The Nation Newspaper

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  • One ‘Kanu’ for a thousand ‘fraudsters’ (I)

    United States of America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI recently released a list of 77 Nigerians resident in the U.S. that it had indicted for cyber fraud. The bureau indicated also that investigations are continuing and that the possibility that there may be here in Nigeria is not foreclosed. And it was cheering to hear one of President Buhari’s media aides, my friend and colleague Garba Shehu, on national television pledging Nigeria’s cooperate with the United States including, whenever necessary, to extradite any of her nationals implicated in this new but fast spreading species of international crime called ‘cyber fraud’. And ‘why not?’ If Nigeria cannot take care of her home-grown thieving rodents which she now exports abroad, she must not be niggardly with the charity of her cooperation to nip in the bud, the existential threat posed at home and abroad to unsuspecting transactors by this lazy, avidly greedy strain of criminals skilled electronically at stealing others’ hard-earned purses and coming home with the flashy, peacock flamboyance of celebrated nouveau riches to throw their filthy lucre at clubs and in the hallowed houses of worship –and which they do often in a most despicably profligate manner that taunts society, offends her morality and then instigate the youths to a form of wealth-seeking that draws no line between the lawful and the criminal or the permissible and the sinful.

    And just as I was weighing the possibility of doing a piece on the extradition relationship between Nigeria and the United States, another friend and colleague of mine, Gbenga Oni-Olusola somewhere on his Facebook wall, was wondering why America –with whom Nigeria enjoys an excellent entente cordiale- should not be helping her extradite her lone, irritable fugitive currently hibernating in that country, namely Nnamdi Kanu –leader of the outlawed terrorist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB? And to which I also wondered ‘why not?’ Especially considering the fact that ‘extradition’ in international law –not being regulated by a United Nations instrument- is supposed to be a mutually-beneficial treaty of reciprocity between and among nations to bring their fugitives to justice who have either committed grave offences under their national laws or who may have committed any of the offences listed under the Geneva Convention which are of serious concern to the international community, namely genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace and the crimes of aggression. Thus generally given the principle of sovereign equality of states, no country is obligated to surrender especially her nationals to another state, –except such obligation by which it has freely bound itself under an extradition treaty, subject to the principle of pacta sunt servanda – enforcing the sanctity of ‘international agreements’. And it is the absence of a universal instrument commanding a duty of cooperation with extradition requests that has caused a wave of mutually beneficial treaties signed bilaterally or multi-laterally between and among nations. Reason it is defined as a ‘cooperative law enforcement practice’ regulated by treaties of ‘reciprocity’.

    Extradition is not a gratuity. It is ‘give-and-take’. Yet it can be marred by the self-aggrandizement of one or the mutually-grandstanding of two signatories to an existing treaty. Nations bear a duty of cooperation with the extradition requests of countries with whom they have covenanted to exchange fugitives (so they do not do unto those that which they would not want those to do unto them). But they also enjoy the right to renege on their treaty obligations in deference again to their right under the principle of reciprocity (so that they may ‘do unto those that which those have done unto them). Because the moral is clear under treaties of extradition that no country’s fugitive is more irritable or extraditable than another’s. Your fugitive hiding in our country is no more extraditable than ours hiding in yours. The presumption being that they have both violated national or international laws. Yet our fugitive becomes even more justifiably extraditable if from the sanctuary you have provided him, he persists in his treasonable and seditious acts against our country. Or why should we extradite to you a national of ours who has merely stolen from a numerable number of your citizens when you will not extradite to us our national who, from the comfort of your sanctuary, continues to endanger the peace and security of an entire nation? It may be ab-normal in social relationships to trade ‘a Roland for an Oliver’, but in international law and especially under treaties of extradition, trading ‘Rolands for Olivers’ is the veritable norm.

    Unfortunately, the history of Nigeria-U.S. extradition relations does not reveal a mutually beneficial journey of ‘give-and-take’ or even a rebuffing odyssey of mutual non-cooperation. Rather it reveals a non-reciprocal, self-denigrating, one-sided posture whereby Nigeria has always been the one falling head-over-heels to extend to the United States gratuitous extradition ‘rights’ and privileges. Nigeria-U.S. extradition relationship dates back 80 years ago with the signing in December 22, 1931 of an extradition treaty which would enter into force four years later in June 24, 1935. And since then it is said that Nigeria has extradited countless number of fugitives –both Nigerians and Americans- to the United States for offences ranging from drug, advance fee fraud and terrorism. Most recent of these was in August 28, 2013 by a court-ordered extradition to the U.S. of one Lawal Olaniyi Babafemi for providing support to al-Qaida in the recruitment of members. Plus Nigeria has been falling head over heels in the last few years hoping to ingratiate America with the planned extradition of Buriji Kashamu, a Nigerian senator from the Southwest accused of drug-dealing -even as it is alleged that there was no official request to that effect by the United States. And now even before the United States communicates a formal request to Nigeria for the extradition, ironically, of yet-to-be-determined cyber crime accomplices to the indicted 77, we are proudly offering to extradite.

    In fairness to the United Kingdom, U.K. she had once, in 1962 extradited to Nigeria a political fugitive, Anthony Enahoro under the ‘Commonwealth Transfer of Offenders Law, so that he be tried in Lagos for treasonable felony and conspiracy to effect an unlawful purpose against the Balewa Government. But there is hardly any record indicating that Nigeria has ever demanded or requested any extradition rights or privileges from the United States; as there is hardly any too indicating that the United States herself, in the spirit of bilateral reciprocity, has ever respected Nigeria enough to willfully –even if haughtily and benevolently- offer to her such rights or privileges. We have continued to give and give to America extradition gratuity that America has never ever reciprocated. On the contrary –even if with a bit of ironic arrogance- the U.S. State Department in 2009 had the ungrateful nerve to describe Nigeria’s extradition practice and procedure as constituting obstacle to U.S. anti-crime efforts. The report claimed that the U.S. has several extradition requests un-acceded to by Nigeria for years, even though it did not admit the many such requests that Nigeria had granted or may have even offered without the precondition of an official request. Nor has the report mentioned a single case in which Nigeria has ever benefited from the 80-year old extradition treaty relationship with the U.S.

    Nnamdi Kanu shuttles mostly between the United Kingdom and the United States. For all intents and purposes, he is no less eminently extraditable in 2019 than Anthony Enahoro was 58 years ago. They are both guilty of treasonable felony and conspiracy to effect an unlawful purpose against the government of their country. If we cannot dare to shelter an American or a British citizen who attempted –other than by the constitution- to bring about a violent change of government in his country, or worse even dare to allow them the liberty to use our territory persist in their felonious and seditious acts, why must U.K. and U.S. be entitled to that privilege? Even as unaffected as they were by the iniquities of Liberia’s Charles Tailor, these same so called friends of Nigeria would not allow Obasanjo keep for long an ousted brother head of an African state even though Nigeria’s eminent peace-keeping efforts in bringing a closure to Liberia’s civil war entitled her to that brotherly role. Between the U.S., U.K. and Nigeria there are enough enabling treaty laws and or bilateral and multi-lateral agreements to extradite Kanu to Nigeria. We have always proved our fidelity to the entente cordiale that binds us with the United States and the United Kingdom. They now have an excellent opportunity to prove their fidelity too. Let them give us just this one secessionist-terrorist, Kanu, and we’ll give them a thousand cyber fraudsters. Fair?

    • To be continued

     

  • Education: Adamu’s second coming

    During his valedictory press conference in May 2019, reappointed minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu said his inability to reduce Nigeria’ out-of-school children despite his pledge to do so was a shame on him. He apologised to Nigerians over his inability to fulfill his promise by half before the end of his tenure.

    The minister said the status of Nigeria with the highest number of out-of-school children globally “was a big mark of shame to him as a person and to the entire nation.” According to the minister, the concerns of this administration have been two-fold: “to find an empirical means of getting the actual figures and best ways to reducing the number to the barest minimum.” He said Nigeria has one of the highest number of out-of-school children in Sub-Saharan Africa” and perhaps in the world and ranked only second to Pakistan.”

    For the record, a 2015 Demographic Health Survey (DHS) conducted by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the Nigerian government showed that out of school children in Nigeria has risen from 10.5 million to 13.2 million.

    I admire the minister for being frank and having the courtesy to apologise for not fulfilling his promise during his first tenure. Now another opportunity beckons and I hope he will make the best use of it considering the strategic role of his ministry in the quest for human development capital in a rapidly changing world. Beyond the out-of-school children issue, I will also expect a robust and honest intervention in our tertiary education sector.

    Education is rightly recognised as the key to individual and societal development. Education does not only increase people’s knowledge, mindset and skills; it can also improve their world outlook and horizon, as well as their life chances. Most skills, attitude and performance abilities are acquired in some form from educational institutions. Little wonder that the contemporary society is often described as a “knowledge society” – one in which knowledge and skills are crucial for individual success.

    As a former President of the United States, Barack Obama, once said, “In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a prerequisite”. It is in recognition of the importance of education that serious countries lay optimum emphasis on education and seek to enhance the quality of education that is provided to their citizens.

    That the education system in Nigeria is facing severe challenges is to overstate a known fact and Adamu already has his work cut out for him. The challenge is being felt in many quarters with employers of labour complaining about the quality of the graduates – many of them being unable to operate the modern equipment and machines that they have in industries; or think through critical processes in 21st organizational settings.

    Recently, a popular consulting firm in Nigeria placed an advert for job placements that went viral on social media for an obvious reason; it targeted Nigerians with foreign degrees only. Such were encouraged to send in their CVs for job openings. It was very specific on what it wanted and this drew the ire of some who questioned the place of graduates with Nigerian degrees.

    Can we honestly blame them? We complain of the relatively poor ranking of Nigerian universities in the global rankings of universities. The truth is that desired ranking positions for our universities cannot be achieved without appropriate funding. Increasingly, the academic programmes in many public universities are being denied accreditation by the regulatory agency, the National Universities Commission (a government agency), often for lack of necessary equipment and facilities, which are not available because of poor funding by the same government that established the universities and the NUC!

    Many scholars have bemoaned the “good old days” of the education systems in Nigeria, the immediate post-independence period, up to the 1970s, when the country’s universities compared favourably with those in Europe and America. A time when the nation’s universities were truly international and global and could attract foreign scholars to teach and do research in Nigerian universities. Foreign students were attracted to study in Nigeria, and teaching hospitals were of such good standards that foreigners sought medical treatment in the teaching hospitals.

    The declining fortune of tertiary education institutions in Nigeria is becoming more apparent daily. Under-funding is severely having a negative impact on the quality of graduates. This is understandable when the students do not have access to functional, modern equipment and facilities for teaching and research. A clear indication of this is the increasing preference of employers of labour, especially in the financial, I.T., and oil and gas sectors, etc. to employ graduates of foreign universities, as opposed to those trained in Nigeria. The reason for this is not necessarily because of differences in intellectual capacity or competence, but as a result of different exposures and training process, an outcome of the incapacitation of Nigerian public universities, caused by severe under-funding.

    Adamu did mention in his valedictory speech that the government approved N25 billion for public universities and that the “figures have nothing to do with personnel and overhead costs in the education sector, which are also well over a trillion naira.” But those in the picture said this amounts to throwing money at the problem without concrete and systematic monitoring. Under-funding stifles or stunts the intellectual capacity of youths. In many cases, the average Nigerian students, when they travel abroad for further studies usually excel leaving us with the conclusion that the Nigerian environment is toxic as it stifles the potential and prospects of the youth.

    Against this backdrop however, it will be pertinent to point out that all the great universities in the world are not cheap. But that they are not cheap does not foreclose the fact that indigent but brilliant students cannot have access to them. There is a reason why they are accessible to the brilliant and ambitious: The government invests and the society plays its unique part in form of scholarships, infrastructure upgrade, provision of books and teaching aids alongside other sundry funds.

    While this is the norm in sane societies, ours is farther from the truth because those that often secure these scholarships are those ‘connected’ to the powers that be, no matter how dull they are. It will shock many Nigerians the number of foreign scholarships that are awarded in the country to people who least deserve them. Herein lays another dilemma.

    In Nigeria, the rich are not investing in our education because they claim they have no stakes, or where they have stakes, they invest for selfish reason of boosting their ego. They are least concerned because their children attend the Oxfords, Cambridge, Harvard or Yale of this world.

    In July 2014, the Economist magazine ran a cover story titled “Creative Destruction.” It centers on how universities can reinvent themselves and remain relevant in a rapidly changing world. This goes to show that the problem is global and not restricted to Nigeria. But the difference here is that other are already thinking ahead of time.

    In the report, the magazine argued that a cost crisis, changing labour markets and new technology will turn an old institution on its head. Higher education – it rightly pointed out – is one of the great successes of the welfare state which most western societies adopted to cushion the harsh effects of unbridled capitalism. What was once the privilege of a few became a middle-class entitlement, thanks mainly to government support.

    It said: “in the emerging world, universities are booming: China has added nearly 30m places in 20 years. Yet the business has changed little since Aristotle taught at the Athenian Lyceum: young students still gather at an appointed time and place to listen to the wisdom of scholars. Now a revolution has begun thanks to three forces: rising costs, changing demand and disruptive technology. The result will be the reinvention of the university.”

    Is Nigeria ready for such reinvention? All eyes will be on Adamu since it will not take him “one and half year to understand the ministry” this time around.

    Welcome home Malam Adamu; and please continue to remind Mr. President about your ministerial strategic plan awaiting his consent.

  • Plateau Assembly approves Lalong’s request to appoint 15 Special Advisers

    The Plateau House of Assembly has approved the request by Gov. Simon Lalong to appoint 15 special advisers to serve in his government.

    The approval followed a communication from the governor on Wednesday seeking the approval of the assembly to appoint 15 special advisers.

    The governor said that the governor’s request was in accordance with section 196 Sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

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    “In my bid and determination to form a formidable team that will help me achieve my mandate, I hereby seek the approval of the House to appoint 15 Special Advisers to serve in my government,’’ he said.

    The House, thereafter, approved the governor’s request through a voice vote.

    (NAN)

  • Ogun Assembly passes security trust fund bill

    The Ogun House of Assembly has passed the state’s Security Trust Fund (Amendment) Bill.

    This followed the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Special Duties at plenary in Abeokuta.

    Presenting the report, Mr. Adeniran Ademola (APC – Sagamu 11), the chairman of the committee, said a lot of work was done to compile the report.

    Ademola, thereafter, moved the motion that the report be adopted and this was seconded by Wahab Haruna (APC – Yewa North 11).

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    Abdulbashir Oladunjoye (APC -Sagamu 1), the Deputy Majority Leader, moved the motion for the third reading of the bill and was seconded by Ademuyiwa Adeyemi (APC -Abeokuta South II).

    The lawmakers had on August 22 deliberated on the bill when it scaled second reading.

    They explained that the trust fund law when operational would help strengthen security operations by boosting the existing security trust fund to promote efficiency in security management.

    Also during plenary, the House passed the state’s Road Management Agency (Amendment) bill.

    Mr. Deji Adeyemo, the Acting Clerk, read the bills for the third time.

    The Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, thereafter , directed that clean copies of the bills be forwarded to Governor Dapo Abiodun for his assent.

  • Lisabi Day: Alake appoints Oodua forum into organising committee

    The Alake of Egbaland, Oba (Dr.) Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, has appointed the Oodua Consultative Forum (OCF) into the organising committee of the 2020 Lisabi Day celebration holding February.

    Oba Gbadebo made the appointment at the weekend when OCF executives and members led by their President-General Worldwide, Oyemade Adebisi, paid homage to him at the Ake Palace, Abeokuta, Ogun State, according to a statement by Publicity Secretary, OCF Ogun State, Prince Taiwo Nodiru.

    The OCF is a non-partisan umbrella body of Yoruba in Nigeria and worldwide. It pursues the overall development of the Yoruba Race in Nigeria and wherever peoples of Yoruba origin are found.

    The Alake, who received the OCF executives alongside his Council of Egba High Chiefs, urged the socio-cultural group to continue to uphold the culture and tradition of the Yoruba race in Nigeria and globally. He enjoined the OCF to make the 2020 Lisabi Festival the most successful and memorable ever.

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    The OCF delegation to the palace included the group’s Co-founder/National Treasurer, Basorun Gboyega Somoye, National Financial Secretary, Mrs. Tawakalit Bamidele Osigbesan-Dada, Chairman, OCF Ogun State, Engr. Habeeb Aregbesola and Women Leader, OCF Ogun State, Mrs. Titilayo Balogun, who delivered the group’s vote of thanks to the Alake.

    Oba Gbadebo also pledged to donate a befitting secretariat to the OCF in Abeokuta and support the group’s welfare programme for the Yoruba race.

    Oyemade, who was admitted into the Lisabi Club of Nigeria at the occasion, reiterated the OCF’s mission and vision, stressing the group’s resolve to protect the lives, liberty, business, property and allied interests of all Yoruba in Nigeria and globally.

    Aregbesola assured them of the OCF’s cooperation with all tiers of government in the gateway state and Nigeria in the nation-building process.

  • Another Nigerian killed in South Africa

    With the murder of Mrs. Obianuju Ndubuisi-Chukwu, a Nigerian insurance chief, still fresh, another Nigerian has been killed in the former apartheid enclave.

    The latest killing brings to about 200, Nigerians killed in xenophobic attacks between 2016 and this year.

    South Africa is home to about 800,000 Nigerians, mostly young people, according to unofficial records.

    Mrs. Ndubisi-Chukwu, who was the Deputy Director-General of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) and was killed on June 13 in her hotel room in South Africa.

    The teenager, Chinonso Obiaju, 17, a Nigerian still in high school, was shot dead in Johannesburg on Saturday.

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    The President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Adetola Olubajo, who confirmed the killing to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the deceased student lived in Roodepoort, Johannesburg with his guardian.

    Olubajo told NAN on the telephone that his guardian, Mike Nsofor, disclosed that he was shot at about 6.30pm.

    “He went to buy from a shop with his friend and someone chased and opened fire on them, killing him,’’ he quoted the guardian as saying.

    He added that the family would be burying him in South Africa, noting that the union’s leaders in Johannesburg would be contacting him on developments.

    Olubajo said they were going to the police on Monday to finalise on the registry and provision of his papers.

    “He was born here I learnt and the mother is in the U.S.

    “I have spoken to Mike Nsofor to pass the Nigerian community’s condolences and call for justice to be served in this case as anybody who hunts down a young schoolboy couldn’t have any justifiable reasons,’’ Mr Olubajo said.

    He implored the federal government to urgently protect Nigerians in the Diaspora.

  • Insecurity: Enugu to deploy forest guards

    Enugu State on Tuesday became the first state to commence the implementation of deployment of forest guards to stem an upsurge of insecurity.

    States in the Southeast had agreed to recruit and deploy guards in the forests.

    Enugu as one of the safest in the country, recently experienced a spate of kidnapping and killings as a result of which Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi took the proactive step of recruiting guards to secure the forests in the state where the security threat is prevalent.

    A meeting hosted yesterday by Governor Ugwuanyi with top officials and security chiefs in attendance, was used to finalise the new security plan and the endorsement of 1, 700 Forest Guards.

    At the meeting were also members of the House of Assembly led by Speaker Edward Ubosi, the 17 local government council chairmen and the director, Department of State Services (DSS).

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    For the guards, 3,963 applications were received, out of which 2,646 were shortlisted and screened. The state has engaged 879 while the remaining 821 applicants are being screened for the next batch.

    The meeting also approved the purchase of 260 security vehicles, one for each of the 260 wards. There will also be 260 motorcycles made available for all the wards while communication gadgets will also be provided.

    It was learnt that the state government will establish the ministry of security affairs to coordinate the activities, supervise intelligence gathering and interventions within the new Enugu State security architecture.

    Methodist Church Prelate Dr. Samuel Uche applauded Governor Ugwuanyi’s effort to sustain the state as one of the most peaceful.

    Dr. Uche hailed the recruitment of 1,700 Forest Guards by the government.

    He hoped they would be “specially trained and equipped with arms and ammunition to fish out miscreants in Enugu State.”

    Speaking when he led leaders and members of the Church on a visit to Ugwuanyi, the Prelate said “Enugu is growing astronomically and spiritually” and described the governor as “a man of peace, a good man, a trailblazing governor and lover of people, who ensures serenity, tranquility and equability”.

    He is “an ecumenical and friendly governor”, he added, and prayed for God to strengthen him and “grant you unending wisdom to govern your people aright”.

    He also prayed against the security challenges in the state and the country, asking God “that the activities of these bandits will stop henceforth in Jesus Name”.

    The governor thanked him for his prayers for his family and the state as well as the strong and credible voice he lent to the debate on insecurity, youth unemployment, masses welfare, among others in the country.

    “We urge you to continue to inspire patriotism, national rebirth, constitutional leadership and responsible citizenship for sustainable peace, unity and national development consistent with the mandate of the Church”, Ugwuanyi added

  • Ikpeazu: I will complete projects in my second term

    Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has promised to complete ongoing projects awarded in the first term of his administration in his second term.

    Ikpeazu, in a state broadcast to mark the 28 years anniversary of the state, said his administration is committed to ensuring that every part of the state witnessed the touch of his administration.

    He said: “Since our assumption of office for a second term, we have taken steps to consolidate on the successes we recorded in our first term while ensuring that we finish strongly, our second and last lap. I reiterate that our cardinal objective in our second term is the completion of all the projects that we began in our first term, while laying solid foundations for sustainable job creation for our youths.

    “Mindful of the difficulty in building roads in the rainy season, we have carried out palliative remedial works on many of the bad roads in Umuahia and Aba preparatory to contractors handling them fully returning to site as soon as the rains abate.

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    “We are currently concentrating on building new drains and the desilting blocked ones to allow free flow of storm water to the natural collection points; and as soon as the rains abate, contractors, who have already been mobilised, will resume work on most of our over 95 ongoing road projects across the state.

    “Beloved Abians, I am not unaware of the complaints that have been made in certain quarters that our projects are slow and delayed. My response to that is that we are more interested in the quality of projects we undertake than the quantity and the speed of completion. We have no interest in speedily completing projects for accolades and applause only for the projects to fail shortly after.

    “Our administration is building to last. Within the bounds of the resources available to us, we will spread them equitably across sectors while ensuring that we get optimal value for every kobo we spend. I have said it before and I will like to reiterate it that no road built under our administration will collapse in the lifetime of our administration contrary to what was hitherto obtainable.

    “We do not have the money to be returning to the same project every year. We will rather take time to painstakingly do a project once and for all than rush to finish a project within a year and it will fail by the next year…”

  • Monarch, subjects disagree over N150m

    There is tension in Mkpu-nando Community, Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State, following allegations that the monarch, Igwe Alex Edozieuno, embezzled the N150 million land proceed from the government.

    The residents on Tuesday staged a protest, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Our Igwe is a thief, he must refund our money”; “We don’t need this hungry monarch again”; “This Igwe should be arrested and prosecuted”; “Governor Willie Obiano come and rescue us from this criminal”, among others.

    They marched on the Ama Umuawulu village square and other roads in the community, including the front of the monarch’s building singing war songs.

    However, security operatives prevented the crowd from entering into the palace premises.

    Protest leader Ifeanyi Iloakasia said the government should order the monarch to release the money.

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    According to him, the N150 million was the compensation the government paid to the community for its land. He added that the N40 million for the “Choose your Project” initiative from the government was also with the monarch.

    He said: “If the government fails to come to our rescue, we will not have any other option than to seek for self help. The monarch and the estate valuer are on unholy alliance to rip off Mkpunando Community and we will not allow this to continue. The total money paid to the community by the government was N150 million, while the interest was N15 million, and till date, we have not received anything from our Igwe.”

    But Igwe Edozieuno described the protesters as liars, saying he does not owe anybody or group. According to him, the main issue for their action was not the money, but because he won the kingship contest, the defeated family is now leading the protest against him.

    He said: “They know I’m a rich man, that I have no time to touch their money. I made money when I was 20 years and rode my first car at that age. Their allegations hold no water.”

  • Bayelsa governorship: APC disqualifies ex-Cross River REC Briyai

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship election screening commit in Bayelsa State has disqualified the former Cross River State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Frankland Briyai, from participating in the August 29 primaries.

    Briyai was reportedly disqualified because he was said not to have been a card-carrying member of APC for up to one year.

    Those cleared for the primaries are Preye Aganaba, Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, Ms. Diseye Poweigha, Mr. Lyon David, Prof. Ongoebi Etebu and Heineken Lokpobiri.

    A report by the Isa Song-led committee, addressed to the national chairman, said only Briyai was not cleared.

    The report added that the committee conducted its exercise in line with the party’s guidelines.

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    It said the guideline stipulated that aspirants must have been card-carrying members for one year; must show their original credentials, and in the case of multiple declaration of age, harmonise same.

    The report reads: “Each aspirant was questioned in relation to qualifications and conduct in line with both party constitution and election guidelines. We also asked them to produce evidence of their membership of the party, voters’ card and payment of the prescribed fees, as well as the original copy of their credentials for sighting.

    “Therefore, Dr. Frankland Briyai was not cleared and disqualified on the grounds of Section 3 paragraph ‘L’ of the guideline for nomination of candidates.”

    But Briyai has denied being disqualified from the governorship race, saying his waiver to contest the election was being processed.

    He said: “How did you know I was not cleared? Don’t forget that my waiver is being processed. That I am not cleared doesn’t mean that I have been disqualified. The NWC is looking into the waiver issue; it is being processed. There is an online report that says that I have been disqualified, it is only NWV that can disqualify anybody.

    “What the screening and appeal panel do is to recommend to the NWC their findings; disqualification comes from the NWC. So, I have not been disqualified.”