Edo speaker talks tough on installation of Pere of Olodiama

                                          Edo State House

• Priests, Enigies, Edionweres, others protest

From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin

Published by Jerry, E.

Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly,  Adjoto Kabiru, has warned the self-acclaimed Pere of Olodiama clan at Gelegele in Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state not to mess with Benin Kingdom. 

The speaker’s spoke against the backdrop of  the purported installation of one Godwin Ogunyebo as the Pere of Olodiama clan, breaching the Old Bendel State Traditional rulers and chieftaincy edict and norm of 1979, now applicable to Edo State, and a subsisting Supreme Court judgment which affirmed the Oba of Benin as the supreme authority of the area.

The lawmaker said the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, is one of the strongest monarchs in the world who deserves to be respected.

The speaker disclosed this when priests, Enigie, Edionweres and prominent citizens of the state, across 42 communities in Ovia North East and Ovia South West councils took a peaceful protest to the Assembly complex in Benin, the state capital, yesterday. 

The protesters carried placards of various inscriptions, marched through major streets of Benin and chanted Benin solidarity songs.

Kabiru urged the protesters, including the youths, to remain calm and be law-abiding and promised the parliament would look through the relevant laws with a view to render useful advice.

“By the grace of God, our Oba is, perhaps, one of the strongest Oba in the world. So, God will continue to protect him.  As legislators, we will look through the laws and, by God’s grace, we will do the needful. You put us here we are answerable to you. We are not going to disgrace you. You have laid down all the issues. We are going to look at it…”

with all seriousness it deserves.

“The Benin kingdom dates back thousands of years. It is not just starting now. As legislators, we will look through the laws and by God’s grace, we will do the needful. 

“As elders of the communities, we came in peace and you will go back in peace. The way you have come in peace. With peace, you can achieve a lot. But war can only destroy.

“No matter the amount of provocation, please appeal to our people particularly our youths to exercise restrain and patience. By God’s grace, there will be no war. By God’s grace, there will be peace and that peace will be in our favour,” he said. 

Spokesperson for the group and the Enogie of Iguogie, Festus Osagiede, had told the speaker, that the title of Pere is not known to law.

Osagiede alleged further that the current threats by IJAWS on their lives for not supporting the installation of Oguyenbo as the Pere of Olodiama kingdom has caused the villagers across Ovia communities sleepless night.

He appealed tothe lawmakers to use the necessary instrument of the laws to bring peace to the troubled region which he said had being under the control of the Oba of Benin.

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Fayose to Maina: Name thieves in Buhari’s govt. —Politics

                                               Fayose the man

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has challenged the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Mr Abdullahi Maina, to go ahead and tell Nigerians those thieves that he alleged were surrounding President Muhammadu Buhari in his government and answer the corruption allegations against him as well as his fraudulent reinstatement.

Governor Fayose described the Maina’s interview shown on Channels Television yesterday, as explosive, saying he was sure that President Buhari will look the other way just as he did on the allegation of award of $25 billion contracts without following due process made against the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC);

 Dr.
Maikanti Baru, by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu and many others.

In a statement on Tuesday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose, said he had again been vindicated on his position that the kind of corruption being perpetrated in President Buhari’s government was unprecedented and mind-boggling.

He said; “The Maina’s challenge is another opportunity for President Buhari to proof to Nigerians that he is actually fighting corruption. But I am sure that since it again bothers on his closest men, he won’t do anything.”

Governor Fayose said it was important for Maina to wash himself clean of the N2.1 Billion pension fraud that made him escaped from the country and earned him dismissal from the civil service.

The governor, who challenged Maina to name those in Buhari’s government that are thieves, noted that “There is no need waiting for the President to conduct public inquiry on the pension scam, Maina should just go ahead and tell Nigerians who the thieves among Buhari’s men are.

“Even after naming them, Maina should not expect any action from the President. Rather, he should be contented with satisfying his conscience and putting those Buhari’s men that he said are pretending to be saints in the court of public opinion.”

While maintaining his position on the self-appointed human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), over the allegation by the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), linking the lawyer to a N1 billion property on Gana Street, Maitama, Abuja, Governor Fayose said it was sad that Falana and his collaborators have turned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to their source of huge income.

“EFCC has become Falana’s daily meal. Falana and his collaborators live on EFCC. They have turned themselves to brokers of bail and suppliers of lawyers to accused persons while at the same buying seized properties at ridiculous amount.

“Even the likes of Madaki, who have retired from service, have been brought back into the system so that he can continue to help them to perpetrate fraud,” he said.

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Oyo Assembly makes U-turn,vote in commissioner-Wisdom

Oyo Assembly

Nigeria Politics

The Oyo State House of Assembly, at Tuesday’s plenary, reverses itself and withdrew its earlier ‘vote of no confidence’ passed on the state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela over alleged insurbodination.

The House had, Thursday last week, passed a vote of no confidence in the commissioner following a mild drama when Olowofela appeared before lawmakers to answer alleged halving of funds meant for the Federal Government’s school feeding programme in the state, by his ministry, before it is sent to food vendors.

The Assembly had also accused Olowofela of withdrawing money from the vendors’ accounts and supplying food items directly from Ibadan which angered the commissioner and made the house passed the vote of no confidence in him.

But the Assembly withdrew its vote of no confidence following a letter of apology from the commissioner, which was read by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Michael Adeyemo, seeking the members to forgive him over the alleged affronts.

Reacting, the member representing Ogbomoso North State Constituency, Hon. Olawumi Oladeji, implored the House to temper justice with mercy. S

he said: “In the spirit of peace and love in the government, I urge that we should forgive the commissioner.

Also, the member representing Ibadan North State Constituency II, Hon. Olusegun Olaleye, said the letter from the commissioner was a test of leadership and shows dexterity was put at work.

He commended Governor Abiola Ajimobi for his prompt intervention in the matter to douse tension and make the matter go to rest, adding that the crisis was borne out of misunderstanding between the Assembly  and the commissioner which, he said has been settled.

He also added that the letter from the commissioner, who is an alumnus of University of Ibadan, shows his worthiness in learning and character.

Meanwhile, the Speaker said the House was not constituted to fight other arms of government, saying that it is not mandate given to us but to make law.

According to the Speaker, “We have made 125 resolutions on laws that have helped the state but they are not recognized. Professor Olowofela knew he made error even though members of the public see it otherwise but he has apologised and I believe we should forgive him”.

The Speaker after the unanimous agreement by the members, therefore, forgave and withdrew the vote of no confidence in the commissioner.

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Sanusi blames ‘briefcase billionaires’ for nation’s economic woes

                                             Muhammadu Sanusi

The Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Thursday in Kano identified the emergence of “briefcase billionaires” and illiteracy as the major factors stifling the economic growth and development of the country.

Sanusi, while speaking at the end of a three-day  Northern Regional Conference on Security, Justice and Development: Effective implementation of intervention measures,’ organised by Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action, noted that   when people get wealth they did not work for, “what follows would be disastrous for the nation.”

“When people just get wealth they didn’t work for, what that signifies was that, many injustices were permeating round  many quarters of the society, meaning there is something wrong in the system that was put in place for a very long time of our national history.”

He queried, “How many of our briefcase billionaires can show you their business plants and the number of people they employ in their companies? The companies are non-existent in the first place. So, what are we talking about?”

Sanusi argued that the more the society produces briefcase billionaires, the more the masses would get more impoverished.

“We need to build an economy that looks at people; not that which further creates gaps, unimagined gaps between people. You cannot call this capitalism either. It is through such kind of arrangements that end up in creating an insecure society. We all created the insecurity we are suffering from. Justice is one of the key and fundamental issues that can address our predicaments,” the royal father emphasised.

Sanusi also identified illiteracy as another factor accounting for economic woes. He argued that, when people were left without education, what would follow would be disturbing and devastating.

He said, “Our children are suffering from malnutrition, illiteracy; our women are suffering from poor health care delivery. We created our insecurity ourselves. We have nobody to blame but ourselves. So, whenever we talk of poverty we need to look at the nature of our economy. We need to ask ourselves the kind of society we are producing.”

In his remarks, the Chairman,  PRAWA Board of Trustees, Mr. Alabo Gabriel, said, “The purpose of the conference is to provide an efficient and effective platform for evaluating the current security, justice and development challenges of northern Nigeria, including the issue of insurgency in the North-East.”

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Tinubu visits Afenirere leader, says no automatic ticket for Buhari

                                    Tinubu

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday declared that the party would follow the normal democratic process in choosing its standard bearer for the 2019 presidential election.

He said the leadership of the party had not endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari as its sole candidate for the forthcoming presidential election.

His declaration was against the recent endorsement of President Muhammadu as the sole candidate of  the APC for the 2019 election by the APC governors.

Tinubu held a closed meeting with the leaders of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, the Afenifere, at the residence of the leader of the organisation, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Tinubu, who was at the meeting with the Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, the Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi and the Acting Chairman of the APC in the state, Mr. Ade Ademehin, said Buhari was a man who believed in democratic  process and the rule of law.

Tinubu in response to a question on an alleged automatic ticket for President Buhari, said, “I have not heard about that and the APC spokesman has not said that. No governor can appropriate the power of endorsement to himself. President Buhari is a believer in process; the Buhari I know believes in the rule of law and due process.

“We wanted him even before the last convention and primaries of the party and Akeredolu is here standing with me, he was not the governor then. He was one of the leading delegates that voted properly and Buhari was a clear winner.

“We follow all the constitutional provisions and an individual opinion does not matter at this stage. Buhari will want a normal process – Buhari that I know. Who says he will lose at any convention?

“But if the national body, the NEC and all of us as members, endorse him as our single candidate, we will not be violating INEC regulations, we will not be violating our party’s constitution. What you are hearing is just a campaign. Buhari has not excluded anybody, and he has not stopped anybody from aspiring or contesting.”

 On his meeting with the Afenifere leader, the former governor of Lagos State said he came to see Fasoranti to seek his advice and prayers as one of the leaders in Yorubaland.

He said, “I am in Akure to acknowledge the leadership of Pa Fasoranti in our own race; he is a great leader of the Omoluwabi and in his twilight, we want him to be happy. He has been a great leader to all of us. His intellect is still very intact. We are here to seek his advice, seek his understanding and prayers. That is why I am here.”

Fasoranti, in his remark, noted that Tinubu’s visit was an indication of great things to come, particularly to the unity of the Yoruba race.

He said, “With the coming together of Yoruba leaders, there will be an understanding on major issues affecting the Yoruba race. We will consult and move ahead. As it is now, there will be a great understanding among the leaders as Tinubu is a leader in his own right.

“I think it (the visit) should lead to reconciliation, ARG and the mainstream, as Tinubu has a leg there. They are his supporters.  This signal shows we will come together.”.

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Convention: PDP extends sale of forms to Nov 29

                                                      Dayo Adeyeye
P  D  P Power......

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has extended the sale of its nomination forms for those planning to contest positions at its national convention slated for December 9 in Abuja.

The spokesperson for the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

He said that the National Caretaker Committee of the party took the decision because of the enthusiasm shown by members of the party.

He said the caretaker committee  decided to extend the closing date for the sale of forms from November 19 to 29.

Adeyeye said, “In order to further encourage party members and make the process more open and inclusive, the NCC has decided to extend the closing date for the purchase of nomination forms from November 19 to 29 November, 2017.

“Completed nomination forms are now to be returned on the 30th of November, 2017. Interested members are therefore enjoined to take advantage of this extension of time.”

Meanwhile, national chairmanship aspirants and others have continued in their bid to win the hearts of delegates to the convention.

For example, our correspondent gathered that three prominent aspirants – Chief Olabode George, Prince Uche Secondus and Prof. Tunde Adeniran – had divided the northern caucus of the party with their ambition.

The three aspirants are among the eight aspirants running for the office of the national chairman of the party.

Other aspirants are Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that all the aspirants, apart from Ladoja,  have been going round the country seeking votes of delegates.

George had visited all the three zones in the North and also visited the South-East, the South-South and is said to be planning to visit the South-West before the convention.

Adeniran, who is a former minister of education, had also visited the northern part of the country and just returned from the South-East.

The spokesperson for his campaign organisation, Mr. Taiwo Akeju, who spoke with our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday, said his principal was received with open hands in all the zones he had visited.

It was gathered that Secondus and his team have also been meeting with delegates across the country, promising to reposition the party if allowed to lead the party.

Sources said the power brokers in the North are divided between the choice of Adeniran and Secondus.

A former governor in one of the states in the North-West, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity in Abuja, said delegates in the geopolitical zone were looking at the records of the two aspirants.

Concerning Adeniran, another source from the North, who described the former ambassador as a peacemaker, said those marketing him in the zone are also well respected politically.

Some delegates also described George as being fearless and that he remains one of the best that could lead the party at this critical period.

Our correspondent however gathered that no candidate had been picked ahead of others in the North, which, it was learnt, may be the final decider of who becomes the chairman of the party.

Meanwhile, an aspirant for the position of the National Secretary of the party , Abubakar Mustapha, has kicked against micro-zoning of party positions ahead of the convention.

Mustapha, a former National Organising Secretary of the party, stated this on Thursday after he picked his nomination form at the party secretariat in Abuja.

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