News

Edo APC Crisis: Group Vows To Resist ‘Executive Rascality’

Published

4 years ago

February 4, 2020

Editor

Group known as Joint Forces for the Defence of Democracy in Edo State (JOFDES), has vowed to resist act it tagged “arrogance, unrestrained impunity and gross abuse of office” by the governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.

JOFDES further vowed to resist any attempt by the “Governor to use his office to continuously incite political violence, harass members of the APC who he perceives are enemies and not in support of his second term ambition.”

A statement signed by co-conveners of the group, Barr Felix Osemwengie Isere, Esq, and Kola Edokpayi, which was delivered by Isere said Obaseki, being governor, does give him the sole power to decide people’s fate.

The statement titled: ‘Governor Godwin Obaseki Orders a Total Clampdown on APC Opposing Voices in Edo State and the National Chairman of the Party: President Buhari Should Save us From a Full Blown Doctorship’, Isere notes that the ‘unnecessary creation of the illusion of political tension in the state is to blackmail Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and every other aspirant.”

He said, “The obvious goal of the unnecessary creation of the illusion of political tension in Edo State is simply to blackmail Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and every other aspirant in Edo State and prevent those willing from pursuing their fundamental human rights of association and assembly and the pursuit of peaceful and lawful ambitions.

“We wish to uphold that being governor does not vest in anybody the suzainreity to decide the fate of others and put them under any duress to support him. Politics is ability to persuade and convince people to support you. Political support is not gotten by force or blackmail, but earned.

“We will resist the crass arrogance, unrestrained impunity and gross abuse of office by executive or sponsored agents. We wish to uphold that being governor does not vest in anybody the suzainreity to decide the fate of others and put them under any duress to support him.”

According to Isere, the Governor has “hidden behind an imaginary fight against Godfatherism to seek to muscle every other possible aspirant in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections.”

On the governor’s recent threat to the National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the legal practitioner declared that the former governor, just like any other citizen of the state, has right to freedom of movement, association and assembly, hence restricting his movement to the state is abuse of his fundamental human rights.

“Comrade Adams Oshiomhole apart from being a former Governor of Edo State and the current and substantive National Chairman of the APC, is a citizen of Edo State who enjoys the inalienable freedom of movement, association and assembly like the Governor and every other person”, he Isere said.

Isere who accused the governor of “promoting thuggery, banditry and harassment of leaders and members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state”, lamented that due to the governor’s intolerance to opposing voices from the party, he has subjected many of the party leaders to asylum seekers in Abuja.

“The Governor, in a desperate quest to get re’-election, has abused the decorum, honour and decency of that exalted office through his reckless statements, threats and directives have promoted barbaric acts of thuggery, banditry and harassment of leaders and members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Edo State who he believes are opposed to his quest to retire them from politics and create an exclusive political dynasty for himself in the party where no other person will contest the forthcoming APC primaries in Edo State with him.”

“Paradoxically, the governor has left no one in doubt about his commitment to foisting a political tyranny and imposing a regime of brutal affliction of legitimate and vocal voices in Edo State by his words and actions.

“A number of APC leaders and members are now living in emergency creeks or hibernating as asylum seekers in Nigeria, taking refuge in safer havens such as Abuja, the federal capital territory” he said.

According to him, in the governor’s “desperate quest to get re’-election has abused the decorum, honour and decency of that exalted office through his reckless statements, threats and directives.”

The legal practitioner therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly and international community to call the governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki to order “before it is too late.”

Responding, APC spokesperson in the state who is a loyalist of the governor said Oshiomhole is never a man of peace, stressing that his antecedents point to that.

He accused Oshiomhole of causing all the violence experienced in the state of recent.

News

Police Reacts To Trending Video Of Woman Feeding Baby Alcohol,Vow To Fish Out Mother [WATCH]

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Editor

The spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has stated that the police will fish out a nursing mum filmed feeding her baby alcohol.

The disturbing video showed the woman who spoke in Yoruba, hailing her baby girl as she gulped the alcohol.

Reacting to the video, Adejobi wrote: ‘’Another assignment for us. This is too bad. We will fish her out. Thanks. @PoliceNG”

News

EFCC Arrests 13 Fake BDC Operators In Lagos

Published

5 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested thirteen fake bureau de change operators in Lagos.

They were arrested for operating BDC without an appropriate licence.

The suspects are: Abdulahi Musa, Garba Abdullahi, Dauda Hussaini, Jubril Musa, Abdulwaheed Iliyasu and Abubakar Mohammed.

Others are: Umar Saidu, Nurudeen AbdulAzeez, Hamidu Usman, Yusuf Isa, Musa Ishaka, Liman Makki and Idris Mohammed.

They were arrested during sting operations by EFCC’s operatives between May 10 and 13, 2024 at different parts of Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the Commission about their illicit business activities.

Also, a suspected currency racketeer, Kafayat Lateef was also arrested over for alleged involvement in the sale of the Naira notes in different denominations.

A sum of N2.1 million was recovered from her at the point of arrest. A statement by EFCC Spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said that the suspects would soon be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

News

Ex-CBN Gov, Emefiele Faces Fresh Charge Over Printing Of Naira Emefiele

Published

8 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has preferred a fresh charge against the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, over an allegation that he illegally printed Naira notes while he held sway at the apex bank.

The anti-graft agency, in the four-count charge it entered before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, equally accused the former CBN boss of unlawfully approving the withdrawal of about N124.8billion from the consolidated revenue fund.

According to the EFCC, the defendant, acting in violation of law and “with intent to cause injury to the public,” okayed the printing of naira notes without the approval of both the former President, Muhammadu Buhari and the board of the CBN.

Emefiele, who is already facing multiple charges both in Abuja and Lagos, is expected to take his plea before trial Justice Maryann Anenih.

Specifically, the charge against him, read: “That you Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of N375,520,000.00 pieces of colour swapped N1, 000, at the total cost of N11,052, 068,062 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.

“That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, between the 19th of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 172,000,000 pieces of colour swapped N500 (Five Hundred Naira) Notes, at the total cost of N4, 471,066,040 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.

“That you Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 137,070,000 pieces of colour swapped N200 (Two Hundred Naira) Note, at the total cost of N3, 441, 005, 280 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.

“That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, on or about the 7th day of October 2020, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 80 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), by approving the withdrawal of the total sum of N124, 860, 227, 865.16 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation in a manner not prescribed by the National Assembly, which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”

It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had on June 9, 2023, suspended Emefiele from office as the head of the apex bank.

He was later arrested at his Lagos residence by DSS operatives.

The former CBN boss was subsequently transferred to the custody of the EFCC, which on November 28, 2023, docked him on a six-count charge that bordered on his alleged involvement in procurement fraud.

Though Emefiele, who initially spent 151 days in custody of security agencies, was later granted bail to the tune of N300million and ordered to produce two sureties that the trial court stressed must be Abuja residents that have landed property within the Maitama District, the defendant could not perfect the conditions till December 23, 2023, when he was released from Kuje prison where he spent about 34 days.