Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Monday 10th August 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 10/08/20
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Ex- Petroleum Minister, Diezani, Says ‘Yahoo Boys’ Have Become Role Models
Diezani Alison-Madueke
Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has said that Internet scammers widely referred to as ‘Yahoo boys’ in Nigeria were now role models in the country due to drop in moral values.
She made the remarks while delivering a lecture at a virtual, event which was also attended by her former boss, Goodluck Jonathan, on Friday, a report by PUNCH said.
Speaking at the event organised by the Ijaw National Development Group on Friday, Diezani stressed the need for mentorship of Ijaw youths.
Diezani Alison-Madueke
The videos were posted on Twitter by blogger, Jackson Ude, who is also the publisher of Point Blank News.
She said, “The ones that have swag, the Yahoo Yahoo boys as my son would say; these in short, are the role models they are looking at. These are the ones that reinforce negative societal norms and values.
“This is a travesty of an unfolding tragedy for us. Why have I spent time talking about fatherless homes and the impact it has on our children? The truth of the matter is that an irresponsible boy tends to become an irresponsible man and it is therefore a vicious cycle. If you plant yam, you cannot harvest plantain.”
Diezani said there were no shortcuts to progressing in life, adding that only hard work could guarantee success.
The former minister added, “There are no shortcuts to working your way up the ladder of life. Progressing in life, in work and relationships – marital or otherwise – is always dependent on consistent effort and hard work.
“As we create more responsible young men, we will generate more responsible fathers which will in turn engender a more sustainable society and build a greater nation of successful Ijaw men and women.”
Diezani said societal values had collapsed mainly because of weak family bonds caused by broken homes.
She said in some instances, children raised by single parents do well in life but it should not be the norm that children should be brought up by single parents.
Diezani thanked her former boss, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, for empowering women during his tenure.
The former minister, who is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, for alleged fraud running into billions of dollars has been living in the United Kingdom since 2015.
She was reportedly appointed as a Commissioner for Trade and Investment by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of the Commonwealth of Dominica and handed a diplomatic passport which has helped her to evade prosecution despite being in London for over four years.
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BREAKING: Armed Bandits Currently Attacking Katsina Community
Armed bandits are currently attacking Kurfi community under Kurfi Local Government Area of Katsina State, SaharaReporters has gathered.
A resident of the area confirmed that the bandits stormed the two communities around 9:40pm on motorcycles while armed with weapons.
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He said that they were shooting at every available object, adding that many residents escaped to nearby communities while some passed the night inside the bush.
Katsina is one of the states in the North-West that have suffered from repeated attacks by armed bandits on communities.
No fewer than 200 people have been reportedly killed by bandits in Kankara, Dutsinma, Musawa, Danmusa and Safana local government areas of the state in the last two months.
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BREAKING: Governor Akeredolu’s Son, Babajide, Tests Positive For COVID-19
Babajide Akeredolu
Babajide, son of Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has tested positive for COVID-19.
This comes barely a month after his father recovered from the virus.
Babajide Akeredolu
SaharaRepoters gathered that Babajide has since gone into self-isolation.
“The governor’s son is already in self-isolation as required by the guidelines of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.”
Babajide is the Secretary of the Response Fund Committee on COVID-19 set up by the state government few months ago.
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FLASHBACK: Obasanjo Targeted Me Because Of His Loss Of Political Relevance In Ogun, South-West —Buruji Kashamu
A day after his death, the animosity between late ex-lawmaker from Ogun State, Buruji Kashamu, and former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, remains rife.
Kashamu died at the First Cardiology Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos from COVID-19 complications on Saturday.
In a condolence letter that carried more of jabs than eulogies, Obasanjo said that Kashamu used his lifetime to “maneuver law and politics to escape facing justice on alleged criminal offence in Nigeria and outside”, adding that, “No legal, political, cultural, social, or even medical maneuver could stop the cold hand of death when the Creator of all of us decides that the time is up.”
Before Saturday, Obasanjo had in a letter on January 7, 2014 to the then Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, threatened to withdraw his membership of the in Ogun and South-West over what he described as the treatment of Kashamu with reverence.
Describing the late ex-lawmaker as an habitual criminal wanted abroad for crime in that letter, Obasanjo said, “I cannot and I will not subscribe to a wanted habitual criminal being installed as my zonal leader in the party; a criminal for whom extradition has been requested by the US Government.
“I will consider withdrawing my activity with PDP at local, state, zonal and national levels until the anomalous and shameful situation is corrected.”
But swiftly responding to the former Nigerian President at the time, Kashamu accused Obasanjo of engaging in wicked campaign of calumny and blackmail against him over his perceived loss of political relevance in Ogun State and the South-West.
He said, “It is now clear to all and sundry that why I have become the target of Obasanjo’s wicked campaign of calumny and blackmail is his perceived loss of political relevance in Ogun State and the South-West. In his 18-page satanic letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, I was the other person – indeed the only one (after the President) – that he singled out for his venomous attack. But if the truth be told, I am not the architect of whatever political woes that he is suffering today. Like David, I am just a tool in the hands of the almighty Allah.
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Despite Evading Justice, Kashamu Couldn’t Escape Death –Obasanjo
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“In his usual hypocritical manner, he talked about not being able to work with me because of his principles and decency. But the questions Nigerians should ask him are: where were these principles when he used me to fight Gbenga Daniel? Where was his self-righteousness when I took the party structure from Daniel and handed it to Obasanjo? Where was his decency when he brought Gen. Adetunji Olurin to me and asked that I should roll my structure behind his governorship ambition? Where was his morality when he introduced me to South-West PDP leaders like Engr. Segun Oni, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade and a host of others? Where was his discipline when he hosted me several times in his Hilltop mansion, taking me into his bedroom and innermost recesses? Where was his decency when he accepted donations from me to his church and other concerns?
“Where was his gumption when he mounted the rostrum to sing my praises, praying for me as he did in May 2010 during a reception for the former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye? I can go on and on!
“Let me state from the outset that contrary to Obasanjo’s claim, I am not the leader of the party in the South-West. I am just one of the party’s foot soldiers in the zone and it is in that capacity that I am made the chairman of the organisation and mobilisation committee for the party in the zone.”
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E2%80%99s-imc-deceived-buhari-nigerians-over-non-payment-stranded-foreign How Akpabio, NDDC’s IMC Deceived Buhari, Nigerians Over Non-payment Of Stranded Foreign Scholarship Students —Group
Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio
A civil society group, Act for Positive Transformation, has faulted the reason given by the Niger Delta Development Commission on why it could not make payments to students on scholaship abroad.
President Muhammadu Buhari had last week following public outcry ordered the NDDC to immediately pay the fees and stipends of the students, who have been facing hardship abroad.
The commission was reported to have said that the students had not been paid because the agency could not make payments from its domiciliary account without an Executive Director Finance and Administration.
Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio.
The group in a letter addressed to President Buhari and signed by its Head, Directorate of Research and Programme, Kolawole Johnson, said that it had taken time and resources to investigate happenings at the commission, uncovering several corrupt practices ranging from contracts scams, outright embezzlement and and extra-budgetary spending.
It said that while such discoveries have since been turned over to relevant government agencies with the public expecting actions from the President, recent public statement by the IMC claiming that it couldn’t pay scholarship sums to foreign scholars due to the death of the late executive director finance and account was not nothing but outright falsehood.
The group decribed the reason adduced as a lie to perpetuate illegal, fraudulent and corrupt Interim Management Committee of the commission.
It said, “While Nigerians await your action on the damning revelations against the management of the commission and Godswill Akpabio, the supervising minister, the commission released a statement yesterday on your directives for the prompt payment of scholars in foreign countries in the wake of protests in foreign embassies. The statement claimed the reason given to Your Excellency for the delay in payment of the scholars was the death of the late Executive Director, Finance and Administration (EDFA) and as such could not make payments. Your Excellency, this is an outright falsehood and the height of deception.
“The late EDFA died on May 28th, 2020, by July 28th 2020, exactly two months after, the management has squandered a total of N24.26bn. The commission has continued to make all manner of fraudulent payments without prioritizing the demand of the foreign scholars or recourse to due process. Under the guise of emergency payments, the management paid out over N3.5bn within this period. The fraudulent emergency payments include; AHR LTD (622,849,805.33 – June 10), REZIKANA NIG LTD (527,099,556.20 – June 19, 2020), Escobar Steel LTD (580,864,726.71 – June 19, 2020), Vintage Consolidated Ltd (441,709,717.62 – June 19, 2020), REZIKANA NIG LTD (396,747,278.69 – June 24, 2020), Julidata Enterprises (165,580,069.45 – July 03, 2020).
“After the death of the late EDFA, additional fraudulent payments have been made to companies that were actively involved in cases of contract scams investigated. For example, Julius Dinga, the engineering company that got the fraudulent media consultancy contract for covid-19 awareness, has received over N400m within same period the management refused to pay the scholars (216,388,449.44 – June 19 and 185,475,813.81 – July 09). Ditto to Osmoserve and AHR Global, they have received over 1.3 Billion in fraudulent payments despite the allegation of contract scam substantiated against them. RODNAP, the company that allegedly has links, with Sen Akpabio, also got payment (612,500,000.00) within the period in focus. Note sir, same person own RODNAP & AHR Global, the two companies have enjoyed unusual patronage from the present management.”
The group further stressed that the present NDDC IMC is not only aversed to the development of the region and its people, it, in addition, disobeyed and deceived the President at will by flouting his instructions, “embarrass the nation, disregard laws and due process and above all, very corrupt”.
It added, “Your Excellency, the excuse given for embarrassing the nation before the international communities for non-payment of fees of the foreign scholars amounts to grand deception. From the details above, it is obvious the management has never stopped paying for what satisfies their greed, even without an EDFA and a budget. The scholars were not paid because it will be impossible to benefit directly from the payment since their earlier malfeasance in this regard was exposed to the public.”
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E2%80%99s-faux-pas-tony-ademiluyi Olusegun Obasanjo’s Faux Pas By Tony Ademiluyi
The English playwright William Shakespeare described three ways in which mortals become great. ‘Some are born great, others achieve greatness and the rest have it thrust upon them.’
Nigeria’s former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo a.k.a Ebora Owu represents the third way in which mortals become great. His life’s trajectory is so surreal that it looks more like a story for a Hollywood movie.
Brigadier-General Benjamin Adekunle a.k.a the black scorpion did all the dirty work as the commander of the third marine division during the Nigerian civil war only for him to be unceremoniously removed and Obasanjo drafted to replace him and he was the one who accepted the surrender by Major-General Phillip Effiong after Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu escaped to Cote d’Ivoire to avoid being killed.
Obasanjo went on to be the Federal Commissioner for Works under General Yakubu Gowon and after the overthrow of the latter, became the nation’s number two man – Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters to the then General Muritala Ramat Mohammed. The assassination of Mohammed paved the way for him to become the country’s Head of State. The funny thing was that Obasanjo went into hiding in the home of the Late Chief Sunday Awoniyi after his boss was murdered by Bukar Sukar Dimka. It was General Theophillus Yakubu Danjuma that held forte and ensured Dimka was caught and brought to justice. Danjuma could have taken over power if he wanted to but he respected military tradition and ensured that Obasanjo succeeded Mohammed.
It was under his watch as Head of State that 2.8 billion naira got missing from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) while the current President was his petroleum minister in 1978. Human rights violations were rife during his regime as the mother of Afrobeat maestro, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was thrown to her death from her son’s Fela’s building.
He angered the Yoruba nation when he said that the late presumed winner of the June 12 presidential election wasn’t the messiah that the country needed.
He was incarcerated under General Sani Abacha and was lucky to have escaped death by the whiskers. He then became the country’s President in 1999 as a compensation for Abiola’s loss. Under his Presidency, we witnessed the leveling of Odi and Zaki Biam in one of the nation’s most brutal genocides for which he ought to be hauled before the International Court of Justice for gross human rights violations. About $16 billion was sunk into the power sector but the nation has witnessed more darkness. Political assassinations were at its apogee as the likes of Bola Ige, Marshall Harry, Funsho Williams etc were crudely sent to their ancestors.
It is no news that he allegedly wanted to go for a third term before the then Senate President Ken Nnamani heroically truncated the sinister agenda.
Since his stepping down from office in 2007, he has practically lost relevance which culminated in his infamous tearing of his PDP card in 2014 and the writing of letters to President Muhammadu Buhari.
His latest gaffe was in his ‘tribute’ to the late Senator Buruji Kashamu. The condolence letter went thus: “Senator Esho Jinadu (Buruji Kashmu) in his lifetime used the maneuver of law and politics to escape from facing justice on alleged criminal offence in Nigeria and outside Nigeria,” the former president said.
“But no legal, political, cultural, social or even medical maneuver could stop the cold hands of death when the Creator of all of us decides that the time is up. May Allah forgive his sin and accept his soul into Aljanah, and may God grant his family and friends fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”
His tongue-in-cheek letter was extremely petty and childish and didn’t speak well of the mien of an ‘elder statesman.’
Why go into the allegations of a dead man who can no longer speak for himself? It is un African to speak of the dead and so why did he go ahead to judge him? Did he hold a grudge against him that the deceased former senator displaced him as the leader of the PDP in his native Ogun state? If indeed Kashamu escaped justice he should leave him entirely to the inescapable judgement of the Almighty God but there was no need to have spewed all that venom as it was uncalled for.
The letter is rather unfortunate and he wrote as if he wouldn’t one day be committed to mother earth. What really are his legacies? How do you explain the fact that a man who was bankrupt in 1998 after his release from Abacha’s gulag suddenly became wealthy overnight to the extent of his former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode regaling the nation with tales that his Otta farm was raking in a whooping thirty million naira monthly asides the other eye popping investments and assets that he acquired during his eight year presidency. Why doesn’t the international community take him seriously anymore? He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.
Obasanjo has a penchant for not knowing what to say and is not known to be diplomatic with his choice of words. We recall the bomb blast in the Airforce base in Lagos in 2002. When he got there he didn’t commiserate with those who had become homeless overnight. Rather he told them that he wasn’t supposed to be there and that they should be grateful for his coming in the first place. We wouldn’t forget his reaction to the former residents of the 1004 flats when they were forced to leave the quarters after a privatization. When he visited the place, they groveled and went down on their knees in a bid to get him to give them more time but he smiled like one who had just come back home from a conquest and was condescending in his tone to them while he addressed them.
Journalists in the country also faced a raw deal in his hands. At a point he put up a notice in his country home which read ‘Dogs and Journalists’ not allowed. It shows his contempt for the fourth estate of the realm as he clearly is afraid of being held to account so as not to reveal his can of worms that stink to the high Heavens.
God has indeed been kind to him and he has been blessed abundantly by his creator. It is high time he reflected deeply as he is living on overtime having surpassed the Biblical three score and ten. It is never too late for him to learn to be more civil and less uncouth in his choice of diction. He is currently an embarrassment as he sometimes throws needless tantrums like a toddler.
An old cliché goes thus: ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ but that saying shouldn’t be taken literarily as the capacity for learning is high even in old age. If he could go to the Nation Open University and bad a degree in theology at well over 70, then he can learn to be more tactful in the use of his language despite the fact that he has long crossed the age of 80. It is never too late to learn new things.
It won’t be a bad idea if he can apologize for his caustic and insensitive remarks on a man who can no longer defend himself.
The time for him to act is now as Senegalese-American artiste Akon made a summary about life in one of his hit songs ‘Even the life that you have is borrowed as you are not promised tomorrow so live every day as if it is your last.’ Chinua Achebe also warned in his evergreen book ‘Things Fall Apart’ that ‘those whose palm kernels have been broken for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.’
Obasanjo we are waiting!
Tony Ademiluyi edits www.africanbard.com and wrote from Lagos
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NMA Condemns Enugu Election Violence, Sets Up Panel To Probe Cause
The Nigerian Medical Association has set up a three-man committee to unravel the cause of the violence that marred the Enugu State election of the association.
The election had on Thursday turned violent when thugs invaded Michael Okpara Square, venue of the exercise to unleash injuries on officials.
The association condemned the incident, describing it as a show of shame.
President of the NMAassociation, Prof Innocent Ujah, disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja on Sunday.
The association thereafter set up a three-man committee with the mandate to unravel the cause of the violence and submit a report within two weeks.
He said, “Electoral violence in any form does not represent what Nigerian doctors stand for and it is, therefore, at variance with our noble conducts and ideals.
“As members of the noble profession, the leadership of the association cannot afford to stand by and watch such ugly behaviour unbecoming of disgruntled members of our association.
“Using the relevant provisions of the association’s constitution, we shall ensure that discipline is restored not only in Enugu State NMA but also in all the branches of our association, so that our members will continue to exhibit the highest level of decorum expected of the medical practitioners in all our affairs, including, elections.”
He charged other branches where elections had not been conducted to ensure that it was peaceful.
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Catholic Priest Urges Nigerians To Occupy Aso Rock, National Assembly To Remove Bad Leaders
Rev. Fr John Chinenye Oluoma
A priest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Rev. Fr John Chinenye Oluoma, has called on Nigerians to come together to organise a mass protest to occupy Aso Rock and National Assembly over corruption, poverty, insecurity and bad governance in the country.
He disclosed this in a video obtained by SaharaReporters in Abuja during a church service.
The priest called on Nigerians to remove the present crop of political office holders, who have constituted themselves into a stumbling block for good governance.
Rev. Fr John Chinenye Oluoma
He said, “Sometimes in Nigeria those who should be praying are the ones looking for stones to remove and those who should be removing stones are the ones praying. It does not work.
“I think time has come when Christian Association of Nigeria and the body in charge of all Muslims, pastors, priests, bishops and religious leaders in Nigeria to organise a crusade at the Eagle Square, National Assembly and Aso Rock.
“Occupy the place, bring the people out and let them go and stay there and senators and ministers, let them go nowhere until until they do certain things or else remove them.
“Poverty in Nigeria is caused by stones holding the people and those stones are in the Presidency, National Assembly and government.
“The Lord is telling us to remove them and stop praying about them. How do you remove them? Remove them through election. When it is time for election, remove the ones that are not performing.
“This is the mistake of religious people. We gather people all the time from January to December praying for job, prosperity and breakthrough meanwhile the people who are supposed to be out there removing the stones.”
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Nigerian Government Begins Regulation Of Social Media Usage Of Civil Servants
The Nigerian Government has begun the regulation of social media usage by civil servants, saying their posts should be in support of the government.
Describing the act as ‘improper participation’, the government stated that the action was against public service rules.
“Government has noted with concern the improper participation of public Servants in various media platforms, most especially Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter applications among others to the extent of disclosing sensitive official government information and correspondences.
“Consequent to the above, all public servants in the state are reminded that unauthorized disclosure of official information and false allegations against the government officials are acts of serious misconduct punishable under Public Service Rules (PSR) No. 030401.
“In addition, the unethical participation of some serving public servants in the social media put to question their loyalty to the govemment, which is also a serious misconduct and it violates Public Service Rules (PSR) No.030403, as such public servants are to remain strictly guided on the way and manner to use the social media platforms, respecting the civil service pristine dictum of being reticent characters,” the notice issued by Lawal Ado Dutsin-ma, Permanent Secretary (Administration), for Head of Civil Service, reads.
The government directed all permanent secretaries and chief executive officers of government ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals are directed to “inform all staff under them to remain vigilant on movement of sensitive government documents”.
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RULAAC Asks Buhari To Declare State Of Emergency In Kaduna
Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare state of emergency over insecurity in Kaduna State.
Over the months, scores have been killed and many displaced by bandits in Southern Kaduna and other parts of the North-West.
RULAAC in a statement said the group was seriously disturbed about the total breakdown of law and order and the reign of terror, violence, destruction, arson, looting and impunity by the bandits in the area.
The statement reads, “The high level of insecurity in Kaduna State has hindered RULAAC monitors in Kaduna State from continuing to monitor police conduct in the context of enforcement of Inspector-General of Police’s COVID-19 directives and government ordered health and safety protocols. RULAAC has received reports from its monitors in Kaduna and from several other sources of unchallenged daily attacks on communities in Southern Kaduna resulting in high numbers of human casualties, kidnappings, rape, destruction and looting of homes and farms and dislocation of families.
“These attacks are happening almost on a daily basis in spite of the curfew imposed by the Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai since March 2020 and notwithstanding the high numbers of security agencies and establishments including the police, military and the state security service in the state. Despite the huge presence of security agencies in the state, there is no security response to these incessant attacks. Communities are left practically at the mercy of the rampaging bandits who operate without challenge, attacking, killing and injuring hundreds of defenceless residents in communities. Community representatives also report that their distress calls and outcry for help have been ignored by the state government and security agencies in the state.
“Despite this huge security presence in Kaduna State and the curfew in place, all these mass atrocities have continued unabated without any of the bandits arrested or the communities protected from their further onslaught. Instead, when citizens protest against attacks, they are arrested by the same security agencies that have failed to protect them from attacks.”
The group also called on the military, other security agencies to set up a transparent process for weeding out the bad eggs among them.
It added, “We pray that the governor and his security team to adopt more creative ways of securing the people with the fact that more people have died during these restrictions, which renders the curfew useless.”
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