Eddy Ogunbor

Tuesday, 22 March 2016

Panel invites Ihejirika, Minimah, Dambazzau over arms deals

Airhiavbere, Muraina, Bassey, Kitchener, Ugwu, Akinyemi, others summoned
The Presidential Committee on Defence Equipment Procurement in the Nigerian Armed Forces has extended its investigations to the tenure of three former Chiefs of Army Staff (COAS) – Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika and Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah.
The panel has summoned over 292 serving and retired top officers who worked with the three former Army chiefs.
It said it was in line with its mandate to look into procurement of arms, ammunition and equipment from 2007 to 2015.
The committee has also asked more than 10 local and foreign companies to appear before it. They include the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).

According to sources, the Chairman of the committee, Air Vice Marshal JON Ode, has asked the Nigerian Army Headquarters to direct all the officers to be present at the panel.
The panel’s letter to the Army Headquarters said: “The invitees are required to clarify issues arising from procurement between 2007 and 2015 before the committee sitting at the ONSA daily.
“AHQ is required to cause the appearance of the senior officers and CEOs of the companies before the committee on dates stated against their names. Your cooperation will be most appreciated.”
It was gathered last night that some of the military chiefs will testify before the panel today.
Procurement overheads to be probed include ammunition for Darfur operation, supply of training kits and equipment; purchase of 16MG and 29 RPG and 10Grenade Launchers; repair of seven assault craft; repair service and upgrade of 29 Suncraft ; purchase of 15 Freefall Parachutes; buying of MRAP vehicles with maintenace containers; order of Radio Technologies Equipment; purchase of 10 APCs by DICON; 51 GPMG and sustenance of Operation Zaman Lafiya; emergency procurement of Combat Equipment for Ongoing Ops; Operation Internal Security; Quick Response Group and Forward Operation Bases; HE Type Mortal and purchase of Bullet Proof Vests.
Some of the retired officers invited are former Commander of the Army Finance Corps, Maj-Gen Charles Ehigie Airhiavbere (the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Edo State; former Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps, Lagos , Maj.-Gen. Olayemi Abidoye; ex-Chief of Policy and Plans, Army Headquarters, Major General E. E. Bassey; former General Officer Commanding 3 Armoured Division, Major General Jack Okechukwu Nwaogbo; former Chief of Training and Operations, Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Major General M.A. Yerima; former Chief of Policy and Plans, Army Headquarters, Major General O Akinyemi; former Commandant, Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps (NAOC)Major-General A. A. Martins; ex-GOC 3 Amoured Div, Maj.Gen. AB Marwa; and former Chief of Policy and Plans at Army headquarters, Major General A. Atofarati.
Others include former Commandant, Army Finance Corps, Gen. A.I. Muraina; ex- Directing Staff, National Defence College, Maj-Gen. Christian Onuorah Ugwu; former Director-General, Defence Industries Corporation (DICON), Maj.-Gen. Ekwenugo Chioba; former Chief of Policy and Plans, Army Headquarters, Major General Essien Bassey; former Chief of Logistics at the Army Headquarters, Maj.-Gen. Daniel Kitchener; and former Defence Attaché at the Nigerian Embassy in Pakistan, Maj.-Gen. Daniel Kitchener.
Some of the local and foreign firms slated for interaction, alongside their Chief Executive Officers, are DICON; Streit Group; China North Industries; Suncraft International Inc; Shangai L Electronics; Poly Trechnologies Inc; NRTC Pakistan; Kennedy Logistics; DYS Global Service Limited; Driveline System; Hadassa Investment Security Nigeria Ltd; Oraco Trade Link Limited and M/S Jatori.
Although some serving Army Generals are expected to appear before the panel, their names are being kept under wraps “for strategic reasons”.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “All those invited have been served letters and some of them will appear on Monday (today).
“Actually, most of them have nothing to do with fraud in the Nigerian Army but the panel cannot do a thorough job and be fair minded without hearing from them. For instance, all past commanders of Army Ordinance Corps from 2007 to 2015 were summoned by the panel. The Ordinance Corps has more or less to do with keeping inventory of arms, ammunition and other equipment. All they need to do is to reconcile the records of arms purchased and those utilised.
“The chairman of the committee, AVM Ode, is a thorough professional and a respected man of probity. This is why the committee wants to meet with all key stakeholders who have had to take decisions on arms procurement.”
Asked if the committee will interact with the three former Chiefs of Army Staff, the source said: “If there is need for it, Generals Dambazzau, Ihejirika and Minima will certainly be invited.
“Please note, none of all those invited is facing trial. They will only interact with this fact-finding committee. At the end of the day, the panel will make recommendations to the President and Commander-In-Chief, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
“Where there are infractions,the C-I-C will make appropriate decision, based on facts and figures.
“No one is the target; nobody has been labeled a thief or looter. We are looking into massive procurement issues in the Nigerian Army.”

TheNation

Power ministry behind Nigeria’s electricity woes – Minister

Okechukwu Nnodim

Over the years, the trouble in the Power ministry has been one of the reasons slowing down the growth in electricity generation and supply across the country, the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Mustapha Shehuri, has said.

Shehuri also announced the Federal Government’s new power generation target of 25,000 megawatts by the year 2020.

This, however, is despite the fact that power firms in the country are struggling to generate and sustain 4,000MW of electricity after the sector was privatised in November 2013.

Shehuri, who spoke at the 5th induction ceremony of the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria’s Graduate Skills Development Programme in Abuja on Monday, stated that the present administration was determined to transform the power sector in four years.

Buttressing comments made by the keynote speaker at the event, Dr. Abdullahi Aliyu, the minister stated that improvement in the power sector had been frustratingly slow, considering the fact that the first electricity generation firm in the country was established in Ijora, Lagos in 1896, with a generation capacity of 20MW.

He said, “As the past speaker said, the journey from 1896 to 2016, that is 120 years, has been very long, slow and frustrating. And I think Nigerians deserve better than this. I came to the ministry of power some four or five months back and I’m privileged to know the troubles.

“I understand that the ministry is the reason why Nigeria is not moving forward. It has been pulling back Nigeria from independence till date, and I believe this government is here to change this for the better. I assure the inductees that after four years of this government, it will hand over to Nigerians a power sector that is better than what is obtainable today.”

On the new power generation target, Shehuri said the feat could only be achieved though robust collaboration among stakeholders as well as improvements in infrastructural development and capacity building.

Aliyu said, “Let us ambitiously assume that the current 2016 total power generation capacity in Nigeria is 6,000MW. That simply implies that the average power growth rate in Nigeria in 120 years is as low as 50MW per year.

PUNCH.

Monday, 21 March 2016

Governors’ clash imminent at APC NEC meeting over Odigie-Oyegun

ABUJA—The All Progressives Congress, APC is this week heading for a titanic clash between incumbent governors and the former governors in the party over the fate of the national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

The former governors, Vanguard learned have mounted a strong defence of Odigie-Oyegun as a matter of solidarity on account of the fact that the national chairman is himself a former governor.
The former governors mounting the defence of the national chairman are led by Senator Bukar Abba-Ibrahim, himself a three time governor of Yobe State.
The incumbent governors, who are said to be bent on removing Odigie-Oyegun, are, however, piling on the pressure and may have resorted to cutting off funding for the party. The development it was gathered has further stifled party activities.
The face-off between the two sides it was gathered may have contributed to the weekend decision to postpone the inauguration of the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT and there were indications that the National Executive Committee, NEC, earlier scheduled to hold this week may also be postponed.

Sunday, 20 March 2016

BOLA TINUBU: The Pains of a Godfather”

Be a democrat indeed, Kashamu tells Tinubu

By Remi Oyeyemi

For the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) LLC, these are trying times. These times are sour and very discomforting. The times are painful and full of regrets. The “greatest political strategist of our generation” as his employees and ardent supporters would like to refer to him is reeling from debilitating political injuries. There is gnashing of teeth and mopping of lips in the ABAT LLC. Even, for those who are not fans of the mercantilist made for profit political outfit called ABAT LLC, the garish groans oozing out of Bourdillon has been eliciting pores of pity and chasms of empathy.

The Chairman and the CEO of ABAT LLC is no other person than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself. He has been a lonely man in recent days. No place could be lonelier than a wilderness, especially political wilderness for someone who lives and breathes politics. From the look of things, the “greatest political strategist of our generation,” has strategized himself out of relevance and serious contention in the political dynamics of the All Progressive Congress, a political party that was his brainchild to a very great extent.

Through over confidence, carelessness, naivety, contempt of and for history, disrespect of elders and odious knack for cold blooded acts of political perfidies, he has strategized himself into trouble waters. The trouble waters do not seem to be ordinary, they are hot trouble waters. And because they are hot trouble waters, they burn and hurt very badly. To his credit, he is bearing his cross very silently and stoically. He is taking the hand that fate has dealt him. He is licking his wounds in secrecy while putting up appearances of a satisfied and satiated political godfather. He is pretending that all is well when all is out of sync. He has become emblematic of the good old saying, “Not all that glitters is gold!”

The present administration led by President Mohammadu Buhari would never have seen the light of the day if not for Asiwaju Tinubu. His contributions in so many ways are public secrets. It is not something one should dwell over again in this piece. One is just giving this a mention because it is very telling when someone of Tinubu’s caliber, a political godfather of no small means, one who has made and unmade many political careers and ambitions, has been reduced to political invalid. And from the feelers that are out there, like the Americans would often say, “he ain’t seen nothing yet!” The extent of humiliation that Asiwaju Tinubu has been subjected to by the Buhari Presidency he empowered could only be fathomed when it is realized that Tinubu could not boast of any candidate in the cabinet of President Buhari.

From Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, one of the sworn enemies of Tinubu was appointed to his chagrin. He could not stop it despite all his efforts. In Ogun State, Anambra born Yoruba retired General Olusegun Obasanjo – Onyejekwe, nominated the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun. From Oyo State, President Buhari chose the gubernatorial candidate of his political Party, CPC, in the previous election, Alhaji Bayo Shitu as Minister. From Ekiti State, former governor Kayode Fayemi, the man with a conundrum of fraud allegations around his neck and ankles, who was another beneficiary of Tinubu’s godfatherism went behind him to ingratiate himself with Buhari to get a Ministerial appointment, again to the chagrin of Tinubu.

In Osun State, when Raufu Aregbesola’s second term election was on the ropes, Tinubu went to prostrate to former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola to get support for his protégé. The promise given to Oyinlola was to give him the Ministerial slot of Osun State. And indeed his name was sent to Aso Rock. This was until another powerful politician from Osun State who had stones to grind with Oyinlola went there behind Tinubu to complain to President Buhari. President Buhari then asked the powerful politician to bring in substitution and the rest is history. Ondo State has never been under the influence of Tinubu and he had no say whatsoever on who was nominated. Mr. Claudius Daramola used his Northern connections from his school days in Sokoto, Zaria and Jos to gain the confidence of President Buhari.

The power base of Tinubu is supposedly the Southwest States. For the untutored and the gullible, Tinubu is still the most powerful politician in this hemisphere. But for those who understand the dynamics of politics, Tinubu is fast becoming what the Yoruba calls “agbunrin esi.” While things might still take a new turn, which indicators are at variance with, it is evident that the once stronghold of Tinubuism is fast dissipating if it has not already dissipated. What is currently subsisting is a star that is gradually dimming as a result of uncouth politicking inebriated with absence of etiquette and basic values that civilized humanity has come to hold dear.

But this is not an unexpected outcome for a for-money/profit mercantilist organization like ABAT LLC dubiously appareled in political garb. An organization that is founded on the sole principle of money making through the appropriation of political power for individual ends as opposed to the peoples’ interests and the advancement of the society. The individualism that forms the basic tenet of Tinubuism and the operational philosophy of ABAT LLC is functionally related to the series of treacheries that define its character and form the seeds of its destruction that is presently unraveling.

The apogee of Tinubuism was 2012. In the years leading to that point, Tinubuism was riding the waves. It had displaced and replaced the original Afenifere leadership and branched out to sponsor and control Afenifere Renewal Group. Tinubu had undercut the Alliance of Democracy, betraying those who paved the path to Lagos governorship victory for him and became the godfather of Action Congress. He deceived the former Vice President Abubakar Atiku and dangled the AC presidential ticket in his face only to sell him out at the last minute. He repeated the same perfidy with Nuhu Ribadu who became so frustrated he had to go and join PDP.

Before that time he had faced down the political vampire called Olusegun Mathew Okikiola Obasanjo-Onyejekwe. Tinubu fought Obasanjo-Onyejekwe to a standstill and refused to be bullied. He was the lone survivor of all the AD governors during the reelection of 2003. With his AC and control of Lagos, he had strategically conquered Osun State, followed by Ekiti State. Oyo and Ogun were later to be added to the price. The success was pulsating. He imposed governors and senators across the land. He imposed members of Federal House of Representatives. He disregarded the grassroots and the feelings of the voters who did not seem to have a better alternative to the PDP as he forced a lot of unpleasant candidates down the throats of the Yoruba voters.

He began to feel his own sense of invulnerability. He began to see himself as something other than ordinary. He felt and began to act like a god. His confidence became imbued with ebullience to the point that he publicly insulted all the Yoruba Obas calling them unprintable names. He was walking in the clouds when he liked and walked on water when he preferred. He was riding high beyond his own expectations. He has found himself where he did not expect to be. Tinubuism became the domineering philosophy on the political landscape of Yorubaland with pockets of spineless opposition here and there.

When Ondo State resisted the advance of Tinubuism with the help of Dr. Segun “Iroko” Mimiko, in 2012, Tinubuism in the Southwest started receding like a jaded and fading “Ankara cloth.” From that year, cracks in Tinubuism began to show for those perspicacious enough. At that point in time, the crises between him and Kayode Fayemi had begun to fester to where Tinubu decided to raise a protest candidate against him for re-election. The crisis led to the weakening of the APC that Governor Ayodele Fayose came to exploit to kick the party out of Ekiti State.

Tinubu’s woes became metastasized by Aregbesola’s messing up of Osun State to the best of his ability. He did everything to please his godfather. He even destroyed historical schools allegedly to pave way for the ever expanding business of his mentor in defiance to the crying and wailing of the people of Osun State. Governor Abiola Ajimobi was glad to be part of the ACN but did his best to maintain his independence. He refused to lick the boots of Tinubu and was not enthused about paying homage at Bourdillon. Governor Ibikunle Amosun also did not seem to enjoy bootlicking. He maintained his dignified distance from Tinubuism while working diplomatically with Tinubuists. Fashola was getting into trouble in Lagos for trying to be his own man. It was the same thing that got Fayemi into trouble in Ekiti.

This was the point at which the need to get rid of the hapless President Goodluck Jonathan became imperative. The “greatest political strategist of our generation” had the legitimate ambition to become Vice President. He could not trust former Vice President Abubakar Atiku as the flag bearer of the APC. The fact that Tinubu had previously betrayed Atiku after Atiku had done him the biggest favor of his career was scary to him. He was afraid of payback. But Atiku was not and still is not that kind of a man. In spite of all his failings, Atiku has a big heart. Regardless, the sinner would always run when no one is in pursuit. So in Buhari lies Tinubu’s alternative. Buhari too had some hard feelings. The hard feelings had been about alleged act of treachery on the part of Tinubu. But Buhari was willing to be patient to get what he wanted.

Tinubu schemed. Buhari too schemed. As soon as Buhari got elected, he declared “he belong to everybody and belong to nobody.” He courted all those who disliked Tinubu and made them his close friends. He sidelined Tinubu and turned him into a spectator as the administration took off. When Rotimi Amaechi insulted Tinubu at one of their meetings, Buhari did not dissuade him. He allowed him to do so without let or hindrance. Though, Nasir El-Rufai brought Amaechi to Lagos to prostrate and apologize to Tinubu in Bourdillon, it was to ensure the Southwest votes and the victory of Buhari.

Buhari, without engaging in public fight with Tinubu reduced Tinubu to a spectator without any influence in this administration. Not only did Tinubuists lose the Senate Presidency, they also lost the Speakership of the Federal House of Representatives along with some principal offices. The Tinubuists have no one in the cabinet. The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo nominated by Tinubu has been turned to ordinary passenger by the Buhari handlers. He is an outside insider in the administration. Osinbajo has been locked out of security meetings and made to understand that he does not belong. Though, this has been denied to save Osinbajo, and by implication, Tinubu his mentor, any embarrassment. But the truth is Osinbajo was actually locked out.

When Tinubu nominated Mr. Femi Falana for the position of Attorney General of the Federation, there was a groundswell of opposition not just from Tinubu’s enemies in the Southwest but also his detractors from across other regions. This was not because Falana had so many enemies or was unqualified, but it was simply because he was nominated by Tinubu. If Falana had pursued that office on his own without the albatross called Tinubu around his neck, he might have succeeded. Everything Tinubu touched became ashes. Everyone he supported became a loser. It became a big problem for ambitious politicians to publicly identify with Tinubu at the national level. Everyone began to be diplomatic in the manner and way they distance themselves from the god of Bourdillon.

Across the Southwest, the only governor still faithful to Tinubu is the man called Aregbesola. Yet he has more than anyone inflamed hatred for Tinubu in Yorubaland because of his incompetence and mismanagement of Osun State. Already, Governor Akin Ambode is complaining in private. Hopefully the bubble would not burst into the open. A mention of Tinubu’s name now is met with hisses. And some curses in most places. Now with the existential crises facing Nigerians across the country, Buhari has become unpopular. For every minute that Nigerians remain in darkness because of lack of electricity they rain curses on Buhari. For every additional naira they have to pay for petrol they rain curses on Buhari. For every additional naira Nigerians have to pay for a “congo” of gaari, rice, beans or dawa, they rain curses on Buhari. This is more especially so when majority of Nigerian workers have not received salaries for several months. As for the people of Southwest, every time they rain curses on Buhari, they have never forgotten to rain curses on Tinubu and all those who helped him to impose Buhari on Nigeria.

In the crannies of Bourdillon, there is bounteous regrets and moping. There is gnashing of teeth, mopping of lips and zapping of noses. There is finger biting and sweat wiping. There is a nagging disbelief that all this could happen. There is a lot of pinching to nudge themselves into reality if this is a dream. But all this could have been prevented if they had listened to advice; if they had taken history more seriously and learnt from it. It is evident that the Tinubuists have miscalculated. They have not only miscalculated, they have been inflicted with double jeopardy. The first jeopardy is that they lost out on everything and have no substantive post in this administration. The second jeopardy is that Buhari is not performing and this has made Tinubuists objects of passionate anger, deep disgust and rueful curses from amongst the people.

Some have insisted that no one should grudge all those who benefited from Tinubu only to betray him. They pointed out that the old guard Afenifere who paved the path to Alausa government house for Tinubu was betrayed by him too. It was noted that other than the betrayal of the old guard Afenifere who have been subjected to serious campaign of malice from Tinubuists, Tinubu also betrayed a lot of others for his own personal benefit. Victims of Tinubu’s political treachery were said to include former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, President Goodluck Jonathan (from whom he allegedly got so many sweet business deals), President Obasanjo-Onyejekwe (himself a born-again traitor), and President Buhari himself among several others. All these are being contextualized in the aphorism “He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.” By implication, “He who lives by treachery dies by treachery.”

“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it.”

– John F. Kennedy, in his Inaugural Address January 20, 1961

Nigeria is on the path to recovery, says Tinubu

PIC.5. FROM LEFT: VICE CHANCELLOR, USMANU DANFODIYO UNIVERSITY (UDU)SOKOTO, PROF. ABDULLAHI ZURU; GOV. AKINWUMI AMBODE OF LAGOS STATE; FORMER LAGOS STATE GOVERNOR, SEN. BOLA TINUBU; OBA OF LAGOS, OBA RILWAN AKIOLU AND ROYAL MAJESTY GEORGE EGABOR, DURING THE CONFERMENT OF HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE ON SEN. TINUBU IN SOKOTO ON SATURDAY (19/3/16). 2391/19/3/2016/AAG/EO/CH/NAN

•But warns it’s not an easy battle
•Urges commitment by all
National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said yesterday that Nigeria has already begun the process of re-inventing itself under President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said that after “many years of mis-governance and its myriad consequences,” the country has a fresh opportunity to reshape its future.
Tinubu spoke in Sokoto while responding on behalf of honorary doctorate degree awardees of the Usuman Dan Fodiyo University at the Joint 32nd, 33rd and 34th Convocation and 40th Anniversary of the institution.
Reviewing the polity before and since the assumption of office by President Buhari last May, the former Lagos State governor said: “We were led down a path in which bad was deemed good and good was deemed inconvenient. We were handed a way of governance in which anything goes and too much went – as if gone with the wind.

“Our present was squandered and future mortgaged. A few people took as their own what God intended to belong to all Nigerians.”
This, according to him, was not in tandem with the principle of “Conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it” preached by the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate Usmanu Dan Fodiyo.
He added: “This was not the way of Usmanu Dan Fodio. This was not the way to build the nation we seek. It was the way to lay waste to our dreams and to jettison all the lessons that heroes such as Usmanu Dan Fodiyo and our forefathers taught us.
“Yet, human nature is such that it cannot exist for long without true and justice. For a period, darkness may descend and a lie may rule. But not forever, society needs justice and fairness as much as the body needs food and water.
“With last year’s election, the national conscience awoke. The people rejected the distorted arrangements of past governments in order to make room for a better future. They had once again found the courage that Usmanu Dan Fodiyo had bequeathed them. They had rediscovered their way and their right to pursue it.
“Today we all participate in an epic struggle. We seek to undo many years of mis-governance and its myriad consequences. The process is hard because good is always harder to achieve than evil. Creation is always more difficult than destruction. Greed is easier than greatness.
“Yet Nigeria has begun the process of turning to its better self. The government of President Buhari is cleaning out the rot of years of galloping corruption and avarice. This government is also moving to pursue policies that will spark development and bring prosperity to long oppressed Nigerians.”
But he warned that the process of re-building is not going to be a tea party.
His words: “Be reminded that this will be a battle. No battle is easy. We must be firm in our resolve to reform this nation. We must have the courage to stand fast in the times of difficulty, having faith that the rightfulness of our cause will see us through to the success of our collective efforts and yearnings.
“The truth today is that Nigeria has the greatest opportunity to get it right with a leader like Mr. Muhammadu Buhari.
“Another truth is that Nigeria and Nigerians are suffering under the yoke of corruption. The economy is based on a model no longer sustainable given the realities of today’s markets and global trends.
“There is much to fix. President Buhari is committed to fixing them. But he needs your support and patience. He cannot do it all alone. We must stand beside him or else we may be knocked down and not stand at all.
“Thus, let us be resolved to see reform and change that will make Nigeria rise as the nation it should be.”
He paid tribute to the great Islamic scholar for his “courage in the face of open danger; Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State who, he said, “represents the new hope of a new progressive political era”; and the Oba of Lagos and Chancellor of the institution, Rilwanu Akiolu, whose appointment, he said, “represents the best of Nigeria and signposts the promotion of unity, peace, harmony and better understanding.”
He expressed happiness for the honour done him and other awardees by the university and urged it to “strive to be the best and produce students who think as much of this nation as they do themselves.
“That is how this revered institution may do honour to the name it bears. This is how this institution may ensure that the ethics and principles of Usmanu Dan Fodiyo continue to have life and continue to breathe life into the progress of this nation.”
Tinubu was honoured with Doctor of Business Administration D.BA-Honoris Causa,
Also conferred with honorary doctorate degrees at the ceremony were : Sultan Abubakar (Doctor of Law-LLD- Honoris Causa) Oba Akiolu (Doctor of Law-LLD- Honoris Causa); former Defence Minister, Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), Doctor of Science -DSC-Honoris Causa) and the Executive Director, Public Sector, First Bank Nigeria Ltd., Dauda Suleiman (Doctor of Business Administration-D.BA-Honoris Causa),
Three retired eminent public officers were conferred with Emeritus appointments.
They are Prof. Shehu Galadanchi and Prof. Mahdi Adamu, first and second Vice Chancellors of the institution, respectively, who were appointed as Vice Chancellors Emeritus.
Prof. A.T. Suleiman was appointed as Professor Emeritus.
Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto); Bello Masari (Katsina); Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara); Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos) and Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) witnessed the ceremony.
Former Cross River governor, Donald Duke; former deputy governor of Niger State, Musa Ibeto and former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Nuhu Ribadu also graced the occasion.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi led other prominent traditional rulers to the occasion.

TheNation

Thieves steal handset of visiting World Muslim League scribe

Barely 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari declared the international conference on peace and stability open in Abuja, thieves reportedly stole the handset of the Executive Secretary of the World Muslim League Saudi Arabia, Dr. Abdullahi Bin Abdul.Security agencies which are said to be hugely embarrassed by the development, are currently probing the alleged security breach which led to the theft.
The victim himself is said to be worried by the incident.
Investigation showed that Bin Abdul had been accorded the honour of leading the Jumat prayer at the National Mosque on Friday.
A heavy security ring was therefore formed around him and his entourage by the relevant agencies.
After the Jumat service, many dignitaries and worshippers tried to move closer to Abdul which led to the alleged security breach.

It was gathered that the Secretary of World Muslim League later discovered that his handset had been stolen.
A top source said: “Despite tight security for him, some thieves made away with the handset of the Executive Secretary of the World Muslim League.
“The theft occurred after the Jumat prayer session suggesting that there was breach of the security wall at the National Mosque. Some smart guys took advantage of the relaxed atmosphere to strike.
“This incident created an embarrassment for the cleric, diplomats and most of the dignitaries that accompanied him to the service.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “The visitor from Saudi Arabia was shocked and embarrassed. No one could explain how it happened.”
Sources told The Nation last night that the matter was being investigated.
Another source added: “All the agencies have swung into action to arrest those who perpetrated the act. They will get the brains behind the incident. I cannot confirm whether or not any arrest has been made but we will crack this case to correct any misgivings.”
It was not immediately clear if the CCTV system at the National Mosque was working as at the time of the incident.
“The security agencies will determine the efficiency of the CCTV,” the source said.
Prior to the theft on Friday, the Secretariat of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), within the premises of the mosque, was recently burgled with hard discs of some sensitive computers carted away by unknown thieves.
The development made the NSCIA to eject some tenant organizations from the main secretariat.

TheNation

Kano APC crisis: Ganduje’s loyalists sack Kwankwaso allies

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje

The crisis rocking the Kano State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress appears to be getting worse as supporters of Governor Umar Ganduje are insisting on cutting ex-Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso to size.

Findings by SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday showed that although the National Working Committee of the party had opened a channel of communication with Ganduje and his predecessor, hardliners in the governor’s camp insisted on punishing the former governor.

Barely 48 hours after removing the Chief Whip of the state House of Assembly, a known Kwankwaso ally, the party leadership announced the suspension of the state party chairman, Umar Doguwa.

Ganduje’s Political Adviser, Abdullahi Abbass, had been named as the party’s new acting chairman. Abbass served as commissioner in the Kwankwaso administration.

The decision was endorsed by 43 out of the 44 local government chairmen in the state as well as members of the state House of Assembly at a well attended meeting in Kano on Saturday.

Doguwa was among other things, accused of anti-party activities. His main offence was that he dissociated himself from a statement where the majority of the state leadership of the party pledged allegiance to Ganduje.

As things stand, 34 of the 39 surviving members of the state House of Assembly (there were 40 members, one died) have pledged allegiance to Ganduje.

This is coming at a time the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee, is expressing confidence that the feud will soon be over.

In a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, Odigie-Oyegun said, “We are engaging with the governor and his predecessor. The very good and encouraging thing is that the two men are enthusiastic and cooperative and I assure you that all the issues will soon be resolved.”

Doguwa had earlier recanted a statement he made on Thursday, threatening former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso with suspension for organising a “violent rally.”

Doguwa had while addressing journalists in Kano on Thursday, said Kwankwaso faced suspension from the party for sponsoring a violent rally while paying a condolence visit to the governor over the death of his mother.

He said Kwankwaso exhibited “acts of indiscipline which should not be allowed to go unpunished.”

Doguwa also said the party’s leadership and elders had approved the inauguration of a disciplinary committee to penalise Kwankwaso.

According to him, the condolence visit was deliberately turned to a violent rally to cause mayhem in the state and to abuse the governor and President Muhammadu Buhari.

PUNCH.