Gunmen, yesterday, killed the Director of Design and Construction in the Borno State Ministry of Water Resources, Mallam Ali Mohammed Sheriff in Maiduguri, the state capital.
Sheriff’s death is coming barely 24 hours after a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Land and Survey, Mallam Yerima and another lecturer with the Department of Geography, University of Maiduguri, Mr. Babagana Kolo were trailed to their houses and shot dead in Maiduguri metropolis.
Military Joint Task Force, JTF, otherwise known as Operation Restore Order had, last week through its spokesman, Lt.-Col. Sagir, said government officials were now target of attacks by suspected terrorists.
It was gathered that Ali was trailed by his assailants to his house, yesterday morning, and shot in front of his house in Mafoni ward as he was preparing to go his office (Water House) in Maiduguri.
A friend and colleague to late Sheriff, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described Ali’s death as “unfortunate.”
He said: “I am very disturbed with the security challenges facing our dear state. As I am talking to you, we are coming from Gwange Cemetery where we went to bury the remains of our lovely and humble colleague, which we miss dearly.
“I pray that God Almighty will grant the soul of the deceased eternal rest.”
In a related development, gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members, shot and killed the uncle (names withheld) to the secretary of the clerk of Borno State House of Assembly, Bakura Maina, in Abaganaram ward at about 6.25pm earlier on Tuesday.
“All progress is initiated by challenging current conceptions, and executed by supplanting existing institutions.” – George Bernard Shaw
“Truth lives, in fact, for the most part on a credit system. Our thoughts and beliefs pass, so long as nothing challenges them, just as bank-notes pass so long as nobody refuses them.” – William James
The media has been awash with news of pastor(or is it Bishop) Oritsejafor’s ‘gift’ of private jet from his ‘beloved’ church members. There have been criticisms from those who felt things weren’t right. Other people have come out to say there is nothing wrong about it. I have however taken my time to ponder on this issue, and my ponderings have finally given words to my thoughts. You see, it was Steve Barry who said, “The problem with writing about religion is that you run the risk of offending sincerely religious people, and then they come after you with machetes.” I’m used to criticisms and i love being controversial – in fact, i thrive on criticism, and that is why i’m prepared to pour out my mind on this issue of criminals that have hijacked our places of worship. For those who care to read with an open mind, good for you. And for those who have closed their minds, good luck to you.
Pastor(or Bishop…whatever) Oritsejafor isn’t the first pastor to own a private jet. No, someone beat him to that. The man called Bishop Oyedepo,(remember him?…yeah…the one who used slap to cast out demons…yes, eehen) beat him to that. The mixed reactions however, is a clear indication of the fact that Nigerians are still undecided about what is right and what is not. I have always made my stand clear on religious leaders that get rich on account of the tithe paid by church members, and then have the audacity to declare it as personal asset. These people, i’ve found, always twist the Bible to suit their decisions and actions. I don’t know whether it’s not in the Bible that tithe belongs to God, why then are these people declaring as personal assets money that belongs to God? Did God appoint them as His minister for finance?
Yes, Judge not, that ye be not judged. That is a saying that has been seriously misunderstood. Touch not my annointed…that is a quotation that has been misinterpreted to continually submerge people in slavery. The same preachers who echo the ‘judge not’ gospel are the same people who hammer it every sunday that “be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” and that if i do, i am going straight to hell(as if they are the mobilization officers for heaven), the same pastors hold presidential prayers at ASO rock, and collect millions of taxpayers money as ‘transport fare’ back home. Tell me, if those robbers at ASO rock are not unbelievers, then who is? The same pastors that condemn me for ‘loving the things of the world’ and not ‘setting my affections on things above’ are the same ones who galivant about in exotic cars and jets. You see, we have all broken the ‘judge not’ rule, so i might as well cast my own judgement too.
When they said Pastor Oritsejafor’s church members gave him a jet as a gift. I believe them. Seriously, i do. But i refuse to believe that he had no foreknowledge of that gift. Will 40 million just disappear from church account and no one will ask where it ‘flew’ to? Or is it that private jet has become bicycle that you can just buy at any corner? Mba, mba, i refuse to believe he had no hand in it. And when they tell us that church members bought it for him, i doubt if a man who is yet to eat breakfast at 4pm all because he has no money will agree to that kind of wastefulness. Why the need for private jet gan sef? Is it that he has become so holy that he must not travel with mere mortals again? Nigerians, shine your eyes o.
I have always said it, and i will continue to say it till i breathe my last, that these pastors need to be challenged. It is a pity that all you need to be a pastor that draws crowd today is to have a past so dirty that it will take the blood of Jesus to wash it 3 or 4 times before it can be clean. They use tithes of church members to build universities and then raise the tuition so high that the children of those who paid the tithes have to forfeit university and opt for just anything. They use tithes to buy jets and fly around the world while those who paid the tithes continue to die off and lose children to hunger-related diseases. The earlier the better. Nigerians must throw off the garments of gullibility that they have on them. Enough of having a pastor interpret Bible to you, you have brains too, interpret the Bible yourself. Enough of sending a pastor to God to help him pray for you, if God is your father, approach him as a son would approach his father. Enough is enough! We must reclaim our pulpits from the criminals who have hijacked it.
Robert Nesta Marley has said it all, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery…”
A London High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division, has placed a worldwide order (mareva injunction) against the assets of Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah and his company, Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited.
This is just as the feud between Ubah and the Chairman of Coscharis, Mr. Cosmos Maduka, has taken a new twist as the Capital Oil boss Wednesday sent a petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mohammed Abubakar, alleging threats to his life. He demanded the arrest of Maduka over the alleged threat.
The order by the UK court, which was granted sequel to an application by Access Bank Plc, is aimed at preserving the assets of the respondents pending the determination of the suit brought before it by the bank.
The bank had alleged that Ubah and his company had fraudulently diverted the petroleum products it financed under the joint venture agreement between Capital Oil and Coscharis Motors Limited.
Also restrained alongside Ubah and Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, are Rofos Navigation Limited, Xifias Navigation Limited, Heli Navigation Limited and Tutbury Maritime Limited.
THISDAY checks revealed that the order of the UK court, obtained last Friday, was given three days after Ubah and his company obtained a similar injunction in Nigeria restraining the bank and Coscharis Motors Limited from interfering with his assets. The court, presided over by Mr. Justice Cooke, ordered that until the return date or further order of the court, Ubah and company, Capital Oil, must not remove from England, Wales or any other part of the United Kingdom, any of their assets which are in England and Wales valued at over $133 million or in any way dispose of, deal with or diminish the value of any of their assets up to the same value.
The injunction covers the following assets: The property and assets of the respondent’s business known as Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited at 1, Capital Oil Close, Westminster; Ibru Jetty Complex, Ibafon Apapa, Lagos State; or the sale of the money, if any of them have been sold.
The court also ordered that until a further order of the court, the respondent and each of the parties are prohibited from taking any steps whatsoever, whether directly or indirectly, to dissipate, dispose or in any way impinge on Access Bank’s right in and to any product covered by six Bills of Lading dated October 8, 2011, October 14, 2011, October 18, 2011, November 10, 2011, November 13, 2011, and December 21, 2011 including (but not limited) to products that have been and will be received into the shore tanks at Apapa, Lagos, and in particular, approximately 40,000 metric tonnes received in June/or August 2012.
The court further directed that Ubah and Capital Oil should within seven days of service of the order swear and serve on Access Bank’s solicitors an affidavit of all their assets worldwide exceeding £50,000 in value whether in their own names or not and whether solely or jointly owned, giving the value, location and details of such assets.
It noted that failure by the respondents to comply with the orders of the court would be tantamount to contempt of court.
The court also spelt out other consequences, which the respondents would face should they fail to comply with the orders to include being fined or have their assets seized. The court further added that Ubah and officers of the company could be sent to prison and their assets seized should they fail to obey the orders.
The order of the court warned thus: “If you Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited disobey this order, you may be held to be in contempt of court and may be fined or have your assets seized and your officers may be sent to prison, be fined or have their assets seized.
“If you Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah, disobey this order, you may be held to be in contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined or have your assets seized. “Any other person who knows of this order and does anything which helps or permits either of the respondents to breach the terms of the order may also be held to be in contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined or have their assets seized.”
The court adjourned further hearing in the suit until November 16, 2012. But Ubah, in a letter written to the IG through his counsel, Robinson Apkua, alleged that Maduka has been threatening his life.
The letter reads: “We are solicitors to Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Ltd. and on whose behalf and mandate we write this petition. “We write to formally inform you about the libellous publications against our client and also threats to his life by Chief Cosmas Maduka of Coscharis Group.
“Our client informed us that sometime in 2011 he entered into a business transaction with Maduka. The business was flourishing until Maduka became dissatisfied with the outcome of the business, consequent upon which he has filed a petition to your office.
“While your men are investigating the matter, which is purely a civil contractual relationship with its attendant rights and liabilities, Maduka went on air – Channels Television and AIT –to slander our client. “He called our client all sorts of names ranging from a thief to an international fraudster. As though that was not enough and still not allowing your men to do their job, Maduka took four pages in some national newspapers libelled our client and repeated his slander.
“Our client’s life is now being threatened as he receives anonymous calls urging him to pay those he owes, while also receiving text messages from unknown persons demanding that he must share the ‘loot’ apparently in reference to Maduka’s allegation that he (Ubah) duped him of billions of naira.
“May we point out that our client has neither been convicted of any crime by any court law nor has he been adjudged liable for any breach of contractual business relationship with anyone, including Maduka.”
Ubah’s counsel asked the IG to cause the arrest of Maduka, investigate the libellous publications and cause him to write a letter of apology within seven days or face legal action.
Apkua also asked the IG to warn Maduka to desist from further libellous publications against his client pending the conclusion of the police investigation and pending court case or he risks contempt of court.
Report reaching 247ureports.com through sources in Kaduna indicate that unidentified gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen attacked and massacred up to seven members of the a family, the Yakubu Kayit family – inside in a village called Azansak [Madauci], Z/Kataf LGA of Kaduna State. The family members of Yakubu Kayit are Christians.
This incident occurred at about 11:00pm on Wednesday November 14, 2012.
The Burnt house at Madauchi-AzasakZangon Katak Local government – showing one of the people burnt to death.
According to the information received, the gunmen, after having killed the seven members of the family, proceeded to set on fire the family house burning the corpses of the murdered victims in the process.
The latest violent comes on the heels of a peace-treaty proposed by the Islamic terrorist group, the Boko Haram. It also comes amidst heavy security presence at the area in question – military check points are said to be plenty in the area the crime occurred.
According to eyewitness account, the Fulani herdsman had arrived aboard a transport trailer on the afternoon of Wednesday November 14, 2012. They remained on-board the trailer until night-time when they struck the family.
To this, many within the area have reacted to denounce the violence as barbaric. A resident of the area, Jonathan Asake who is the Narional Youth Leader of the middle belt Forum described the incident as barbaric. Another resident, Musa Luka said that unless the people of southern Kaduna are given a state – and classified as part of North central region all the incessant killings will not stop.
The Fulani herdsmen are reportedly attacking the Christians areas of Kaduna with the aim of chasing away the Christian in order to acquire their land and landed properties. This is according to an Anglican Reverend resident in the area – who also stated that the youths have already begun preparing themselves for a revenge attack on the Muslim community.
The police confirmed the incident but noted that a daughter in the family may have survived the attack. The daughter is aged 6 years.
Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili (R) greets Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s representative in talks with Iran
Russia’s representative in international talks with Iran over its disputed nuclear programme, Sergei Ryabkov, met Tehran’s top negotiator on a surprise visit on Wednesday, news agencies reported.
Ryabkov, who is also deputy foreign minister, met Saeed Jalili, who said Tehran “hopes for a swift return of the P5+1 countries to the negotiating table,” the official news agency IRNA reported.
The recognition of Iran’s right to enrich uranium “cannot be a precondition for talks but will be one of the topics of discussion,” Ryabkov said, according to ISNA, another Iranian agency.
Ryabkov’s visit came three days after he was quoted as telling Britain’s Financial Times newspaper that Moscow would support direct talks between Iran and the United States on Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi responded Monday by saying any “decision on comprehensive, bilateral political talks between the two countries… is up to the supreme leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
US President Barack Obama, whose re-election Iran welcomed with caution, said on Wednesday there was still a “window of time” to end the standoff and promised further diplomatic efforts.
“With respect to Iran, I very much want to see a diplomatic resolution to the problem,” Obama told a White House press conference.
“I will try to make a push in the coming months to see if we can open up a dialogue between Iran and not just us, but the international community, to see if we can get this thing resolved.”
Salehi, meanwhile, expressed hope that negotiations on its nuclear programme with the so-called P5+1 — the UN Security Council’s five permanent members plus Germany — would resume soon.
The P5+1 has for years sought through negotiations with Iran to defuse an international crisis over Tehran’s atomic ambitions, which the West believes has military aims despite repeated denials by the Islamic republic.
The last high-level talks, which all but failed, were held in Moscow in June.
According to Salehi, Jalili and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the world powers in the talks, are to hold a telephone conversation “to decide on a venue and date”.
The UN atomic watchdog has said it will hold a new round of talks in Tehran on December 13.
The Security Council has imposed four sets of sanctions on the Islamic regime, which coupled with unilateral Western restrictions on its oil sector and banks, have begun to cause major problems for its economy.
Information available to 247ureports.com through sources knowledgeable of the activities at the State government house in Yenagoa, Bayelsa indicates Chevron Oil Company may have resorted to bribery as a more financially viable solution to the broad settlement of the affected communities. This is as Chevron representative selectively invited leaders of eight [8] communities to their Port Harcourt office located along Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout – for closed door discussions.
The closed door discussion, according to a source in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, was held Tuesday November 13, 2012 – largely to avert the threat of possible violence – as issued by the affected communities through a communique – where it stated November 15, 2012 was the deadline for Chevron to reach a settlement with the affected communities – or face the consequences. In the words of the communique, “Forum has agreed that if Chevron Nigeria Limited/Chevron Incorporated USA did not pay the demanded compensation on or before the 15th November, 2012 Forum shall allow the communities and Fisher folk to use every means to seek Reparations/Compensation“. [ Click here to read communique].
The Port Harcourt meeting ended unceremoniously – as the representatives of Chevron offered money to the community representatives. They offered N100million to each of the eight communities. Some of the communities refused accepting the money while some other pleaded to accept the money. The communities who refused said that the N100million was not the settlement amount demanded – and that there were other communities involved – not just eight communities. The communities had jointly demanded $3billion for compensation.
The community leaders who pleaded to be given the N100million argued that the amount was sufficient for their concerns. Chevron, as gathered, honored the plead for the N100million. Two community leaders were handed N100million each – and an additional N50mllion for accepting the N100million.
247ureports.com is not certain the identities of the 8 communities who attended the meeting but our source states that it was the 8 most impacted communities – that were invited. It was also uncertain which communities accepted or rejected the N100million bribe.
Legal experts in Bayelsa who are close to the settlement talks – state that the latest Chevron action may have worsened what already appears an impending round of crisis in the Niger Delta. “Chevron knows that once they collect the N100million, they will not pay any settlement again“, said the attorney practising in Bayelsa. He added that it appears dishonest on the part of Chevron.
The Government of Bayelsa State – through the ministry of environment – appears to be unclear with its actions or stand on the settlement talks. Last month, October 4, 2012, the Dickson administration withdrew a court case filed against Chevron by the previous administration over Chevron’s unwillingness to settle or compensate the affected communities. Following its abrupt withdrawal, 247ureports.com learnt that Chevron and the State government reached ‘an understanding’ – that would allow for Chevron to get a soft landing. The details of the ‘understanding’ are not readily available but he State government who had assured the communities that it would work to get due compensation – has yet to convene a meeting between the two parties – even against repeated requests made by the communities to the Ministry.
It is recalled that on 16th January 2012, a Chevron accident inside the waters offshore – a distance away from the shoreline communities of Bayelsa Sate – led to a 46-day gas fire that burned and resulted in the formation of crude condensate – of which expert believe may pose harmful to the nearby residents and the immediate eco-system. Chevron in its public statement agreed that there was negligent gas explosion at the facility of Chevron Nigeria Limited K.S. ENDEAVOR which spewed gas and fire till 2nd March, 2012 when an attempt to stop the fire was made.
Chevron is the 3rd largest oil producer in Nigeria and has assets on land, swamp and near-offshore concessions covering approximately 2.2 million acres (8,900 sq km) in the Niger Delta region. But in terms of its care for the environmental, Chevron has yet to do anything within the Niger Delta region. Its only effort in Nigeria is the Lekki Conservation Centre – which it supports financially – a 190-acre (0.8-sq-km) sanctuary for the flora and fauna of the Lekki Peninsula – only refuge of its kind in the Lagos area.
But its operations in California, USA show a disparity to its care for the environment. In Kern County, home to Chevron’s largest California oil field, it partnered with the Cawelo Water District to provide much-needed water for agricultural use. Water is a significant byproduct of the steamflooding technology which they use to extract more oil from the ground. For every one barrel of oil produced in Kern County, the process generates 10 barrels of water, which they capture, treat and distribute to local farmers.
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has urged all Muslims to support Somalia’s Islamist Shebab insurgents, the SIE monitoring website reported Tuesday.
The Shebab, a group which has been battling the Western-backed government in Somalia and proclaims allegiance to Al-Qaeda, has in recent months suffered several major setbacks.
An offensive led by African Union troops has stripped the Shebab of most of their former bastions, including the southern port of Kismayo, a key asset Kenyan forces wrested back just over a month ago.
“This is a flagrant Crusader invasion of the Muslim countries and it makes jihad obligatory on every Muslim who is capable in Somalia and its surroundings and in the rest of the world until the invaders are expelled,” the SITE Intelligence Group quoted Zawahiri as saying.
“Don’t worry about the numbers of the Crusaders and their equipment, for these are spoils of war that are brought to you by the help of Allah,” Zawahiri said.
“Therefore, make them taste the fire of jihad and its heat. Pursue them with guerilla warfare, ambushes and martyrdom-seekers.”
The website said the Shebab had also posted several messages on the Internet vowing to intensify attacks in Mogadishu.
Since the Shebab abandoned fixed positions in Mogadishu last year, under pressure from African Union troops, the war-ravaged seaside capital has been slowly coming back to life.
The Shebab once controlled up to 80 percent of southern and central Somalia and the recent African offensive dashed their hopes of taking power.
But analysts have warned the Al-Qaeda-allied group could do just as much damage by reverting to guerrilla tactics and carrying out targeted attacks.
On Saturday, two suicide bombers attacked a Mogadishu restaurant popular with former exiles, wounding several people.
A group of respected elders and political leaders from Kogi State have cried out to President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur to arrest the serious drift in the state or risk the sudden death of the PDP in the state.
The group, in a statement made available to the media in Abuja, accused the one year old Idris Wada administration of lacking a sense of direction, plain incompetence, mind boggling corruption and illegalities. The statement was also copied to Senate President David Mark and Aminu Tambuwal, the Speaker of House of Representatives.
In the statement jointly released by Senator Alex Kadiri, Senator Mohammed Ohiare, former Speaker of the State House of Assembly and former Acting Governor Clarence Olafemi, former state PDP Chairman John Odawun, Retired Air Vice Marshall Salihu Atawodi and former governorship aspirant Dr Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba, the group listed the underdevelopment of the state, the crisis in the State House of Assembly, the looting of state resources and several illegalities and undemocratic practices as serious concerns.
“We, the under-signed, are stakeholders and prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State. We wish to make our feelings known to you on the series of illegalities and undemocratic practices being perpetuated by the Captain Idris Wada administration and to urge you, as the leader of our great party, to take urgent measures to save our party from imminent death and the state from the coming anarchy”, the statement reads.
“It is rather unfortunate that our beloved state has acquired notoriety for unwholesome political practices, arrested development, deepening poverty and primitive state of infrastructure –all due largely to chronic mis-governance and endemic corruption of the last decade”.
The statement continued: “It is now very clear to all that Captain Idris Wada – the man who was not even a card-carrying member of our party when he was imposed on us
as governorship candidate in 2011- has absolutely no clue how to run a modern state. In nearly one year on the saddle, Wada cannot point to one tangible project executed by his administration beside a whitewashed roundabout in front of Government House, Lokoja”.
“Yet, Billions of Naira have accrued to the state in the past 11 months of his stewardship. He has continued the tradition of his political god father and immediate past governor of the state of squandering state resources on acquisition of personal properties with government funds, on the avalanche of court cases against him, compromising judges and party officials in his desperation to hang on to power”.
The elders said they were saddened by Jonathan’s reluctance to do something about the grave state of the PDP in Kogi State, as well as lack of governance in the state. Despite the already bloated state workforce, Wada has employed 57 Special Advisers (the State House of Assembly approved only 24), 74 Senior Special Assistants, 20 commissioners and innumerable special and personal assistants. They said a big chunk of scarce state resources is going to be spent on the salaries of political appointees many of whom have no schedules of duty.
“Party members are disappointed that the national headquarters of the party seems to have turned a blind eye on the plight of party members in Kogi State. They are angry that some highly placed individuals in the Presidency have continued to provide underserved cover for such illegalities in the hope of reaping selfish political benefits”, they continued.
“We wish to remind Mr. President about his invitation and subsequent meeting with PDP stake stakeholders on 30th Nov 2011, two days to the Kogi gubernatorial elections, at the Presidential Villa, where you appealed to us to participate and work for the PDP, despite our serious misgivings about Captain Wada. That meeting, called at your instance, was to avert what the PDP National Secretariat, and your office, saw as a looming doom for the party in Kogi State. You discovered that the then governor had been lying to you that he was in charge of Kogi State, and that there was no cause for alarm”.
“We were ready to make a fundamental change in Kogi State because we were tired of the maladministration and looting of the last 10 years. Following your appeal, we agreed to work for the success of the party since all the damaging issues raised against Wada were said to be too late for the party to make changes. Regrettably, things have gone worse. Kogi State is now run by the clique”.
“We reject the illegal and undemocratic removal of the leadership of the Kogi State House of Assembly, and insist that all parties involved return to status quo ante. The support and recognition given by Wada and the police and the federal authorities, to the illegal leadership of the House of Assembly should be withdrawn.”
“We insist that the Kogi State Government should as a matter of urgency, obey and implement the judgment of Kogi State High Court, declaring local council Caretaker Committees or Liaison Officers, illegal, null and void. These judgments were delivered over a year ago, and the state government had not appealed”.
“We call on all anti-corruption agencies to probe the looting of the state treasury from 2003 to date and to prosecute without delay all those found to have abused their positions. All genuine efforts made so far to ensure greater accountability and transparency in the management of public resources in the state have been compromised by some powerful forces in Abuja. Petitions to anti graft agencies are never taken seriously. The people of Kogi are very frustrated”.
“Also we insist that the report of the House of Assembly on budget appraisal, the fear of which led to the current crisis in the Assembly, must be made public, as well as other reports bordering on accountability and transparency. Kogi people can see where their looted funds were utilized within the country, and we do not want a situation where they will be pressed to a point of forcefully re-possessing these properties, since they feel that government is not prepared to protect their interests”.
“We demand a close monitoring of the judiciary by the anti-corruption agencies, to check the unwholesome practice of using state resources to procure court judgments, and to buy the support of highly placed individuals in the Presidency. We can say with certainty that almost all the money Kogi State has collected from the Federation Account since the beginning of the year has been returned to Abuja to bribe people at all levels, yet, the state can neither pay salaries nor execute capital projects”.
“Mr President, Kogi State is strategically located. A crisis in the state can have repercussions elsewhere in the country, if it is not nipped in the bud. The state is also politically volatile. The recent killings in Okene and Ejule, the constant threat of extremist forces, and the presence of thousands of angry and abandoned flood victims who were forced to march in protest to Government House in Lokoja recently, have left the state very vulnerable and tensed. Mr President must not allow the state to implode. We demand that justice should be done urgently”.
“Mr. President, we the undersigned, strongly feel and believe that your body language, silence, inaction, apparent lack of interest and seeming disconnect with Kogi State, leaves us with only one conclusion, i.e. that we are on our own, and that the only option open to us is to seek self help. This is not right”.
“We feel scandalized that the party has chosen to watch helplessly as this charade and impunity continues in Kogi State. This is not acceptable. The party, our party should not cross one river and insult the crocodile, because there are more rivers ahead for the party to cross”.
It is disappointing and embarassing indeed that the good work of the Delta State Government under Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, is being thwarted by some disgruntled elements in Ubulu-Uku in order to make quick money to disorganize the town and pursue incessantly the kingship tussle.
Recently, when I went to carry my daughter from Abuedo Primary School, Ubulu-Uku, I personally noticed that not up to five minutes the pupils and teachers left the school, the ceilings and zincs of a classroom block just recently renovated collapsed. This would have been a disaster if they were in the classroom. God really helped us.
The said school was among those recently renovated by the Delta State government, with the painting of the entire school, we thought a good work was done. Surprisingly, the reverse was the case. This, everybody will agree was to thwart the efforts of the state government. The state government should urgently check all the on-going renovation works not only in Ubulu-Uku but other towns especially schools so that there will be value for money.
What baffled me most was that during my investigation, I discovered that a native of the town was awarded the contract for the renovation works on Abuedo Primary School, Ubulu-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State. As a result, I want to appeal to the governor to investigate this and send the ‘powerful’ contractor cum politician back to site. This is too appalling! We understand that the contractor from Ubulu-Uku who did the shoddy work for his people, and claimed to be a ‘big’ politician, boasted that nothing can happen. Something need to happen because a stitch in time saves nine. Again, it is poor tax payers money.
May God grant us the illumination to see the limelight of Delta State elevation, and endow us with the untaunted courage, indomitable will and the unshakable faith to follow it without flinching.
Long live Delta State, long live Gov. Uduaghan, long live Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Despite the concerted efforts of the various governments in Nigeria to fight corruption and restore sanity in all aspects of governance, a former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Bauchi Local Government Council, Alhaji Usman Salisu Shira, has thrown away decorum and repositioned himself to scuttle the laudable efforts of Government for his selfish desire.
In a letter of petition addressed to the Chairman of Bauchi Local Government Council by Concerned Land Owners of W/Dada New Extension, a sprawling settlement near Bauchi metropolis and made available to journalists, it was stated that the said Usman Salisu Shira, who was once entrusted by the defunct Mu’azu administration to preside over the affairs of the Local Government, used that trust to abuse the confidence reposed in him by allocating to himself a parcel of land belonging to the Council and now so desperate to claim ownership of adjacent plots that legally belong to others to satisfy his penchant for wealth.
According to the petitioners, the parcel of land was sometimes in 2001, purchased from the original owner, late Magajin Garin Bauchi by the Local Government Council for its planned development purposes.
“The parcel of land located along Bauchi-Jos road, was purchased from Alhaji Garba Aminu by Bauchi Local Government Council for its development programme. When Usman Salisu resumed office as Caretaker Committee Chairman in 2004, instead of implementing the development plan of the Council, he quietly and corruptly shared out the parcel of land to himself and few others that supported his dubious action against laid down rules and regulations. Not satisfied with his own share of the loot and to satisfy his penchant for property, he perfected a plan and annexed the neighboring plots belonging to others without their conscience and misused his office to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy covering the said parcel of land from the administration he was serving. Having obtained a Certificate of Occupancy through the back door, he now started issuing threats and frustrating the efforts of those he annexed their legitimate plots when ever they show any intention to develop their legitimate plots”.
Disturbed by his constant threat and harassments, the legitimate plot owners reported their case to the then Bauchi Local Government Council for intervention and the original designer of the parcel of land in dispute, Garba A. Gital was invited to state his case’
In his written statement to the Chairman Bauchi Local Government Council, Gital said, “Over a complain by Alhaji Usman Salisu, former Chairman Caretaker Committee, Bauchi Local Government Area on encroachment into land allocated to him i.e Plot C1, I, the original designer wishes to forward the following designs marked A and B for your information and necessary action so as to avoid unnecessary dispute, please”.
Gital copied his statement to Bauchi State Commissioner for Justice to serve as notice for future reference having known the tricks usually applied in such situations by Usman Salisu.
A careful study of the design submitted to the Local Government Council, it was discovered that Usman Salisu had only one allocated plot of land, Plot C1 an allocation that is questionable on the parcel of land yet he remains ungrateful and determined to seize other plots from their legitimate owners.
On receipt of the petition, Bauchi Local Government Caretaker Committee Chairman, Barrister Lawal Baba Ma’aji Abubakar said no stone will be left unturned in the matter and promised the petitioners the application of justice, “I have received your petition with concern and I can assure you that we shall look into it with concern to your plight. We shall not relent on our efforts to doing what is right for equity and justice but please exercise patience and wait for the outcome of our investigation”.
Speaking to journalists, leader of the petitioners, Ameh Aboyi said, “The man is heartless and very uncompromising. We have been respecting his age and the responsible positions he occupied but from all indications, he does not respect himself. The parcel of land he is claiming, we all know does not belong to him but belongs to the Local Government Council since some of us are witnesses to the transaction. Perhaps Usman wants to get a better bargain from the Church he is negotiating with and that is why he is determined to deprive the Local Government Council its own remaining share of the parcel of land including those of others against all odds. But we shall maintain our patience until the Council reacts”, he said
