Three Factions Contesting Eze Ndigbo Title In Ibadan, Oyo State

For the past 17 years, it has been a kind of graveyard
silence for the three warring factions contending the title of
Eze Ndigbo of Oyo State when the Igbo Community
Development Association ‘crowned’ Dr. Alex Anozie. The
three factions were led by Dr. Alex Anozie, Chief James
Nduka Oramadike and Chief Alloy Obi.
Each of them had been laying claim to the title and this has
led to serious legal battles. Though, the battle for
recognition subsided shortly before the 2015 general
election as the factions came together to drum up support
for the former president at Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, all
parties later withdrew into their nests, sharpened their
swords and dusted their armour for fresh crisis. Of the
three, Dr. Anozie has been brandishing a court judgment
by Justice Mashud Abbas of Oyo State High Court on
February 18, 2014 which recognised him as the rightful
holder of the title. The court declared that Anozie is the
subsisting Eze Ndigbo of Ibadanland and Oyo State, having
been democratically elected and sworn-in into office by the
Igbo Community Development Association in 1997 on the
authority of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo in 2000.
As he approached the state High Court, he sought a
declaration that all steps taken by Chief Alloy Obi and his
group who were claiming the title of Onyendu Ndigbo were
contrary to Igbo customs and tradition, and the
constitution of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and thereby null and
void, and thereby sought an order of the court setting
aside all acts and steps by the defendants towards
selection and proposed installation of Chief Obi as the
Onyendu Ndigbo of Ibadan and Oyo State. In 2009, the
crisis reached the crescendo as those who were
sympathetic to Chief Obi allegedly came together and
claimed to have removed Anozie. The claimant also sought
an injunction restraining the defendants whether by
themselves, their servants or agents, from installing Obi as
Onyendu, and an order of injunction restraining Chief Obi
from pronouncing or parading himself as the Onyendu
Ndigbo of Ibadan and Oyo State.
However, after listening to the facts and circumstances of
the case as presented by counsel to both concerned
parties, the court identified some issues for determination.
The third issue identified for determination was whether
Eze Anozie having been removed as the Eze ndigbo of
Ibadan and Oyo State in 2009 had the right to challenge
the election and inauguration of Chief Obi as the Onyendu
of Ibadan and Oyo State. All these issues were, however,
resolved by the court in favour of Anozie, after which the
judge went ahead to grant the relief sought by the
claimant. While granting the prayers of the claimant, the
court ruled that there could only be one Onyendu Ndigbo
for one community, and that the claimant is the one for
Oyo, having been duly so proclaimed by the Igbo
community in Oyo State in a communiqué issued on
September 30, 2000.
The court also declared that all acts and steps taken
towards the selection of Chief Obi were contrary to the
Igbo customs and tradition and the constitution of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and therefore granted an order setting
aside all the steps and acts which led to Obi’s purported
selection as the Onyendu. Finally, the court granted an
injunction restraining the defendants, whether by
themselves, their agents or servants from installing Obi as
Onyendu of Ibadan and Oyo State, and the one restraining
Obi from parading himself as such.
While speaking with Vanguard yesterday in a telephone
interview, Dr. Anozie said as far as he is concerned, since
the court has ordered the other groups to desist from
parading themselves, anybody promoting them to flout the
court judgment is not a friend of the country.
“Anybody I am referring to could be radio, television,
government and even me. I learnt that the other side has
appealed the judgment of the State High Court, they
should wait for the outcome of the appeal. It should also
be noted that when you appeal a judgment of a lower
court, it doesn’t mean the judgment no longer subsists. It
subsists until the appellate court says otherwise. The truth
is bitter but it is good to tell the truth. Both of us in the
crisis presented our evidences before the court and the
court having weighed the evidences and pronounced me
as the holder of the title,” he said.
As Anozie is slugging it out with his opponents in the state,
the national leadership is also giving him grey hair.
Recently, his camp accused Ohaneze national leadership of
instigating crisis in the state. It called the attention of the
national body to the fact that the court “ordered everything
about the Igbo General Assembly (IGA), including their
acts, steps taken by the group and the South-East
Traditional Rulers null and void, and restrained Chief Aloy
Obi from parading himself as the Onyendu Ndigbo of
Ibadan and Oyo state.”. His group alleged that the recent
visit by “one person who called himself the Deputy
President of the Ohaneze Worldwide, by name Ogochukwu
Onyema”, who allegedly said something that eroded the
court ruling, and claimed to have spoken on behalf of the
Ohaneze national body.
“If it is true that they are the ones who sent one
Ogochukwu Onyema to Ibadan on 15th of August, 2015, to
come and say all what he had said, then they need to take
caution . We are responsible peace-loving citizens of
Nigeria who so much believe in the rule of law, and that is
why we tolerated so many provocations since many years
now, and we have continued to allow the judiciary to help
us sort things out peacefully. Oyo state is peaceful and we
want it to remain peaceful”.
“We are aware of the antics of the very person who
has been the brain behind all these problems since all
these years; he would want to drag everybody that
matters into this controversy, including the South-East
Traditional Rulers and Ohaneze national body, whom
we expected to play a justified fatherly role in this
issue.”, they said.
Vanguard learnt that the judgment of the High Court has
been appealed and pending the determination of the suit,
the last has not been heard about the crisis.

APC Senator defects to PDP in Oyo

IBADAN—The hope of the ruling All Progressives
Congress, APC, in Oyo State to clinch the popular votes of
electorate in the 2015 election grew dimmer yesterday as
another senator dumped the party for the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP.
Senator Ayo Adeseun, who represented Oyo Central in the
National Assembly formally defected from the broom
party to close ranks with former Governor Adebayo Alao-
Akala who is aiming to clinch the PDP’s governorship ticket
for the election.
Adeseun became the second senator to dump the party.
Some weeks ago, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin defected from
APC to the Accord Party.

We can’t afford to pay 42 ministers – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his
government cannot afford to pay forty-two ministers and
that not all ministerial nominees screened by the Senate
will have portfolios.
The President also said that Nigeria has been ‘material
and morally vandalized’ and that he will reduce the
numbers of ministries.
Buhari in an
interview with
Channels TV and
Nigerian Television
Authority, NTA, in
New Delhi in India
said that he is
working with
 people introduced
to him by others
that he trust and
must work with
them.
Buhari while reacting to a question on the divide in the
National Assembly over Rotimi Amaechi’s confirmation as
minister said he did not work into the presidency alone
hence he can not work alone and that some of those
having problems at the National Assembly he had never
met them.
‘This is team work, I said I know some people but there
are others, I accepted from other people that I trust
without even knowing them.’
‘May be those that are having problems in the National
Assembly I doubt if I have met them in my life but then, I
am working with others.’
‘I did not work into the presidency alone. I have to defend
all the three tiers of government from all parts of the
country.’
Backing his 36 Minister nominees Buhari said that he
cannot work out outside the constitution and that
ministers must be appointed in conformity with the
constitution of the Federal Government that stipulates
 that ministerial appointment must reflect the 36 states of
the country.
And that these minister nominees though representing
their states some will not have portfolios but will be part
of his cabinet.
‘We can not work outside the constitution there must be a
cabinet representative from each state.’
‘There use to be forty two ministers but I think we can
barely keep half of that now because we cannot afford it.
‘Others may not be substantive ministers but they will sit
in the cabinet because that is what the constitution said
and we can’t operate outside the constitution’
‘We are reducing the number of ministries we can’t afford
to pay.’
‘Where is the money? Do you know the Federal
Government has to help twenty seven states out of thirty
six to pay salaries?.’
‘Nigeria can not pay salaries Nigeria had to summon the
Governor of the Central Bank to see how it could pay
salaries not to talk of projects, agreement signed with
foreign countries, counter funding and so on. The country
was material vandalized and morally so.’
On his ambition to see that the dreaded Boko Haram
group is crushed by December the president said that his
is optimistic on the capability of the military and other
government agencies in crushing the terrorists and as he
feels sorry for those who think otherwise or have given up
on winning the war against terrorist.
‘I am an optimistic person. I am sorry for those who have
already given up. I remain confident that our military and
other law enforcement agencies are more than equal to
the task.’
‘Don’t forget that I made an earlier statement to the effect
that the Nigerian military and police earned accolades all
over the world: Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan.’
“They earned international respect and then here you are,
the Nigerian military and other law enforcement agencies
could not secure 14 local governments out of 774 until the
government was changed.’
Further more on how he feels when critics say he is being
selective in the fight against corruption Buhari said that
anyone who is not corrupt should not be afraid rather
they should encourage him to go headlong with the fight.
‘…if they are not involve in corruption they won’t mind
they would encourage us to get whoever compromised his
position in the trust being given on to him. I see it in the
papers, watch it on screen but I have never lost a sleep on
it because those that are not corrupt should even
encourage us to do more. But those that are interested in
the safety of those that have abused trust in the country
office will go to any length including bribing people to give
false information and so on.’
He went on to say that he is not being selective in his fight
against corruption and that any bdy caught will be
prosecuted for Nigerians to see.
‘Whoever is caught the document use in incriminating him
or her will be use to prosecute him for Nigerians to know
who has abused thrust’
On how he want to remembered the president said that ‘if
we survived it I want Nigerian to have found out that I was
genuine,a real patriot not that I only fought the Civil war
but fought corruption to a stand still’.

Three Enugu PDP chieftains for prosecution over alleged forgery

THE Federal Ministry of Justice has recommended the trial
of three top members of the Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, in Enugu State over alleged forgery. The
recommendation by the Director of Public Prosecution,
DPP, followed a petition to the police headquarters, by
Hon. Dennis Oguerinwa Amadi, representing Udi/Ezeagu
Federal constituency at the House of Representatives,
dated July 6, 2015.
Amadi alleged that the PDP members forged documents
which a former member of the National Assembly
benefited even as reports indicated yesterday that the
police in Abuja have invited the alleged beneficiary for
questioning.
In its report submitted to the Commissioner of Police,
Force Intelligence Bureau, by the Investigating Police
Officer, ASP Emmanuel Mordi, the Police stated that,
“considering the overwhelming evidence that flows from
the finding of facts in this case, it is conclusive that the
suspects may have committed the offence of conspiracy to
wit: forgery, impersonation, altering and perjury.”
The DPP, Muhammad Saidu Diri, who signed the
document on behalf of the Solicitor General of the
Federation, noted that the DPP established a possible case
of forgery and should be prosecuted. “We have carefully
perused the case file, it was discovered that the evidence
available disclosed an offence of forgery which is a state
offence.
“I am therefore directed to request you to forward the
case file to the office of the Honourable Attorney-General
and Commissioner of Justice, Enugu State for prosecution.

Survivors’ stories: documenting the human cost of Boko Haram

Ibrahim fled his home in Gwoza, northeast Nigeria, in
August last year, when invading Boko Haram fighters took
over the town as part of the Islamist group’s self-declared
caliphate.
The businessman lost his home, cars, money and his
brother, who was shot dead as they fled the carnage,
spending 14 days on the road and barely eating.
He now lives with his two wives and 13 children in a camp
for displaced people 130 kilometres (80 miles) away in the
Borno state capital, Maiduguri.
The family relies on handouts for food and his children
cannot go to school because they can’t afford the fees.
With more than 2.5 million people displaced by the
violence in Nigeria‘s northeast since the start of the Boko
Haram insurgency in 2009, Ibrahim’s story is just one of
many testimonies by survivors of the militants’ macabre
attacks.
Such stories are often lost in reports of relentless
bombings, deaths and military offensives.
But now, civil society activist Saratu Abiola is trying to
change that through an online resource, to raise
awareness across the world of the devastating human
effects of the conflict.
– Myth-busting –
The accounts of mass killings, rape, abductions, arson and
looting on Abiola’s Testimonial Archive Project (TAP) don’t
make easy reading.
But she said it was vital to record people’s stories of a
conflict that, despite an estimated 17,000 deaths, still fails
to grab headlines at home and abroad.
“This is a small nation-building project,” Abiola told AFP by
phone from Nigeria‘s financial hub, Lagos, some 1,000
kilometres from the epicentre of the violence.
“It is intended to spark dialogue and advocacy on the
humanitarian consequences of the Boko Haram
insurgency by raising awareness through documenting the
horrendous personal experiences of survivors of the
violence.”
The TAP, which has now been running for more than a
year, also aims to dispel many of the myths that have
been created about the conflict.
One argument in the Christian-majority south has been
that the violence in the mainly Muslim north was designed
to scupper Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election chances as
president earlier this year.
“I wanted to project a depoliticised picture of the situation
and put things in clearer perspective, and dispel all the
wrong notions and assumptions a section of the country
had on the violence, which is having devastating impact
on Nigeria,” said Abiola.
International attention on Boko Haram peaked after the
mass abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok
in Borno state, northeast Nigeria, in April 2014.
Abiola had already decided to act in February that year,
after Boko Haram gunmen slaughtered more than 40 boys
at a boarding school in Buni Yadi, in Yobe state.
She had never been to the northeast, but managed to
make contact with local activists, who then helped begin
the process of meeting survivors of attacks.
– ‘Started a conversation’ –
“At first, a lot of people didn’t want to talk to me because
they were either sceptical of my motive as an outsider or
were scared of reprisals from Boko Haram if they talked,”
she said.
Gradually, stories were gathered and published online at
testimonialarchiveproject.com, providing an insight into
the nature and complexities of the violence.
“A lot of us who don’t live in these areas don’t have an
idea of what the insurgency is all about,” she said.
President Muhammadu Buhari recently said his goal was
to have all IDPs back home by the first anniversary of his
taking office on May 29 next year.
But with towns and villages devastated, that still looks a
tall order.
Of the 2.5 million displaced, more than 2.1 million are in
Nigeria, with the vast majority staying with host families
or relatives.
International agencies have complained that not enough
is being done to assist the displaced, who face poor living
conditions in the camps and frequent outbreaks of
disease.
Since the TAP’s creation, some aid has been sent as well
as donations from private individuals and corporate
bodies.
Security analysts and human rights groups have also
tapped into the project’s growing number of testimonies
for use in their reports.
“There is much more awareness now, but I don’t think that
is enough achievement because our goal is to influence
deliberate government policy on the reintegration of the
displaced, which will lead to the closure of all IDP camps
and settlement of all displaced persons,” she said.
“As far as I’m concerned, we have only started a
conversation, but the goal is far-off,” said Abiola.

Court jails oil thieves for 84yrs

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in
Lagos yesterday convicted seven men to 84 years
imprisonment for illegal and unlawful dealing in 1,459
metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called
petrol. The court sentenced each of the convicts to a jail
term of 12 years each commencing Friday after the Judge
found them guilty of the five count charge preferred
against them.
The convicts are; Adedamola Ogungbayi; Olaniran
Olabode; Suraju Gasali; Moses Emmanuel; Wilson Bonsi;
Okaraodi Uche and Onyeogo Happy. Apart from the jail
term, Justice Abang also ordered the forfeiture of the
vessel, ‘MT Good Success’, used by the convicts in stealing
the said petroleum product, as well as the recovered
petroleum product to the Federal Government.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the sums of
N66.6m and $975,000 belonging to the convicts’ company,
Hepa Global Energy Limited, domiciled with the First City
Monument Bank to the Federal Government. To ensure a
compliance to his judgement, Abang ordered the filing of
an affidavit of compliance with the order within 21 days of
the judgement.
The convicts, were arraigned alongside their vessel and
company on August 28, 2014 on five counts alongside one
Padoun Jacob, who was discharged and acquitted by the
court. The judge, in setting Jacob free on all the five
counts, described him as a desperate job seeker, who
became a victim of circumstances.
The judge noted that the stolen petroleum product had
been loaded before Jacob was employed by Hepa Global
Energy Limited on February 7, 2014.

Nigerian Economy Records ‘Worst Week’ Since 2008 - The Cable

In 2008, the world experienced an economic recession,
which had devastating effect on millions.
One year after, the economy began to take shape, with that
of Nigeria experiencing a steady gross domestic product
(GDP) growth, which went as high as six percent in 2014.
But with low GDP forecast, controversial foreign exchange
policy, subsidy weight and strange sanctions, it is glaring
that the feat cannot be repeated in 2015.
Activities which took place in the business sector of the
largest economy in Africa between October 26 and October
30 may lead to the conclusion that this is the worst week in
Nigeria’s business history since 2008.
MTN GROUP VS NCC N1.04TR FINE
On Monday, the Nigerian Communications Commission
(NCC) imposed a fine of N1.04tr on MTN Nigeria, the
largest telecommunication network in the country, for
failure to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards.
The sanction, which is the strictest in the history of the
country’s telecom industry, is capable of scaring investors,
considering the fact that the fine is more than MTN’s
annual profit – even during its peak periods.
MTN Nigeria
“It’s the last thing Nigeria needs, given the economic and
political struggles it’s contending with at the moment. It’s
concerning for MTN and in terms of the wider implications
for foreign investment,” David McIlroy, chief investment
officer at Alquity, said.
Though talks are ongoing between South African
government and the NCC, the sanction is having effect on
MTN as its stock is fast declining, losing over 19 percent of
its share value on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)
in just three days.
LOSSES OF SHELL, OANDO AND JULIUS BERGER
With an exception of distressed banks, Oando recorded the
largest loss by any company listed on the Nigerian stock
exchange.
Result released at the close of business last week revealed
that the oil firm lost N184 billion in the 2014 fiscal year.
The losing streak continued on Monday as the company’s
first half loss stood at N35 billion and its Q3 results
revealed a N127 billion ($63.5m) loss after tax.
On Wednesday, Royal Dutch Shell, which has massive
business interest in Nigeria, posted a N1.48tr ($7.4b) loss
for Q3.
Wale Tinubu, chief executive officer of Oando, blieves that
apart from the dwindling oil prices, the weakness of the
naira also contributed to the loss.
In like manner, Julius Berger had 72.6 percent decline in
profit, with Total (Oil) losing 19.47 percent in the same
quarter.
FEDERAL REVENUE, FOREIGN RESERVES HIT RECORD LOW
Speaking of naira weakness, Nigeria’s revenue generation,
this week, fell to a record low since President Muhammadu
Buhari took over power at the federal level.
The allocations shared by the three tier of government fell
from N409 billion in June, N412 billion in September to
N398 billion in October as revenues continued on a
nosedive.
About the same time in October 2014, the tiers of
government shared N593.3 billion made up of statutory
revenue of N484.32 billion, N35.55 billion Subsidy
Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P)
funds and N6.33 billion refunded by the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
This brutal week did not spare the foreign reserves, as they
also fell to a three-month-low, hitting $30.13 billion on
Tuesday, leading the CBN to weaken the naira on the
interbank market.
TSA FINE ON UBA AND FIRST BANK
It wasn’t also a good week for United Bank for Africa (UBA)
and First Bank Nigeria Limited – two giant commercial
banks in the Nigerian commercial space – as a fine of N4.8
billion fine was slammed on both financial institutions for
breaching the treasury single account policy of the current
administration.
First Bank
While First bank has confirmed payment of N1.8 billion, its
own share of the fine, it is unclear if UBA had fulfilled its
own obligation as at the close of business for the week.
STANBIC IBTC VS FRC
On Monday, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC)
suspended four directors of Stanbic IBTC, with a request
that the CBN and the Economic and Financial Crime
Commission (EFCC) investigate the bank and KPMG for
“financial misstatements”.
The four directors suspended are Atedo Peterside, Sola
David-Borha (pictured below), Arthur Oginga and Dare
Owei.
The bank responded by criticising the council for making
“inaccurate and unfortunate” allegations and breaching the
procedural guidelines laid down in the law.
The allegations were not without its consequences as
Stanbic’s share price fell by 17 percent just after the
sanctions were handed down, closing at N19.20 on
Wednesday.
The bank also posted a Q3 result, with a 46.31 percent
decline in profit.
INFLATION, NAIRA DEVALUTION AND THE MANY DEBATES
Respite not in sight as business leaders remain divided
over Nigeria’s policy direction.
Five months after the new government took power,
inflation has risen month-on-month by at least 0.1 percent,
hitting an-eleven-month-high in October at 9.4 percent.
Muhammad Sanusi II, emir of Kano and former governor
of the CBN, wants the government to end subsidy and
review its foreign exchange policy.
“The president needs help on the economy and it is
extremely important to understand that even if you have
security, even if you fight corruption, you still need to have
jobs, power, you still need to build agriculture, attract
investments and that cannot be done if we continue
dismissing the view of investors and foreigners who want
to bring money into this country,” he said at a programme
in Lagos, last week.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who is head of the Buhari’s
economic team, has reiterated the country’s stance on the
economy, saying there will not be further devaluation of
the naira.
DAYS AHEAD
In the course of the week, Bismarck Rewane, CEO of
Financial Derivatives, said “the naira is only misaligned
temporarily”, suggesting that the current policy will have
positive effect on the economy in the long run.
Osinbajo’s thoughts are in like manner, insisting that the
government is adequately preparing for the 2016 recession
forecast but Sanusi begs to differ, certainly the days ahead
would be the judge.
Nigerians can only pray that the drivers of the economy
are right with their economic policies, else, October 2015
would end up not being the worst economic month in the
Buhari-led government.

Lagos Pastor In Homosexual, Serial Rape Scandal - Crime

tAn alleged self-confessed pastor, Sadeeq Mustapha, is
facing trial at a Lagos State Magistrate Court sitting at
Ogba, Agege where he has been charged with alleged
attempt To Molest two men....
Sadeeq (27) allegedly attempted to forcefully have sexual
intercourse with a transporter, Oladimeji Taiwo, and a
teacher, Yusuf Idowu, on October 9 and 10. The incident
allegedly took place at No 9 Disu Akogun Street, Dopemu,
Lagos.
The two-count charge against the suspect read: “That you,
Saseeq Mustapha, on the 9th day of October, 2015 at 9,
Disu Akogun Street, Dopemu, Agege, in the Ikeja
Magisterial District, did conduct yourself in a manner likely
to cause the breach of peace by forcefully wanting to have
sex with one Oladimeji Taiwo ‘m’ and thereby committed
an offence punishable under Section 166 (d) of the
Criminal Laws of Lagos, Nigeria, 2011.
“That you, Sadeeq Mustapha, on the 10th day of October,
2015, at about 02.30hrs, at the same place and magisterial
district, did forcefully wanted to have sex with one Yusuf
Idowu ‘m’ by ordering him to pull off his clothes and
committed an offence punishable under Section 166 (d) of
the Criminal Laws of Lagos, Nigeria, 2011″.
The suspect pleaded not guilty to the charges and was
granted bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in
like sum.
In his statement to the police, Oladimeji, one of the
alleged victims narrated that the defendant met him in
Dopemu area of the state, introduced himself as a pastor
and then asked him for road direction around the area.
After directing him, the alleged victim said the suspect
requested to pray for him and that, since he liked
associating with men of God, he took him (the pastor) to
his house where he introduced him to his fellow tenants as
a brother.
Oladimeji explained that they went into prayer session
after the suspect had “blessed a table water he bought” on
their way home, saying the prayer, which started late in
the night, lasted for some time. He alleged that while the
prayer lasted, the suspect ordered him to pull off his
trousers and shirt, which he did. He added that, at a point,
he started noticing some moves by the suspect and, as
such, decided not to close his eyes anymore.
Oladimeji further alleged that the suspect’s mood changed
as he asked him to lie down flat because, according to the
suspect, the level of prayer they were about to go into
required that he (the suspect|) lies on top of the person
receiving the prayer. But that on noticing that the suspect
was about to sleep with him rather than pray for him, he
stood up, directed his gaze at the suspect, who had noticed
a resistance to his intention, and warned him sternly
against the attempt. He said he called off the prayer and
sat down wondering with disbelief the alleged attempt To
Molest him.
He said that because he didn’t want to disgrace a man who
said he was a man of God and the fact that he had already
introduced him as a brother, he allowed the suspect to go
in the morning, unmolested, but told him never to come to
his house again.
Oladimeji said that after that, he left for work and did not
return till the following morning. Upon his return, the
alleged victim was amazed to still meet the suspect in his
house.
This was because the second victim, Yusuf, who only saw
the Sadeeq and his co-tenant the previous night, did not
know what had happened and, as such, had admitted the
suspect into his apartment the second night during which
the defendant allegedly attempted To Molest him in the
same manner he tried To Molest Oladimeji the previous
night.
On sighting the suspect, the latter said he ordered him to
leave the house immediately but that Mustapha refused,
prompting him to pick up a machete to attack him but for
the intervention of neighbors who were later shocked to
hear what the suspect allegedly did to his two victims. Still
reluctant to leave the house, Oladimeji said he called his
uncle, who instructed him to get the suspect arrested,
which he did.

FURIOUS VAN GAAL HITS BACK AT SCHOLES: HE HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY AT MAN UTD

The Dutchman accuses the former Red
Devils midfielder of speaking for his own
benefit after the ex-England international
labelled the style of play at Old Trafford
"boring"
AdChoices
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has
hit back at club legend Paul Scholes in the
wake of the latter describing the Red
Devils' style of play as "boring".
Scholes criticised United's approach under
the Dutchman, claiming he did not feel
entertained when watching his former side.
But Van Gaal responded to the ex-England
international's comments by questioning
what responsibility Scholes has at the club.
"You have an expression," he told
reporters, "I always use Dutch expression
but you have a fantastic expression for that
- 'sticks and stones can break my bones but
names [words] will never hurt me.'
"Fantastic, fantastic expression. You do
understand the meaning of this?
"[Scholes] doesn't have the responsibility,
so he can say everything. Why he is saying
something? For the benefit of the club or
the benefit of himself?"
Van Gaal also questioned why Scholes had
chosen to air his views publically rather
than taking his concerns to an employee of
the club.
"I don't want to defend myself because I
cannot defend, because he is a legend and
he has a lot of resonance, so I hear.
"I think when you are a legend, you have to
speak with the manager or his friend, Ryan
Giggs, or Ed Woodward, but not this way,
because he will be paid by the BBC or Sky.
"When Scholes thinks I should go, then I go
but he is not a responsible man, he is not
the Glazers or Ed Woodward.
"I know when we shall lose and lose and
lose, I shall be finished, but I shall do
everything for this club because, as I have
already said, this club is unbelievable."
Manchester United go into Saturday's clash
with Crystal Palace fourth in the Premier
League table, just two points behind joint-
leaders Manchester City and Arsenal.

GUARDIOLA: BAYERN HAD ENOUGH CHANCES TO BEAT FRANKFURT

The Bayern Munich coach was frustrated
his side passed up opportunities to score
as their 100 per cent Bundesliga record
came to an end
Pep Guardiola rued Bayern Munich 's
missed chances as they were held to a 0-0
draw by Eintracht Frankfurt.
After 10 successive wins at the start of the
Bundesliga season, the Bavarian side
dropped points for the first time at the
Commerzbank Arena on Friday.
Javi Martinez, Douglas Costa and Robert
Lewandowski all passed up opportunities
to find the net as Armin Veh's side
defended resiliently to earn a share of the
spoils.
Guardiola felt his side deserved more from
the game and praised their efforts despite
failing to make a breakthrough.
"Of course, the opponent can play as they
please," the Spaniard told reporters
afterwards. "They defended very well with
depth, because we had less space.
"I think we had enough chances to win the
game. A big compliment to my team and
for having tried everything."
The fixture saw Philipp Lahm make his
450th competitive appearance for Bayern,
but he was not pleased with the gameplan
of their opponents or the result.
"Every game you think it cannot get more
defensive and then another opponent
arrives," the Bayern captain said.
"We had some tremendous opportunities
that you have to take against such
opponents and today we did not succeed."
Manuel Neuer suggested that Frankfurt's
defensive tactics may have been more
suited to a different sport.
"Frankfurt were clever and defended for a
long time like it was handball or
basketball," he commented.
"It is frustrating. Frankfurt created very few chances.

MOURINHO CONFUSED BY 'SAD' EXCITEMENT OVER POSSIBLE SACKING

The Portuguese boss says he's not
considering the possibility of being sacked
and cannot understand why people around
the football world are enthralled by the
possibility
Jose Mourinho has claimed he does not
fear the sack and has questioned why
people inside - and outside - football are
“excited” by his potential sacking.
Mourinho’s Chelsea take on Liverpool at
Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on
Saturday and the Portuguese boss admits
to being concerned about improving the
Blues' lowly league position.
Chelsea sit 15th in the table after having
won three of their opening 10 league
fixtures but Mourinho insisted he was not
bothered by speculation over his job
security.
"I’m not worried about that at all. At all. I
don't spend one second of my day thinking
about it," he said.
"I'm worried about the results. I'm worried
about winning on Saturday, about
qualifying for the next round of the
Champions League. I am worried about
recovering positions in the table and to go
back to where Chelsea normally has to be.
"I’m not worried about my job, my future,
about anything other than that. I'm not
worried. I'm not worried. And it looks like
you want to put a lot of pressure on me in
relation to that, where you can't do it. You
can't do it. You can't do it."
Mourinho has been unable to replicate
Chelsea's strong form in the early stages of
the new campaign after leading the club to
a Premier League and League Cup double
last year and the 52-year-old is confused
by anticipation for his sacking.
"What I'd like to understand is why some
people can be so excited and happy with
the perspective of somebody losing his
job," he told a press conference.
"If you tell me your newspaper is going to
sack 20 people, first of all I will be worried
for you. I promise you. You have a good
relationship here.
"And, secondly, I would be very
disappointed even if I don't know the other
20 guys who are going to be sacked. But
this [management] is the only job where
people get excited at that. It's sad."
He added: “The Brendan
[Rodgers] situation, he was almost winning
the Premier League. He was the Manager
of the Year and suddenly people were
really happy and working hard until he was
sacked.
"It's strange. I don't belong to this world.
I'm too emotional. I hate people losing
jobs. Not in football, but in everything.”

CCT To Arraign Orubebe For False Asset Declaration & Acceptance Of N70m Bribe

The Federal Government has filed charges against former

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Peter Orubebe,

over alleged false declaration of assets and acceptance of

about N70million bribe.

The four-count charge filed on behalf of the Attorney

General of the Federation (AGF) by Peter Danladi of the

Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) on October 8 this year is

currently pending before the Code of Conduct Tribunal

(CCT).

The Nation gathered on Friday that the CCT has scheduled

Orbube’s arraignment for November 9.

Orubebe was accused, in counts one and two, of failing to

declare his ownership of two properties in Abuja.

In counts three and four, the ex-minister was alleged to

have received N70million in bribe from one Pastor (Dr.)

Jonathan Alota, whose company, Chemtronics Nigeria

Limited, the ministry awarded contracts.

"Even Satan Wasn't Gay,........." Mugabe On Homosexuality

"Even satan wasn't Gay, he chose to approach Unclad Eve

instead of Unclad Adam." - President, Mugabe on homo

sexuality.

Following the legalization of gay marriage across America by

the Supreme Court last week, Zimbabwean president Robert

Mugabe, who is known for his extreme anti-gay views has

been making headlines. Earlier this week was a marriage

proposal to president Obama and yesterday, he allegedly

said what you see below during another interview;

"Even satan wasn't Gay, he chose to approach Unclad Eve

instead of Unclad Adam." - President, Mugabe on homo sexuality.

"I Am Sorry" Tony Blair Apologizes For Iraq War

Tony Blair has finally said sorry for the Iraq War – and
admitted he could be partly to blame for the rise of Islamic
State.
The extraordinary confession by the former Prime Minister
comes after 12 years in which he refused to apologise for
the conflict.
Blair makes his dramatic ‘mea culpa’ during a TV interview
about the ‘hell’ caused by his and George Bush’s decision to
oust Saddam Hussein.
In the exchange, Blair repeatedly says sorry for his conduct
and even refers to claims that the invasion was a war ‘crime’
– while denying he committed one.
Blair is asked bluntly in the CNN interview, to be broadcast
today: ‘Was the Iraq War a mistake?’
He replies: ‘I apologise for the fact that the intelligence we
received was wrong.
‘I also apologise for some of the mistakes in planning and,
certainly, our mistake in our understanding of what would
happen once you removed the regime.’
Challenged that the Iraq War was ‘the principal cause’ of the
rise of Islamic State, he said: ‘I think there are elements of
truth in that.
'Of course you can’t say those of us who removed Saddam in
2003 bear no responsibility for the situation in 2015.’
In the ‘trial by TV’, respected US political broadcaster Fareed
Zakaria accuses him of being President Bush’s ‘poodle’ over
the conflict. Blair’s confession comes a week after The Mail
on Sunday published a bombshell White House memo
revealing for the first time how Blair and Bush agreed a ‘deal
in blood’ a year before the invasion.
A 2002 briefing note from US Secretary of State Colin Powell
to the President showed Blair had secretly pledged to back
the conflict – while telling MPs and British voters that he was
seeking a diplomatic solution.
In his CNN interview, Blair candidly asks for forgiveness for
his blunder in not realising ‘what would happen once you
removed the regime’.
The admission makes a mockery of the statement in the
Powell memo that Blair would ‘demonstrate [to Bush] that
we have thought through “the day after” ’ – a reference to
the consequences of invasion.
However, the bloody chaos in the region continues to this
day. And in a separate development, former Labour Home
Secretary David Blunkett has revealed that he challenged
Blair before the war about avoiding chaos after Saddam’s
downfall.
Lord Blunkett says Blair failed to give him such
‘reassurances’ – and instead placed blind faith in the two
main ‘hawks’ in the US administration, Vice-President Dick
Cheney and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Lord Blunkett also vented his fury that Sir John Chilcot, who
is leading the long-delayed inquiry into the Iraq War, had
failed to ask him to give evidence.
Given my front-row seat at these events, I am mystified
Chilcot has not asked me to provide either oral or written
evidence,’ Lord Blunkett told The Mail on Sunday.
‘I would have thought that over the six years the inquiry has
been going on, Sir John would have found the time to ask
the then-Home Secretary what he knew.’
Blair’s confession about the Iraq War and the rise of IS is in
stark contrast to his repeated refusal to shoulder the blame
for the conflict, or its long term consequences. In 2004, he
told MPs: ‘I will not apologise for the conflict. I believe it was
right.’
He stuck to his hard line in 2007, saying: ‘I don’t think we
should be apologising at all for what we are doing in Iraq.’
Remarkably, Blair himself predicted how the apology U-turn
he finally makes today would be reported.
In his 2010 memoirs, he explained why he had so far
refused to say ‘yes’ when asked if he was sorry, because he
knew it would prompt damaging headlines.
‘Answer “Yes” and I knew the outcome: “BLAIR APOLOGISES
FOR WAR”, “AT LAST HE SAYS SORRY”. I can’t say sorry in
words.’
His apology is bound to prompt claims that he is trying to
head off the scathing criticism of his handling of the Iraq
War expected to be included in Chilcot’s findings.
All the key figures, including Blair and other senior Labour
politicians, are understood to have been given notice of the
broad thrust of Chilcot’s verdict on them, expected to be
made public next year.
As a master of public relations and media manipulation,
Blair may have calculated that since Chilcot is likely to
accuse him of major errors of judgment, it is better for him
to volunteer an apology now, rather than be forced to do so
if, as seems certain, Chilcot’s damning assessment gives him
little choice. The former Prime Minister’s decision to make
his apology in the US, as opposed to the UK, is also
significant.
Far from presenting his apology in a harsh critical light, CNN
interviewer Zakaria, a personal friend of Blair, showers
praise on him for being the only interviewee in the
programme who ‘took responsibility for Iraq’ on camera.
Most of the others involved in the show, senior US political
and military figures, blamed each other.
The Colin Powell memo – which this newspaper found
among declassified US State Department documents while
searching through a cache of Hillary Clinton’s recently
released emails – was written in March 2002, a week before
Mr Blair met Mr Bush for a summit at his ranch in Crawford,
Texas.
In our report, which made headlines around the world, we
revealed that Powell had said Blair ‘will be with us’ should
the US take military action in Iraq and that the ‘UK will follow
our lead’.
Blair would handle ‘public affairs lines’ for persuading
people that Saddam posed a real threat – in fact, after the
war, it was discovered Blair’s claims following the Crawford
summit about Iraq’s ‘weapons of mass destruction’ were
false.
Lord Blunkett told The Mail on Sunday yesterday how he
challenged Blair during Cabinet meetings prior to the war
about the level of post-conflict planning for Iraq.
As one of Blair’s most loyal Ministers, Lord Blunkett said he
repeatedly sought reassurances that the US had a coherent
plan to govern Iraq after the fall of Saddam.
He added: ‘I did not receive that reassurance. Tony was not
able to say what was going to happen when combat
operations were over. He just decided to trust Cheney and
Rumsfeld.
‘With the benefit of hindsight, we now know that they had
decided to embark on the complete de-Ba’athification of
Saddam’s Iraq by dismantling the entire Government
infrastructure.
‘This led to the disintegration of any form of functioning
government, creating a complete power vacuum. Terrorists
infiltrated Iraq and stirred discontent.
‘I am not seeking to scapegoat Tony Blair; we were all
collectively to blame for deluding ourselves into believing
that we had much greater sway over Washington.’ Lord
Blunkett echoed calls for Chilcot to release an interim copy
of his findings immediately or ‘risk his entire exercise being
entirely discredited’.
Significantly, in the CNN show, host Zakaria gives his own
apology, telling viewers that he regrets his own initial
support for the war.
He says he changed his mind after watching the post-war
turmoil unfold and witnessing the bloody rise of IS. Viewers
may draw the conclusion that Blair came to the same
decision for the same reason.

Stop Whining, Rebrand Or Go Down - Apc Tells Pdp - Politics

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the
communique issued by the PDP National Caucus on the so-
called political developments in the nation as a rehash of
the opposition party's infantile whining which will not save
it from going down unless it rebrands most urgently.
''It is time for the PDP to take a long, hard look at itself in
the mirror and change everything that is ugly about the
party, instead of wasting its energy and time on
irrelevancies,'' the party said in a statement issued in
Lagos on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji
Lai Mohammed. It said the PDP cannot continue to do
things in its trademark old, crooked ways and expect a
different result.
''The PDP just doesn't get it, despite being the architect of
its own fall from power. The days of winning elections with
the aid of slush funds, brigandage, deceit and rigging are
gone forever, hence the PDP must return to the drawing
board to fashion out decent and empirical ways of
repackaging and selling itself to Nigerians, just like the
opposition did when they decided to come together,'' APC
said
The party said the PDP's ceaseless and ill-advised attack on
the judiciary, now its favourite whipping boy, the endless
put-down of government agencies and the demonization of
everyone but itself will fetch the party nothing but political
grief. ''Instead of a blanket and unsubstantiated accusation
against the judiciary over the election petition tribunal
rulings in Rivers and Akwa Ibom, the PDP would have
shown itself to be a serious party if it had provided
statistics on how many of the cases filed at the various
election petition tribunals nationwide, after the 2015
elections, have so far been decided in favour of the PDP
and the APC, so that Nigerians can see whether the PDP
has not won any single petition or whether all the cases
have been won by the APC. ''The PDP has forgotten that the
same judiciary that it is willfully castigating today had
decided many election petitions in favour of the party and
against the APC, whether at the Governorship, National
Assembly or State Assembly levels, and the ruling party
has not opted to bring the whole house crashing down on
everyone just because of that.
''Going down the memory lane, when the PDP took itself to
court in 2007 over the Governorship election in Rivers, the
same judiciary that
has now become an apparition to the PDP awarded the
Governorship to a candidate who never even featured on
the ballot because the party
crookedly substituted his name. Then, the PDP did not see
the judiciary as being used by the then PDP
Administration, neither did the opposition castigate the
judiciary,'' it said.
APC admonished the PDP to stop yowling and engage in
strategic thinking that could propel the party forward,
rather than continue to be nostalgic about its past, which is
neither dignifying nor enlivening. ''The 16 years of the PDP
- which the party has continued to shamelessly celebrate -
are nothing to celebrate, either for the impunity that
characterized the party's governance, the massive looting
of the national treasury that is still being assessed or the
bastardization of all the values that the nation holds dear.
Thankfully, President Muhammadu Buhari has brought
sanity to governance even as the PDP has continued to try
to distract him with their endless wailing.
''Our parting word for the PDP: Stop throwing juvenile
tantrums against everyone, especially the judiciary. Stop
wasting your energy on frivolous accusations. Learn how to
communicate your thoughts to Nigerians in a more
civilized way and put your shoulder to the wheel if you
want to reincarnate as a force to be reckoned with in our
country's political firmament,'' APC said.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Lagos, Oct. 30th 2015

NFF Set To Sack Siasia Over Unpaid Salaries Outburst

The Nigeria Football Federation top brass are mulling over
sacking U-23s head coach Samson Siasia,
Completesportsnigeria.com can exclusively report.
A Completesportsnigeria.com source at the Glass House
revealed that the country’s football governing body
executives are miffed at Siasia for speaking with the press
over the non-payment of salaries.
Peeved by Siasia's outburst, which was celebrated by the
media in midweek, the body is toying with the idea of
restructuring the Super Eagles coaching crew, a decision that
would see Salisu Yussuf deployed as U-23 Eagles head coach
with Fatai Amao and Ogunbote as assistants.
Completesportsnigeria.com can also report Siasia has been
ordered to respond to the query issued to him to explain
why he should not be sanctioned.
According to our source, the NFF officials were irritated on
the grounds that Siasia and other national team coaches
were told why salaries were being delayed and that efforts
are in top gear to ensure the salaries are paid soonest.
NFF’s cash flow has been hampered by the new rule which
states that the country’s soccer governing body must run
only one revenue account.
“Siasia is facing the sack except there is a divine intervention
because the NFF is serious angry with him for going on air to
spread the dirty linen in public," the NFF source said.
"He is not the only coach we are owing. Amuneke and Salisu
Abubakar too are still being owed and these people have not
gone to the press to make such claims.
"We explained to them the cause of this problem and then
appealed to the coaches to be patient only for Siasia to go to
the press."

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Joins CGD, Centre For Global Development

It’s been almost 10 years since I sat down for coffee with
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Davos. A former World Bank VP
and then Nigeria’s finance minister, she was looking for
assistance in what became, 15 months later, a $30 billion
debt reduction deal with Nigeria’s bilateral creditors. I’m
proud that CGD played a role in securing a deal; forgiving
the debt of an oil-rich country burdened by corruption was
controversial and complicated (see Todd Moss’s April 2006
blog post here). A first step was more political than
financial: persuading Nigeria’s creditors in Europe that
Nigeria was eligible for IDA status. At that and every
subsequent step during two rounds as finance minister
(including managing a reduction in Nigeria’s regressive fuel
subsidies), Minister Okonjo-Iweala’s contribution has been
fundamental in her own country’s struggle to become a
better economy and democracy.
In the meantime, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has served as vice
president and then managing director under the last three
presidents of the World Bank, and in 2012 was a candidate
for the presidency at the World Bank.
So it is a thrill for me that Ngozi is now joining CGD as a
distinguished visiting fellow. In the immediate future she
will be working on the challenge of deepening and
broadening financial services (credit, savings, insurance)
for the world’s small farmers, bringing her own
extraordinary experience and economic savvy to that
tough issue.
Welcome Ngozi!

I won't Lose Sleep Over Criticisms Says Buhari

Following the confirmation of his ministerial nominees,
President Buhari said he would prune down the number
of ministries so as to be able to pay salaries.
On whether there will be an extension of a three-month
deadline given by his administration to flush out Boko
Haram from Nigeria’s north-east, the President said that the
target was to get rid of terrorism and not about meeting
deadline.
One of the main talking points at the one-day summit in
New Delhi, was the provision India had make for African
countries. The nation said it had set aside over $10 billion
grant for African countries.
Wooing investors, President Buhari assured Indians and the
international community of his administration’s
commitment to sustaining efforts aimed at making Nigeria
an envy of all.
He urged them to avail themselves of the conducive
environment that would be created for investments to
thrive.

We Are Planning For Nigeria's Poor In 2016 Budget ' VP Osinbajo

The Buhari administration is working out how to ensure that
government’s planning and budgeting for 2016 caters for the
vast majority of Nigerians especially the over 110 million
extremely poor, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said.
Mr. Osinbajo made the comment Friday in Abuja while
meeting with a delegation from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation who paid him a courtesy call in his office, a
statement by his spokesperson, Laolu Akande said.
According to the Vice President, the Buhari administration
enjoyed the electoral support of many poor Nigerians who
invested their hope in the new government.
He added that the Buhari presidency would deliver on its
promises including the social investment programmes such
as the Conditional Cash Transfer and the School Feeding
Plan.
The vice president, according to Mr. Akande, also received
the Ambassador of South Korea, Noh Kyu-duk.
The duo discussed how Nigeria and South Korea could
deepen their diplomatic relationships, especially in the area
of economic cooperation.
The delegation from the Gates Foundation was led by Dr.
Mairo Mandara, the Country Representative in Nigeria, Mr.
Akande said.

FURIOUS VAN GAAL HITS BACK AT SCHOLES: HE HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY AT MAN UTD

The Dutchman accuses the former Red
Devils midfielder of speaking for his own
benefit after the ex-England international
labelled the style of play at Old Trafford
"boring"
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has
hit back at club legend Paul Scholes in the
wake of the latter describing the Red
Devils' style of play as "boring".
Scholes criticised United's approach under
the Dutchman, claiming he did not feel
entertained when watching his former side.
But Van Gaal responded to the ex-England
international's comments by questioning
what responsibility Scholes has at the club.
"You have an expression," he told
reporters, "I always use Dutch expression
but you have a fantastic expression for that
- 'sticks and stones can break my bones but
names [words] will never hurt me.'
"Fantastic, fantastic expression. You do
understand the meaning of this?
"[Scholes] doesn't have the responsibility,
so he can say everything. Why he is saying
something? For the benefit of the club or
the benefit of himself?"
Van Gaal also questioned why Scholes had
chosen to air his views publically rather
than taking his concerns to an employee of
the club.
"I don't want to defend myself because I
cannot defend, because he is a legend and
he has a lot of resonance, so I hear.
"I think when you are a legend, you have to
speak with the manager or his friend, Ryan
Giggs, or Ed Woodward, but not this way,
because he will be paid by the BBC or Sky.
"When Scholes thinks I should go, then I go
but he is not a responsible man, he is not
the Glazers or Ed Woodward.
"I know when we shall lose and lose and
lose, I shall be finished, but I shall do
everything for this club because, as I have
already said, this club is unbelievable."
Manchester United go into Saturday's clash
with Crystal Palace fourth in the Premier
League table, just two points behind joint-
leaders Manchester City and Arsenal.

Startimes Appoints Kanu Nwankwo As Ambassador

kAfrica’s leading Digital TV entertainment platform, StarTimes
has announced the appointment of world football icon and
superstar, Kanu Nwankwo (OON) as its new brand
ambassador in Africa.
With the official announcement of a 3-year partnership deal
signed today in Lagos, Kanu becomes the new face of
StarTimes PayTV across 12 African markets where it
presently operates, including Nigeria, Tanzania,
Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya, DRC, Uganda and others.
The ex-international will feature in StarTimes brand
commercials, make special guest appearances at major
StarTimes events and assist in promoting the StarTimes
brand across Africa amongst other activities ahead of the
digital TV switch over.
Kanu would also be supported by another ex-international,
Mr. Jonathan Akpoborie who was also appointed as sports
programs strategist and celebrity guest analyst on live
shows. Akpoborie will feature as technical sports analyst on
various StarTimes live sports broadcast shows dishing out
insightful analysis and commentaries. Jonathan Akpoborie is
a former Nigerian football player who spent the majority of
his playing career in Germany.
Explaining the rationale for the choice of Kanu at the signing
and unveiling ceremony in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer of
StarTimes Nigeria, Mr. Jack Liu said StarTimes sought an
individual that has a strong acceptance by wide audience
across Africa.
“Given Kanu’s successes in international football, his
popularity is not limited to Nigeria alone but cuts across
most countries in Africa. Kanu is an inspiration to everyone
as his success represents a true Africa story; rising to
success against all odds. He is a star the man next door can
relate to” he said.
Jack remarked ‘With digital TV switch over in view, StarTimes
is making investment, harnessing resources and rallying
stakeholders towards guiding Nigerians and Africans
seamlessly into the new television era and connecting them
with others across the globe. We strive to connect more
with, inspire and excite our subscribers across Africa
towards digital television.’
An elated Kanu thanked StarTimes for considering him
worthy of being the company's ambassador.
“I am very happy to support and promote the StarTimes
brand as its brand ambassador in Africa. My goal is to see
Africa fully migrated to digital television broadcasting by
June 17, 2017 and I am glad to partner StarTimes in
achieving this.”
“Apart from being an ex-captain of the Super Eagles, Kanu is
the most highly-decorated African footballer, having won a
UEFA Champions League medal, a UEFA Cup medal, three FA
Cup Winners Medals and two African Player of the Year
awards amongst others. He is the only English Premier
League player to have won the UEFA Champions League,
UEFA Cup, Premier League, FA Cup and Olympic Gold Medal,
Jack enthused. ”
Kanu will also engage football enthusiasts with insightful live
commentaries as a celebrity analyst for the Bundesliga and
Serie A football games across Africa currently on the
StarTimes platform with exclusive broadcast rights.
StarTimes currently holds the exclusive broadcast rights
across Africa for Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1. It currently
broadcasts exclusively the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile
showing from October 18 through November 8.

Breaking News: Drama as A-Court panel disagree over saraki4 trial

 The propriety of the 13-count criminal charge
against the Senate President, Dr. Olubukola Saraki has created a sharp division among Appeal Court Justices.
Whereas Justice Moore Adumein dismissed the appeal that was lodged by Saraki as lacking in merit, another member of the panel, Justice J.E. Ekanem upheld the appeal, declaring the charge before the CCT as incompetent.
Justice Ekanem specifically quashed the charge and
discharged Saraki on the basis that the Deputy Director at the Ministry of Justice, M. M. S. Hassan who signed the charge, did not specify who authorised him to initiate the criminal proceeding.
“A look at the charge showed that Mr. Hassan instituted the action pursuant to section 24 of the. Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 2004 which permits only the Attorney General of the Federation to initiate criminal proceedings”.
Justice Ekanem stressed that though the constitution
permits the Solicitor-General of the Federation, SGF, to commence criminal action in the absence of the AGF, he said that Hassan failed to produce any document showing that he was properly authorised by the SGF.
“The opening paragraph of the letter Hassan sent to the CCT on September 11, wherein he applied to commence trial against the appellant is very instructive.
“He merely said ‘ I am authorised to file this action’ but did not say that he was authorised by the Solicitor- General. He went short of identifying who authorised him.
“It is therefore my view that the charge before the tribunal is incompetent. It is for this view that I hold that this appeal has succeeded and I hereby set-aside the charge and discharge the accused person”, Justice Ekanem held.
However, the third member of the panel , Justice M.
Mustapha, concurred with the lead verdict which declined to quash the charge against Saraki.
Earlier, leader of the panel, Justice Adumein dismissed Saraki’s appeal, saying he should go to the tribunal to answer the charge against him.
He held that Justice Danladi Umar-led tribunal was
properly constituted to try the offences against Saraki, noting that he was not charged in his official capacity, but as an individual.
Justice Adumein placed reliance on paragraph 15(1) of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution and section 20(2) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 2004, and held that the two-man panel of Justices at the tribunal formed a quorum to entertain the charge.
“The above provisions are very clear and unambiguous and should be given their ordinary meaning.
This is in line with the golden rule of interpretation. There is no provision on minimum number of members which the tribunal must have before it can sit to hear cases”.
Justice Adumein held that the charge was competently Instituted, saying the tribunal had the requisite powers to issue bench warrant against Saraki.
He dismissed all five grounds of appeal that Saraki filed before the court for want of merit.
Saraki had gone before the appellate court to query the legality of the charge against him.
He was among other offences, alleged to have owned and operated foreign bank accounts while being a public. officer.
However, aside challenging the charge, Saraki also
queried the constitutionality of the warrant of arrest that was initially issued against him by Chairman of the CCT, Justice Umar.
Besides, the embattled Senate President, through his
team of lawyers led by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. J.B. Daudu, SAN, wants the higher court to ascertain whether the Justice Umar-led panel subscribed to the appropriate legal procedure when it ordered him to mount the dock and enter his plea to the charge despite preliminary objections against his trial.
He described the criminal proceeding that was initiated against him by the Federal Ministry of Justice as “a politically motivated witch-hunt”.
He begged the appellate court to quash the proceeding of the tribunal and discharge him, a request that was refused by two members of the appeal court panel today. More details soon.

Oliseh shocked me – Martins

Super Eagles returnee, Obafemi Martins said his recall to the national team was a bit of shock to him.
Obagoal, as he is fondly called by fans was included in the 23 player list called by Sunday Oliseh for the November world cup qualification tie against Swaziland. “It was a bit of a shock, but a nice shock. I’m very happy, because I have always worked hard, supported and respected all the players picked by
the coaches,” he told BBC sports.He was last called
up by Nigeria in March 2013 for a 2014 World Cup qualifier against Kenya.
Despite being his country’s most in-form striker last year, alongside Ikechukwu Uche, he was omitted from the Brazil 2014 squad.
However his good form has continued this season – he has struck 15 goals for MLS side Seattle Sounders – and Martins is determined to make the most of his Super Eagles recall.
“I thank coach Oliseh for this great opportunity. I’m just looking forward to going out there and playing for Nigeria again,” he said.

Here Is What Coach Pellegrini Has To Say About Iheanacho's performance against crystal palace

Manchester City coach, Manuel Pellegrini
has tipped the 19-year-old Kelechi
Iheanacho to keep on improving after
impressing in the 5-1 League Cup win over
Crystal Palace.
Iheanacho put in a fine performance as
City eased into the last eight, his goal
adding to strikes from Wilfried Bony, Kevin
De Bruyne, Yaya Toure and Manuel Garcia.
 Pellegrini however believes Iheanacho’s
display will prove a foundation for future
improvement.
“It was very important for him,” said the
boss in quotes on the club’s official Twitter
account.
“He’s not just a striker. I see how he works
every day. He will continue to
improve.”He’s not just a finisher. He always
plays with his head up. He can play behind
the striker.”
City are the favourites to lift the trophy Arsenal,Man city,Man utd,Cheseal exited this week.

blair should sing from jail

Iraq, an ancient civilization and Biblically, the homestead of Abraham before he was called to leave his father’s house, is an ancient civilization bombed into ruins. The supposedly civilized invaders from God’s Own Country (the United States) and Europe were not only disinterested in Iraqi lives, but also failed to protect historical sites like the famous museum built in Abraham’s claimed homestead.
But the casualties were actually the Iraqi children and youths, men and women, babies and the elderly. Over 1,033,000 Iraqis were killed within six years by the invaders who along with the mercenaries they employ, are not interested in body count if the victims are not their own troops. Over five million, or 50 percent of Iraqi children were made orphans.
Three years into the 2003 invasion, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, reported that 1.8 million Iraqis had fled into exile mainly in Jordan and Syria and that an average 100,000 were fleeing monthly.
By that 2006, the UNHCR said 1.6 million additional
Iraqis were internally displaced. Journalists killed in
combat by 2009 were 136 while 51 media support staff had also been killed.
The US which led the invasion has suffered over 4,491
deaths and 32,000 injured. The British servicemen killed are 179 with 3,500 injured. While the violence has continued, it is the civilians that have been most affected, especially the minorities. In one bomb explosion alone, on August 14, 2007, 796 Yazidis were killed.
The Iraqi invasion has also given birth to more wars,
including the on-going ones waged by the Islamic State, ISIS. With Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein hanged by the conquerors who also massacred his children and grandchildren, that once viable and prosperous country has not only become a killing field, but also a failed state.
It is not certain how many governments rule today in that chaotic country, but they cannot be less than four.
The Shiite-controlled government in Baghdad is
backed by the invaders; the break-away Kurdish Republic is tolerated; the Sunnis have their
own structures; while the ISIS controls large parts of the country which it has declared a
Caliphate. The Iraqi invasion has also led to an unsafe world with terror spreading, life becoming very cheap, families separated, perhaps forever, and refugees in their millions on the move to
various parts of the world, including Europe.
These crimes against humanity were initiated and
executed by two main personalities: George Walker Bush, who was American President, and his side kick, Tony Blair who was British Prime Minister. The two-some who have remained gleeful about their crimes have not, and may never be brought to justice.
This week, Blair appeared on CNN to insult once again, the collective intelligence of humanity. While claiming to apologise for his infamous role in Iraq, he was actually indulging in self-justification.
On September 24, 2002 the Blair government released a document on Iraq called the “September Dossier” in which it claimed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, WMD, including chemical and biological weapons. Blair in his foreword to the Report claimed that: “The document discloses that his (then Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein’s) military planning allows for some of the WMD to be ready within 45 minutes of an order to use them”.
The British Parliament was summoned to discuss the so- called Report that same day. Based on these claims, US and Britain led their allies to invade Iraq. But when the invaders could not produce any shred of evidence of the so-called WMD, the world realised that the whole story had been cooked up as an excuse to invade and destroy Iraq.
This week, Blair rather than accept responsibility and
confess his crimes, attempted to blame British Intelligence for what he, Bush and former American Vice President, Dick Cheney had cooked up. Even at that, he refused to acknowledge the outright falsehood; rather he rambled that “the programme in the form that we thought it was did not exist in the way that we thought. So I can apologise for that” .
The shifty Blair added: ”I can also apologise by the way for some of the mistakes in planning and certainly our mistake in our understanding of what would happen once you removed the regime.” Is it really possible that the so called Coalition of the Willing which invaded Iraq, did not think of a country after removing Saddam? That they did
not think about the destruction and the aftermath of the invasion? This is another cheap lie by the originator of Blairism, a political philosophy of mass deception.
Saddam had been a very good boy of the West. He had been used to invade Iran shortly after the Islamic
revolution in that country. In that September 1980 –
August 1988 war, about 300,000 Iranians were killed as well as over 200,000 Iraqis. But Saddam and his Western bosses fell out and they saw the need to cut him to seize.
There was also the Iraqi oil, and the desire of the leading invaders to lay their hands on it. Oil was also behind the subsequent invasion of Libya and its transformation into another failed state. In any case, Blair never told the British people or the world that the invasion’s objective was the removal Saddam
While there is an umbilical cord linking the 2003 Iraqi invasion and the establishment and rise of ISIS, the double-speak Blair merely says: “I think there are
elements of truth in that.”
So what crimes did the Iraqi leadership, including Saddam and his sons commit for which the allies and their cohorts in Iraq had them executed? It is okay for Blair to make a hypocritical apology and dodge back into the comfort of his home to lunch with his family and drink with friends. The same things he has denied millions of people in Iraq.
If in Britain, people can seek to make a citizen’s arrest of President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe just because he does not agree with their homosexual culture, then there should be a rush to apprehend Blair for horrific war crimes. His apology song should be from prison.

Alleged false declaration of assets: Saraki knows fate at A-Court today

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, will
today, deliver judgment in the appeal seeking to quash
the 13-count criminal charge pending against the Senate President, Dr. Olubukola Saraki before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.The appellate court had earlier adjourned its verdict on the matter indefinitely, asituation that forced the Justice Danladi
Umar-led tribunal to defer hearing on the case against Saraki till November 5, to await the outcome of the appeal.
The tribunal took the decision to suspend full-blown
hearing on the criminal case after the Justice Moore
Adumein panel of the appeal court, on October 21,
postponed its judgement without adducing any reason.
A source at the appellate court who spoke to Vanguard on
ground of anonymity that day, insisted that the “eleventh- hour deferment of judgment on Saraki’s appeal”, was not unconnected with the just concluded screening of Ministerial nominees that were forwarded to the Senate by the Presidency.
Saraki is in his appeal, challenging the legal propriety of the 13-count charge that was preferred against him by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
He was among other offences, alleged to have owned and operated foreign bank accounts while being a public officer.
However, aside challenging the charge, Saraki also
queried the constitutionality of the warrant of arrest that was initially issued against him by Chairman of the CCT, Justice Umar.
Besides, the embattled Senate President, through his
team of lawyers led by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. J.B. Daudu, SAN, wants the higher court to ascertain whether the Justice Umar-led panel subscribed to the appropriate legal procedure when it ordered him to mount the dock and enter his plea to the charge despite preliminary objections against his trial.
He raised 12 grounds of appeal against the CCT,
supported by a 16-paragraphed affidavit and four
exhibits.
Saraki also deposed another 17-paragraphed affidavit of urgency, wherein he urged the higher court to intervene and protect him from what he described as “a politically motivated witch-hunt”.
Out of the 12-grounds, five of them are basically seeking to invalidate the charge against Saraki.
He is begging the appellate court to suspend the
proceeding of the tribunal pending the hearing and
determination of his substantive appeal against the Justice Umar-led panel.
The appellate court had on October 8, okayed accelerated hearing on the matter.
Meantime, the federal Government, while urging the
appellate court to dismiss the appeal, maintained that it has garnered sufficient evidence to establish that Saraki, as a public officer, acquired several assets beyond his legitimate earnings.
FG, through its lead prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN,equally told the appellate court that five witnesses it lined- up against the Senate President, have all expressed their readiness to appear before the CCT tomorrow to testify and tender exhibits against him.
Among those that FG billed to give oral testimony against Saraki included the erstwhile Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and present governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
Specifically, El-Rufai is expected to testify that he was the one that sold one of the assets that Saraki bought in Abuja, which the government alleged that he failed to list among the assets he acquired while in office as the governor of Kwara State.
The prosecuting counsel, told the appellate court that
Saraki has already been furnished with all the proof of evidence against him, including copies of four separate assets declaration forms that he earlier submitted before the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB.
Therefore, FG, urged the appellate court to dismiss the appeal and order Saraki to go to the CCT and clear his name.
Saraki had through his lawyer, Mr. Daudu, SAN, argued that the CCT erred in law by going ahead with his trial despite that fact that “it was not properly constituted”.
He contended that whereas the constitution provided for a three-man panel to sit over cases brought before the tribunal, he said that only two Justices sat on September 22 when he was docked.
According to him, the composition of the tribunal was in violation of paragraphs 15(1) of the 1999 constitution, as amended.
Daudu maintained that the tribunal was wrong in
assuming criminal jurisdiction against the Senate
President when it was not listed in the constitution as a superior court of record.
He described the CCT as an “inferior court”, saying it does not in any way, share concurrent jurisdiction with the Federal High Court.
He therefore urged the appeal court to nullify the
proceedings of the tribunal against Saraki and also set
aside the criminal charges filed against him by the federal government for being illegal and unlawful.
Nevertheless, FG, bent on going ahead with the case,
asked the appellate court to dismiss Saraki’s arguments as baseless and grossly lacking in merit.
Jacobs, SAN, argued that the tribunal was properly
constituted and empowered to try the accused person. He urged the court to invoke the Interpretation Act to resolve the issue on whether the two-man panel had indeed formed a quorum as envisaged by the law.
More so, the prosecuting counsel submitted that the
tribunal has criminal jurisdiction hence the use of words like “guilty” and “punishment” in the law that established it.
“We urge your lordships to dismiss this appeal and order the appellate to go before the CCT and face criminal charges against him. We have gathered enough evidence to prove that he made anticipatory assets declaration”, Rotimi added.
Saraki was in the charge before the CCT, marked
ABT/01/15 and dated September 11, 2015, alleged to have falsely declared his assets, contrary to the constitutionally requirement.
He was accused of deliberately manipulating the assets declaration form that he filed prior to his assumption of office as the Senate President, by making anticipatory declaration of assets.
The offence was said to have been committed while Saraki held sway as a governor.
He was also accused of breaching section 2 of the CCB and
Tribunal Act, an offence punishable under section 23(2) of
the Act and paragraph 9 of the said Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
FG alleged that Saraki claimed that he owned and
acquired No 15A and 15B Mc Donald, Ikoyi, Lagos,
through his company, Carlisle Properties Limited in 2000,
when the said property was actually sold by the
Implementation Committee of the Federal Government landed properties in 2006 to his companies, Tiny Tee Limited and Vitti Oil Limited for the aggregate sum of N396, 150, 000, 00.
He was alleged to have made false declaration on or
about June 3, 2011, by refusing to declare plot 2A Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, which he acquired between 2007 and 2008 through his company from the Central Bank of Nigeria for a total sum of N325, 000, 000, 00.
Similarly, Saraki was said to have refused to declare No1 Tagnus street, Maitama, Abuja, which he claimed to have acquired in November 1996 from one David Baba Akawu. Some of his alleged offence while in office as governor, which are said to be punishable under section 15(1) and (2) of the CCB and Tribunal Act, Cap C15, Laws of the
Federation of Nigeria, 2004, were allegedly committed between October 2006 and May 2007.
His actions were classified as a gross violation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.
Saraki has since pleaded not guilty to all the charges
against him.

United we stand says APC lawmakers

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the
confirmation of all the ministerial nominees by the Senate,
despite some misgivings by the opposition, has shown that
the party’s legislators are ready to work with the executive
toward the implementation of its agenda for the benefit of
all Nigerians.
The APC added that the confirmation had revealed that
there is no longer any division within the APC family.
“The cohesion and unity exhibited by the APC Senators on
Thursday have shown that our legislators are ready to work
with the executive and the party to ensure that the agenda
of the party is implemented for the benefit of all Nigerians,’”
the party said in a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its
National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
“We commend all our members and leaders in the Senate
and indeed the leadership of the APC for this show of unity,”
it said.
APC said democracy was at work in the Senate yesterday,
despite the decision of the opposition PDP Senators to stage
a walk out over the confirmation of former Governor
Chibuike Amaechi.
“It is part of democracy that while the minority can have
their say, the majority will have their way. Therefore, the
decision of the PDP Senators to walk out is nothing but
democracy in action,” the party said.
It enjoined the entire National Assembly to continue to work
with the executive arm of government for the overall
interest of Nigeria and its people.
“With the stage now set for the federal cabinet to be in place,
we implore all Nigerians, irrespective of their party
affiliation, to support President Muhammadu Buhari in his
onerous task of making Nigeria great again,” APC said.

We Never Supported Saraki's Emergence As Senate President

Akpabio said the PDP caucus staged a walk-out during the

confirmation of a former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi

Amaechi, and 17 others because they did not want to

participate in illegality

Senators elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic

Party on Wednesday said they never supported emergence

of the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

They said the luck Saraki had was that he was returned

unopposed as Senate president.

The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio,

made this known on Thursday.

Akpabio said the PDP caucus staged a walk-out during the

confirmation of a former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi

Amaechi, and 17 others because they did not want to

participate in illegality.

He added that the PDP senators decided not to participate in

what he described as a “charade confirmation” because they

have responsibilities to Nigerians.

According to him: “We never supported Saraki during the

election because he was returned unopposed.

“We staged a walk-out because we felt that there is total

breach in the law.

“You will notice that our colleagues never wanted to hear

our views.”

PDP Senators Walk Out Of Senate As Amaechi is comfirmed minister

The PDP senators have walked out of the
senate in protest of Amaechi’s ministerial
confirmation. The PDP Senators rejected
the report of the House Committee on
Ethics and Privileges arguing that a
nominee who has a corruption case in
court should not be confirmed until the
case is cleared .
In opposition, the majority made up of APC
senators spoke against the findings,
arguing that the senate has no right to
interfere in proceedings of the court,
neither should such proceedings influence
its decisions.
Amaechi was confirmed minister in the
absence of the PDP seantors.

Samuel Eto’o Shares His Thoughts On Boko Haram.

Former Cameroon captain Samuel Eto’o has  given a strong statement against the deadly terrorists called Boko Haram ravaging the Northern part of Nigeria.

The former Barcelona and Chelsea star who has set up the Yellow Whistle blower FC foundation to raise funds and awareness to help people fleeing Nigeria and Cameroon amid the increasing amount of attacks from Boko Haram militants.

Eto’o, noted that it is time the world stepped up its response to this menace called Boko Haram.

He however urged leaders and the media to react as they did to the terror attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in Paris in January.

Eto’o said one of the most effective ways to defeat Boko Haram and its ideology would be through education, which he called “the most formidable weapon.”



“We need to create schools and give the possibility to these children to learn and understand,” explained Eto’o, whose illustrious career has taken him to Italy, Spain, Russia, England and Turkey, winning three European Champions League titles. He was reportedly one of the the world’s highest-paid players at Anzhi Makhachkala.

“Some of these children affected by the situation are young and are easily manipulable, and they are manipulated. These children are used and join this terrorist organization.”

Eto’o, who now plays for Turkish club Antalyaspor, said: “We wanted to show the right way to our young brothers, but the ignorance that we have in Africa leads to our own brothers shooting at us.

“When you are African, and you are sometimes better (at something) than Europeans or Americans, you’re not considered African.

“It’s frustrating but you can’t be mad. I refuse to be ignorant. The only message that I want to give is that I want people to have easy access to education.”

Oliseh Names 23 Super Eagles Players For 2018 World cup qualifiers

Ahead of the FIFA 2018 World Cup
Qualifiers, Super Eagles Head Coach,
Sunday Oliseh, has invited 23 players,
including US-based Obafemi Martins and
six home–based professionals to be on the
Super Eagles team.
The two–legged fixture will take place over
four days next month, with the first leg in
Lobamba on Friday, November 13 and the
return leg at the Adokiye Amiesiamaka
Stadium in Port Harcourt on Tuesday,
November 17.
Martins, who has not featured for the
Super Eagles in two years, has been in
great form in the Major League Soccer, and
his invitation shows clearly that FIFA
Technical Study Group member Oliseh has
an open mind to all Nigerian players across
the globe.
See the full list below:
Goalkeepers: Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton
Wanderers, England); Ikechukwu Ezenwa
(Sunshine Stars); Dele Alampasu (Club de
Sportivo Feirense, Portugal)
Defenders: Abdullahi Shehu (Uniao da
Madeira, Portugal); Kalu Orji (Enyimba FC);
Elderson Echiejile (AS Monaco, France);
Chima Akas (Sharks FC); Leon Balogun (FSV
Mainz, Germany); Godfrey Oboabona
(Caykur Rizespor, Turkey); Efe Ambrose
(Celtic FC, Scotland); Austin Oboroakpo
(Abia Warriors)
Midfielders: Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy);
Paul Onobi (Sunshine Stars); John Mikel Obi
(Chelsea FC, England); Rabiu Ibrahim (AS
Trencin, Slovakia); Wilfred Ndidi (KRC Genk,
Belgium); Sylvester Igbonu (FC UFA, Russia)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow,
Russia); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium); Odion Ighalo(watford fc,England);Ezekiel Bassey(Eyimba Fc);Alex Iwobi(Arsenal FC,England);Obafemi Martins(seattle sounders USA).

Don’t waste your time competing with us, P-Square tells other artistes

For the naysayers out there who believe that there is a
sharp division in the P-Square family, this is for you.
The talented brothers re-
united on the set of the
hottest reality show in the
country at the moment, Glo
Dance With Peter, where
Paul served as a guest
judge.
No sooner had Paul sat on
the Judges’ corner, than he
said, ‘I’m proud of this dude
(Peter). When he brought
up this idea of Dance With Peter, I doubted initially, but he
stuck to his guns, and look at where we are now.’
On what is responsible for their success over the years,
Paul said, ‘God made it possible. There’s also this thing
about P-Square; we take our career serious. It started as
fun, but it became business, and later, it became about
the fans. Yes, we’re super stars, but you’re not a super star
without super fans. We don’t have any competition; we
only compete with ourselves. If you’re competing with P-
Square, you’re wasting your time.’
It should be recalled that Peter had also recently stated
that the next phase for the brothers would be ‘Sing With
Paul.’

Tinubu the father of modern democracy says sunday dare

Though the October 11, 2015 presidential elections in
Guinea Conakry have come and gone, not many would
forget in a long time the key role played by Asiwaju Bola
Ahmed Tinubu.
And just like he did in the Nigerian situation serving as the
catalyst, the fulcrum alongside others and perhaps the
“babalawo” that brought the opposition to power and
chased away the PDP after 16 years in power, Asiwaju
Tinubu has helped retain a trusted friend and pan-
Africanist in power.
Professor Alpha Conde, the first democratically elected
president of Guinea, is back for a record second term of
five years after a commanding first round victory of 58
percent of total votes cast.
The victory that
came when the
final results were
announced was
reward for
handwork and a
campaign that
was on message.
The political
campaign of the
incumbent
president got a
bite when Tinubu
moved in to help
his friend, a
brother and a true African leader. The journey for Alpha
Conde’s re-election began sometime in May 2015 when he
came to Nigeria for the inauguration of President
Muhammadu Buhari. President Conde not only met with
Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, but also with
other African leaders. He described his meeting with
Buhari as very useful and insightful. President Conde in
several conversations maintained that Africa has found in
Buhari the leader it needs to lead it and move it forward.
He said Buhari is best suited to lead Africa where
Goodluck Jonathan failed.
On that same May trip, he also met with Tinubu to learn
more about Nigeria’s political and election experience. He
also discussed the political situation in Guinea and the
Presidential election ahead. I recall that the President also
met with the governor of Lagos State, Akinwumi Ambode.
After the initial May visit, Tinubu in June 2015 visited
Conakry to further assess the country’s political terrain
and the direction of the presidential campaigns. Soon
after, Tinubu moved into Conakry personally with his
team. The Tinubu election strategy and planning team
comprising of six people quickly settled down to work with
barely 60 days to the election.
Embedded within the Alpha Conde campaign
organisation, the Tinubu team worked on political
messaging, speeches, social media interventions, election
monitoring and countering the opponents and a day-by-
day review of the campaign. Perhaps, the most defining
aspect of the presidential campaign was the ROBO call
element, which was used for the first time in any election
in Guinea.
The ROBO call involved the sending out of an automated
message recorded by President Conde to about 6 million
voters asking for their support and telling them he was
their best choice. At least one in every 4 Guinean received
such a direct phone call from the president. It soon
became the talk of town as the president’s message in
four languages went out to the electorate. It was out in
French, Fular, Malinke and Sousou. The social media also
went abuzz discussing the timely direct voice messages
from the president to the people.
But back to the dynamics of the politics in Guinea. The last
presidential election had some strong candidates in the
opposition who were backed by big money and were
armed to ensure they either win or create problems. The
toughest challenger to Alpha Conde was the Fula leader
and former Prime Minister, Ciello Djallo, who had a
strong 40 percent support from his economically powerful
Fula tribe.
Several weeks to the election, the calls for the
postponement were rife coming mainly from the
opposition. They hinged their calls for postponement on
the non-preparedness of the electoral body in the
issuance of voter cards and the fear that the election
would be marred by violence. However, they had a game
plan. Their game plan was to force a second round ballot
in which situation they would have a very good chance of
unseating the president. They failed in their attempt to
postpone the election. They however did not fail to
generate some violence. The final campaign by Djallo
turned out very violent. Five deaths were recorded.
Tension rose. It was a day before Alpha Conde’s final rally
for the RPG party.
The campaign organisation had to re-strategise quickly. If
the president went ahead, there would be violence and
that would play into the script of the opposition to have
the election postponed. The president took the hard
decision with his team to cancel his final rally. It turned
out to be a very smart political decision. It brought down
the tension and calmed nerves. The opposition bit their
fingers.
The president went on ROBO calls to millions of Guineans
asking them to remain calm. Not to burn Guinea but to
build Guinea. He asked them to come out and vote
peacefully on October 11.
The decision not to postpone election was a tough one.
Asiwaju Tinubu played a key role in advising the President
to stick to the date, October 11. He provided context for
the President by letting him into the experience Nigeria
had during the last presidential election. This insight along
with the understanding of the dynamics of the Guinean
political situation helped the President Conde not to
postpone the election.
The electoral body also stuck to its gun that it was ready to
conduct the election. Perhaps the most important voice
was that of the diplomatic community that rang out in
unison that Guinea was ready for the October 11
Presidential election and that the talk of violence was
perhaps exaggerated. Muhammad Ibn Chambas, the head
of the UN delegation played a bit of shuttle diplomacy
within Guinea nudging the diplomatic community to speak
with one voice. He worked through the ranks of the
presidential candidates urging them to shun violence by
speaking to their supporters to participate fully in the
process.
Fortunately, Election Day came on October 11, 2015 and
there was no single act of violence or voter intimidation.
Polls were extended from 6pm to 8pm to accommodate
all the voters. At the end, the people of Guinea
demonstrated their love for democracy and peaceful
elections. The United Nations in fact adjudged the
presidential election in Guinea as one of the most credible
and peaceful in Africa.
The people of Guinea were patient enough for the
electoral body, SENI, to compile all results from across the
country. It took about a week. But by the time 70 percent
of the results came in, the excitement began to build
because Alpha Conde was in the clear lead and a first
round victory was suddenly within reach. Sensing defeat,
the other candidates quickly held a press briefing to reject
the results and ask for cancellation. It was a last ditch
effort that failed. There was no way they could cancel the
wish and the votes of nearly six million of their
countryfolk.
Alpha Conde went ahead to win and earn another five
years in power. But after the celebration of victory, he
must settle down to govern and place Guinea on the path
of accelerated development. The Kaleta electricity project
that was the corner stone of his performance and
electoral success must be expanded quickly to generate
more power beyond its present 240-mega watts. The
roads need attention, more foreign direct investments are
needed, urban renewal, job creation, education must be
subsidised and programmes to reduce poverty must be
rolled out. Therein lies the only way he can reward the
electorate for trusting him to be their leader for another
five years.
The Nigerian experienced rubbed off. Thanks to Tinubu
and many others who worked silently behind the scene to
make sure democracy not only grows but also survives in
a country like Guinea, Nigeria’s neighbour. Tinubu seems
to be about the business of installing presidents across
Africa. But beyond that he is more about ensuring
democracy thrives and good governance is enthroned in
Africa. Nigeria under the current leadership now has the
moral and political leverage to support and lead other
African nations on this path.
Sunday Dare is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Chief of Staff
and Media Adviser.