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.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and top politicians joined award-winning African singer, Patoranking, and others on Tuesday in New York to participate in a special event to discuss COVID-19 vaccine equity.
The event was organised by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to discuss how COVID-19 vaccines can be fairly distributed worldwide as a key development priority.
Under the banner of ‘A Shot for All’ staged on the margins of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, prominent leaders and personalities stressed the importance of vaccine equity and how to achieve universal access, particularly in developing countries and marginalised communities in Africa.
“Delaying vaccines in low-income countries and regions like Africa cannot be the way forward. The stakes are simply too high. Ending vaccine inequality must be seen as a global public good and development priority for all,” said Achim Steiner, UNDP administrator.
The event, moderated by Al Jazeera English anchor Folly Bah Thibault, represented a call to action to governments and development partners to reconsider the production, supply, distribution, and financing of vaccines and redress the impact of the current crisis.
Speakers joined the global call to expedite and prioritise vaccine equity.
Among the speakers were the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Antoine Tshisekedi, the Prime Minister of Sweden, Stefan Löfven, and the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong.
Speaking at the event, UNDP Director, Regional Bureau for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, said, “A two-track recovery is no recovery; the world is calling for greater justice.”
Award-winning Nigerian singer, Patoranking, and Kenyan percussionist and activist, Kasiva Mutua, performed at the event, highlighting the impact of the pandemic on artistes and their ability to inspire action.
Other participants included Edem Adzogenu from Afro Champions, Yvonne Mburu, CEO Nexakili and member of France’s Presidential Council for Africa, Admassu Tadesse, Director of Trade Development Bank, and Kwabena Ayirebi, Director of Banking Operations at the Africa Export-Import Bank.
The Police in Bayelsa State have arrested a suspected ritualist, Sunday Ojo.
The suspect was nabbed on Tuesday by men of the Operation Doo Akpo, in collaboration with the vigilantes of Ogobiri community in the Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
Ojo was said to have lured his victim, who was identified as Deborah Emafidon, a student of the Niger Delta University, to a nearby bush to allegedly kill her for suspected ritual purposes.
However, he was caught by the community vigilantes who alerted the Police operatives.
A spokesman for the State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident in a statement in Yenagoa.
He said, “The suspected ritualist, one Sunday Favour Ojo, ‘M,’ who hails from Edo State, was arrested on 21st September, 2021, at about 1100hours at Ogobiri-Toruebeni Drive in Sagbama Local Government Area.
“The suspect lured his victim, one Deborah Emafidon ‘F’ a student of Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Amassoma, to a nearby bush, tied her hands and was about to slit her throat when he was apprehended by the vigilante members and Police operatives.”
Butswat said that the Commissioner of Police, Eworo Echeng, commended the community’s vigilantes for their role in the apprehension of the suspect.
CP Echeng also appealed to members of the public to continue to volunteer useful information to the Police and other security agencies.
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchin, has disclosed that his country is working towards the establishment of Chinese-owned bank operations in Nigeria.
Jianchin made this known in Abuja while addressing journalists during the commemoration of the 2021 Chinese Moon Festival and China-Nigeria Cultural week on Tuesday.
Jianchin who said he was in talks with Chinese-owned banks, noted that among the world’s 10 biggest banks, six were in China.
“Before my departure from Beijing to Abuja, I talked to several banks in China. When you list the world’s 10 big banks, six are in China. The banking sector is very important because, without money, we cannot build our industries.
“What I am thinking here is best to talk to the governor of the central bank, and how we can allow the Chinese banks to run office here and now, they are doing the feasibility studies on that.”
He explained that it would boost Nigeria’s economy and expand trade relations between the two nations.
Establishing Chinese banks in the country would also be a point of discussion during the China-Nigeria Bi-national Committee meeting, Jianchin said.
“I am working hard that in the bi-national meeting, I hope we can make a big decision and give a big push to let the banking industry and insurance industry because financial integration and institutions are key.
“If you go to China, you will find our banking industry is very powerful, not only for business but a change in the way of life.”
Extolling the extant China-Nigeria trade relations, the Chinese Ambassador noted that the trade volume between China and Nigeria was nearly $20 billion, increasing from 2020’s $19.2 billion.
Jianchin affirmed that the 2021 celebration is special as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of China-Nigeria’s bilateral relations and that the countries share October 1 national day.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, he disclosed that the Chinese embassy would honour 50 Nigerian employees of Chinese companies in Nigeria for their outstanding performance and contribution to strengthening diplomatic ties.
Yoruba Nation arrowhead, Prof Banji Akintoye, says the North will continue to rule and dominate Nigeria regardless of whoever is in power as President.
Akintoye made the comments days after the Northern Elders Forum said the North would not play second fiddle in a nation where it clearly enjoys numerical strength to win presidential elections.
It had earlier been reported that NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, at an event in Zaria on Saturday, said, “We will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before whether we are President or Vice President, we will lead Nigeria. We have the majority of the votes and democracy says vote whom you want.
“Why should we accept a second class position when we know we can buy a form and contest for first class and we will win?
“Why does anybody need to threaten us and intimidate us? We will get that power but be humble because power comes from God. We inherited leadership and being honest is not being stupid.
“The North has pride; we are humble enough to know that we are going to run Nigeria with other people but we are not going to pay a second fiddle to anybody. We may not have the most robust economy, there are people who are trying to strangulate us even more than we are being strangled.”
With the 2023 elections approaching, political permutations have been intense with many Nigerians including the 17 Southern governors demanding a President from Southern Nigeria to replace the incumbent, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who is from Katsina State, North-West Nigeria.
Speaking on an online programme organised by The PUNCH, 86-year-old Akintoye, a scholar and a Professor of History, said the North had always wanted to “conquer” the rest of the country.
Though he did not make any direct reference to the statement credited to the NEF spokesman, Akintoye said Nigeria is no longer a country because of the dominance of one ethnic group over others.
He said, “It has reached a time now that Nigeria is no longer a country. Why do I say this? There is no other country in the world where one section, one region says, ‘We are going to conquer the rest, we are going to subdue you, we will make ourselves the controllers of the resources of your land, we will treat you more or less like slaves’.”
Akintoye said though some Southerners including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan had been in power since the return to democratic rule, they operated under the rulership of the north.
He said, “Whoever rules Nigeria rules in the context of a country that is owned and dominated by the North; by North, I mean the North-West.
“Under Obasanjo as President, the northern elite converted the north against the constitution of Nigeria into a separate Islamic state. Obasanjo could not do anything about it… That was a dangerous philosophy that was being foisted upon Nigeria and nobody did anything about it.
“Yes, Obasanjo is a beloved son of the Yoruba race, we love him but we know that he ruled in a situation when the President of Nigeria was beholding on to powers under the tables that the rest of us could not do anything about. Not to talk of (Vice President Yemi) Osinbajo.
“Osinbajo is one of the most educated men who have taken part in the governance of Nigeria, see the thing he is doing, is he doing them freewill?”
Akintoye, the leader of the umbrella body of the Yoruba self-determination group known as Ilana Omo Oodua, and the embattled Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, have been seen together at press conferences and rallies championing the cause to secede from the Nigerian state and establish a Yoruba Nation.
When asked why he is embarking on such a mission at his age, the octogenarian replied, “Yes, I am doing it at a late age but if I do not do this, I do not want to go to the grave with a feeling that a country I love and gave my life is dying in my presence and I just stay there until the power of God comes to take me home. No, I want to be able to say to myself that I fought a good fight and when I see Chief (Obafemi) Awolowo, I’d be sure that he would open his arms and welcome me as a good boy. I have to do this now.”
He also assured Yoruba Nation agitators that Igboho would soon regain his freedom from the authorities of the French-speaking West-African nation.
Igboho, who was earlier declared wanted by the Nigerian Government, has been in a detention facility in Cotonou, Benin Republic, since July 19, 2021 when he was arrested at an airport in the country.
United States President, Joe Biden and President Muhammadu Buhari
Peoples Gazette has claimed to have seen court documents indicating that the United States has seized about $6.1 million belonging to Nigeria after a hired arms supplier pleaded guilty to charges including illegal dealing in military-grade weapons and money laundering.
Judge Erica Grosjean of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California ordered the forfeiture after Ara Dolarian, an unlicensed armed dealer hired by the Nigerian government to help circumvent U.S. ban on arms sale to Nigeria, admitted conducting arms sale without requisite approvals.
Dolarian, who initially denied any wrongdoing, was arrested on May 15, 2019, and pleaded guilty on June 27. His sentencing hearing will open on September 24, 2021, and may be concluded on October 6, 2021, court filings said.
For pleading guilty, Dolarian would face years in prison and would also forfeit $6,024,806.45 cash trapped in various U.S. banks and entities under his name and his businesses. A brand-new BMW vehicle was also confiscated and would be sold by the U.S. government, documents said.
According to The Gazette, the documents showed that Sambo Dasuki, President Goodluck Jonathan’s national security adviser, contracted Hima Aboubakar, the controversial promoter of Societe D’Equipments Internationaux (SEI), to help broker a deal for high‑explosive bombs, rockets, military-grade firearms and aircraft-mounted cannons to be deployed against Boko Haram insurgents.
Former Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
The deal came as 2015 general elections loomed and Jonathan appeared desperate to rout out Boko Haram elements and boost his re-election efforts.
To execute the deal, Aboubakar, a citizen of Niger Republic, entered a sales agreement with Dolarian, who did not have license to export arms or broker arms deals as the U.S. had restricted the sale of arms to countries known for flagrant human rights abuses under the Leahy amendments.
“At no point did Ara Dolarian (Dolarian), Dolarian Capital Inc. (DCI) or their affiliates receive DDTC approval to broker defense articles to Nigeria,” the U.S. Homeland Security said in the charges.
Although Dolarian had submitted an application requesting a licence to broker military equipment transactions, it was rejected by the DDTC. But that did not stop him from proceeding to present himself to Nigerian authorities as a qualified arms dealer.
The weapons were valued at $8,616,042.50, and while the sales agreement lasted between June and September, 2014, Dolarian received $8,618, 647.00 in wire transfers facilitated by Dasuki through the Central Bank of Nigeria and First Bank.
Court documents said Dolarian through his business partner, Myron Smith, received a $4,998,647.00 from Hong Kong-based SK-Sawki Limited, owned by Aboubakar’s friend. The arms dealer received the remaining $3.6 million from Aboubakar’s company also paid into Smith’s account.
Former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki [Photo credit: BBC]
Dasuki was at the centre of a multibillion-dollar arms purchase scandal that rocked Nigeria in 2015 and 2016. He was held in custody for more than four years, with the Buhari administration releasing him only in December 2019 after disobeying several court orders to free the Sokoto prince.
Prosecutors said Aboubakar’s partner in Hong Kong received about $20 million in two wire transfers from the Nigerian government. The first wire transfer was on May 28, 2014, and the second entered on June 9, 2014.
Prosecutors subsequently revealed that Mr Aboubakar had received $20 million for the arms deal from Nigeria, but only paid $8.6 million to Dolarian for supplies. Nigerian government officials and security chiefs have long faced allegations of profiting from the decade-long war on Boko Haram.
Court documents said the transactions showed how Dolarian, his allies and businesses violated the Arms Export Control Act, describing their activities as “specifically unlawful.” Consequently, all identified proceeds would be forfeited to the U.S. government.
Before U.S. authorities were able to enforce forfeitures, Dolarian had already used part of the $8.6 million for personal expenses and settlement of outstanding taxes. He also bought a 2011 model BMW SUV and transferred the rest to numerous accounts held by him, his wife, his associates, a purported furniture company, amongst others.
Out of the $8.6 million Dolarian received from the Nigerian government, the U.S. seized over $6 million that remained in his account as of February 2015.
Nigeria did not play any role in the litigation, indicating that the U.S. government will pocket all the $6.1 million recovered. Dolarian now faces up to 20 years in prison and up to $1 million in fines.
Aboubakar was declared wanted by the EFCC as part of several controversial arms deals he brokered for Nigeria, but the anti-graft office was unable to apprehend him or file competent charges in court.
Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has revealed that bandits are raiding Katsina farming communities to steal food ahead of the upcoming harvest season.
Governor Masari raised the alarm Tuesday, in Katsina, at a consultative briefing he held with the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on the security situation in the state.
The briefing was attended by heads of security agencies in the state, traditional rulers, political and religious leaders, civil society groups and other stakeholders.
“Because of hunger, bandits are moving towards communities around the forest area. They know that harvest time is approaching and their plan is to harvest crops and steal food items planted by farmers,” he said.
Governor Masari said the bandits’ relocation were due to the suspension of mobile telecommunication networks and ban of sale of petroleum products by filling stations.
He charged the security chiefs to deal decisively with the criminals, reiterating his position not to negotiate with bandits whom, he described, as criminals who were neither fighting for a religious or ideological cause.
Governor Masari disclosed that affected states had resolved to engage no fewer than 3,000 hunters and vigilantes to be trained by the police to protect communities.
The Governor said Katsina would recruit 500 hunters and vigilantes – 250 each from Katsina and Daura Emirates to protect communities from bandit attacks. He said the hunters and vigilantes would be stationed permanently in the communities after the military had left.
