Dons EzeTINUBU’S CHANGE OF SPY CHIEFS AND BRAZILIAN CONNECTION BY STEPHEN ANGBALU
TINUBU’S CHANGE OF SPY CHIEFS AND BRAZILIAN CONNECTION, BY STEPHEN ANGBULUOn the evening of Saturday, August 24, 2024, visuals from the State House showed Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, the country’s top spy, emerging from a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.It appeared to be one of those routine visits by agency heads who merely tell the press that they had “fruitful deliberations with Mr President,” even if the reality could be far from that.It could have indeed been a fruitful deliberation, but it could also have been a dressing down, new marching orders, or a warning to improve performance.However, Abubakar appeared to have nothing to hide this time. In his words, he had “tendered his resignation” to Mr President, who “graciously approved it.”When asked why he resigned, Abubakar told journalists, “There are quite a number of reasons one would do that. Some personal family issues, but nothing very serious, actually, and the friendship will continue.“I discussed with Mr President; he understood very well, and I promised to remain steadfast regarding issues and the security situation of the country.”He continued, “It’s routine to brief Mr President on security issues from time to time, and today is no exception.“After the briefing, I tendered my resignation, and Mr President graciously approved and accepted it.“I thanked him for giving me the opportunity to serve Nigeria under his transformational leadership for an extended period of 15 months, which is very rare—to have the opportunity to serve two Presidents consecutively. So, I thanked him sincerely, and I promised to remain professionally dedicated to our country.”However, Abubakar declined to clearly answer how the President reacted to his resignation, saying such details are better revealed by the Commander-in-Chief himself or the National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu, in whose company he arrived at the Villa.“I think it’s not for me to say this. I would be breaching protocol. But perhaps the NSA or Mr President himself will say it.“But what I can tell you is that I’m very grateful for the opportunity the President gave me to serve the country under his leadership; for the encouragement I received, the confidence he had in me and my service, the opportunity to speak to him, to submit briefing notes and advice, and so on.“For me, this means everything, and I have had the opportunity to mentor officers and staff during the entire period I have been DG. This is the seventh year, by the way, and the opportunity to mentor younger officers to step up. We now have many officers who can perform this job excellently,” he said.Two days later, the President approved the appointment of new Directors-General of the National Intelligence Agency and the Department of State Services.“The new appointments follow the resignation of the previous NIA and DSS chiefs,” read a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.At the NIA, Mohammed Mohammed succeeded Abubakar, while Mr Adeola Ajayi, succeeded Yusuf Bichi as the new Director-General of the DSS.The two outgoing spy chiefs were appointed in 2018 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.Leaving service after more than seven years at the helm must have felt like a sigh of relief.However, the nature of Abubakar’s exit, the subsequent resignation of the DSS Chief, Yusuf Bichi, and the almost immediate appointment of new heads left some Nigerians with questions, primarily because, in Africa, voluntary resignations of government officials occur once in a blue moon.On the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, a user named Awwal said, “This is rare in Nigeria. It takes courage and selflessness to resign from these kinds of positions, honestly. The majority of Nigerians will wait until they are sacked. I wish him well.”Another wrote, “Who read his face and his voice? So many words left…
I’LL PUT FIRE IN THEIR STATES – WIKE FIRES SHOT AT PDP GOVERNORS SUPPORTING FUBARA
I’LL PUT FIRE IN THEIR STATES – WIKE FIRES SHOT AT PDP GOVERNORS SUPPORTING FUBARA Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, has warned PDP governors supporting Governor Siminalayi Fubara that he will “put fire in their states”. He said, “Not while we live will anybody take the PDP structure from us. I hear that some governors claim they will take the structure and give it to somebody. I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states.” The threat was made during the Rivers State PDP Congress, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Capital. “We are party members, we have taken over our party members. We will not leave for anybody or allow anybody to take the party from us,” the FCT Minister added. “Some governors say they will take the structure from us and give it to somebody. I hear that they have given them assurance that they will take the party from us. I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states. When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace. Whether you are in Bauchi or wherever, your hands will get burnt. You will never see pace again,” Wike said Wike’s relationship with Fubara, his successor, has deteriorated since the latter emerged as governor in 2023. The two have been at odds, with the Rivers State legislative arm split into factions. Party members have attempted to intervene, but their efforts have been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, PDP governors have consistently backed Fubara, which appears to have infuriated Wike. The Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike has warned state governors assuring Governor Fubara of support that he will “put fire in their states”
HOW ENDBADGOVERNANCE PROTEST COST DSS, NIA BOSSES THEIR JOBS
HOW ENDBADGOVERNANCE PROTEST COST DSS, NIA BOSSES THEIR JOBS The reasons the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, and the DG of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar, resigned from their positions have been revealed.Sources within the Presidency told Saturday PUNCH that President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, questioned the intelligence gathering mechanisms of the two agencies following the violent nature of the #EndBadGovernance protests in some northern states and the seizure of three presidential aircraft in France.While Bichi was held responsible for lack of functional intelligence on the protest, Abubakar was reportedly queried for the NIA’s inability to have reports ahead of the seizure of the jets by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited.A French court had sanctioned the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets, including a newly purchased Airbus, amid a legal dispute between Zhongshan and the Ogun State Government.The #EndBadGovernance protest, which began on August 1, turned violent in Kano, Gombe, Yobe, Borno and Bauchi states while demonstrations in the South-West were peaceful.During the protests in some northern states, public and private facilities were destroyed, while hoodlums looted shops and caused mayhem. This led to the imposition of curfews in Kano, Bauchi, and Plateau states.The protest was driven by widespread hardship resulting from the removal of fuel subsidy, electricity tariff hike and the high cost of living, among other issues.Bichi, who hails from Kano State, where widespread destruction and looting occurred, was appointed on September 14, 2018, by former President Muhammadu Buhari.Abubakar, from Katsina State, was also appointed by Buhari on January 10, 2018.According to credible sources, Tinubu and Ribadu were embarrassed by the turn of events on the seizure of the presidential jets and the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations.“The seizure of the presidential jets and violent nature of the #EndBadGovernance protest embarrassed the President nationally and internationally.“The President was displeased with the NIA and DSS bosses. This was why he requested the resignation of the two security chiefs,” said one of the sources.Another source claimed that Bichi and Ribadu had been having a running battle before the protest, with the fallout from the northern demonstrations serving as the final straw.He stated, “The former DSS DG and the NSA boss had been on bad terms for some time. Their issues escalated to the point that Bichi was unable to meet the President for a while. The Presidency finally had a valid reason to dismiss him due to the #EndBadGovernance protest.”Abubakar announced his resignation on Saturday, August 24, after meeting with President Tinubu. In contrast, Bichi’s resignation was announced in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Monday, August 26Some DSS officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described his exit as ‘freedom from unprofessionalism’.The DSS officers listed Bichi’s alleged misconduct to include undue interference in the service’s operations by his wife and son, Yusuf Bichi.A video of some DSS staff members allegedly celebrating Bichi’s resignation surfaced online immediately after his departure.However, an X user, Sanusi Jibrin, said the clip was recorded at the Kogi State DSS office, where personnel were celebrating Ajayi’s appointment, as he was a former director at the state command. A DSS officer, however, said personnel of the agency were happy with his removal.“We believed his regime was a punishment for us. He impeded the career advancement of many officers by extending the service years of those due to retire. Some senior officers, who were due for retirement in 2021 and 2022 were retained in the service,” he stated.Another officer alleged that Bichi was indifferent to the welfare of workers. “The Federal Government increased our salary by 40 per cent, but there was no implementation. We were earning more than…
DONALD DUKE SLAMS TINUBU FOR BUYING NEW JET, YACHT WHEN NIGERIANS ARE HUNGRY
DONALD DUKE SLAMS TINUBU FOR BUYING NEW JET, YACHT WHEN NIGERIANS ARE HUNGRY A former of Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, on Friday, condemned the purchase of a presidential jet and yacht when Nigerians are hungry. According to Duke, it is a failure of leadership for President Bola Tinubu to make this purchases, when Nigerians are going through economic crisis. Duke stated this while speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television. Duke said, “There is no glamour in saying your people are going through hard times. It’s a failure of your leadership. If I’m the head of a family, I want my family to have everything. I don’t want life to be difficult for them. “If life is difficult then I feel I’ve failed to provide for them or do the things I ought to have done. I’d ask him (Tinubu) to see the Nigerian nation as his family. What is good for his family is good for the nation. “Buying a new aircraft or yacht or living large is a failure. You can’t have kids who are hungry and you are living lavishly, going to parties and wearing the biggest agbada.” Duke said the recent #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests by hungry Nigerians showed that the President has not been a good father to Nigerians. The former governor said, “A protest is like your kids coming to tell you that ‘Daddy, I am not happy with you. You have failed to do this and do that for me’. “I’d ask him (Tinubu) to rethink a number of things that are going on and test his policies. The policy of floating the currency was a mistake because it wasn’t thought through. “The largest pressure on the Nigerian currency is the importation of fuel, and the way it is being done, it is fuelled by corruption. So, we are paying the price for it.” Duke tasked the President to hold security agencies responsible, reform the judiciary, and address the economy with local indigenous solutions, far from those of the Bretton Woods system.
55,910 NIGERIANS DEAD, 21,000 ABDUCTED IN 4 YEARS – STUDY
55,910 NIGERIANS DEAD; 21,000 ABDUCTED IN 4 YEARS — STUDY A staggering 55,910 Nigerians have been killed, and 21,000 others abducted by terror groups between 2019 and 2023, according to a report by The Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa, ORFA. The report, released on Thursday, blamed extremist groups, including Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed herders, for these atrocities. ORFA’s data revealed that Christians were disproportionately affected, experiencing 2.7 times more killings and 5.1 times more abductions than Muslims. Land-based community attacks accounted for 81% of civilian killings. The study also found that armed herders killed at least 42% of civilians, while Boko Haram and ISWAP combined killed 10%. Kidnappings escalated, with 7,705 people abducted in 2022, and Christians were 1.4 times more likely to be abducted. ‘Islamist extremists enjoy relative freedom’ Frans Vierhout, ORFA’s data scientist, noted that the numbers are alarming. According to him, the consistent increase in abductions and killings over the years indicates a worsening security situation. He said, “Millions of people are left undefended. For years, we’ve heard of calls for help being ignored as terrorists attack vulnerable communities. “Mass killings, abductions, and torture of whole families go largely unchallenged as the military pursue targets hundreds of miles away. Islamist extremists enjoy relative freedom to carry out atrocities against civilians in large regions of Nigeria. “Across the country, over 11,000 incidents of extreme violence took place during the data period, with more than 55,910 killings and 21,000 abductions. The little-known armed herders killed at least 42% of all civilians, while Boko Haram and ISWAP combined killed 10%. “In the North Central zone alone, 3,007 incidents of extreme violence occurred. Of these, 2,010 involved killings, 700 were abductions, and 297 were a combination of killings and abductions.” In the same vein, Rev. Dr. Gideon Para-Mallam, an ORFA partner and analyst, emphasized the need for government action. He insisted that the government must prioritize civilian protection and address the root causes of the displacement crisis. He stressed that the current security operations focusing on the North-East and North-West leave North-Central and Southern Kaduna vulnerable. Para-Mallam said, “Nigeria’s government must prioritize civilian protection and address the root causes of the displacement crisis. “Armed herders are targeting Christian populations, while Muslims also suffer severely at their hands. Kidnappers work to Islamist goals. Where young women are kidnapped, tortured, and sexually violated, hope for a normal married life and family may vanish.” ORFA urged the international community to examine the data and understand Nigeria’s challenges.
TINUBU: NO PLACE TO HIDE, BY OLUSEGUN ADENIYI
TINUBU NO PLACE TO HIDE, BY OLUSEGUN ADENIYITo say that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is enmeshed in a crisis of credibility is to put the situation mildly. For a man who got to office with a statistically narrow mandate of 37 percent of total votes cast, many expected Tinubu to rise above himself in order to establish an enduring legacy. That expectation now appears misplaced. Even more worrisome is that despite being in a ditch, the president and his handlers continue to dig by displaying a behaviour the Yoruba would describe as “tani o mu mi”. As I once explained on this page, it is the kind of impunity that carries a certain sense of hubris, not only for the perpetrator(s) but also for the larger society.It all began with a report in TheCable, which supplied the proof for what most already suspected or knew: The federal government has been spending trillions of Naira to pay for fuel subsidy even when officials continue to parrot the presidential deceit that “subsidy is gone.” Then, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar released a scathing statement that Nigeria “has been effectively mortgaged to President Bola Tinubu, his family, and associates,” citing how the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) allegedly put its retail arm under the control of OVH, which he claimed (it has been disputed by NNPC Ltd) is controlled by Wale Tinubu’s Oando.These issues were still playing out when Nigerians got to know that a new presidential jet had been surreptitiously purchased by a government that has been doubling down on policies that make life difficult for the ordinary Nigerian. “The new plane, bought far below the market price, saves Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly,” was all the explanation from the villa, even when Nigerians still don’t know the cost of this plane and how it was acquired. And we probably would not have been informed about it had the Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co Limited, not impounded three presidential aircraft in Paris, following the order of a French court on their dispute with Ogun State. It was the court that included one ACJ330-200, 5N-FGA (msn 1053), “recently bought from AMAC Corporate Jet (AMK, Zurich) and still stationed at Basel” while authorising the bailiffs “to go any place where the aircraft registered 5N-FGU, 5N-FGT and 5N-FGA are located and seize them.”That was how Nigerians got to know that we have a new presidential jet. The aircraft, we would later learn, was released as an act of benevolence to our president by the Chinese company so that it would not affect his travel plans, including to China next week for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit. Incidentally, I am currently in Chengdu, Sichuan Province of China for the 2024 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road where I was among the speakers yesterday on the theme, ‘Enhancing media cooperation for common development.’ I will also be attending the 3rd Belt and Road News Network (BRNN) Council meeting today before heading back home on Sunday.In his column last Sunday explaining how Tinubu’s fuel subsidy reform efforts unravelled, Waziri Adio concluded that for the administration, “an open acknowledgment” that subsidy is still very much with us “is a necessary starting point, for you cannot address what you haven’t even accepted exists or is a problem.” And “after coming clean, the government needs to level up with Nigerians about how it plans to manage the subsidy in a transparent and accountable way.” But that is precisely where the problem lies: This president is exhibiting a contempt for transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business. We saw that with the award of the contract for…
TINUBU MAY BECOME WORSE THAN BUHARI EX-APC VICE CHAIR – SALISU LUKMAN
TINUBU MAY BECOME WORSE THAN BUHARI – Ex-APC VICE CHAIR LUKMAN Former National Vice Chairman, North-West, of the All Progressives Congress APC, Salihu Lukman has said President Bola Tinubu is on track to becoming worse than former President Muhammadu Buhari. Lukman said governance in Nigeria is currently deteriorating under Tinubu. In a statement he signed, the former APC Vice Chairman lamented that the past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari was worse than that of Goodluck Jonathan. He noted that the same fate may befall whoever becomes President in 2027. According to Lukman: “If APC is defeated in 2027, what is the guarantee that the new government to emerge post President Asiwaju Tinubu will not be worse? “As Nigerians, we are witnesses of how governments at all levels progressively become worse. “With all the confidence many of us had in former President Muhammadu Buhari, arguably his performance failed to meet public expectations, perhaps worse than former President Goodluck Jonathan. “Certainly, President Asiwaju Tinubu is on track of becoming worse than former President Buhari.”
THREE FACTIONS FIGHT FOR RIVERS APC
THREE FACTIONS FIGHT FOR RIVERS APCThe struggle for political space in Rivers State politics has led to emergence of three factions in the All Progressives Congress APC in Rivers State. While the former Governor and immediate past Minister of Transportation His Excellency (Barr. Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi held sway as leader of APC in Rivers State chapter there was only a faction led by Senator Magnus Abe prior to the 2023 General election.But the moment there was gubernatorial primary election in late 2022 and the surfacing of Pastor Architect Tonye Dele Cole as Governorship candidate of the party and Senator Magnus Abe seeking governorship election under the platform of Social Democratic Party SDP Tony Okocha took hold of overall alliance with Nyesom Wike, his kinsman and former ally while Nyesom Wike was Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Pastor Tonye Cole refused to drop his Election Petition Tribunal Case when National Working Committee, NWC solicited for all Court cases to be dropped by members and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi being a former Minister highest ranking member of APC in Rivers State, his voice was ignored Tonye Cole who Amaechi nominated twice to run for Rivers State Governorship election. First was in 2019 which was botched by a Supreme Court Judgement that barred APC from fielding candidates for Governorship, House of Assembly, House Representatives and Senate. It was a gloomy era for APC followers due to Senator Magnus Abe and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s political power tussle in 2019. Fast forward to 2023 general elections where the political permutations changed drastically. It was a different game as the Peoples Democratic party PDP and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as Presidential candidate of the party never went well with Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike and his G-5 Governors Forum. He searched for political alliance that his followers will endorse for Presidential election. Now, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu being a southern Presidential candidate got inside G-5 plans for support during the election. It was at this moment that Tony Okocha and his supporters under Bola Ahmed Tinubu Supporters vanguard, BATSV took centre stage in allying with G-5 and Grassroot Development Initiatives GDI with Wike as founder since 2014. While Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Chief Emeka Beke led Party Executives being elected as State Chairman of APC allegedly aligned with Presidential candidate of PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, with Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi said to have given the political realignment a nod. All supporters of Wike and Tony Okocha worked assiduously during the Presidential election of February 25th 2023 to deliver votes for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu against PDP Presidential candidate. Immediately after the swearing in of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the elected party executives in Rivers State got rebuked by the National Working Committee with one court case or the other each moment there was unfavourable political permutation. Thus, Emeka Beke got the wrong side of NWC of APC at Abuja as anti-party activities became a serious charge against him and his executive. That was how Tony Okocha became the Caretaker Committee Chairman with Azubuike Ikenga the leader of Tonye Cole’s faction being nominated as Secretary of the 7-man Caretaker Committee. Thus, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi supporters in Rivers State became unwanted political followers until Monday 12th of August, 2024 when a Rivers State Port Harcourt judicial Division High Court delivered judgment in a case No. PHC/CS/3592/2023 instituted by chief Emeka Beke in which he and his executive members brought a legal matter before Honourable Justice Aprioku. And in his wisdom Honourable Justice S.H Aprioku’s 48 pages judgment was delivered in favour of the applicants Chief Emeka Beke and his elected party executive against the Tony Okocha’s led 7-man Caretaker Committee with Perpetual injunction slammed against Tony Okocha and his team. A mysterious…
WABARA UNFIT TO SERVE AS PDP BOT CHAIRMAN – WIKE
WABARA UNFIT TO SERVE AS PDP BOT CHAIRMAN – WIKE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has described former Senate President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BOT, of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Adolphus Wabara, as an inconsistent character and a sellout. The minister claimed that Wabara was not worthy of being the BOT chairman of the main opposition party The former Governor of Rivers State made this known on Wednesday during a media parley to mark his one year in office as Minister of the FCT. Speaking with some elected journalists, Wike questioned how Wabara as the BOT chairman of the PDP, could declare support for the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti of the Labour Party. According to Wike, “Wabara is the PDP BOT chairman, the Governor of his state, Alex Otti has not stayed one year when Wabara said his second term is guaranteed. This is the second term of another political party, he said he is the conscience of the party. “You have taken a position and you are inviting Wike? To do what? To waste my time? Wabara is not in a position to lead. “Do you know how he became the chairman of the PDP BOT? Ask him. In 2023, he led a team to visit me when the crisis in PDP was about the presidential candidate. Ask him where the report is? I say what kind of characters are these? “That was the team he led. He said they were going to submit the report, even in the meeting he was telling me about the problem, that they would not budge and I said that the right thing must be done. Ask him about the report. “The next day they made him acting chairman of the PDP to compensate him.”
ALLEGED TERRORISM: AJAERO TO HONOUR POLICE INVITATION
ALLEGED TERRORISM: AJAERO TO HONOUR POLICE INVITATION The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says its President, Mr Joe Ajaero will honour the invitation by the Nigeria Police Force for investigation over alleged terrorism, subversion. Mr Kabiru Sani, NLC Deputy President said the Congress arrived at the decision at its emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja with some executives joining virtually. The Police had invited Ajaero for interrogation on charges related to alleged “criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cyber crime”. Sani said NEC maintained the position that Ajaero’s invitation was premised on a clearly unfounded and politically motivated investigation, yet, they would honour the summon. “As a responsible labour centre committed to the rule of law and due process, the NLC shall honour the invitation extended to its President by the Nigeria Police but will demand for extension of time given the nature of the invitation,” he said. Sani said NEC also resolved that, if anything happened to Ajaero leader on the process, the labour movement would not hesitate to embark on nationwide protest and strike action. “The Congress will not hesitate to take all necessary actions, including mass protests and industrial actions, to protect the integrity and independence of the labour movement. “NLC will take the actions if anything happens to the President of the Congress or any other leader of the Congress in furtherance of these tendentious allegations by the State. “NEC has puts all its affiliates and state councils to proceed on indefinite nationwide strike action by 12:00 midnight today,”he said.