The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has expressed support for calls by the Southern Governors’ Forum that the Presidency should be zoned to the South in 2023.
The National Secretary General of the association, Mr Sola Ebiseni , stated this in a statement issued in Akure, on Wednesday.
The statement was titled ‘Power rotation in the Nigerian federation – Presidency must return to the South.’
It read, “The resolution of the Southern Governors Forum insisting that the next President of Nigeria should come from the South of the country is not new.
“The governors only lent gubernatorial authority to a national consensus on the issue. The fact that, since 1999, the office of the President has been rotated between the South and North in a consistent row of Olusegun Obasanjo, Umar Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and the present, President Muhammadu Buhari, is not an accident.
“It is a national consensus that has ensured peaceful transition of power in the polity. This national political understanding has endured notwithstanding that, since Independence in 1960 up to 1999 (39 years), the North has virtually monopolised the leadership of Nigeria as Prime Minister, President or Military Head of State, except for the three and half years of accidental emergence of Olusegun Obasanjo as Military Head of State.
“It is therefore gibberish to suggest that power should return to the north after 8 years of President Buhari on the ground that President Umar Yar’ Adua, elected on 29th May 2007, and died May 5, 2010, could not complete 8 years thereby supposedly depriving the north of some 4 years.
“The concept of power rotation seeks to fuse together and give the component Nigerian ethnic nationalities a sense of belonging for practical expression to the inevitable quest for national integration in the process of nation building.”
The statement called on political stakeholders from the South not to be lured into the “unpatriotic step of seeking such other positions as National Chairmen of the main political parties, but join forces to demand and ensure that the Presidency moves to the South in 2023. This resolution stands sacrosanct.”
Norah Okafor, a Nigerian journalist, has narrated how some officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) broke her gate, doors and barged into her house at 2am in Abia State.
She accused the operatives of storming her house in a “commando-like manner.”
The Nigerian journalist in a Facebook post earlier said, “At exactly 1:36am, I was alerted by my brother that there are armed robbers at my gate trying to make their way into the compound. Because it was an electric fence, I didn’t bother enough because I felt they can’t make their way in. Alas, I was wrong. 2am on the dot, they made their way into the compound.
“They came prepared. Over 25 of them with two hilux buses, masked and dressed in black upon black. A huge one climbed the fence, with a plier and immediately cut off a few of the wires, jumped into the compound and with an axe, broke the gate key open and zoom, they made their first entry into my apartment. As a nude sleeper, while they tried to make their way into the compound, I found something to wear while my brothers and I were thinking of a way of escape. The worst case scenario for me is that they will rape or take the only valuable available (a car key) so I prepared my mind.
“The next thing I realised was that about 7 of them were already in my room with shouts of ‘lie down, face down, on the light, where’s your phone, where’s your car key’, where’s this and that..confused me. Seeing over 25 hefty men with different kinds of guns, ‘mhen, e don be, be that’. I handed the phone to them with the key, before then, they had already taken hold of my laptop. I turned to be sure these were armed robbers, and they asked for my passwords to all the devices collected with masking tape to identify each. Still in shock, I heard someone destroying everything in the kitchen, my room, that of my brothers and all the drawers. I was still asking myself what’s happening? They asked me to stand and follow them downstairs, lo and beyond, they unmasked themselves, hmmmm..are these kind criminals? I asked. All my neighbours were already going through the same pain as me.
“They had already given my brothers a beating of their lives, carried my neighbour downstairs and tried unlocking all the cars in the compound. And after searching all the phones and laptops, three of their men walked in, lo and behold, it was EFCC. What? I screamed.
“Shut up, was the next thing I heard and when they couldn’t open my phone, they asked me to, I did and after a while I just asked, please, where is your office so I can come pick up my things on my way to work. They asked me what I do and I said ‘journalist’, (they) asked my neighbour he said ‘lawyer’, the other ‘doctor’. They looked at me, handed over the phones and said, ‘We just wasted our time’.
“These fools spent over one hour molesting and destroying things in this compound. I feel so pained and embarrassed right now. Is this how EFCC operate? How did we get here? Who is the informant? I am just confused right now. Thank God my mum isn’t here.”
When contacted by SaharaReporters, Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman for the commission, claimed he was not aware of the raid.
“You said Abia right, that should be under Port Harcourt Zone, let me call them,” he told SaharaReporters.
When asked about the recent commando-like manner EFCC operatives have been operating, he said, “You are forming an opinion already, that’s not a question, send your question as a text to me.”
The anti-graft agency has been under fire recently for raiding hotels and private apartments in commando-like manner.
It had been reported, last week, how operatives of the commission conducted a series of raids on some hotels in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, allegedly in search of suspected internet fraudsters during which its operatives opened fire on some lodgers.
Eyewitnesses said the armed EFCC officials, who operated like armed robbers, stormed Abeokuta in the early hours of September 13 in Toyota Hilux buses and made their way to at least three hotels and two nightclubs.
A witness was quoted as saying, “My cousin was shot because he tried to escape from the hotel and we quickly drove him to a hospital where he was briefly treated before we moved him to Ilaro for full recovery. It was really bad because they operated like armed robbers and they were very fast with their activities.”
Another witness said electricity was disconnected before one of the hotels was raided and officers did not knock before pulling down doors, breaking into rooms and violating the privacy of both men and women.
A lady said, “They threw everybody into darkness before raiding our hotel. One of them with ‘afro’ (hair style) seized my iPhone and used the torch to check my private parts before dipping in one of his fingers.
“I couldn’t say anything because I knew that my fiancé is a suspect and I warned him but he didn’t listen to me and we are getting married soon.”
It was gathered that over 30 cars were seized at Mitros alone, which witnesses linked to an infamous internet fraud suspect who was celebrating his birthday at the facility.
Witnesses also said the EFCC agents wanted to enter Conference Hotel, Abeokuta, but realised that its proprietor, Gbenga Daniel, was in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and subsequently left after initially parking outside the hotel.
In August, Big Brother Naija Lockdown housemate, Dorathy Bachor, also accused armed operatives of the agency of breaking into her Lagos residence around 04:45am.
She said the EFCC officials identified her as a BBNaija star and left afterwards.
The serial entrepreneur said her aged mother almost suffered a “panic attack” as a result of the incident.
The ex-housemate also posted videos showing men in red uniforms in her compound.
In July, 2021, Biodun Stephen, a Nollywood filmmaker also narrated how EFCC officials broke into her hotel room in Lagos.
“That is how I slept in a hotel whilst filming last week. Next thing, I open my eyes at a little past 3 am. What did I see? Two men dressed in black weapons. I thought I was dreaming. Then I heard the door to my room close.
“I sprang up and without thinking shouted: ‘stay right there!!! Who are you!!! They replied: ‘We are EFCC’. My head sparked. Are you kidding me? You enter into my room unannounced?? EFCC: Madam, we knocked but no response. You decided to enter my room?? You should have kept knocking.
“I was sleeping like every normal person would. One just opened his mouth and said: “Where is the man of the room. I was confused at first. The who? He replied: ‘your partner.’
She said one of the officials apologised to her when they realised that she was not the one they were after.
“Anger welled up inside me…Is this one roving mad man? His partner realised his folly because he quickly apologised. ‘You are not the one we are looking for.’”
“I watched as they interviewed guests rudely and arrested a few. They knew the people they were after. I lost sleep afterwards. Then I heard, this is the new thing with EFCC.
“They burst into hotel rooms in the middle of the night. Not caring who you are, in what state you are. I mean, the hotel is a really decent one so I couldn’t understand how this could happen. They alleged that the EFCC barges their way in…A mess, I tell you,” she had posted.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday fixed November 30 for judgment in a suit filed by deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, against the Kano State government and others.
The Presiding Judge, Anwuli Chikere, fixed the date after counsel to the parties adopted all their processes and arguments.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sanusi had on March 12, 2020, sued the Inspector-General of Police and Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) for “unlawful detention/confinement” at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Also joined in the motion with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/357/2020 are the Attorney-General of Kano State and Attorney General of the Federation as 3rd and 4th respondents.
Sanusi, after his banishment from Kano, was confined to Awe town, Nasarawa State.
The former emir had sought an interim order of the court releasing him from detention and/or confinement of the respondents and restoring his right to human dignity and personal liberty.
Although the deposed emir had since been released, the case is still in court as the originating motion remains undetermined.
The Nigerian Government is hiring black foreigners living in the United States of America (USA), paying $500 per head to stage a Pro-President Muhammadu Buhari and One Nigeria March opposite the United Nations Headquaters in New York, a separatist leader has said.
Prof. Banji Akintoye, the Chairman of Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS), alleged that the protest will be staged on Friday, September 24, 2021.
The indigenous people of the South and Middle-Belt of Nigeria under the aegis of NINAS had staged what it tagged “Million-Man Freedom March” on September 14 and 15 opposite the United Nations Headquaters in New York to demand a referendum in Nigeria.
The march was also to show the world the crimes against humanity, attacks on press freedom, free speech and other atrocities going on under Buhari-led government.
NINAS is demanding the conduct of a regional referendum so that indigenous people can decide if they want to leave Nigeria or not.
The group also described the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as a fraud against the people of South and Middle-Belt, saying “it was enacted without the consent of the people”.
NINAS is also demanding from the United Nations that a Fulani Militia Group masquerading as a Trade Union, Miyyetii Allah, should be declared as a terrorist organisation, saying it has openly taken responsibility for a series of deadly attacks in the South and Middle-Belt regions.
The Grand Finale of the NINAS Million-Man Freedom March holds on September 24, 2021, the day President Buhari will be addressing the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly .
NINAS is the umbrella body for self-determination Groups in the South and Middle-Belt of Nigeria with Ilana Omo Oodua, representing the Yoruba Land, Lower Niger Congress representing the South South and South East and Middle-Belt Rennaissance Movement representing the Middle Belt Region.
Akintoye, in a statement made available to journalists through the NINAS Director of Public Communications, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, said no matter how the Nigerian Government tries to scuttle the NINAS Grand March, the will of the people shall prevail.
Accusing an unnamed top Nigerian government official and a popular Lagos journalist of currently hiring foreigners to masquerade as pro-One Nigeria protesters to counter NINAS in New York on Friday, Akintoye described the government agents as Wilfredo Pareto and Genato Mosca’s Elitist Lions
He described NINAS protesters as the Foxes, saying “irrespestive of the material and financial superiorities of these Lions, there’s no way they can defeat United Foxes in a democracy.”
He said, “The Friday Grand March in New York shall be historic, hence, the Nigerian government is jittery. The Ring Leader of Government officials from Kwara State and a top Lagos journalist are now in New York to start hiring black people who will pretend as Nigerians to stage a Pro-Buhari and One Nigeria Protest to counter NINAS on Friday.
“But we refuse to be rattled. We shall not be intimidated. No oppressor has ever triumphed against the collective will of the people. The people are the government and power belongs to the people. The people make the Constitution. The sovereignty belongs to the people. Our own strength lies in the hands of the people. Therefore, our March shall be people centered. It shall be peaceful as usual.
“All the people of the South and Middle-Belt in United States and Canada are urged to troop out in their large number to be present on Friday, 24th September 2021 opposite the United Nations Headquaters in New York as we demonstrate and expose before the world, the rape of our ancestral lands and hijack of our assets and sovereignty by the Fulani-Controlled Nigerian Government.
“I salute the Nigerian mainstream media and International Media that have been covering the March to remain resolute and stand by the truth.”
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on Wednesday accused Governor Nasir El-Rufai of plotting to devastate the southern parts of Nigeria by shipping armed bandits and killer herdsmen to undermine the law against open grazing of cattle now widely adopted by states across the region.
“It is a cleverly crafted path towards replicating in the South, the most despicable situation in the North that Nigerians of goodwill daily pray to overcome,” the Ondo governor said in a statement. “It is a ploy beyond the ordinary.”
Akeredolu was pushing back against El-Rufai’s comments on Tuesday, in which the Kaduna Governor excoriated Southern Governors as playing to the gallery by instituting laws banning armed herdsmen of predominantly northern Fulani origin from openly grazing their livestock.
El-Rufai, who spoke at an economic policy event organised by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja, said southern governors know they cannot enforce a ban on open grazing and should stop their populist efforts.
“What is unhelpful is the politicising of the situation with legislation that you know that you cannot implement,” Mr El-Rufai said. “It is not a matter of populist legislation or saying tomorrow this or that.”
The comments elicited widespread outrage from southern states, and Akeredolu, as the Chairman of Southern Governors, quickly fired back at his Kaduna counterpart, saying his comments bore the markings of a call to anarchy.
“For emphasis, any such comment like that of the Kaduna Governor, if indeed he made that statement, merely seeks to encourage anarchy under the guise ‘of resentment of a law by affected stakeholders,’ Akeredolu said in a statement signed by his information commissioner Donald Ojogo.
“From all indications, Governor El-Rufai, if he was properly quoted and his views not misrepresented, is struggling hard to export banditry to the South under an expressed opinion that is laced with mischief.
“Perhaps, it is apt to state clearly that the likes of Governor El-Rufai are already in a hysteric ‘mode’ of escalating and indeed, externalising banditry, especially as the military onslaught against criminal elements and other terror variants suffices in the North,” the statement added.
Akeredolu said southern states, especially Ondo, will not back down on anti-open grazing legislation to assuage northern interests like Mr El-Rufai.
“The anti-grazing law, especially in Ondo State, has come to stay,” he said. “It shall be zealously guarded and conscionably deployed to protect all residents of the state, notwithstanding their ethnic and religious biases.
Those who have nothing evil to perpetrate have nothing to fear as regards the law.”
A spokesman for El-Rufai did not return a request seeking comments.
Akeredolu had previously confronted President Muhammadu Buhari and Attorney-General Abubakar Malami over their statements disparaging his directive against Fulani occupation of Ondo forests.
Southern states like Benue, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Ekiti have all passed legislation to curb nomadic herdsmen, who have been blamed for killing thousands of villagers across the region in a push to seize fertile lands.
Northern politicians, however, argued that passing a law to restrict the movement of Fulani citizens was a violation of the Nigerian Constitution that guarantees the fundamental rights of all citizens to move and live anywhere within the country’s borders.
Big Brother Naija Shine Ya Eye housemate, Saga, has stated that he wasn’t happy about Nini’s return because he had to display deep emotions for just a prank.
He said this on Thursday, day 61 of the show, as he discussed Nini’s disappearance and return with Pere.
Saga said, “I’m happy to see her but I’m still angry. I’m not happy because I even felt genuine emotions, I can’t lie.
“I’m not happy that I had to just display such emotions on TV like that, for nothing.
“That’s why I just shut up my mouth. I didn’t want to talk too much.
“If you notice, I just didn’t want to talk too much about it because I just know that it was just a game. I’m just waiting for it to end.”
Pere said, “At some point, I knew it was a prank not until Whitemoney started talking about fake housemates, I bought it.”
Saga said, “If Nini was a fake housemate, I would have enrolled in a psychiatric hospital. Somebody I’ve been talking to 24/7 and for 8 weeks, I won’t know that person is fake? I didn’t even buy that one for one second.
“So she has been playing me from the very beginning? Because I’m now a fool, I don’t have sense?”
Since Nini’s return, Saga has been showcasing mixed feelings. However, he worked out well during the session, an action he failed to do on Wednesday due to her disappearance.
Federal lawmaker, Shina Peller (APC – Oyo), has lambasted the Northern Elders Forum over comments that the region has the capacity to perpetually retain power in the country.
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, NEF’s spokesman had in an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday reiterated that the North had the population to dominate Nigeria for decades.
He had at a lecture at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, over the weekend, advanced a similar position.
But reacting to the outlandish assertion, Peller asked: “How can the Northern Elders Forum tell Nigerians that power can’t shift to the South in 2023?”
Peller said he disagreed with NEF’s position on grounds that equity, fairness and equality must not be cast off in the quest for power.
He castigated Baba-Ahmed for attempting to divide the North and South with his inciting comments instead of working towards Nigeria’s unity.
“I disagree with their position. Having the majority votes does not imply that the principle of equity and equality should be ignored.
“Even as Muslims, our religion preaches peace and for it to flourish, there must be justice, equity and fairness. Power can’t remain in the north forever,” he stated.
The lawmaker said politicians should rather work on closing relationships to produce a unifying leadership for the country in 2023.
“I expect the South and North to work together to build strong institutions towards promoting unity and bring about a desirable shift in 2023 when there won’t be an incumbent president at the polls.
“This is an opportunity to correct a generational defect not focusing on factors that divide us.”
The 45-year-old also enjoined the elders to make room for the youths to close ranks for the progress of the nation.
“Allow the younger generation regardless of religion or ethnicity to work in synergy to build a nation of their dreams. Please let’s not heat the polity unnecessarily,” he advised.
Debates about Nigeria’s presidency are heating up as the tenure of the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari elapses in 2023.
Southern Governors’ Forum have insisted that their region must produce the next President after Buhari completes his term.
Northern groups and individuals are however kicking against the pre-condition, saying there was no law in the country mandating such.
Nigeria has, however, since the beginning of the Fourth Republic run on a gentlemanly North-South rotational presidency.
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare
The House of Representatives has begun investigation of the disqualification of Nigerian athletes at the 2020 Olympics over alleged doping, asking the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, to come and explain the preparedness of the Nigerian contingent for the sports festival.
The resolutions followed the unanimous adoption of a motion at the plenary on Wednesday titled, ‘Need to Investigate Activities of the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development on Failed Doping Test by Nigeria Athletes at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.’
Consequently, the House resolved to “invite the Minister of Sports and Youth Development (sic) to brief the Committee on Sports on the level of Nigeria’s compliance with extant regulations set by the International Association of Athletics Federations and the independent anti-doping arm, Athletics Integrity Unit.”
The House also urged the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to put necessary measures in place to ensure compliance with extant regulations at both local and international competitions, while mandating the Committee on Sports to “investigate the immediate and remote cause of the failed doping test to forestall future occurrence.”
Moving the motion, Babatunde Ayeni said the Nigerian delegation to the Olympic Games fared well in terms of performance, thereby raising the country’s rating the comity of nations.
Ayeni recalled the outstanding performance of the Nigerian Football Team which bagged the historic first soccer gold medal at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, United States of America.
The lawmaker lamented the incident of July 20, 2021, where the Athletics Integrity Unit of the International Association of Athletics Federations barred 10 Nigerian athletes, including the highly-rated Blessing Okagbare, from the Tokyo Olympics for failing to meet requirements for out-of-competition drug testing.
He recalled that the Athletics Integrity Unit alleged that Okagbare, who won the opening heat of the Women’s 100 meters, had tested positive for human growth hormone.
Ayeni added, “The House is also aware that the allegation further affirmed that the affected athletes failed to comply with the rules requiring those from countries deemed to be at high risk of doping to undergo three no-notice out-of-competition tests in a 10 months’ period leading up to a major event.
“The House is concerned that despite the huge funds being made available yearly for the regulatory agencies in the sports sector, adequate efforts have not been made to get Nigeria into the category where they would be deemed to have made significant improvements in anti-doping tests.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with renowned musician, King Sunny Ade, following his wife, Risikat Adegeye’s, demise.
Ms Adegeye was a member of the sixth Lagos State House of Assembly.
The President condoled with the Lagos Government, the House of Assembly, friends and political associates, urging them to trust in God “at the very difficult time.”
Buhari prayed that the “Almighty God would comfort her husband, family and loved ones while granting her soul eternal rest.”
At least 353 Nigerian doctors have been registered to work in the United Kingdom in the last 100 days.
Checks on the website of the General Medical Council – the body which licenses and maintains the official register of medical practitioners in the UK – showed that the GMC licensed at least 353 Nigerian-trained doctors between June 10, 2021 and September 20, 2021.
The statistics also showed that between July 24, 2020 and September 21, 2021, about 862 Nigeria trained doctors were licensed in the UK despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, 8, 737 doctors who obtained their degrees in Nigeria currently practise in the UK.
Speaking to one of our correspondents on Tuesday, the Vice-President of the National Association of Resident Doctors, Julian Ojebo, said the rate of migration might double in the coming weeks since doctors were not given the right remuneration.
Ojebo argued that the doctors migrating to Saudi Arabia might even be more than those moving to the UK.
He said it was unfortunate that the government had failed to address the plight of doctors and meet their conditions for calling off the strike which began on August 1, 2021.
Ojebo stated, “If 353 Nigerian doctors have been licensed in the last 100 days, I am sure the figure will double within the next one month. The strike has opened the eyes to the doctors that Nigeria does not care about them.
“I am sure the statistics for those migrating to Saudi Arabia would be higher. I have always said it that remuneration is usually the trigger for migration. It is now worse today due to insecurity and the lack of political will by government appointees to address the issues affecting the health sector.
“I can tell you categorically that some of the issues we are fighting for are matters that should have been addressed since 2014 and we are still protesting in 2021. Like we have always said, whatever you earn in Nigeria, you stand the opportunity of earning three times that amount with better working conditions.”
A poll by NOI in 2018 showed that 88 per cent of Nigerian doctors were considering work opportunities abroad, but experts say the figure may be higher due to the rising insecurity and economic crunch.
Meanwhile, NARD has continued its strike amid rising COVID-19 and cholera infections.