By Dele Alake
Nothing captures and portrays the crisis of credibility and integrity of the vast majority of a sectional intelligentsia than a recent piece by Dr Chidi Amuta titled ‘Peter Obi and the looming tyranny’. To some who thought Chidi was supposedly more cosmopolitan, liberal, less parochial and less paranoid, his vituperation is more revealing than concealing.
In the absurd and falsely alarmist apocalyptic piece, Amuta squanders valuable time and needless words lamenting an imminent tyranny of the incoming All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, which is entirely a figment of his fertile imagination. What a not insignificant number of Nigerians are bothered about today is not an alleged imminent or looming tyranny by an incoming administration that is only a matter of reckless conjecture but a fully blown intolerant, arrogant, abusive, toxic and insulting Obidients’ (Obidiots?) dictatorship that is already thriving in our midst.
Anyone who has dared express any view critical of or opposed to that of Mr. Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, is immediately set upon by the unwieldy column of wild dogs who have labeled themselves ’Obidients’ and constitute a lawless mob baying for blood on social media !
It does not matter how eminent and revered the personality under attack is or how logically incontrovertible his or her submission is, the Obi horde spares no effort and eschew no epithet or expletive, no matter how repulsive, to shred their reputations to pieces and tarnish images carefully nurtured over decades .
Most of the time the only offense of those who come under the ferocious and feral attacks of the Obidient mob is that they exercise their democratic right to disagree politically with a Peter Obi whose rabid supporters have come to see, portray and worship as infallible deity.
Now, tyranny or dictatorship is normally associated with those individuals, cliques or groups who utilize their control of state and governmental powers to harass, intimidate, oppress and suppress opposition and dissent. They are the proponents and practitioners of the one-dimensional narrative in society who can hardly tolerate alternative viewpoints and narratives. Pray, many have asked, if a group without control of and influence over state power like the Peter Obi clique, is so ferociously against the expression of a multiplicity of viewpoints now, what grave danger of descent to absolutism would Nigeria have faced had their man won the presidency?
That is the dangerous possibility that should bother Chidi Amuta’s mind and not his far-fetched and implausible rumination on a possible looming APC tyranny.
Like I said, many members of this sectional intelligentsia like Amuta find themselves walking an uncomfortable tight rope especially when it comes to dealing with the sinister menace that groups like the ‘Obidients’ have come to pose to society.
On one hand, as intellectuals, they are expected to be committed to expressing the truth and nothing but the truth at all times no matter whose Ox is gored. However, they are, on the other hand, first and foremost primordial, and believe they have a duty to protect the interests of their ethnic group.
It is instructive that there are scores of Yoruba intellectuals who fiercely oppose Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s politics just as there are several members of the Northern political elite who vociferously criticize Atiku Abubakar. But it is virtually impossible to find any Igbo intellectual of note critical of or opposed to Peter Obi even when some of them, like Chidi Amuta, are assumed broad minded enough to have spouses from other tribes.
The sad truth is that the Chidi Amutas of this world are, deep within them, in mortal fear of the Obidients mob and dare not express their real and honest views openly. They thus seek to ingratiate themselves with the “headless mob” known as Obidients so they don’t suffer the fate of a courageous voice like governor Chukuma Soludo of Anambra State who became the object of vicious attacks when he dared to predict last year that there was little hope of Obi winning the presidency.
Soludo was proved right even if Obi performed better than had been expected in the election. But in any election just like in a football match, it is not merely performing well that matters , but winning.
Even though he argues that there is no justification for allegations bordering on treason leveled against Obi and his Vice-Presidential candidate, Datti-Ahmed at various times by Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Ministry of Defense, Chidi Amuta is unable to pretend that there is nothing untoward in the utterances of those so accused. Thus, he writes that “Admittedly, there has been a few incensed and even careless statements by both the losing PDP and the LP. Peter Obi’s running mate, Mr Datti Ahmed, may have been a bit too emphatic and irreverent in his Channels interview on a matter that should be left to the judicial finality of the Supreme Court. But Mr Dino Melaye of the PDP has been even more unguarded. Not to talk of the serial indiscretion and incendiary incitements of Mr Femi Fani Kayode of the APC. Mr Bayo Onanuga of the Tinubu campaign has been even more vitriolic and dripping with ethnic hate in his choice of utterances”.
While implicitly admitting that Obi and Datti-Ahmed went overboard in some of their utterances with reference to Tinubu’s emergence as winner of the election, Amuta tried to exculpate them with reference to alleged utterances of members of the campaign teams of the APC and the PDP. Unfortunately, he demonstrates no logical equivalence here with regard to the two instances. The throwing of most times harsh and unsparing brickbats in the course of a political campaign is normal and understandable. However , to not only reject the outcome of an election but also go outside the stipulated constitutional channels of seeking redress for alleged electoral infractions as Datti-Ahmed in particular and members of the Obedient movement have done is a direct affront to national security and stability altogether.
Amuta is unable to cite a single utterance that can even be remotely tagged as treasonous by Melaye, Fani Kayode, Keyamo or Bayo Onanuga. But he cannot deny that Datti-Ahmed asserted emphatically on national television that the swearing in of Tinubu as President on May 29 would signal the end of democracy in Nigeria. He is aware that on the same television programme, the LP Vice/presidential candidate gave the distinct and undeniable impression that the judges’ decisions on pending election petitions before them must conform to his party’s views or be unacceptable. Neither can he be ignorant of the antics of a group of Obidients, most likely taking a cue from Obi and Datti-Ahmed, converging on the Ministry of Defense Headquarters and pleading with the military to intervene in the political process in reaction to the outcome of the elections !
Did Amuta expect any responsible and self-respecting government to keep mute and inactive in the face of such extra-constitutional provocations? It is unlikely.
For, he also writes that “In the heat of the campaign, some fringe elements of the Obidients movement may have overstepped the bounds of decent assembly in response to the hooligans of the APC in places like Lagos for instance. Even then, with the LP and the Obidients, we are dealing with uncharted territory. A popular movement that finds itself as the rave of the political movement has a capability to go overboard. But critics of the Obidients have hardly spared a thought for the many of them that were killed, maimed and seriously injured in parts of the country by APC professional thugs”.
This is nothing but an elaborate and manifestly dishonest attempt to justify the irrational extremism of the Obidients in response to the failure of Peter Obi at the polls. Amuta makes reference to alleged attacks by APC thugs on members of the Obidients movement in parts of the country but is silent on the several viral trending videos on social media showing attacks by LP agents on members of other parties in the South-East and parts of the South-South, a factor that largely explains the electoral dominance of the LP in these areas particularly in the presidential election.
Referring to APC members, Amuta comically asserts that “Party hawks and attack hounds are still busy insulting our public sensibility. They are berating, abusing and profiling their election season opponents. It as though the elections are not yet over”. If Chidi truly believes this, then he deserves nothing but pity and empathy. An otherwise brilliant mind has become so clearly disoriented by the outcome of an election that he so obviously desperately wanted his fellow ethnic man to win. For, his misplaced statement about the fictive aggression and violence of the APC members more accurately reflects what most people have come to see as the defining characteristics of the Obidient movement. Even in London, a staff writer of Time magazine, Astha Rajvanshi, has had to lock her Twitter account following vitriolic attacks on her by members of the Obidient movement. Her offense? She had written the citation of President-elect, Bola Tinubu, in the 2023 issue of the magazine’s 100 most influential people.
Chidi Amuta is of the view that “The period between a general election and the swearing/in of a successor administration ought to be filled with excited anticipation. It is usually time of pleasant speculations on the new faces that will soon grace television screens and newspaper front pages…For the elite, this ought to be a time to debate policy perspectives and options for the new administration “.
Possibly yet to emerge from the deep depression that Tinubu’s victory in the election has submerged him in, the writer is unaware that there is already great expectations across the land as regards the possibilities of the incoming administration.
There are already wide ranging debates on various policy options for the next government on fuel subsidy, monetary policy, electricity supply, restructuring and security among several others. The media is daily awash with speculations on which faces will feature as members of the new administration. If Amuta and those of his group persuasion decide to psychologically alienate themselves from this process, there is nothing anybody can do about it. It is their cup of tea.
The writer asserts that the APC is “consumed by an overwhelming sense of nervousness” and that “Instead of engaging the public in sensible debates about policy options and directions, the APC appears to have retreated into a perpetual campaign mode”. More than any other party, the APC and its presidential candidate presented their policy platform to various audiences in campaigns and Town Hall meetings across the country. The outcome of the elections was a validation of the acceptance by a majority of voters of the policy direction in which the party seeks to lead Nigeria.
It is rather the LP and Peter Obi that are betraying signs of nervousness as it becomes daily more evident that their petition against the election rests on fragile and slippery empirical and evidential grounds. Thus, Obi is suddenly talking about his being under pressure from mysterious and unidentified quarters to leave the country for his safety. Surely, the APC cannot be among those who want this. The party will surely want the LP candidate to be very much around in the country to pursue his petition in court to its ultimately futile conclusion.
Amuta wonders why Tinubu “has not disbanded his abusive and divisive campaign machinery”. It is certainly not any member of the Tinubu campaign that has been caught in an audio recording plotting with their spiritual daddies on how to pursue their election campaign as a religious war. It is evident that what Amuta desires is a visceral and funereal silence from the APC as the LP persists in trying to delegitimize an election it lost fair and square locally and internationally. He will not get what he wants.
The APC will continue to defend the credibility and integrity of Tinubu’s electoral victory with greater vigor, logic and determination than can be summoned by those who seek to discredit the election and destabilize Nigeria.
Indeed, the writer also seeks to cast doubts on the integrity and credibility of the election but cannot stop himself from celebrating the fact that Obi “thrashed Tinubu in Lagos, swept the Federal Capital Territory like a political hurricane leaving his rivals no room for even a 25% miserable vote score” and “ swept the whole of the South-East, South-South as well as the Middle Belt states of Nasarawa, Benue and Plateau”.
Yet, this is the same election he describes as massively rigged and unreliable. What contradiction! What dishonesty! What hypocrisy!
Still gloating about Obi’s impressive performance in an election he avers as rigged and lacking in credibility, Amuta contends that “From Nasarawa and Southern Kaduna, Obi and his rampaging political train menacingly eyed the conservative Northern bastions with the force of a powerful political message”.
This is self-deluding political fiction. Obi did not attain over all victory in any of the three geopolitical zones in the North. Atiku had the highest number of votes in the North-East and Tinubu emerged Victor in the North-West and North-Central. Obi won in the South-East and South-South and could not muster even 25% of the votes in the North-East or North-West. There is no way he could have emerged as President.
Amuta writes rapturously about Obi’s rosy promises to the electorate and how superlatively he would perform if elected President. Until he provides the public with concrete and verifiable examples of Obi’s accomplishments as governor of Anambra State for eight years, it will be utterly time-wasting to engage his wild speculations.
Chidi applauds Obi for his feat in joining “a small party like LP and in less than a year transformed it into a serious power contender”. He is utterly oblivious of the fact that by March 18, Obi’s LP’s ‘roar’ in the February 25 presidential election had become not more than a whimper in the governorship and House of Assembly elections. The LP only struggled to win a governorship seat in Abia State.
There is a limit to which you can ride on ethnic and religious sentiments to build a viable and enduring political organization in a complex polity like Nigeria, but, we cannot, and we should not deny Chidi Amuta his delusions !
Dele Alake, former editor of Nigeria’s National Concord newspaper, is Special Adviser to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu the President elect.
PRESS RELEASE
SANWO-OLU WOOS INVESTORS IN AMERICA, SAYS LAGOS IS THE RIGHT PLACE FOR INVESTMENTS
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged existing and potential investors to continuously see Lagos, “the crown sub-national jewel of the African economy,” as a choice place for investments.
He said Lagos State is the right place for investments in FinTech, EdTech, Health-Tech, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Talent Training and Placement, or Physical Infrastructure like Data Centers, among others.
“It is always my very great pleasure to engage with existing and potential investors and business people in Nigeria, and most especially, Lagos State, the crown subnational jewel of the African economy. I am sure many of you will be familiar with the numbers, the fact that Lagos is the fifth largest economy on the continent, the most populous city, and the fastest-growing urban center, with a very vibrant and entrepreneurial population, made up of mostly young people.
“We have the market, we have the talent, we have the enabling environment, we have the physical infrastructure, all in place. And we have the success stories, great testimonials of what is possible when people come together to develop and implement great ideas and solutions, backed by the power of private capital and the support of understanding and enthusiastic governments,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke at a High-Level US-Nigeria Council for Food Security, Trade and Investment (UNSC) event on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings in Washington DC, United States on Thursday.
The Governor acknowledged the place of the US-Nigeria Council, as the pre-eminent business organisation working to strengthen economic and commercial ties between the United States and Nigeria.
Governor Sanwo-Olu during the event spoke on the giant strides of his administration in different sectors, especially in Infrastructure, Food Security and Digital Technology, in line with the THEMES six pillars developmental agenda – Transportation and Traffic Management, Healthcare and Environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Megacity, Entertainment, Tourism and Sports, and Security and Governance.
He said: “One of the accomplishments we are proudest of, in our first four years, has been the completion of the first phase of the Lagos Light Rail Blue Line – the first modern intra-city rail system in Lagos State.
“As I speak test-running is going on, allowing Lagosians to have a long-overdue feel of what it is to belong to a city with the 21st-century rail system.
“We are also completing work on the first phase of the Red Line; together the Blue and Red Lines form two of the planned total of six Lines that will crisscross the metropolis.
“At the beginning of this year, the President joined us in Lagos to commission the Lekki Deep Sea Port, on the eastern corridor of Lagos. It will interest you to know that the Deep-Sea Port is the first Deep Sea Port to be built in Nigeria, and is now the most modern one in West Africa. A real game-changer for shipping and logistics in Nigeria and all of the West Coast of Africa.
“Lagos State owns a 20 percent stake in that Port, while private investors own 75 percent. The Port will create an estimated 170,000 direct and indirect jobs and generate government revenue over of $200 billion over its 45-year concession period.
“It is in our view among the biggest and most transformational infrastructure investments in Lagos State in several decades, and we worked very hard with the private sector and the Federal Government to deliver it.
“Expect more of these kinds of collaboration in the next four years, especially as we look to deliver on a new bridge across the Lagos Lagoon, the 4th Mainland Bridge, and a new International Airport in Lagos.”
The Governor said some of the large-scale infrastructure projects being implemented by his administration are, a 10-lane Expressway, linking Nigeria to Benin Republic; a network of Access Roads to the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
Speaking on the Lagos State Government’s commitment to agriculture and food security, Governor Sanwo-Olu said his government focus is on processing and storage because of the State’s population, which makes it Nigeria’s biggest food consumption hub.
“We are also very blessed with water – a lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean, which means fisheries is a huge opportunity. It is with these opportunities in mind that we have recently completed the largest rice mill in sub-Saharan Africa, which will be managed by private players, while also building what will be the largest Food Security Systems and Central Logistics Park in sub-Saharan Africa.
“This Park with storage facilities that can guarantee uninterrupted food supplies to more than 10 million persons, for at least 90 days, is one of the outcomes of our five-year Lagos State Agricultural and Food Systems Road Map (2021–2025). I will encourage you all to get as familiar as possible with these Lagos State Government policy documents and road maps, which give an overview of our thinking and policy direction.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu also spoke about Lagos State Government’s success in digital technology and innovation, noting that Nigeria’s ICT Sector, a component of the digital economy, was the only sector of the economy that grew by double digits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Lagos, I am proud to say, is the Fintech Capital of Africa, the city where companies like Flutterwave, Paystack and Interswitch were birthed. And these are only three of several thriving startups in our ecosystem.
“According to Afridigest, Africa had, as of February 2023, seven Unicorn Companies. Of those seven, four originated in Nigeria, Lagos to be precise, and all four attained their unicorn status between 2019 and 2021. These four are 9 also reported to be responsible for $7.5billion of the 11.45 billionon total valuation of African unicorns.
“Last year, Microsoft launched its Africa Development Center in Lagos, while Google landed its Equiano Sub-Sea Cable on our shores. We have, in the last few years, seen a huge number of major new data center investments, value more thanof 1.5 billion US dollars.”
He stressed further that “As a State Government we are partnering with the Federal Government, and the private sector, to redevelop the National Theatre, a Lagos landmark, into a world-class Creative and Technology Park, with hubs for IT, Music, Fi, lm, and Fashion. That multi-million-dollar redevelopment is very well advanced now and should be completed this year.
“I must also not fail to mention the fact that Nigeria now has a Startup Act, The Nigeria Startup Act, which was signed into law by President Buhari some months ago, and which is further solidifying our status as the country of choice for technology investment in Africa.
“On our own, as the Lagos State Government, we have recently completed the laying of 3,000km fiber-optic cable and associated infrastructure across the State, connecting public buildings and infrastructure, as part of our Smart City Project. That Smart City Project also includes hundreds of video surveillance cameras, to improve security in the metropolis, as well as help us better coordinate our emergency response systems.
“Another key element of this Smart City Project is our Intelligent Transport System, which helps us to manage traffic better. Anyone who’s familiar with Lagos knows that traffic management is very key to maximizing the potential of the megacity.
“Our Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) exists to provide funding and strategic support to science and technology research and innovation in Lagos State, from academia and from the private sector. So far LASRIC has funded more than 60 startups working in healthcare, agriculture, construction, alternative energy, the circular economy, Software as a Service (SaaS) and so on.
“Digital Transformation is a key priority for us, introducing digital tools to re-imagine and underline everything we do as a government, from our internal operations to our interactions with the public. Some of the ways we have digitally transformed our service offerings across various economic sectors include; digitizing the payments systems for our multi-modal transport networks, as well as the delivery of our educational curriculum in our public schools.”
Speaking on the May 29 swearing-in of the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Governor Sanwo-Olu said: “We have a new President-Elect who will be sworn in on May 29: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State, between 1999 and 2007. For me personally, it means a lot, my first public sector job was in the Lagos State Government when he was Governor, and also the fact that we will have a President who, having governed Lagos, has a very personal understanding of its needs and challenges.
“Lagos will continue to be in alignment with the ruling party at the center, which we have enjoyed for the last eight years, and which has been transformational for us in various ways.”
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY
16 APRIL 2023
INEC Refutes purported Declaration of Aisha Binani of APC as Winner of Adamawa State Guber Election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has refuted the purported declaration of Aisha Binani of the APC as winner of the ongoing Gubernatorial Election in Adamawa State.
In a series of tweet from the official twitter handle of the commission, the INEC, while suspending the ongoing collation of results, declared that the announcement by Barr Hudu Yunusa as usurpation of duty since he is no longer the returning officer for the election.
PRESIDENT BUHARI HAILS RENOWNED EDUCATIONIST, FUNKE IBRAHIM, AT 60
President Muhammadu Buhari shares the joyous occasion of Mrs. Funke Ibrahim’s 60th birthday with the teaching profession, family and friends, saluting the renowned educationist and Executive Director/Principal of Funtaj International Schools, Abuja, for close to 30 years of teaching, grooming and raising leaders.
President Buhari rejoices with Mrs. Ibrahim on the landmark age, and her many achievements, including the goodwill of starting a crèche to help busy mothers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which grew into one of the largest educational institutions, with pre-nursery, nursery, primary and boarding secondary schools, and overtime turned into most families’ choice for quality education.
As the educationist turns 60, the President extols her large-heartedness and foresight for inspiring many graduates to take up teaching as a career, particularly in the FCT, training and retraining her staff, at home and abroad, and extending her vision to the less privileged by donating educational materials, building classrooms and regularly sensitizing communities on the value of education, especially in the hinterland.
President Buhari congratulates Mrs Ibrahim, and her spouse, Tajudeen, for their leading role in pioneering private sector educational development in the FCT, and encouraging the growth and spread of more schools, hiring seasoned scholars, like Head of Schools, Leslie Nnebedum, who taught the first family’s children in Kaduna.
The President prays for more years of good health, strength and wisdom for Mrs Ibrahim, and her family.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
April 15, 2023
Delta govt tasks Works Ministry on Ughelli-Asaba road completion
Delta State Government on Tuesday, said it had given an ultimatum to its Ministry of Works to ensure that Section C2 of Ughelli/Asaba Road dualisation project was completed in the life of the present administration.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, made this known while briefing journalists on some decisions reached at the State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting presided over by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa at Government House, Asaba.
Aniagwu said that a lot of works had been done on the Section which ran from Koka flyover and interchange to Ogwashi-Uku junction, adding that the remaining part of the project would be completed by the incoming administration.
“The governor has also given marching order to the Ministry of Works to impress it upon the contractor handling Section C2 of the Ughelli-Asaba Road dualisation project. The Section has to do with the Koka interchange up to the Ogwashi-Uku Junction.
“The import of the order is to enable us have the privilege of inaugurating that particular corridor before we exit on the May 29.
“Our initial intension was that we would be able to complete work on that road before we leave. But the effect of the flood that took place in 2022 which did not only disrupt construction work but also undermined the work done.
“We are quite optimistic that we will be able to deliver Section C2. For the other sectors, we are committed to the work but because the rains are here, we will not because of speed, mortgage quality of work. We are not interested in delivering works that will not stand the test of time,” he added.
Aniagwu pointed out that the Exco gave approval for the construction of Alihagu Road, Umudein Street as well as Orewa Street all in Ika South Local Government Area of the state.
He stated that the cardinal goal of the Senator Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration was to connect all communities in the state with motorable roads.
According to him, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah has been mandated by Exco to liaise with the authorities of Warri/Uvwie and Environs Development Agency (WUEDA) on ways to fast track the process of actualising the flood control projects in the area.
Aniagwu explained that the project was expedient owing to the fact that no roads could stand the test of time if the flood challenge in the area was not adequately addressed.
“At today’s Exco, we approved some roads for construction. We also gave instructions to supervising ministries to reach out to different contractors handling critical projects.
“The governor will in the course of the week and next week, continue to inspect projects. He has directed that the SSG should liaise with the authorities at the Warri/Uwvie and Environs Development Agencies (WUEDA), for the purpose of fast-tracking the control of flood in the Warri axis.
“Our commitment to control the flood in the Warri axis is with the view to allow government to proceed to construct roads in dire need of rehabilitation or construction.
“If we don’t address the flood challenge in that corridor before constructing the roads, we will only be doing the wrong thing because when the floods come, it will not only destroy the roads but also, ravage the homes around the roads.
“We have explained it before now that we need to address the flood issues in the Warri axis before constructing the roads. The contractors have been given notice to hasten up,” the commissioner said.
He said the Ayakoromo Bridge will be inspected by the governor to ascertain the level of work done so far and how soon the project would be completed.
“We are happy that a well known person in taking over, in the person of Sheriff Oborevwori. We are very confident in him because he understands all the projects that we have executed.
“He presided over the approval of the budgets that paved way for the execution of these projects. He also worked very closely with this administration as a key member. So it is a win-win for this administration.
“The governor has at today’s Exco, appreciated Deltans for finding the PDP worthy of continuing with the laudable projects that this administration has executed by voting massively for Sheriff Oboriwori,” Aniagwu said.
LG Administration, critical to nation’s democracy – Okowa
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Wednesday said local government administration remained an integral part of the nation’s democracy in view of its pivotal role in grassroots development.
Okowa stated this while inaugurating some projects, including Legislative Complex, at Oshimili South Local Government Council, Asaba, built by the Chairman of the Council, Dr Kelvin Ezenyili.
He said that laws made by the local government legislative arms were necessary for the growth and development of communities, adding that his administration had continued to collaborate with local government councils for the development of the state.
“The legislative arm is very important in any democracy. Unfortunately, our democracy is still growing as a nation.
“But, I believe that with this edifice that is here, the legislators will know that they have a role in the local government council. And, I hope that the by-laws that they would pass, coupled with other functions, would enable Oshimili South to grow beyond what we have at the moment.
“As the local government council that hosts the seat of power, the council has a way of collaborating with the state government, hence I had to hand over the Ogbeogonogo market to the council, even though it was built by the state.
“This is because markets are supposed to be managed by local government councils,” thegovernor said.
He congratulated the Council boss for executing the landmark projects and for engaging no fewer than 200 environmental marshals to ensure cleanliness of the environment in collaboration with the State Waste Management Board.
“I thank the council chairman for taking such a bold decision, especially now that many local government councils are not comfortable with their finances.
“When I listened to him talk about several other things he has engaged in, the only thing that crossed my mind is a council chairman working with the rest of the executive of the local governmen, legislative arm inclusive, that have tried to do their best in managing the scare resource available to them,” he added.
Okowa, who pointed out that Asaba as a capital territory was becoming the fastest growing in terms of developments across the nation, said “our efforts at peace-building have helped in the development of Asaba and our brothers from the South East are finding a lot of comfort here.
“We have continued to stay focused in bringing the needed development to Asaba. Just recently, beyond other developmental infrastructure, we have built the Mariam Babangida Leisure Park.
“I believe that the park is obviously bringing a lot of attraction to the city. The Film Village will soon take off as they are twin projects. For those who have not been there, they should find time to visit.
“We have also given a new look to the Dennis Osadebay University and when you find time to be there, you will appreciate better the works that are being done there.
“We thank His Royal Majesty, the Asagba of Asaba, Obi Prof Chike Edozien and all the chiefs in Asaba for the cooperation that they have given to us so far. This has helped in the growing rate of Asaba.
“There are still some people who believe that we have not done enough. I do not want to praise myself, but I know that I am leaving Asaba as the capital territory much better than we met it.
“I believe that what we did was the right thing. Are they things yet undone? Yes. But that is why government is a continuum. I believe that great emphasis will also be paid to Asaba, going forward.
“We should not hurriedly forget about the storm drainage which was used to tackle the flooding which used to be an issue in Asaba. I thank God that we have been able to make Asaba much more liveable.
“Government alone cannot do the development of the state capital. We need to invite our friends to invest here and add to the development of the capital territory.
“The warm environment and the friendly attitude of the indigines of Asaba, has helped attract alot of people to Asaba. So I commend them for that,” he stated.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, Chairman of the Council, Kelvin Ezenyili had said that the legislative chamber was conceived and built by the council to provide a conducive working environment for councillors in the local government.
Ezenyili added that the legislative chamber was named after Dr. Maryam Babangida in recognition of the pioneering role she played in the empowerment of rural women in the country.
According to him, apart from the Leader of the Legislative Arm, none of the councillors had an office to perform their legislative assignment as they used to sit under the tree whenever they are around.
While appreciating the developmental strides of Okowa across the the state, he expressed hope that the Legislative Chamber would enhance the operational efficiency of councillors and their support staff in the discharge of their duties.
Okowa inaugurates 2 trucks for Delta Fire Service
Delta Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, on Wednesday, inaugurated two new fire fighting trucks procured by the state government to strengthen the operational efficiency of the State’s Fire Service.
Each of the trucks has 7,000 litres of water, 250 foam concentrate to fight liquid fire, two suction host, wheel chair, two stretchers, breathing apparatus, six fire tunic and first aid box as well as the capacity to carry six fire men.
Inaugurating the two trucks, Okowa said the trucks were to complement the fleet of fire fighting trucks being used by the State Fire Service to combat incidents of fire outbreak in all parts of the state.
He commended the State Fire Service for their proactive efforts and prompt response time in attending to emergencies and pledged government sustained commitment towards providing basic operational tools that would stimulate their efficiency.
He said as more cities continued to emerge, there was need to prepare adequately for emergencies, even as he charged men of the State Fire Service to make good use of the fire fighting trucks.
“There is no doubt that Delta State has done very well in fighting fire outbreaks across the state and l know that we have several fire fighting stations now in the state increasing by the day for which l am very grateful to the management of the State Fire Service.
“We have had lots of interventions in the state and in some occasions, we have had to be called by sister states to intervene in their own state.
“I feel very very elated every time l speak about the Fire Service in Delta State. They have a wonderful management and their response time is something that is very encouraging.
“I have been a witness to it and several other persons have testified to this effect. I think it is something that we must continue to encourage.
“So, having two additional fire fighting trucks to join their fleet is something that we must truly be glad about. I hope that we will continue, as a state, to support them.
“It is also one very important thing that will be in our handover note to the next administration because as the city grows and as the state grows, you must prepare for emergencies such as the one that the Fire Fighting Service does engage itself in and we must find ways to encourage them.
“I am also glad that recently (just between yesterday and today), l have had to give approval to two memos that concerns the Fire Service workers both those in the lower category and those in the management and upper echelon where they are able to thrive to their best.
“I think that will add greater encouragement to what they do. I have always said in various occasions that l will find it very easy to approve any request coming from the Fire Service.
“This is because they have shown skill, they have shown commitment in their job and l just hope that every other person that works for the government works in that manner, things would have been made easy for everybody,” Okowa said.
In his remarks, the Commissioner, Bureau for Special Duties, Mr. Johnbull Edema said the two brand new trucks were locally fabricated to meet international standard.
He thanked the governor for always providing resources for the procurement of operational equipment that had enabled the State Fire Service attend to emergencies in the state.
Also speaking at the ceremony, the State Director of Fire Service, Mr. Eugene Oziwele said the trucks have all that were needed to combat all kinds of fire incident.
Highlight of the event was a practical drill on how to use the fire fighting trucks to combat fire emergencies by men of the State Fire Service.
CSO gives INEC 20 working days to provide presidential election results for 774 LGs
GovIndex Leadership Empowerment and Development Foundation, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide the complete 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 presidential election results for the 774 local government areas in the country within 20 working days.
The group in a letter to INEC dated March 30, 2023 and signed by its Lawyer, Barrister Udoka Oguekwe, made the request under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act pursuant to Section 1(I), (2011).
The letter reads in part: “I request a waiver of all fees for this request as this information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute to public understanding and confidence in the activities of the government in general and the commission in particular.
“If you deny this request, please cite each specific exemption under the law that justifies the refusal to release the information.
“I look forward to your reply within 20 work days.”
The request is coming less than one week after GovIndex Foundation dragged former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, Muslim Akinsanyo (M.C Oluomo), Bayo Onanuga, Reno Omokri and Sam Omatseye to the Department of State Service (DSS) over alleged hate speech capable of instigating violence against Igbos.
[14/04, 16:23] Elombah: For Immediate Release, April 14, 2023
*APC behind cloning of Obi’s identity, London airport detention — POSN*
Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is behind the cloning of the identity of Labour Party (LP) Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, in Britain, culminating in his recent detention by UK immigration officers at Heathrow Airport in London. This is according to the Peter Obi Support Network (POSN).
The group in a statement issued on Friday and signed by FCC Onwuasoanya Jones of its Directorate of Strategic communications, expressed shock at the extent the APC Government of President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to go in its bid to neutralise the influence of Obi, whom it sees as a nightmare and the main threat to its stolen presidential mandate.
“From spending billions of naira paying lobbyists and sponsoring propaganda teams to the USA and UK, the Buhari-led APC Government has now graduated to sponsoring a clone of Peter Obi in the UK in its desperation to demonise a man widely recognised as the conscience of the nation,” POSN said.
It noted that the passport with which the fake Peter Obi obtained UK Visa, must have been issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), adding: “It is instructive that the Nigerian Government has remained silent on Obi’s unwarranted Heathrow Airport ordeal, one full week after the regrettable incident”.
POSN said that though unfortunate, Obi’s underserved humiliation at Heathrow Airport has its positive sides. “It provided Nigerians at the airport an opportunity to rise in defence of their hero and they did so – for which we’ll eternally be grateful. It also has exposed the dirty anti-Obi schemings of the APC Government as the whole world now knows that whatever crime is committed by the fake Peter Obi has nothing to do with the one and only Peter Gregory Obi, who is universally known and respected for his unimpeachable integrity,” POSN said.
The group advised the Buhari-led APC Government to stop wasting scarce resources seeking Obi’s downfall, adding: “Rather than be discouraged, this can only make Obi more resolute in recovering his stolen mandate through the judicial process and in rededicating himself to the crucial task on helping to birth a new Nigeria, which, of course, is very much POssible.”
‘Publish your assets, encourage Osinbajo, others to do so’, SERAP tells Buhari
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use his “leadership position and role as the African Union Anti-Corruption Champion to widely publish your asset declaration form as you conclude your term of office in May 2023 and to leave a legacy of transparency.”
SERAP also urged him to “encourage Vice-President Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila and high-ranking officials of the next administration to also promptly publish their assets to date.”
According to the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, contained in Part I of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], all public officers are to declare their assets immediately after taking office; at the end of every four years; and at the end of his/her term of office
In the open letter dated 15 April 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “Publishing your asset declaration form and encouraging other public officials and officials of the next administration to do so would enable Nigerians to scrutinize the assets and worth of public officials before taking office and at the end of their term of office.”
SERAP said, “Those who voluntarily seek or occupy public offices and are catered for by the public have certain fiduciary duties to be open, transparent, and accountable to Nigerians regarding the details of their asset declaration forms.”
According to SERAP, “Because asset declaration forms are public documents, public officials cannot claim that publishing their assets would violate their privacy rights. There is an overriding public interest in the disclosure of information on the assets of public officers who clearly are trustees of Nigeria’s wealth and resources.”
The letter, read in part: “SERAP urges you to emulate the good example of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who consistently published his asset declaration forms as president and governor of Katsina State.”
“He also planned legislative reform to make it mandatory for all public officers to declare their assets publicly. He believed that publishing his assets would put pressure on other public officers to do so.”
“Publishing your asset declaration form and encouraging other public officials and the officials of the next administration to do so would also send a powerful message of your commitment to uphold the country’s constitutional guarantees and international obligations.”
“It would also show that you are ready to do what is needed to leave a legacy of transparency and accountability.”
“Apart from encouraging other officials and the officials of the next administration to publish their asset declaration forms, publishing your asset declaration form widely would also address allegations that many officials tend to make false declarations in order to cover up assets illegally acquired in corruption or abuse of office.”
“Our requests are brought in the public interest, and in keeping with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended]; the Freedom of Information Act; the UN Convention against Corruption; African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to Nigeria is a state party.”
“According to the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, contained in Part I of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], all public officers are to declare their assets.”
“Paragraph 11(1)(a)(b) of the Fifth Schedule provides that every public officer shall immediately after taking office and thereafter (a) at the end of every four years; and (b) at the end of his/her term of office, submit to the CCB a written declaration of all his/her properties, assets, and liabilities and those of his/her unmarried children under the age of eighteen years.”
“Section 15(1) of the CCB and Tribunal Act also requires all public officers to declare their assets.”
“Article 7(1) of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and Articles 7(4) and 8(5) of the UN Convention against Corruption also contain similar provisions and requirements for public officials to declare their assets before, during, and after serving in public office.”
“The Nigerian Constitution and the anticorruption and human rights treaties show the significant role that asset declaration by public officials plays in promoting transparency, accountability and preventing and combating corruption in the public service.”
“Section 109 of the Evidence Act defines a public document to include documents forming the acts or records of the acts of public officers. Asset declaration forms kept with the Code of Conduct Bureau therefore qualify as public documents under section 109.”
“Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution makes provision for the fundamental right to information. Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also guarantee access to information.”
“We hope that the aspects highlighted will help guide your actions in taking steps to publish your asset declaration form and to encourage others to do so.”
Kolawole Oluwadare
SERAP Deputy Director
16/4/2023
Lagos, Nigeria
Emails: info@serap-nigeria.org; news@serap-nigeria.org
Twitter: @SERAPNigeria
Website: www.serap-nigeria.org
For more information or to request an interview, please contact: +2348160537202