Category: Featured

• Govs rally stakeholders to hold out for fight

• Party leaders set for meeting

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is bracing up for a long haul battle with the Federal Government and the National Assembly over the recently passed Electoral Act Amendment Bill, according to indications last night.

The party’s main contention is the direct primary clause in the bill which requires all parties sponsoring candidates for elective offices to pick them using direct primary.

The PDP prefers indirect primary and wants the insertion of direct primary expunged from the new bill.

Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters, Senator Babajide Omoworare, announced on Friday that the bill is now on the president’s table, awaiting his assent.

The Nation gathered yesterday that the PDP has resolved to continue its rejection of the bill.

Its chieftains, sources said, are already considering taking legal steps to stop the bill from becoming law.

Besides, the National Assembly caucus of the PDP may also commence formal protest against the process that led to the passage of the bill in the  House of Representatives.

Stakeholders, including PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) members, governors, members of the National Assembly and National Working Committee (NWC) members-elect, are expected to meet in Abuja later this  week to take a position on the matter.

A source knowledgeable about the unfolding development said governors elected on the platform of the PDP have succeeded in rousing members of the party in the National Assembly to reject the direct primary clause.

It was further learnt that the party, on the prompting of the governors, may take legal steps during the week to stop President Buhari from assenting to the bill.

Read Also: National Assembly transmits Electoral Bill to Buhari

“The APC lawmakers played a fast one on our members in the National Assembly; the bill is now before the President and we have been advised that only the judiciary can stop it from being signed with the spurious direct primary clause still in it,” a source told The Nation.

The source added: “As a political party that respects the rule of law, and given our determination to save our nascent democracy from being derailed by power mongers, we will do all that we can do to ensure that political parties are free to decide how to choose their candidates as declared by the Supreme Court.

“The manner in which the House of Representatives’ leadership got the bill passed is suspect. But we are also up to the task. The days ahead will decide a lot of things.”

The party had earlier made its position on the bill known through a statement by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.

The party dismissed the inclusion of the direct primary clause in the bill as retrogressive and designed  to wipe off the gains achieved in the nation’s electoral practice since 1999.

The PDP labeled it a humongous blow to the development of democratic norms, and a plot to introduce anarchy during internal party elections.

“The PDP holds that the provision is aimed at increasing the costs of nomination procedures thereby surrendering the processes to money bags against the wishes and aspiration of Nigerians,” Ologbondiyan said.

Continuing, he said: ” Our party makes bold to state that with the exception of the APC, which intends to deploy looted funds in future elections, hardly will there be any political party that will be able to raise the cost of conducting internal elections under a direct primary process.

“Such a mode of conducting party primary does not reflect the wishes and aspirations of the majority of Nigerians.”

Affirming the decision of the opposition party to press on with its rejection of the direct mode of primary election ,A PDP lawmaker, Hon. Ayo Yusuf, , who accused  House of Representatives Speaker , Femi Gbajabiamila, of aiding alleged plot by the APC ahead of the 2023 general election, said: “APC is plotting a rigging process against the other opposition parties.”

He said the PDP may head to the Supreme Court over the restriction of political parties to direct primary.

Yusuf said that PDP lawmakers were not given the opportunity to debate the matter.

His words: “I was in the chamber and I was opposed to it but it was not allowed to be debated. One, it was not part of the report, it came as an amendment and that day, I told the Speaker that it was wrong; that the Supreme Court had ruled – I can’t remember the case’s details now – that parties should be allowed to decide the modus operandi for the selection of their candidates. So, the National Assembly is taking away the right of the parties.”

Confirming the possibility of litigation by  the PDP in its quest to stall the signing of the bill into law, a highly placed chieftain of the party said: “we have resolved to meet and review the issues surrounding this matter. Truth be told, most of the things you have been hearing are largely personal opinions except for our governors who have made their objection to the bill very clear as a body through the PDP Governors’ Forum. As a party, we  spoke way back in October when the Senate passed the bill.

“We were sure the bill would  not escape at the House of Representatives because our members there are in agreement with the party’s position. But the House of Representatives passed the bill.

” It came as a surprise and there is need for us to meet and take a position on that. Of course, we have heard of how the House was arm-twisted by the Speaker to allow the bill scale through. Is that how it should be? Some of our leaders and members have said we will go to court. If there are grounds for that, we will do it. But we will meet and take a position.”

Another source, a former governor, told The Nation by phone that with the “treacherous way the APC smuggled the direct primary clause into the controversial bill, the battle for 2023 has openly begun. The APC government must know that we are not going to be caught napping. It is only a party that has come to the realization that it cannot win free and fair elections that will be attempting to force a particular mode of primary on all other political parties. We smell a rat and we will kill the rat.

“The bill is before Mr. President now but we have reason to say the process of passing it by the national assembly is not in conformity with the law. We will approach the court to urge the President to stay action on the bill. PDP members in  the National Assembly  too are unrelenting in their quest to question the process and that is not something anybody can take away from them. They were  elected to represent the people and if they feel what has been done does not reflect the wish of their people, they will kick against it.”

The Senator representing Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, Obinna Ogba, said he would abide by whatever decision taken by the PDP on the mode of primary for political parties in the country. He revealed that it is not true that that all senators from both the APC and the PDP had united to embrace the direct primary as the sole mode of primary for political parties.

Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had earlier kicked against the adoption of direct primary for the election of political party flag bearers by the National Assembly.

The Governors, under the auspices of Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), at a meeting in Abuja soon after the action of the National Assembly  vehemently rejected the model of the party primary.

Chairman of the Forum, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, said the National Assembly’s decision was nothing but a usurpation of the duties of the political parties in the determination of their flag bearers.

He said: “There have been concerns that political parties are voluntary organisations, and our concern is that once you limit the abilities of parties to choose options that they so desire, that may even be arguably undemocratic because noting stops one party from adopting one or the other.

“Direct primary involves of necessity, supervisory role by INEC, at multiple levels, at multiple points, so you can imagine that if political parties are doing their primary, by direct primary, INEC resources will be overstretched and I think the chairman of INEC had even commented on that, so, whether the legislation has incorporated the financial implications, I don’t know yet.”

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Saturday queried the rationale used by the US government in arriving at delisting Nigeria from the list of ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ (CPC) on the issue of freedom of religion.

CAN expressed displeasure that the US government did not communicate with the religious body when they were listing Nigeria among the CPC countries on religious freedom, nor did they seek their opinion before removing Nigeria from the list.

The leadership of CAN said they would have been able to compare the statistics then and now on the issue of freedom of religion in Nigeria, if the US government had contacted them.

President of CAN, Rev. Samson Ayokunle said: “Whatever may be the data they used, our prayer is that Nigeria would be a country where no religious group is discriminated against or persecuted and that our government would see to it that all religiously biased policies are discontinued with.”

Ayokunle emphasized that Christians had faced and are still facing persecution from ISWAP and the Boko Haram Islamic group.

He said: “These are the people who said their agenda was to wipe away Christianity from Nigeria and to plant Islam as the only religion from the North down to the Atlantic Ocean in the South. That agenda with the killing of Christians has not stopped till today and Nigerians are living witnesses.

Read Also; US listed Nigeria as religious violator after IPOB lies – Garba Shehu

“The bandits have joined other militant Islamic groups to ferociously attack churches, killing worshippers and kidnapping for ransom. The herdsmen are equally doing their havoc. We have lost many people and places of worship to their assault, especially in the Northcentral part of the country and the Northeast.

“Though, the madness has grown now and those who are not Christians are being attacked, killed and kidnapped, this is because these criminal acts have become a lucrative business and it is whoever you can kidnap for money! If the government had responded appropriately when this criminal madness began and subdued these evil groups immediately, we wouldn’t be where we are now.”

He said CAN has been shouting at the top of its voice that government policies should be religiously neutral enough so that no religious group would be seen as being favored or discriminated against.

Ayokunle who issued a statement while reacting to the development said: “For example, for almost a year now, some of our churches have been finding it difficult with the Ministry of Interior to get new marriage certificate booklets after they had exhausted the ones they were using. Some had applied for new supply as far back as January this year without any response from the Ministry of Interior till now.

“This means that such churches licensed to conduct weddings were denied the right to do so for no cogent reason from the government! It is not only in Nigeria that churches are allowed to conduct weddings once they are licensed to do so. Why are the churches being denied the right to do so now in Nigeria? If there is nothing to hide by the government and it is not subtle religious discrimination, why didn’t the ministry in a written form or verbally explain to the churches that needed a new marriage certificate booklet why the supply is delayed?

“We are seizing this opportunity to appeal to the Ministry of Interior to put its acts together and allow the licensed churches to collect the marriage certificate booklets from the local government registries nearest to them without further delay and cost.”

Ayokunle said every right-thinking person will continue to ask the US government to let the world know what has changed on the issue of religious freedom and the persecution Christians are facing between the time they placed the country on the list of CPC and now.

The crisis rocking  the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara seems to be escalating as factions loyal to Governor Matawalle Bello and Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa, held parallel local government congresses in the state.

This is coming barely one week after similar parallel congresses were held for the party’s 147 wards in the state by the two groups, while the faction loyal to former Governor Abdulaziz Yari has stayed away from the exercise thus far.

A source in Gusau, the state capital, said that the governor’s group had their congress at the Government House through consensus option while the Marafa faction conducted their parallel congresses at the headquarters of the 14 local government areas of the state.

State leader of the Marafa faction, Alhaji Surajo Maikatako, told newsmen shortly after the parallel congress that thousands of their members across the 14 local government areas of the state participated in the exercise.

Read Also: Zamfara APC crisis worsens as Matawalle, Yari/Marafa hold parallel congresses

Commending security agencies for the support given, the APC Chieftain said that the parallel congress was conducted peacefully by his group and in accordance with the guideline and constitution.

Maikatako, who is a state chairmanship aspirant, blamed the crisis in the state on the national leadership of the party, accusing it of taking sides with the governor.

He threatened that his faction had concluded a plan to institute legal action against the national leadership of the party to challenge their action.

“We are going to challenge the APC national leadership for siding with the state governor. We will go to court to compel the national leadership of the party to recognise our camp. We are the legitimate faction,” he said.

However, a faction loyal to former Governor Abdulaziz Yari’s faction said it boycotted the congress following its pending suit at the Federal High Court, Gusau.

The Publicity Secretary of Yari’s camp, Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad Birnin Magaji, described the ongoing exercise as illegal.

“Our stand is that we will not be a party to illegality. The exercise they call congress to us is a charade because we have a subsisting case before the Federal High Court, Gusau,” he said.

A few days after a 14-year-old SSS1 student cum trainee vulcaniser was allegedly killed by police stray bullets in Ajasa-Command area of Alimosho, a Lagos suburb, parents of the victim have cried out for justice. Kunle Akinrinade reports.

Darkness descended on the world of Abidemi Sanyaolu 11 years ago following the loss of her sight to a mysterious illness.

Since then, she took solace in the fact that her 14-year-old son, Mubarak, always ensured that she was well taken care of before he left home for school in the morning and upon his return in the afternoon.

Another ugly fate befell Abidemi recently as the family lost Mubarak’s older brother to a strange illness, leaving Mubarak as the only surviving child.

The darkness that had enveloped Abidemi’s life tickened further on November 3 with the gruesome killing of Mubarak during a protest provoked by the alleged killing of a tricycle operator by the police on the Ajasa-Command route.

Until his death on November 3, Mubarak, an SSS1 student of District Secondary School, Meiran, was also a vulcaniser apprentice in the neighbourhood.

On the fateful day, the lad was said to have hurriedly fed his mother on his return from school in the afternoon and left for the workshop when a protest broke out between the police and tricycle operators who accused the former of stabbing one of their members to death for refusing to give an officer the sum of N100 as bribe.

A detachment of operatives from the nearby Meiran Police Division were deployed to disperse the crowd of protesters when Mubarak was hit by bullets allegedly fired by one of the policemen, ripping his intestine open.

Lamenting the incident and the ugly fate that has been her lot in life, Mubarak’s mother said: ”I lost my eyes mysteriously after I took ill about 11 years ago.”

”My husband works as a Keke Marwa (commercial tricycle) operator, so he leaves home early. Our son, Mubarak, has been the one taking me around to have my bath, use the toilet and even feed me.’

”He was a student and apprentice vulcaniser. He goes to his trainer when he returns from school and was returning home from work when he was killed. ”

Abidemi, swathed by sympathisers, told The Nation amid lamentations at her residence on Thompson Alade Street, Ajasa Command area of Agbado-Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, also said that Mubarak was trying to cross the road after the owner of the workshop where he was training to become a vulcaniser had dismissed him and other apprentices for the day and shut his shop when policemen who were drafted to quell the ongoing protest started shooting indiscriminately.

“One of the shots hit my son and killed him instantly. I was at home when some people rushed in and laid my son’s body at my doorstep. He was 14 and my only guide after I lost my sight. When they brought his body, I could only touch it to ascertain that it was him,” she added.

Search for justice

In search of justice for her son, the distraught woman rushed to Meiran Police Station crying for justice, but her presence in company with other sympathisers was not welcomed as men of the police division allegedly threatened to shoot at her and the crowd that accompanied her to the station.

She said; “I was held by the hand and taken to the Meiran Police Division by sympathizers, but the policemen at the station threatened to shoot at us, causing the people that took me there to hurriedly disperse and brought me home, saying that they didn’t want the police to kill me the way they killed my son.

”I only recently lost my older son. Now the police have killed my only remaining child and I am left with nothing. To make matters worse, the police authorities have not come to commiserate or sympathise with us as we speak.

“I have no hope again because the boy was my only hope for the future. I have lost my sight and cannot see anymore.

“He was the only one taking care of me. So, who will take care of me now?

“I want justice for the sake of my innocent son killed by errant policemen,” she added.

Abidemi’s husband and Mubarak’s father, Olamilekan Sanyaolu, a commercial tricycle operator, told our correspondent that his son was killed by policemen drafted to the scene of the protest.

He said: “My son was returning from work. His boss actually closed the shop and asked all the apprentices, including my son, to go home when policemen started shooting sporadically.

“Unfortunately, he was killed by a stray bullet while crossing the road on his way home.

“I was seated in a tricycle in a compound nearby when people rushed in and asked me to come to come and see something. On getting there, I discovered it was my son that was felled by police bullets.

He was in a pool of blood on the floor. But I was prevented by the police from taking his body away because the policemen evacuated his body.

“I saw my son’s body being taken away by the police in their van, and as we speak, the police have yet to release his body for burial.

“He was the one running errands and taking care of his mother who can no longer see. He would take her to the toilet and the bathroom and feed her before going to school in the morning and on his return in the evening before going to the shop here he was an apprentice.

“I want justice for my son. He was my only hope and I am crying out now so the police authorities can do something about it.”

Also speaking with our correspondent, Mubarak’s boss, Taofeek Abidemi Quadri, said: “Immediately the protest commenced, I closed my workshop and asked all my apprentices to go home.

“I had barely left the place when gunshots started booming and I was told that Mubarak had been killed by a stray bullet. They shot directly at the protesters and one of the shots killed Mubarak.

“I tried to carry him (Mubarak) from the floor, but the policemen fired teargas canister and I had to flee the scene due to the effect of the teargas on my eyes.

“We want justice for the soul of Mubarak because of his parents, especially his mother who has lost her sight.”

Contacted, the spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Adekunle Ajisebutu, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said the matter had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered that the matter be transferred to SCID, Panti for diligent investigation.

“You can rest assured that we will issue a public statement at the conclusion of the ongoing investigation,” he said.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it had returned allegedly hidden N19, 333,333,333.36 Kogi salary bail-out cash to the  Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

It said the CBN had acknowledged the receipt of the sum in the Kogi State Salary Bail-out account domiciled in Sterling Bank Plc.

It said the recovery and the deposit of the cash with CBN have cleared all doubts on the operation of the commission on the hidden cash.

A fact-sheet released by the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren insisted that there was such an account,   although the Kogi State Government has persistently denied its existence.

The commission said: “This effectively puts to rest the campaign of misinformation and unconscionable denials by the Kogi State Government that no fund was recovered from its bail out account.

“The apex bank in a letter referenced, DFD/DIR/CON/EXT/01/099 and dated 9th November, 2021 informed the Executive Chairman, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa that it has received the money.

“The letter reads in part: “We refer to your letter dated November 5, 2021 with Ref. No: CR:3000/EFCC/LS/CMU/REC-STE/VOL.4/047 on the above subject and wish to confirm the details of the receipt of the amount as stated below: Bank: Sterling Bank Plc; Amount:   N19, 333, 333,333.36; Date of receipt: 04 November, 2021”

The EFCC, which gave insights into the recovery of the cash, said the management of Sterling Bank Plc admitted the existence of such an account.

The commission added: “The return of the money to the apex bank  is in compliance with the October 15, 2021 order of a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi Lagos directing the unfreezing of the Kogi State Salary Bail-out account to enable Sterling Bank to remit the balance in the account to the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Read Also: CBN: Why eNaira, other interventions are important

“Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke gave the order pursuant to an application filed by the EFCC.The commission had told the court that the management of Sterling Bank Plc, where the account was domiciled had acknowledged the existence of the said account with the staggering sum of N19, 333,333,333.36 in its books.

“The commission further brought to the attention of the court that “The sum of N19, 333,333,333.36 is still standing in the credit of the account frozen”,. The management of Sterling Bank PIc, has, pursuant to a letter dated 15 September, 2021, signed by its Managing Director, indicated intention to return the total sum of N19, 333,333,333.36 back to the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

“The EFCC prayed the court that it “is expedient for the instant suit to be discontinued and the account unfrozen to enable the management of Sterling Bank PIc effect the transfer or return of the sum of the N19, 333, 333, 333.36 back to the coffer of the Central Bank of Nigeria , where the said bailout funds were disbursed.”

“The transfer has put paid to any further controversy regarding source and ownership of the funds and most importantly, aborted the funds dissipation.”

On August 31, 2021, Justice Tijani Garba Ringim, a vacation Judge, had ordered the freezing of the account, following an ex-parte application filed by the EFCC.

The EFCC, in a 13-paragraph affidavit in support of the ex-parte application, had stated that it received a credible and direct intelligence, which led to the tracing of the funds reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities in account No. 0073572696 domiciled in Sterling Bank, Plc with the name Kogi State Salary Bailout Account.

After listening to the EFCC application, Justice Ringim on August 31, 2021, ordered the freezing of the account and directed the publication of the order in a national newspaper by the EFCC.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote on Friday disclosed how his younger brother, Sani, died. Aliko Dangote, the richest African, who said he watched helplessly as his brother died, advised that his brother’s death should be a great lesson to the living.

He added that doctors had informed them that Sani was going to die. “We watched as the life-supporting machine was going down, ticking out the time,” he said in an emotion-laden voice.

Emotions were high as he narrated to the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, how Sani  died in a hospital in the United States of America (USA) on Sunday.

“It was not about money, neither what technology could offer. Sani, like every human, was mortal and so it was his exit time from the planet earth,” Aliko Dangote said as he told Tinubu that Sani inhaled his last oxygen before him, his mother and other members of his family, while on a life-supporting machine.

“We have always known that when there is life there is death. We as Muslims do not know who is next and it can be today, tomorrow or even now.

“That is why it is good to be good so that when you get there you can bid for whatever you were asked to do on earth. “Your Excellency, (referring to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje), you are our host because you are our governor and we really thank you for taking almost the whole week struggling with the crowds. It’s not easy. “I thank you all for your prayers and support. This will actually help us to reduce the pain we are going through. It is a very tough time for us, it has been a very trying moment especially for me. My late brother and I had a strong bond together.

“Having a brother like this (Sani), once you lose him it is really very painful. Because he died in front of me, our mother and all his children.

“The most painful thing is when you are told that your brother will be passing on in about an hour and you stand by watching as the machine is going down until it stopped working. It was very tormenting,” Aliko Dangote said.

Tinubu, in his condolences urged Dangote to take solace in the Lord and be strong.

Read Also: Northern Governors console Dangote over brother’s death

Tinubu said: “We are here not just to commiserate with you. We are here to mourn our dear brother together. Sani is not yours alone, he was a Lagosian, a great Nigerian and a friend and brother to all of us here.

“I am not a preacher, but I know what it means to suddenly lose a close relative, especially a brother.

“What we have come to do is to join you and the people of Kano State, Nigeria and the entire family in prayers. May God give you the strength to bear this loss.

“It is a loss to all of us. May God grant you longer life, keep you in good health, keep the family in good health, give you peace of mind and the ability to accept the decree of God Almighty.

“He (God) is the giver and He is the taker and He can do anything at any given time He chooses. With your faith and your strong capacity, we believe you will come out of it and continue to do good in His name, in your name, in the family’s name and the entire people of the country,” the APC National Leader said.

Mammoth crowd without jubilation, largely supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday welcomed the National Leader of the ruling party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Kano State.

The former Lagos State governor was in the ancient city to pay a condolence visit to Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who lost his younger brother, Sani Dangote. Until his death, Sani was the Vice President of the Dangote Group.

Sani died in a USA hospital on Sunday from a cancer-related ailment, Aliko Dangote said.

Remains of the deceased were brought to Kano and buried at the family cemetery last Tuesday.

Following the death of the brother of the richest man in Africa, Kano has been playing host to high-profile businessmen and politicians who have been coming to register their condolences to the family and people of Kano State.

Tinubu and his entourage landed at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in a private jet, at about 11:40 a.m and were received by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Deputy Governor Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, members of the executive cabinet and APC chieftains.

A huge crowd lined up at the airport, waving at Tinubu and his companions.

From the airport, Tinubu proceeded to the residence of business mogul Alhaji Aminu Santa -an uncle of Aliko Dango, at Koki quarters, where he condoled with him. From there, the APC National Leader headed to the residence of Aliko Dangote, at Dambazau Lane, off Lodge Road, where he condoled with the bereaved.

• Pledges to consider request of Southeast elders

• Trial judge bars security from invading courtroom

• IPOB alleges plot to kill its leader in DSS custody

Confronted with a fresh appeal for the release of the detained leader of the  outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, President Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday that granting the request “has serious implications’ for the country.

“I feel it’s even a favour to give him that opportunity,” Buhari told a delegation of a South East group – Highly Respected Igbo Greats – led by First Republic Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, who visited him in  Abuja to intercede for the separatist movement leader.

The intercession came even as IPOB alleged a fresh moves by agents of the Federal Government to eliminate Kanu in security custody, while his lawyers dispatched a letter to the United Kingdom (UK) seeking its intervention to get him released unconditionally in the shortest possible time.

Kanu is currently facing trial for treason related charges.

Buhari said although he would consider the request for the unconditional release of the IPOB leader,it was a rather difficult demand more so when the matter is in court.

“You’ve made an extremely difficult demand on me as leader of this country. The implication of your request is very serious,” the President said.

He added: “In the last six years, since I became President, nobody would say I have confronted or interfered in the work of the judiciary.”

He said that  since Kanu  is already standing trial, his (Buhari’s) intervention would go against  the doctrine of separation of powers between the executive and judiciary.

He recalled that  when Kanu jumped bail, got arrested and brought back to the country, “I said the best thing was to subject him to the system. Let him make his case in court, instead of giving very negative impressions of the country from outside. I feel it’s even a favour to give him that opportunity.”

Turning to 92-year old  Chief Amaechi,Buhari said: “God has spared you, and given you a clear head at this age, with very sharp memory. A lot of people half your age are confused already. But the demand you made is heavy. I will consider it.”

The President condoled with Chief Amaechi, who recently buried his wife, praying that her soul would rest in peace.

The nonagenarian had described the current situation in the Southeast as “painful and pathetic”. Businesses, he said, have collapsed while  education is crumbling, and  there is fear everywhere.

He pleaded for a political, rather than military solution, to address the problem.

He pleaded that Kanu be released to him personally,saying  “he (Kanu) would no longer say the things he has been saying.”

The only surviving First Republic Minister said he could control Kanu   “not because I have anything to do with them (IPOB), but I am highly respected in Igbo land today.”

Chief Amaechi said he had interfaced with Nnamdi Kanu twice in the past following which the IPOB leader rescinded orders earlier given on civil disobedience.

He said: “I don’t want to leave this planet without peace returning to my country. I believe in one big, united Nigeria, a force in Africa. Mr. President, I want you to be remembered as a person who saw Nigeria burning, and quenched the fire.”

Also on the delegation were  former Governor of Anambra State,Chief  Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Bishop Sunday Onuoha of the Methodist Church, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, a former President of Igbo socio-cultural group, Aka Ikenga, and Mr Tagbo Mbazulike Amaechi.

Government officials at the meeting included the President’s Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari; Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister  Ogbonnaya Onu; National Security Adviser  Babagana Monguno,Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige; Foreign Affairs Minister  Geoffrey Onyeama; and Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.

Ohanaeze hails Buhari/Igbo leaders dialogue

The Chidi Ibe faction of Ohanaeze welcomed yesterday’s dialogue as a good move.

It said Buhari’s meeting with ” neutral Igbo leaders led by Pa Mbazulike Amaechi” signaled the beginning of the process for Kanu’s release and hoped that the Federal Government ” will be sincere enough to  keep their side of the bargain and shouldn’t be listening to the deceitful tales of  Southeast politicians.”

Secretary General of the faction, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, advised IPOB to channel its “antagonism on the Southeast politicians that have squandered the people’s resources from 1999 to date,” and “conduct forensic scrutiny on the financial recklessness of former Southeast governors, former federal lawmakers, and others who have received allocation and constituency funds since 1999 to date, and if IPOB tackles southeast politicians, they will sit up and render their stewardship to the people.

“We must hold our leaders accountable as they constitute the major problem in the Southeast. IPOB should face Southeast political leaders before tackling Buhari…it should query why there are no available hospitals, schools in the rural areas of the Southeast.This is the new narrative to move and it will make southeast political leaders face developmental projects rather than siphoning the wealth of the people.”

It dismissed as a ruse allegations that the Federal Government planned to kill Kanu in detention

Spokesman of IPOB,Emma Powerful, had said yesterday that the government planned to kill Kanu who is in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The group claimed it had uncovered plans by the Federal Government to “eliminate our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu  and declare a State of Emergency in the entire South-East and South-South regions of Nigeria. This plan is real and must be taken very seriously by everybody.

“The intelligence report at our disposal reveals that the Nigerian government is not comfortable with the international attention that Kanu’s rendition has received and the fate that awaits her at the International Criminal Court ICC, hence its contemplation of doing its worst.

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“Irked by the heroic role of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in raising the consciousness of not only Biafrans but other indigenous nationalities about Nigeria,the  beneficiaries of this fraud are bent on eliminating him at all cost. They want to reward him with death and damn the consequences.”

HURIWA too

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) also expressed support for any approach to a constructive resolution of the crisis in the Southeast, although, it blamed the federal authorities for instigating the state of insecurity.

The association, in a statement yesterday, said  the crisis “started when the President refused to accord the Igbo nation the constitutionally mandated and required equity and equality of citizenship of Nigeria by not considering anybody in the South East to head any security under his watch.

“Nobody from the South East is holding any command or leadership positions of a security institution under this current dispensation.

“The over 60 million Igbo citizens of Nigeria were practically pushed out of Nigeria by Mr. President when he did not trust any Igbo person for appointment of or into any strategic dimensions as one of the security chiefs under his government.

“So Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB are just mere manifestation of the deep seated collective angst of the Igbo nation instigated by marginalisation and apartheid policy of President Muhammadu Buhari’s exclusionist policies targeted against Igbos.”

Lawyer writes UK on Kanu’s treatment in cell

Lead counsel to Kanu, Ifeanyi Ejiofor,has dispatched a letter to the United Kingdom (UK) alleging maltreatment of the IPOB leader in the custody of the Department of State Security (DSS) and incarceration of over 300 members of the group.

Ejiofor ,in the November 17 letter to the British High Commissioner in Nigeria,asked London to “do everything to protect the life of its national, our client, who, from every indication, is gripped by the vice-like, vengeful, and unrelenting stranglehold of the present Federal Government of Nigeria. Britain cannot afford to shirk the obligation it owes our client.”

He recommended the adoption of what he called aggressive diplomatic engagement/effort to “ensure that our client is released unconditionally in the shortest possible time. The Nigerian government should not be allowed to benefit from its wrongdoing. It grossly violated all international treaties it is a signatory to the moment it surreptitiously entered a sovereign state to kidnap/abduct a British national and extraordinarily renditioned him to Nigeria for a trial that is a sham.”

Keep off my court during Kanu’s suit hearings, Judge orders DSS, police     

Justice Anya Benson of the Abia State  High Court,sitting in Umuahia yesterday ordered  security operatives to stop keeping siege to the court premises whenever it is hearing the N5billion suit filed by IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu against the Federal Government over his “abduction from Kenya and extraordinary rendition to Nigeria.”

“Henceforth, no security operative is allowed close by except as requested by the court,” Justice Benson said while also warning against the arrest of any person inside the court for whatever reason.

He said that  citizens of the state were not known for trouble-making and asked the security agencies to allow the people a breath of freedom.

The court order followed  a complaint  by Kanu’s  Counsel, Mr. Aloy Ejimakor , that  security agencies were harassing  people from gaining access to the court premises any time Kanu’s matter comes up for hearing.

There was a large presence of security personnel on the  premises as early as 6am while the Ikot Ekpene Expressway axis of the Umuahia High Court was closed to traffic by the security operatives, forcing motorists to use alternate routes to their destination.

Hearing in the suit was adjourned to  December 10 for adoption of processes and a hearing on the substantive application seeking Kanu’s release from detention and his repatriation to Britain.