OSHIOMHOLE RETURNS WITH FRESH ALLEGATIONS AND A WORD FOR THE MEDIA

Edo State Governor, has been described by some as ‘Minister of attack, information and EFCC’- all in one.

Living up to the hype, Oshiomhole, continues to feed Nigerians with details of financial impropriety and wanton recklessness under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Last week, the MD of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Uche Orji, stated that the $1bn sovereign wealth fund remained untouched, and even generated N15.7bn profit in 2014.

But Oshiomhole, a self proclaimed stickler for the truth, essentially called Orji a liar, by saying that the $1bn fund has been depleted to $300m.

Speaking to state house correspondents on Thursday night, the governor said he had evidence to prove his case.

“I reported to the media that the Sovereign Wealth Fund people, in their report to us, which I have in black and white, showed clearly that they have only $300m left in the account.

“We have it in black and white and I can publish it if anybody wants to deny that because it was not submitted to me secretly. It was submitted at a plenary of the committee.

“And then we asked, because I knew that the fund was $1bn, what was done with $700m and they said they have made some investments.”

“We asked them what they invested in and they said the second Niger Bridge and partially in the Kaduna-Abuja rail. That is what they said and I was not alone there.

“We were about five governors and it was a full plenary. But we know that the Kaduna-Abuja rail was funded with Chinese loan, which even Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala spoke about, when they said the loan from China was not used for Lagos, she said it was for the Kaduna-Abuja rail.”

And then, he dropped one for the media.

“You media need to develop your own library and have your record so that when people speak from both sides of their mouths, you can replay back. Because sometimes it hurts me when political leaders and technocrats say one thing in the morning and they change the language the following day”

“Don’t make me the issue, I’m not. The only difference is that there is beauty in standing by the truth and ultimately, it will set you free.”

Well spoken, Mr Oshiomhole, very well said.

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POLICE TO PROMPTLY ARREST BUKOLA SARAKI

The police has vowed to make sure the senate president, Bukola Saraki is promptly arrested.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole, in a telephone interview on Friday said the inspector general of police, Solomon Arase will see to the arrest without delay.

“We are going to promptly arrest the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and produce him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Monday.

“Since it is a bench warrant issued by a competent court, the order will be carried out without delay. We don’t want to pre-empt anything,” Kolawole stated.

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NIGERIAN COURT GRANTS GHANAIAN N12M BAIL FOR STEALING N12M

A 29-year-old Ghanaian was arrested and charged before the court for stealing a Howo Truck, valued at N12,000.000.

The truck belonged to his employer, China Railway Construction Company, CRCC, Lagos.

He was arraigned on a two count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing, filed against him by the police, to which he pleaded not guilty to.

The magistrate set bail in the sum of N12m with two responsible sureties, in like sum.

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THE EMPTY ACCUSED BOX AND OTHER PHOTOS FROM BUKOLA SARAKI’S EVENTFUL TRIAL

 

From beginning to the end, the accused box remained empty on Friday, at the trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

 

Due to his absence, Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, issued a Bench warrant for his arrest.

 

The Nigerian Police is expected to produce Saraki in court forcibly on Monday, September 21.

 

See below, photos from the trial:

 

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ARMY ARRESTS BOKO HARAM SUSPECTS, REOPENS SCHOOL IN GWOZA (SEE PHOTOS)

The Nigerian military has reopened a mixed Primary School in Gwoza LGA of Borno State.

The military says it has collaborated with other security agencies and security stakeholders, to put adequate security measures in place, to ensure the pupils and teachers’ safety and security.

The Army also announced that Nigerian troops dislodged Boko Hararm terrorists from Dissa and Balazala villages, also in Gwoza LGA.

During the operation, 23 men, 33 women and 34 children were reportedly rescued from the terrorists.

Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman Acting Director Army Public Relations, also revealed that troops advancing from Bama have intercepted some Boko Haram insurgents, disguised as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

See below, photos from the the three aforementioned incidents:

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FAYOSE GOES AFTER HOME OF FAYEMI’S SISTER

Former governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi and incumbent governor, Ayo Fayose, aren’t exactly best of buddies.

The pair have maintained a long-running adversity, and the latest casualty in their rift- is the elder sister of Fayemi- Mrs Bolu Fayemi-Ayodele.

The Ekiti state government has revoked the sale of her house, located at the Irewolede (Fajuyi) Estate along Ilawe Road, Ado Ekiti.

She was served with the letter containing the revocation order on Thursday, and she is determined to challenge the action in the court.

Fayemi-Ayodele told The Nation, that it wasn’t far-fetched to conjecture that the action was “politically motivated.”

“They brought the letter yesterday (Thursday) it was given to me to sign that I received the original copy. The official who brought the letter said he was carrying out the directive given to him and I can’t blame him for that.

“The house in question is  not a rented house, it’s my personal house which was purchased on a mortgage which still subsists even though I have not completed payment. I am going to court to challenge this latest action because a case is already in court over the last eviction and  if there is any case in  court, parties are not expected to take any action until the case is disposed of.

“When I read the content of the letter, I told the bearer that all that was written in the letter are fallacies. I know that the action was taken because he (Fayose) believes that I am a sister to the former governor (Fayemi) and he feels that he can do anything he likes. I believe that action was politically motivated.”

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‘OKOROCHA WASN’T GENUINELY COMMITTED TO BUHARI’

To Rochas Okorocha, he’s the chief champion of President Muhammadu Buhari, in the South East; To others, he was not passionate about Buhari nor did he believe that he would win the election.

The spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress in the South East, Osita Okechukwu, continues his public shaming of Okorocha.

Okechukwu blames the Imo state governor for not campaigning hard enough and not being committed to the Buhari project.

Let me start by saying that I have nothing personal against Okorocha. In fact I was a member of the nine-man committee that screened him before his coronation as Owelle Ndigbo in Abuja. And I supported him by giving him a decisive vote when the committee split into four for and four against. He also nominated me at Owerri in 2013, as the spokesman for the South East leadership caucus of the All Progressives Congress. We had a cordial relationship then.

However, my submission is that he neither campaigned truly for President Muhammadu Buhari nor for the candidates of the APC even in his domain. Same is applicable to some of our leaders; all of whom never believed that President Muhammadu Buhari would win. Therefore, I was not a witness to when he cried for our candidates as the lone voice in the wilderness.That’s my point.

I have been in politics since 1978 and studied Political Science, so I am old enough and well equipped to know when a leader is passionate in an electoral contest. Owelle wasn’t genuinely committed and passionate; this is the truth.”

Most importantly, the APC spokesperson says Okorocha is to blame for the seeming marginalisation of the Ndigbo in the scheme of things.

He says Okorocha’s misguided ambition scuttled the chances of the Ndigbo, in getting any top position in the country.

“The story goes like this: in the build up to election of the National Executive Committee of our great party, news filtered out that the Progressive Governors Forum, which incidentally and luckily is chaired by His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, had zoned the chairmanship of the party to the South South and the South East. We celebrated this outcome and our leadership caucus meeting was convened immediately at Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu’s house in Abuja to chart the way forward for Ndigbo in the APC.

At the meeting, some of us canvassed that we should bid for the chairmanship of the party and that Dr. Onu fit the bill. It was at this point that the issue of Owelle’s bid for the seat of President came up. The meeting was sharply divided as some of us insisted that we should go for the position of the chairman, and others said that the President was the ultimate prize.

Another group canvassed that we should first go for the chairmanship position and if Owelle was successful in his presidential candidate bid, the chairman would resign.

It was at this point that Owelle took the floor, narrated how prepared he was for the presidential election and solicited our support. To be candid, a straw poll was held and everybody there raised hands in his favour, except my humble self.

In order not to be misunderstood, I stood up and explained that Owelle should not run against the subsisting zoning convention, arguing that the main problem confronting the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, was the breach of the zoning convention.

His (Okorocha’s) supporters argued that there was no zoning in the APC constitution. I said yes, that convention in politics may not be found in the constitution, but it has moral weight.

That it is more strategic to obey the zoning convention and negotiate for chairmanship or vice presidential slot. I think this is the beginning of the crisis.”

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SARAKI HEADS TO COURT OF APPEAL TO CHALLENGE ARREST WARRANT

Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, has filed an appeal to contest his arrest order, given via a ruling of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, on Friday.

The tribunal had ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, to arrest and produce him on Monday, September 21.

However, Senator Saraki, who appealed through his counsel, Joseph Daudu, stated that the tribunal acted without jurisdiction and also erred in law by assuming jurisdiction over the criminal trial of the appellant at the Code of Conduct Tribunal for a charge which is being challenged at the Federal High Court.

His appeal further stated that there was an order of the Federal High Court which was served on the tribunal, when it issued the bench warrant for his arrest.

The Senate President also submitted that the appellant had filed an application dated September 17, challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal to adjudicate on the charge brought before it.

Furthermore, Saraki stated in his appeal, that when an accused files an application challenging the jurisdiction of a court/tribunal to adjudicate on a charge brought before it, the accused does not be in court.

Consequently, he asked the Court of Appeal to set aside the order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

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“JONATHAN HAS NO MONEY” | 7 THINGS ALAMIEYESEIGHA SAID ABOUT GEJ

Former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, has been talking a lot, of late.

After the years of residing in political wilderness, he appears to have gotten his verve back- and he’s sharing with anyone that cares to listen.

With Vanguard, he spoke expensively about his protege turned liberator- former President, Goodluck Jonathan.

Here are 7 statements he said about Jonathan:

1. “Jonathan is more experienced than any president that has ruled this country in the past. If I may ask, which former president of this country was in power for 16 years? He was in office as deputy governor and was overseeing administration of local governments and was very conversant with the administration of local governments at that level. He was also performing the role of a deputy governor. He became a governor and is also familiar with governance at that level. He became a vice president and later acting president and a president. Which Nigerian has that pedigree? None.”

2. “Balarabe Musa goofed. I am not aware of any special school that people go to become president. Academically, Jonathan is more qualified than any of them, and in our local environment at the University of Port Harcourt, he has street knowledge because he is locally bred.”

3. “Not everybody will like his style but I can tell you that if you sit down and catalogue what he has done for this country, no other president has done that. But it is his life style; he is a very quiet man, unassuming but with very high intellectual content. If Goodluck believes in something, the house can collapse but he will do what he believes in. He has a very strong character. It depends on who is looking at him and from which angle.”

4. “From the beginning, people’s mindset were fixed for him to fail and to manage that perception was another problem. But he did well. All these things that the APC is claiming to have done in 100 days are just claims; you cannot fix the refinery in three months. Somebody must have done very serious work before. To do turnaround maintenance takes 18 months and not three months.”

5. “There is no need romancing with your subjects, quarreling with one another, wasting precious time and resources when you can come out straight as Jonathan did the other day. This would have been done long ago so that people would not waste time and resources by going to pick forms. Jonathan has been here for six and half years as Deputy Governor, governor for one and half years before he went to the federal level. So, this is a familiar terrain.”

6. “I am glad that at last, Jonathan came out openly. It is possible he would have been doing that privately but recently and on the declaration day, he impressed me because he came out openly in support of Governor Dickson. For so many reasons which we know as politicians in the state, having lost at the centre, you cannot protect your house for people to invade your privacy; it is not done.”

7. “I had unlimited access to Jonathan and I used to have free access to his home. If I met him eating, I would join him and so on. Jonathan has no money. So, if Buhari is looking to extract money from him, he won’t find.”

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BUHARI’S WIFE WANTS MALE COMMISSIONER SWAPPED FOR A WOMAN

Is it really a big deal that a man was appointed the Commissioner for Women Affairs in Adamawa?

To some- it’s just another appointment, to others- especially women, it makes no sense.

Aisha Buhari, has therefore, began the process of lobbying Governor Muhammed Bindow Jibrilla of Adamawa state to replace the commissioner- Alhaji Aliyu Tola, with a woman.

While inaugurating a free medical check-up for 2,000 women in Yola on Friday, Hajiya Buhari said women in the state were against the appointment of a man as their commissioner.

She said, “The women are protesting. They asked me to pass their wishes to have a woman as their commissioner for women affairs.”

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