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OPINION: Ellupee Lawmakers Refuse Shishi, Collect Exotic Cars

Published

2 years ago

October 27, 2023

Tunde Odesola

I didn’t shoot the sheriff. I was only a member of a three-man gang that robbed a friend in Lagos in the mid-80s. Thank God, he survived the robbery and he’s alive to tell the story. Despite the incident, we remain friends. So, I’ll shield him from klieg light by referring to him by his first name and middle name, Abiodun Oluseyi, because he never liked being in the public eye. He’s an introvert, I’m an extrovert.

Towering above six feet, Biodun, a man of few words, doesn’t throw his weight and height around. When secondary school set our feet on the journey of friendship more than 40 years ago, lying ahead unbeknownst to us was a shared future of mutual respect, love and understanding.

We had our strengths and weaknesses; I was better than Biodun in football, table tennis, scrabble and non-school activities which our parents must not know. Biodun played excellent guitar and chess. He loved serenity. He also loved to be underrated. Like the Piscean that he is, the whale in him loved to swim from the depth of the deep, shooting up in the air, and splashing back into the ocean, swimming to the belly of the sea. Don’t think he didn’t see the shock and admiration in your eyes as he wowed you with his prowess, yes, he did; Biodun loves being appreciated but he won’t demand it.

His nickname, B-Fat, an amalgam of his first and last names, is incongruous with his slim and straight physique. However, B-Fat was fast like a pilot whale reaching a speed of 75.6 kilometres per hour at short bursts, and was intelligent like the killer whale, smashing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination in 1985 to set a record and gaining admission to study medicine at Great Ife aka King of Nigerian Universities, a title bestowed on the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, by prankish students.

Another friend living in the neighbourhood, Lanre Akintunde, paid me a visit at home in company with his relative, whose name I can’t recall. Then, there was no smartphone to save time and money on wasted journeys. People risked lives and limbs crisscrossing the length and breadth of Nigeria only to discover that the relatives they went to visit had also travelled on a long journey like Apostle Paul.

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On the fateful day of the robbery, I was seeing Lanre and his cousin off when I told them I was going to see Biodun, who lived two streets away. Lanre said he would like to say hi to Biodun, too. His cousin didn’t need to know Biodun; friendship then was as instant as making a coffee or splurging N160m each on 360 exotic cars to be enjoyed by heartless National Assembly members driving on toxic roads.

Was Biodun happy to see us? He showed it in the lavish food he provided. He fetched a massive bowl and went to buy rice, beans, fried plantain and pieces of meat enough to feed six hungry men. After all, he was a big boy studying medicine at Great Ife. So, four spoons, like shovels, set out to demolish the white and brown mound of food covered in a stew like magma covers a volcano mountain.

We all turned up in our best table manners. No one uttered a word as our teeth and tongues worked, crushing and grinding. There was no time to drink water even though we didn’t rush; we were all young, responsible adults, and our spoons didn’t clash. The mountain of rice and beans was going down gradually, like Stamford Bridge.

As the mountain finally gave way, hitting rock bottom, Biodun let out a shout, “Ha! Eyin people yi, e ti je gbogbo eran tan! Mi o ri nkankan je!,” lamenting, “You these people, you have eaten all the pieces of meat, I didn’t get any to eat!” Gentleman Biodun was waiting for the delicious meal to climax in the eating of pieces of orísirísi meat, but his patient dog didn’t even get a bone to eat. In the serenity of Biodun’s room, three separate spoons held by Lanre’s cousin, Lanre and Tunde airlifted the pieces of meat secretly and deposited them into colluding mouths. We didn’t connive to rob Biodun, there were no furtive glances, each of his guests was just concerned about his stomach, collective good was alien to them. We were the ajélójú onílé house rats that eat in the presence of the house owner.

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Thank goodness, Biodun survived the robbery. He’s now a renowned consultant paediatrician in Nigeria while Lanre went on to become a lawyer, setting up his practice in Lagos and yours truly remained a journalist. The three of us are still friends to date.

Denouement in literature is the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.

In the ruinous action of the three visitors, I see the three leading Nigerian political parties – the callous All Progressives Congress, the confused Peoples Democratic Party, and the deceptive Labour Party. Biodun represents Nigeria, ever trusting and accommodating.

Lanre’s unknown cousin represents the Labour Party. Lanre symbolises the APC while Tunde exemplifies the PDP. Lanre’s cousin (LP) journeys with Lanre (APC) and Tunde (PDP) in the hope of forging new grounds at Biodun’s (Nigeria) home. Despite being young on the block and looking promising, Lanre’s cousin betrayed the trust Biodun (Nigeria) had in him as he joined corrupt Lanre (APC) and Tunde (PDP) to wreck Nigeria.

National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr Julius Abure, a few days ago, told the eight senators and 34 House of Representatives members of the party to reject the N160m SUV vehicle per each lawmaker in the National Assembly. Abure described the ‘gifts’ as the height of insensitivity.

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He said, “We are calling on Labour Party legislators in the 10th Assembly to kick against this unnecessary wastage of resources, in line with the ideology of the party which is social justice and equal opportunity for all. Nigerians will hold them responsible if they fail to live above board or give proper account of the electoral investment reposed in them. The poor must be allowed to breathe again in this country.”

But various LP lawmakers in the National Assembly, who spoke with THE PUNCH, said Abure was belching hot air, insisting that they would collect the Toyota Prado and Landcruiser SUVs. Specifically, LP’s lawmaker representing Aniocha North and South of Delta State, Ngozi Okolie, said Abure’s call was unrealistic, calling on Abure to provide LP lawmakers with cars to perform their jobs.

The representative of Igbo Etiti and Uzo-Uwani constituencies of Enugu State, Stainless Nwodo, commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the vehicles, adding that Tinubu deserved ‘three gbosas’.

The senator representing Edo-South senatorial district, Neda Imasuen, said he would not count his chicks before they hatch, maintaining that he would wait for the vehicle to arrive before he comments.

I’m not surprised that LP lawmakers abandoned the profligacy mantra the party levelled against the APC in the countdown to the last general elections. In many published articles, I’ve said that the LP doesn’t hold the key to the country’s emancipation and that the party is not better than any of the APC and the PDP.

If Peter Obi, the LP presidential candidate, had won the 2023 general election, some of these lawmakers would have been transmuted into ministers, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff etc. Many of them would have influenced the appointments of the heads of the EFCC, ICPC, CBN, Police, Army etc, and the vicious cycle would have continued.

The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Mohammed Shehu, says Tinubu’s total monthly earnings, including allowances, come up to N1.3m. With a monthly salary that is N1.3m, a N160m vehicle purchase means that Tinubu himself cannot afford either of the Prado or Landcruiser jeeps even if he saved up all his salaries in eight years.”

Nigeria is a laughable country where the President’s salary doesn’t reflect his spending and wealth. The same ignoble level of sleaze is found in the judiciary, military, church, mosque, schools, media, civil service, private sector, and everywhere yet we pray noisily to God to heal our country when the blind can see our open sore.

News

Okpebholo Launches 1bn Interest-free Loan For Edo Traders

Published

13 hours ago

June 14, 2025

Editor

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, has officially launched a ₦1 billion interest-free loan scheme, as part of the fulfilment of his campaign promises.

The governor at the launching also said it was a direct alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for national progress.

Okpebholo, addressing market women and men, described the initiative as a beacon of hope for over 5,000 farmers and small business owners across the state, adding that it would inject vitality into grassroots commerce.

He said “There is an adage: follow who knows the road. That is why we decided to follow the footsteps of our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

He added, “Today, what we are doing in Edo State is the implementation of the agenda of the President. We thank God for the kind of leadership He has given to Edo State and Nigeria. Now, it is time for the progress for our people.”

The Governor underscored the personal commitment behind the scheme, recalling his campaign promise to provide soft loans.

He emphasized that this N1 billion fund was the fulfillment of that pledge, but with a crucial safeguard.

“I just wanted to be sure that this money will not go into the wrong hands. That is the essence of this gathering. Because, with my past experience, whenever the Executive gives out loans, the money does not get to the grassroots,” Okpebholo noted.

“If you do not get this, come back to me and report.” He also revealed that this initial rollout is a “pilot test,” with its success paving the way for future replications of the scheme.

In his statement, Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Emmanuel Ehidiamen Okoebor, said: “It is with great pride and a sense of responsibility that I stand before you today to welcome everybody to this occasion of the launching of the N1 billion interest-free loan to Edo people, our traders, our market women, our brothers and our fathers in the state,” he declared.

Okoebor said the scheme would “boost the economy of our rural areas and semi-urban areas, create jobs, and reduce poverty.”

He added, “Now, he has come to empower the people.” Crucially, he explained the zero-interest feature that sets this loan apart. “Before now, our mothers collected loans and paid 10% on N200,000. For this, there is no interest. You pay back what you borrowed.”

“Each of the 5,000 beneficiaries will receive N200,000, with a generous 12-month repayment period and a one-month moratorium, offering vital breathing room for businesses to stabilize.”

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Open Letter To The Speaker, Parliament Of The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide

Published

14 hours ago

June 14, 2025

Editor

The writer, Mr Godswill Doubra Wuruyai (Right) andHon. Gabriel Allen Tomoni

Date: 14th June 2025

To:
Rt. Hon. Gabriel Allen Tomoni
Speaker,
Parliament of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide

Dear Mr Speaker,

RE: THE STATUS OF OPTION A4 AS VOTING MECHANISM AND MATTERS ARISING

I bring you warm greetings of solidarity and unwavering commitment to the Ijaw struggle.

It has become necessary to issue this Open Letter in response to your recent communication dated 13th June 2025, titled “Clarification on Applicable Constitution Guiding Electoral Activities in Lagos Chapter”, and to set the record straight regarding the status of the Option A4 voting mechanism as duly adopted by the Convention of Ijaw Youths at the Odi Constitution Convention 2024.

Permit me to respectfully state from the outset that the matter of Option A4 is neither open to debate nor subject to discretionary legislative ratification by Parliament, the NEC, or any Zonal or Chapter organ of Council. It is a constitutional matter, having been overwhelmingly adopted at the Odi Constitution Convention 2024—the supreme legislative convention of the Ijaw Youth Council, which carries the highest constitutional authority within our organisation.

The Convention is the apex legislative authority on matters of constitutional amendment and review. By both precedent and constitutional logic, once a Constitutional Convention concludes with the majority adoption of any provision, it becomes valid and binding immediately upon adoption by Congress—the highest sovereign body of the Ijaw Youth Council. The notion of “presidential assent” is ceremonial in nature; it does not possess the force to invalidate or delay the decisions of Congress. Signing ceremonies remain symbolic, not constitutive, in effect.

It is, therefore, anomalous and potentially unconstitutional for Parliament, or any of its officers, to purport to subject the decision of Congress to further parliamentary debate, rectification, or ratification. This represents not only a fundamental misreading of the IYC’s constitutional architecture but also a dangerous precedent that could undermine the very foundation of our collective legitimacy.

Furthermore, no Zonal structure, Chapter, or stakeholders’ forum possesses the jurisdiction to review, reject, or suspend a decision reached by a duly convened Constitutional Convention. The only valid forum that can revisit the matter of Option A4—or any other constitutional provision—is another Constitutional Convention convened specifically for that purpose.

The role of Parliament as a stabilising institution within the IYC structure is to promote order, not to precipitate constitutional crises by attempting to override the sovereign will of Congress. Should Parliament insist on such actions, it risks dragging the IYC into an avoidable constitutional conflict that could jeopardise the unity of our noble Council.

The Lagos Chapter, like all other organs of Council, is bound by the supreme decisions of the Constitutional Convention and must conduct its electoral processes in strict adherence to Option A4, as adopted.

Accordingly, I call on you, as Speaker of Parliament, to respect and uphold the supremacy of Congress and its resolutions. Anything short of that amounts to an attempt to overturn the will of the Ijaw people through administrative fiat, which must be firmly resisted by all well-meaning Ijaw youths.

Let me conclude by reminding all concerned that we must not allow petty personal interests or ego-driven conflicts to derail the hard-earned democratic processes within our Council. This is not a time for power tussles, but a time for unity, maturity, and constitutional discipline.

I trust that you will act in accordance with the Constitution and in the enduring interest of the Ijaw nation.

Yours in service of the Ijaw struggle,

Mr Godswill Doubra Wuruyai
Stakeholder/Member
Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide

Cc:
Comr. Williams Ayoromiegha Junior, Clerk of Parliament
All Members of Parliament, IYC Worldwide
The President, Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide
NEC Members, Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide
All Zonal and Chapter Chairpersons, IYC
Ijaw Youth Stakeholders Nationwide

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Reps To Quiz Edun, Cardoso Over Non-compliance With Fiscal Responsibility Act

Published

15 hours ago

June 14, 2025

Editor

The Joint House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts and Public Assets has invited the Minister of Finance, Mr Olawale Edun, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Olayemi Cardoso, to appear before it on Monday over allegations bothering on non-compliance with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.

The duo are also expected to respond to the 2021 audit queries relating to internal control weaknesses identified by the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation (oAuGF).

In a letter jointly signed by the Chairmen of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Rep. Bamidele Salam, and the Committee on Public Assets, Rep. Ademorin Kuye, the lawmakers requested the Finance Minister and the CBN Governor to provide details on the remittance of operating surplus to the Federation Account by the apex bank in line with the provisions of relevant laws and regulations.

The Fiscal Responsibility Commission and the Auditor General for the Federation had, in reports submitted to the joint committees, accused several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the CBN, of failing to remit or under-remitting their operating surpluses as required by extant financial laws and regulations over the last six years.

According to the Public Accounts Committee Chairman, “these violations have negatively impacted the liquidity of the federal government and constitute a hindrance to effective implementation of the budgets passed by parliament.”

The committees stated that both the Finance Ministry and the apex bank had been given ample opportunity to reconcile their accounts and present their positions in order to determine the degree of financial liabilities involved, hence the need for a final hearing to resolve the issues.

The committee is equally reviewing a report in the Auditor General for the Federation’s statutory report which suggests that a number of public assets, which had been fully paid for, have not been completed or put into use for many years.

“Some of these projects in Dutse, Abeokuta and other locations were awarded between 2011 and 2016 but yet to be completed according to audit reports.”