Falae visits Obasanjo, seeks collective effort to unseat Buhari

The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Nigeria (SDP) Olu Falae has slammed the Buhari administration for failing Nigeria in the areas of security and the economy.

Falae, who bemoaned the continuous and wanton spate of killings around the country, said he had expected President Buhari to critically appraised the current situation in the country and declared he would not seek re-election in 2019.

He noted that, though the President is a good friend of his, he was duty-bound to point out any government that failed to protect the livesof its citizens, and that based on that President Buhari should be voted out of office.

False urged Nigerians to come together and do everything possible to ease out the APC-led government for the President’s sake and that of Nigeria.

The politician made the remarks in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, while fielding questions from newsmen, shortly after he emerged from a closed door meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Attack on Senate a dangerous precedent, Atiku warns..

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the invasion of the Senate chamber by hoodlums and the carting away of the mace, the symbol of authority.

Reacting to the incident in a statement from his media office in Abuja on Wednesday, Atiku described the attack as “a dangerous precedent” and “an assault on Nigeria’s democracy” by anti-democratic elements.“I am utterly embarrassed, shocked and outraged by this ugly development because itis not only a threat to a major democratic institution, but it also represents a grave danger to the survival of our democracy,” he said.

Atiku said that, given the tension in the country, the timing of the attack could not have come at a worse time for Nigeria; and that using illegal and unconstitutional methods to threaten the authority of a key democratic institution is unacceptable, evil, and condemnable.

The former vice-president noted that it was inconceivable that hoodlums could force theirway into the Senate and take away the mace.“If criminals could commit such security breach with impunity, it means that our entire democracy is in danger,” Atiku said; warning “those behind this illegality to avoid creating a monster that could consume them.

Abubakar reminded Nigerians that so many people died in order to bring this democracy about, calling for immediate investigation intothe incident and the prompt prosecution of those involved.“It is unacceptable and reprehensible to subject the National Assembly to this intimidation and humiliation.

This attack by thugs should not go unpunished, no matter who is involved,” he added.

He urged “those pushing the county’s political temperature to dangerous levels” to desist from it, saying, “they are playing Russian roulette with Nigeria’s hard-earned democracy.

He, however, called for unity, calm and an endto the culture of “political disunity that is tearing our dear country apart.”

Nigerian Youths Are Uneducated & Not Ready To Work, They Like Freebies, Says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said many Nigerian youths like free things based on the notion that Nigeria is an oil-rich nation.

According toThe Cable,President Buhari made this assertion while speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster.

President Buhari  said many Nigerian youths are uneducated, not ready to work and dependent on revenue from oil to survive.He said the youths, who make up 60 per cent of the population, were waiting to get social amenities free without doing anything.

The President spoke on Wednesday during a panel discussion at the Commonwealth Business Forum inWestminster, London.The moderator had asked Buhari to give his final thoughts on the issues discussed.

The President said he had fulfilled his campaign promises by improving on the nation’s security and the economy.

Buhari, while giving his administration a pass mark in security, said the government had been able to decimate the Boko Haram sect, whose activities, he said, had damaged the education and health infrastructures.“And then the economy.

We have a very young population and our population is estimated conservatively to be 180 million. The 60 per cent of the population is below the age of 30.

A lot of them have not been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil producing country and therefore they should sit and do nothing and get housing, healthcare and education free,” he added.-Punch

Nigeria’s Messiah Will Come From North – Bakare

Lagos cleric and running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2011 presidential election, Pastor Tunde Bakare has said, “a messiah that will possess the capacity to deliver Nigeria from its challenges is coming from the north.”

Bakare said this while delivering a sermon in his church on Sunday.“Let no one deceive you, there’s nobody with the capacity to deliver Nigeria until thatday; that day is coming, it’s very near,” he said while addressing the congregation at his Latter Rain Assembly Church in Lagos.

The church sermon was aired on a local television station in Lagos on Sunday.“The reason things are going haywire in Nigeria today is because God is preparing the tender plant from the side of the North,” he said.He also told his congregations that though he had been speaking about his presidential ambitions in parables, they should watch out for direct statements from him on the issue ahead of 2019 election.

The cleric maintained that he was not politicking about his presidential ambition, but declaring what God has told him about his purpose in life.“The reason we refused to compromise our lives and to diminish our values is so that nobody can diminish our influence.

There’s only one assignment left for me. It’snot down, it’s up.“I am declaring thus saith the Lord to this end was I born, for this purpose came I into the world that Nigeria will be saved, Nigeria will be changed, and Nigeria will become great in my lifetime. The mouth of the Lord has spoken it and the zeal of the Lord shall accomplish it,” Bakare added.

Breaking! I Will Seek Re-Election In 2019 – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he wouldseekseek re-election in 2019 general elections.The President has also asked party members to grant waiver to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odegie-Oyegun and other members of the National Working Committee, NWC, who want to recontest in the party’s Congress.Speaking at the National Executive Council meeting, he also appealed to members of NEC to also grant weaver to the party’s national chairman Chief John Oyegun andother National and State Executive members wishing to seek re-election.

Court Sentences Traditional Ruler To Death..

The embattled Unuevworo (community head) of Ekpan, Uvwie Council Area of Delta State, Chief Newton Agbofodo, has been sentenced to death.

Agbofodoh, one of the highest ranking chiefs of Uvwie Kingdom, was arrested on June 17, 2016, and was later arraigned in court for crimes bordering on murder.

He  was sentenced by the Delta State High Court 4, in Asaba, after being found guilty of all four count charges  preferred against him. He was sentenced to death by hanging.

Charges preferred against him were conspiracy to commit murder, the substantial offence of murder, conspiracy to commit attempted murder and an attempted murder.

He was alleged to have been linked to series of killings within Ekpan and its environs, including the murder of one Edigbe Ikpesa sometime in Oc­tober 2012.

He was also implicated in the Delta Mall robbery/wanton de­struction in January, 2016.Efforts to get some leaders of the community, including the chairman of the Ekpan Community Development Committee, Innocent Adjenughure-Akpotedja, to comment were unsuccessful.

The Nation

No Joke! Court Sentences Traditional Ruler To Death..

The embattled Unuevworo (community head) of Ekpan, Uvwie Council Area of Delta State, Chief Newton Agbofodo, has been sentenced to death.

Agbofodoh, one of the highest ranking chiefs of Uvwie Kingdom, was arrested on June 17, 2016, and was later arraigned in court for crimes bordering on murder.

He  was sentenced by the Delta State High Court 4, in Asaba, after being found guilty of all four count charges  preferred against him. He was sentenced to death by hanging.

Charges preferred against him were conspiracy to commit murder, the substantial offence of murder, conspiracy to commit attempted murder and an attempted murder.

He was alleged to have been linked to series of killings within Ekpan and its environs, including the murder of one Edigbe Ikpesa sometime in Oc­tober 2012.

He was also implicated in the Delta Mall robbery/wanton de­struction in January, 2016.Efforts to get some leaders of the community, including the chairman of the Ekpan Community Development Committee, Innocent Adjenughure-Akpotedja, to comment were unsuccessful.

The Nation

Fayemi Joins Ekiti Governorship Race..

Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has finally broken his silence on his speculated governorship ambition in Ekiti State.

Fayemi, who was in office between October 2010 and October 2014 said his joining the governorship race was not debatable but he would not want to flout the law by declaring intent to contest when INEC was yet to blow the whistle for the race to start.

The former governor who addressed a briefing on his ambition at his Isan-Ekiti country home on Sunday said everything constitutionally, legally and legitimately possible would be done to ensure an APC victory at the forthcoming governorship poll.

Fayemi said: “Do you need a rocket scientist to tell you that I am running? I was very clear that I am a process person, I am not going to jump the gun because there are rules and guidelines for electioneering.“The body that is responsible for that has stated theobvious when you can actually start campaign.

Thefact that people are actually flouting the guidelines is a fault of INEC and INEC is not taking them up on it.“That is my own attitude to it and at appropriate time, I will tell my party because this is purely a party matter, it is not a public matter yet.“So, I don’t really understand the level of curiosity whether I am running or I am not running.

I am very clear that what we have in this state today is not what this state deserves.“I have always been very clear that whatever it takes constitutionally, legally and legitimately to pout our party in office in October 2018, we will do as a party.“I have also gone ahead to say this meeting (held on Saturday) is our usual gathering; it is not a placeto declare the intention to run but as to whether I am running or not, I am running.“That is not debatable but I am a process person, I am not going to flout the law. You will know, you willall be invited when I decide to formally declare within the ambit of the guideline issued by INEC.

The minister had earlier hosted party leaders from ward to state levels to a quarterly meeting on Saturday but did not publicly declare intent to run for governor at the gathering contrary to widespread speculations.

Youths Knock Oluwo For Adopting Emir Title,Turban...

The Yoruba Youth Socio-Cultural Association has come down heavily on the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Adewale Akanbi, for allegedly adopting the title of an Emir and for wearing a turban instead of the Yoruba traditional cap or the crown.

The National Coordinator of the YYSA, Mr. Olalekan Hammed, in a telephone interview withPunchyesterday, said the Oluwo’s action could precipitatecrisis in the future if not checked now.

The monarch has been dressing like an emir and wearing turban occasionally  and he again wore theturban  on Saturday when he installed Yakub Abdul-Baqi Mohammed as the Waziri of Yorubaland in his palace in Iwo.

He installed the Waziri contrary to the warning given to him by the League of Imams and Alfas in South-West, Edo and Delta states that he had no such right to confer an Islamic title which cut across the entire South-West on anybody.

The YYSA leader said, “If there is animosity among the Obas, he should work towards resolving it; he cannot just take the title of an Emir. What he is doing now is contrary to the tradition and history of the throne he occupies.

Oluwo is not an Islamic title, it is a cultural title.“We have had a Christian as the Oluwo in the past (from 1958 to 1982). What if another Christian becomes Oluwo in the future? Will he be allowed to change the title to that of evangelist or what or will he be referred to as an Emir of Iwo? It is not proper. Even the Oluwo is not in the position to install anybody the Waziri of Yorubaland because it is an Islamic title.

The League of Imams has that power.“As the Oluwo of Iwo land, he his restricted to Iwo land. Obas are custodians of culture and traditions and Oluwo should behave like one. Wearing a turban is like importing the culture of some other people into Yorubaland. He should wear the crown or Yoruba cap.

What he is doing is contrary to Yoruba culture and he should lay a good example for the youths.”However, the Oluwo has denied adopting the title of an Emir contrary to media reports.Speaking through his media aide, Mr. Ali Ibrahim, in a statement issued on Sunday, the Oluwo explainedthat he had never dropped the title of an Oba for an Emir.

The statement read, “Oluwo has never adopted the Emir title. He only said he could also be called an Emir by the Hausa and ardent Muslims.

Oba Akanbiis an Oba for the nation with special attachment to the Yoruba. He promotes Yoruba culture to the admiration of many youths.

Just because of Oluwo dress code today, many children are attracted to Yoruba culture of wearing the aso ofi.“I said so to integrate the Nigerian nation as an indivisible entity, all working tools are available for the integration and unity of our dear country.

I`ve visited the North several times, core Hausa hardly pronounce Yoruba words correctly. They called me emir when I am with them.

Is there anything wrong in answering such? Even, the Hausa in Iwo here callme emir. Will I stop them from addressing me as such? No, I am a father to the nation being a first-class paramount ruler.”

FG Releases Fresh 23 Names Of Alleged Looters

The Federal Government on Sunday releaseda fresh list containing 23 names of alleged looters.

It said the list of alleged looters which it released on Friday was based on verifiable facts, including the amount involved, the date the amount was collected and from where it was taken.

The names released on Friday were the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, who allegedly collected N200m from the office of the former National Security Adviser.

Secondus had, however, denied the allegation and gave Mohammed 72 hours to retract the statement and also pay him N1.5b as damages.

Others included a former PDP Financial Secretary (N600m).The rest were a former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh, who is on trial for allegedlycollecting N1.4b from NSA office; Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, who is on trial for taking N2.1bn from NSA;and a former SSA to President Jonathan, Dudafa Waripamo-Owei, who is on trial over N830m kept in accounts of four different companies The last was former President Jonathan’s Cousin, Robert Azibaola, who was said to have collected$40m from NSA office.

While releasing a fresh list of alleged looters in Lagos on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement said the Friday’s list “was strategically released as a teaser.”He said, ‘’At the press conference where the list was released, I did say it was a tip of the iceberg… the Federal Government has a large number of alleged looters on its list.

The minister said the PDP’s reaction to the looters’ list has shown that its recent apology was an election-induced act, to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians to vote for the party in the 2019 general elections.Mohammed said, “The hysterical and panicky reaction from the PDP has shown that the party is not sincere about its choreographed apology.

Were it not the case, the party would have followed in the footsteps of one of its leaders, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, who simply owned up to his role in the party’s rigging in the past elections and said he hadturned a new leaf.

Mohammed said the Federal Government would neither be intimidated nor blackmailed into silence, adding that it would not rest until all those who looted the public treasury had been brought to justice.

Releasing the fresh list, the minister said based on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s investigation, N126bn, $1.5bn and £5.5m were allegedly embezzled through Sambo Dasuki office as the NSA.

The amounts, it alleged, were apart from the ongoing $2.1bn military equipment scandal.Mohammed further alleged that a former PetroleumResources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, “in just one of the cases the EFCC is investigating involving her; about N23bn is alleged to have been embezzled. She is also involved in the Strategic Alliance Contracts of the NNPC, where the firms of Jide Omokore and Jide Aluko got oil blocks, but never paid government taxes and royalty. About$3bn was involved.

The Federal Government is charging Omokore and Aluko and will use all legal instruments, local and international, to ensure justice.”He said the EFCC allegedly recovered N13.9bn and N4.8bn from an ex-army chief, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah (retd.) in cash and property.

Other names on the list are Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (alleged N4.5bn; N29m recovered by the EFCC); Alex Barde, a former Chief of Defence Staff, accused of stealing N8bn (EFCC recovered almost N4bn in cash and property); Inde Dikko, a former Comptroller General, Customs, accused of taking N40bn (N1.1bn recovered in cash and property).

The Federal Government also named Air Marshal Adesola Amosun, who allegedly got N21.4bn (N2.8bn recovered in cash; 28 property and three vehicles recovered); Senator Bala Abdulkadir, a former FCT Minister, who allegedly collected N5bn (interim forfeiture order on some property allegedly secured); Senator Stella Oduah, who allegedly got N9.8bn (interim forfeiture order on some property secured).