Weekly broadcast programme to promote Buhari policies launched

President Muhammadu Buhari

The Presidency has launched a weekly television and radio programme which is aimed at promoting the policies and programmes of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration.

This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by Abiola Olusola, Deputy Director (Media) in the office of the Vice President.

The announcement is coming 24 hours after former President Olusegun Obasanjo took the present administration to the cleaners with a 13-paged letter in which he urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to run for a second term as he had performed below his (Obasanjo’s) expectation.

According to the statement from the Presidency, the programme would air on a number of network television and radio stations across the country.

The programme is aimed at promoting the giant strides of President Buhari as well as the positive impact he had made in the lives of many Nigerians

“Members of the public are invited to watch the programmes on television:

Channels TV on Monday – 4:30pm

Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Network on Thursday – 6:30pm

Core TV news on Saturday – 12:30pm

Liberty television on Sunday – 4:30pm

“On radio, it will be airing:

FRCN network – Monday at 2:30pm

Raypower FM – Monday at 3:00pm

Bauchi Radio – Monday at 1:30pm

Heartland FM – Saturday at 10:30 am

Rainbow FM (Ogun) – Saturday at 8:00am

Capital FM – Saturday at 1:30pm

Liberty Radio – Sunday at 10:30am

Choice FM – Sunday at 6:30pm

Rivers Radio – Sunday at 9:30pm,” the statement from the Presidency read.

NAN

Why I Stand With Buhari

Femi Adesina 

By Femi Adesina

These are very difficult times in our country. Sad, mournful and dolorous times, as the New Year opened with killings in Rivers, Kaduna, Taraba, and Benue States, among others. Of course, there had been gruesome carnage on the Mambilla plateau mid last year, and bloodletting in Numan, Adamawa State, as well as in other places. Hell suddenly seemed to have enlarged itself against Nigeria. Sincere condolences to those who are grieving and mourning the loss of loved ones.

But instead of finding solutions, and joining to chart the way forward, some people are making political capital out of the killings. They are trying to use the orgy of bloodshed to advance their political interests, wanting to make it appear that it is a failure of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Faults are thick where love is thin. There is prejudice in Nigeria. Plenty. There is insularity, in prodigious quantity. There is animus, antipathy against anyone that is not of your ethnic or religious stock, or that belongs to a different political orientation or persuasion. If you meet him, kill him; if you can’t catch him, poison his footsteps, seems to be the singsong among some people. And as the build up to general elections next year gathers momentum, matters are made worse. Everything must be politicised, including wanton killings. There must be spurious handshakes across the Niger, and across the Benue, all for political gains.

But I stand with Buhari, and will always do. Why won’t you? Your snout is in the honeypot, licking the nectars of office, some cynics would say. Really? My bank balances do not indicate so. It is not just about money. It is about conviction. It is about believing in a man who can bring enduring change to our country, if we allow God to have His way through him.

Standing with Buhari through thick and thin is not about money, or the spoils of office, which are not even available in these lean times. In or out of my present position, I stand with Buhari. Sir Walter Scott wrote: “Other people’s resolutions may fluctuate on the wild and changeful billows of human opinion. Ours, now and forever, are anchored on the Rock of Ages.” In or out of government, I stand with Buhari. Why? You will get to know shortly.

There is a strident attempt to defame, demean and de-market the Buhari government today. Who are those behind it? The crooks, thieves, freeloaders, who want business as usual. They hate probity. Their souls abhor accountability. They prefer the plunder of the past years, and can’t wait to see that epoch return. They engage in all sorts of misinformation and disinformation. Hate speeches. Fake news. Under us, you had leeks, onions and garlic to eat. You were fed manna till you wanted no more. When you were tired of the fluffy stuff, we gave you meat, you gorged yourself so much, till meat began to come out of your noses. They wouldn’t tell you about what William Shakespeare calls “the goodly apple, but rotten at the cheek.” They won’t tell you about humongous amounts of money made from oil, which stood at over $100 dollars per barrel for about six years, and which they looted to the last cent. Foreign reserves; depleted. Excess Crude Account; looted. Federation Account; plundered. They turned the country to a wasteland, leaving an economy primed for recession. But deftly and sure-footed, the Buhari administration is building a new foundation for the economy, erecting an edifice that will stand the test of time, not a bubble that collapses with just a pinprick, not a will-o-the-wisp that vanishes in the midday sun.

That is why I stand with Buhari, and have stood with him since he was a military leader in the 1980s. I can trust this president. I can go to bed, knowing that my leader is not striking deals to fleece the country in the dead of night. I can trust that every money that comes into the coffers of Nigeria, will be used for the good of Nigerians. Am I saying it is a perfect administration? Such has not been forged from the smithy of the divine powers. Every human enterprise will have its shortcomings, but on Buhari I still stand. I stand with him, and by him, any day.

Some people ask themselves: Can we afford to be outside government for another four years from 2019? We would be dead! No access to the public treasury, which we know how well to abuse and plunder? To ravage and savage. They have spat into the sky, and collected the spittle with their faces. Rather than let Buhari be, we would employ all the tricks in the books. Defame, demean, de-market him. Is he not Fulani? He is supporting herdsmen causing murder and mayhem round the country. Trumpet it from the rooftops, even without a scintilla of evidence. He is sectional, and bent on Islamising the country. He is fighting a one sided anti-corruption war. His war against insurgency is a fluke, not winnable.

They refuse to see massive investments in infrastructure, which would burst into full bloom in another year or two. Roads, rail, power. They refuse to see the rebounding economy, strides in agriculture and mining, all with good auguries for the future. They refuse to acknowledge the stock market, which recently recorded N15.78 trillion, the highest in the history of the country. What of N1.3 trillion spent on capital projects in 2016? And almost the same amount for 2017? No, they rather imagine how much of that amount they would have pocketed if they were in power, living in obscene luxury, while the rest of the country went to hell, if it wanted. They refuse to see the good things happening to the country. And none is as blind as those who deliberately refuse to see. All these and more are the reasons I stand with Buhari, and will always do. So that Nigeria can have a future and a hope. Our own Canaan, flowing with milk and honey.

After primitive fury was unleashed in Benue, and about 73 people were left dead, a sitting president eyeing reelection could also play politics with it, visiting and muttering the right words to impress the people. Nothing wrong. But for President Buhari, action speaks louder than words. Action stations, he told the security agencies. The deputy inspector general of Police in charge of Operations was first despatched, then the minister of Interior, the inspector general of Police himself, and then the Nigerian Army. Consultations were held with the governor of the State, with Benue elders, and now, a committee headed by the vice president, made up of nine governors, has been set up to proffer solutions to farmers/herdsmen clashes. Action truly speaks louder than words.

President Buhari has not thrown his hat officially into the ring for a second term in office. But they are in mortal fear of him running. Therefore, they do all they can to dissuade him. Malign him, paint him black, devalue him before the electorate. But they don’t know that there are many devices in the hearts of men, but only the counsel of God shall stand. If God has ordained President Buhari to be in power beyond 2019, human effort to stop it can only end in futility.

I stand with Buhari, because it is solid ground for Nigeria. All other ground I see, at least for now, is sinking sand. For us, for our children, for generations yet unborn, Buhari is engendering a new country, whose builder and maker is God. Let the wailers wail; endlessly. Let the heathens rage; till they render themselves hoarse. Let them throw even the kitchen sink at him, they did worse in the build up to 2015. I stand with Buhari. I know his heart for Nigeria, and for Nigerians. Let people shed their prejudices. Let them eschew hate, and purge themselves of all malice. The future can only then be written in gold.

Femi Adesina is special adviser to President Buhari on media and publicity.

Credit: Femi Adesina, Premium Times

Buhari directs EFCC to investigate over N600, $2.1 arms procurement fraud

President Muhammadu Buhari

On the recommendation of the committee established to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 to 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to carry out further investigation into the misconduct established against the following retired and serving officers of the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army:

(1)Air Chief Marshal AS Badeh (Rtd)

(2)Air Marshal MD Umar (Rtd)

(3)Air Marshal AN Amosu (Rtd)

(4) Maj-Gen. ER Chioba (Rtd)

(5)AVM IA Balogun (Rtd)

(6)AVM AG Tsakr (Rtd)

(7)AVM AG Idowu (Rtd)

(8)AVM AM Mamu

(9)AVM OT Oguntoyinbo

(10)AVM T Omenyi

(11)AVM JB Adigun

(12)AVM RA Ojuawo

(13)AVM JA Kayode-Beckley

(12)Air Cdre SA Yushau (Rtd)

(13)Air Cdre AO Ogunjobi

(14)Air Cdre GMD Gwani

(15)Air Cdre SO Makinde

(16)Air Cdre AY Lassa

(16)Col N Ashinze

(17)Lt Col. MS Dasuki (Rtd)

Following the submission of the audit committee's second interim report, President Buhari has directed the EFCC to investigate the roles of the officers and the following companies and their directors in fundamental breaches associated with the procurements by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

(1)Messrs Societe D’ Equipments Internationaux

(2) Himma Aboubakar

(3)Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Services Limited

(4)Messrs Syrius Technologies

(5) Dr Theresa A. Ittu

(6)Sky Experts Nig Ltd

(7)Omenyi Ifeanyi Tony

(8)Huzee Nig Ltd

(9)GAT Techno Dynamics Ltd

(10) Gbujie Peter Obie

(11) Onuri Samuel Ugochukwu

(12)Spacewebs Interservices Ltd

(13)Oguntoyinbo Tayo

(14) Oguntoyinbo Funmi.

(15) Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd

(16)Chief Jacobs Bola

(17)Mono Marine Corporation Nig Ltd

(18)Geonel Intergrated Services Ltd

(20)Sachi Felicia

(20) Mudaki Polycarp

(21)Wolfgang Reinl.

The breaches identified by the Audit Committee include non-specification of procurement costs, absence of contract agreements, award of contracts beyond authorised thresholds, transfer of public funds for unidentified purposes and general non-adherence to provisions of the Public Procurement Act.

Furthermore, the procurement processes were arbitrarily carried out and generally characterized by irregularities and fraud. In many cases, the procured items failed to meet the purposes they were procured for, especially the counter insurgency efforts in the North East.

A major procurement activity undertaken by ONSA for NAF was that concerning the contracts awarded to Societe D’ Equipment Internationaux (SEI) Nig Ltd.

Between January 2014 and February 2015, NAF awarded 10 contracts totalling Nine Hundred and Thirty Million, Five Hundred Thousand, Six Hundred and Ninety US Dollars ($930,500,690.00) to SEI Nig Ltd.

Letters of award and End User Certificates for all the contracts issued by NAF and ONSA respectively did not reflect the contract sums. Rather, these were only found in the vendor’s invoices, all dated 19 March 2015. Additionally, some of the award letters contained misleading delivery dates suggesting fraudulent intent in the award process. The observed discrepancies are in clear contravention of extant procurement regulations.

The SEI contracts included procurement of two used Mi-24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at the cost of One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Nine Hundred and Forty Four Thousand US Dollars ($136,944,000.00).

However, it was confirmed that the helicopters were excessively priced and not operationally air worthy at the time of delivery. A brand new unit of such helicopters goes for about Thirty Million US Dollars ($30m). Furthermore, the helicopters were delivered without rotor blades and upgrade accessories.

Additionally, the helicopters were undergoing upgrade while being deployed for operation in the North East without proper documentation. It was further established that as at date, only one of the helicopters is in service while the other crashed and claimed the lives of two NAF personnel.

The Committee established that ONSA also funded the procurement of 4 used Alpha-Jets for the NAF at the cost of Seven Million, One Hundred and Eighty Thousand US Dollars ($7,180,000.00). However, it was confirmed that only 2 of the Alpha-Jet aircraft were ferried to Nigeria after cannibalization of engines from NAF fleet.

This is contrary to the written assertion of the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal AN Amosu to the former NSA that all the 4 procured Alpha-Jets aircraft were delivered to the NAF.

The non-militarisation of the Alpha-Jets made them unsuitable for deployment to the North East and they are currently deployed only for training at NAF Kainji.

Furthermore, the procurement of the Alpha-Jets was contrary to the recommendation of the assessment team. The Committee found that the conduct of Air Marshal Amosu was deliberately misleading and unpatriotic.

The contract for the procurement of 36D6 Low Level Air Defence Radar for the NAF was awarded to GAT Techno Dynamics Ltd in April 2014 at the cost of Thirty Three Million US Dollars ($33m) and was funded by ONSA.

The Committee established that the radars were excessively priced as a complete set of such radars (comprising 6 radars including the Control Centre) goes for Six Million US Dollars ($6m) averagely.

The Committee observed that the radars were delivered without the vital component of Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) that distinguishes between own and adversary aircraft, which has significantly degraded the operational capabilities of the NAF in the North East.

It was further observed that the sum of Three Million, Three Hundred Thousand US Dollars ($3.3m) was fraudulently included in the contract agreement as VAT and With Holding Tax and subsequently paid into the bank accounts of Spacewebs Interservices Ltd and Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd.

The Committee further established that Two Million US Dollars ($2m) from the proceeds was transferred to Mono Marine Corporation Nig Ltd, which is jointly owned by principal characters in this deal. The Committee opined that the infractions of extant regulations by these companies were clearly intended to defraud.

It was established that between September 2009 and May 2015, the NAF expended about Fifteen Billion Naira (N15bn) on the maintenance of its Alpha-Jets, C-130H aircraft and Mi-24V/35P helicopters. Out of this amount, Four Billion, Four Hundred and Two Million, Six Hundred and Eighty Seven Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty Nine Naira, Forty One Kobo (N4,402,687,569.41) was paid out for contracts not executed.

It was also observed that in carrying out these maintenance activities, contracts worth over Two Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira (N2.5bn) were awarded to Syrius Technologies, a Ukrainian company that was not registered in Nigeria. Regrettably, in spite of these expenditures, the status of NAF fleet remained operationally appalling as only 3 Alpha-Jets, 2 C-130H and one each of Mi-24V and Mi-35P were serviceable as at 28 May 15.

In October 2013, NAF awarded contracts to DICON for the supply of weapons and ammunition at the cost of Five Hundred and Ninety Nine Million, One Hundred and Eighteen Thousand Naira (N599,118,000.00). However, only 2 of the 7 items contracted were delivered to NAF while the outstanding 5 items remained undelivered despite repeated requests to DICON.

The Committee also found that the delivered ammunition were about 40 years old, thereby casting doubts on their shelf life. The failure of DICON to fully execute the contract and the delivery of aged ammunition diminished the capacity of the NAF in North East operation.

The Committe uncovered insider dealings by military officers in procurement activities undertaken by ONSA and the NAF. The officers were found to have misused or abused their offices for personal gains by influencing award of contracts to private companies in which they have substantial interests.

For instance, an officer serving in the ONSA used his office to secure 2 contracts for his company, Geonel Integrated Services Ltd, for the protection of 20 Dams and Presidential Air Fleet security at the cost of Six Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N6,250,000,000.00) and Five Million US Dollars ($5m) respectively.

Furthermore, some NAF officers used their companies to collect VAT and With Holding Tax that were never remitted to FIRS while another officer was found to have cross transferred about Five Hundred Million Naira (N500m) between a NAF company, Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Services Limited, SkyExperts Nig Ltd and Huzee Nig Ltd, companies in which he had personal interests.

It would be recalled that in its First Interim Report, the Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment established that the sum of Six Hundred and Forty Three Billion Naira (N643bn) and Two Billion, One Hundred Million US Dollars ($2.1bn) interventions were received for defence procurements by DHQ and the Services between 2007 and 2015.

In continuation of its assignment, the Committee has so far established that the nation spent about Twenty Nine Billion Naira (N29bn) and Two Billion US Dollars ($2bn) on NAF procurement activities alone.

Garba Shehu

SSA to the President

(Media & Publicity)

Nigeria in Default of Court Order To Take Southern Cameroon Crisis Before UN

Southern Cameroon Peoples Flag

A leader of the Ambazonia Separatist Movement, who preferred not to be named, has accused the Federal Government of Nigeria of disobeying the order of the Federal High Court in Abuja, directing it to institute a case for the Southern Cameroon, before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

According to the terms of the agreement entered by the Federal Government of Nigeria and some citizens of Southern Cameroon on behalf of the region, Nigeria’s government agreed to table before ICJ the issue of self-determination of the Anglophone region.

The agreement which was signed on March 5, 2002, stated that the “Federal Republic of Nigeria shall institute a case before the International Court of Justice concerning the following;

“Whether the union envisaged under the Southern Cameroon Plebiscite 1961 between La Republique Du Cameroun and Southern Cameroon legally took effect as contemplated by the relevant United Nations Resolutions, particularly United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1352 (XIV) of 16th October 1959 and United Nations Trusteeship Council Resolution 2013 (XXVIV) of 31st May 1960.

“Whether the termination by the government of the United Kingdom of its trusteeship over the southern Cameroon on 30th September 1961 without ensuring prior implementation of the Constitutional arrangement under which Southern Cameroon and La Republique Du Cameroon were to unite as one Federal State was not a breach of Articles 3 and 6 of the Trusteeship Agreement for the Territory of Cameroon under British Administration approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations 1th December 1946,

“Whether the people of Southern Cameroon are not entitled to self-determination within clearly defined territory from La Republique Du Cameroun

“Whether it is the Southern Cameroon and not Le Republique Du Cameroun that shares a maritime boundary with the Federal Republic of Nigeria”

The Separatist leader, reacting to the recent arrest of some Ambazonia leaders in Abuja also accused Nigeria’s government of being in complicity with Mr. Paul Biya, the President of Cameroon.

The Department of State Security (DSS) arrested ten separatist leaders from Southern Cameroon, on Friday, January 5, 2018.

The detained persons are executives of the interim government of Ambazonia- the name of a sovereign Southern Cameroon.

They were reportedly arrested at about 7:30 PM, from Nera Hotels, (Ekwueme Road), in Abuja Nigeria.

The separatist officials were meeting to galvanize support for Southern Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria but shortly after the meeting had started, officials of DSS barged into the hotel and whisked them away.

Mr. Wilfred Tassang, one of the men arrested by DSS operatives, was at the vanguard of early negotiations between the Southern Cameroon and the French government.

In an interview with SahaReporters in December of last year, he said the Biya government tried to assassinate him, at the peak of the dialogue with the trade union consortium.

“In the course of the strike action, the government created some ad-hoc committees to look into the grievances that had been tabled by the teachers union and the lawyers association. The work of the teachers’ union committee ended on January 13, 2018.

“Prior to that committee meeting, word leaked out to our communities that I had been targeted for elimination by the government. On the night of the 12th, bike riders in Bamenda- where I reside, came up to the governor’s office and escorted me home.

“The meeting on the 13th ended on a good note even though we had misgivings. The bike riders and some vehicles formed a convoy again to escort me home but they preceded me.

“Unknowing to them, an ambush had been laid on my path. And so the soldiers opened fire and killed three bike riders on the spot.”

Mr. John Mbah Akuroh- an exiled journalist and trade union leader, said internal sources within the Nigeria military rank say the leaders were picked up for carrying expired papers and not for political reasons.

He said; “The DSS was trying to find out if there is a link between the boys who were training and the interim government.”

However, the exiled journalist revealed that he was shocked by the claim of expired papers.

“There are three refugees among them that I know are registered and have Identity cards as refugees: Mr. Tassang Wilfred, Eyambe Elias and Dr. Nfor Ngala Nfor. The others are permanent Nigerian residents working in some universities: ABU Zaria, AUN Yola and a university in Canaan land. “So, I am surprised to hear of expired papers.”

The other five detained Southern Cameroon leaders are; Dr. Fidelis Nde Che, Dr. Henry Kimeng, Prof. Awasum, Dr. Cornelius Kwanga and the separatist government’s president- Sisiku Ayuk Tabe.

Since nationalist leaders and the interim government called for Southern Cameroon to pour out into the streets in a declaration of the independence of Ambazonia from French Cameroon on the first of October 2017, over 20,000 people have fled into Nigeria to escape an unrelenting brutal crackdown on protesters and sympathizers.

Most of the fleeing families have crossed the border into Cross River state. Pockets of refugees have also fled into Akwa Ibom, Benue and Taraba states. The Director of the State Emergency Management Agency in Cross River, Mr. John Inaku said the state is overwhelmed by the refugees and a resolution needs to be reached soon.

“I intend to tell the world that the problem there in Cameroon has not subsided. Right away we have over 22,000 migrants from Cameroon that are in Nigeria. In other to curb a situation where we don’t allow it spill over to the issues of Yemen and all of that, I feel that the communities involved should move in internationally and regionally and see how they can solve the problem.”

In December 2017, Nigeria’s Vice President, Mr. Yemi Osinbajo received envoys from the Cameroonian government led by the country’s Minister for Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Mr. Rene Sadithe.

The Nigerian government at the time said the objective of the meeting was to boost diplomatic ties between the two nations.

However, reports have it that the meeting had a second agenda. The Biya regime needed Nigeria’s security forces to arrest 15 wanted trade union leaders. The French dominated government also sought to get Nigeria’s partnership in curtailing the activities of exiled Southern Cameroonian activists.

On the 2nd of the same month, Mr. Akuroh obtained intelligence from the Cameroonian government, alleging that the Nigerian government had given Biya’s forces the pass to chase refugees right into Nigeria.

The exact details of that permit occurred three days later. On December 5, 2017, a combined force of gendarmes and soldiers chased fleeing Anglophone Cameroonians across the Ekang border in Akampa local government area of Cross River state.

On December 14th, 2017, Nigeria’s ambassador to Cameroon, Mr. Lawan Abba Gashagar met with President Biya.

He said Nigeria was not in support of the secessionists but advocated for a speedy return to peace.

Recall that the violence began in December of 2016, when the Cameroonian government responded to protests against the imposition of French in schools and courts, with detentions, beatings and killings.

Trade union leaders in the English speaking regions of Southern Cameroon had halted the Northwest and Southwest regions of the country with sit-at-home strikes to press home their demands.

The Biya regime proscribed the consortium and declared all its leaders wanted. Several were arrested and many were forced into exile.

Culled from SaharaReporters

A Court Judgment That May Reshape Nigerian Politics By Okey Ndibe

BY OKEY NDIBE   JAN 08, 2018

I have often argued that Nigeria’s political arena is designed for the criminally minded. That criminal compulsion is often evident in elections, where candidates deploy ill-gotten cash, recruit heavily armed thugs, and use other forms of illicit manipulation to steal votes.

It’s bad enough when rogue politicians cheat in general elections. Curiously, too many politicians bring their fraudulent manoeuvres to primaries, a contest between aspirants from the same party who seek to represent their party in a broader election. One of the scandals of politics in Nigeria is that political parties charge exorbitant fees for nomination forms for every elective office, from local government councilor to the presidency. Yet, after collecting these fees, party officials often stage a scam instead of a credible primary. Quite simply, they impose one of the candidates—often the least popular or viable, but one backed by a powerful political godfather or godmother. The cheated aspirants are hardly ever reimbursed the steep fee they paid for a chance to jostle for a ticket. Often, the disinherited candidates skulk away to a corner to sulk quietly. If they complain loudly or, worse, head to court to seek justice, they are accused of disloyalty and charged with anti-party activities. Dreading the backlash that comes with such stigma, many a Nigerian political aspirant, when defrauded by their political party, remains mum.

Thank goodness that, on occasion, we encounter a political figure who refuses to quietly stomach injustice—one so averse to political scams as to mount a welcome challenge to the depraved protocols of Nigerian politics.

One such principled dissenter is Chike Maduekwe, a fine lawyer and constitutional expert. I have also known Mr. Maduekwe well enough—for more than three decades—to judge him a deeply principled man.

In 2015, Mr. Maduekwe sought the senatorial ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Anambra Central senatorial zone. An enterprising lawyer, he scraped together the N4.5 million the PDP charged each senatorial aspirant who wished to take part in the race to be the party’s flag bearer.

He had expected the party to live up to its obligation to conduct a credible primary. In retrospect, his expectation was wishful thinking. Some of the party’s powerful members, in Abuja and Anambra, had handpicked Mrs. Uche Ekwunife as the party’s candidate. And these powerful elements were in no mood to subject their favored candidate to a vote of any kind. When the day of the primary arrived, some party officials congregated with Mrs. Ekwunife at a location unknown to the other candidates—and simply announced that she had won a primary that never held.

The PDP’s absurd declaration of Mrs. Ekwunife as the winner of a non-existent primary triggered a series of ludicrous aftershocks. Once they got a whiff of their party’s treachery, most of the other senatorial candidates retired to separate hotel rooms in Awka, capital of Anambra State, and issued press statements asserting that they, too, had won “primaries” that held only in their crooked imagination. The lone exception was Chike Maduekwe. Despite intense pressure from his supporters and campaign staff, he refused to be infected by the madness that had swept up his opponents. He was unwavering in arguing that the PDP had failed to keep its word, that the party had betrayed its promise to hold a real primary.

Mr. Maduekwe’s reasoned and admirable stance—his insistence on retaining moral funds and maintaining his poise when others around him were dancing to their illogic—earned him the moral and legal standing to approach a court for justice.

In a lawsuit he filed against the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Mrs. Ekwunife, Mr. Maduekwe made the unassailable case that the party, having orchestrated a sham instead of a primary, should refund the N4.5 million he paid in expectation of participating in a true electoral process.

On December 5, 2017, Justice O.O. Goodluck of the Abuja High Court gave a resounding judgment that upheld Mr. Maduekwe’s submission. The PDP, the judge ruled, “is not entitled to retain the N4.5 million naira paid by the plaintiff.” She found that the PDP had “refused, failed and or neglected to conduct the primary election to elect its flag bearer for Anambra Central Senatorial District.” The judge then ordered the PDP to “refund to the plaintiff the EOI and NM Form fees paid in the sum of N4.5 million…being monies had and received by the 1st defendant for a failed consideration.”

The judgment validated Mr. Maduekwe’s ethical posture, in particular his repudiation of the anything-goes mindset that plagues and disfigures Nigerian politics. But the verdict means more than a personal triumph. On a deeper level, the judgment represents a cautionary moment for Nigerian politicians, especially those crooked officials who run political parties.

It’s no secret that most, if not all, of Nigeria’s major political parties are guilty of rigging primaries, imposing candidates, and defrauding many aspirants who take out nomination forms that are often carry steep price tags. The criminal manipulation of primaries had become one of the ways that unscrupulous party officers amassed illicit lucre.

In obtaining a judgment against the PDP, Mr. Maduekwe has become something of a pioneer. Thanks to his victory, going forward, the PDP and other political parties know that they can no longer afford to stage shameful hanky-panky in the name of primaries. Any political party that disregards the clear implications of the legal precedent established by Justice Goodluck’s judgment faces the risk, quite simply, of being slammed with a lawsuit.

One is delighted that Mrs. Ekwunife, the major beneficiary of the political jiggery-pokery that provoked Mr. Maduekwe’s lawsuit, has paid for her role in the impunity. More than a year earlier, an appellate court ruled that she had not emerged as a candidate in a legitimate primary—and ordered her to vacate her ill-gotten senatorial seat. On the heels of Mr. Maduekwe’s more recent judicial victory, INEC is set to conduct an election in a few days to determine who will represent Anambra Central in the Senate. That Mrs. Ekwunife cannot be a candidate in that election is quite fitting. Her exclusion proves what Americans mean when they say, “crime don’t pay.”

On his part, Mr. Maduekwe deserves celebration for keeping his head when most people around him were losing theirs. A person of his ethical disposition and moral spine shows that it pays to do the right thing.


Okey Ndibe is an author, most recently of a memoir, Never Look an American in the Eye

Okey Ndibe

Culled from SaharaReporters

Buhari Orders IGP To Move To Benue State

IGP Idris Kpotun Ibrahim

President Orders  IGP To Move To Benue State To Restore Law And Order And Prevent Further Loss Of Lives And Attacks In Guma And Logo LGAs Of The State

Following the recent unfortunate killings of innocent people in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas in Benue State and the intervention, and ongoing efforts of the Nigeria Police Force to restore peace in the State, the President and commander in Chief of Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR has ordered few hours ago, that  the Inspector General of Police moves immediately to Benue State to restore law and order, prevent further loss of lives and forestall the crisis from escalating and spreading in the State.

2. In compliance with the Presidential directives, the IGP is moving into Benue state with additional Five (5) Units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) making a total of Ten (10) Units of PMF deployed in the State which is in addition to other Police formations on the ground in the State before the crisis. More Units of the Police Special Forces, Counter Terrorism Units, and Conventional Policemen are already being deployed to the State as at this time today to comply in totality with the Presidential order.

3. The Aerial Surveillance by Police Helicopters will continue, while the Police Mobile Force Personnel, Police Special Forces and conventional Police Personnel, the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Police Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD) and Special Police Joint Intelligence and Investigation Teams already deployed to Benue State will carry on un-relentlessly with the patrols and crime prevention activities in the affected areas to sustain the normalcy that have been restored in the State.

4. The Force will not hesitate to deal decisively with trouble maker(s), any group(s) or individual for conduct likely to instigate the escalation of the crisis. The full weight of the law will be applied on anyone arrested for being responsible for the mayhem in the affected areas in the State.


5. While once again, the Nigeria Police Force commiserate with Government and the people of Benue State over the loss of innocent  lives,  the Force implored them to cooperate with the Nigeria Police Force in this latest effort to restore lasting peace in the State.


6. The commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure Law and order and protection of lives and property of all Nigerians throughout the Country remains unequivocal and unwavering.

CSP JIMOH MOSHOOD

FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

FORCE HEADQUARTERS

On Yusuf Buhari

By Hamisu Hadejia

I met Yusuf Buhari in Guildford, home to the prestigious University of Surrey, United Kingdom. I had gone to the school for my master’s degree in Economics. 

I was directed to the hall where Muslim students in the university observed the Friday prayers. Apart from the need to locate a place of prayers as a Muslim, I also needed to make friends who would guide me as I struggled to acclimatise. That Friday, I made a very good and important friend indeed. 

As worshipers exchanged greetings after the prayers I ran into a lanky, chocolate-complexioned, soft-spoken and very shy dude standing by the exit door.  We exchanged pleasantries. He introduced himself as Yusuf and asked if I had shopped for winter wears and other stuff. I told him I hadn’t and we exchanged phone numbers and agreed to meet again the following day. 

Early Saturday morning, while I was still asleep, my phone rang and it was Yusuf at the other end of the line. He directed me to meet him at House No 4, Sandfield Court, where he and Zahra stayed for their undergraduate studies at Surrey. We went straight to Primark Store, very close to their house. He guided me into buying winter wears, kitchen utensils and other stuff. Yusuf carried most of my items himself, leaving me with a few things. And he accompanied me to my house. We chatted for a while in my room and he left me. He was very kind to me and I concluded that “this guy must have come from a responsible family.” 

During those encounters, I never knew that Yusuf was the son of a Very Important Person (VIP) back home. He didn’t tell me and I didn’t sense it. His lifestyle didn’t bear any evidence to anything like that. We just moved along as compatriots, sharing a country, colour, culture, and above all, Islam. 

Occasionally, we would discuss politics back home. And, as a die-hard supporter of Muhammadu Buhari, I would always point out the necessity of a Buhari presidency to Yusuf. I would say it was necessary for someone to put Nigeria back on track. He would just listen and nod along, shying away from a direct reference to the politician at the centre of our discussion. But I didn’t suspect anything. I didn’t have reasons to.

I only got to know who he was on a Friday when the Muslim faithful were asked to sign a petition for the establishment of an Islamic centre/mosque in Guildford. I was directly behind Yusuf on the queue, so I peeped and saw when he wrote, Yusuf Buhari. I immediately recalled a campus talk that Buhari’s son and daughter were students of Surrey. I also recalled that Yusuf told me he was from Daura but based in Kaduna. 

Struggling to come to terms with how a young man of his age and time would refuse to flaunt his prominent family identity not only gave me a hard lesson but also encouraged me to ask Yusuf for confirmation. His lifestyle added to my respect for the people’s General. 

Yusuf is a very humble guy. He is unassuming, unpretentious and un-ostentatious. He is reserved, easygoing and a man of few words. He doesn’t involve himself in other people’s businesses. Yusuf doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t drink and he doesn’t go out with girls. He is just a son any father would love to have in his family. In Guildford, Yusuf lived a very modest, decent and prudent life as evidenced by the fact that he and Zahra used to cook their food themselves - something the children of Nigerian elites will never do in the United Kingdom. May God grant you quick recovery, Mallam Yusuf!

Hamisu Hadejia, Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State. (hamisuhadejia@gmail.com)