Elombah.com Exposes Omoyele Sowore of Saharareporters.com

247ureports
-
6
Sowore Omoyele owner of saharareporters.com
My attention has been drawn to the trash published in Saharareporters.com by Omoyele Sowore, the sole owner of that blog, alleging that I, Daniel Elombah, have ever been hired in any capacity by Mr. James Ibori, the convicted former Governor of Delta State. That trash was titled, ‘Ibori Won’t Serve Prison Term In Nigeria’, on 29 February, 2012. It would have been a simple matter of me flatly debunking such a senseless and vain fabrication by Mr. Sowore, but in view of Sowore’s known agenda for attempting to tar me with any such association with Ibori, it would be in good order for me to further inform the pubic concerning Mr. Sowore and Saharareporters’ motives.
This fabrication that Sowore published about me is consistent with his modus operandi since he established the poisonous fraud that his Saharareporters has come to be in the past few years. Whenever it sooths Sowore’s whims and despicable machinations, he would use his Saharareporters.com to spew unimaginable falsehoods against people. Usually, he does it either for blackmail purpose and some bizarre and insane objective.
Despite all the information available to our on-line news portal, the Elombah.com, consistently showing that Sowore has demanded blackmail money from people, failure to pay which he threatened to publish damaging but untrue stories about them and their families on Saharareporters.com, and such other criminal activities, I have refrained from publishing these stories about Sowore and Saharareporters to avoid any perception of an undue attack on a rival.
Yet, we remained dismayed and greatly troubled by the damage and destruction that Sowore and Saharareporters have wrought on so many innocent people. Yes, it is true that some of the people that Saharareporters have written about are truly corrupt. Indeed, most Nigerian public officials are corrupt. Yet, it remains wrong and dangerous for Saharareporters to hide behind the veneer of that Nigerian reality to tarnish certain innocent people with utter impunity. Also, it is wrong for him to make money out of people’s desire not to be subjected to false light. Even in cases where an official is corrupt, there is still no basis to exaggerate or falsify records as Saharareporters has repeatedly done. Also, the fact that Sowore guessed one out of every 20 stories right, does not obviate the fact that the remaining 19 stories are fabrication and that innocent people are thereby damaged.
Clearly, Sowore and Saharareporters have hoodwinked the gullible Nigerian public and some people outside Nigeria in the most basic manner known to all fraudsters. He juxtaposes perception with false realities. He has ridden on that practice for way too long now. He acquired powers and access, which he has used to enrich himself. But like in all cases of life, the truth will eventually catch up with every lie. The emergence of alternative on-line news has continued to deny Sowore and Saharareporters the monopoly they needed to continue the evil practice of intimidation, blackmail and extortion. It has been much anticipated that some day, Sowore and Saharareporters will bare their fangs at these rival sources. And what you have seen in the story in question is just one such moment.
Unlike Sowore, Elombah.com has attempted to operate above the passions and sensationalism of the moment, especially where such departures from standard are driven by personal greed and ambitions such as the case with Saharareporters. Two events in recent times have cast Elombah.com as the opposite of Saharareporters. First, last year, Saharareporters carried an extremely false and incendiary sensation against the family of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumgwu Ojukwu. He falsely claimed that the Ikemba was on life support, in a coma and almost dead, when he was not. Sowore also false reported that Ikemba’s wife, Bianca Ojukwu had abandoned him in the hospital, and was living with her lover when in fact the lady was by his bedside throughout.
And in the most shameless fashion imaginable, he fabricated stories of infidelity and dishonor against the poor Mrs. Ojukwu. That report and the outcry it raised forced Elombah.com to actually travel to Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, United Kingdom, where the Ikemba was being treated to ascertain for itself the truth. And lo and behold, the truth was so different from what Sowore reported in Saharareporters. Indeed, there was nothing that could be likened to what was reported. The world was aghast and from the moment I reported my findings, people, on their own, began to come to grips with the fact that there is no truth in Saharareporters stories.
Also, recently, Elombah.com felt the need to follow the lawsuit that Emeka Ugwuonye filed in American federal court against Saharareporters for defamation and false light. We have known about that case since the past 3 years. But we refrained from publishing most of the stories until we knew how the case was going. After several desperate efforts on the part of Sowore to kill that case failed, notwithstanding Ugwuonye’s exceptional travails in Nigeria, the case has now moved to the critical stage of discovery. At present, Sowore is now having to answer the kind of questions he never expected in his life and to face a level of scrutiny unprecedented in his experience. After due consideration, we contacted both parties for information and we approached the court as well. Our recent reporting – two days ago, is evidently exposing the erstwhile-unknown truths about the shady practices of Saharareporters and its owner, Omoyele Sowore. That rankles them so much. And today’s story about me and Ibori is just a desperate rash-out from a desperate and drowning dream and extraordinary ambitions of Sowore.
Furthermore, as people read more stories about the abusive and even criminal conducts of Sowore in America, more stories are reaching us from hundreds of people who have had extraordinarily nasty experience with that man going back to the time he was a cult member and a bloody menace to his fellow students in the University of Lagos.
For instance, upon reading our story on Saharareporters and the libel case in America, Emeka Ogbonna wrote us, narrating how his chance encounter with the “President of the Students’ Union called Sowore and his boys” nearly cost his his life and said: “”I’ve just seen the photo of the Omoyele Soworo of Sahara Reporters and I realised he was a former students’ union president of University of Lagos. He use to go by the nickname “Sho.” I remember that when he left unilag he join the civil society movement. My encounter with him as Unilag students’ union president was not a good one. That experience gives me the impression that if he were to be one of the political leaders he often criticizes, he would do worse things. I keep the details of the encounter for another day.”
Elombah.com shall continue to follow the case in America notwithstanding this blatant intimidation by Saharareporters and Sowore.

Exclusive: How Kebbi’s Dakingari Spent 718.5m on Re-Election Bid [Documents Included]

247ureports
-
0

 

sacked kebbi_state_governor alhaji_saidu_usman_dakingari

A cantankerous fete of financial mischief may have overtaken the administration of the State government. This is as documentary evidence recently made available to 247ureports.com reveals that the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] governor of Kebbi State, Saidu Usman Dakingari may have laundered Kebbi State monies in excess of N718.5million – against an outcry of striking State workers demanding for the implementation of the minimum wage Act of N18,000p per month.

The Governor had turned his back to the striking workers – stating that the State can not afford to implement the minimum wage act. But available information indicate otherwise. Documentary evidence show that the governor of Kebbi State and his associate withdrew the sum of 718.5million from the State resources solely for the purposes of the governor’s April 2011 re-election campaign.

According to the information gathered, the State administration began its clean up of the State’s financial resources during the period leading up to the general elections of 2011 starting from December 2010.

Under the guise of election preparations, the State Governor Dakingari instructed the Chairman of the Kebbi State Chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria [ALGON] to write the Honorable Commissioner for Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs on behalf on the 21 Local Government Area [LGA] Sole Administrators to repeatedly access questionably large sums of money for election related items.

The letter was written with caption “Conduct of Primary Elections and Provision of Tight Security” referenced ALGON/182/VOL.III/2010 and dated December 29, 2010.

The letter indicated that he had been mandated by the 21 LGA Sole Administrators to forward a request for “release of funds to local governments in order to provide logistic support for the conduct of primary elections across the 21 LGAs of Kebbi State”.  The primary elections were for the house of assembly scheduled for January 1, 2011, federal House of Representatives scheduled for January 5, 2011 and gubernatorial scheduled for January 9, 2011.  The letter requested for N128,500,000 [N128.5million] to be released – and in a manner suggestive of connivance, approval was given by the Commissioner the next day, December 30, 2010. See letter below, 2 pages.

Page 1: ALGON Kebbi Chapter letter to Commissioner
Page 2: ALGON Kebbi Chapter letter

Less than three months following the initial letter to the Commissioner, the ALGON Chairman [Kebbi Chapter] took to his pen stating that he had the mandate of the 21 LGA Sole Administrators. He wrote concerning the visit of President [candidate] Goodluck Jonathan to Kebbi State. The letter was written on March 9, 2011 referenced ALGON/0725/Vol lll/2011 with caption “Visit of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Mr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to Kebbi State”. The letter specifically requested for money to be released from the LGA account being managed by the State Government for use to purchase “praise singers”. The amount of N180,000,000 [N180million] was requested.  On the same day, the approval was given. See letter below, 2 pages

As the general elections drew nearer in the early days of April 2011, the Governor turned to the Special Services Department [SSD] of the Governor’s Office to request for additional amount of N410million for “security in the State for operation during the forthcoming April 2011 election”.  The request was made in three letters signed by the Permanent Secretary of SSD, Tanko, Musa Magaji and Director Finance and Supply of SSD, Lawal Ibrahim Argungu

The first letter dated April 1, 2011 was addressed to The Manager, First Bank Plc, Birini Kebbi Branch, Kebbi State requesting “the release of fund from Account No 3572040000435” to the tune of N120million for the election to commence April 2, 2011. The two other letters dated April 4, 2011 made requests from the same account at the First Bank for funds to be released for use against the elections of April 2, 2011.  The requests of N57million and N233million were made. All three request letters were presented and acknowledged by the bank.

April 1, 2011: Letter for N120,000,000
April 4, 2011 letter for N57,000,000

Sources in Kebbi State point to the rapid withdrawal of funds [718.5million] between the months of December 2010 and April 2010 as financing of election related malpractices while more serious critics of the Kebbi State government point to a more sinister motive. They point to the Governor’s closeness to persons known for their ties to the Islamic militant group based in Borno State, Boko Haram. Through deductive extrapolations, they cite him as possibly sponsoring activities of the group.

However in talking to the Government of Kebbi State, 247ureports.com gathered through one of the signatories, Lawal Ibrahim Argungu [Director Finance & Supply] that the above documents were fabicated by the opposition. He also stated that agents the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] visited the government of Kebbi State following a petition by the opposition. He stated that the EFCC inspected the documents and deemed them fake.

Efforts to reach the EFCC regarding the authenticity of Ibrahim Argungu’s claim proved abortive – as the EFCC made it clear that it would not comment on the Kebbi State petition. Sources within the former governor of Kebbi’s camp [Aliero] opied that the EFCC and the governor of Kebbi State may have reached an agreed settlement that got the Kebbi State officials off the hook.

Sanctions on Iran hike gas prices

247ureports
-
0

To show its animosity and destructive power, the U.S. political pundits used to say that the upcoming U.S.-EU sanctions will force Iran to sell its oil at a discount. But it seems Iran not only is not forced to sell at lower prices, but on the contrary is being freed from some long-term contracts, enabling Iran to begin selling the barrels at the spot for higher prices, notes Ardeshir Ommani.

Risks to global oil output, once confined to Iraq and Syria, are now spreading to Africa. The intelligence data show that the inventories are low and Saudi Arabian oil minister’s promise to make up any shortage is being called into question. The state of oil supply is reflected in the price difference between the prices for immediate delivery and the contracts for longer delivery dates. The short term oil contracts for Brent crude has jumped $7 a barrel this month to more than $118/bbl and on Feb. 15 it rose to as high as $120/bbl. From all signals sent by the international oil market, the U.S. plans to limit Iran’s oil revenue by pressing the European countries, especially those suffering from debt crisis like Spain, Greece and Italy, to boycott the purchase of the Iranian oil is neutralized by higher prices. The shortage of oil supplies has pushed the prices so far up that higher oil prices are compensating for lower amounts of oil sold.
According to a commodity analyst at Citi, “There is little redundancy across the whole system: inventories are really low, and there is low spare capacity and supply risks…” The tightness in oil supply is primarily caused by the U.S. war drive and interference in the domestic affairs of other countries. The damage is felt not only by the oil producing countries but also the European countries in recession and the consumers in the developed and developing countries through higher prices at the pump stations and heating their living spaces, not to mention the commercial enterprises.
For example, the U.S. and NATO helped to break Sudan into two parts. Currently, south Sudan engaged in a dispute over transit revenue with northern Sudan has terminated oil production and deprived the market of about 300,000 barrels per day. The U.S. invasion of Iraq damaged that country’s oil installations pipes, ovens and refineries. Today, Iraq has a production and refining capacity less than half of what it had before the U.S. invasion and bombardment totally greater than the U.S. military engagement in WWII.
According to Barclay’s Capital calculations the social unrest in Sudan, Yemen and Syria put together curtails over one million barrels a day of output – or one percent of global supply – from the world market. All this is compounded by the looming U.S. European sanctions on Iranian imports, which will deepen the chronic recession of the European economies by depriving them from 600,000 barrels a day of crude oil. In addition to receiving higher prices for its oil, Iran will be able to find alternative buyers for the majority of those barrels. To show its animosity and destructive power, the U.S. political pundits used to say that the upcoming U.S.-EU sanctions will force Iran to sell its oil at a discount. But it seems Iran not only is not forced to sell at lower prices, but on the contrary is being freed from some long-term contracts, enabling Iran to begin selling the barrels at the spot for higher prices. It seems once again, the U.S. has shot itself in the foot.
Goldman Sachs in a current research note writes that OPEC spare capacity is “approaching dangerously low levels” and this condition is reaching dominance “just as world economic growth is beginning to strengthen.” Such a situation would make the world oil market increasingly vulnerable to sharp price hikes in 2012. Could it be that in the wake of U.S. imposition of the latest sanctions on Iran, the Saudi Arabian assurances that it possesses the spare capacity to make up for the shortfalls was simply a bluff whose function was to make the task of passing the Congressional resolutions ‘a walk in the park’. The path of least resistance for prices is still to the upside”, says Barclay’s Capital.
Pursuing its own strategic and geopolitical interests, the U.S. pressured the European countries, especially Portugal, Spain and Greece to impose sanctions on their importation of Iranian crude oil. To show that the U.S., U.K., and France are not the only countries that can carry out pre-emptive strikes, the Islamic Republic of Iran decided pre-emptively to shut down its oil export to the most aggressive imperialist countries behind the U.S.: Britain and France. To deceive the European and American public, the U.S. and British publications began immediately spreading false data with regards to world oil supply and deliberately underestimated world oil consumption.
While the oil and gas stock markets sharply told different stories, the pundits tried to blame Iran and not the shortage in supply for higher oil and gas prices. Furthermore, they connected the story of oil and gas to Iran’s civilian nuclear industry, confusing the American and European public as to the real causes for paying higher prices at the gas stations.

Libya apologizes for attack on World War II graves

247ureports
-
1

Libyan authorities on Tuesday condemned the desecration of World War II  graves in the eastern city of Benghazi by protesters angry over US troops  burning the Quran in Afghanistan.

The interim government, in a statement, expressed “strong condemnation of the  attack on non-Muslim graves by subversive elements who have no respect for  religion or international law.”

“This action is contrary to the values of our Islamic religion and law,” said  the statement obtained by AFP.

The government vowed to find and put the perpetrators on trial.

An unidentified group on Friday entered Benghazi military cemetery and  shattered headstones of British and allied servicemen who fought in North  African desert campaigns against the Nazi during World War II, according to  local media reports.

The reports said the group comprised Salafists angered by the burning of the  Quran at a NATO military base in Afghanistan earlier this month.

US President Barack Obama has apologized for the burning of the Muslim holy  books, which officials said were inadvertently sent to the incinerator.

Picture Update: Nanka N1.1Billion Gully Erosion Project

247ureports
-
3
The New entrance into Isiakpuenu Gully Site in Amako

The Nanka Gully Erosion landslide of August 2008 which saw the loss of properties and livelihood appears to have finally received the approipriate attention. Work has finally begun at the site – Isiakpuenu Gully Erosion Site in Amako village. The Engineer on site [Hybron based in Port Hacourt] has begun to slowly mobilize to site. The Consultant – Isa Abdulahi – has yet to report to site. But the pictures below show the ongoing progress at the site as indicative of activity involvement by the contractor and the community.

The Gully Site according to an [NGO] Rural Community Development Outreach measures 64,000 linear feet in lenght by 9,000feet in width by 4.500ft in depft. It is expected that when the construction beginnings in full steam that a Tree Planting Campaign will be used to supplement the battle again the gully.

Nanka Students Union [NSU] in their effort has begun preparations for the launch of a 100,000 Tree Planting Campaign for the major gully erosions in Nanka. The Tree Campaign is slated for April 7, 2012.

To help the Tree Campaign call :- 0813 669 7979

 

 

 

Iran starts paying Indian exporters in rupees

247ureports
-
0
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

NEW DELHI – India’s exporters have begun receiving the first rupee payments from Iran, Indian government and trade sources said on Thursday, kicking off a mechanism to skirt Western sanctions which have made doing business with Tehran tougher.About $3 billion in Iranian import arrears have accumulated since December 2010 when a previous payment conduit was closed under pressure from Washington, which is using sanctions to try to stop Tehran’s contentious nuclear programme.

Payments to Indian exporters are being remitted through Iran’s Bank Parsian which has opened an account with India’s UCO bank, the sources said. Bank Parsian is among private Iranian banks that are free from sanctions against Iran’s state-owned banks.The agreement came after meetings between a visiting Iranian delegation and officials from India’s finance and banking sectors over the past two days.

“Payments (to Indian exporters) have started coming very recently through Bank Parsian’s account with UCO bank,” said M. Rafeeque Ahmed, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, the top exporters’ body, told Reuters.“Whatever has been stuck in the pipeline, that will be cleared.”Ahmed is taking part in government negotiations to find a solution to the payment problems that have hit trade between the two countries after US sanctions on dollar deals.

His organisation is a quasi-government body set up by the trade ministry.Two government sources said the conduit through Bank Parsian and UCO bank was only to settle payments for Indian exports to Iran.Indian oil importers have been paying for around $11 billion a year of crude since the middle of 2011 through Turkey’s Halkbank, but this route would have been expensive for Iranian importers given sharp falls in the rial.India was Tehran’s second-biggest crude oil customer last year after China. Iranian oil accounts for about 12 percent of its needs.

Most of the Iranian arrears are for imports of iron and steel ($623 million), chemicals ($453 million) and cereals ($419 million), machinery ($143 million) and pharmaceuticals ($87 million).Indian rice suppliers have also reported defaults by Iranian buyers and have said they are owed at least $144 million.With payments for oil through Halkbank now looking vulnerable to fresh sanctions, India and Iran have agreed to settle 45 percent of this trade in rupees and boost exports to narrow their trade gap.

Oil buyers are waiting for tax issues to be cleared up before they use the mechanism.India abides by United Nations sanctions on Iran, but has refused to go along with new financial measures imposed by the United States and European Union that aim to punish Iran for its nuclear ambitions. India has pushed back the visit of a delegation to Iran to March 10-14 from this month to explore boosting exports. Ahmed will be part of that team.

US prepares to refuel Israeli planes striking Iran: Report

247ureports
-
1
Following Israeli calls on the US to toughen its stance on Iran’s nuclear energy program, Pentagon officials have announced preparations for the aerial refueling of Tel Aviv planes that may strike Iran.

Pentagon officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed on Thursday that “military options being prepared start with providing refueling for Israeli planes and include attacking the pillars of the clerical regime (Iran).”
“They include the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and its elite Qods Force, regular Iranian military bases and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security,” DEBKAfile quoted the officials as saying.
The remarks constitute a public reference by Washington to possible joint military action with Israel against Iran.
A Wall Street Journal report revealed on Tuesday that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Tel Aviv officials have put the US President Barack Obama administration under pressure to adopt a more aggressive policy regarding Iran’s nuclear energy program.
In a White House meeting on March 5, Netanyahu is expected to press Obama for an explicit threat of a military action against Tehran beyond the regular “all options on the table” mantra, should Iran refuse to abandon its nuclear energy program in the wake of the recently intensified sanctions.
Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak has also travelled to Washington where he discussed ways to approach Iran with US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Wednesday.
The United States, Israel, and some of their allies accuse Iran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program and have used this pretext to impose international and unilateral sanctions on the Islamic Republic and to call for a military strike against Tehran.
Iran has repeatedly refuted the Western allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Alhaji Bamanga Tukur For [PDP] Chairman 2012 – The Man As We Know Him

247ureports
-
0

By Godson Azu

BAMANGA TUKUR for PDP chairmanship;” BRINGING TRANSFORMATION” (BT), to the single largest political party institution in Africa with well over 25 milliom members cutting all ethnic diversity, professionalism, religious and gender equity. The party since its inception has established and positioned its political influence on the minds and hearts of the membership inspiring a momentus followership in its contiunious quest for political power and control of government machinaries at all levels of public governance. Considering the philosophy and ideology of this great party as laid down by its founding fathers , which is the foundation stone for all its numerious achievements in the past 13 years . These guiding principles as being carried by the various touch-bearers of the party with regards to the past chairmen and members of the National Executive Committee; National Working Committee; and the Board of Trustees, though on many occations the party has gone through some forms of leadership distrust and insitutional failures, which at one point or the other almost dis-integrated the party and its followership. Base on the past experiences of the party leadership style and skills which are not in line with true party internal democracy, there has been a long standing call and agitation by many within the party for a complete reformation of the structural and operational system of its internal politics to reflect the image of the institution as a political party by the people and for the people. I remmeber asking Alhaji Tukur when we met in London late last year , if it is politics and the constitution that has failed Nigeria, or is it the people that has failed ? and his open minded response was that the Nigerian people and politicians has failed politics.

In view of this huge expectations, and the search by its membership for a new chairman that would lead the party to the next level of power-politics and governance through the unforseen political climate of the nearest future. Having understood the fact that a ‘Political life..is life in the Polity’ which simply means that there is no politics without a people, and there is no people without politics. As, such we want to make it known to all fellow party members, stake-holders, the president, all PDP governors, and all intending national delegates that they should search no further for a new chairman, because our search-light has beamed on a desirable reflection in the darkness of life, which has shown us the true political animal among the lots, with a strong sense of humor, passionate and enthusiasm, exposure, leadership skill, integrity, intellectuality, inter-personal relationship, a detrablized Nigerian and a people oriented personality.

This personality with his huge potentials is no one else than DR. Bamanga Tukur, (BRINGING TRANSFORMATION) BT. An alumnus of the London School of Economics and the University of Pittsburg, Dr Tukur is a man of incredible business influence. His degree at LSE was Transportation and Economics, while the American University presented him with a graduate degree in Public and International Affairs.Dr Tukur has held numerous national appointments in Nigeria, including the directorships of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, the Nigerian National Shipping Line, Nigeria Airways, Central Water Transportation Company and the Board of Customs and Exercise. He is a member of the International Business Advisory Council (IBAC) of UNIDO and a member of the OECD Africa Investment Advisory Board. He was elected chairman of the NEPAD Business Group in Monterrey, Mexico in March 2002. In the same year, Dr. Tukur was conferred with the national honour of the Commander of the Order of the Mono (COM) by the President of Togo, His Excellency President Gnassingbe Eyadema, in recognition of his contribution to business in Africa. He was also appointed to the Ghana Investors Advisory Council by H.E. President John Agyekum Kuffuor in June 2002. In December 2003, Dr Tukur was conferred with the national honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by His Excellency, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria.

From among the retinue of potential candidates, Dr. Bamanga Tukur stands out; he possesses those qualities that are unequal with his contending contemporaries and the younger aspirants in the raise. He is a true bridge-builder who can put a stop to the challenges of succession and power-play that has plagued the party in the past five years. As one of the wise-men who founded this party at its initial formation in 1998, his present quest of chairing the party now is not to be seeing as an act of oversight, but rather an intended opportunity that is designed for this very moment in his life-time, as such this former governor of old Gongola state is well-placed to turn things around for good. He holds several political and traditional titles, but the one dearest to the heart of his people is the title Tafida of Adamawa, in recognition of his contribution to grassroots development.

In any milieu of political transformation, DR. Tukur would be a valuable team player of which is currently needed in our great party for greater all inclusive participation in party politics on a level playing ground. As he would continue to use his acquired expertise in bridging the gaps between the three arms of government , the party structure, and the Nigerian people for the greater benefit of the party remaining in power at any subsequent elections both at the state and national levels.

A Tukur-led PDP can project a better image of Nigeria to the outside world than we have seen for some years now. As a private sector breed, Tukur would no doubt promote our economy, using his wealth of experience as a private sector technocrat. With the proposed new foreign policy thrust of the Federal Government, through its ‘Transformation Agenda’ having being a seasoned administrator DR. Tukur, should be able to drive the process and give strong leadership support to president Good-luck Jonathan’s administration in achieving its set goals by 2015.

In the present political dispensation, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, apart from being a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and member of its Board of Trustees was also one of the leading Nigerian politicians of northern extraction who stood behind President Good-luck Ebele Jonathan when it mattered most. He showed intrinsic and unalloyed confidence in Mr President’s ability to take Nigeria to greater heights at a time many others from the North were at best hesitant, perhaps due to the zoning controversy that embroiled the party towards its Presidential primaries. Hopefully the President and the governors would in turn show their unflinching support and confidence on DR. Tukur for the party chairmanship.

He has always being a strong supporter of the diasporas groups around the world, of which in many of his trips to the United Kingdom, America, Europe, and Asia he has developed good and strong relationship with various Nigerian diasporas groups, and as such has joined in many occasion to agitate for their well-being and recognition. So, we in the Diaspora (UK, and Europe) believe that the chairmanship search-light is beaming on DR. Bamanga, and as such the cap fits his head for various reasons, among which is the important fact that he has expressed willingness to wear the cap. One more reason is that he is a tested leader with a vision and decisive action that can provide that Nigerians trust for a unique change in the society and the political institution, a departure from the past and everything that PDP members dreams to actualise in the future for the greater glory on Nigeria.

—

Godson Azu, is a UK based political and public policy analyst in Europe

Gbenga Daniel Not Discharged and Acquitted; EFCC to Re-file Charges

247ureports
-
0
Contrary to media reports that Otunba Gbenga Daniel has been discharged and  acquitted by the ruling of an Abeokuta High Court today, the EFCC wishes to clarify that the ruling of Justice Olanrewaju Mabekoje was not a  discharge and acquittal of the former Ogun State Governor.
The trial judge only released Mr. Daniel on the sole technical ground that  the Commission failed to seek the consent of court before filing the  amended charges against the former governor.
Consequent on the ruling striking out the charges, the Commission will immediately apply to the Chief Judge of Ogun State for leave to re-file the charges against Otunba Daniel.  We consider it prudent and  reasonable to re-file the charges immediately as advised by Justice  Mabekoje in the said ruling, as against lodging an appeal against the  judgment, which action may take several months to decide at the Court of Appeal.
For the avoidance of doubt, the court did not rule on the competence or  merit of the charges against Otunba Daniel, therefore, he was not  discharged and acquitted by the ruling today.
Daniel was first arraigned on October 12, 2011 on a 16-count charge of  stealing, fraudulent conversion and failure to declare assets. He  pleaded not guilty to the charges and was admitted to bail, on October  14, 2011 in the sum of N500million and two sureties in like sum. The  charges were later amended to 43 counts.
–
Wilson Uwujaren
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity

Ijaw Youth Council Ag. President Warn Trouble Makers, Sacked President Told To Submit Self To Five-Man Investigative Panel

247ureports
-
1

The Acting President of the Ijaw Youth Council worldwide, Mr. Emmanuel Bristol Alagbariya has warned trouble makers determined to use the instrumentality of the media to incite problems in the organization to desist forthwith, or be ready to face the wrath of millions of Ijaw youths who constitute the organization.

Mr. Bristol-Alagbariya gave this warning during an eastern zonal congress meeting at the headquarters of the organization inPort Harcourt, in the wake of alleged claims that sacked former president of the organization; Miabiye Kuromiema may have resorted to using the media to mislead the unsuspecting public about the true state of affairs in the council.

Consequent upon expiration of the tenure of the last parliament in December, including accusations of misappropriation of fund, high handedness and refusal to mobilize congress for parliamentary sitting for the inauguration of new parliamentarians elected from the various clans, the former president, Miabiye Kuromiema was reportedly sacked and asked to submit himself to a five man investigative committee constituted on February 22nd at the Bayelsa IYC headquarters, to investigate his alleged shady activities.

Much of this was essentially revealed by the official spokesman and public relations Officer incharge of council and executives of the Ijaw Youth Congress worldwide, Mr Jeremaiah Owupele. Speaking with newsmen Owupele affirmed that the decision was reached consequent upon an enlarged exco meeting held on Februaury  22nd at the Bayelsa IYC headquarters where executives from the three zones that make up the council converged to take the decision in the interest of the organization.

He however said in a week time the congress will meet to further cement the position of the expanded exco. The IYC spokesperson also used the opportunity to urge the public to disregard any announcement made by Kuromiema or any of his cohorts in the name of IYC parliament, disclosed that such parliament does not in exist. According to him, the IYC wouldn’t have any cause for an expanded exco if there was an effective parliament in place, even as he stressed that that council is going through a process. He also affirmed that  Mr Emmanuel Bristol-Alagbariya has been mandated by NEC to assume the role of the Acting president until further notice.

The Chairman of IYC worldwide Eastern Zone, Hamilton Opuende while addressing his members in Port Harcourt, during the visit of the Acting President to the zone, also revealed that the National Executive Committee of the organization had voted the Director of Mobilization and chief security officer of the organization, Mr Emmanuel Bristol-Alagbariya to assume leadership of the organization pending the conclusion of investigation of Mr. Miabiye Kuromiema to fill the void.

Recent developments indicate that the former President, Miabiye Kuromiema is reportedly using some of his lieutenants to spread rumors in the media that the acting president, secretary, vice president, financial secretary and a few others have been suspended.

However, reacting to the statement, Acting President of IYC, Emmanuel Bristol-Alagbariya had swiftly debunked the claims as fictitious, baseless and with no iota of truth. He said the ousted president has no authority to suspend anyone knowing he has since been suspended and ask to step aside by the highest decision body of the organization. “There are ten of us in the executives and nine of us are still intact, except for the former president who is hiding under some trouble makers to heat up the organization. He has been stripped of legislative powers by the National Executive Committee, he can’t act in ignorance” saysBristol. Similarly, Bristol said by the constitution of the organization the parliament was suppose to have one more sitting last December to hand over at the end of its tenure, but regretted that the former president failed to mobilize the house for that purpose. Consequently, the expanded exco has to weild the big stick in line with the constitution to suspend him. He also revealed that Kuromiema and his cohorts have no right to take any legislative decision that has to do with council and the new executives. According to him, the newly constituted executives must be seen doing the right thing, thus the decision that the old parliament must give way for the new ones awaiting inauguration to be constituted.

Calling for caution,Bristolnoted that the Ijaw youth council is an advocacy group that has built its reputation over the years, he advised Kuromiema to submit himself for investigation, instead of using the deputy speaker who is suspected to be the mastermind of the baseless news to foment trouble. “I wish to state clearly, that Mr. Kuromiema was asked by the highest decision making body of Ijaw youths to “step aside” and submit himself to investigation, while I was mandated to fill the leadership vacuum pending the submission of the five-man investigation panel to the national executive council. The NEC on reception of the investigative report is also expected to convene a congress to address the Ijaw nation on its findings, to either exonerate or indict the former president. I wouldn’t want to join issues with the former president or anyone knowing it would not be in the best interest of the Ijaws”, says the acting president. He called for calm urging the IYC members to remain peaceful and promised to join head with Ijwa people to address the matter at the executive level.

1...5,3995,4005,401...5,491Page 5,400 of 5,491