There will be no vacancy in the Presidency in 2019,

There will be no vacancy in the Presidency in 2019,
members of the National Caucus of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, have declared in a
seeming lure to President Muhammadu Buhari to
seek a second term.
The national caucus, comprising serving and former
governors, the National Assembly leadership, and
selected members of the national executive of the
party, at the meeting said the endorsement of
President Buhari for a second term would help to
stabilise the polity in the face of what members
described as the 16-year rot inherited from Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP.
Meanwhile, the national chairman of the party, Chief
John Odigie-Oyegun, has dismissed insinuations of
a threat against his position, just as the caucus,
Tuesday night, constituted a committee to resolve
all pending issues in the party.
One of the issues agreed on at the meeting, was
that President Buhari should be given opportunity
to seek a second term. Though the issue of a
second term for the President was generally agreed,
caucus members, however, also agreed that it
would be too early in the day to kick start a second
term campaign for the President.
It was also gathered that the issue was brought up
as a way of resting restiveness among some party
leaders, who have been divided over their various
aspirations for 2019. The positioning by different
party leaders on 2019 has been blamed for the
problems that led to the crisis in the National
Assembly and also the inability of the party to
inaugurate its Board of Trustees, BoT, till date.
“With Buhari contesting in 2019, those who have
been squabbling will now have to queue up behind
him and put the interest of the party ahead,” a
source privy to the development revealed
yesterday. Remarkably, leading senators in the
party on Tuesday night met in Abuja where they
also pledged to unify themselves in the face of the
prospect of losing their influence to the more united
PDP caucus.
Odigie-Oyegun dismisses threat to his office
Meanwhile, Odigie-Oyegun speaking to reporters at
the end of the caucus meeting on Tuesday night
dismissed reports of pressures on him to resign his
office. He said: “I am not aware that my office is
under threat.
I led the party to the State House. It amazes me,
occasionally it annoys me. That is one of the things
you have to endure when you are in a position like
mine.” Noting the trend of the meeting, Odigie-
Oyegun said that a committee had been constituted
to resolve all the crises in the party.
Speaking on the performance of his party’s
government almost one year after taking over
power, the national chairman pleaded for time on
the part of Nigerians. He said the government
would come on full stream when the 2016 budget is
passed.

EDO 2016: OSHIOMHOLE AND THE “EDO AGENDA”

BY NASAMU JACOBSON
Edo state is commonly described as a homogeneous entity with all its different peoples tracing their roots and ancestry to one source. While the people of Edo North and Edo Central trace their roots back to the Bini Kingdom, the Binis point far to the West as well as the East in locating boundaries of the original empire. Much of what has happened to shrink those boundaries to the present Edo state can be traced to administrative divisions based purely on linguistic and cultural affinities. What is left as Edo state today is one large family of brothers and sisters who speak the same broad language with different dialectics and owe allegiance to one paramount traditional headship, the Oba of Benin. It is, therefore right and proper to say that Edo State is one and indivisible.
This year is an election year in the state and the usual rabble rousing talk will soon commence. Each party must formulate a vote-catching agenda with the central theme focussed on the development of the state. The choice between the candidates soon to be elected/selected and the parties they represent should be which one has a demonstrable capacity to implement people-oriented programmes and policies.
The people of Edo state have tasted governance under PDP and have also tasted governance under APC. They must, therefore, ask themselves whether they fared better during the almost ten years of PDP rule from May 29, 1999 to November 11, 2008 or during the last almost seven and half years of ACN/APC government since November 12, 2008. The people must ask themselves the question: Which government has benefited us more, PDP or APC? The parties have a duty to assist the people answer  this question by displaying before them the score card of their achievements while in office for ten years as in the case of the PDP and in the last seven years for the APC.
The choice Edo people make on September 10, 2016 will represent their understanding (or otherwise) of the EDO AGENDA which encapsulates the all round, all inclusive development of the state. The Edo Agenda is the implementation of an irreversible and sustainable development in roads, education, health, electricity, transport, sport, empowerment, electricity, water, job creation, agriculture, peace and security.
The agenda of the Adams Oshiomhole administration on assumption of office in November 2008 was to reclaim the state from backwardness and transform it to a state that works to advance the cause of development and reposition the state.
TODAY in Edo State there is concrete evidence that the state is working. The Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole administration has brought development in all spheres to the three senatorial districts of the state.
IN road construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation, over 50 contracts have been executed with many of them already completed. The roads include Sapele road, Sakpomba road, Oba Market road, Akpakpava street, Siluko road, Stadium road, Constain Isonorho area consisting of many roads, Airport road, Guobadia street, Ivbiye street, Uwa  street, Five Junction consisting of several streets like Oro, Iheya and adjourning streets, Second East Circular road, Second West and Third Cementary streets all in Benin City. Mission road, Forestry road, Butcher street and other link roads have been reconstructed in Benin City. Several other roads have been constructed, reconstructed, rehabilitated or are on-going in all the local government areas in Edo South.
ASIDE the many roads and streets constructed, reconstructed and rehabilitated in Benin City, the city centre otherwise called The Oba Ovonramen Square or Ring Road, has undergone radical transformation to enhance its aesthetics. The installation and construction of a rhythmic musical water fountain at the inner Ring Road has been an attraction, playing host to thousands of visitors daily, particularly at night time.
ALL over Edo State, the renovation and construction of schools were executed with many already  commissioned. These include Maria Goretti Girls Grammar School, Niger College, Idia College, Adolo College, Olua, Payne and Ohomba Primary Schools and many more all in Benin City, Urhonigbe Grammar School, Urhonigbe, Iguobazuwa Grammar School, Iguobazuwa. All renovated schools have been supplied modern furniture items including electric fans.
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole laid the foundation stone of three model secondary schools, one each in the three senatorial districts of the state. They are located in Benin City, Iyamho and Ewohimi for South, North and Central senatorial districts respectively. Described as truly ,modern, the schools will each have two blocks of twenty seven standard classrooms, three fully equipped science laboratories, a fully stocked library, a canteen, 1,500 capacity hall and sporting facilities. The model schools are also to have boarding facilities. Infrastructural facilities at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, were given a boost while a new Edo University, Iyamho was established.
THE health sector has also witnessed massive infrastructural development. While many Primary Healthcare Centres across the state were renovated or rehabilitated with additional facilities like staff quarters, perimeter fences and boreholes, there is the construction of a new 200-bed Central Hospital in Benin City. Great attention is paid to the uplift of primary and secondary healthcare with regular and genuine drug and equipment supply as well as the training and retraining of core and ancillary medical personnel.
THE Oshiomhole administration has also considered transportation as very important to the socio-economic development of the state as it aids the movement of people and goods in addition to creating a means of livelihood for its operators. The Comrade Governor provided 100 units of brand new luxury buses to kick-start a dedicated inter and intra-city commuter bus service. The COMRADE BUS is very popular in the state as it offers free ride to school children daily.. The state-owned Edo City Transport Service, ECTS, has, therefore, been repositioned to effectively operate, remain self-sustaining, compete on purely economic terms and make profit.
ANOTHER area in which the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole administration has transformed Edo State is youth and sports development with the repair and renovation of the Olympic size swimming pool of the Sam Ogbemudia stadium; rehabilitation of the main bowl through excavation and re-grassing, repair and rehabilitation of the State Box as well as the repair and renovation of both the Indoor Sports Hall and the Medical Centre.
IN the administration of justice, peace and security, women affairs, chieftaincy, arts and culture, commerce and industry as well as labour relations, the Adams Oshiomhole administration has not only demonstrated a commitment to reposition Edo State, it has ensured that the people are carried along to guarantee sustainability. There is, therefore, no doubt that Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole and the APC have in the last seven and a half years brought Edo State out of the doldrums and positioned it on the road to sustainable development and greatness. Will Edo people abandon this laudable agenda of development when the election comes? I think not.
NASAMU JACOBSON, A PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR, RESIDES IN BENIN CITY.

FRAUD ALERT! - ‪#‎ISTANDWITHBUHARI‬ IS A MULTI-BILLION NAIRA FRAUD!

Fraud Alert: #IstandwithBuhari is registered as a business name. Soliciting over a Billion Naira from public officials. We have strong evidences of FRAUD against some elements parading themselves as members of #IstandwithBuhari.
1. I Stand With Buhari (ISWB) Concept
This is a registered business name (not an NGO) founded by Chinedu Okpalanma, the erstwhile DG of ISWB. Documents show that himself and some other elements are its founders. The attached letterhead clearly shows the business name ISWB concept in two places.
2. Soliciting for Money
Contrary to many assertions by the ISWB elements that they are not looking to make or share money, that they are purely funded by members of the ISWB organization, we have evidence on the contrary by way of the attached letter. (Refer to page 2).
As seen on page 2, ISWB members have sent out many letters to Nigerians soliciting for ridiculous amounts of money. We obtained the attached letter from a VIP who was criminally approached for a sum in excess of N1 Billion Naira. We were approached by this same VIP in confidence.
This VIP has already informed us that he intends to petition the relevant security agencies to look into the matter as he believes this is clearly fraudulent. We also have proof of several other politicians and heads of industry that have been approached by this dubious criminals. We will publish more letters/documents in due course.
We reckon it is criminal case and misleading to use a registered business name, as an NGO (i.e not for profit entity) soliciting for monies from Nigerians running into several billions. We have already sent a petition to the relevant authorities to look into the matter.
3. Chinedu Okpalanma
We have evidence showing Chinedu is the main founder, he remains within the organization as its arrow head working from the background never showing himself to the public while using other puppets to call the shots. He never resigned. He only changed his public role from DG to the Board Secretary of ISWB and still runs the show.
4. Ogochukwu Ezeaku
He is the founder & CEO of montage Africa. He is notoriously known for coveting top Government officials in return for favors. Montage Africa is known to host the annual MAWEA (Montage Africa Women in Excellence Award).
In 2013 he hosted an award where he celebrated several PDP bigwigs including many persons that have stolen from Nigeria (and they claim they are fighting corruption). Amongst the list of his award recipients, Patience GEJ tops the list, with the likes of Diezani & Stella Oduah amongst those he celebrated. He is the Board Chairman of ISWB and now wants us to believe he is leading a campaign against corruption. We are yet to see ISWB attack Diezani or Stella Oduah in its anti corruption campaign. We attach relevant information which is widely available in the Internet.
In November 2015, he unsuccessfully organized another MAWEA event where he lobbied APC women faithful which turned out to be a disaster due to amount of those that shunned the event. This is why he is hell bent on coming at this government with deceit at any cost.
Ogochukwu operates completely out of the media reach just like his accomplice Chinedu. We know why they are hiding!
NB - 15 lungi Street Wuse 2 Abuja is the corporate HQ of both montage Africa and ISWB. Refer to the bottom corner of the letterhead.
NB - the GSM number 08087777318 is the official number of ISWB on its letterhead, fliers and billboard. It was the number our investigators reached Chinedu!
5. Nine million man rally
We call on the security agencies to invite the ISWB members to firstly deny them clearance for this deceitful rally. It is neither beneficial to the president nor does it justify the yearnings of many poor who do not even stand a chance of affording the trip to Abuja. If any group is allowed to assemble even 100,000 people on a working day (which 31st March is), that group is capable of undermining security and only Gods knows the type of agenda these people have. We have already sent a petition to relevant security agencies for further action.
OUR POSITION
We call on the Commander in Chief to immediately deploy the necessary government officials to dissociate his government from this group, to arrest the people responsible for this campaign of calumny, and have this group dissolved immediately.
We call on the elements of ISWB to call off their shameless plot of FRAUD within the next 24 hours. Failure to heed advice, will result in an all out assault as we plan to release full identities of members and their financial backers, pictures taken, proof of meetings, voice recordings, copies of letters and other documentation of this monumental FRAUD.
More to come…..
Signed,
FraudHorn.
Committed to reporting verified FRAUD Activity in Nigeria.

C

CUPS

How God used Tinubu to save Yinka Odumakin’s life when he stepped on ‘ juju’ on a land he bought – Chief Ayo Opadokun

APC Fan Club-Ekiti State .

Chief Ayo Opadokun, a former Secretary- General of pan – Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere and National Coordinator of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER), in this interview with SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, countered some claims made by the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin on his exit from the group, allegations of anti-party activities and alleged money received from former President, Ibrahim Babangida.

QUESTION: Yinka Odumakin said you never took him into Afenifere. He
claimed he had been in JACON where he had close relationship with Afenifere
leaders and that he and some other young men were openly received at a rally in Oworonshoki which was recorded by the media. What is your take on that?
OPADOKUN: The young man is a fraudster, mercenary in all his ways.
There is no truth in all that he has concocted. Now that he has presented
himself to the public over time as a very senior leader of Afenifere, he has even
been charitable to himself to make dubious claims of what he does not
represent. I saw one interview that he granted where claimed that he had been
in activism for more than 30 years and that if he has any grouse with anybody, it is on principle. Let me tell give you the real picture of what happened.
When General Abdulsalami Abubakar released me, after weeks of discussion
between the Afenifere leadership inNigeria and those of NADECO abroad, it
took us a long time to decide whether or not to participate in Abdulsalami’s transition programme. When we did eventually, we decided to form a party.
The nucleus of what was known as Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Yoruba land, it was the list of the executives of Afenifere in every ward, local government in Lagos and in other Yoruba land that were used to composed the executives of AD in Yoruba land. The truth is that Odumakin and Dr. BunmiOmoseyindemi had been visiting me over time. He will come to tell tales about every other person. He wasalways there when every other person was doing one thing or the other or speaking from the coded information that he gathered. But I tested him by giving him some little writing to do and I thought he could be assisted to grow before I decided to approach late Senator Abraham Adesanya.
All the leaders in Afenifere knew that my work schedule was becoming too heavy for me, so they allowed me to bring him in.
it was at the same time after we had won the election that some Yoruba young people who are professionals and who are chief executives of their various companies formulated themselves into what they called New Generation.
These were by-products of the oppression that Abacha unleashed
on our people. So, these young professionals started coming to me.
Initially, they were led by former Ogun state governor, Gbenga Daniel.
They come to express their gratitude to what Afenifere has done for the Yoruba nation and that they will like to complement whatever we are doing because they have found us to be trustworthy, efficient , capable and to be able to
stand up for what is right at all times.
After almost three to four months of their pressures on me, eventually I was
able to persuade a meeting of Afenifere leaders that the next phase of our
struggle certainly will require much more than what the elderly can cope with.
If these young people who have come to appreciate us for what we are doing are of such opinion that they want to come and join us and contribute whatever theycan, why not try them? The meeting eventually agreed that I should ask each of the group , because they were two groups namely New Generation and Idle , that both groups should send five representations each into our meetings.
That was how they got into Afenifere. In one of the pan-Yoruba conference that
we usually hold in Ibadan, that one of year 2000, Gbenga Daniel gave us a
mounted generator on a vehicle which we took to Ibadan cultural centre, that
was what we used and didn’t rely on NEPA because of the epileptic nature of
power in the country. The programme went smoothly and nothing was amiss.
This is to show you how much these young professionals contributed to the
group. It was when Daniel now went to contest for governor on the platform of
PDP that Jimi Agbaje was asked to be coordinating them.
That was the circumstance through which these ones come into Afenifere. I am saying to you that it was Omoseyindemi that brought Odumakin to me and after the trial, I took him to Afenifere. They were under National Conscience Party (NCP) before.
When they listened to me and were able to interact with me, we launched the
first rally of AD in Gbagada truly. But I don’t know how a Chief Ayo Adebanjo
can receive an Odumakin that they never knew before into Afenifere. It just
doesn’t make sense. The young man is over punishing himself because of the
consequences of his dishonesty.
QUESTION: Could you please shed light on the allegation that you took money
from former president, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida in the tune of N40m?
OPADOKUN: You as a journalist have a duty to crosscheck that from IBB. I
know that in my life, I have never had any close relationship with IBB. What
business would I have done to merit IBB’s N40m then? One funny story they
brought out then was that I wrote something funny about the Yoruba nation to IBB, when I was General Secretary of Afenifere. And I said that that was insulting and unreasonable. Of all Yoruba people whom IBB has enriched, they cannot write for him.
What is so secret about Yoruba land that it is only Ayo Opadokun that can say or
write it to IBB? You can see that it doesn’t make sense. Odumakin cannot prove anything, what was the currency of the money? Or was it through cheque?
That was a sweeping generalization being made by him.
As far as I am concerned, Odumakin is a fraudster. I don’t know what claim he
has beem making at Jonathan’s circle. He must have been dramatizing his
importance and capacity in Yoruba land.
But the truth is, he never knew what we were doing in Afenifere before I took
him into the place. Because he has capacity for great mischief, which I
never saw before, and the mercenary in everything, he takes delight in
hobnobbing around someone today and singing your praise if he can get something from you. Immediately he realizes that your own is no longer
suubstantial, he jumps to the other side.
Take a look at his journey, from Afenifere to Pastor Tunde Bakare, from there when Afenifere Renewal Group was formed, he was the Publicity Secretary, lambasting the elders in Afenifere, this uncultured, unrestrained, delusional young man who feels everything was about money and power.
Remember all what he said about those in Afenifere, but now I don’t know what
turned him over that he has now gone back to the people that he has abused
thoroughly. People you have called all manners of yunprintable names in the
newspapers, you are now their spokesman. One of things I can say to you is that that young man, Yinka Odumakin is not only an ingrate, he is an inveterate ingrate.
Ingrate in every sense. I leave him to God. What God has used me to do in his life. I have no skeleton in my cupboard which Odumakin can reveal because I have never done anything in the closet whichI cannot defend in the open.
QUESTION: But what makes you think he is an ingrate? Is it because he refuses to accept that you brought him into Afenifere as you claimed?
OPADOKUN: When I say he is an ingrate, I must substantiate it. People like me don’t just speak without facts. When he started coming to me, one day he came with his left hand very heavy.
And he told me that he and his wife bought a land somewhere and they went
there for inspection. It was after visiting the land that his hand started swelling
up. He said he had visited surgeons both in UCH and in UNILAG, but they were
yet to give him a date when the hand will be operated upon.
Meanwhile, somebody introduced a magnetherapist to Odumakin in Ijebu- Ode. So, he went there and had to be in that place for about three months.
I will still go there to visit him and give him money.
Somehow, he returned from that place, but the hand did not heal up. He came
to my house. About two hours after he came, that arm broke apart, blood was
gushing out in large quantity. The blood that came out of Odumakin that day
was more than a gallon. My steward Segun was there and he is still with me
today to corroborate my claim. If not for Segun’s courage that night, it was going to be difficult for me in that house.
The bloodstain was just so much. Even Odumakin himself had been totally
soaked in his own blood. With God’s help, we managed to contain the
situation that day because with the amount of blood he lost, what would I
have said if he had died at my place?. A week thereafter, his wife Joe Okei-
Odumakin called me that that hand had started issuing out odour and that it was becoming problematic in their home.
She also told me that the magnetherapist in Ijebu-Ode had recommended that if they could visit India, perhaps the unorthodox practitioners might be able to do
something about it. Then I was still in Obanikoro and there was no mobile
telephone like we have now. I had to send this gentleman here, Comrade
Popoola Ajayi to go to Odumakin’s place and give him a letter because immediately after my discussion with the wife, I called then Governor of
Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and discussed the whole issue with him.
He then told me that if that was what I wanted to take care of Odumakin’s
hand, I should ask him to write a letter to that effect in request. So, Popoola
took the letter to his house. Now, the wife wrote the request letter and went
to the governor’s office but they won’t allow her to see the governor. So, when
she called me from the governor’s office, I had to talk to the ADC that I
have already spoken to Tinubu over the matter, so she should be allowed in. And that was exactly what they did. You can also confirm from the wife if I lied on this.
Immediately, she came in, Governor Tinubu invited his Commissioner for
Health and his Commissioner for Finance to go and do whatever they had
to do in order to get both Odumakin and his wife visa and other necessary things needed for them to visit India. I was told by the magnetherapist that they will nothing less than N2million for the whole treatment.
And that was exactly what Governor Tinubu did and Odumakin travelled a week thereafter. He was the one who told me his experience in India that out of the five doctors, it was only one that said let them open the hand first. The other doctors were asking the wife to sign that they will need to amputate the hand. But one of them insisted that they should first of all open the hand, perhaps maybe not all the two bones had been affected.
Fortunately for him, only one of the bones had been affected and the surgery was successfully carried out and the hand was not amputated. That is why till
today, he cannot stretch the hand. But what do we see today? There are no evil
things Odumakin cannot say about Tinubu and Opadokun.
Let his conscience be the judge as he is reading this. Do we deserve such from
such a man? That is to show how ungrateful and mercenary that young man is. Also confirm this from his wife, I was virtually his father on the day of his wedding in Ilorin. Nobody showed up. My friend, Prof. Olu Obafemi from
University of Ilorin was there with me when we did the ceremony.
I can’t say everything here on the pages of newspapers but people like us, we don’t lie. There is no basis for me to peddle any falsehood against any human being.
Now, the reason Odumakin and his ilks were disparaging me was because I
have exposed them for what they are as mercenaries, that Yoruba nation did not
send them to endorse President Jonathan based on the reason they gave for the endorsement. I have not said anything that is untruthful.
For Odumakin to say I have poked my finger into his mouth, let him say anything he knows about Opadokun. All I know is that I am fortified by God against human mischief. It has never paid before and it will not pay now.
QUESTION: What about the allegation that you were engaged in anti-party activities and that when you were summoned to appear before the committee that was set up, you refused to appear which led to your expulsion?
OPADOKUN: I was not Secretary to late Adesanya, I was to Afenifere. Sometimes in 2000, Offa Descendant Union under the leadership of Chief
Emmanuel Adesoye of Okin Biscuit set up a committee to propose to the
general house about Offa’s future, politically and economically.
That committee’s recommendation was that Offa people who have always been for the progressives and the people they have been cooperating with, that is the
western part of Nigeria since the Third Republic have never shown any interest
or even recognize the pressures that Offa people are making. They consider that it was in the best interest of Offa people to collaborate with former Mohammed Lawal, he first Ilorin Parapo foundational Ilorin owners offspring, who was then governor of Kwara State. They agreed that by the time he finish his second term, they will support another authentic Yoruba side of Ilorin to run for governorship. When I was given this information, I said this is a very serious matter, having regards to the role that God is using me to play in Afenifere. I told them that I will like them to come and meet with the leader of Afenifere, Senator Adesanya.
I brokered an appointment for them and they came.
Senator Adesanya said if that is the general opinion of Offa people and they
want to utilize Lawal to reclaim the glory and honour of Yoruba people in
Kwara state and Ilorin in particular, that is okay. He even said they should invite
him and he will come and campaign.
That was all that happened. In that circumstance, Chief Cornelius Adebayo strongly believe that if the Offa scheme was taken up very strongly, because the
people in Offa set up what they called Kwara South Self- Determination Group, so Adebayo thought that if the scheme succeeded, whatever political image he
has might thin out. I also remember that before we commence one Afenifere
meeting, I told him about what my people have said. From all information I
have gathered now, it was Adebayo who went to call the people I sponsored into
office as chairman and councilors. I was the one who financed the entire thing in 1998 for us to win the local government council, two seats in the Kwara state
House of Assembly and we won everything.
At the rally, Adebayo went to meet with them that they should write a
letter of protest that I was no more fraternizing with them and that I have
been offered the post of deputy governor to Lawal after the election.
Now, the Kwara Self Determination Group decided to organize a reception
for me. That day, they invited Lawal and he was with us from 12 midday till about 9pm. When I was invited to make a remark, I told them that ‘you know I am an Afenifere to the core, that is where my orientation lies, but you as a person whatever you want me to do, not as a partisan ANPP person, but on a personal level, let me know’. That was how some people started shouting that I was encouraging Offa people to go to ANPP.
I now told them that you have contempt for Offa people, they cannot be led by
the nose. Why can’t you set up a committee here to go to Offa and ask Offa people? A committee was truly set up under Ganiyu Dawodu, Olu Falae and
Dayo Adeyeye was asked to be the secretary. But instead of going to Offa
people to ask them, they said how can they go to Offa? So, they went to Ilorin
which Adebayo provided for them and they asked me to come to the place.
But I said I will not allow myself to be humiliated. They were not the ones who brought me to Afenifere. When those people came with their reports, they
said Senator Adesanya, Ayo Adebanjo and Opadokun should lead the Afenifere
people to go and appease the Offa people not to go to ANPP, that was the
recommendation read by Adeyeye. But Papa Adesanya flared up saying ‘he will
not do anything like that. How can a General Secretary be encouraging people to go to ANPP?
That was on a Monday. That night, I saw that we have come to an irreconcilable position. I am first of all an Offa man. What happens to my community is of greater importance to me than any other thing. So, I thought I had to call it a date and separate myself. I wrote a letter and I asked Popoola to go and give it to Senator Adesanya at his home. He delivered the letter to Head of Chambers and he promised to give it to Adesanya.
Only for them to go to Ijebu- Igbo and when Adesanya’s attention was drawn to the fact that I had resigned and it was even published in national dailies, he said he had not received any letter and they said they removed me from office as
Secretary General of Afenifere. At that reception, every attempt was made to
make me disagree with Adesanya, but I rejected it. If the likes of Opadokun now
claim that I was sacked, it is unfortunate. I am not jobless as they are………….
QUESTION: Odumakin also said you removed a page from your memoir
Freedom Jail which indicted Tinubu on Ejigbo NNPC fire. How true is that?
OPADOKUN: That was false. That is why I said that boy is full of mischief and he
is a serial fraudster. It doesn’t make sense for me to do that. Can you now
sell such a book? It was the same Odumakin as one of my assistant for the launch of the book at Muson Centrehanding over the books to people.
Why didn’t he boycott it out of principle?

Soldiers beat woman, damage her car in Edo

Alexander Okere, Benin

Soldiers on Monday  assaulted a motorist, Joy Agboghide, for allegedly obstructing traffic  on Forestry Lane, Benin, Edo State.

It was learnt  that the incident occurred at about 4pm in front of the headquarters of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company.

It was learnt that an  officer, a Major, was   said to have  emerged from the premises of the  company and instructed the woman to reverse her vehicle in order to ease traffic on the narrow road.

Sources said  Agboghide, a mother of six, however, explained that she had initially allowed about five vehicles to go  due to the indiscriminate parking of vehicles on the road.

An argument was said to have ensued between the soldier and the 51-year-old woman, after the army officer  insisted that she must reverse her vehicle.

The major, who   was said to have been angered  by the development, returned  to the BEDC  premises.

 The source said he later returned with   some soldiers said to be attached to the BEDC and  allegedly ordered them to beat  the woman up.

She was said to have been rushed to the Central Hospital in Benin where was receiving treatment as of the time of filing this  report.

Agboghide, who later spoke to our correspondent, said,  “I went to Lagos Street to get some food items. So, I passed through Forestry (Lane) to the  road beside former NEPA. As I was going,  the driver of  the  vehicle  in front of me and some traders around told me to stop. I stopped and about four vehicles passed. Later, the traders told me to go.

“As I moved on, a soldier told me to reverse and I explained that I had waited for some vehicles to pass. But he said, ‘Do you know who you are talking to? Reverse!’ Before I knew it, he used his gun to hit my windscreen.

“I came out and asked him what I had done and he said I should wait. He went into the BEDC premises and came out with some soldiers who descended on me.

“He said they should clear me off the road. But as he tried to enter his vehicle, I pulled him and told him to pay for the damage done to my car.”

Agboghide alleged  that she was also assaulted by a woman said to  the wife of the officer.

She said,  “As the man jumped inside his vehicle and tried to drive off, I hit his windscreen. He came down and damaged my windscreen and  the rear screen.

“Suddenly,  he came out with a whip and beat me. The lady inside the vehicle also sprayed tear gas into my eyes.”

 Spokesman for the 4 Brigade Command of the Nigerian Army, Captain Jonah Unuakhalu, told our correspondent that  the  officer involved was not in the Army.

 “He is a Nigerian Air Force officer. But we are investigating,” Unuakhalu said.”

 PUNCH.

Queens College: FG inaugurates panel to probe alleged sexual assault

Friday Olokor, Abuja The Federal Government has set up a panel to investigate the allegations that a Junior Secondary School II female student of Queens College, Yaba, Lagos was sexually assaulted by a male teacher.
The government in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, in the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Ben Goong, said the investigative panel had two weeks within which to submit its report.
The statement, however, did not disclose the identity of the members of the panel.
A parent, Chinenye Okoye, had on Saturday accused a Biology teacher living on the school premises, Mr. Olaseni Oshifala, of sexually assaulting her daughter.
In setting up the panel, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, urged its members “to do a thorough investigation to unravel the truth behind the allegations.”
The panel was also mandated to “make recommendations to government on how to deal with the situation based on the principles of truth, justice and fairness to all parties.”
The statement advised parents, guardians, students and staff of Queens College who may have credible information on this matter to avail same to the committee through the telephone number: 07034613096 and email: saniabdu59@yahoo.com.
Anwukah assured the general public, particularly parents and guardians whose children are in any of the Unity Schools and other Federal Government Colleges that their children are in safe hands.
According to him, government will continue to do everything possible within the ambit of the law to protect their wards in all government schools across the country, including Queens College, Yaba in Lagos.
The Minister called on all parents to remain calm and avoid taking rash decisions that may affect their wards adversely.
The‎ Parent-Teacher Association of the school had on Monday, set up a panel to also investigate the alleged sexual harassment levelled against the teacher.
The Chairman of the PTA, Beatrice Akhetuanen, had told a news conference that the panel would be working with the Police Station in Sabo, Yaba to investigate the teacher accused of the act.

Punch

Buhari, Tinubu, APC caucus meet in Aso Rock

Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday night met with the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the caucus members of the party.
In attendance included many serving governors of the party and past state governors including Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano).
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara was also at the closed door meeting taking place at the new Banquet Hall at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
But the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar arrived the venue of the meeting after it started.
The meeting, which started around 8.30 p.m, was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

TheNation