The Nation Newspaper

Tag: sons

  • Sons (and daughters) of pad-dition

    Today, Hardball takes and onomatopoeic license. Of course ‘perdition’ you know but pad-dition you certainly haven’t come across because it is a crispy, oven-fresh one from Hardball’s smithy. But you must have guessed that it is a mish-mash of perdition and pad or padding.

    Again, perdition you know too well of course. Both from the Bible and from the lexicon of the dark world. The Good Book in moments of angst deployed this damnable word to describe people who would not turn from evil; who are impervious to goodness and graciousness.

    “…Those whom you gave me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled;” (John 17: 12 NKJV). That is Jesus praying for his disciples in his final days on earth and alluding to Judas Iscariot as bent on self-destruct as was writ.

    And you must be wondering what perdition has got to do with padding?

    Well, here is it: for the past five years for instance, officials in Nigeria’s MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) have made a dastardly business of padding their budget year in, year out without let. Billions of naira has been voted for the same recurrent expense heads over this period.

    According to a recent investigation by Sunday Punch, items such as computers, furniture, facility maintenance, stationery and kitchen equipment/tools, which are expected to last for certain number of years always appear on the agencies’ budgets every year.

    Some of the major culprits are Ministries of Defence; Finance; Budget and National Planning and Industry, Trade and Investment. The Presidency as represented by Aso Rock is not left out.

    For instance, in the Ministry of Defence, purchase of residential furniture in the last five years has gulped over N1.3 billion. This untoward practice is noticeable in about a dozen such frivolous budget heads in the Defence ministry alone.

    Some suppositions: Perhaps approvals are not backed by actual cash release; perhaps computers and furniture and stationery and consumables are not really enough for the horde of workers in these MDAs; but who is to tell? No proper review of the last budget are ever made or published. Besides, until recently, we were used to hearing about unspent budget hurriedly shared out in the wee days of each year.

    Why, our most important annual fiscal plan is so bastardized that by the time it is put into use, it is already worthless. It is padded at the presidency, in the MDAs and the National Assembly. This explains why the recurrent vote is always so bloated that there is little left for work.

    If this is not perdition for a nation, perhaps we may want to call it Paddition! How about that for a new gift from Hardball!

     

  • Sons and daughters of Zion

    SIR: What sort of emotional utopia generates the practice of some sons and daughters of Zion inquiring from spiritual homes if certain suitors are fated to be their spouses till deaths do them part? Some sons and daughters of Zion today appear to be lazy. To marry Rachel and Leah, Jacob worked for fourteen years, toiling for Laban in the farm and another six years looking after his flock.

    What do some people do now; they visit men and women of the Lord, self-styled apostles, mummies and Arch-bishops with photographs of suitors and pray the Lord’s servants reveal to them who their right suitors are. And it is amazing. This fellow, a graduate of a great university went with three photographs to one such daughter of Zion. What did university education teach him? A university education, however important, is only for those who have the openness of character to learn. He did not learn the gift of male-female interaction. He went to lecture halls, then back to his hall of residence, cooked beans, ate and slept.

    How can anyone love three women at the same time without going insane? The daughter of Zion, unmarried, past her prime, saw a very fair man to look at and asked him to pray harder and give her more time to consult with the Lord about the preferred suitor. The status quo remained every time he went for inquiry. Until the son of Zion volte faced and began to love the daughter of Zion who was never his intended target. You needed to witness his tantrum. It is either the daughter of Zion or no-one else. They are married today but the Lord could never have decreed such because he doesn’t support laziness. At their wedding, people wept for him, they couldn’t understand why a very fair man to look at could marry such a woman of Zion who is older than him by more than fifteen years.

    A full relationship is intellectual, social and sexual. It involves the dissipation of energy, there aren’t short cuts. Teenagers need be told that they do not need to have partners as they call it today. It is not necessary because they are not mentally prepared for the challenges in relationships. Besides it is easy to miss critical goals in life because of misdirected priorities which early relationship encourages.

    Adults want the easy way out now. Not many have the emotional stamina to take ladies out as an opportunity to measure compatibility.

    I asked after someone recently and was shocked to hear that she is dead. In undergraduate days, she dated a fellow who barely went to school. They were so incompatible. I asked her to leave him be but she wouldn’t because the relationship was decreed according to her by someone she respected in the Zionist Temple. How can a schooled lady marry an unschooled man and say it was decreed? Such an uncooked man. I met him once. What would they be discussing? Story short is that he beats the daylight out of her from time to time over trifles when they got married and word has it that such ill-treatment which he denied led to her death. She bore him two children.

    Could the Lord have lied? He doesn’t. Quit infecting people with your lazy schemes. Pursue people you think you love in the right sense and warm your way into their hearts and not cover up for your ineptitude by visiting religious homes on emotional quest. Adam was the only human being that the Lord gave a wife. He doesn’t do that any longer. People who dissipate energy in engaging in the wasteful anachronism of seeking help for love are poorly educated or not educated at all. ,

    Is stupidity becoming a worldwide phenomenon? Rest in peace to the friend in whose memory I gathered my frame to write this piece.

     

    • Simeon Abah,

    Abuja.

  • Sons of perdition

    Every new day seems to dawn with new demons. Today’s burns your ears and you think it could never be worse; but tomorrow’s news seeks to burst your tympanum and your chest threatens to explode.

    The other day, it was discovered that a police inspector was buried in a standing position. Some conjecture that he must have been interred alive with his hands and feet tied. Call it communal bestiality or collective Satanism for it would have taken a community to agree and to dig a sizeable grave to accommodate a standing man. Even the village Bale (head) of this infernal community in the Ajah area of Lagos State who is now with the police, is alleged to have led this sacrilege.

    In Port Harcourt, Rivers State, a year two student of the University of Port Harcourt allegedly defiled an eight-year-old child of his relative and benefactor. He then went on to behead her and harvested some of her body parts. But this is just half the story; he was arrested by local vigilante and handed to the State Police Command and now the real story: the mysterious disappearance of this son of perdition from the safety of the police station.

    And how about this? Cult men apprehended while preparing pepper-soup with the intestines and liver of his kidnap victim. The men of darkness, according to the Police, kidnapped a pastor in Ahoada area of the state, August 15, 2017.  They had severed his head and were caught as they made the soup and plantain portage with his internal parts.

    Rape has become so commonplace in the land today that the country may well be christened the land of rape. Recently in Kano, a group of women could not take the daily rape bulletin any longer. Under the aegis of Professional Women Group in kano, they took to the streets. They needed to do something drastic to save their daughters from unguided rampaging phalluses.

    Priests, teachers, fathers, uncles, neighbours, everyone seems to be marching on this road to Golgotha. And there is no age limit or range – from a pulpy few days’ old baby to grandmas, none is safe. One of such cases that prompted the Kano women involved a 14-year-old Hassana who claimed that her father had defiled her since she was seven.

    The good book, the bible has described such men as captured here as sons of perdition or the lawless ones. It also terms what is happening today as the mystery of lawlessness. The Book says that because they did not know the truth, they are under great delusion enjoying the pleasure of unrighteousness. They are those bound to perish, as recorded by Apostle Paul in his Second Letter to the Thessalonians. If only they know…

  • Jakande’s, Jafojo’s, Olusi’s sons for council poll

    Jakande’s, Jafojo’s, Olusi’s sons for council poll

    The son of former Lagos State Governor Lateef Jakande, Seyi, has joined the chairmanship race in Ojuwoye local councl.

    Also, Adeniyi Jafojo, son of former Deputy Governor Rafiu Jafojo, is eyeing the chairmanship of Agege local government.

    In Lagos Island West, Sola Olusi, son of Prince Tajudeen Olusi, is among those jostling for chairmanship ticket.

    These childern of legends are contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The poll holds on June 20.

    Jafojo called for concerted efforts to tackle grassroots problems.

    He said if elected as the chairman of the Agege Local Government Area, his administration would make life better by confronting the obstacles that hinder its development.

    He said: “One of the plans we have is to bring investors to Agege and once that is done, there will be lots of programmes that will open up the council. As I discuss with you, we are talking with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in terms of how we can partner with them. We have to start looking inward; we cannot be expecting allocation all the time from the government to better the lives of our people. We must also put in place programmes that will attract investors to the community.”

    Jafojo added: “There are some abnormalities that I saw in my local government, which I believe can be better handled, when compared to other local governments. We need to uplift the local government and that boils down to how we handle it. One of the areas we have serious problem is Agege and that is youth unrest. We have not been able to sit down and capture the scene properly. Again, we have serious environmental problem because people dump refuse in the canal indiscriminately. It has led to flooding and making the gutters unkempt. Some houses do not have public toilet. this constitutes health hazards.

    Jafojo promised to tackle environmental problems. He said: “These are serious environmental issues that have negative health consequences. We must come as people to see how we can find solution to these problems. In my own campaign manifesto and based on the research conducted, Agege residents are facing surmountable problems. How we can improve on the amenities that the council is providing. these are issues that we have looked into. When all these are addressed, we can begin to see what we call new Agege. And by the grace of God, when elected as the council chairman, these are part of the things people are to see from the administration.

    “Given my record in grassroots mobilisation which I learned from my late father and for those who know my late father, they know that he was a grassroots mobiliser. We want people to enjoy the dividend of democracy. The only way you can enjoy the dividend of democracy is to put the right person in the right position. I believe that I am the person who is eminently qualified for the position.

    The aspirant said his chance of winning the election was very bright, noting that his father’s reputation would count for him.

    “One of the advantages that I enjoy is that the name Jafojo is a house hold name in Agege. One of the things that we did is that we started our campaign organization on September 2014 and we have not look back since then. We have engaged in different programmes to create the awareness in the council. In the last election, we were heavily involved in the Presidential campaign, I was fortunate to be the coordinator for campaign for change.

    “The group campaigned on behalf of the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. We were able to do a lot of grassroots mobilization by providing them with the T-shirts, face caps and other souvenirs. We have been meeting in different wards; a lot of executive members have been involved in our discussion with the people.

    The aspirant said he was fit to rule because of his pedigree. He said: “Personally, I am well known in Agege because somebody like my father would say if you were contesting, the first place you go to is the grassroots. One of my advantages like that of my father is the ability to mobilise the grassroots.

    Jafojo maintained that his experience and exposure put him in a vantage position to implement laudable programmes for the council.

    “I studied abroad. I studied at Mitchell University, Atlanta, Georgia. When I came back, I worked with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Abuja. It is a parastal under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. My position at that time was the Chief Admin Officer, the third man in my department. If you take my director, the assistant director, I was the third man on the hierarchy. By virtue of that task, I strongly believe that somebody at that position is very well prepared for the position of a local government chairman.

    “While I was there, we were involved in different programmes. Of course, one of the programmes that come to mind was that of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGOM). I was part of the Central Working Committee (CWC).

    Jafojo noted that he was committed to the contest in view of his believe that he would emerge successful, adding that his relations with non-indigene will add value to the contest.

    “I am very popular and my family name is a household name. Within my own base, Ward B for example, my women leader is a Hausa woman. Among our members, you find lots of Hausa people. I strongly believe that we all have to work together for the advancement of local government. My people will say one hand cannot wash itself, so we must put hands together to achieve that. I work with a lot of non indigene and I believe that with unity we can achieve a better Agege.

    “I believe the party will conduct free and fair primary. Again, I have structure which I believe will make them choose me as the person who will be the next chairman of Agege local government.”

    Jakande said he will lift Ojuwoye Council to a greater height by implementing progressive programmes which his father is noted for.

    He promised to harness the resource in the area to develop the council and make it a model in Lagos.

    Olusi said Lagos Island West will grow from strenght to strenght under his leadership, promising to motivate the private sector to invest in the development of the council.

  • Families cry out over ailing sons at police cell

    Families cry out over ailing sons at police cell

    The families of Alali God-dey Tamuno-Ene and Da Obufia Isokariari – being detained by officers of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Rivers State – have urged the Inspector General of Police (IG) to save their sons.

    The suspects, who hailed from Buguma in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, were arrested at Elekiohia and Eagle Island axis of Port Harcourt in connection with some robbery cases and they have spent more than a week in police cell.

    Mrs. Inye Braide, the mother of Da Obufia Isokariari, said her son “is dying and stooling blood in police cell and is innocent of any reason for which police have arrested him”.

    She alleged that the police subjected her son to serious torture to admit to the crime he did not commit, adding that she was going to die if police continue torturing her son.

    She noted that the last time she visited his son he was very weak and in a serious pain due to the level of beating and torture police subjected him to.

    Mr. Tamuno Tonye, the sister  to Alali God-dey Tamuno-Ene, said her family would not take it lightly with the Rivers State Police Command if anything happened to her brother in police cell.

    She said:  “Already my brother is vomiting blood due to the wound he sustained from police hard torture and beating.

    “He is innocent. We are calling on the general public and the Inspector General of Police to assist us order thorough investigation into the matter.

    Their lawyer, Mr. Innocent Naador of Igweonwu Chambers, threatened a legal action against Anti-Robbery Squad officers for unlawful arrest, detention and torture.

    He said his clients informed him and their relatives that they knew nothing about the robbery or any other crime for which the police arrested them.

    Naador said: “We have visited the police station and met with the Investigating Police Officer who assured us that our clients were held and detained. They are vomiting and stooling blood from an injuries sustained from torture and beating. We want the Police to charge them to court or have us to contend with.”

    The Rivers State Police Spokesman, Ahmad Mohammad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the arrests but disagreed with the suspects’ lawyer and relatives that they were subjected to serious torture.

    He said the families were being economical with the truth of the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the duo, adding that the issue of torture is seriously discouraged by the force. 9

  • Lamido, sons for trial Oct 21

    Lamido, sons for trial Oct 21

    Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, two of his sons and some companies were re-arraigned yesterday before the Federal High Court, Abuja, on amended charges of corruption and money laundering.

    The ex-governor, his sons; Aminu and Mustapha, and an aide, Aminu Wada Abubakar and the companies were arraigned on July 9 before the Federal High Court sitting in Kano.

    Yesterday, the prosecuting agency, brought a new charge, and a new person; Batholomew Darlington Agoha, and increased the counts to 27.

    The affected companies are Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminium Limited and Speeds International Limited.

    Yesterday, they were arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Ademola. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    One of the counts read: “That you Alhaji Sule Lamido (while being governor of Jigawa State), Aminu Sule Lamido, Mustapha Sule Lamido, Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited and Speeds International Limited between October 15 and December 18, 2008, within the jurisdiction of this court converted an aggregate sum of N124,649,915 paid by Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company Nigeria Limited into the account of Speeds International Limited.”

    Justice Ademola granted them bail on the conditions earlier granted them by Justice Gabriel Kolawole (also of the Federal High Court, Abuja).

    Justice Kolawole said one of the sureties must be a Level 16 civil servant in either a federal or state establishment. The other, the judge said, must be an entrepreneur, who must own a property worth N75 in Abuja, Kano or Jigawa.

    He ordered the accused persons to deposit their travel documents with the court, which they could retrieve whenever they wish to travel.

    Justice Ademola adjourned to October 21 for trial.

     

  • Onitsha-based industrialist decries SON’s harassment

    The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of an Onitsha-based company, Chief Sylvester Okeke, has decried what he termed “harassment” of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in the Southeast.

    Workers of an Onitsha-based company last week, protested SON’s alleged frustration of indigenous companies and corruption of some of its officials.

    Chief Okeke said: “As an advocate of what is right, I won’t let some disgruntled manufacturers frustrate the good works the SONS’s workers are doing, particularly the Southeast. It was a shock to have read in one of the dailies that a company staged a protest.

    “Over the years, we’ve had value-adding transaction with the agency and yet to recall a time we were threatened because of bribe. As a manufacturing outfit, we have gone through our manufacturing routines – moving in machineries, certification, having SON engineer our processes, and attended a number of knowledge-sharing and capacity-building workshops from the stables of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria”.

    “I recommend an investigation into the matter to ascertain the company’s claim and also, to look into the aggrieved company’s profile, activities and products. Justice must be served, however the story goes. To the best of my knowledge, manufacturers who have been having issues with the agency are those producing fake or substandard products. In my opinion, we have not had the agency have a firm grip on things like this before”.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Alleged N1.351b bribery: Lamido, sons moved to Kuje

    Alleged N1.351b bribery: Lamido, sons moved to Kuje

    •May get bail soon

    Former Jigawa State Governor Lamido and his two sons (Aminu and Mustapha) were yesterday relocated from Kano to Kuje Prisons in Abuja ahead of the hearing of their application for bail by a vacation judge.

    They were allegedly kept in the same building block with some Boko Haram suspects.

    But their relocation was greeted with excitement as inmates jubilated in anticipation of free Ramadan meals.

    The three suspects are standing trial with Wada Abubakar for a 208-count charge of abuse of public trust and N1.351billion bribery by contractors.

    Although they pleaded not guilty last Thursday, they were remanded in prison custody by Justice Evelyn Anyadike.

    Investigation showed that Lamido and his sons were brought to Kuje Prisons at  1pm yesterday, after spending a few days in Kano Prisons.

    It was gathered that although the suspects would have been moved to a separate detention facility, the order of Justice Anyadike had to be complied with.

    It was learnt that the order was explicit that they should be remanded in a prison custody.

    A reliable source said: “Upon arrival, they were formally registered as inmates, even though they are high-profile suspects.

    “There was however security scares when the suspects were taken to the same block, where some Boko Haram members were detained. But unlike the Central Prisons in Kano, the suspects were kept in neat cells.

    “The fear was, however, temporary as inmates became excited in anticipation that the former governor would assist them to solve some problems.

    “Some of the inmates asked the governor and his sons to provide them better meals to break their Ramadan fast yesterday.

    “The governor and his children were later seen making arrangements for their own feeding outside the prison rations.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “Were it not for the order of the court that the suspects be kept in prison, they would have been relocated to another facility.

    “This is why they will be in Kuje Prisons until their application for bail is granted. I think the EFCC wants them to observe Sallah at home.”

    Findings, however, confirmed that the ex-governor and his children were relocated to Abuja ahead of their arraignment before a vacation judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja for bail.

    A source in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said: “A vacation judge is expected to hear the bail application of the suspects any time this week.

    “So, they have to relocate to Abuja to enable a judge to consider their request for bail. I know that they have been moved to Abuja, but I cannot tell you their whereabouts.”

  • N1.3b: EFCC detains Lamido, sons

    N1.3b: EFCC detains Lamido, sons

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday detained a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alh. Sule Lamido and two sons ahead of their arraignment before a court in Kano today.

    The three detainees have also been flown to Kano in preparation for their trial in connection with an alleged N1.3billon worth of contracts.

    They are being charged on a 24-count  relating to alleged mismanagement of over N1.3billion.

    Also, the EFCC has arraigned a staff of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Abuja, Ali Gambo Abdullahi, before Justice C. N Orji of the FCT High Court, for an alleged N1.8 million bribery scam.

    The suspect faces a two-count on conspiracy, bribery and abuse of office.

    Investigation by our correspondent showed that Lamido and his two sons were detained after reporting for further investigation.

    But they were informed that they would be flown to Kano for trial on Wednesday.

    A source said: “The investigation of Lamido and his two sons has reached an appreciable level for their arraignment in a court in Kano.

    “We have been interrogating the former governor on alleged award of contracts to some companies owned by his children. The value of the contracts was in the region of about N1.3b.

    “We are also looking into allegation of money laundering against the ex-governor and some of his children. You know one of the sons of Lamido had been convicted for a similar offence.

    “The allegations against Lamido have to do with alleged mismanagement of funds, money laundering and abuse of office.”

    A top official of the EFCC confirmed the relocation of Lamido from Abuja to Kano.

    “The three people have been flown to Kano but our immediate challenge is that the case has not been assigned to any Federal High Court judge as I speak with you.

    “But we are hopeful that they may be arraigned on Wednesday or Thursday. They are facing a 24-count charge bordering on alleged mismanagement of over N1billion.”

    Also, the EFCC has arraigned an employee of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Ali Gambo Abdullahi, before Justice C.N. Orji of the Federal High Court, Apo, Abuja.

    The suspect is facing a two-count charge on conspiracy, bribery and abuse of office.

    According to a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, the suspect’s arrest and subsequent arraignment followed “a petition from one Rasheed O. Taiwo, who claimed that he paid a bribe of N1.8million to the Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja, Mr. Danladi Umar, through the accused.

    But the chairman of CCT, Umar, had consistently denied demanding or receiving any bribe sum through the suspect or anybody.

    The EFCC however said the petitioner, Taiwo, alleged that, “Umar who claimed to be presiding over a case in which he was involved, demanded a N10m (ten million naira) bribe as “settlement”, to give him a clean bill of health.

    ”The petitioner further alleged that, after several negotiations, he paid N1.8m as initial deposit, into the account of Ali Gambo Abdulllahi, in one of the new generation banks.”

    The case has been adjourned to October 21 and 22 for commencement of trial.