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Ex-gubernatorial Aspirant tells House to stop playing politics of vendetta over N165 billion.

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Dr. Joseph Ayenimo, a former candidate for governor of Ekiti State under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has chastised the Nigerian House of Representatives for allegedly staging a probe into N165 billion funds injected into reforming correctional centers nationwide under the supervision of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Ayenimo argued that the investigation, which comes at a time when Aregbesola has openly criticized his political benefactor and Presidential candidate, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, over the alleged imposition of Governor Gboyega Oyetola on the people of Osun State, was not only ill-timed, but also orchestrated to settle political scores.
Ayenimo, an Australian-based Industrial Chemist, who is currently a stalwart of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti, said the Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila-led House of Reps is rather displaying shameful sycophancy to Tinubu by moving against Aregbesola simply because the latter had chosen to look the presidential hopeful in the eye.

Read Also:  Abia Killing Meant To Provoke North, Don’t Retaliate, Says Islamic Group To Muslim Traders

It was reported on Wednesday, February 16, that the Red Chamber had initiated a probe against Aregebesola over the N165 billion funds spent on the Correctional Centres (Prisons) across the country, alleging possible financial graft.

The report reads in part: “The House of Representatives on Wednesday has initiated a probe into the Correctional Centres (Prisons) across the country where N165 billion have been sunk without any improvement under the leadership of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.”

“The probe is coming a few days after Aregbesola’ declared war against his leader and benefactor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola ahead of the governorship elections in Osun in July 2022.

“The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila presided over the plenary on Wednesday where it was decided that Aregbesola and Prisons Chief, Haliru Haliru Nababa should be probed for mismanaging up to N165 billion in funds earmarked for prisons development across the country, People’s Gazzette reported on Wednesday.”

Read Also:  In Edo, Police Apprehend Five Suspected Kidnappers, Rescue Three Victims

The report further reads: “The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance by Ndudi Elumelu, the Minority Leader of the House on the floor of the House on Wednesday in Abuja. In his argument, Elumelu criticised the welfare of the workforce.

“The House is disturbed that despite this Act and increase in Budgetary Allocations to the Nigerian Correctional Service to drive its renewed mandate, the tempo, and quality of the Service have remained the same if not retrogressing”, Elumelu said.

But in his reaction, Ayenimo described the proposed probe as amounting to a deliberate act of political witch-hunt, which he said was quite unnecessary and doomed to fail.

Ayenimo in a statement said: “Honestly, the planned probe by the Red Chamber, coming at this time when Aregbesola has openly criticized his political godfather, for perpetually imposing his anointed candidates on others, as cited in Osun State, is ill-timed and a clear of political vendetta and nothing more.

“One would think that Nigeria has got to a stage where we would practice politics of clear conscientious borne out of absolute patriotism for meaningful progress and development, but what do we have here? A clear case of conspiracy against a man who was courageous enough to tell his political benefactor the truth about his wrongdoings, not minding whose ox is gored.

“Aregbesola, in my opinion, had merely cautioned Tinubu from perpetually toeing a path leading to infamy by openly rebuking the former Lagos State Governor and presidential hopeful to stop imposing his anointed candidate on the people of Osun State. He had advised him strongly to allow the people of Osun State to choose their governor by themselves and not have the incumbent Gboyega Oyetola imposed on them as it was believed was done in the last guber poll in the state.

“Aregbesola could have been emotional in doing this but he definitely does not deserve to now be a victim of a political witch-hunt by the lackeys of Tinubu in the Red Chamber. These legislators were elected into the Lower House to serve Nigerians not to be a rubber stamp to some god-fathers and begin to play politics in the business of lawmaking and overseeing activities of other arms of government. This is unpatriotic and l want to strongly advise them to desist from such ungodly ad inglorious path”, Ayenimo said.

Speaking further, Ayenimo observed that the House of Reps ought to be more disturbed by more pressing national issues such as the rising insecurity in the country, the travails of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) leading to incessant strike actions, massive unemployment, falling value of the nation’s Naira against Dollar and skyrocketing prices of foodstuffs which are more germane challenges that demand urgent attention by the lawmakers.

Read also:2023: Why Buhari Has Refuse To Sign Electoral Bill – PDP

He said: “They ought to also be concerned about activities of other ministries other than the Ministry of Interior being headed by Aregbesola. Or do they want to tell us that it is only this Ministry that has issues?

“Their actions on the proposed probe of Aregbesola betray an act of settling personal scores through official activities. It is a clear case of manipulating official duties to settle personal and political scores. This is unexpected of them,” he said.

2023: Why Buhari Has Refuse To Sign Electoral Bill – PDP

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has revealed the reason President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to sign the revised Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, PDP Spokesman, Debo Ologunagba said President Buhari has refused to sign the bill because he is scared of his party, All Progressives Congress (APC) losing the 2023 general elections.

The PDP spokesman added that Buhari’s delay in signing the reworked electoral bill is a move to erect roadblocks to the passage of the document into law.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has revealed the reason President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to sign the revised Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, PDP Spokesman, Debo Ologunagba said President Buhari has refused to sign the bill because he is scared of his party, All Progressives Congress (APC) losing the 2023 general elections.

The PDP spokesman added that Buhari’s delay in signing the reworked electoral bill is a move to erect roadblocks to the passage of the document into law.

Ologunagba asserted that the electronic transmission of election results will eliminate APC’s plans to manipulate the system, militarise the process, alter election results at collation centre and foist itself again into power against the will of Nigerians.

Read also:Sylvester Oromoni: Initial Legal Advice Recommends Prosecution Of Dowen College – Police

According to Ologunagba, the President’s refusal to sign the electoral bill constitutes an obstruction to the democratic principle of credible elections.

He said: “It is clear that President Buhari and the APC are erecting roadblocks to the passage of the electoral act amendment bill, due mainly to the provision for electronic transmission of election results from the polling units, which will eliminate APC’s plans to manipulate the system, militarise the process, alter election results at collation centre and foist itself again into power against the will of Nigerians.

“Nigerians can recall that the PDP had earlier alerted of plots by the APC to deploy all manner of shenanigans to delay the presidential assent until a few months to the 2023 elections to enable the president again cite being too close to the elections as a reason to withhold assent just as he did on December 6, 2018, after respectively turning down the then electoral act amendment bill on flimsy grounds in March and September of that year.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has revealed the reason President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to sign the revised Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, PDP Spokesman, Debo Ologunagba said President Buhari has refused to sign the bill because he is scared of his party, All Progressives Congress (APC) losing the 2023 general elections.

The PDP spokesman added that Buhari’s delay in signing the reworked electoral bill is a move to erect roadblocks to the passage of the document into law.

Ologunagba asserted that the electronic transmission of election results will eliminate APC’s plans to manipulate the system, militarise the process, alter election results at collation centre and foist itself again into power against the will of Nigerians.

According to Ologunagba, the President’s refusal to sign the electoral bill constitutes an obstruction to the democratic principle of credible elections.

He said: “It is clear that President Buhari and the APC are erecting roadblocks to the passage of the electoral act amendment bill, due mainly to the provision for electronic transmission of election results from the polling units, which will eliminate APC’s plans to manipulate the system, militarise the process, alter election results at collation centre and foist itself again into power against the will of Nigerians.

“Nigerians can recall that the PDP had earlier alerted of plots by the APC to deploy all manner of shenanigans to delay the presidential assent until a few months to the 2023 elections to enable the president again cite being too close to the elections as a reason to withhold assent just as he did on December 6, 2018, after respectively turning down the then electoral act amendment bill on flimsy grounds in March and September of that year.

“With that, President Buhari set the stage for the APC and its agents to ferociously desecrate the sanctity of the ballot box by brazenly attacking polling centres, altering election results at collation centres, allocating fictitious votes to the APC, destroying electoral data, announcing losers as winners and ending up foisting the APC into power in 2019 against the will of the people as reflected by the actual votes cast at the polling units.

“Less than a year to the 2023 general elections, President Buhari and the APC are at it again.

“Expectedly, the current anti-people scheme against the electoral act amendment bill by the APC administration is heightening apprehensions across the country of furtive plots by APC leaders to orchestrate a constitutional impasse that can railroad our democracy into an emergency tenure elongation, induced election postponement, self-succession or worst still, an interim government situation.

Read also:Osun Assembly Screens Civil Service Commission Nominees

“This growing tension calls for concern as it has the capacity to spawn widespread restiveness with consequential violence, bloodletting and attendant humanitarian crisis in the country that may affect the entire West Africa subregion, Europe, America and other parts of the world if not addressed.

“This is because Nigerians, especially the youths, have become more politically aware and involved, with a well-founded and implacable aversion to injustice, oppression, manipulations and undemocratic tendencies as being witnessed under the APC administration. Evidence of this mood became manifest in the EndSARS protest of October 2020.”

In Edo, Police Apprehend Five Suspected Kidnappers, Rescue Three Victims

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Five suspected kidnappers were apprehended by Edo State Police Command officers at their hideout in Udo community in Iguabazua, Ovia South-West Local Government Area of the state.

Mohammed Ali, 25, Abdullahi Umar, 30, Bello Tambaya, 24, Hassan Mohammad, 24, and Adamu Bello, 26, have all been apprehended. Babuga, who is said to be the main suspect, has yet to be apprehended.

Kontongs Bello, the state’s police public relations officer, made the announcement on Wednesday in Benin City, the state capital.

On Monday evening, a team of operatives led by the Divisional Police Officer in Iguabazua apprehended the suspects, he said.

Read Also:  Ex-Minister Sarah Ochekpe, Two Others Sentenced To Prison For Money Laundering

“They are linked to a kidnapping case reported to the command on 04/02/2022 at around 1900 hours in the area,” a spokesman for the command said.
According to him, the suspects are making useful information that will lead to the arrest of other gang members on the run and will be arraigned in court as soon as the investigation is concluded.

Bello also narrated how a team of police operatives rescued three persons who have been held captive for two weeks.

He said, “On the 20/02/2022 at about 1200hrs, the Edo State Police Command acted on credible information that hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers bearing dangerous weapons are sighted around Unomi Farmland in Iddo Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, together with some persons believed to have been kidnapped.

“On receipt of the information, the combined team of police operatives and local hunters led by the ever gallant Divisional Police Officer, Okpella Division, immediately mobilised to the location on a rescue mission and possible arrest of the suspects.

“On sighting the team of operatives approaching them, the hoodlums opened fire. Left with no option, the team responded accordingly, resulting in a gun duel that lasted for about one hour.

“The suspected kidnappers, because of the superior firepower from the team of operatives, had to abandon their victims unhurt and escape into the bush, with various degrees of bullet wounds.”

Read Also:  Abia Killing Meant To Provoke North, Don’t Retaliate, Says Islamic Group To Muslim Traders

Bello identified the rescued victims as Marcellus Ekhayeme, Igbafe Austine, and Musa Aliu who said they were abducted from the Iyiku Jattu area of Auchi since February 8.

The victims, he said, were profiled and handed over to their various families while the Commissioner of Police in Edo, Philip Ogbadu, promised to continue to work with relevant stakeholders to ensure a crime-free state.

Abia Killing Meant To Provoke North, Don’t Retaliate, Says Islamic Group To Muslim Traders

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The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has reacted to the assassination of Northern traders in an Abia State cattle market.

MURIC urged Northerners not to retaliate in Abia State, where about eight traders and cows were killed last week.

The appeal, according to the Islamic group, is intended to ensure that peace reigns in the country.

The incident occurred in Omumauzor, Ukwa West Local Government Area of the State, at the New Cattle Market.

Read Also:  Sylvester Oromoni: Initial Legal Advice Recommends Prosecution Of Dowen College – Police

The group claimed, however, that the killing was done to provoke the North.
A statement by MURIC’s Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said: “About fifteen (15) Northern traders and 150 cows belonging to the victims were killed in Abia State last week. The killings occurred on Tuesday, 15th February, 2022 at the New Cattle Market in Omumauzor, Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state.

“Although we are aware that this is not the first time such dastardly act would occur in South-Eastern Nigeria, we strongly appeal to Northerners not to contemplate retaliation. Our main reason for the appeal is the need for peace in the country at this point in time when we are approaching the end of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We charge Northerners to remain patient and law-abiding. This attack in Abia in particular was intended to provoke the North into counter-killings which may spiral into another orgy of violence culminating in a civil war. The North should not even bite the bait, talk less of swallowing it. The cost is too high.

Read Also:  Osun Assembly Screens Civil Service Commission Nominees

“Our records show that this has occurred several times particularly in the last seven years without the North attempting to retaliate once. We salute both the Northern youths and elders and urge them to hold on and continue the display of maturity and reticence.”

Osun Assembly Screens Civil Service Commission Nominees

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The newly appointed members of the Osun State Civil Service Commission have been tasked with carrying out their responsibilities fairly.

They were also told to think of their appointment as a way to help humanity and the people of Osun State.

Timothy Owoeye, the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, made this charge during the screening of the nominees on Tuesday at the State House of Assembly Complex in Abere.

Owoeye also urged the nominees to view their appointment as a privilege and an opportunity to restore sanity to the State civil service.
In his words, “We want you to work together to move the civil service forward in the State. You are also called to bring the best out of the civil service in the State.

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“We want a turn around in the service for effective performance.”

While reminding the members of the commission that their appointment was not an error, Owoeye tasked them to always maintain good relationship with one another in order to uplift the service.

Sylvester Oromoni: Initial Legal Advice Recommends Prosecution Of Dowen College – Police

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Bamidele Olusegun, a Chief Superintendent of Police with the Lagos State Criminal Investigative Department, told the Coroner Inquest into the death of Dowen College student Sylvester Oromoni on Monday that preliminary legal advice recommended that the school and some of its staff be prosecuted.

The witness said the initial advice, titled interim legal advice, was issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to the Police on December 30, 2021, and recommended their prosecution for alleged negligence, while answering questions from the Oromoni family’s counsel, Femi Falana (SAN).
On the prompting of the learned silk, the witness read the specific reference to the recommendation, “There are facts that the students made series of reports of acts of bullying and intimidation against them to the teachers and house parents whose duties were to protect the children under their care.”

“Facts further reveal that most of the statements and reports were not seriously attended to but disregarded by the house parents. No punitive measures were imposed beyond the suspension of known bullies in the school.

“The school does not have an adequate policy for addressing issues of bullying, stalking, and unacceptable behaviour by the seniors against the junior students.

“The office intends to prosecute Mrs Celina Uduak, Valentine Igboekweze, Hammed Ayomo Bariyu, Adesanya Olusegun and Mr. Adeyemi and Dowen College, Lagos for the offence of Negligent Acts causing harm under Section 252 Criminal Law of Lagos 2015,” he said.

The witness who narrated to the court the various steps he took to investigate the matter also confirmed that under cross-examination, the police were initially shocked by the decision of the magistrate court to grant bail to the Dowen staff and the five suspected students.

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According to the police officer, the Force has yet to conclude its investigations into the allegations against them.

Falana asked, “Are you aware that there was a protest by the police to the Chief Judge that they were not allowed to conclude investigation?”

Yes, the witness replied.

“You did say that at the time the suspects were granted bail, you had just got intelligence report and statements from the suspects, and this came as a rude shock to the police that the investigation was not allowed to be carried out?” Falana asked.

Yes, the witness answered.

Falana: After this protest, were the suspects brought back for further interrogation?

No, the witness replied.

Falana: During investigations, one of the students told you that the deceased was bullied?

To which the witness replied, Yes.

“Did any of the witnesses tell you that the deceased was taken to the third floor of the school and tortured? Falana asked.

Witness: The claim wasn’t substantiated but yes, I was told.

Falana: Did any of the witnesses tell you that the deceased was injured on the 14th of November?

Witness: I can’t remember.

At this point, the witness was confronted with the statement of a student who wrote “Sylvester Oromoni played football on Sunday, November 14, he was dragging his leg because he had an injury and on Monday, November 15, he didn’t attend class but was in the sickbay.”

Read Also:  APC Chairmanship: Consensus Our Best Option, Buhari Declares

The CSP was also confronted with the statement of another student and was asked, “Is he the one who told you that the deceased was taken to the third floor where he was subjected to torture?”

Yes, came the reply.

The witness was then asked to read to the hearing of court, some of the conclusions from the police report dated December 23, 2021.

He read, “It is evidently clear that some group of students constitute themselves into a clique that bullies and intimidates fellow students in the school”.

When asked to mention the students who formed the clique, the witness noted that his report mentioned Michael Kashamu and Edward Bague who were earlier reprimanded for bullying other students. He was, however, quick to say that there was nothing to link them to the Oromoni case.

The CSP was also asked whether he invited a journalist, Kemi Olunloyo, to shed more light on her report, carried out in the cause of the investigation, a report which suggests that the deceased, late Sylvester Oromoni wanted to join a secret cult and in the cause of doing this, was given a concoction to drink?

Yes, we invited her, the witness replied.

Falana: What’s your finding as per the letter?

Witness: She didn’t come.

Proceedings came to an end at this point after some other lawyers in the matter complained that the interim legal advice and the police letter to the journalist had not been front-loaded to them.

Read Also:  Osinbajo, Senate President, Others Present As Folarin Wife’s Buried

Counsel to Dowen College, Anthony Kpokpo said: “It has become part of the deceased family’s style to present documents that have not been front-loaded.

“We will not be able to continue with the cross-examination as a result of the surprises being pulled on us. This is regrettable.”

Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri has adjourned further proceedings till Tuesday, February 22.

Osinbajo, Senate President, Others Present As Folarin Wife’s Buried

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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and the Minsiter of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, on Tuesday, attended the funeral service of the wife of Senator Teslim Folarin, Angela.

Angela, 47, died on January 28 in the United Kingdom and her remains were buried in Ibadan after the service held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Ibadan.

The Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Abdulfatai Buhari;
Senator representing Oyo South, Kola Balogun; Federal House of Representatives members, Shina Peller, Tolu Akande-Sadipe, Segun Odebunmi and Akeem Adeyemi were among other dignitaries present to bid the wife of the senator farewell.

Read also: APC Chairmanship: Consensus Our Best Option, Buhari Declares

The Dean, North Deanary Diocese of Ibadan, Rev Fr. Felix Ethapeme,
in his sermon descrbed the deceased as a God-fearing woman who committed her life to the service to God and development of humanity.

He called on parents to raise their children with the fear of God so that they would not become a menace to the society when they grow up.
The cleric said, ”She contributed immensely to the advancement of the church and the society during her lifetime.

“Let us stand up to our responsibilities as good parents and train our children very well so that we can have a society that is devoid of trouble, we all have a role to play in making Nigeria a better place.”

APC Chairmanship: Consensus Our Best Option, Buhari Declares

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Ahead of its March 26, 2022 national convention, President Muhammadu Buhari has urged governors and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to explore the option of getting a consensus chairman to run the party’s affairs.

Chairman of the APC Governors Forum and Kebbi state Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu said this Tuesday while briefing State House correspondents at the end of a meeting between the APC governors and President Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

“President Buhari is a believer in consensus as one of the options of producing leaders and he urged us to explore consensus while recognising that many people who have indicated interest are equally competent but only one person will occupy the office at the end of the day. Consensus is part of our constitution and he urged us to work towards consensus.

“We have produced a number of national chairmen by consensus; Bisi Akande emerge as the pioneer chairman of the APC through consensus, John Oyegun emerged by consensus, Adama Oshiomhole emerged by consensus. So, the president reminded us of that.

“And the governors, I have said earlier, have also been working to ensure that as part of equitable arrangement, zoning and consensus are incorporated. We have done that at the lower levels, and even at the national level it’s almost certain that we will achieve it,” he said.

He said the APC governors had officially informed the president of the new date for the party’s national convention where officials are expected to be elected.

“The date of the convention, the caretaker committee briefed us yesterday of their meeting and the proposed March 26, 2022. And today, the governors informed Mr. President that we have had that, we have had the briefing from the caretaker committee and we are supportive of their position,” he said.

On the proposed zonal congresses which many argued have no provisions in the party’s constitution, the governor said all available options would be looked into.

“I think there has been so much debate. Yesterday, there was a statement to the effect that even the letter that has gone out was withdrawn. So, zonal congresses are not explicitly stated in the Constitution.

“Particularly, how you do zonal congresses? And we have in the past done them with National Convention, but nothing again in the constitution, stops them from being done outside the national convention. But the final form will be decided, given the input we have provided,” the governor said.

He said contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the APC governors are not divided.

“Are governors divided? Not at all, the 22 governors of the APC are united. We are in total support of Mr. President, we are appreciative of his leadership, we commend him for his leadership. We are appreciative of the sacrifice of the national caretaker and extraordinary convention planning committee. And we thank them for the successes recorded under them. Our party, like I said, is greater and stronger, with more members by the day,” he said.

Also speaking, Kaduna state Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai said the governors were hitherto divided on the issue of timing for the national convention.

“We were divided over the timing of the convention. Some governors felt we should not have the convention until we resolved all the congresses issues in some states because in some of the states, these matters are even in court.

“So some governors held the view that we should wait until all these are resolved and that was not borne out of any agenda or selfish interest but just a realistic position to avoid violating any laws or putting our party structures or elected candidates in problem in future.

“But after our meeting last night to deliberate on the proposal by the national caretaker committee and our briefing with the president today, we are all on the same page,” he said.

He said the APC had resolved the zoning formula to be used for national offices of the party.

“We have agreed on a zoning formula for all the six geo-political zones and essentially, we swapped the positions such that now northern zone will take positions that the southern zone had in the last eight years and vice-versa.

“It is a very simple, equitable and fair formula. We will now go back and consult at the zonal level and look at the positions that are available and the process of preparing for the convention that will start in earnest,”he said.

Also speaking, Plateau state Governor Simon Bako Lalong said the APC would outlive the tenure of President Buhari by remaining in power beyond 2023.

Okorocha

In a related development, the immediate past governor of Imo state, Senator Rochas Okorocha has proffered solution to the crisis rocking the APC over repeatedly postponed national convention.

Okorocha, who spoke to Senate correspondents after plenary Tuesday, specifically suggested that founding leaders of the party across the original four blocks should be allowed to nominate interested party members for sensitive positions such as national chairman, secretary, women leader, youth leader, organising secretary etc.

He said while President Buhari as leader of the Congress for Progress Change (CPC) bloc should be given the honour of deciding who becomes the next national chairman of the party , others like Senator Bola Tinubu of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN), Ogbonnaya Onu of the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party(ANPP) , himself as leader of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) faction then, should also be giving the honour of picking the national secretary and other important positions.

Read also: Ex-Minister Sarah Ochekpe, Two Others Sentenced To Prison For Money Laundering

Sharing the party’s positions on that basis, he added , would help in preventing the ship of the party from hitting the rock.

He said: “Our party is a great party, APC is a great party, what is wrong with our party is that we have forgotten how we all started, we should not make the mistake of PDP of the old and I think that will be corrected with the party’s Convention now slated for March 26 , 2022.

“What we need to do is to go back to basics so that we adhere to the culture of unity and equity the party was known for at formation in 2013.

“There were four political parties that formed APC. CPC led by the former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari who is now the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu came with ACN , Governor Abdulaziz Yari , Senator Ali Modu Sheriff (SAS) and former governor of Ebonyi state, Ogbonaya Onu who is now Minister of Science and Technology and Rochas Okorocha leading the APGA.

“Our initial position was that all positions would be shared among these four parties and DPP that came with few members and after the merger, the new PDP joined.

“Now, the wisest thing for all of us to do is to go back to the founding basis and distribute the political positions as we did it that time and there will be no rancour and it will be very peaceful.

“The father of the party now is President Muhammadu Buhari who should be given that respect to pick the person that will hold sensitive position in the party as Chairman, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should always be made to produce some key positions in the party and the other parties and should also be made to have positions and when this is done there will be no problem in APC.

“But if we go into election at this time and of course it will open a Pandora of litigations because where 1000 people buy nominations form, APC can make an income of N2 billion on sales of forms and after that, APC can spend N3 billion on litigations.

“So the wise thing to do is to call the founding fathers of the party and give them key positions and carry everyone along, including the new people that joined the party.”

Ex-Minister Sarah Ochekpe, Two Others Sentenced To Prison For Money Laundering

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Former Minister of Water Resources Sarah Ochekpe and two others were sentenced to three years in prison and a N1 million fine each by a Federal High Court in Jos for money laundering.

Sarah Ochekpe, Raymond Dabo, and Leo Sunday Jitung were found guilty on two of the three counts filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission by Justice Haruna Kurya on Tuesday (EFCC).

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The trio, were, however, released after payment of the N1million option of fine.

The accused have been standing trial for the past four years on charges bordering on money laundering, conspiracy, and accepting cash payment against threshold as allowed by law.

The court found them guilty on counts one and two for conspiracy as well as retention of N450 million which is above the amount allowed by law.

Read also:  United Kingdom Has Imposed Sanctions On Russian Banks And oligarchs

They, were, however, discharged and acquitted on the third charge.

Ochekpe served as Minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

United Kingdom Has Imposed Sanctions On Russian Banks And oligarchs

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Five Russian banks and three billionaires were sanctioned by Britain on Tuesday, in what Prime Minister Boris Johnson described as “the first barrage” of measures in response to the Kremlin’s actions in Ukraine.

Johnson described Russia’s move as “a renewed invasion” of its western neighbor and “pretext for a full-scale offensive” as he addressed the UK parliament hours after Russia ordered troops into two Moscow-backed Ukrainian rebel regions.

He told MPs that “the UK and our allies will begin to impose the sanctions on Russia that we have already prepared… to sanction Russian individuals and entities of strategic importance to the Kremlin.”

Any UK assets held by the five banks targeted — Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank, and the Black Sea Bank — and the three individuals sanctioned will be frozen.
The individuals concerned — Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg and Igor Rotenberg — will be barred from entering Britain and all UK individuals and entities will be banned from dealing with them and the banks.

READ ALSO:  EU Warns Of Economic Uncertainty. After Russia’s Ukraine Moves

“We cannot tell what will happen in the days ahead,” Johnson added in the House of Commons, amid cross-party condemnation of Moscow’s actions.

“But… we should steel ourselves for a protracted crisis.”

The announcement came after Russia’s ambassador to Britain was called into the foreign ministry in London “to explain” its action, the ministry said.

“We made clear to the Russian Ambassador that Russia would pay the price for its actions through further sanctions if it did not withdraw its troops,” a ministry spokesperson added.

– ‘Need to do better’ –

Earlier Tuesday, Johnson chaired a meeting with security chiefs, after which he vowed measures to hit Moscow “very hard”.

Weeks ago, he also pledged sanctions will “come down like a steel trap in the event of the first Russian toecap crossing into more sovereign Ukrainian territory”.

However numerous British lawmakers, including from within his ruling Conservative party, were left underwhelmed by the steps outlined, and urged him to go further.

READ ALSO: United Nations Relocates Non-essential Personnel, families In Ukraine

Labour MP Ben Bradshaw noted the three oligarchs had been sanctioned in the United States four years ago.

“We need to do better than that, prime minister,” Bradshaw said, urging more use of so-called unexplained wealth orders against Russians in Britain as well as reviews of high-net-worth UK visas granted to them.

Johnson insisted further sanctions were “at readiness to be deployed” if the Kremlin continued its aggression.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognised the independence of the rebel-held Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine and instructed the defence ministry to assume “the function of peacekeeping” in the separatist-held regions.

Its foreign ministry insisted Tuesday it was not planning to send troops to other parts of eastern Ukraine beyond the separatist areas “for now”.

READ ALSO: Oil Prices Near $100 Due To Tensions In Ukraine, Stocks Tumble

However, Monday’s move ratcheted up weeks of tensions and punctured Western diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation, after a massive build-up of troops on Ukraine’s border.

Britain’s relations with the Kremlin have been frosty since the radiation poisoning death of a former Russian spy in London in 2006, and the attempted murder of another double agent in the southwestern city of Salisbury in 2018.

Successive governments in London, however, have faced sustained pressure to act against illicit Russian money circulating through the city’s financial markets in recent decades.

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