Marco Rubio ends presidential bid after Trump wins Florida

Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio, the Florida senator hailed in the aftermath of the 2012 election as the Republican party’s likely “savior”, suspended his bid to become the first Latino president of the United States on Tuesday.

Speaking in his hometown of Miami, Rubio congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the Florida primary. “It was a big win,” he said.

Rubio added: “People are angry and people are very frustrated,” before being interrupted by a protester. “Don’t worry, he won’t get beat up at our event,” he said.

“These changes to our economy are disrupting people’s lives,” he continued. “There are millions of people in this country that are tired of being looked down upon.”

He attacked the political establishment and said that after eight years of Barack Obama the US needed a strong Republican party and a “vibrant conservative movement … built on principles and ideas, not on fear”.

“The politics of resentment against other people will not just leave us a fractured party,” Rubio said, “they will leave us a fractured nation.

“After tonight it is clear that while we are on the right side this year we will not be on the winning side … Today my campaign is suspended.”

He told his supporters of his loss: “There was nothing more you could have done.”

Donald Trump

Rubio, whose immigrant parents have been at the heart of his personal story, also spoke of his mother, who arrived in the US in 1956 with little education and neither money nor connections.

“In this country, on this day, my mother, who’s now 85 years old, was able to cast a ballot for her son to be the president of the United States of America,” Rubio said.

Although not unexpected, Rubio’s inability to carry his home state served as the final nail in the coffin of a campaign caught perennially on the cusp of breaking through, but falling under the weight of its own expectations. Rubio had, in recent weeks, suffered bruising losses in key primary contests that placed the senator well behind rivals Trump and Texas senator Ted Cruz.

Florida marked the last stand not simply for the 44-year-old senator, but also for a party seeking a consensus alternative to Trump. It was a mantle Rubio himself embraced in the final weeks of his campaign, although in part to his detriment.

A series of personal attacks Rubio made against Trump, while hardly the sole reason for his failure, helped propel the senator’s campaign into a downward spiral from which he never quite recovered. As Floridians took to the polls, Rubio expressed regret over his uncharacteristically lowbrow tone and acknowledged he had embarrassed his wife, children and the supporters who looked to him as a role model.

Rubio’s campaign was launched last April at the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami. Standing 11 months ago in the building that once served as the landing place for millions of refugees fleeing Cuba in the 1960s, Rubio entered the race with immediate comparisons drawn to another young, eloquent orator: Barack Obama.

His biggest obstacle then was Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and Rubio’s one-time ally. In the end, neither of the state’s favorite sons proved a match for Trump and the grassroots anger fueling the business magnate’s campaign.

Speaking to the Guardian on the evening before his presidential bid arrived at its close, Rubio warned of a dire road ahead if Republicans failed to recognize the perils of a Trump nomination.

“If we’re going to be the party of fear, we’re going to spend some time in the wilderness,” Rubio said. “If we’re the party of fear, with a candidate who basically is trying to prey upon people’s fears to get them to vote for them, I think we’re going to pay a big price in November and beyond.”

If elected, Trump would not have the respect of allies around the globe, Rubio warned.

“I think he’s already an embarrassment,” Rubio said. “People around the world are watching this debate and this campaign and wondering what’s happening here, because the things he says are nonsensical.

“When you’re the most powerful and important nation on earth, you’re not always going to be popular,” he added. “But the question is, are you respected? And I don’t think Donald Trump is going to be respected.”

He added: “I don’t know how this is all going to end. This is uncharted territory. But from my mind, the Republican party has a very important decision to make: Are we going to be the party of fear or the party of optimism?”

Source: The Nation

$2.1bn arms deals: N1.5bn traced to ex-minister’s son

Dasuki

Dasuki’s ex-aide loses embassy job 

A bureau de change operator has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)   that N1.5billion was paid into his account for the son of a former Minister of Finance.

Salisu Umaru said he did not know what the minister’s son used the cash for. The former minister and his son were not named “so as not to jeopardise the investigation”. The cash is believed to be part of the $2.1 billion “phoney” arms deals funds.

Also at the weekend, it was learnt that the army has replaced one of its officers under probe for the phoney arms deals, Col. Nicholas Ashinze, with Col. M.A. Abdullahi as the nation’s military attaché to Germany.

Col. Ashinze is to refund N7.3million, which was paid to him as estacode and air fares.

Salisu, who  gave the EFCC details of how the N1.5billion was wired into his company’s account, said he never knew what the cash from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) was meant for.

He said : “I was invited by EFCC and when I reported, I was shown my company’s account statement with Zenith Bank called Jabama Ada Global Nigeria Limited in which there was an inflow of N500million on 5/2/2015 and N1billion on 16/4/2015 into the account from the Office of the National Security Adviser.

“On the inflow of N500million into my company’s account  on 5/2/2015, I wish to state as follows : That on the same date(5/2/2015), I paid the equivalent of US$2,380,952 to the son of the minister, being the equivalent of the said N500million at the rate of N210 per dollar.

“I do not know what he used the money for. My own business is to buy and sell dollars. It  is only the minister’s son that can explain what the money was meant for. The minister’s son signed and collected the said N500million.

“On the N1billion inflow into my company’s account on 16/4/2015, I wish to say the money was disbursed as follows: $1,000,000, being the equivalent of N220million; and $327,000 (equivalent of N72,600,000) were paid cash to the son of the minister while the sum of N704,400,000 was transferred to various accounts based on the instruction of the minister’s son. He gave some of the instructions through text messages. Some of the instructions were also received from the father.

“I also want to state that I do not know what the N1billion was meant for and what it was used for.”

Col. M.A. Abdullahi’s initial nomination for the job was turned  down by a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah.

Gen. Minimah was said to have favoured Col. Ashinze because he speaks German fluently.

Col. Ashinze had been ordered by the army to refund N7.3million, including an estacode of N6million and N1.3milion air fares.

But the embattled former military aide to Col. Dasuki asked the army to prevail on the EFCC to lift the restriction on his account to be able to refund the cash.

A top source said: “Ashinze has been replaced with Col. M.A. Abdullahi as Defence Attaché to Germany because the EFCC is yet to conclude investigation of some military officers.

“In fact, Ashinze was replaced as soon a he was shortlisted for interrogation and before the EFCC began his drilling.

“While in EFCC’s custody, the military police brought the letter asking him to refund the N7.3million allowances. He said the army should lift the ban placed on his account to effect refund of the money.”

Source: The Nation

After wasting Nigeria for 16 years, the PDP is in no position to brand Buhari a failure By Simon Kolawole

Simon Kolawole

If I may quickly say this, I was not really a fan of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari until I read his interview in TheNEWS magazine some time in 1994 — nine years after he was overthrown in a coup by General Ibrahim Babangida. Questioned on the things he got wrong as military head of state, Buhari replied candidly (and I paraphrase): “We made mistakes, but they were genuine mistakes… we were in a hurry to change Nigeria.” That instantly won me over. His perceived highhandedness was not for personal profit; it was in desperation to reform Nigerians. In one sentence, I saw honesty, I saw patriotism and I saw authenticity. I became his disciple from a distance.

I started dreaming of a Buhari presidency precisely in 1998. I can’t remember everything now, but I was then the Features Editor of THISDAY. Mr. Victor Ifijeh, then the Editor, drew my attention to a public lecture on leadership by Buhari and asked me to write a “Man in the News” feature on him for the Friday Review section. After going through Buhari’s speech, whose details I cannot now recollect (which means I’m finally getting old), I convinced myself that this was the kind of leader Nigeria badly needed. I started praying that one day, Buhari would lead Nigeria again. The inimitable Gen. Sani Abacha was the head of state then.

I would later get close to Buhari. I sized him up at close quarters and made my conclusions. One, he is very passionate about the progress of Nigeria. He believes that the country can be far better than this. Two, he believes the major problem obstructing our progress is leadership deficiency. In an interview I had with him in March 2001, he complained about the growing lawlessness in the land under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s leadership, concluding: “Instead of the dog wagging the tail, it is the tail that is wagging the dog.” Three, he told me in May 2009 that Nigeria had been ruled by “leaders without conscience”, and that was why we had not developed “despite all our resources”.

I saw in Buhari a leader who would not spend his days in office feathering his nest. I saw a leader who would not condone stealing of public funds. I saw in him a strong personality who would take a decision and stand by it, not being tossed by every wind of doctrine. However, unlike most of the modern-day Buhari fans, I was very much aware of his limitations. I knew he would be highly constrained by his worldview. I worried about his economic philosophy. I also worried about his likely choice of core team members. Above all, I knew his handling of the Nigerian situation as a military man was not replicable in a democracy. I was quite realistic.

In truth, I was not expecting magic in the event of him becoming president. I did not expect him to change Nigeria and Nigerians in four years, much less in 10 months. It so happened that in 2015, after three failed attempts, Buhari became the choice presidential candidate. The anti-Jonathan movement found a ready symbol of change in Buhari. They quickly created him in the image they wanted: a flawless magician, the ultimate messiah. I was very worried for Buhari at some point. For instance, on January 25, 2015 — more than two months before he won the election — I did foresee trouble in an article with the title: “Buhari and the Burden of Expectations.”

I wrote: “To be honest, I don’t know whether to rejoice or sympathise with Gen. Muhammadu Buhari anytime I read all the sweet comments about him on social media — especially on Twitter. I don’t know any presidential candidate who has been so idolised in recent times — which is an excellent accolade any politician will gladly take. On the one hand, it is good for him. He will not be complaining at all. No politician will complain about such good fortune, especially with only a few weeks to an election. On the other hand, my God! The expectations are sky-high. Incredible. From what I am reading, Buhari is expected to perform nothing short of magic in Aso Rock…”

I am, therefore, not surprised by the increasing murmurings and grumblings against Buhari in less than 10 months. A country perpetually reliant on fuel imports, littered with bad roads and sick hospitals, living in darkness, churning out illiterates as graduates — let’s face it: the turn-around maintenance of Nigeria will take longer than 10 months. I’ve always told my friends no president can transform Nigeria in four years or even eight years. The most important thing, I keep emphasising, is to have patriotic and competent leadership taking us in the right direction. That way, we would know that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory ahead.

Having said that, however, I am really getting worried about Buhari’s second coming. Yes, he has confronted Boko Haram decisively. Although the jury is still out, at least the soldiers are no longer running away to Cameroon on “tactical manoeuvre” or complaining about embezzled allowances. For once, there is sustained seriousness in the war on terror. Yes, Buhari has laid down the marker in his anti-graft war, even if it is not all-encompassing. At least, there is some activity on that front. We could use a more comprehensive strategy that includes moral suasion as well as institutional and administrative reforms, in addition to enforcement. Something is happening all the same.

But I worry about Buhari’s speed and economic philosophy. I admit that he met enormous challenges on ground. Only a magician would have killed all the cockroaches, mosquitoes and rats within 10 months. The PDP brigade, still hurting from their humiliation in the general election, are trying to force the issue, trying to brand Buhari as a failure already — yet their party had 16 whole years to address power shortage, dependence on fuel imports, infrastructural decay, comatose healthcare and stunted education. They wasted a golden opportunity. They are certainly not in a good position to describe Buhari as a failure before his first anniversary in office.

Nevertheless, I am very disturbed that Buhari does not yet have an economic direction. Neither is there an anchor. There is no clarity. What we are getting are mixed messages, bits and pieces here and there. I am hearing sweet statements and poetic promises, a lot of rhymes and alliterations, from APC leaders and ministers. There is no proper articulation so that we can have an idea of where we are headed. There are so many dots that are not connecting. I have this impression everybody is just doing their own thing without any overarching strategy to connect these dots. I can’t see coherence. I can’t see a roadmap. I can’t see what to hold on to.

Agreed, Buhari is not an economist. But you don’t have to be an economist to lead a nation to prosperity. All you need is a damn good economic team worth its onions. The team must have an anchor. We are neck-deep in an economic crisis and this requires emergency reaction. Even though Buhari is a strong character who stands by what he believes in, there must also be some flexibility. Economic crises are better tackled with a combination of antidotes. It is good that Buhari is a patriot and an honest man. It is good that Buhari means well. But meaning well does not solve these problems. He must also do well. The economy is in limbo, let’s be honest about it.

Mr. President, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee. We need to see your development blueprint. We want to understand your policies, programmes and strategies. We want to see the goals and the goalposts. Your party says one thing today, you say another tomorrow. That you met a mess on ground is the same reason the majority of voters chose you. If they wanted the mess to continue, they would have maintained the status quo. And while we cannot expect you to clear the mess in 10 months, we need a mental picture of where you are taking us. I have no doubt that you can turn out to be the best Nigerian president ever, but where is the beef?

This “Change” Is Killing Us: Open Letter To President Muhammadu Buhari, By Inibehe Effiong

Inibehe Effiong

Dear President Buhari,

It is with a deep sense of humility that I write to convey to you my sincere feelings on the state of affairs in our nation and my home State, Akwa Ibom. I am doing so as an ardent supporter who devoted his time; risked his safety; staked his integrity and passionately and vociferously defended your candidacy during the 2015 presidential election in defiance of the strong campaign of calumny mounted against you by those who never wanted you to be the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
If I had any other practicable and convenient channel of communicating with you, I would have graciously explored it. Accept my sincere apologies if you are discomfited by my resort to public engagement through this open letter.

During the electioneering campaigns, you went round the country and vigorously propagated the message of change and solicited the support and votes of the Nigerian people with a solemn undertaking that our precarious situation will be ameliorated upon your assumption of office. I was persuaded by your promises. Majority of Nigerians went to the polls on March 28, 2015 and overwhelmingly elected you as the president of Nigeria because you promised change.

The slogan was ‘Sai Buhari’.

For once, I found dignity in my Nigerian citizenship. Many Nigerians, myself inclusive, kept vigil to monitor closely the events and controversies at the National Collation Centre. We were willing and prepared to march on the streets and defend your mandate if the Godsday Orubebes’ of this world had suceeded in truncating the final collation of results.

I shed tears of joy when the then Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, declared you the winner of that fiercely contested election. It was a marvellous and glorious experience. The feeling was simply indescribable. Upon your declaration, you proceeded to the National Secretariat of your party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) where you addressed a world press conference and reiterated your mantra of change. That night, I slept like a little baby because I felt that a responsible, incorruptible and courageous leader had finally emerged in Nigeria in my lifetime to lead our country out of the precipice.

My dear President, ten months after your historic assumption of office, it has become increasingly tedious to defend the change we proudly supported and voted for. The hitherto much taunted “body language of the president” seems to have evaporated.

It is true that the corruption infested Goodluck Jonathan’s regime and those before him had greatly destroyed, vandalised and polluted our country. It is also true that you met Nigeria in a terrible state. We are not unmindful of the myriad of challenges your administration is facing: from financial constraints due largely to low prices of crude oil at the international market; security problems orchestrated by the Boko Haram sect, the rampaging Fulani herdsmen and the very delicate agitation by the Pro-Biafran movement, etc. Nobody is expecting you to perform miracles or “turn things around overnight” as erroneously suggested by some of your aides.

The fact of the matter is that responsibility is the hallmark of leadership. What was the change gospel about if things were to remain the same? Yes you have a four year mandate. But ten months is enough time to resolve certain pressing and critical issues in the country and set a very precise and clear direction for the nation. There are problems that only require a firm presidential directive to solve but which has been neglected.

Mr President, just in case you are oblivious of the cost of fuel across the country, may I report to you that contrary to the pronouncement of your administration, fuel is not being sold for eighty six naira (N86) per liter. As at Sunday the 13th of March, 2016 when I wrote this open letter, I bought fuel at N125 per liter. In some places, it is much costlier than that. Does it mean that the federal government is incapable of keeping to its promises and enforcing policy decisions? It is not enough for the government to give excuses, the issue is that people are suffering because of the sheer incompetence of government.

If there is one problem that we expected the change government to address with vigour, it is the issue of epileptic power supply in the country. Before your election, our power generation was over 4000 megawatts. Data from Nigeria Electricity System Operator (NESO) showed that by 9.48am on Wednesday, 9th March, 2016 power generation was 1,580.6MW, with the Ikeja Electric getting 237.09MW; Abuja, 181.77MW; Eko, 173.87MW; Benin, 142.25MW; and Enugu, 142.25MW. Others are Ibadan, 205.48MW; Jos, 86.93MW; Kano, 126.45MW; Kaduna, 126.45MW; Port Harcourt, 102.74MW; and Yola, 55.32MW. See the Punch Newspaper report of Thursday, 10th March, 2016.

Despite this terrible power situation, the Minister Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) have gone ahead to implement a new electricity tariff regime. In other words, while the administration is insisting that the old tariff regime is not “commercially viable and sustainable”, the reality on the ground is that Nigerians are being made to pay higher for darkness by a government that promised change.

Under your watch, commercial banks in the country are still carrying out illegal and unjustifiable deductions of funds belonging to their customers. Banks are still collecting inexplicable and offensive charges. Telecommunication service providers are still holding their subscribers to ransom in various ways. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have respectively failed to stop this unwholesome practices. The Nigeria Police Force is still perpetuating extra-judicial killings and extortion.

Before your ascension to the presidency, a dollar sold for about N150. Currently a dollar goes for between 250 to N370 at the forex market. While the present depreciation in currency value may not be peculiar to Nigeria, the attendant effects on the economy and the well-being of Nigerians are self-evident and require no elucidation. The government has clearly not done enough to address this anomalous situation.

By Section 14 (2) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government” (sic). Although incessant killing and massacre of people of various communities across the country by the well armed Fulani herdsmen predated your administration, there is reasonable basis to say that they are now more daring and emboldened than what we witnessed in the past.

The recent killings in Agatu community of Benue State adds credence to the view that the herdsmen seems to enjoy immunity from the Nigerian State. The federal government so far has not demonstrated serious commitment to end the bloodbath and bring the culprits to justice. While I commend the feats recorded by the federal government and the security agencies in its ongoing onslaught against Boko Haram, it is unfathomable that innocent Nigerians are being killed and slaughtered in Rivers State simply because of their political persuasion.

During the reign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), membership of the opposition party was treasonous especially in the South South region. That was the reason why a State like Akwa Ibom during the Godswill Akpabio dictatorship witnessed unprecedented murder(s) and kidnapping of opposition figures and critics.

It is therefore very saddening that even under the Buhari/APC-led federal government, the conscientious people of my State (Akwa Ibom) who risked their lives championing Buhari’s message of change are still being haunted, humiliated and intimidated by Godswill Akpabio and his army. The case of Akwa Ibom is just so pathetic. The people were denied their constitutional right to freely exercise their franchise both at the March 28 presidential election and the April 11, 2015 governorship election.

The European Union, the American Embassy in Nigeria and the Nigerian Civil Society Election Situation Room all returned a unanimous verdict that the Akwa Ibom elections was a total sham which should not be allowed to stand. Even the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in their separate reports discredited the make-believe gubernatorial election. Several lives were lost. One of victims of that State sponsored terror, a 22 year old Mr Federick Richard Okon, from Mbierebe Akpawat village in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State was only buried recently on Wednesday, 9th March, 2016.

Till date, no one has been prosecuted for the killings and violence that marred the Akwa Ibom elections.

Justifiably aggrieved by the outcome of that fraudulent election and in line with the advice of local and international observers, Mr Umana Okon Umana, the APC gubernatorial candidate, filed a petition at the Election Tribunal seeking a cancellation of the so-called election and presented over 350 documentary evidence and called 52 witnesses. The Tribunal partly agreed with him and nullified the election in eighteen (18) out of the thirty one (31) Local Government Areas of the State.

On their part, the Court of Appeal in a well considered judgment nullified the entire election and berated the Tribunal for ignoring the unchallenged evidence of over voting based on both the Card Reader and the Voters Register and the evidence that there was no collation of results which were never contested nor countered by the PDP and the other Respondents. On further appeal by the PDP, the Supreme Court did not only reverse the judgment of the Court of Appeal but also set aside the partial nullification of election by the Tribunal.

On the day of the final judgment, Akpabio stormed the Supreme Court in fanfare some minutes before the Chief Justice of Nigeria and other Justices of the seven man panel returned from break to deliver their verdict in company of retinue of aides and supporters. The moment Akpabio entered the Supreme Court, movement of people were restricted by security men at the Court. His conduct inside the Supreme Court gave the impression that he merely came for celebration. Several reports in the media quoted him as declaring just before the judgment that it was “all over”.

Mr President, where were you when all this was going on? Sir, I do not know of any president in the world who came to power on the platform of an opposition political party that has totally undermined and destroyed the party that brought him to power the way you have done. Respectfully Sir, you seem to operate under the illusion that for you to effect change in the country, you must abdicate from partisan politics.

In the name of non interference, you have allowed very bad people to assume underserved leadership positions through undemocratic means. Your seeming nonchalant attitude has emboldened predators to infiltrate and compromise critical institutions of state and organs of government at the peril of justice, national cohesion and development.

Least I forget, without consulting with anyone, you came to Akwa Ibom State and picked an ally of Godswill Akpabio and a card carrying member of the PDP, Senator Udo Udoma, as the ministerial nominee to represent the State in the Federal Executive Council. Respectfully Sir, that singular decision was/is a spite on the conscientious people of the State who supported and are still supporting you in the hope that you will protect them from the oppressive tendencies of Godswill Akpabio and his proteges. You may need to watch the video clip on YouTube showing how Akwa Ibom people reacted in Uyo the capital to your victory at the election. It speaks volume of the expectations of Akwa Ibom people.

Mr Udo Udoma is today reaping where he did not sow. Here is one very self-centered and egoistic politician from Akwa Ibom that does not have any affection for his people. He only cares about his selfish interest and that of his elitist cronies in the PDP. Udo Udoma has failed in his first critical assignment as Minister of Budget and National Planning given the recent budget imbroglio.

As if that was not enough humiliation for Akwa Ibom people, you sacked the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Dan Abia, who merely occupied the slot of Akwa Ibom State and replaced him with Mrs. Ibim Semenitari from Rivers State. Frankly, I have no problem with the removal of Mr Abia for whatever misconduct he may have committed.

However, by the provisions of Sections 3 and 12 of the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment, etc) Act 2000, the position of Managing Director of the NDDC is statutorily rotated every four years among the oil producing States. That has been the practice. Therefore, any replacement for Mr Abia, whether in an Acting or substantive capacity, should have come from Akwa Ibom State until the expiration of the State’s tenure. Simply put, Akwa Ibom has been cheated. It amounts to robbing Peter to pay Paul. Even if the growing support of Akwa Ibom people for your administration means nothing to you, the State should be given her rightful place in federal appointments and citing of projects being the highest oil producing State in the federation.

My beloved president, you suffered from fraudulent elections on three previous occasions before Nigerians finally elected you in 2015. You fought up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2003 and 2007. In 2011, you declined seeking remedy in court having lost faith in the nation’s judicial process. But your party, the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), went to Court and fought up to the Supreme Court and lost.

Experience they say is the best teacher. Even if you were to fail in every other aspect of governance, it should certainly not be in the restoration of the sanctity of the electoral process. You also have a historic responsibility to champion revolutionary changes in the Judiciary.

It is not defensible for you to sit back and say that you “will not interfere” when you have not effected a system or mechanism that stops other people from interfering with the judicial and electoral process. Nobody is asking you to help rig elections or inflence court judgments. All we are saying is that nobody should be able to do what the president himself has refused to do. Leaving people who staked their lives supporting you at the mercy of electoral predators is sinful and wicked. You have left the weak and vulnerable in Akwa Ibom State at the mercy of Godswill Akpabio and his army.

Sir, the current Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, is an ally of Godswill Akpabio having served in Akwa Ibom State during Akpabio’s regime as Commissioner of Police at a time politically motivated killings and other crimes were rife. That was why he instituted frivolous criminal charges against a lawyer, Mr Leo Ekpenyong, who has written series of petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Akpabio. The EFCC till date has refused to act on those petitions. What then is the war against corruption about when people like Akpabio are allowed to walk freely and infiltrate critical institutions and organs of government in the country? Is Mr Solomon Arase not one of the saboteurs in your government?

Sir, without the support of the Democrats, President Obama would not have recorded his achievements in the United States of America in the last seven years of his presidency. The Republicans rarely give him a chance. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has succeeded because he has the support of the Conservative Party both in parliament and in the country. This explains why both leaders are very interested in the affairs of their parties. Obama is currently backing Hillary Clinton for the White House because he knows that if the Republicans win the November 8, 2016 presidential election, many of his landmark reforms like the ObamaCare will be truncated.

Since you came to power, your party the APC has recorded more defeats than victories. The APC is today fighting a cold war with itself. There are various camps: the Tinubu camp; Atiku camp; Saraki camp; your own camp and so on. Few days ago, it was Tinubu’s daughter who led market women to protest at the APC Secretariat in Abuja. Across the States, members of your party feel abandoned. Even though I do not belong to the APC, I believe that what goes on in the ruling party will ultimately affect the entire country. If there was responsible leadership in the PDP, Nigeria will not be where it is today. The division and leadership failure in the PDP culminated in the defeat of Goodluck Jonathan at the polls.

Looking at the National Assembly today, one can clearly see the signature of your bad politics and error in judgment in the name of “non interference”. If you had appreciated the fact that the composition of the leadership of the National Assembly will affect your administration, Senator Bukola Saraki would not have been the Senate President today. As long as the status quo remains, you will continue to face embarrassment and resistance from the National Assembly.

As a final postscript, permit me to say that the faith of the Nigerian people in your administration is eroding at a worrisome level. This is the hard fact that Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Mr Femi Adesina, Mallam Garba Shehu and other image managers of your administration may not tell you. You may need curtail your oversea trips if that will make you to fully appreciate the true situation of things in the country.

This “change” is killing us and the time to truly change things in the country is now.

I sincerely want you to succeed and may you succeed. May God give you the insight and the courage to do what is right for our nation.

Thank you.

Your loyal subject,

Inibehe Effiong (Esq.).

Legal Practitioner and Convener, Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (COHRD).

inibehe.effiong@gmail.com

We'll Never Cover Up Corruption, Says Bukola Saraki

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has reiterated the commitment of the current Senate to supporting the Buhari administration's fight against corruption, saying "under my watch the Senate will never cover corruption except if the information didn't come to us".

Speaking with a team of editors of the London based "The Economist" newspaper at the weekend, Saraki, according to the statement by his Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Mohammed Isa, said the Senate is ever ready to partner with President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the success of the anti-corruption war.

The Senate, he said had already demonstrated such commitment through its interventions on many alleged corrupt transactions such as its swift investigation and adoption of a report on the management of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) that saved the nation about N7billion and the exposure of the inconsistencies in the 2016 budget.

The step, he said was a departure from the past where such reports were either watered-down or not presented for debate and adoption. He cited the report he presented to the last Senate on the over N1trillion fuel subsidy scam that never saw the light of the day.

In furtherance to the commitment, the Senate President said Nigerians would in the next few weeks be availed with the details of the National Assembly budget which will be a departure from the tradition of having one line item budget.

"For the first time we promised Nigerians to give out our budget breakdown. The committee will make its report available by next week. We are resolved to break the tradition of one line item," he emphasized.

Saraki said though party differences exist between the senators, citing example of the leadership tussle, he, however said, national interest and the desire of each senator to fulfil the promises made to Nigerians have become the guiding principle of the senate in their team work.

On the economy, he said the Senate has embarked on series of legislative interventions to create conducive environment for the private sector, as he said, "it is only when the private sector thrives that the issue of unemployment will be addressed and the nation's GDP will increase."

"Few days ago, we received a report on the laws that need to be amended in order of priority importance to ease doing business and overall private sector participation in the stimulation of Nigeria's economy. We will soon commence the implementation of the recommendations in the report in addition to pushing for the amendment of the Procurement Act to stimulate and protect our local industries," he assured.

He blamed lack of firmness and consistency in policy implementation by the past administrations as the main obstacle for the growth of the private sector.

"If people have confidence that these policies have come to stay, nothing will stop them from coming to invest in the country," he stressed.

He allayed the fears that the low prices of oil will have negative impact on the implementation of the 2016 budget, saying that, "what we need to do is to block leakages and show more transparency."

"If we can block leakages, stop the wastages and institute a culture of transparency in governance, the revenue in-flow will not be substantially affected. Without these, even if oil is sold at more than a $100 per barrel, we will continue to witness a decline in revenue in-flow as we witnessed in the past," Saraki said.

Alake is a junior traditional ruler in Yorubaland – Awujale

Awujale of Ijebuland

The Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, has described the Alake of Egbaland as a junior traditional ruler in the hierarchy of Yoruba obas.

Oba Adetona, who spoke on Thursday in Lagos, said it was wrong for the incumbent Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, to categorise himself as one of the five topmost traditional rulers in Yorubaland.

He said even within the Abeokuta community in Ogun State where the Alake reigns, he is the least among the four traditional rulers there.

Adetona, who spoke in Lagos at the launch of an endowment fund for a professorial chair in governance in the Department of Political Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, said it had become imperative to set the records straight since Oba Gbadebo had not disowned the statement credited to him on the issue.

Oba Gbadebo had during a visit to him by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on February 7, 2016, said he was among the leading Yoruba obas.

Oba Adetona, speaking on Thursday, said Oba Gbadebo was inexperienced, hence the need to tutor him.

He said: “Your Excellencies, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, kindly allow me to digress a bit to comment briefly on a statement that emanated from the Ake Palace recently. Not long after the installation of Oba Alaiyeluwa Adeyeye Ogunwusi as the Ooni of Ife, he undertook steps to foster unity and cooperation among leading Yoruba Obas and for which I personally commend him.

First, he joined the Alaafin at his 77th Birthday Celebration at Oyo. Thereafter, he visited me at Ijebu-Ode on Friday, 29th January, 2016 followed by another visit to Abeokuta on Sunday, 7th February, 2016 where he met Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbedebo in his palace at Ake, Abeokuta, the Osile, Oke-Ona Egba at Ago-Oko, Abeokuta, the Olowu in his palace at Owu, Abeokuta with the exception of the Agura of Gbagura, Abeokuta who was not around then.

“The Alake, while receiving the Ooni at his palace said that Yoruba Obas (the Big Five so to say) had been categorised with the Ooni in the first position followed by the Alaafin, the Oba of Benin, with the Alake coming fourth and the Awujale as the fifth in that order. He also went further to quote wrongly from a 1903 Gazette to support all the fallacies in his statement. When I learnt of the statement, I made several calls to Alake until I eventually succeeded in finding out from him if those statements were actually made by him, which of course, he vehemently denied.

“In a recent discussion between the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu and I, we also touched on the same issue and the Oba of Lagos told me that he too had asked Alake the same question, which he had again denied vehemently. Regrettably however, when the said statement few days later was continuously credited to Alake on the pages of newspapers, I expected him to deny it or issue a rebuttal, but he did not do so.

Therefore, I consider it necessary to debunk the aforementioned falsehood and misrepresentation of facts from Ake Palace so as to put the records straight.
“First, I would like to make it abundantly clear that the 1903 Gazette referred to by Alake was just a Newspaper publication that he, in his self-serving role is now presenting as an official Government Gazette. The first question to Alake is: Who categorised the Yoruba Obas and when? I challenge him to produce the document of the said categorisation. It is a known fact that Alake was a junior traditional ruler under the Alaafin at Orile Egba before he fled to Ibadan for refuge as a result of the war then ravaging in Yorubaland. Following the defeat of Owu by the Ijebu Army in 1826, the Owus became refugees all over Yorubaland. Some of the Ijebu troops that fought the war proceeded to Ibadan where they met Alake and sacked him, consequently forcing him to seek refuge at Ake in Abeokuta in 1830 where of course, he met the Osile, Olowu, and Agura already settled at Oke-Ona, Owu and Gbagura sections of Abeokuta Township respectively. Even then, the Olubara, of Oyo origin had always argued that all the aforementioned four rulers met him in Abeokuta and therefore claimed to be their landlord. To even refer to Alake as ‘Alake of Abeokuta” not to talk of Egbaland, is a misnomer, as his control since his arrival at Ake in 1830 and till today is restricted to Ake section of Abeokuta.

The official Government Gazette testifies to this fact. In short, the Alake from history and all available records is a very junior traditional ruler in Yorubaland. His peers in Ijebuland are the Dagburewe of Idowa, Ajalorun of Ijebu-Ife, Akija of Ikija–Ijebu, Olowu of Owu-Ijebu, Oloko of Ijebu-Imushin, Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo and Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye.

“I wish to recall that there had been an occasion in the past for three of us – the Awujale, the late Alake, Oba Oyebade Lipede and the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Ooni of Ife – to sit over this issue with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at Aso Rock, Abuja. My advice to Alake, being a young and inexperienced traditional ruler, is that he should contact Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for proper education so as to save himself and his people from further embarrassment.

“It is important for Alake’s education to appreciate that Ijebu has been in existence for almost 1,000 years and that we are the only people that still remain in our original homestead while other Yoruba towns and villages have relocated twice or more.

If only he cares to obtain a copy of the Book: ‘The Ijebu of Yorubaland 1850-1950’ by the late Prof. E. A. Ayandele, that erudite Professor of History and endeavour to read it, there, he will know who the Ijebus are and appreciate that from time immemorial and since our settlement on Ijebu soil, Ijebu was indeed a nation until 1892 when we were defeated in the Magbon War by the British colonial forces. As to be expected, the British colonial masters left no stone unturned to humiliate us for daring to engage them in a war.

“When Sir Gilbert Carter read Intelligence Reports on Ijebuland at the Home Office in London, he felt convinced that the Ijebus were a special breed. Therefore, when he later found himself as Governor of Lagos Colony, he prepared a Treaty for the Awujale to sign so as to allow the Missionaries to educate and evangelize the people as well as surrender their monopoly of trade between the coast and hinterland and for which he offered an annual payment of 800 pounds that was rejected.

“Notwithstanding the conquest, our early contact with the expatriates was quite significant and rewarding. It was during this period that our God-given commercial acumen was brought to play, resulting in enormous prosperity for the Ijebus to the envy of our neighbours.

“In conclusion, I hereby strongly admonish Alake to refrain from making such unsavoury, unguarded and unfounded statements, which if not checked, may seriously jeopardise the unity of Yoruba.

Dr. Ben Carson endorses Donald Trump for President

Dr. Ben Carson with Donald Trump

"Our country is at a crossroads and in the midst of a moral crisis. We must be careful not to continue our current path, which is littered with uncertainty at best and ruination at worst. We can make changes to our system and that change starts now with, “We the People.”

We can have disagreements, but it is critical that we not allow those disagreements to divide us as a party or as a country.

It is with that in mind that I endorse Donald Trump for President. I have known Donald for many years. He is a successful businessman who has built a recognizable global brand that no one can question. His experience as a businessman is exactly what we need to move our economic engine in the right direction and empower those who have been left out of the American dream for far too long.

With our support, I am sure that we can help restore America's values and faith.

I know there will be some who want to underscore our differences and others will wish to return to statements he has made about me in the past, but that is politics. As a man of faith, all is forgiven and we have moved beyond the past, as the future is now.

Join me in supporting and rallying around the only candidate the GOP has that can defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016 and return America to that shining city on a hill."

Lagos monarchs visit Ambode, laud prompt rescue of abducted school girls

Governor Ambode with Lagos Monarchs

...Counsel Lagosians On Security Alertness
...Commendation Will Spur Us To Do More, Says Gov

The Lagos State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs on Thursday commended the State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and all the security agencies in the state for the prompt and successful rescue of the students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School in Ikorodu who were kidnapped by gunmen at their school on February 29.

The traditional rulers, who stated this when they paid a courtesy visit to the Governor at the Lagos House in Ikeja, said the swift response and collaboration between the state government and security agencies which culminated in the rescue of the three affected girls and arrest of the hoodlums, was highly commended and that same was an eloquent confirmation that security and welfare of the people is paramount to the current administration in the state.

Briefing journalists at the end of the visit, Oba of Lagos, HRM Rilwan Akiolu said the kidnap of the girls had again brought to the fore the need to remind Lagosians to be security conscious and be alert at any given point in time.

He said: "We are here to appreciate what God has done in the recovery of the abducted school girls and to thank the Governor, the security forces, particularly the Commissioner of Police, the State Director of DSS, the Commander of 9th Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army and all other security forces who worked tirelessly in the recovery of the three children.

"They really moved in on time and they achieved success with God's guidance and help. So, we are here to appreciate them and to alert the people on the need to be security conscious. We are also here to pray for the success of the Lagos State Government and to brief the Governor on the outcome of my visit to Saudi Arabia with Mr. President.

"We were very happy when we heard the news of the rescue of the girls and you see the efficacy of prayer is not in doubt. All hands were on deck and God heard our prayers and we were very happy. The Governor played the role of a father, an administration and of a man who cared for the welfare of his people, and our prayer is that God almighty will continually be with him and all of us," Oba Akiolu said.

Responding, Governor Ambode said the primary purpose of government is to ensure the security and welfare of the people, assuring that his administration would not renege in keeping faith with that role.

He thanked the monarchs for finding time to come and appreciate what his administration has been doing especially in terms of security, saying that the visit would further spur him to do more for the people.

"I just want to say a very big thank you to my royal fathers, my chiefs and this is coming from the bottom of my heart because for you to have thought it necessary to come and show appreciation about what has happened about our security situation in the last one week means that the concern that you have brought here is about the progress and unity of Lagos State in general.

"What you have done will more or less inspire us to do more. Your visit to the Lagos House today in respect of the three children that were kidnapped and later recovered is to send a message that you are in support of all our security agencies and you are also in support of the government with the way we have given security the required attention.

"You will recall also that the paramount reason why we are in government is for the safety and welfare of all Lagosians and we would not renege in ensuring that we keep Lagos safe and ensure that the lives and property of all Lagosians are of paramount importance to us," the Governor said.

STATEMENT REGARDING TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHICAGO RALLY POSTPONEMENT

Donald Trump

Mr. Trump just arrived in Chicago and after meeting with law enforcement has determined that for the safety of all of the tens of thousands of people that have gathered in and around the arena, tonight’s rally will be postponed to another date.

Thank you very much for your attendance and please go in peace.

Ambode restates commitment to civil service reforms

…Says only a viable workforce can drive govt policies, programmes

…Oyo-ita commends gov, seeks stronger fg-lagos collaboration

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday restated his administration’s commitment to reforms in the state civil service, saying that only a viable workforce can drive the policies and programmes of any government.

The Governor who spoke when he received the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, on a courtesy at the Lagos House, Ikeja, said he remains a strong supporter of public service reforms, adding that any government desirable of making positive change in the lives of the citizenry must have a motivated and trained workforce.

“We do not have any choice, because the engine room of whatever it is that is our policy or programme is actually in the public service and in the civil service, so it is important that we must tag along on the same wave length with all the civil servants for us to be able to achieve all the programmes our party, the APC has decided to put across to all Nigerians,” he said.

He assured Mrs. Oyo-Ita of his administration’s continuous support to enhance the partnership between the state and federal government in the areas of training and retraining of public servants, saying that it was germane to ensuring continuity in governance.

“So it is in our better interest that we enhance this relationship. I give you my commitment further to say that there is value in it, it is important that we build a virile civil service that can stand the test of time that even when programmes do change or parties do change, the bull work of the machinery of deliverables to our people which is the civil service, remains very strong. That is what I am committed to”.

He also pledged his commitment to collaborate with the Federal Government on enhancing the commercial nature of the public service, expressing optimism that it if put in the right perspective, it could engender economic growth and increase the GDP of the nation.

Earlier, Mrs. Oyo-Ita said she was in Lagos to visit some of the federal institutions in the state, just as she sought the Governor’s support towards revving the comatose nature of some of the federal training institutes so as to make them efficient.

“I am very passionate about training and retraining civil servants. No doubt, you will agree with me that no matter how eloquent and excellent the policy thrust of government may be, the civil service is the engine room and if the workforce are not well trained they cannot in anyway bring to realisation, the lofty goals of that administration and that is why we are looking back into what we have already developed over the years but somehow, it has been left to decay.

“When you see what is going on in our training institutes, for example, the Federal Training Centre in Lagos that I visited yesterday it needs a lot of work to bring it back to the level that it is expected of it. That is why I am putting a lot of effort into restructuring our training institutes, the facilities, they have the infrastructure and the resource persons, its curriculum and so on, so that we can bring it up to an international level whereby we have people coming from other African and West African countries as it happened in times past. This is one place we need your support,” she said.

Oyo-Ita also highlighted the intentions of her office to improve on the commercial orientation of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government, saying the economic downturn has made it imperative for MDAs to become more commercial oriented.

She lauded Governor Ambode’s strides in the last nine months, saying that the impact of his policies and programmes are already being felt across the state.

“Indeed it is an honour to be given this opportunity to visit and pay a courtesy call on my own brother and classmate. When we left UNILAG in 1984, we never thought that when we meet, we would be meeting in this capacity because we were wearing jeans and tee-shirt and snickers and just going our happy way. We thank God for what he has used us to do in our various environments.

“That is why I am here to congratulate you on your well deserved election and appointment as Executive Governor of Lagos State, we are already seeing what you are doing in this state, you are continuing with the zeal and passion of your predecessors,” she said.

The Love for Selective Amnesia By Ayobami Oyalowo

Ayobami Oyalowo

A nation that forgets its past can function no better than an individual with amnesia. - David McCullough

"Maybe they were saying chains when we thought it was change", blurted a certain social media senator, who has made the cyberspace his default "chamber". And before you could say Jack Robinson, a hashtag,‪#‎ChangeToChains‬, metamorphosed on twitter with various irascible characters jumping on the bandwagon with little or no understanding of what they were saying. Worse still, they could not muster concise and intelligent reason(s) for their anger aside the fact that they just want to be seen as angry.

What seems to be the cause of their anger in the first instance? Some said there were fuel queues; others said the economy was in comatose etc. Justifiable anger, won't you say? No, you are wrong. Most of the folks pouring expletives actually have conveniently forgotten so soon (like the Israelites who were liberated from over 400 years of captivity in Egypt) where we were coming from. As at middle of May 2015, most of the telecommunication companies were sending emails and text messages to their customers appealing to their understanding on why they should expect serious disruption in services due to the twin problems of power failure and lack of petroleum products to run their offsite generators.

Last Friday, 4th March, a Muslim friend of mine was rushing to the mosque for jumat prayers and we stuck a casual conversation. We both reminisced on how just a few months ago, going to the mosque or church on Sunday for prayers could be your last as there may either be a bomb blast or some deranged fellows lurking somewhere with sub machine guns. But today, we have almost forgotten that our lives were lived in such fears that daily living was a miracle.

Yes, Nigeria is not yet an Eldorado, sadly so, but while we are not where we ought to be, the truth is that we are not where we used to be. For those screaming economic downturn, I am wont to ask what economy? We have been a country with no economy aside being the dumping ground of finished goods from China and other countries. While the Asian Tigers are competing on how to be the best in terms of production, privileged elites in Nigeria are competing to outdo one another on consumerism.

Our shame as a nation reached abysmal levels when we became the butt of jokes of others as it relates to a product that we used to be its sixth largest producer. Petroleum was our major, if not the only product, yet we unashamedly sold it in its raw form, and then spent our hard-earned foreign exchange to import the same product in its refined form, thereby costing us not just several by products but millions of primary and secondary employment.

The current government, however, came with a three-pronged approach of security, anti-corruption and revamping the economy. In the last ten months even the blind can see that the North East that was almost totally lost to the rampaging Boko Haram murderers has regained relative peace and the monumental corruption that had hitherto hampered our growth as a nation is now being fought with renewed vigour. The erstwhile comatose EFCC has regained a new impetus to take on economy scavengers headlong (never mind the Awada Kerikeri posturing of former President Obasanjo).

There is no gainsaying that until security is fully in place, the economy will continue to suffer gridlock. But be that as it may, the federal government is doing its best under the circumstances it found itself. The Nigerian custom service is declaring revenue within months beyond what the revenue agency has ever declared in the past years.

Make no mistake about it, the Nigeria that president Buhari inherited was almost a broken entity characterised by dwindling revenue due to the plummeting international crude oil prices, mounting domestic and foreign debt, tumbling foreign reserves and a wicked gang up of supposed leaders who were doing nothing but stealing and looting the country with reckless abandon.

Recall that when this administration took over, 27 states owed between 5-12 month arrears of salaries of civil servants. Yet, I hear people wailing that the president Buhari has done nothing? Bombs were exploding all over the country like firecrackers, but today we have relative peace and people still think the president is sleeping? Military chiefs saddled with security of our lives and properties are today singing like canaries and confessing to how much they stole individually and collectively, and I still hear some trumpeting that Buhari has done nothing? Over N3 trillion which would have been stolen by "ghosts" have been saved due to strict adherence to TSA yet some say Buhari isn't doing anything?

Frankly speaking, we are not where we should be. But it was Cheryl James, who posited that Change is not an event, it's a process. If in ten months we have come this far, the least we can do as patriots is to support the government to do more.

We are not helping anybody by wishing the government to fail just so that we can say "I told you so". What patriots should do in times like this is to support the government with intelligent criticism and advice on getting it right, not moaning for the heck of it or wishing for the failure of government.

I have seen a lot of positives in the past ten months. I have also observed some things that can be done better. However, I will opt for where we are today rather than where we were about twelve months ago.

This brings to mind George Bernard Shaw's poignant counsel that "Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."

Agreed that Nigeria deserves more than it is getting, but who can build without a foundation? President Buhari is uniquely placed to rebuild Nigeria from the shambolic country he met. But to make Nigeria work for Nigerians, the one they fondly call Mai Gaskiya needs the unalloyed support of the long suffering masses because as John Kenneth Galbraith posits "People of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage. Intellectual myopia, often called stupidity, is no doubt a reason".

Ayobami Oyalowo, a deputy director of media and publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, writes from Abuja.