thugs Nobel laureate vlashed out yesterday at the military for allegedly dabbling into politics. He said soldiers should face their constitutional duties and leave politics to politicians. His grouse with the military is the role played by soldiers in preventing some governors of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) from attending last Thursday’s rally of the party in Ado Ekiti. The aircraft scheduled to fly Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo to Akure on the day was grounded in
Benin as was the one that flew Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers to the Ondo State capital. But the governor could not proceed beyond Akure after soldiers halted his convoy and detained him by the
roadside for a while. They claimed to be acting on ‘orders from above’. The Presidency has denied involvement in the soldiers’ action. But addressing reporters in Lagos yesterday, Professor Soyinka said President Goodluck Jonathan should
tell Nigerians who authorised the soldiers’ action. The National Assembly, he said, should in fact set up a commission of enquiry to unravel the brains
behind the governors’ humiliation. “Supposing the governors were thugs, we will say that what the army did was constitutional. When the
army starts acting like thugs, I see no difference between their action and waylaying the governors. So I
am asking the military: when did you take up the job of electoral thugs? The governors should sue whoever
is responsible,” he said. Recalling the role of the immediate past Police Commissioner in Rivers State, Mr. Joseph Mbu in the
political crisis in the state, he said: “When we spoke in this hall, people said what business does Wole
Soyinka have with Rivers, what does Femi Falana have in Rivers State? What we were saying that day
was that if we allowed this kind of conduct to be accepted, there will be escalation. It will happen in
dangerous dimensions in any other place in Nigeria.” “We have a responsibility in any part of Nigeria where the rights of the citizens are violated. It does not
matter whether the person is a motor mechanic, governor or legislator. We have a responsibility to cry out
and to tell Nigerians. “If you don’t speak now, it will come to you. And it is going to come with fatal consequences. It is about
time we put a stop to that.” He continued: “Who gave orders like that? Is it the Chief of the Army Staff? Is it a General somewhere? Is
it the Korofo as they call them? Enough is enough. Fayemi has a name, Amaechi has a name,
Oshiomhole has a name. Why is it that those who prevented them from exercising their citizens’ rights do
not have names? It is always ‘order from the top’. “Sometimes we don’t even know where the top is. It happened in Rivers State. And now there is ‘order
from the top’ to stop the governors. That type of language should stop. The military is being paid from the
public purse. They are now taking sides in a political election. What do we do about this situation? The
legislative houses must live up to their duties. They must wake up to their duties.” He said a commission of enquiry should be put in place to unravel what actually happened. “We want a
specific investigation. We want to know who is responsible. Who gave the order? We want these people to
be called to give evidence. All the governors should sue for the violation of their human rights. They should
make a case out of it. “Let us make an example once and for all. We cannot continue with this kind of misconduct which makes
us a laughing stock all over the world. Can you imagine what happened in the States just yesterday
afternoon. Can you imagine the language that is being used to describe Nigerians. People were asking
about what was happening in the wonderland of ours. Some said they heard that some governors were
stopped, while one was tear-gassed.” “That embarrassment must stop. So we will not be satisfied with anything less than making us know who
gave the order. If that does not happen, we will set up a citizens’ court. We did it in the fight against
Abacha, and for Albashir of the Sudan. We got victims, witnesses and journalists to come and testify on
the violation of human rights. “We will ask for international help. If we can’t hold it here, we will hold it elsewhere. It will be a shame if we
are forced to hold it outside. We will place the government on trial. This must be the very last time that
such an incident will happen. I still cannot believe that this thing happened. It appears like some kind of
fantasy, some kind of Nollywood film.” “Using the military is dishonouring the military. I am talking to the military now. Allowing yourself to be
used this way is demeaning yourself. It is bringing yourself down. And the military has a lot to answer.” On the Boko Haram insurgency, Professor Soyinka asked Nigerians to “please support the actions of the
security forces in defending the security of this nation,” because, as he put it, the sect ‘despises
democracy.’ And on the abducted Chibok girls, he said their rescue is the type of assignment the soldiers should be
used for. “The military should be used specifically in bringing back the girls, not embarrassing the governors.” He referred to a recent photograph of the President and his daughters on facebook and said: “we all want to
pose with our daughters and children and I am very happy for the President for putting that on Facebook.
He must ensure that the military is posted to places where they are really needed, not in any act that
violates the constitution.” He observed that “What happened in Ekiti is a violation of the constitution and those who are responsible
should be exposed and punished where necessary. I want to use this opportunity to tell Nigerians to accept
that this is a very delicate situation. “And to get back hostages is a multidisciplinary task. And I am not holding anyone accountable at this
moment for failure in that respect. What we will not accept is the misuse of facilities, especially security
forces that should be directed at this priority. The security forces should not be used in any way to
sabotage what we fought for.”
Sunday, 22 June 2014
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
National Confab: Kogi Youths Demand Mayor, Support Resource Control
Ahead of the national conference, the Youths of Kogi central
have advocated for the establishment of Mayor to solve the problems of
social-political inequality in the country.
Mr Shaibu Stephen Ojate, civil right activist made this remark while addressing Journalists in Abuja on his positions for the national conference. He said, the people of Ebiraland have been marginalised in the scheme of things noting that Mayor will correct the anomaly. He said Mayor become important because it will not only solve the problem of political inequality; thus it will put an end to the issue of bad governance in the state.
‘Kogi Central needs mayor. We want Mayor to control our resource and administer our locality. The current system where Governor of the state control and dictate who gets what should be jettisoned as it breeds unhealthy rivalry between ethnic groups that constitute the state. This current system of government does not encourage even development.’
‘We have been having Governor in Kogi state and no even development across the state. The Governor only concentrates the developmental projects in the senatorial district where he hailed from’. This is what we have been experiencing since 1999 till dates. Enough is enough. We want our own system of government different from the state’
‘We want the power of state Governor be reduced rather some of their power be given to local government chairmen in the state.’
‘On federal allocation, a system should be put in place so that every senatorial district in Nigeria gets direct federal allocation from federal government unlike the current system where state government received it’.
‘So, federal allocation under this system, the Mayor and local government chairmen in each senatorial district should control it for the development of their area’.
‘I strongly support the call for resource control. Each senatorial district in the country should control their own resource and remit tax to federal government and state government’.
Ojate equally faulted the current federal system of government and call for restructuring. He canvasses for the creation of more local government for the people of Kogi central to correct political imbalance in the state.
‘I maintained, should we continue the current federal system, I am advocating that every senatorial district in the country should have equal number of local governments to solve political imbalance in the state’.
‘The creation of equal number of local governments will solve the problem of marginalization in the state. There will be fair play in the scheme of things in the state when this is done, he said’.
Ojate noted that rotation of political position is the best things for the country and opined that it should form part of the Agenda of the Kogi Central delegates to the conference.
Mr Shaibu Stephen Ojate, civil right activist made this remark while addressing Journalists in Abuja on his positions for the national conference. He said, the people of Ebiraland have been marginalised in the scheme of things noting that Mayor will correct the anomaly. He said Mayor become important because it will not only solve the problem of political inequality; thus it will put an end to the issue of bad governance in the state.
‘Kogi Central needs mayor. We want Mayor to control our resource and administer our locality. The current system where Governor of the state control and dictate who gets what should be jettisoned as it breeds unhealthy rivalry between ethnic groups that constitute the state. This current system of government does not encourage even development.’
‘We have been having Governor in Kogi state and no even development across the state. The Governor only concentrates the developmental projects in the senatorial district where he hailed from’. This is what we have been experiencing since 1999 till dates. Enough is enough. We want our own system of government different from the state’
‘We want the power of state Governor be reduced rather some of their power be given to local government chairmen in the state.’
‘On federal allocation, a system should be put in place so that every senatorial district in Nigeria gets direct federal allocation from federal government unlike the current system where state government received it’.
‘So, federal allocation under this system, the Mayor and local government chairmen in each senatorial district should control it for the development of their area’.
‘I strongly support the call for resource control. Each senatorial district in the country should control their own resource and remit tax to federal government and state government’.
Ojate equally faulted the current federal system of government and call for restructuring. He canvasses for the creation of more local government for the people of Kogi central to correct political imbalance in the state.
‘I maintained, should we continue the current federal system, I am advocating that every senatorial district in the country should have equal number of local governments to solve political imbalance in the state’.
‘The creation of equal number of local governments will solve the problem of marginalization in the state. There will be fair play in the scheme of things in the state when this is done, he said’.
Ojate noted that rotation of political position is the best things for the country and opined that it should form part of the Agenda of the Kogi Central delegates to the conference.
NIGERIA-PROTEST
Editorial: The US Report on Nigerian Corruption
The alarm bell on the rate of corruption in Nigeria sounded by the
United States, though hardly surprising, is scandalous and unacceptable,
given that Nigeria’s diverse and growing security challenges are partly
rooted in widespread poverty and unemployment, which in turn, are
outcomes of pervasive corruption. The damning disclosure on how the
administration of President Goodluck Jonathan frustrates the efforts of
the anti-graft agencies, notably the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) in combating graft is contained in the US Bureau of
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor 2013 Country Report on Nigeria. This
blight on the image of Nigeria is a reflection of the dismal failure and
sad inability of the government to tackle corruption and deploy
Nigeria’s wealth to the socio-economic betterment of its citizens; and
this should worry the president. Jonathan must understand that progress
and credibility in the fight against corruption can only be won through
concrete, well-thought-out policies, not cheap self-eulogizing slogans.
The report painted a picture of the deep-rooted nature of corruption in Nigeria and noted specifically that corruption is on rampage and that it has never been this bad. It went further to take a swipe at the Nigerian judiciary where it claimed that justice too is for sale. Section 4 of the Report titled: “Corruption and lack of Transparency in Government” stated that “the EFCC faced several frustrating setbacks in 2013.” The report gave several accounts of how the current administration has frustrated justice against even convicted persons in corruption cases. But the presidential pardon, granted convicted ex-Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, was classified as the most offending action of the Nigerian government. “By granting him a pardon, President Jonathan has paved the way for Alamieyeseigha to run for another elected office or to hold other appointed offices.” The report also stated that the EFCC is being used to target persons “who had fallen out of favour with the government, while those who were in favour continued their activities with impunity.”
A greater tragedy is that when corruption is raised either by Nigerians or outsiders, the reaction of the government has typically been one of denial of the patently obvious; or combative defence, instead of dignified silence; or better still, a solemn resolve to do something about the cankerworm. Last year, the presidency dismissed the report as “parachute researches” limited by absence of any knowledge of Nigeria and its affairs. The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) even viewed the report as an insult, but, in contradictory terms, agreed that corruption was pervasive and that the party had been “fighting” the scourge, obviously with little success. Of course, only the PDP knows the tools with which it has done the fighting. Many of the examples cited in the report are common knowledge and irrefutable.
However, it is to be noted that this is not the first indictment of Nigeria over corruption. Indeed, since the inception of the fourth republic, the nation has come under scrutiny over corruption. In its 2013 corruption perception index, the global anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International (TI) ranked Nigeria 144th most corrupt country in the world among 177 countries studied. In 2012, Nigeria ranked 124 out of 170. The point must however be stressed that corruption is a serious socio-economic and political issue that was used in the past as a justification for military intervention and therefore remains a veritable source of instability in the nation. The time has come for the government to tackle this challenge headlong. There is need to articulate a national strategy, which must begin with exemplary conduct of the President, who must claim the moral high ground through self-purging. Corruption, apart from being systemic, is also partly a question of character failure, and the presidency is pre-eminently a place for moral leadership.
What the times call for is a grand strategy with the anti-graft agencies on the frontlines. Firstly, those accused and under investigation by the EFCC for corruption should be speedily and openly tried and, if found guilty, punished to deter others from treading the same path. Until and unless the outstanding cases are conclusively prosecuted without delay, lessons are neither taught nor learnt. In this regard, the EFCC should press for early amendment to the EFCC Act in order to set time limits within which all EFCC cases should be resolved. The EFCC should also work out cost-effective ways of disposing cases. For example, Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), as a rule, should handle pro bono publico at least one EFCC brief annually. Nigeria needs all hands on deck in the fight against corruption.
Second, and provided any suspect is certain to speedily face justice, the EFCC should abandon passing the buck and seize the initiative by developing the capability to detect corruption at the early stages. The task is simple, considering that the US National Security Agency (NSA) monitors the gargantuan worldwide telephone conversations and text messages with a view to nipping terrorism in the bud. The EFCC should, therefore, shake off its indolence, which appears to be its signature now and work earnestly to bust and minimize corruption. The anti-graft agencies must stay awake for the dream of a corruption-free Nigeria to come true.
In addition, a “Naming and Shaming” process should form part of the strategy. Corrupt public officials must not only be identified and put on trial. They should be publicly stigmatized and kept on an Eternal Roll of Dishonor, because corruption is driven partly by the absence of a sense of shame. Furthermore, the proposed national conference should restructure Nigeria in ways that are expressive of fiscal autonomy for the federating States as the over-reliance on oil revenues by all strata of government has fuelled corruption that has afflicted the country since the discovery of oil. The grand strategy should also include capacity building for anti-corruption within the bureaucracy of government, especially horizontal accountability, which involves annulling and righting actions and inaction of state institutions.
Above all, the proposed strategy should include remodeling Nigeria’s politics, removing its current commercial value and making it attractive only to genuine servants. Politics has now become the only business and this desperation for public office fuels corruption in ways unimaginable! Central to this is a drastic reduction in the cost of governance in the executive branch, the legislature and the civil service. The journey may have to begin by expunging from the national psyche a mentality in which politics is perceived and practiced as the only business with the highest returns. Of course, attitudes must change. And the breakdown of values must be addressed through the family system and a nationwide school curriculum that emphasizes ethical re-orientation. This is necessary to keep the future of Nigeria away from the claws of corruption even as the battle goes on to wrestle its present from its jaws.
As the Jonathan administration winds down with its eyes on 2015, the President must raise the stakes. He must confront all the obstacles and demonstrate the will to rise to the occasion and pick only men and women of integrity to serve Nigeria. Now is the time to break from the past because presidential dilatoriness invites unholy pressure which crystallizes into wrong appointments as has been seen time and time again with this administration. Every leader must lead by example and Jonathan owes himself the duty of not being an exception. So far, he has been. The President has the ultimate and unique responsibility to build the confidence that politics and public offices are not primarily a means to fleece the citizens. He must take the lead in saving Nigeria from corruption.
The report painted a picture of the deep-rooted nature of corruption in Nigeria and noted specifically that corruption is on rampage and that it has never been this bad. It went further to take a swipe at the Nigerian judiciary where it claimed that justice too is for sale. Section 4 of the Report titled: “Corruption and lack of Transparency in Government” stated that “the EFCC faced several frustrating setbacks in 2013.” The report gave several accounts of how the current administration has frustrated justice against even convicted persons in corruption cases. But the presidential pardon, granted convicted ex-Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, was classified as the most offending action of the Nigerian government. “By granting him a pardon, President Jonathan has paved the way for Alamieyeseigha to run for another elected office or to hold other appointed offices.” The report also stated that the EFCC is being used to target persons “who had fallen out of favour with the government, while those who were in favour continued their activities with impunity.”
A greater tragedy is that when corruption is raised either by Nigerians or outsiders, the reaction of the government has typically been one of denial of the patently obvious; or combative defence, instead of dignified silence; or better still, a solemn resolve to do something about the cankerworm. Last year, the presidency dismissed the report as “parachute researches” limited by absence of any knowledge of Nigeria and its affairs. The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) even viewed the report as an insult, but, in contradictory terms, agreed that corruption was pervasive and that the party had been “fighting” the scourge, obviously with little success. Of course, only the PDP knows the tools with which it has done the fighting. Many of the examples cited in the report are common knowledge and irrefutable.
However, it is to be noted that this is not the first indictment of Nigeria over corruption. Indeed, since the inception of the fourth republic, the nation has come under scrutiny over corruption. In its 2013 corruption perception index, the global anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International (TI) ranked Nigeria 144th most corrupt country in the world among 177 countries studied. In 2012, Nigeria ranked 124 out of 170. The point must however be stressed that corruption is a serious socio-economic and political issue that was used in the past as a justification for military intervention and therefore remains a veritable source of instability in the nation. The time has come for the government to tackle this challenge headlong. There is need to articulate a national strategy, which must begin with exemplary conduct of the President, who must claim the moral high ground through self-purging. Corruption, apart from being systemic, is also partly a question of character failure, and the presidency is pre-eminently a place for moral leadership.
What the times call for is a grand strategy with the anti-graft agencies on the frontlines. Firstly, those accused and under investigation by the EFCC for corruption should be speedily and openly tried and, if found guilty, punished to deter others from treading the same path. Until and unless the outstanding cases are conclusively prosecuted without delay, lessons are neither taught nor learnt. In this regard, the EFCC should press for early amendment to the EFCC Act in order to set time limits within which all EFCC cases should be resolved. The EFCC should also work out cost-effective ways of disposing cases. For example, Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), as a rule, should handle pro bono publico at least one EFCC brief annually. Nigeria needs all hands on deck in the fight against corruption.
Second, and provided any suspect is certain to speedily face justice, the EFCC should abandon passing the buck and seize the initiative by developing the capability to detect corruption at the early stages. The task is simple, considering that the US National Security Agency (NSA) monitors the gargantuan worldwide telephone conversations and text messages with a view to nipping terrorism in the bud. The EFCC should, therefore, shake off its indolence, which appears to be its signature now and work earnestly to bust and minimize corruption. The anti-graft agencies must stay awake for the dream of a corruption-free Nigeria to come true.
In addition, a “Naming and Shaming” process should form part of the strategy. Corrupt public officials must not only be identified and put on trial. They should be publicly stigmatized and kept on an Eternal Roll of Dishonor, because corruption is driven partly by the absence of a sense of shame. Furthermore, the proposed national conference should restructure Nigeria in ways that are expressive of fiscal autonomy for the federating States as the over-reliance on oil revenues by all strata of government has fuelled corruption that has afflicted the country since the discovery of oil. The grand strategy should also include capacity building for anti-corruption within the bureaucracy of government, especially horizontal accountability, which involves annulling and righting actions and inaction of state institutions.
Above all, the proposed strategy should include remodeling Nigeria’s politics, removing its current commercial value and making it attractive only to genuine servants. Politics has now become the only business and this desperation for public office fuels corruption in ways unimaginable! Central to this is a drastic reduction in the cost of governance in the executive branch, the legislature and the civil service. The journey may have to begin by expunging from the national psyche a mentality in which politics is perceived and practiced as the only business with the highest returns. Of course, attitudes must change. And the breakdown of values must be addressed through the family system and a nationwide school curriculum that emphasizes ethical re-orientation. This is necessary to keep the future of Nigeria away from the claws of corruption even as the battle goes on to wrestle its present from its jaws.
As the Jonathan administration winds down with its eyes on 2015, the President must raise the stakes. He must confront all the obstacles and demonstrate the will to rise to the occasion and pick only men and women of integrity to serve Nigeria. Now is the time to break from the past because presidential dilatoriness invites unholy pressure which crystallizes into wrong appointments as has been seen time and time again with this administration. Every leader must lead by example and Jonathan owes himself the duty of not being an exception. So far, he has been. The President has the ultimate and unique responsibility to build the confidence that politics and public offices are not primarily a means to fleece the citizens. He must take the lead in saving Nigeria from corruption.
Worrisome to see youths flying PDP flag- Pastor Joe Odey
A Cross River State youth leader, advocate for good governance and youth
empowerment has lamented the gravitation of some Nigerian youths
towards the PDP even as the party has totally impoverished them. Below
is an excerpt of his comment on his facebook page."Its really worrisome that even youths with university degrees still urge me to move to PDP and support GEJ for 2015 because he is my South-South 'brother'. The simpletons in this 21st century still subscribe to the politics of bias and ethnicity. I was able to see through Mr GEJ's thin smokescreen in 2011 and I am happy to say here and keep saying it anywhere that I did not lobby for him neither did I in anyway support his candidature then.
His personality and the inept way he handled issues from when late president Yar'adua sadly died show clearly that GEJ does not have the brains or the brawn for that job.
He is so steeped in the politics of patronage and greasing of palms that he is detached from the realities on ground. With the level of graft and profligacy in his administration, we are expecting the very worst.
For 2015, I state without equivocation that APC candidates from State House of Assemblies to the Presidency should be voted into office because this is the only party whose agenda is development! Let's support the party that will move Nigeria forward: we should not be ethnic jingoists. up APC!!"
Presidential Victimization of Sanusi and the treasonable theft of $20 billion Dollars--By Obinna Akukwe
Whether President Goodluck Jonathan decides to victimize, sack or prosecute Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi, Nigeria’s sacked Central Bank Chief, the truth is that a $20 billion dollar theft has been exposed and the sheer size of the theft is treasonable, especially with 80 million people living below $10 dollars daily.
$20 billion dollars have been stolen, hoarded, hidden and unremitted by some officials of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with the connivance of some elements within the presidency. I have made case in the earlier piece released just before Sanusi’s suspension titled ‘Jonathan, Sanusi, NNPC and the missing ( Stolen) $20 billion Dollars ‘ that “those who connived to withhold the $20 billion dollars include Christians from the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, White Garment and Pentecostal folds. They also include Muslims from Shia sect, Sunni sect, NASFAT, Boko Haram sect and all groups calling on God or Allah to protect them from the wicked ranting of impoverished unfortunate countrymen about to challenge their divine $ 20 billion dollar breakthrough”
All these attempts to tag a N163 billion naira, ( $1 billion dollar) accusations of wasteful and unauthorized spending on Sansui’s head is an attempt to sweep the issue of the stolen billions into the carpet. To cover up a treasonable theft of $20 billion dollars, a kite of reckless use of $ 1 billion dollars was flown about. In 2012 when Hon Farouk Lawan Committee of the lower parliament exposed the theft of $10 billion dollars (N1.7 trillion naira) of petroleum products paid for without being supplied to the Nigerian people, the agents and friends of government pursued Lawan with corruption until they trapped him with bribery of $1 million dollars, and that was how a theft of $ 10 Billion dollars was forgotten.
The House of Representatives have confirmed that Nigeria loses $5 billion dollars to oil theft annually. According to the Chairman of the House ad-hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, Bashir Adamu, “The level of oil theft is alarming and of grave concern to stakeholders”.. “Illegal bunkering has caused Nigeria to lose an estimated $5 billion (N780 billion) yearly, amounting to $400 billion since Nigeria’s independence. “Statistics show that a total of 350,000 barrels per day was lost to illegal bunkering in 2012, representing an increase of 45 per cent over the figure of 2011, and 67 per cent over that of 2010, while the trend for 2013 is even more alarming”. In Jonathan’s tenure since 2010, it amounts to $20 billion dollars in 4 years. Sanusi’s revelations shows that $20 billion dollars was stolen in eighteen months, it follows that in four years $56 billion dollars would ultimately have missed.
Therefore, from this oil business, Nigeria has lost approximately $20 billion dollars to oil theft, $20 billion dollars to subsidy theft of 2011, $20 billion dollars missing funds and probably another $20 billion dollars missing from the previous 18 months not yet exposed. Add the recently exposed $ 7billion dollars fraud in the NNPC Swiss oil deal and the $1 billion dollar Malabu Oil Deal and you get $88 billion dollars stolen in four years. Therefore, when Nigerians stop asking questions on what happened to $88 billion dollars and become interested in how Sanusi allegedly mismanaged $1 billlion dollars, then an Indian charm is working on everybody.
Months ago a document allegedly from the Nigerian Customs indicted the Coordinating Minister of Finance, Okonjo Iwuala of granting waivers to the tune of 1.4 trillion naira ( $9 billion Dollars ) between 2011 and 2013 to companies allegedly owned by friends and cronies of government., The Comptroller General of Nigerian Customs, Mr Dikko. Inde Speaking when he appeared before the Joint Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriation said that about N 866 billion was lost to waivers within a 9-month period, including N263.8 billion granted on importation of petroleum products. This is $ 4 billion dollars in nine months alone. Jonathan is yet to issue a query to Mrs Okonjo Iwuala on the issue. When the Senate was cross examining her, she admitted granting waiver of over N 170 Billion naira. Her bosom friend and Nigeria’s oil minister Dieziani Madueke has more financial infractions than every other government official and no frown has yet come from the government. Therefore, the speed at which Sanusi was thrown away is just an act of victimization for exposing a 20 billion dollar sleaze.
To many persons, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi represents many things-
To majority of Christians in Nigeria, he is a religious fundamentalist who wanted to impose Islamic Banking on the nation.
To some Churches, he is the villain who ordered he freezing of the accounts on accounts of terrorism
To some indigenes of Southern parts of Nigeria, he is a suspected Boko Haram sponsor
To the Kano Citizens, he is the Best successor to the throne of the Emirship of Kano
To International investors, he restored confidence in the Nigerian economy.
To stock brokers, he maintained stability in the stock exchange market.
To business men, he controlled inflation and brought it to all time low in many years
To corrupt bankers, he is the demon who is worse than the EFCC, seeking to retrieve money that is not his father’s
To PDP politicians, he is the Lucifer who wants to stop the accumulation of funds to prosecute the 2015 presidential elections
To financially aware depositors, he is the champion who ensured that every fund they deposited in any bank in Nigeria is always available on demand even at huge cost to national treasury.
To me, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is an Islamic Zealot who has a few baggages which has to be tamed and lots of assets which can be of immense help to Nigeria. In a write up I released two years ago titled ‘Sanusi, Ohanaeze and the Timidity of Igbo Public Servants’, I asked Ohanaeze to stop complaining about what Sanusi did for the North, rather they should encourage their Igbo counterpart to do same for their people. It was the most senior Igbo Public Servant in Nigeria that stopped Azubuko Udah from replacing Hafsat Ringim as Inspector General of Police due to Assemblies of God Church local politics.
During the period when CBN froze bank accounts of churches, some Christian Bishops and leaders under the aegis of CAN and PFN approached me to do something about Sanusi’s rascality especially over their frozen funds. They believed that as an activist in their midst, there is something I could do that will yield result quicker than the court processes being planned by the National Leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria led by Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. Therefore, when I released the report on how CBN froze the accounts of churches, within hours spiraled all over the social media and CBN under Sanusi spent tens of millions of naira denying the facts on every national daily, radio and television stations. Eventually the churches accounts were opened within twenty four hours from the time the report was released and their harassment by EFCC ceased till today. This however does not mean that Sanusi is all about mischief.
Sansui’s greatest achievement is ensuring that the man on the street has access to his money in the bank, anytime he wants it. Sanusi also ensured that that the era of thieving bankers doing business with depositor’s money at the expense of genuine business men came to an end. Sanusi drew people’s attention to monumental corruption among South South Governors at the expense of their people. If Sanusi were to be an Igbo man, he would probably have committed billions towards building or pressurized President Jonathan start and finish the construction of a second Niger Bridge. I wish Sanusi were Igbo, he would have dragged our boot licking politicians to the mud, and attracted infrastructural patronage to the South East.
Sanusi is being victimized for exposing another treasonable theft of $20 billion dollars belonging to all Nigerians and people should demand the recovery of the stolen funds because over 80 million Nigerians living below poverty lines need it.
Obinna Akukwe
Profeobinna2@yahoo.com
Follow on facebook, twitter
Ex-Edo SSG Remanded In Prison Over Diversion Of Education Funds
A Benin High Court, presided over by Justice Esther Edigin has
ordered that the immediate past Secretary to Edo State government Dr
Simon Imuekemhe, and three others be remanded in prison custody over
alleged financial fraud.
The accused persons,Imuekemhe, Joseph Emoabino, Aghator Efe and Davidi Igbinoba, are facing trial on eight count charges of diversion of fund among others.
The ex-Edo state government scribe, had allegedly conspired with the three others to divert a total sum of N113m, being the state Universal Basic Education UBE fund.
They are currently been tried by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission EFCC on the offence which they allegedly committed on June 5, 2012 when Emoabino was the states UBE chairman, Igbinoba the secretary and Efe, Director of finance and accounts.
Meanwhile, the four accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges when the case came up for hearing on Monday.
Mr. Omoruyi Omonuwa, Counsel to Imuekemhe, had filed an application for the accused to be granted bail.
Omonuwa’s bail application was however opposed by counsel to EFCC, Mr. Larry Aso.
The EFCC lawyer, argued that he was opposing to the application on the ground that the four accused had been on administrative bail since when the matter was supposed to come up in court in February 26.
Ruling on the request by the accused lawyer, Justice Esther Edigin turned down the bail application on the ground that the administrative bail has elapsed since the matter was now before the court.
She said “I cannot grant bail when the bail application has not been heard,” she stated.
The Judge therefore, ordered that the four accused be remanded
in prison custody until March 14 when the bail application will come up
for hearing.
The accused persons,Imuekemhe, Joseph Emoabino, Aghator Efe and Davidi Igbinoba, are facing trial on eight count charges of diversion of fund among others.
The ex-Edo state government scribe, had allegedly conspired with the three others to divert a total sum of N113m, being the state Universal Basic Education UBE fund.
They are currently been tried by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission EFCC on the offence which they allegedly committed on June 5, 2012 when Emoabino was the states UBE chairman, Igbinoba the secretary and Efe, Director of finance and accounts.
Meanwhile, the four accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges when the case came up for hearing on Monday.
Mr. Omoruyi Omonuwa, Counsel to Imuekemhe, had filed an application for the accused to be granted bail.
Omonuwa’s bail application was however opposed by counsel to EFCC, Mr. Larry Aso.
The EFCC lawyer, argued that he was opposing to the application on the ground that the four accused had been on administrative bail since when the matter was supposed to come up in court in February 26.
Ruling on the request by the accused lawyer, Justice Esther Edigin turned down the bail application on the ground that the administrative bail has elapsed since the matter was now before the court.
She said “I cannot grant bail when the bail application has not been heard,” she stated.
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