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Former Inspector-General Invited By ICPC Over Fraud

By
Akintomide Aroso
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Former Inspector-General Invited By ICPC Over Fraud

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has invited the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF), Suleiman Abba and five others over fraudulent activities including alleged procurement of substandard equipment by the NPTF for the Police.

Abba is also a former Inspector-General of Police.

The information is contained in a letter dated September 6, 2021, addressed to the Executive Secretary of the NPTF and signed by the Director of Operations of the ICPC, Akeem Lawal.

According to the letter titled, ‘Investigation Activities: Letter of Invitation Pursuant to Section 28(1(A-B) of ICPC Act 2000’, the anti-graft agency is asking the former IGP and others to appear before it between Monday, September 13 and Thursday, September 16, 2021.

A copy of the letter obtained by SaharaReporters on Saturday revealed that they will be investigated for alleged violation of the provisions of the ICPC Act No. 5 of 2020.

The ICPC had earlier commenced investigation into alleged procurement of substandard equipment by NPTF officials.

It was discovered that some of the equipment the NPTF recently donated to the police was inferior.

The NPTF had recently donated operational vehicles and other equipment worth N11 billion to the police as the NPTF for the training and retraining of police personnel.

Some of the said equipment included 640 bullet proof vests, 120 buffalo vans, and 190 ballistic helmets but the equipment was said to be substandard.

For instance, it was learnt that the bullet proof vests are supposed to have resistant shields in the front and back but they only had protective shields in the front. Therefore, the bullet proofs will fail to effectively protect police personnel during shoot-outs with criminal elements like Boko Haram terrorists, bandits or robbers.

In the letter obtained by reporters, those invited for questioning are identified as: IGP Suleiman Abba (rtd), Board Chairman; Mrs Victoria Ojogbane, Director, Legal Services; Alhaji Yahaya Mohammed, Director, Planning, Research and Statistics; Mr. Lawal Gunjunju, Director, Finance and Account; Mr. Salihu Abubakar, Special Assistant, Technical; Dr. Fred Femi Akinfala, Director, Human Resources and General Services; Mr. Ben Akabueze, Board Member; and Engr. Mansur Hammed, Board Member.

Akabueze is the Director-General, Budget Office of the Government of Nigeria. He was before now the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning in Lagos State in the administration of Babatunde Fashola.

Meanwhile, the invitation letter specifies the different times each of them is expected by the ICPC to come in for questioning.

The former IGP, Suleiman is expected to come in for questioning at exactly 1pm on Thursday, September 16, 2021; Ojogbane is expected in by 10am on Monday, September 13, 2021; Mohammed is expected in by 1pm on Monday, September 13, 2021, while Gunjunju is expected in the ICPC office for questioning by 10am on Tuesday, September 14, 2021.

Also, Abubakar is expected in for questioning by 1pm on Tuesday, September 14, 2021; Akinfala is expected in by 10am on Wednesday, September 15, 2021; Akabueze is expected in by 1pm on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 while Hammed is expected in by 10am on Thursday, September 16, 2021.

The letter partly read, “Similarly, the invited staff is to come with the following documents as applicable to their office and schedule as well as the original copies for sighting:

“Copies of all payment vouchers for overhead, recurrent and capital for year 2020 and 2021, copies of all contract agreement for contracts awarded from the takeoff grant and capital, copies of staff nominal roll, comprehensive list of staff on transfer, posting and secondment. Vote for take-off grant, breakdown of all spending and approvals, print out of ledger vote and spending, all no objection certificate from Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

“Evidence of BPP clarification on contract award, financial limit and thresholds, procurement methods and threshold of application and expenditure as related to NPTF.

“They are also expected to come with any of the following: a lawyer, Justice of Peace, Staff of the Legal Aid Council or any individual of their choice.

“Accept the assurances of the Commission’s highest regards, please.”

Boxing: Evander Holyfield Knocked Out As Trump Run Commentary

By
Akintomide Aroso
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Boxing: Evander Holyfield Knocked Out As Trump Run Commentary

MMA fighter, Vitor Belfort, knocked out former boxing undisputed heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield in the first round of their boxing match in Saturday’s Triller Fight Night.

On the commentary box was former U.S. President Donald Trump whom Triller hired alongside his son to run alternate commentary. Rapper and actor, 50 Cent, and MMA Superstar Jorge Masvidal were also on hand on the night.

Coming into the fight, there were a lot of concerns about the health and abilities of Evander, who, at 58 definitely had his best years behind him; and looked exactly so in the open workouts. Vitor, on the other hand, looked in supreme condition.

To start the card, former British champion David Haye defeated multimillionaire businessman turned pro boxer Joe Fournier in a unanimous decision. That was followed by Jono Carroll who got a majority decision over Andy Vences.

In the co-main event, MMA legends faced off as Anderson Silva, the former UFC Middleweight Champion finished Tito Ortiz, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion in devastating fashion with a first round KO.

This was followed by the Holyfield versus Belfort main event which ended just as quickly with Belfort dropping Holyfield early and following up with a barrage of punch combinations right after he got back up.

The referee stopped the fight and Holyfield protested but it was a great decision.

Declassified Document Shows Saudi Arabia Supported 9/11 Terrorists

By
Akintomide Aroso
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Declassified Document Shows Saudi Arabia Supported 9/11 Terrorists

The document released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation detailing the U.S. 9/11 attacks contains allegations of Saudi Arabia’s involvement.

The document, written in 2016, is based on the FBI’s investigation called Operation ENCORE, released following an executive order by President Joe Biden.

The newly declassified document details the FBI’s investigation of alleged support between a Saudi consular official, a suspected Saudi intelligence agent in Los Angeles and at least two of the men who hijacked the aircrafts in September 11, 2001.

Of the 19 Al Qaeda terrorists who hijacked four U.S. aircrafts and attacked on the morning of September 11, 2001, 15 were citizens of Saudi Arabia.

The partially redacted 16-page document released by the FBI does not, however, provide any evidence the Saudi government was involved with the attacks.

The Saudi government responded to the development, denying any connections between Saudi nationals named in the investigation and the hijackers, describing the claims as “categorically false”.

The Saudi Embassy released a statement removing itself from the allegations that it worked with the terrorists.

“No evidence has ever emerged to indicate that the Saudi government or its officials had previous knowledge of the terrorist attack or were in any way involved in its planning or execution,” the statement said. It added that “any allegation that Saudi Arabia is complicit in the September 11 attacks is categorically false.”

Biden’s executive order came after over 1,600 people affected by the attacks wrote a letter giving the release of the information as a requirement for him visiting Ground Zero in New York City to mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks.

OPINION: Value Added Tax, Restructuring and a Dysfunctional Country

By
Akintomide Aroso
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OPINION: Value Added Tax, Restructuring and a Dysfunctional Country

Nigeria is generally a country without value-added, as it produces nothing most people outside the country want to buy. Are you surprised that only about four states and FCT generate 85% of all the realisable Value Added tax in the country, and the rest- 32 states, generate 15%?  The country thrives underneath the par of developing countries. It is a corrupt dungeon being suffocated by an anti-development, virus-infected, decree 24 document, called 1999 constitution.

Justice Stephen Dalop Pam may have started a restructuring revolution in Nigeria, just as Tunisian graduate Tarek el-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor who set himself on fire in Ben Arous, started the Tunisian revolution and the wider Arab Spring in 2010. While Tarek’s initiation of the Tunisian revolution involved some dint of violence or self-immolation, the Nigerian revolution has commenced via a subtle but sharp-edged Court declaration.  Whichever way the revolutions started; the outcomes justify the acts.

Justice Pam’s ruling is a watershed that has outlawed collection of VAT, Withholding and Education taxes and Technology levy by federal government’s weaponised FIRS. The declaration gently advises the regime to concentrate on collecting Capital gains tax and taxes on profits as ascribed under the exclusive list of the Nigeria constitution.

According to Daily Trust Newspaper, “many states may not be able to meet their financial commitments if Pam’s ruling stands”, and Gombe governor was quoted as begging, “states should be their brother’s keeper. This is the greatest exposure of hypocrisy and an attempt to deceive the rest of the country. Must some states meet their financial commitments by continuing to rob other states? Does the governor of Gombe state believe in restructuring or is he one of northern elements who fake ignorance of the true meaning of restructuring?

FIRS’s race to the appeal court in Abuja with the aim of frustrating Pam’s declaration is thoughtless and retrogressive. It is an attempt to reverse progress and keep the redundant status quo, ongoing, and continue to keep some states in desperate almajiri conditions. Moreover, FIRS’s nocturnal race to the national assembly to attempt to sneak VAT into the exclusive list is criminal. FIRS is now the greatest enemy of the redundant and superfluous states which it claims to protect.

Those northerners feigning ignorance of the meaning of restructuring should wait no longer. Here it is. They should read Justice Pam’s declaration. It is called fiscal restructuring. It is also the first restructuring missile fired in anger, and full resource control would follow. The anti-development virus called the 1999 constitution has been punctured by a pro-development virus cleansing declaration. The ruling has freed laisse affaire and healthy competition among states.

Justice Pam’s declaratory judgement has exposed the fact that state creation by the country’s corrupt and unhinged ex-military juntas, was dishonest. They created unviable, parasitic states that build nothing, innovate nothing, produce nothing, earn nothing; but exploit everything. The declaration is a wake-up call for docile ethnolinguistic governors and their cabinets, whose only reason for becoming governors is because they speak a particular language and belong to a certain religious sect or tribe.

Federal collection and arbitrary distribution of VAT since 1993 is a function of impunity that has bedevilled the country, and FIRS’s nugatory speech following the Pam ruling is regrettable.

The current unjust regime can ignore freedom fighters and throw the 2014 confab report to the dust, as much as it wants; but one thing is certain, the country must be restructured or dismembered one way or the other. Pam’s declaration reminds everyone that the impending dismemberment may emanate from very unconventional source/s. UK BREXIT happened because the EU pussyfooted on giving minor concessions to the imperial island, which led to the vote of Yes to exit the amorphous union in 2016. The Tunisian and Arab spring sprung up via a frustrated graduate street hawker, who self-immolated himself on a street in Tunis in December 2010. #Endsars sprung up with the spontaneity of impulsivity and nearly rescued the country from the cabal before the civilian junta struck at Lekki toll gate. A little-known Kuru born Federal High Court Judge, Justice Pam, has triggered the restructuring revolution. Restructuring and/or outright dissolution of Nigeria is neither negotiable nor avoidable. The earlier these facts stick onto the ageing brains of those delaying the processes, the better.

Justice Simon Haruna’s ruling last Friday, may have sent Justice Pam’s declaration to legal purgatory (depending on your interpretation of his ruling), but be assured, this revolution is not going away, because governor Wike has inaugurated a four-man tax appeal commission charged with the responsibility of ensuring mass compliance with the state’s brand-new VAT law. Governor Sanwo Olu has also signed the Lagos State Vat law and gone further to request to be joined as a respondent in the ongoing FIRS appeal case in Abuja. His motion for joinder will be heard before Justice Haruna on 16 September. So, the battle is just starting.

While the lawless regime, hopes, that Rivers and Lagos states would obey Justice Haruna’s order not to proceed with collecting VAT, until the substantive suit is resolved, the #unjust regime needs to be reminded that it has NOT obeyed any single court order made against it for the past 6 years, courtesy of the instrumentality and rascality of its badly trained childlike Gestapo organisation, known as DSS.  Though two wrongs do not make a right, the popular opinion is that Governors Wike and Sanwo Olu should please, bell the cat.

By Austin Aneke

Ex-Nigerian Athlete To Return Medal, Pledges Allegiance To IPOB

By
Akintomide Aroso
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Ex-Nigerian Athlete To Return Medal, Pledges Allegiance To IPOB

Simon Ekpa, an athlete who represented Nigeria at the 2003 African Junior Athletics Championships, has denounced Nigeria and vowed to return the medal he won for the country.

He said this in a Facebook post on Sunday, adding that leaders have failed the country.

Ekpa said his action is in with his allegiance to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra.

He also vowed to “put everything I have to the disintegration of Nigeria”.

The Biafra agitator said this while reacting to a letter he claimed he received from the Institute of Management Consultants , Nigeria, nominating him for a fellowship.

Ekpa posted, “I reject your nomination publicly, this is the second time the IMC-Nigeria is nominating me for whatever reason. I am not interested in your nomination, I am not interested in your award, I am not interested in anything that will move Nigeria forward because Nigeria is not structured nor created to move forward, so anybody trying to move Nigeria forward is already a failure.

“Let me give you a brief brake down on these failures: Awolowo, Zik, Ahmadu Bello, Abiola, Obasanjo, Jonathan, and every other person that have held any political position in Nigeria from 1960 to 2021 has all failed because they didn’t realise that Nigeria was never created to move forward.

“I am now putting everything I have to the disintegration of Nigeria and restoration of Biafra as that is the only way to move forward, anything outside this, don’t bring my name.

“Finally, I will be returning every award given to me in Nigeria by Nigeria state or organisation within Nigeria acting in the capacity of representing Nigeria, including medal given to me by Nigeria will be returned to the Ministry of Sports Abuja in the nearest future.

“I am Simon Ekpa, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s Disciple on Biafra Restoration.”

INVESTIGATION: NNPC In Slop Oil Procurement Fraud

By
Akintomide Aroso
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INVESTIGATION: NNPC In Slop Oil Procurement Fraud

The first two bid-winning companies of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)’s controversial slop oil sale have been found to be owned by the same directors.

The third-highest bidder was also initially thought to be unregistered. But facts have since emerged that that company is known as Korpu Energy Limited (which is registered) and not Kurpo Energy Limited (which is unregistered.

These are but some of the new revelations tumbling out of the closet at the NNPC weeks after the Group Executive Director (GED) Refinery, Mustapha Yakubu, supervised a controversial bid that saw scarce slop oil – traditionally reserved for local industries – being controversially offered to preferred bidders that are export companies. The slop oil consignment is domiciled at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC).

Figures from separate financial bids submitted by the three companies are a window to the behind-the-scenes manoeuvres that underpinned the entire bid exercise. Specifically, they show that the three preferred bidders, namely Sign Oil &Gas Ltd, Synthesis Integrated Pure Oil and Gas Limited and Kurpo Energy Ltd possibly took cues from NNPC insiders and decision-makers.

While Nigeria’s public procurement rules forbid any form of insider dealing, abuse of process and collaborative exploitation of nonpublic material information, the financial quotes submitted by the three export companies suggest everything but the contrary.

A six-naira difference is a common factor in their three separate financial bids. While the first preferred bidder, Sign Oil & Gas Ltd quoted N111.00K per litre, the second preferred bidder Synthesis Integrated Pure Oil quoted N6 less at N105.00K per litre while the third preferred bidder, Kurpo Energy Ltd bid N99.00K per litre – a further N6 lesser than the second.

Checks at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) confirmed the worst suspicion. The first and second preferred bidders are owned and promoted by connected individuals. While the first preferred bidder – Sign Oil & Gas Ltd – has Orereh Kingsley and Orereh Oghenetejiri as directors, the second preferred bidder – Synthesis Integrated Pure Oil and Gas Ltd – has Orereh Kingsley and Orereh Oghenerukevwe as directors.

Melee Kolo Kyari, NNPC GMD

Weeks back, it was reported that cash-hungry NNPC officials sold off to an export company 30 million litres of slop oil reserved in Port Harcourt Refinery as a national strategic stock.

The sale, carried out under a shady bid process, got industry stakeholders, particularly local manufacturers, reeling because slop oil has never been exported in the history of the NNPC. What’s more, the taboo transaction was capable of precipitating disastrous knock-on effects on local industries thereby sabotaging the Buhari administration’s economic programmes.

For local manufacturers in Nigeria – particularly those in labour-intensive industries like textiles, cement, rubber processing, food and beverages – slop oil is the only alternative to Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO), a product of fractional distillation that keeps the boilers of manufacturing industries running. The LPFO is also used in power generating plants to get around the challenge of acute gas shortages.

However, 24 months ago when the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries completely halted the refining of crude oil to give room for major rehabilitations slated to last 44 months, LPFO as a corollary has gone off the market. With this harsh reality, it is the slop oil that has come in as a stop-gap arrangement and indeed a last-ditch measure to keep the many beleaguered but still faithful local industrialists from moving their operations to neighbouring countries.

Minister State for Petroleum Resources, Timipreye Sylva [PHOTO CREDIT: @@HETimipreSylva]

Industry watchers are baffled at the uncanny coincidences of each of the first three preferred companies bidding N6 differently from the next. To them, the bid appears very well-coordinated and lacking in character.

PREMIUM TIMES learned there have been a lot of behind-the-scene moves since the bid winners were announced. The first allocation issued to Sign Oil & Gas on June 22, 2021, expired with the company unable to meet a 10 working-day deadline for payment.

On July 8, 2021, the allocation was transferred to the second bid winner, Synthesis Integrated Pure Oil at N105.00k per litre instead of N111.00k per litre. It came with a 10-day deadline. Like Sign Oil before it, Synthesis was also not able to meet payment obligations.

True to the expectations of keen watchers wary that the entire bid exercise was a deception ab initio, the slop oil allocation fell on the lap of the third preferred winner, Korpu (not Kurpo) Energy Ltd at N99.00k per litre. This development has generated widespread belief in the oil industry that not only was the bid process tailored to sell the slop oil to handpicked bidders but also at the lowest quote possible.

Some of the companies that participated in the slop oil bid included:

1) Oando Energy

2) Yunusawa Petroleum Resources Ltd

3) Northbridge Energy Ltd

4) Slk Oil & Gas Services Ltd

5) Gas Project Ltd

6) Sign Oil & Gas Ltd

7) Speedo Energy Resources Ltd

8) Korpu (not Kurpo) Energy Ltd

9) PT Intim Perkasa

10) AMG Musa Integrated

11) Synthesis Integrated Pure Oil

12) Silver Anchor Shipping

13) Vigor Ltd

14) Prachal Energy Ltd

15) B O Gas & Chemical Ltd

16) 24 Hour Light Nig Ltd

17) Imani Petroleum & Transport Co. Ltd

18) A.Y. Mai Kifi Oil & Gas Co. Ltd

Perhaps to achieve a predetermined goal, the NNPC made the bid exercise a mismatch between local companies and export companies. The two categories of companies were invited under two separate pre-qualification conditions that were based on technical competencies.

The three preferred bid winners – Sign Oil &Gas Ltd, Synthesis Integrated Pure Oil and Korpu Energy Ltd – participated in the bid under the export category.

The technical capacities required of export companies were understandably different from those for local companies. However, during the financial bid, the NNPC, without explanations, merged export and local companies together knowing full well that the latter cannot match the financial muscles of the former.

To add to the woes of participating local companies, the NNPC insisted the slop oil must be off-taken ex-coastal. While that was good for the export companies which would just pick up the slop oil and sail off overseas, it was bad news for local companies which, in addition to paying cost price for the oil and extra N60 million handling charges to NNPC, must also rent storage facilities for the consignment. Also, because slop oil is a heavy liquid, truck drivers charge far higher to transport slop oil than they would petrol, kerosene or diesel.

Furthermore, by pitting struggling local companies against export counterparts in the same bid, NNPC officials succeeded in selling the slop oil to the bid winners at a rock-bottom price. A source at the NNPC Towers, who would not want to be named for fear of retribution pointed out that the best price offered by the export companies is still too low and cheap considering they will be selling at the international market at a dollar rate.

The source further revealed that following PREMIUM TIMES’ earlier report which exposed the plot to export the nation’s slop oil, a national strategic asset, the NNPC mulled a U-turn. Top-ranking officials charged with damage control quickly went to work; a development that saw the slop oil allocation going to yet another different company, the fourth bid winner said to be a local company.

At the time, it could not be ascertained if the third bid winner, Korpu Energy Ltd, could also not meet the payment deadline or was forced to give up its hold by the NNPC.

While stakeholders were grimly watching to see if the slop oil allocation would be passed on to a fifth company or that the fourth bid winner will supply to local end-users, information came in that  Korpu Energy Ltd has paid for the allocation.

The official telephone contact provided by Korpu Energy Ltd in its bid documents failed to connect even with several call attempts made by PREMIUM TIMES.

When contacted on Thursday afternoon, the NNPC asked for time to allow it to investigate the allegations against its officials concerning the controversial bid. Hours later, its spokesperson, Garbadeen Muhammed, called to say he should be given till Friday to complete his inquiry.

Twenty-four hours later, he again requested another 24 hours to enable him to provide a comment. On Saturday afternoon, Mr Muhammed was reminded via WhatsApp that the time he requested had lapsed. He did not reply to that message as of the time of publishing this report.

Premium Times

Wike Tells Mark Panel Why He Wouldn’t Withdraw Cases Against Secondus

By
Akintomide Aroso
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Wike Tells Mark Panel Why He Wouldn't Withdraw Cases Against Secondus

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said he will not withdraw the lawsuits against the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, because he does not trust the chairman to honour agreements.

It was gathered that Wike said this in a meeting with the Senator David Mark-led committee set up by the PDP National Executive Committee to resolve the party’s crisis.

The bid by Secondus to seek re-election and the determination of the Rivers State governor to stop him is reported to be the genesis of the crisis.

The Mark-led panel had met with Secondus and Wike with a proposal that they both withdraw pending lawsuits to pave the way for the peaceful resolution of the crisis.

While Secondus agreed to withdraw on the condition that the other party does the same, Wike insisted on going ahead with his.

The report submitted by the Mark-led committee quoted Wike as insisting that the “court cases instituted would not be withdrawn because of the lack of confidence in the other party to keep agreements”.

This was contained in the report submitted by the committee to the party’s NEC at its 93rd meeting in Abuja, on Thursday.

Excerpts of the report obtained by reporters revealed that both Wike and Secondus agreed that the Secondus-led NWC should serve out its term.

Wike, however, gave the condition that the chairman must commit not to remain in office beyond December 9, when his tenure officially ends.

It was also agreed that the national convention slated for October 30 and 31, 2021, be allowed to proceed without any of the parties taking any action or inaction capable of derailing it including litigation.

While the panel urged both parties to withdraw all pending litigation, Secondus was said to have agreed under the condition that Wike and his group do the same.

However, the report claimed Wike insisted on going ahead with the case in court because of his lack of confidence in Secondus honouring agreements.

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had granted an interim injunction restraining Secondus from parading himself as the national chairman.

As a result of the order, the PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Yemi Akinwonmi, assumed office as acting National Chairman.

His appointment was ratified by relevant organs of the party including the party caucus, Governors Forum and Board of Trustees.

A few days later, a Kebbi State High Court, granted an interim order asking Secondus to resume office and carry out his duties as national chairman immediately until the determination of the substantive suit.

Just as Secondus assumed office in honour of the order, a Cross River State High Court in Calabar, granted another restraining order barring him from performing the functions of the national chairman.

Amid these, the party’s NEC at its 92nd meeting set up an eight-member committee headed by a former Senate President, David Mark, to find a solution to the dispute.

After meeting with the parties involved in the dispute and reviewing the issues involved, it recommended, among other things, that “the party appoints a convention committee that should take over the responsibilities of organising the national convention as soon as possible; that the handing over after the convention could be delayed until December 9, 2021, to enable the current NWC to serve out its term; that those beating the drums of war behind the scene are urged to stop beating the drums; that the Governors Forum should point the way forward and that there is the need for the governors to continue to be united.

It had also been reported that a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt on Friday granted a perpetual injunction restraining Secondus from parading himself as national chairman.

Counsel to the PDP, Secondus and his legal team have filed an appeal against the initial restraining order, the outcome of which is still being awaited.

PDP better at resolving internal crisis than APC – Fintiri

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the PDP Convention Committee and Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, says his party has done better in the management of its internal crisis than the All Progressives Congress.

Fintiri said this on Saturday on his return to Yola from the National Executive Committee meeting of the PDP in Abuja, where was sworn in as the Chairman of the PDP Convention Committee.

He said Nigerians expected the PDP to field an intelligent and vibrant presidential candidate come 2023, adding his party would get its convention right.

Fintiri said, “The PDP has proven itself to be successful in dealing with crisis because of the ingenuity of the people in the party, having had experience in the past. It is the only party that has institutional capacity that is functioning and working. The National Working Committee is working; the Board of Trustees is working; the PDP Governors’ Forum is working; former governors, former ministers and elders of the party are giving their own advice, sharing and bringing their own experiences also on board. Collectively, we are succeeding because of this internal crisis management mechanism, which is functional and working,” he said.

Making a reference to the removal of Uche Secondus as the PDP National Chairman, Fintiri said, “No victor and no vanguished.

“From the way we have always been settling our crisis there has never been a winner. It has always been no victor, no vanguished. A win-win for all our members because we are equal and we respect ourselves.”

He, however, described the task before the convention committee as onerous,  “because Nigerians are looking to the PDP to give them an intelligent and vibrant president, under the party’s platform come 2023.”

Valentine Ozigbo: My Candidacy For Anambra Is Divine

By
Akintomide Aroso
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Valentine Ozigbo: My Candidacy For Anambra Is Divine
Valentine Ozigbo

Valentine Ozigbo, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the November 6 Anambra governorship election, has described his candidacy as divine, following his re-listing by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Ozigbo spoke while addressing party faithful in Awka upon his return from Abuja, where the Court of Appeal ordered INEC to list him as the PDP candidate.

The PDP candidate had suffered a setback when his name was omitted in INEC’s candidates’ list released on July 16 because his rival, Ugochukwu Uba, was contesting the party’s ticket.

“We recorded several victories and the National Assembly Caucus of the PDP came together to pledge unanimous support for this project.

“Second, the entirety of the PDP governors announced that they are solidly supporting this cause and would provide all the necessary resources to ensure that we win this election.

“Also, INEC has published our name as the PDP candidate for the election after a period of uncertainty,” Ozigbo said.

He said that the campaign could now start in earnest, noting that the priority was to mobilise and convince people to vote for PDP and its candidate.

“This is a divine mandate, and with your support, we will emerge victorious in November,” Ozigbo said.

He commended his party leadership, including the governors, for inaugurating a 179-member National Campaign Council to execute the election.

According to him, “the PDP governors are members of the council and it is our election to win, and by God’s grace, we will march to the Government House. It is time for us to show Ndi Anambra the way to go.”

He said he had a first-hand experience of the decay of infrastructure in Anambra, with the terrible condition of the roads.

“There’s nothing to be proud of in Anambra. Roads are bad, healthcare is non-existent, education is moribund, security is at an all-time low, add this to the state’s debt profile, and you will agree that Anambra needs a total overhaul.

“If we don’t start now, we might never get it right. Our freedom must begin now. November 6 is our date with history, and we are ready to march to victory,” Ozigbo said.

Unknown Gunmen Kill Traditional Ruler In Anambra State

By
Akintomide Aroso
-
Unknown Gunmen Kill Traditional Ruler In Anambra State

Some unidentified gunmen have killed Edozieuno Anakpulu, a former Igwe of Mkpunado Aguleri in the Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra state.

The gunmen killed Igwe Alex Edozieuno Anakpulu on Friday.

According to eyewitness reports, Anakpulu was shot dead alongside his personal driver around Anyamelu area of the state.

The state Police command’s Public Relations Officer, Ikenga Tochukwu, confirmed the incident, saying the Commissioner of Police, Tony Olofu, has ordered investigation on the matter.

The PPRO said, “The Commissioner of Police Anambra State Command , Tony Olofu, has led a team of police operatives to the scene of murder incident along Ikem Ivife Village by Ezu bridge, Otuocha, Anambra East.

“He described the incident as man’s inhumanity to man and ordered immediate investigation into the incident.

“Preliminary investigation reveals that the victims, one Mr Alex Edozieuno, 62 years old, a former traditional ruler of Nkpunado Community Anambra East LGA and his driver Chukwuemeka (other names yet to be identified) were attacked by suspected gunmen by 10am along Ezu bridge, Otuocha.

“The exhibits recovered from the scene include; one Lexus 470 with plate reg No Aguleri-1 belonging to the victim and some expended ammunition.

“Meanwhile, the bodies have been deposited to the mortuary. Further development shall be communicated.”

The development comes amidst the rising insecurity and high profile assassinations in the Southeastern part of the country.

Recall that in May, Ahmed Gulak, a former Special Assistant on Politics to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan was murdered in Owerri, the Imo State capital while trying to catch a flight at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Bala Elkana, Gulak did not inform the security agents of his movement despite knowing the worsening security issues in the country.

Also, the Managing Director of the Scientific Equipment Development Initiative, SEDI, Simon Ndubuisi was killed under similar circumstances in July this year.

He was killed along Enugu-Port Harcourt highway near the entrance of the Centenary Estate around Amech Awkunanaw in Enugu.

It was learnt that the gunmen also killed his police escort and abducted his daughter, who was in the car.

Professor Ndubuisi hailed fom Mgbowo in the Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Teslim Folarin: More Nigerians Have Been Killed Under Buhari

By
Akintomide Aroso
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Teslim Folarin: More Nigerians Have Been Killed Under Buhari
Senator Teslim Folarin

More Nigerians have been killed by terrorists and organised criminals under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led regime than in previous governments, according to All Progressives Congress senator representing Oyo Central, Teslim Folarin.

“There are more out-of-school children than ever before. There are more deaths from the terrorist attacks and organised crimes than the previous years,” he said.

The APC senator was speaking on “The Challenges of Governance and Security in Nigeria” at the 2021 lecture of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association in Ibadan.

The Senate committee chairman on local content, Folarin, said daily media reports have shown that insecurity was rising in recent years.

“There are cases of avoidable clashes of herders and farmers over land as well as resources. There are agitations for political self-determination within the country. All these are facts but dangerously familiar,” Folarin said.

According to him, where there are security challenges to the progress of the electorates, public infrastructure and resources, “governance will be held hostage.”

He said good governance was about the fulfilment of greater good for all, with the promise of opportunities for Nigerians, and that “the political and intellectual classes have the duty to create as well as to secure the best of opportunities for youths.”

The senator was honoured with the university’s Distinguished Alumnus Award for his qualitative representation, outstanding performance, commitment to excellence and exceptional contributions to community development.

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