Tinubu was worse than former Military Head of State, Sani Abacha. He said: “The aim was not to prosecute the kids; the aim was to deter people from protesting. They want to send a clear message that if you try it, we will detain you for 93 days. If we can detain children, who are you that we will not detain? We will detain you, we will dehumanize you, and we will starve you. “They denied us access to seeing the children. They denied us legal representation in contravention of the constitution, and denied their families and parents from seeing them repeatedly. “What else can be more than that when it comes to the issue of torture? That’s torture. Denied them food, that’s torture, simpliciter. The government is just a huge joke, the government is not different from a military regime. There’s no difference. “Tell me, Abacha did not arrest or arraign children in an open court. This president fled the country when Abacha was looking for him; he didn’t want to be arrested when Abacha was looking for him. “Today, he is the one arresting children and putting them on trial for treasonable felony while bandits roam about the whole country free. Bandits operate for 7, 8 hours unchallenged in most parts of the country.”
- Foreign Affairs
- November 10, 2024
- 166 views
ISRAEL ACCUSES IRAN OF PLOTTING TO DESTABILIZE NIGERIA
ISRAEL ACCUSES IRAN OF PLOTTING TO DESTABILIZE NIGERIA The Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, said on Tuesday that Iran’s “nefarious activities” have spread from the Middle East to Africa and particularly, Nigeria. He added that the Iranian forces were “working to destabilise” Nigeria. The Israeli envoy made the statement in Abuja on Tuesday at the screening of the documentary titled ‘We Will Dance Again: Surviving October 7th’ by Yariv Mozer organised to commemorate first anniversary since Hamas invaded Israel and abducted its citizens. The militant group abducted 396 partygoers in Israel and released some of them following the intervention of the U.S. and UN. But 101 people are still being held hostage and used to negotiate with Israel. Mr Freeman described Iranians as “tyrants” whose proxies from Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon wreaked devastation on different countries and threw millions into misery, noting that Nigeria was among the nation’s victims. “The tyrants in Tehran are responsible for the destabilisation of countries and the misery of millions,” the Israeli envoy claimed on Wednesday. “Yet, Iran’s nefarious activities are not limited to the Middle East. Let me be clear, Iran’s leaders are also working to destabilise Western Africa, including here in Nigeria,” he alleged. Israel had extended the war on Gaza to Lebanon —one of Hamas’s strongest allies—launching missiles that have killed hundreds and destroyed critical infrastructure. Mr Freeman stated that Israel would halt its incursion on Lebanon on one condition, —”the full implementation of UN resolution 1701” stipulating demilitarisation and disarmament of Hezbollah forces. “The war in Lebanon will only end with the full implementation of UN resolution 1701 – with Hezbollah unable to rearm, and pushed back beyond the Litani River and the Lebanese army in control of the South of Lebanon,” Mr Freeman insisted. The envoy thanked the Nigerian government and the U.S. for standing by Israel during its war against multiple nations. “Over the past year, the support shown by President Biden, as well as by Republicans and Democrats alike has been overwhelming and I am confident that whoever wins today’s (Tuesday) presidential election, will continue that steadfast support. But it hasn’t just been the U.S., and I want to thank all of those countries that have stood by us, publicly and behind the scenes,” said Mr Freeman “I also want to thank all of our friends in Nigeria who have stood with us.” The Iranian authorities did not immediately return comments to claims of plotting to destabilise Nigeria. Mr Freeman stated, “This is not a war we wanted. This is not a war we started. Hamas and Hezbollah attacked Israel. And today we face a war on seven fronts – all of it sponsored by Iran.