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  • Nine dead in Kaduna Christians/Muslims clash

    Nine dead in Kaduna Christians/Muslims clash

    •El-Rufai orders arrest of culprits

    Nine persons reportedly died yesterday in a clash between Christian and Muslim youths in Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    Many were injured and  several houses razed.

    There are conflicting reports on the cause of the crisis.

    But an eyewitness said a Christian girl was abducted, and taken to the home of the Sarkin Kasuwan Magani.

    Another version said Christian youths beat up their girls, who they suspect of dating Hausa Muslims.

    A source, Musa Auta, however, said that a Christian girl was beaten up by some Christian boys.

    He said the police, who responded to her mother’s report, were chased away and prevented from making arrests.

    Another witness, Ahmadu Dogo, said that attempts by Christian and Muslim youths to stop their girls from dating from either religion was the major cause of the violence.

    He said that nine persons died; many were injured and property burnt.

    The development forced residents, especially women and children, to flee to safety; motorists were stranded for hours.

    The Sole Administrator of Kajuru council, Aminu Rabiu, said: “Disagreement among the Christian and Muslim youths led to loss of lives, properties and peace. However, the quick response of the security agencies helped in restoring normalcy.

    “We have already evacuated the injured to the hospital and they are responding to treatment.”

    Rabiu appealed to residents to embrace the culture of living in peace and harmony.

    Governor Nasir El-Rufai has ordered that culprits be arrested and prosecuted.

    A statement by his media aide, Samuel Aruwan, condemned the violence and regrets the destruction of lives.

    The statement reads: “The government has directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to take inventory of damages and provide relief materials.

    “Security forces have been deployed to contain the situation, protect life and property, and prevent any further breakdown of law and order”.

    Police spokesman Aliyu Mukhtar confirmed the incident but did not give a casualty figure.

    He said the situation had been brought under control and the police was assessing the damage.

  • ‘APC to reconcile differences in Kaduna chapter’

    The Segun Oni-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Committee on Kaduna chapter crisis has promised that the factions will soon reconcile their differences as it began a fact-finding mission to the state yesterday.

    Oni, APC’s deputy national chairman (South), addressed reporters after he led members to the site of the demolished factional secretariat on 11B, Sambo Road.

    The APC chieftain said the committee was on a fact-finding mission and its report would be used by the Bola Tinubu-led Presidential Committee to reconcile aggrieved members ahead of 2019.

    He said: “Let me say that we are here on a fact-finding mission; the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party is very concerned with the crisis rocking the party in the state.

    “We don’t want acrimony within our family and we don’t want a situation where some members will feel bad and aggrieved. That is why we are here. We are also here to appeal to both sides to sheathe their swords and give us time to put this report together.”

    Oni, who apologised to the Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi-led faction for arriving behind schedule, agreed to hold the meeting at 8 pm.

    According to him, the committee will meet Governor Nasir El-Rufai before proceeding to the home of the party’s National Chairman, Northwest Zone, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, whose house was also demolished by El-Rufai on April 6, 2017.

    He appealed to the aggrieved party leaders to give peace a chance.

  • 2019: APC, PDP set for war in Kano, Kaduna, 13 other ‘fluid’ states

    2019: APC, PDP set for war in Kano, Kaduna, 13 other ‘fluid’ states

    •Why Buhari is serious with Tinubu’s committee
    •How defections, mergers, religious sentiments may alter parties game plans
    •APC leaders worry panic over girls’ abduction

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are poised for intense  battles in at least 15 states in next year’s elections, going by the opposition party’s plans.

    Top on the list of the states are Kano, Kaduna, Osun, Imo, Kogi, Bauchi, Kwara and Jigawa.

    The rest are Benue, Plateau, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Ekiti, The Nation gathered last night.

    Hints of what PDP has in stock to ‘wage the battles’ may have informed the decision of  President Muhammadu Buhari to raise the Tinubu Reconciliation Committee, and overrule the National Chairman the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on the way forward for the party.

    The PDP, sources said, has its plans well laid out including a resort to the use of religious sentiments to bait voters, where and when necessary.

    It is also not relenting in wooing some APC governors, ex-governors and no fewer than 22 Senators and 50 members of the House of Representatives to switch camps.

    Among those being targeted are Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

    Tinubu has however had talks with Saraki and Dogara.

    Details of the talks are yet unknown.

    The 22 Senators and 50 Representatives are said to be priming their possible defection for what a source described as a “strategic time when APC would have been decimated and too late to salvage anything.”

    Sources cited the recent decision of the National Assembly to  reorder  the sequence of the  2019 elections,  its  rejection of some executive plans and alleged  growing hostility to  the Buhari administration as  “forewarned signals” of the battle ahead.

    Investigation revealed that the APC and  PDP currently have a 50 – 50 per cent of winning the 14 fluid states depending  on “tactical manoeuvres in the next two to four months.

    The two parties have launched into talks with formidable leaders and game changers in the said states.

    A highly placed source said although  politicking  is not yet in full  swing for the 2019 elections, APC and PDP “are locked in a cold war of engaging in covert realignment and reconciliatory talks.

    “The PDP is desperate to decimate APC and give the ruling party a good fight in the affected 15 fluid states.

    “The presidency and some APC leaders have realized that the party machinery, as currently constituted, cannot respond to what is branded as ‘PDP menace’.

    “This is why President Muhammadu Buhari empanelled Asiwaju Tinubu and others to find remedial solutions.

    “It is tough for the two sides. While APC has internal crises in some of its strategic and huge votes’ states, PDP has time constraints and funding as its major problems. It is only the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike that is heavily funding the party.”

    The scenarios in the affected fluid states are as follows:

    In Kano, the PDP is desperately wooing Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso to team up with ex-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and other matchmakers to reclaim the state from APC.

    But there is challenge for the PDP in this regard: the irreconcilable political differences between Kwankwaso and Shekarau.

    A source said: “The two leaders are like oil and water. Oil will always float on water. If Kwankwaso returns to PDP, he will want the party’s presidential ticket and make a case for his stooge as the governorship flag bearer. He cannot have his cake and eat it.

    “PDP leaders in Kano State are saying that since Kwankwaso is politically frustrated, it is the party which should dictate its terms.”

    To checkmate PDP in Kano, Buhari’s strategists in the presidency are trying to woo Shekarau who used to be a staunch political ally of the president.

    A source said: “Were it not for the strain in Shekarau’s relationship with Buhari, his natural political habitat should be APC. Most of Shekarau’s friends, including the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, are in Buhari’s government.

    “Apart from wooing Shekarau, the presidency and some APC leaders prefer reconciliation with Kwankwaso who they know Governor Abdullahi Ganduje cannot match.

    Although a recent visit to Kano by the President was tumultuous, it was more of love for Buhari than a measure of electoral support. It may be a different ball game in 2019.

    “The alternative is to let Kwankwaso go to PDP and APC can scramble for votes with the opposition in Kano. Some opted for this option because Kwankwaso appears to be an anointed candidate of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.”

    The APC looks good to retain Osun State largely in view of the weak opposition offered by the PDP.

    The opposition party is facing a serious internal crisis.

    Sources said one way by which the PDP could make an impact  in the governorship election in the state is for    former Deputy Governor Iyiola Omisore  to forego his governorship ambition.

    The APC’s choice of its governorship candidate may also make or mar its chances.

    With the victory of Mr. Ademola Adeleke, in last year’s senatorial election, PDP is confident that APC is beatable in the coming governorship poll. But if achievements were anything to go by, Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s landmark performance has overshadowed PDP’s rule in Osun State.

    The situation in Kaduna is dicey because of the bitter rivalry between Governor Nasir el-Rufai and APC stalwarts who cannot be wished away.

    The unending guerrilla attacks on Southern Kaduna is an albatross which may take on religious colouration and affect the chances of the APC in Kaduna State.

     

    While APC and el-Rufai are clinging to the last straws, PDP is capitalizing on the combustion in APC to return to power in the crocodile state.

    The erratic nature of Governor Rochas Okorocha, his  controversial policies, monarchical tendencies, and  his plan to impose his son-in-law as APC governorship candidate, have  left a huge flank for PDP to exploit to get back to  power in the state in 2019.

    The wedge between the governor and his deputy has further made the state slippery for APC. It might be too late for Okorocha to retrace his steps.

    In Zamfara State, ex-Governor Ahmed Sani Yerima still holds the ace.

    Although Yerima is in APC, he is a beautiful bride being wooed by the PDP.

    The unusual quietness of the Sharia advocate is worrisome for APC because his loyalty to the ruling party is suspect. There are indications that the APC may not allow Yerima to produce the next governorship candidate of the party because the powers that be in the presidency appear to prefer the Minister of Defence, Gen. Mansur Dan Ali.

    The controversy  trailing the tenure of the Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulazeez Yari, the killings in the state, and alleged mismanagement of the state are causing an  image crisis for APC. And with a former Minister of Defence, Gen. Aliyu Gusau in PDP, the opposition party may have the upper hand in 2019.

    As for Kogi State, APC is already in turmoil with the winner-takes- all style of Governor Yahaya Bello.

    All that PDP requires to dislodge APC is to look for a credible governorship candidate from Kogi East which has a huge voting population strength.

    Bello is, no doubt, rabid in his ambition for a second term regardless of allegations of non-performance, non-payment of salary and pension arrears and autocratic tendency. Apart from Kogi Central, Bello might not get much support in Kogi East and Kogi West Senatorial districts.

    The herdsmen attacks on hapless citizens have made Benue State a lost territory for APC in 2019 going by the anger of the people of the state.

    Governor Samuel Ortom is said to be one leg in APC and another in PDP or any party depending on political exigency.

    PDP is already profiting from the crisis in Benue State with Governors Nyesom Wike and Ayo Fayose already pleading with Ortom to leave APC. The governor has also reconciled with the PDP financier in the state, ex-Governor Gabriel Suswam.

    But APC depends on the magic wands of Sen. George Akume, political dexterity of the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh and others to bail it out. APC may dump Ortom to try its luck of retaining the state. Whether PDP will accept Ortom back or not is a matter of conjecture.

    Unless Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State is more circumspect, the anger over herdsmen attacks on farmers in the Benue-Plateau valley may take a toll on APC’s chances in the state.

    Lalong first made a costly slip in his remarks on the invasion of Benue State but he quickly apologized after realizing the political implications of blaming Ortom for the killings. PDP is already painting APC and Lalong in bad light.

    The fate of PDP hangs in the balance in Ekiti State despite the vociferous nature of Governor Fayose who seems to have lost touch with the grassroots.

    The national secretariat of  PDP seemed  to have  come to terms with the possibility of  losing the state to the APC when it inaugurated a committee headed by ex-Senate President  David Mark to wade into the crisis in the state.

    If Fayose persists with his plan to impose his deputy as the PDP governorship candidate, the party may be running the risk of losing Ekiti.

    Even the APC has to get it right in picking its own flag bearer.

    Bauchi appears unpredictable having been ruled previously by the PDP and the defunct ANPP.

    It has a reputation for causing political upset and tension is already building up on account of the disagreement between the APC governor and some leaders like Speaker Yakubu Dogara and those regarded as Abuja-based politicians.

    If the APC resolves its intra-party squabbles, it can laugh last, otherwise the PDP may bounce back with the support of heavyweights like former Governor Isa Yuguda and ex-FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed.

    Dogara who comes from a minority group in the state may not wield much influence unless he works with the Hausa-Fulani.

    The APC and PDP can boast of being well entrenched in Adamawa, the home state of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar  who is determined to  make a strong showing to prove a point.

    The  First Lady Aisha Buhari, Governor Jibrilla Bindo, SGF Boss Mustapha, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Aisha Dahiru Modibbo (Binani),among others, to contend with.

    Ex-Governor Aliyu Wammakko of Sokoto State seems to hold the ace in deciding   the fate of APC and PDP in the state.

    The Senator, who was made the chairman of Northern Senators Forum last week in a palace coup, has proved to be a game changer. It is taken for granted in APC that Governor Aminu Tambuwal might exit PDP because of his political friend (Governor Nyesom Wike) who is working day and night to get him the PDP presidential ticket.

    The presidency is battling to hold Wammako down in APC with a wild card to state his terms. Yet, he is a loyalist of Senate President Bukola Saraki whose next political destination remains unknown.

    Kwara State looks a seamless ride for the Saraki Dynasty but the jolt it suffered from PDP during the last local government elections in the state is a pointer to a dangerous pattern that an upset is not impossible.

    It is uncertain if Saraki will remain in APC or return to PDP.

    There are strong rumours that he is headed for PDP which sparked a protest last week by some PDP members in the state.

    There are also reports about his most trusted ally, one Tunde Morakinyo, being regularly sighted with the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus. There are fears that something is in the works. But if Saraki returns to the PDP, the fight with APC in 2019 may turn out very dirty.

    The heavyweights in PDP are mostly products of the dynasty who have turned against their political roots. These political “rebels” may shift base to APC to tackle Saraki. The low performance of Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed has created much dilemma and liability for Saraki. Although the Senate President has launched a subtle plot to regain lost grounds, he needs to do more homework than a cosmetic solution.

    In Jigawa, the PDP is giving the APC sleepless nights with the rebound of ex-Governor Sule Lamido who is much loved by the people of the state.

    Concerning Nasarawa,  Governor Umar Tanko Al-Makura needs all the tact in the world  in choosing his successor to create a sense of belonging for all, otherwise the PDP may take advantage of any implosion in APC to win the state.

    The earlier the APC allows the Tinubu Committee to reconcile all without let or hindrance, the better for it.

    The forthcoming National Convention of the party will go a long way to define its stake in 2019.

    For PDP, it is already consolidating its gains by poaching APC members in the National Assembly.

    A source said: “PDP has perfected plans to decimate APC through mass defection, playing the religious card and propaganda.

    “The abduction of 105 girls from the Science College in Dapchi, Yobe State has put APC on electoral edge even in the North.  A timely rescue of the girls can boost the chances of APC. Or else, the incident will be a political weapon for PDP.

    “APC has a long road to travel. It needs to reconcile, renegotiate and reunite. Above all, the President is central to the unity of APC because he has not been politically large -hearted enough to many leaders of the party who toiled for him to win the 2015 poll. They are all afraid of giving him a second chance.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Kaduna: Has El-Rufai reached his wit’s end?

    Kaduna: Has El-Rufai reached his wit’s end?

    The stake has been high in Kaduna State in the last few days and it is obvious that things have fallen apart between Governor Nasir el-Rufai and his hitherto trusted political associates/co-conspirators, especially Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi.  Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation provides rare insights into how hitherto friends have become enemies overnight.

    FOR the resilient Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, this is not the best of times for him because his political roof is leaking. Although he is a veteran of many political battles, the fury of political fire in the state is a litmus test for his career. History has been kind to el-Rufai having won slippery battles against ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. The only outstanding is the cold war between him and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. Neither the governor nor his erstwhile godfather could say where their ‘war’ over his controversial book, Accidental Civil Servant will end.

    At the gubernatorial level, he has had to cope with internecine attacks on hapless citizens in Southern Kaduna;  the arduous task of managing the restiveness of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria(IMN) over the death of about 600 of their members and the detention of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-ZakyZaky; the aftermath of urban renewal drive in Kaduna and Zaria which has led to the demolition of 100 houses; and the political consequences of the sack and the recall of over 21,000 teachers who failed competency test.

    While trying to navigate all the gubernatorial challenges, events in the state took a new dimension on Monday with the demolition of a property of one of his new political rivals, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi. The house was situated at 11B Sambo Close in Kaduna.

    The controversial demolition has added a new vista to the ongoing consolidation of Nigeria’s nascent democracy which was birthed in 1999. In the First and Second Republics, the elements of axing of opponents (even hiding under the law) were prominent with such cases bordering on killings at rallies;  the jailing of political opponents; putting opposition leaders like the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the dock for treasonable felony; and the deportation of the ex-Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdulrahman Shugaba from Nigeria by the government of the defunct ational Party of Nigeria (NPN).

    But the Kaduna State Government, led by el-Rufai, upped the ante by taking full advantage of the laws to strike at Sen. Hunkuyi who was his political ally barely four years ago after many years of subterranean relationship. The National Vice Chairman (North-West), Alh. Inuwa Abdulkadir (who was a Minister) was the first victim on April 6, 2017 but his plight was consigned into the dustbin. With the bulldozers of Kaduna State Urban Planning Development Agency, he lost a four-bedroom duplex, a two-room chalet by the left hand side of the house and another four-room chalet behind the duplex. It was learnt that the structure was demolished because it was constructed without approval despite notices to stop work.

    El-Rufai had earned the ears of Abdulkadir as part of the permutations for a second term for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. With a heavy investment in Abdulkadir, el-Rufai was sure of hijacking the structure of the party and dictating the pace in the North-West on who gets what. But the hitherto compliant Abdulkadir suddenly asserted party supremacy and shifted loyalty to Governor Aminu Tambuwal, whose measured presidential ambition is giving Buhari’s strategists like el-Rufai some sleepless nights.

    How the crisis started

    The historic merger of parties into a coalition which brought about the All Progressives Congress (APC) led to the cohabitation of strange bed fellows in the new party at the national and state levels. Kaduna State was no exception with many respected but ambitious politicians coming under an umbrella. The list of APC stalwarts (mostly ex-this, ex-that) in Kaduna is legendary. These include: Nasir el-Rufai; ex-Rep Isa Ashiru; Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed (a former SSG and presently Chief of Staff to Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki); ex-Commissioner for Finance, Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi; a Rights Activist, Sen. Shehu Sani; Sen.  Danjuma Leah; Tijani Ramalan, Tom Matamaki Maiyashi, Yero Manama Rigachukwu (he has since left the party for PDP), Barnabas Bala Bantex, and Uba Sani.

    Others are Alhaji Idi Farouk, Husseni Dembo, Chief JD Ephraim, Ibrahim Bello Rigachukwu, Jibrin Adamu, Vice Admiral Ikwo Ibrahim (former Chief of Naval Staff), Auwal Gote, Alhaji Kabir Umar, Alhaji  Haruna Sa’eed, Hafsat Baba, Sheba Kura, Elias Kazah Aduwak, Kabiru Salihu, Murtala Mohammed, Alhaji Aminu Sani Gyallesu, and Alhaji Kabiru Ajuji.

    Initially, there was stress over who will be APC chairman in the state with eight leaders seeking the slot including Bala Bantex (who won the contest), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed (the favourite who lost the race); Maitamaki Tom Maiyashi and others. Some party chieftains fingered el-Rufai for installing Bantex as chairman more so when he eventually emerged as the State Deputy Governor. Even at that, the governor was given the benefit of doubt because of the larger picture of winning in the state and at the federal levels. In line with precedent, the governor has emerged as the leader of the party and he is calling the shots while other chieftains are plotting either how to rescue the party from his claws or undermine APC in Kaduna State before defecting to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or any coalition.

    With the party at his beck and call, it was easier for Kaduna APC to suspend Sen. Shehu Sani, Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi and 28 others. In retaliation, Hunkuyi and others in Restoration Group faction of APC queried el-Rufai, suspended the governor’s Special Adviser on Political Matters and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Comrade Uba Sani and the Commissioner for Finance among others. The battle line has been drawn between the governor and the Restoration Group which believes that the National Headquarters of the party is backing el-Rufai.

    The presence of these heavyweights in the party accounted for the tension which also beclouded the December 5, 2014 governorship primaries of APC in Kaduna State. The results of the primaries were: El Rufai (1,965); Isa Ashiru (1,379); Haruna Saeed (127); Shamsedeen Abdullahi Ango (25); and Salihu Mohammed Lukman (22).

    Like every governor in his generation, el-Rufai was alleged to have adopted the winner-takes-all syndrome including a total control of the party’s structure.  It was gathered that he was disturbed by the cold attitude of some stalwarts to his campaign, especially his closest rival, Isa Ashiru. Although Ashiru produced the Director-General for el-Rufai’s campaign, he was accused of being more interested in the Sokoto Governorship Election than Kaduna’s. No matter the pretence of all the APC stakeholders in Kaduna State, the wounds of the governorship primaries and the 2015 poll have not been healed.

    In fairness, el-Rufai initially tried to carry all the chieftains on appointments but the romance did not last as he became the butt of attacks with the most biting being the appointment of some Katsina/Yoruba technocrats and associates as key aides. The appointment of Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman as Chief of Staff, Jimi Lawal (Deputy Chief of Staff) and Muyiwa Adekeye as the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity created much sensation in the state.

    To compound the frosty relationship between the governor and APC leaders in the state, el-Rufai floated an austere policy which led to drastic cut of wasteful spending, aggressive tax/revenue drive;   a strict procurement process, the cancellation of feeding during Ramadan, ban on sponsorship of pilgrimage to Hajj and Jerusalem, stoppage of stipends and financial patronage of the past; urban renewal leading to a ban on hawking/ street trading  and what his opponents described as ‘contract award to some favoured clique.’ An opponent of el-Rufai said: “We felt his government has been tightening the noose on us ahead of hanging the poor man in the state. The middle class is barely breathing and the rich are surviving but cringing too.” An aide to el-Rufai said: “It is not true that the state economic policy is harsh, In May 2015, the monthly allocation to Kaduna State was N2.5billion and by June, it dropped to N2.2billion. It has been difficult for all states to survive. Yet, Governor el-Rufai has been paying workers’ salaries as and when due and he is carrying out massive infrastructural developments in the state. These were achievable through a human face revenue drive and

    El-Rufai’s anger with Hunkuyi

    More than any APC stalwarts, Sen. Hunkuyi was the toast of el-Rufai and he was allegedly central to the divide and rule policy of the governor.  He was rated as the largest beneficiary from el-Rufai. Apart from a “disputed N126million personal campaign assistance which an aide to the governor claimed to have showered on Hunkuyi, records indicated that he was luckier than others. Some of his relations who secured appointments under el-Rufai are Alh. Idris Othman (a Honourary Advisor to the Governor); Hassan Usman Mahmud (Commissioner for Rural Community Development), who was formerly in charge of Ministry of Works; Alh. Hamidu Othman (Commissioner in Kaduna State Civil Service Commission); and Dauda Hunkuyi who is presently the chairman of Kudan Local Government Area in the state.

    As a benefactor, el-Rufai wielded influence to ensure the election of Hunkuyi as a Senator. Prior to el-Rufai’s intervention, Hunkuyi has never won any election despite his cash war chest as a former Commissioner for Finance in the state under ex-Governor Ahmed Makarfi. He was said to be emerging as a serial election loser until a political lifeline came from el-Rufai. Hunkuyi contested and lost governorship to Makarfi in 2003 and left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In 2007, he returned to PDP and lost the primaries to ex-Governor Namadi Sambo (who later became Vice President) and in 2011, he suffered a similar fate with ex-Governor Ramalan Yero securing the party’s nomination. But in 2015, with the backing of el-Rufai, he became a Senator by securing 447, 919 votes to defeat his former boss, Makarfi, who had 136,197 votes in the race for Kaduna North Senatorial District.

    The audacity of forming a faction of the All Progressives Congress(APC) and the use of his company’s office at 11B Sambo Close, Kaduna allegedly angered the governor who explored “legal infractions” of Hunkuyi in managing his estate to invoke the laws. A top source said Hunkuyi’s case was “like that of a man living in a glass house and throwing stones. Technically, Hunkuyi violated the law by not paying ground rent on the demolished property for eight years and sheer failure to re-certify the same building. Politically, if there was no crisis of confidence between him and the governor, it would have been expedient to give Hunkuyi a second chance to comply with the laws. But the Kaduna State Government did not give him a breathing space because of the change of use of the property to serve as a secretariat for a faction of APC in the state. El-Rufai saw Hunkuyi as an ingrate because when he was to be recalled as Senator, el-Rufai stuck out his neck and resisted the plot.”

    On the surface, a statement by the Director-General of the Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), Ibrahim Husseini, attributed the demolition to the long arms of the law. The statement said in part: “…The Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency (KAPSUDA) is currently undertaking operations across Kaduna metropolis in compliance with its mandate. In partnership with sister agencies, KASUPDA is clearing illegal structures, tackling street hawking and restoring order across Kaduna.

    “This morning (Monday) a building on 11B Sambo Close was removed for flagrant violations of land use and non-payment of ground rent since 2010. This illegal violation of use had begun to distress neighbours who were being forced to endure an influx of thugs and blockage of the road.

    “The Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS) issued a revocation notice of statutory right of occupancy No. KD. 16712, that covers 11b Sambo Close in the Ungwan Rimi area. The appropriate notice of revocation was delivered at 28 Inuwa Wada Road, the registered address of the company that held the title to the property. The notice was also delivered to the building in question, and sent by post to the registered address of the previous title holder.

    “The land has now been allocated to KASUPDA for the purpose of developing and maintaining a public park that will provide a green area and a serene place for recreation in that residential neighbourhood.

    “KADGIS wishes to remind all title owners to be fastidious in complying with the terms of their allocation. The purpose of allocation of land cannot be wilfully altered; neither can title holders lawfully neglect to pay their ground rents.

    “Since 2016, the government has been taking action on various land related matters, including revoking all undeveloped land titles in the state and directed that all abandoned buildings be developed within three months of the notice.

    “The Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), as the government agency charged with ultimate responsibility on land matters in Kaduna State, calls for the utmost cooperation by the public with all our agencies.”

    On his part, Hunkuyi said the demolition was the 12th time he would suffer persecution in the hands of el-Rufai. He alleged on the floor of the Senate that he had been attacked by thugs about 11 times.

    He said: “I stand to formally and officially report that this morning as early as 4:30am, the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir-el-rufai, led a team of soldiers and policemen to 11 Sambo Road where he personally supervised a demolition of our new APC office which happened to be the property belonging to Sen. Suleiman Hukunyi.

    “This comes a year after the same governor demolished the residence of Alhaji Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, the National Vice Chairman Northwest of the APC. This is a series of arbitrariness of tyranny perpetuated by the governor against dissenting opposition voices in the state.

    “It is of concern that the governor of the state is in the habit of name dropping the name of Mr. President. There are reports and claims that the Governor has been saying and has been acting with the authority and on behalf of the President. That his action has the official stamp and go ahead of the president to eradicate and dislodge and at the same time bring an end to opposing and dissenting voices within the party.

    “My constituency office was attacked by violent thugs more than 11 times and it has also even been very clear that armed military police men have been consistently used by the governor to intimidate and harass people who don’t agree with him.

    “It is of concern that after 20 years of military that a man with such a rapid ambition and arrogance of power can appropriate for himself the power to act outside of the law. How can a democratically-elected governor demolish a house without notice? Simply for the fact that we have set up office different form the one he has personalized himself as a so-called party man.

    “It is of concern to us that these actions by the governor have been done in the name of Mr. President who he believe he is his son and that he so much loves. Governor Nasir el-Rufai is an affliction on the people of Kaduna State and a curse to us.

    “We will use this opportunity to call on Mr. President to caution his beloved son who has unleashed a reign of terror and has behaved in the most despicable and irresponsible way.”

    Why the governor is at daggers drawn with Sen. Shehu Sani?

    The struggle for the “common man” was the common front which el-Rufai and Sen. Shehu Sani pretentiously assumed to have shared. Disputably, el-Rufai’s group had been calling that the governor bankrolled the 2015 Senatorial election of Sani (a bare-handed and poor Rights Activist) with about N109million and they are in shock that he has not reciprocated the gestures. Since July 2015(two months after el-Rufai was inaugurated), the two leaders had been fighting. A reliable source said: “The problem with Shehu Sani began in July 2015 when he started attacking the government over our stand against hawking at strategic locations and  banning of some destitute from the streets following July 2015 bombings in Sabon Gari Local Government Area during teachers verification. He ignored the fact that the action of the government followed security reports which turned out to be true. He opposed the measures on the ground that he is protecting the talakawas.

    “Sani kept attacking the all policies and actions of the government. He was involved in several activities that undermined the party, the government and the governor. He joined the group of those accusing the governor of forming a government of people who are not indigenous to Kaduna State forgetting he is also not indigenous in Kaduna State.”

    Senator Sani however explained why he has been fighting el-Rufai based on principles. In an interview with Premium Times, he said: “What is going on in Kaduna State is not personal, but more ideological, particularly the way our people are treated and governance is going on. I wanted to contest the governorship of the state in 2015. I opened offices in the three senatorial zones of the state. Later, there were pressures on me to step down by people who said there was a preferred candidate, who was Nasir el Rufai. I listened to them and stepped down. I went on to contest for the Senate. But, there was incumbent Senator, that contested the primaries, and I ejected him, by winning the ticket.

    “Nasir did not contest against an APC governor. He contested with others who were also not governors and won. Nasir and Isa Ashiru were the two major contenders out of the five that contested the primaries with Nasir.  Nasir got about 1,600 votes in the primaries from the three senatorial zones. I got over 920 votes from one senatorial district. If I had contested the governorship, he could not have beaten me. I contested the Senatorial election and won. And the two gubernatorial candidates all have their preferred senatorial candidates.  Nasir had his own preferred senatorial candidate, who was the incumbent, General Sani, whom I removed. The other candidate also had another preferred candidate, Sani Suleiman, the former local government chairman. One can see that the two gubernatorial candidates had their own senators they want to work with. And I combined both Nasir and his opponent and thrashed all of them in the election.

    “I told them that I was going to win this seat without giving anybody any kobo. I challenge any politician in Kaduna under APC to come and say that he did not give people money to win elections in the state. Having won the primaries and general elections, we decided to say let’s work together for the success of the party. I won my senate elections before Nasir won his gubernatorial elections. After the victory, Nasir set up a transition committee and put all the other senators, and even the senatorial candidate who lost the elections, without my name there.  I had to draw his attention to that omission. As a sitting senator, there is no way a transition committee would be set up without my name there.

    “He said it was an oversight and assured me that my name would be included. During his inauguration and swearing in, I was there.  We went round during the campaigns. After he won, it came to the point of sharing positions, he asked me to send the list of my people for appointment, which I did. But he threw the list away and decided to allocate some Commissioners to the other senator representing zone 1, and from my zone, he gave it to the person I defeated in the primaries. Even my local government, no appointment, not even a councillor was considered.

    “Will Nasir el-Rufai be happy for the President to be giving appointment to the person he defeated in primary elections without consulting him? Will he be happy for the President of our country to be asking his opponent to give the list of ministerial and Board appointments, only for it to be thrown away?

    “So, what he was doing was simply gathering opposition and empowering people who are determined to fight me.  He never knew that I am an old fighter. He said he is stubborn, but he cannot be more stubborn than a person who spent so many years in jail. I believe Nasir’s men came to the political scene in 1999, whereas I have been in the trenches even before anybody heard of Nasir’s name. You go back to Abacha and Babangida eras and see how we stood up against military dictatorship and tyranny.

    “Kaduna is a place I was born, live and won my election. I never lived in Abuja. All my family are in Kaduna. There is no street in Kaduna that I don’t know people and people do not know me. Since 1998, when we came out of prison, I have never stepped out of Kaduna for more than one week. So, one can see how entrenched I am there. That is why I said I will win election without giving anybody any kobo. And people never believed. But, by God’s grace it happened. I did.

    “The second issue is the way he is running Kaduna State since he took over. First, he appointed about seven party executives into his government, namely the state Chairman of the party, who is now the deputy governor; State secretary, who is a Commissioner; the auditor, also a Commissioner; assistant Legal Adviser, now also a Commissioner; Financial Secretary, organizing Secretary, now the Chairman, Publicity Secretary, Auditor, ex-officio members are all Chairmen of local government councils. You don’t do things like that and expect people to keep quiet. You must separate the party from the government. Effectively today, in Kaduna there is no APC executive, because all members of the executive are in Nasir’s cabinet.

    “Three, on the issue of demolitions, I could not have said anything if Nasir said he was recovering lands from hospitals, schools, and the affected persons have been given alternative lands or where to go. When you see a house, one is talking about the entire family, consisting husband, wife, children, grandchildren and livelihood tied to the family.

    “Nasir simply gave them two weeks to vacate before sending bulldozers to pull down everything. Abuja of 2007 is definitely not the same thing as Kaduna 2015. In a democracy, whatever you want to do people must be carried along.

    “Now, Nasir sent bulldozers to demolish houses belonging to families, rendering them homeless, particularly women and children, who were scattered everywhere. Nasir does not know Kaduna, because he has spent so much time in Abuja to the point that he does not know what Kaduna is about. He does not know the sensitivity of those places, and the problem that action is going to generate.

    “On the hawkers, students of political science and political economy would know that whatever policy direction is taking place, one must decide which side one belongs. Nasir belongs to the ultra-conservative rightist reactionary group. They are for privatization, elite, bourgeois and bourgeois reforms and capitalist ideas. They see people as statistics for GNP (gross national product) and GDP (gross domestic product). Nasir is a man, who, all his life, has espoused capitalist ideas and conservative rightist philosophy. I am from the political left, rooted with the masses. In all our ideas, we are concerned about how we can carry the people along.

    “The hawkers we see on the roads are the by-products of an exploitative and repressive socio-economic system to which the likes of Nasir el Rufai have propagated all the years. You don’t address the problem of beggars by packing them in a vehicle and sending them to their state of origin. The same people in the North who cried that Lagos, Port Harcourt and other states in South were throwing away beggars are the ones now doing same in Kaduna.

    “For me, before one takes an action there must be an alternative. For those he demolished their houses, he never gave them an option. For the beggars he sent out of the streets, he never gave them an alternative means of livelihood, by giving them capital to start their business. All the three attempts he has made have failed.  The beggars are back in the streets. The hawkers are back to business. His demolition cannot proceed. This is to show you that if that policy was actually in the best interest of the people, they could have been effective.

    External factors in the crisis

    Apart from local forces, the PDP and some APC bigwigs from outside the state are really fighting him. Some have accused him of being obsessed with the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari and he has used the project to fence off many friends, associates and stalwarts of the President from the presidency. Strategists of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki had implicated him in the trial of their principal at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. At a point, it was discovered that he was listed as a witness against Saraki by the Code of Conduct Bureau. Following the leakage however, el-Rufai’s name was later struck out. In a subtle diplomatic way, Saraki pulled a fast string by appointing Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who is a political “opponent” of the governor as his Chief of Staff. This is a signal of the battle ahead for el-Rufai. Saraki may also fight a proxy war having defeated a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation,  Babachir Lawal who was alleged to be part of the  Code of Conduct Tribunal saga.

    El-Rufai’s contempt for ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar is discernible. Those loyal to Atiku within APC are only bidding time to pay the governor back in his own coin. It was also gathered that some members of Buhari’s cabal and APC governors are not on the same page with el-Rufai. They are suspecting him of having a presidential ambition if there is any political slip. He is also said to be working in tandem with 13 APC governors on Buhari’s project to the political detriment of others.

    A member of the cabal said: “We are only watching his footsteps and watching our back too. It can be goodnight in Abuja but in el-Rufai’s Kaduna, it may be good morning.”

    To the PDP, it is suspicious of el-Rufai to allegedly be sponsoring the presidential ambition of Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State to create discontent in the party.

    Options before el-Rufai, Hunkuyi, Sani, and Kaduna APC stakeholders

    The governor and his team are of the opinion that since the nation is in a democracy, whoever is aggrieved on any issue including demolition should go to court. A three-man delegation of the state government which was led the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters and Inter-Governmental Relations, Uba Sani made the government’s position known  in Abuja.

    Others in the team were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Samuel Aruwan.

    Sani, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, said Sen. Hunkuyi was deceiving the public because he allegedly violated the law and it caught up with him.

    He also described Hunkuyi and Shehu Sani as “paper weight politicians who have lost relevance politically.”

    He said: “This demolition is legal because the terms of use were violated by Sen. Hunkuyi. On Wednesday last week, a private property in a residential area was converted to a non-existing factional party office. Then, all sorts of characters started menacing the neighbourhood with streets blocked and access denied innocent residents. The Certificate of Occupancy is clear that you cannot change or violate the use.

    “You cannot hold brief for Hunkuyi on this matter at all. The demolition was done without malice or political motives. The state government, through the appropriate agency, has demolished over 100 houses in the last one year including 40 in Kaduna and dozens in Zaria, which is part of Hunkuyi’s Senatorial District.

    “But because the houses belonged to poor people, there was no noise and the public did not hear of it. Even Hunkuyi did not come out to defend these poor citizens in his district.

    “Also, on the same property, Hunkuyi has not paid the ground rent in the last eight years. It is clearly stated in the enabling law that if you don’t pay your rent, the C of O will be revoked.

    “The property in question at 11B Sambo Close is a residential apartment. The title wax properly revoked and the revocation notice served, pasted and sent through Express Post.

    “The Kaduna State Urban Planning and Developing Agency (KASAUDA) has been issuing notice o owners of houses to pay ground rent.

    “The notice affected me as a house owner in Kaduna. I did not sit down to say I am a Political Adviser and I won’t pay ground rent or do recertification. I have paid my ground rent and did the recertification of my title.”

    Responding to a question, Sani said the timing of the demolition was not wrong.

    He added: “As far as the timing is concerned, it is perfect, there is nothing wrong with the timing. The demolition was not persecution at all. Hunkuyi can lie about the facts like he did but the truth is that the state government enforced the laws.

    “We have the laws on our side. If Hunkuyi feels aggrieved, let him go to court. Anybody that thinks the demolition is illegal should also go to court. The Judiciary is there as the final arbiter on this matter.

    “You cannot be in violation of the law and when action is taken, you will now start complaining of persecution. We are going to do the right thing no matter whose ox is gored. If the people of the state think what we are doing is right, they will re-elect us back to power and if they feel what we did was wrong, they will not.

    “I am quite sure that none of us will argue that if you become an opponent of the government, you have acquired immunity to violate the law.”

    On its part, the APC believes that it could still resolve the impasse through dialogue. On Thursday, it raised a committee to look into the crisis. A  statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi said: “After its executive session which held yesterday, the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has decided as follows: “That the unfolding situation in Kaduna State is

     

  • Adeosun, Fowler for Kaduna tax amnesty symposium

    Adeosun, Fowler for Kaduna tax amnesty symposium

    The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun will on Thursday, March , lead a  Federal Government delegation to the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) stakeholders’ symposium in Kaduna State.

    The VAIDS stakeholders’ symposium is being hosted by the Kaduna State Government, and will be attended by the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai; Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Babatunde Fowler members of the State Executive Council, members of the State House of Assembly, and traditional rulers.

    Also expected at the tax amnesty sensitisation forum, according to a statement issued by the FIRS, are business leaders, business owners and groups, tax advisers, captains of industries as well as professional and artisan bodies, among other strategic economic groupings within Kaduna State and environs.

    The statement noted that the VAIDS stakeholders’ symposium was aimed at promoting greater public understanding of the procedure for the tax amnesty scheme. “The one-day stakeholder engagement event by the Federal Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Kaduna State government is aimed at forging mutually beneficial cooperation between the Government and diverse socio-economic interest groups for the success of the VAIDS scheme”, the government agency said.

  • Baba in Otuoke

    Baba in Otuoke

    In his January 23 “special press statement”, former President Olusegun Obasanjo used endearing words for former President Goodluck Jonathan whose fall from office he masterminded. Before the 2015 elections, Baba, Obasanjo’s pet name, had written to Jonathan, urging him to change his style or face the electorate’s wrath. Titled : ‘’Before it is too late’’, Obasanjo told Jonathan that he would not back him for a second term. Reason : Jonathan, according to him, has failed.

    Referring to this letter in his statement tagged : “The way out : A clarion call for Coalition for Nigeria Movement”, Obasanjo said he took the unusual step of going against his own party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election to support the opposite side because “Nigeria must be good at home to be good abroad’’. The thrust of his argument was that President Muhammadu Buhari should not go for a second term, just the same homily he preached to Jonathan three years ago.

    To justify his position, he said: “Even the horse rider then, with whom I maintain very cordial, happy and social relationship today has come to realise his mistakes and regretted it publicly and I admire his courage and forthrightness in this regard… The situation that made Nigerians to vote massively to get my brother Jonathan off the horse is playing itself out again…” Expectedly, Obasanjo’s statement created a storm, which has yet to die down.

    Never one to back down from a cause, he took time out to see Jonathan in Otuoke during his visit to Bayelsa State last week. Baba was said to have arrived in the Jonathans’ countryhome without pomp. It was a private visit – after all what is bad in an ex-president calling on another ex-leader. Sources said they poured their hearts out to each other. Baba, it was said, told Jonathan not to take what he did to him while in office personal. “You know I cannot keep quiet when things are not going well in Nigeria. I fought a war to keep this country together and I cannot look the other way or keep quite when things are not working”, he was quoted as saying.

    He was not done. “I came to see you to show that I have no ill-feeling towards you; I have come as a friend to seek your hand in cooperation in order to get Nigeria working again. Things have become worse since you left office. Yes, I supported Buhari against you because I thought I knew him well and that he will deliver. I made an error of judgement, which I am willing to correct now. But I cannot do it alone; I need others in my club (ex-leaders) in this crusade. I will be reaching out to others to sound them out too. You can see that Ibrahim (Babangida) is already on the same page with me.

    “We must fight together to save Nigeria from poor leadership. We have the men (and women) who can do the job. We have to fish them out and guide them on to the right path in the interest of our country. In a country of over 180 million, people abound that can be president. If we search well, we will get them. We even know some of them; they might have worked with us while we were in office. Let us encourage them to come out and be counted on the side of their country. Nigeria needs them now and it is our duty to get them to come out. I want to be able to face my Maker and tell Him that I left Nigeria in good hands when I get over there”.

    Jonathan was said to have listened with rapt attention to Baba. Responding, he thanked Baba for coming, promising to return the visit soon. He made it clear that the leadership problem was that of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the PDP is ready to wrest power back from it. ‘’I thank you Your Excellency for your visit. You know I hold you in high esteem and that I have always done what you want me to do. But on this your request I have to consult my people. I belong to the PDP which membership card you tore publicly in Abeokuta, Ogun State. We do not hold that against you as everybody is entitled to right to freedom of association. We still believe you belong to us except you say you are no longer with us.

    “We see this as a problem of the ruling party which the PDP should cash on to return to power in 2019. I also believe in Nigeria. For me, it is Nigeria first. That was why I accepted defeat in the 2015 election. We will not rest on our oars until we regain power. Baba, I have heard you and I promise you that I will convey your message to my people. Thank you for coming sir and see you soon in Abeokuta”.

     

     

    Kaduna’s Mr Bulldozer

    In Nigeria, those in power do not like to be challenged. They see themselves as demi-gods to whom all must defer. You do not bow before them at your own peril. And many of us are ready to lick their ass  because  we want to curry their favour. By so doing, we have unwittingly conferred them with the power they do not have – that of life and death. As powerful as the president and governors are, there is a limit to what they can do as human beings. Yes, they can get people arrested and detained. Yes, they can give you that multi-billion naira contract. But can they give life and death? Yet, they like to play god. Or how do we explain what happened in Kaduna on Tuesday where the property of a politician was demolished all because of his differences with Governor Nasir El-Rufai? Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi and El-Rufai belong to the same party –  All Progressives Congress (APC) – but the battle for the soul of the state has pitched them against each other. That is expected in politics. The party’s  state executive committee is divided over them. A faction led by the chairman is with El-Rufai and another faction headed by the vice chairman is on Hunkuyi’s side. The other day, the El-Rufai faction suspended Hunkuyi; the Hunkuyi loyalists fired back by suspending El-Rufai. His Excellency, the governor aka the accidental public servant did not like that a bit. What did he do? Remember, he was minister in Abuja, where he took delight in demolishing people’s houses? That was the treatment he gave to Hunkuyi on Tuesday shortly after the senator was served with a contravention notice, which claimed that he has not paid ground rent for eight years. Before the senator could react to the notice, El-Rufai’s henchmen came calling in the wee hours of Tuesday and demolished the building housing his APC faction. It was the height of intolerance, which no rational being would have expected of someone like El-Rufai. Is this how professionals in politics will play the game? Even touts will not descend this low. El-Rufai has done his worse, but Hunkuyi has remedy in law, and let nobody tell me that a governor cannot be sued. A governor, who abuses the privileges of his office like El-Rufai should be ready to face the consequences of his action. Being governor does not make him an overlord. And what law was Hunkuyi said to have broken? They said he was using the building for political activities instead of residential for which he was granted approval! So, demolition is the cure for that, barely 12hours after serving the owner with a contravention notice. Haba! Mr Governor. Surely, we have not heard the last about this matter.

  • Kaduna: Court jails man one month for breaking traffic rule

    Kaduna: Court jails man one month for breaking traffic rule

    A Sharia Court in Kaduna on Wednesday sentenced 34-year-old Godwin Abu to one month in prison for wrong parking of vehicle and driving without license.

    Abu, who resides at Unguwan Gimbiya, Sabo Area, was convicted after he pleaded guilty to the charge bordering on breaking road traffic rule.

    The convict pleaded for leniency.

    The Judge, Mallam Saad, however, gave the convict an option of N2,000 fine and warned him to always obey traffic rules.

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, Ibrahim Yunusa, had told the court that the police on patrol arrested Abu on Feb. 20 along Sabon-Gari Road where he parked a vehicle wrongly.

    “When the policemen stopped the driver for disobeying traffic rules, they asked for his driver’s licence which he couldn’t produce,’’ he said.

    Yunusa said the offence contravened Section 10 (1) of the Road Traffic Act.

    NAN

  • ‘GOC not involved’

    The 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna yesterday denied the alleged involvement of soldiers in the demolition of the Kaduna State secretariat of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    The denial followed a call by the affected faction of the APC for the removal of Division’s GOC over alleged partisanship.

    A statement by Col. Muhammad Dole, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations,, denied that soldiers were involved in the demolition of the APC secretariat early Tuesday in Kaduna.

    “The allegation and the attempt to drag the Nigerian Army into the issue of demolition is yet another baseless and unsubstantiated claim to malign the hardworking, loyal and professional officers and soldiers of 1 Division Nigerian Army and discredit them.

    “Contrary to claims, the troops of 1 Division have not been involved in any illegal activity of either harassment of politicians or demolition of their properties in Kaduna and its environs.

  • Reps probe Benue, Rivers, Kaduna, other killings

    Reps probe Benue, Rivers, Kaduna, other killings

    Military service and intelligence chiefs are to face the House of Representatives over killings in Benue, Rivers, Zamfara and other states across the country.

    The service chiefs are to avail the lawmakers with details of their intervention and strategies aimed at preventing future occurrence, it learnt yesterday.

    The lawmakers, however, expressed concerns over a stereotypical attribution of every killing to a particular group, irrespective of where they took place.

    They said such conclusions hinder paths to enduring solutions to the challenge.

    Speaking at a news briefing yesterday, Chairman of the ad hoc committee mandated to carry out the investigation Pally Iriase said the House was not unaware of a number of efforts and approaches by other organs and agencies of government to tackle the problem.

    Iriase, who is also the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, however, regretted that the efforts, while still ongoing, were being impacted by “strait – laced narratives, political innuendos and ethno-religious distrust”.

    He said: “In fact, some of these strait-laced narratives have tended to ascribe all killings to a single cause, thus jettisoning the need to rigorously interrogate the happenings with an open, unbiased and nonpartisan mind.

    “The seven-man Committee is bipartisan, multi-ethnic and multi-religious in composition and we are enjoined to approach this important national assignment with an open mind and adopt an intelligence gathering focus.

    “To achieve our goal in this onerous task, we have adopted a proactive approach that will see us embark on visitation and interaction with victims by visiting a number of carefully selected areas that have been attacked severally, interact with the victims, survivors and other critical stakeholders.

    “We will also interact with the security chiefs, in addition to our foreign partners.”

    Iriase added: “To assure Nigerians that it is going to be an all – inclusive engagement, a public hearing that will afford Nigerians the opportunity to air their grievances and proffer solutions will also be conducted.”

  • BREAKING: Kaduna factional APC secretariat demolished

    BREAKING: Kaduna factional APC secretariat demolished

    The recently commissioned factional office of the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Kaduna State has been demolished.

    The faction had after the opening of the parallel office on 11A Sambo road last week Thursday, issued query to Governor Nasir El-Rufai and suspended three of his allies.

    Three days after the query, precisely on Sunday, the Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi led faction suspended Governor El-Rufai for six months, giving El-Rufai’s failure to answer the query issued him as reason.

    ALSO READ: APC senator declares interest to unseat El-Rufai

    However, The Nation gathered that, the secretariat was demolished around 5am on Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, when our correspondent visited the site around 8am, stern looking thugs were on ground, keeping vigil at the ruins of the building and brandishing their already loaded catapults, an indication that, they were ready for war.

    However, as at the time of filing this report, no official of the faction had made any comment on the development.

    Details later…..