Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has ordered the suspension of all Market Unions and Associations in Edo State with immediate effect.
The Governor has also ordered the Police and other security agencies in the State to arrest defaulting leaders of the various suspended Unions and Associations without any delay.
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okpebholo, Fred Itua, in a statement yesterday, said the order is contained in a communication notice issued by the Secretary to State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilor, and dated 19th November 2024.
The Governor explained that the decision was informed by the disturbing activities of market Unions in the State.
He said reports abound that the Executives of the Unions and Associations either out rightly prevent farmers from disposing off their wares directly to consumers at the markets or arbitrarily fix prices of staple food at the detriment of the low income earners in the State.
“The attention of the State Government has been drawn to the disturbing activities of market Unions in the State. Reports abound that the Executives of these Unions either out rightly prevent farmers from disposing off their wares directly to consumers at the markets or arbitrarily fix prices of these staple food at the detriment of the low income earners and generally, the citizens of the State.
“Their actions have ultimately led to an astronomical rise in the prices of staple food in the State, thereby making life unbearable for the common Edo man.
“Edo State Government views this action with serious concern and considers it extortionist in nature which should not be allowed to thrive.
“While Edo State Government appreciates the role of market traders and their contribution to the economy of our dear State, it will not however serve as justification to allow a few individuals under the guise of Market Unions Executives and for their selfish reasons, continue to hold the entire State to ransom through their selfish and extortionist activities.
“Following from the foregoing, the Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo has approved the suspension of the activities of all Market Unions in Edo State with immediate effect.
“Security Agents have been put on alert, and any person or group who decides to flout this directive would be held accountable”, the statement warned.
An unspecified number of policemen have been killed in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State by rampaging Gunmen as early as 7:30 am this morning.
Though details of the sad event are still sketchy, the unfortunate incident is said to have occurred in Ebem, Asaga area.
Sources report that the area is said to have been deserted as residents scampered for safety over fear.
This comes barely two days after two police officers assigned to Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, a member of the House of Representatives representing Isiala-Ngwa North/South Constituency, were reportedly ambushed by armed assailants while on official duty in Umuahia.
The incident which occurred on Sunday around 8:30 pm left one police officer who sustained multiple gunshot wounds dead while the other officer and the driver escaped the attack.
Efforts are ongoing to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, Maureen Chinaka for comments.
Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has picked holes in the just concluded Ondo State governorship poll.
Lead, CDD-EAC and Observer Mission, Victor Adetula, and Director, CDD West Africa, Dauda Garuba, in a statement, yesterday, said there were discrepancies in the registered voters in seven of the 18 local government areas.
They told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explain the discrepancies and assure Nigerians about the sacrosanct nature of election-related data.
Adetula said: “However, comparing data on registered voters published by INEC before the election and those declared by returning officers during result collation, CDD-EAC observed discrepancies in seven of the 18 local government areas in the state.
“While we note the margins would not have affected the overall result, election-related details and data must be beyond scrutiny and not subject to arbitrary changes.
“We recommend that INEC explain these discrepancies and assure Nigerians about the sacrosanct nature of election-related data.”
He tasked political stakeholders to uphold peace, respect the rule of law, and follow due process in resolving any possible post-election disputes.
“Given the large-scale vote-buying witnessed in the election, the CDD-EAC believes now is the time for proactive and tough measures to confront the anomaly of political actors commodifying votes and making the democratic process a transactional affair.
“To this end, the CDD-EAC calls for a speedy and transparent trial of perpetrators caught trying to compromise the sanctity of the electoral process by offering cash for votes.
“Although compared to Edo, the incidence of peddling false narratives with the intent of deceiving voters was less prevalent in the Ondo governorship poll, the need for media and digital literacy efforts remains critical.
“The CDD-EAC, therefore, emphasises the importance of strengthening fact-checking initiatives to counter disinformation.
“These initiatives should now focus on fostering collaboration at the subnational and national levels to effectively counter any post-election misinformation or disinformation.
“Finally, as INEC reviews the conduct of the 2024 off-cycle elections and long-term preparation begins for the Anambra 2025 governorship election, we call on all citizens to remain active participants in Nigeria’s civic process and remain committed to developing the country’s democracy.
“Even with the modest gains recorded in the recent off-cycle elections, all critical stakeholders cannot afford to rest on their oars.It is hoped that future elections will be peaceful and show progress in Nigeria’s march towards a more representative, free and fair democracy,” he said.
Senator representing Niger East, and Chairman, Senate committee on Finance, Sani Musa in this interview monitored on Channels TV, spoke on why the president has delayed in the budget presentation, World Bank damning reports, NEITI harrowing report against NNPCL among other national issues.
2025 Budget is coming late already? What could be the delay?
You can see, since the inception of this administration, so many reforms and policies of government have been coming up, and we appreciate the fact that the economic team are doing their job the way it’s supposed to be done. We also as lawmakers, expect that we shall be given budgets timely so that we can start working on them. But we also, at the same time, would not want a situation whereby a document will just be presented to us without adequately going through because if you recall the beginning of this administration in 2023, there have been a lot of noise by Nigerians that we were rushing at policies. So, I believe Mr. President is now considering those voices that Nigerians made in making sure that the budget he is bringing is a budget that will rediscover the economy of Nigeria. So, I don’t think it’s late. I believe Mr. President is doing what he is supposed to do in other to checkmate whatever lapses we had in 2024 and correct them in 2025 budget. So, for me, it’s not too late. We are just in November. It doesn’t matter. I mean, we can scrutinize the budget and the President doesn’t have to sign the budget on first of January for us to do the correct and good job. We can take our time, scrutinize the budget very well, and then present it at the time we feel is okay. We have all seen it.
Nigeria has run a very awkward budget calendar and has never worked in synchrony. Some feel it would be awkward for us not to have an alignment with starting the year with a new budget. And that is the fear?
What we need to understand is that at the National Assembly, we do not have a fixed date, or, as you said, you just have one month to scrutinize the budget. There are so many committees in the National Assembly, and each committee looks at where it does as oversight, so the committee, at the level of committees, they will look at this proposal, because whatever the President is bringing to the National Assembly is a proposal. They will look at this budget proposal, and scrutinize it. I mean, you see, we, like the Finance Committee, we are over 58 members, and I can, as a matter of diligence, decide that, look, we divide ourselves into subcommittees to look at every part of that budget that is being proposed by the federal Ministry of Finance and agencies and make our recommendations, make our report to the appropriation committee. And for me, I believe that there will be enough time and we can do it between November and December. As I told you, it’s not necessary for us as legislators to impose when we know that is going to be difficult to say by December 31, we must.
Is there communication already from the executive, since you are in the same political party as the reason why the budget hasn’t come?
The communication is coming. Let me remind you, we have reviewed wages. We have reviewed a lot. There were a lot of policies; we have removed subsidy; we have made it possible, even the currency, the foreign exchange.
Have you reviewed the currency?
Of course
Are you sure? You mean there hasn’t been any spending at all under this government on subsidy?
No, no, no, no. When you are talking about spending under this government, I will tell you, there is no spending, because that was what we had yesterday. That is the reason why we call the NNPC Group Chief Executive to come and explain to Nigerians; he would explain to the committee first, what is happening. Is there subsidy, and what from all our takes? I mean from June 2023, after the pronouncement of Mr. President, the economic stability in terms of whether we spend a subsidy or not, has reduced drastically. And over time, has been removed completely. And today we have been able to remove subsidy out of our economy
(Curs in)… remove… our economy on paper!
Not on paper…You should also remember that the crude oil, even if it is domestic, or we are bringing it for any other place that are refined and brought into this country, crude oil are being sold at international market and it’s foreign. I mean, it’s dollar- based pricing. So for me, when we said we have removed subsidy and allow the market to determine its prices, it depends on willing buyer- willing seller policy. And for me, some of the issues that came up on why are we going to sell crude oil to Dangote refinery to stabilize the market, in order to reduce the pressure on foreign exchange. If we have the commodity in Nigeria, and we have somebody that will be willing to refine it based on that international price of the crude oil, we give him and he pays in naira and when he pays in naira, it doesn’t matter if I’m having a filling station in Kaduna and I’m going to Lagos to take fuel and bring to Kaduna. There is nobody subsidizing anything for me. So, when I get to Kaduna, I know how much it cost me to get this fuel from the refinery and how much it’s to get it down my filling station. So, big surprise. So, prices mean the timing by the seller. When subsidy is removed, there is no way prices will be stagnant. There was no way you can fix prices.
Some feel this government is not transparent enough and Nigerians are not being told the truth about how they subsidize!
I do not understand what you even get to know about subsidy. I don’t know if you can maybe explain to me your own understanding of the subsidy, my own understanding and what it is in reality, is that government is not going to put any money in supporting the supplier of PMS. We have done it with diesel in this country, we have done it with diesel, and people still buy diesel. So, if we are doing it with PMS, what is the problem?
Did you hear NNPC saying they are in debt?
They were in debt, that is what they said, Because the subsidy regime has gone and there is no way today NNPC will tell you that they are incurring any liability in terms of fuel importation or distribution of fuel in Nigeria.
What did the NNPC tell your committee about their remittances? Because there are those who have accused that company of opaqueness in the manner in which they have administered their books which, of course, we do know that it’s largely still owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
You know we as a committee, we went on the fact findings, and our fact findings is not far from some of the questions you have raised now. We looked at sales of crude oil in domestic refineries, while it is local, and what are the implications for the economy? And we believe that the explanation we have got is the best way to go, because it will reduce pressure. And you know, most of the discussion with it was centred on the fact that there was an approved item which takes care of the budget. I mean, it predicated what the budget would look like. And part of that is that there will be complete, removal of subsidy. And based on that, we were looking at the fact that, what if you sell in naira, are you going to sell it at the value of the foreign exchange, the value of the international market? I mean crude price at the international market, if that is what you do, I mean, we don’t have any problem with that. Our books will be correct and will be balanced. But in a situation where there will be just as you are talking about shortfalls, either going up or down, that means, if it goes up, we will have to ask questions, who is going to take care of the differences? In a way, that means there is subsidy. But the explanation we got is that there won’t be any of that because the price at which they will give, even based on the naira is going to be an international pricing. And then when you are talking about the remittances of NNPC, and that is one of the major reasons why we call for the fund balance, because we have been hearing about discrepancies here and discrepancies there, especially to do with maybe excess crude, stabilization fund cash calls. And we have wondered, I mean, when you see all these things, you will see that NNPC is at the center of it. And we feel it’s necessary for us to invite the group managing director to come and explain to us, and based on his explanation and what input we got from the chairman of the RMAFAC- Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Commission, what he came up with was really, really something that committee took very seriously. And we asked the Minister of Finance, we asked the Chief Executive of NNPC, to give us explanations if there are underpayment. And just the question you had earlier asked that NNPC was talking about quite a lot of liabilities, but we also want to make sure that there is a complete forensic audit of NNPC books so that all the grey areas where the discrepancies we are all talking about, we bring them out and monies that are supposed to go to consolidated revenue funds clearly, we identify why they are not there. We also identify monies that are supposed to go to the Federation account, which, when I talk about Federation accounts, that is money that belongs to oil, including the sub national. So, we looked at them critically, and I believe that there is need for us to further look at the books of both the NNPC and then also reconcile with the office of the accountant General of the Federation.
There is a damning report on the NNPC by the World Bank. In September, oil traders were having some underlining problems with the NNPCL; that cold war went on and eventually NNPCL came to town to say they are owing oil traders 6 billion US dollars, did they tell you about that money and how would that be offset?
You should know that previous micro economic policies in this country were very discretionary and very unsustainable. And when you focus on thinking how far we have come today with the coming of this administration, his policies, I mean, the President, His Excellency, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu came in with some kind of bold decisive decisions, and those decisions today, over time, will transform to give Nigeria what we are supposed to have. And part of the problems we are having, these things you are talking about, are not issues that started in the last 18 months. These are things that have been there for many years. So, when you are trying to compare, what I will expect is that from now onward, how do we intend to take care of all those things that are there as the liabilities to the Federal Government?
And this brings us to the fact we said we have to do forensic auditing, and which, I believe the Federal Government has initiated its own to look at the books of NNPC. Look at the books of all of the accounting General’s office, all remittances that have been said to be done, which ones were done and which ones were not done. I think there is need for us to look at that significantly. You can see that the reforms from 2023 to date, I don’t understand what you said in books, but when you look at economic indices, you will see that what we have done now is to strengthen the economy and make it more stringent with those lapses.I’m still telling you that the policies we have come in with is to bring stability, macro economic stability in this country. And when you are talking about $6 billion, I cannot confirm to you right here until when that forensic auditing.
But NNPCL came out to say we are owing international oil traders so and so amount of money
Then we look at the cash calls. And this is the reason why I told you I was with NNPC and the economic team. From what we have had, we felt there is need for us to call for complete forensic auditing of those books. We will be able to determine, was there $6 million?
When you and your colleagues were sitting with them, do you feel and have a sense that there is some opaqueness in the operation of the NNPC because these are the fears of Nigerians?
You see, there was, because, as I told you, before the coming of the PIA, a lot of distortions in terms of even the operational activities of the NNPC. By then, before now, you can hardly understand, in fact, you cannot even determine what the CAPEX and OPEX of production is in this country. But today, with the kind of stringent policies that this government is coming in with, we are trying to see as much as possible that those lapses we have had in years before now are corrected. And for anybody to come up to saying oh this administration, there is $6 billion, I will tell you categorically that there was no $6 billion under this administration, and if there was any, then there will be within the regime of those days when the subsidy regime was.
World Bank report on the NNPCL released on the 17th of May 2024, says that the books of the NNPCL is opaque and they lack corporate governance. It gave a lot of examples of how the NNPCL has failed in delivering truth and effective corporate governance to Nigeria and short-changing the Nigerian state. Are you privy to that report?
Yes, I am privy to that report. I have read it, and I can tell you without any fear of contradiction, that Nigeria, before the passage of the PIA, we had been operating a system that we feel was more local than what is being practised internationally. The international best practices are what we have been able to put in the PIA and which we passed, just like what is happening in other climes. Before the PIA, there were no legislation, serious legislation to protect investors coming to invest in our oil industry. There are no legislation to protect the host communities and the rest of it. So in short, what I’m trying to say is that now that we did the PIA and NNPC was unbundled, and NNPC is supposed to start operating as an entity, which you are a shareholder, I am a shareholder, 230 million Nigerians, so more are all shareholders of NNPC limited; so, they are supposed to start operating like an entity with the kind of corporate governance resemblance like the ones we have Aramco and others. So, it will take a little while for us to be able to see if that legislation is really working on getting what we expect to get out of it. And you know, in every country, everywhere, legislation is born to be amended, to be repelled, amended. And I believe that with the committees the National Assembly have been put in. We check so many things, either in the downstream or up streams of the petroleum industries in Nigeria, will come up with reports. And by the time we gather all those reports, we will be able to look at the legislation itself, the PIA itself, where we feel is necessary to make some amends, we do them, and once we do that, that will create the kind of enabling environment where NNPCL will operate like an entity. And when you are talking about the reports we have received, and I have mentioned to you earlier, that government is working, the Federal Government has instituted through the Federal Ministry of Finance for forensic auditing.
It is already working. You don’t give timeline on issues like this, where it took so much of years of neglect.
Any policy that doesn’t have a window…
(cuts in) I want you to understand. I want you to understand me. If forensic auditing will be done and to be seen to have done, been done very well, you should know that IOCs will have to be also called. We have asked the minister and he has told us that the team has been working, and very soon, they will round off what they are doing and present the report to the government. And when they present report to the Federal Executive Council, and they have looked at the forensic report, the National Assembly, also, I’m sure will want to have that report and we look at it and do the needful. But for me, I don’t see a reason why. We will say, okay, go and start forensic auditing and we give them three months, and after giving them three months, we are not able to get what we want. We want to start this forensic auditing. It’s not from 2020 to 2023, we will have to study like from maybe 2010 to date because a lot have gone wrong.
It does look like we are running like a banana republic, the manner in which some people are treating Nigerians like we are fools, and Nigerians are not fools at all. There is a report, we understand, was presented to NEC, headed by one of the governors, but that report was not allowed to see the light of day about the running of the NNPCL and how our crude oil have been stolen … World Bank report is damming! This government promised us that refineries were going to be ready, the date keep changing every other month. Why are Nigerians being taken for granted?
I’m not here to defend NNPC, neither, I’m here as a spokesman of NNPCL or the government, but I can tell you I’m part of this government, and I would tell you that what you are saying or what you are reading cannot be justified. You cannot tell me just because World Bank gives a report, and that report is what it is.
OK. Don’t believe what the World Bank said let’s look at…
Allow me to talk! You said NNPC is this! NNPC is that! It is opaque! Nigerians have been taken for granted by who, by the government? That is your statement. But I’m trying to correct you. I said, if World Bank presents their reports, that is World Bank reports. We are here. We will look at those books. We will look at our own books. We will look at our own reports. What did I just mention to you? What stops us from calling for fact finding to know what is going on in terms of remittances for an NNPC, in terms of bringing in a policy towards the end of the year where you want to sell crude oil in naira. I told you all this is because we want to be sure that what we are doing is not going to reflect negatively on Nigerians and what this government is doing by virtue of the fact that we removed subsidy. Removing subsidy is the best thing that has happened to this country, let me tell you! Today, how much are we earning? if the money that Nigeria is making today, and the money that FAAC gives to the states, the state governments utilize those monies adequately.
Nigerians are taken for granted, Senator!
Nobody is taking Nigerians for granted!
Let me tell you how Nigerians are taken for granted. The World Bank said the books of NNPCL is opaque, evasive and deceptive! And what they are supposed to deposit into the federal coffers is not what they are depositing.
(Cuts in) how can you prove it is evasive and deceptive?
OK, if you don’t believe what World Bank says, this is what Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, NEITI has said, they said that in their report that the NNPC did not remit $2 billion in taxes to the Federal Government in 2022, NNPC denied it. NNPCL cannot also explain how it rounded up debt estimated at $7 billion in August, after declaring net profit of $3.
(Cuts in) when we call for fact, we invited all these agencies you mentioned. We invited NNPC. We invited Federal Minister of Finance. We invited the accountant General of the Federation. We invited NEITI, we invited Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Commission. NEITI did not honour our invitation. And we say, I as a chairman of that committee, said, NEITI and the office of the accounting of the Federation must come and clear off some of these questions that we have. So, if NEITI has said that we call NNPC, and NNPC appeared before us, and NEITI that made those allegations are not there to substantiate them, how do you think we work? We cannot work until NEITI comes and gives us all those facts. The chairman of RMAFC came, he was there, he told us so many things. You are talking about not giving state governments enough money. Is it not the same governors that signed an agreement and engaging consultants to look at these books and then if money that were paid to the consultants are paid to the states, what does that mean? Is it not going to be more money for the states? What are we talking about? Let’s not be deceiving ourselves. If NNPC said we have remitted so amount of money, and you know that this money is not remitted, and you have facts, there is no better place for you to come than the National Assembly where we have called for fact finding to come and lay the books so that we can make the clarifications and on the basis of that, we said, we are not done enough. We are not done with NNPC. We are not done with the Minister of Finance, we are not done with all these agencies. We are still going to go further. There are a lot of discrepancies in terms of remittances either from the cash. What is going on in the cash calls, either for an LNG, either from excess crude, what is supposed to go to consolidated revenue and what is supposed to go to Federation funds, we will look at all that.
How do you explain to Nigerians what is happening under the renewed hope agenda?
You see the policies of this government is to see how we can move towards a market-based economy, whereby individuals, I mean, take control of the economy, not everything left for government to do. And from what I have seen, the policies that this government has come in with are policies that even the advanced economies around the world, when you look at how they operate their economies, is based on that. You go to UK, you are more or less a US citizen, your family are in United States. You are not even here. You know how it’s been operated. You sometimes even hear what government does? You hear about bad allocation every month to states? Do you hear that? You don’t! And that is the kind of economy that will propel whatever industrialization this country needs. Productivity has been having problems in this country. So, the policies this government is coming with are policies that I believe are not going to be so easy for us to think overnight, because we make changes, because a new administration comes in, everything will go very easy. You see, we tried to change policies that Central Bank of Nigeria has been operating before now. You can see this government has tried to exit Ways and Means which you should commend the government for doing that. We have exited Ways and Means and I will tell you today that these policies that you are finding very difficult, anywhere not only Nigeria but most sophisticated economy like United States or China will have to face the same thing. It is a phase. As well as going out of this space, we are going into another but what are the short term impacts, and what are those remedies that the government has put in place? There is so much poverty, that agreed, but there are also positive outcomes from what we are doing.
How would the average Nigeria breathe?
Let me tell you, before the coming of this administration, what was our budget and where does the budget go to; almost everything is debt servicing. We have been able to bring our debt ratio to GDP very low.
Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its governorship candidate in Ondo State, Bamidele Akingboye, have rejected the outcome of the election.
The state Chairman of SDP, Gbenga Akinbuli, at a press briefing, yesterday, in Akure, called for immediate cancellation of the election won by the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Lucky Aiyedatiwa
Akinbuli, who described the election as a slap on democracy, alleged that voters were intimidated and harassed at Ward 10 Unit 19, Ondo West Local Government Area. He said voters were offered between N7,000 and N10,000 at the polling unit where he voted.
Akinbuli also alleged that agents of the party were chased from many polling units across the state.
He said it was laughable for the party’s candidate to score two votes in Okitipupa where he hails from.
“How come the SDP got zero votes in Ilaje? The thugs chased everybody away from the polling units. People were scared of coming out to cast their votes.
“Security agents at polling units could not do anything. They chased out our agents from the polling unit. We are saying the election was marred by gross malpractices, vote-buying, and electoral intimidation.
“We are going to court. We are asking for the cancellation of the election. It was a show of shame. It was buyers and sellers day in Ondo,” he said.
Akingboye, the candidate of the party, said he would ask the court to declare him the winner of the election. He said he was shocked at what happened during the conduct of the election.
“What I saw yesterday was shocking to me. If you look at what the TVC played out on the news yesterday, even an APC chieftain was about beating me up, but I just had to play maturity. It was a sad story.
“In my unit in Okitipupa –Ward 2, Polling Unit 10– they were doing an open auction. I told them that as a credible person, someone who has integrity, I would never partake in unlawful acts in Nigeria.
“I am asking they should declare me the winner of this election, because people were supposed to vote for me, but they chased all our party agents out of the polling units and thuggery was the act of the day. I am considering myself as the winner of this election and INEC should declare me the winner of the election,” he said.
• OBJ laid poor foundation for INEC in 1999 -Arewa group
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja and Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has come under scurrilous attacks from the Presidency over his recent remarks on the leadership of the country.
During the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, Obasanjo had labelled former president Muhammadu Buhari as ‘Baba Go Slow’ and President Bola Tinubu as ‘Emilokan’, attributing Nigeria’s ongoing challenges to their administrations.
He accused the political elite of engaging in ‘state capture’, adding that they manipulate national policies and resources for personal gains. He noted that Nigeria’s failing state status is due to “widespread corruption, poor leadership, and immorality,” under Tinubu.
In their responses, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and Special Adviser on Public Communications to the President, Sunday Dare, took the former president to the cleaners.
Onanuga, in a statement, said Obasanjo should reflect on his leadership shortcomings rather than offering unsolicited advice.
He criticised Obasanjo’s legacy and highlighted his failure to address critical issues like infrastructure and security during his tenure. Onanuga pointed out that Achebe himself rejected an honour from Obasanjo in 2004, citing, “the prevalence of abuse of power and poor leadership.”
Onanuga emphasised the irony of Obasanjo discussing governance at a forum celebrating Achebe, who had little regard for him.
“A man under whose watch all of these egregious infractions occurred should certainly not be the one to give any lecture on leadership and corruption.”
He said in part: “On matters of integrity, honesty, and morality in public leadership, Obasanjo is certainly not a paragon of virtue for anyone to model after. Nigerians can still remember the messy public spat between Obasanjo and his then vice president, Atiku Abubakar, over Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) that led to a Senate Public Hearing in 2004. The sordid details of the public hearing included unsettling evidence of how Obasanjo instructed his vice president to buy sport utility vehicles for his mistresses with PTDF. There was also the Halliburton bribe scandal, which the US Congress probe revealed. Bribe payments were made to the highest political authorities at the Villa while Obasanjo was in charge.
“Nigerians will also remember how the Obasanjo administration invested $16 billion on electricity, which left the country in utter darkness. The colossal amount spent on power was so embarrassing that the late president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Obasanjo’s successor, ordered a probe. Similarly, Obasanjo’s privatisation programme was scandalous. It did not deliver real value for the country. His administration cheaply sold national assets to cronies who stripped the assets of the state-owned enterprises. A case in point was the aluminium smelter company, ALSCON, in Ikot-Abasi, Akwa-Ibom State, built by the military government at the princely sum of $3.2 billion. It was sold for $130 million. Obasanjo also sank money into Turn Around Maintenance of our refineries, which never worked, leading to the massive importation of refined petroleum products.
“Such was the miasma of corruption under Obasanjo that the former governor of Abia, Orji Uzor Kalu, his party member, petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, accusing Obasanjo of gross abuse of office.
“If Obasanjo had addressed the many problems he critiqued in his poorly written Yale lecture when he ruled Nigeria for eight years, former president Buhari and President Tinubu would have had a much lighter burden of fixing the country.”
He said instead of casting blame, Obasanjo should use his remaining years to reflect on missed opportunities during his own time in leadership.
“While the Tinubu administration diligently works to overcome the country’s economic challenges, it would be better and more advisable for former president Obasanjo to temper his self-righteousness in his public discussions regarding our nation’s temporary difficulties. Instead, his remaining years would be better spent reflecting on the missed opportunities during his own time in leadership, both as military head of state and civilian president.”
Writing on his X handle, @SundayDareSD, Dare said Obasanjo lacked sincerity and moral authority to make such comments, adding that “democracy suffered mortal wounds under his watch.”
He accused the former president of possessing “a tremendous capacity for mischief,” asserting that his ‘hallucinations’ and misrepresentation of facts were well-documented.
Dare highlighted Obasanjo’s administration as one marred by corruption, referencing the widely criticised $16 billion power project that failed to deliver tangible results.
“There has been no explanation as to how he wasted $16 billion to generate megawatts of darkness across the nation.”
The former minister of Youth and Sports under former president Buhari also accused Obasanjo of undermining democracy during his tenure, citing the failed third-term agenda as evidence of mortal wounds inflicted on the nation’s democratic process.
“Successive administrations,” Dare said: “have faced challenges in addressing governance issues, but President Tinubu is now making progress.
“Democracy suffered mortal wounds under his watch, only capped by his murderous rage for an ill-fated third term. Obasanjo should apologise to Nigerians for not laying the foundational infrastructure Nigeria needed to advance.”
He also dismissed Obasanjo’s anti-corruption stance as pretentious, asserting that Nigerians are not swayed by such claims.
“It is actually laughable that the former president’s pretentiousness about fighting corruption is not cutting any ice in the eyes of the public,” he said.
Citing a Yoruba proverb, Dare emphasised the importance of focusing on substantive progress rather than distractions.
“In this market called Nigeria, the man with the renewed hope agenda is the one that matters,” Dare remarked, referring to President Tinubu’s reforms.
He reiterated Tinubu’s commitment to staying the course and implementing reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at driving Nigeria’s development.
He further called on Obasanjo to reflect on his own contributions to Nigeria’s challenges instead of criticising his successors.
“President Tinubu is now spiritedly battling to put the nation back on the track of development. So, Obasanjo should refrain from undermining current efforts,” Dare said.
He concluded by welcoming Obasanjo’s acknowledgment of hope for Nigeria’s future. “We thank former president Obasanjo for agreeing that ‘Yes, there is hope’. That is the Renewed Hope Agenda President Tinubu is talking about, and it is on track,” Dare posted on his X page.
Also reacting, a northern group, Arewa Think Tank (ATT), expressed displeasure over Obasanjo’s call for the sack of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, saying the former leader should blame himself for laying poor foundation for INEC in 1999 when he presided over the affairs of the country for eight years.
ATT, in a statement by its Convener, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, said: “It is, indeed, unpatriotic for Obasanjo, who admitted during his own period of electoral crisis that not even a saint can conduct credible elections in Nigeria, to now accuse the government of failing in this regard.
“To say the least, Obasanjo’s track record on electoral integrity during his administration is questionable, if history should be kind to Nigeria.
“Obasanjo himself has admitted to having manipulated elections to ensure victory for his preferred candidates.
The late president Yar’Adua even admitted the election that brought him to power was flawed with irregularities. In light of this, it is difficult to take his criticisms of the current government seriously.
“It is, therefore, hypocritical for someone like Obasanjo, who has presided over flawed elections in the past, to now point fingers at others. If actually he cared so much about the integrity of the electoral process, he should reflect on his own past actions and work towards ensuring free and fair elections for all Nigerians.”
ATT recalled with displeasure that for the former president, who once presided over a system riddled with all manners of corruption, whose presidency was characterised by electoral malpractices, his electoral integrity raises pertinent questions about the moral rights he has in criticising contemporary governance.
“Obasanjo’s tenure was a period during which the very foundations of Nigeria’s electoral processes were laid. But it was poorly laid. His administration witnessed elections marred by irregularities, where results were announced even as voters stood in queues.
“For the former president to now label the 2023 elections a ‘travesty’ is not only exaggerated but also a glaring display of inciting citizenry against constituted authority.
“We recalled with sadness and disappointment that Obasanjo’s administration was marred by a manual electoral process, often fraught with inefficiencies and opportunities for manipulation.
“So, his criticisms of the current commission’s reliance on technology, such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Election Result Viewing Portal (IReV), does not hold water and amounted to a misplaced criticism.
“We are of the strong view that all leaders should prioritise the interests of the citizenry and work towards building a transparent and accountable electoral system for the betterment of our dear country.
“However, ATT wishes to advise the current administration, under President Tinubu, to prioritise the establishment of a transparent and accountable electoral process since there is little or nothing to learn from the past. This has become necessary instead of being subjected to the distractions posed by past leaders who have failed to take responsibility for their actions and inactions.”
The people of Inua Eyet Ikot Community in Ibeno local government area of Akwa Ibom state have deserted the area following midnight attack by suspected hoodlums from neighbouring communities.
Daily Sun gathered that during the midnight attack which occurred on Saturday schools, community clinic and other public utilities worth millions of naira were destroyed.
The Village Council Chairman of Inua Eyet Ikot Chief Nta Edyang while conducting Journalists round the wreckage in the community accused their Esit Eket neighbours as the prime suspects for the mayhem unleashed on them .
Edyang explained that though there was no human casualty recorded, property destroyed was estimated at over N100m .
According to him, ” Last night , we were woken up to the invasion from our Esit Eket neighbours at midnight with massive attacks on our farms, clinic, schools and people’s homes which were all brought down to rubbles.
” The Invaders came at midnight well armed and people fled to the bushes, from where they hear them using sledge hammers and other destructive equipment to destroy properties we laboured to build to foundation level.”
The small oil and gas rich Inua Eyet Ikot community in Ibeno hosts the ExxonMobil Mobil Qua iboe terminal facility and also have BUA’s petrol chemical factory under construction in their domain.
Edyang said reason for the latest attack was not unconnected with ongoing petrochemical refinery project built in the community by BUA group.
He said the hoodlums claimed that the village is their land and even hosted a flag after the destruction with inscription ” Ibeno beware, we won’t tolerate your conspiracy with state government to take our land”.
The Paramount Ruler of Ibeno Owong Effiong Achianga while reacting to the incident traced the attack in Ibeno Communities to the enormous natural resources deposit in the area .
Achianga maintained that Ibeno is blessed with oil and gas which the entire Akwa Ibom state benefit from on their wealth adding that peace was needed to coexist as his people will not tolerate further aggression from their neighbours.
” All the areas, they are laying claims to belong to us, if the attack persists, we will defend ourselves, we are warriors and obollo people. I have appealed to Ibeno youths to remain calm. I am appealing to Elders, council chairmen of our neighboring council areas to call their youths to order”.
The Paramount ruler also appealed to the state government to intervene and bring succour to the destroyed community and others earlier torched by the hoodlums to assuage their feelings and encourage the healing process”.
” Government should replace the damaged property and help the displaced people recover from the shock of the atrocities.
“Government must not allow the repeat of what happened, more security should be deployed to Ibeno Communities to protect lives and property while the hoodlums must be apprehended to face the full wrath of the law.”
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has won the Ondo State governorship election
Aiyedatiwa, who contested on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), won the poll after all votes were collated.
It was a landslide victory as APC swept all 18 local government areas of the state after the completion of the collation exercise on Sunday, November 17, 2024.
Aiyedatiwa defeated his opponents, amongst whom are Falaiye Ajibola (Accord Party), Akinuli Omolere (Action Alliance), Olatunji Popoola (All Progressives Grand Alliance), Olorunfemi Ayodele (Labour Party), and Agboola Ajayi (Peoples Democratic Party) to clinch the victory.
Operatives of the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, have rejected an offer of N174m bribe offered to them by a 28-year-old suspected internet fraudster, Patrick Akpoguma.
The suspect was alleged to have been involved in various types of internet-related fraud, including romance scams, identity theft, cyber hacking, cryptocurrency fraud, rituals and cultism.
The suspect, Akpoguma confessed to the crime, while speaking with journalists at Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos.
He explained that, in an attempt to have his name cleared, he began offering monetary bribes to the police.
He offered the sum of $100,000 USD, which is equivalent of N174 million. Addressing the press, on Friday, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, AIG Adegoke Fayoade, said that investigation into Akpoguma’s activities began on November 7, 2024, after receiving reports from residents of Chevron Drive, Lekki, where the suspect resides.
According to AIG Fayoade, “Patrick Akpoguma admitted being involved in what is known as romance scams and other crypto currency-related scams. He meets various people online and presents himself as a notable and famous Caucasian American, such as Colonel Matt Herbert, a serving U.S. Army officer currently on a peacekeeping mission in Iran. He also impersonates Adam Taggart, a renowned crypto currency and stock brokerage expert in the United States.”
Speaking about his actions, the suspect, Akpoguma, said he felt too intelligent to work for a salary, which is why he turned to fraud three years ago.
“I am a graduate of Mechanical Engineering, and I am 28 years old. After leaving school, it became clear that I needed to find my own path and try to get on my feet. I decided to try fraud while I looked for something legitimate.
“I started doing fraud three years ago, and since then, I’ve made over $500,000 USD. I’ve achieved a lot—owning a house in Lagos, a house in Edo State, and a GLE Benz worth N100m.
“Once I defraud people and feel I’ve taken enough from them, I simply walk away. I don’t leave them penniless.”
Gunmen, suspected to be members of a secret cult, shot and killed a disabled man on Friday night while he was riding a motorcycle in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The victim, identified as Hon. Mutiu Akinbami, also known as Igor, was reportedly attacked between the popular Brewery Bus Stop and Olomoore Junction at approximately 6:13 p.m.
His assailants were said to have driven a tinted Toyota Hilux, the registration number of which could not be identified.
Reports indicated that the victim, dressed in a black polo shirt and white jeans, had been using an iron rod to aid his mobility after losing his left leg several years ago.
At the time of the attack, he was riding the motorcycle with his daughter. Akinbami was a former councillor at the Abeokuta North Local Government Area.
Eyewitnesses, including members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) near the scene, revealed that the assailants had trailed him from his residence in the Olomoore Federal Housing Estate.
After carrying out the attack, they made a swift detour at the Brewery area and fled the scene.
