Asaba Accord: Reps northern caucus splits, minorities back southern Govs. by Leke Baiyewu,Peter Dada and Godwin Isenyo

A splinter northern caucus has emerged in the House of Representatives. The group is moving to push the interests of minorities in the North, The PUNCH has learnt. The group, which is dominated by lawmakers from the North-Central geopolitical zone, as well as Southern Kaduna and other parts of the North-West, is particularly seeking to challenge the Fulani hegemony, which has allegedly led to marginalisation of minority tribes in the North, as well as the Hausa. Our correspondent gathered that the group is made up of members of the Peoples Democratic Party and other opposition parties. While there are opposition voices from prominent groups and persons from the North, the northern lawmakers hailed the Southern Governors’ Forum over its recent meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, where it passed a nine-point resolution. On Thursday, the group issued a statement signed by Messrs Amos Gwamna (Kaduna), Solomon Maren (Plateau), Rimande Shawulu (Taraba), Mark Gbillah (Benue), Tajudeen Yusuf (Kogi) and Usman Sokodabo (FCT), backing the southern governors on their recommendations on the affairs of the country. Gbillah later withdrew from the statement. When contacted on Monday, Yusuf also confirmed the move and the reason behind it. The lawmaker said, “We are a minority in the North and have always been oppressed. Let me tell you this: the most oppressed people in the North are the minorities. As of now, we are a minority party. Deep down in the North too, we also want the minority to have a voice. “Majority of us in the PDP are minorities (tribes) from the North. There are a few of us from Zamfara and Sokoto. Even those from Zamfara are Hausa and they are oppressed; they are not Fulani. Zamfara is 99 per cent Fulani. People don’t understand those dynamics.” Another prominent member of the group, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the lawmakers were considering selecting a leader from among themselves, while considering the ranks and experiences of the candidates. Yusuf, who is representing Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency in Kogi, also issued a statement on Monday to back the southern governors. The statement was titled, ‘Lawmaker Applauds Southern Governors for Rising Above Partisanship on Grazing Issue…Urges Northern Governors to Emulate Southern Counterparts…Condemns Over-Dependence on Federal Statutory Allocations.’ The lawmaker said in view of the “extreme cluelessness and bias of the APC Federal Government,” southern governors’ non-partisan objectivity deserved further applause. According to Yusuf, the 19 northern governors to take a similarly bold, pro-people stance. Meanwhile, a group, Oodua Youth Coalition, on Monday said it was in support of the resolutions taken by the southern governors in Asaba, Delta State, on the state of the country. This was contained in a statement issued by the group’s President, Oluyi Akintade, and Secretary, Ajogbonlo Oluwagbenga. “However, while waiting for these governors to stay true to their demands and see to its logical conclusion, we, at Oodua Youth Coalition, demand that the South-West governors implement these suggestions and positions in their respective states for equity and fairness,” the group added. FG must stop foreign herders from Nigeria – ACF In a related development, a pan-Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, has reiterated its support for the ban slammed on open grazing by southern governors. The National Chairman of the ACF and former Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe, in a statement, said his group would not object to decisions taken in the best interest of Nigerians. But he argued that mere banning must not be the case. Ogbe said the Nigerian government should review Article 3 of the ECOWAS protocol, especially as regards the free movement of cattle and other livestock into the country without restriction. According to him, most of the violent herders are from neighbouring countries, adding that the “ Federal Government must stop them.” The former minister urged the Northern governors to emulate the southern governors in favour of the development of ranches across their states. PUNCH.

US court dismisses Olukoya’s suit against UK-based blogger by Friday Oloko

The United States District Court, Northern District of California, has dismissed the N500m damages registered in the United Kingdom on behalf of the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (Worldwide), Dr Daniel Olukoya, and the church against a UK-based blogger, Maureen Badejo. The court also declined personal jurisdiction over the defendants and denied plaintiffs’ motion for default judgment. Badejo was said to have published a libellous publications against Olukoya and MFM for which Justice Abiodun Akinyemi of an Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta, awarded a N500,000m damages. But the US Court District Judge 1, Haywood Gilliam Jr., in his judgment obtained on Monday, denied the motion for default judgment and dismissed the case “for lack of personal jurisdiction.” The document was titled, ‘Defendants. Case No. 20-cv-08001-HSG Order denying motion for default judgment and dismissing case’ “The case is dismissed. The Clerk is directed to terminate the case. It is so ordered,” Gilliam, said. He added, “For the following reasons, the court denies the motion for default judgment and dismisses the case for lack of personal jurisdiction. “Plaintiffs allege only that Ms Badejo is a Nigerian-born blogger who resides in the United Kingdom; that she operates an online news site, Defendant Gio TV, with an emphasis on Nigeria; and that this online news site is accessible on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. “The allegations are insufficient to establish general personal jurisdiction over defendants. Plaintiffs argue that the court has specific personal jurisdiction over defendants because the defendants’ minimum contacts with California satisfy the Ninth Circuit’s three-prong test. “This is a state law defamation case against defendant Maureen Badejo, a foreign national who appears to be a Nigerian citizen and resides in the United Kingdom. Plaintiffs filed a motion for entry of default on February 3, 2021, and entry of default was noticed by the Clerk on February 4, 2021. Dkt. Nos. 16, 17. “At the initial case management conference on February 16, 2021, the court expressed to plaintiffs’ counsel concern that the court lacked subject matter and personal jurisdiction over this matter. “Counsel responded that he would consult with his clients to either file a notice of dismissal or a motion for default judgment that set out the basis for the court to exercise jurisdiction.” The judge said in determining whether the exercise of personal jurisdiction over a non-resident defendant was proper, a district court must apply the law of the state in which it was sitting when there was no applicable federal statute governing personal jurisdiction. “District courts in California may exercise personal jurisdiction over a non-resident defendant to the extent permitted by the due process clause of the constitution,” he added. According to him, unless plaintiffs establish all three of the Calder elements, “their purposeful-direction showing fails. “The Court finds that the plaintiffs’ allegations are sufficient to satisfy the first element of the Calder effects test. “Plaintiffs allege that Ms. Badejo posted defamatory posts on Gio TV over Facebook, YouTube, and Snap Chat. This constitutes an intentional act. However, the court finds that plaintiffs have not established that defendants’ conduct meets the second element of the Calder effects test. “This analysis can be difficult when applied to material freely available on the internet. Notably absent is any allegation of conduct by Ms Badejo that has anything to do with California. “None of the allegedly defamatory statements quoted by plaintiffs in the complaint make any mention of California or show any attempt by Ms Badejo to directly target California. “Despite the lack of explicit connection between Ms Badejo’s statements and the forum state, plaintiffs argue that Ms Badejo expressly aimed her conduct at California because she made statements about the Maryland state court litigation. “Plaintiffs’ argument seems to be that because the Oakland branch of Mr Olukoya’s religious organisation was responsible for importing books into the United States, statements made by Ms. Badejo about the Maryland litigation, which involved allegations of tax fraud arising from that importation, constitute conduct deliberately targeting the Oakland branch.” PUNCH.

Turkish President Erdoğan speaks with Buhari, wants Nigeria to support Palestine By Ibrahim Ramalan

Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdoğan has expressed hope that Nigeria would support Palestine in the raging Israel-Gaza conflict. In a telephone conversation he had with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday May 13, the Turkish leader said he had fruitful discussions with the Nigerian leader. “We held a telephone conversation with Nigerian President Mohammad Buhari. We mutually congratulated Ramadan Bayram during the meeting,” Mr Erdoğan posted on his verified Facebook page. “I expressed that because of the attacks on Palestine, I believe that the international community is striving to teach Israel without law, justice and conscience, and Nigeria will show solidarity with Palestinians in this right case.” On Saturday, the Nigerian presidency released a statement, saying Mr Buhari had originated a phone call across to his Turkish counterpart where the two leaders had fruitful discussions. The statement is however silent on the Israel-Gaza conflict. Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, quoted the president as expressing satisfaction with existing bilateral ties between the two countries. The Nigerian leader called for greater Turkish participation in the economy and the humanitarian efforts in the Northeast. The president used the occasion to extend ”a sincere message of goodwill and felicitation on the important occasion of Eid-el-Fitr to President Erdoğan and the people of Turkey.” He also expressed ”gratitude to Allah for sparing our lives and granting us the ability to perform the important obligations of the month of Ramadan.” According to the presidential aide, the two leaders expressed their earnest desire for peace and stability to reign in the world, and for an end to all ongoing conflicts as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

2023: I’m not interested in presidential race for now – Osinbajo

The Office of the Vice President says permutations around 2023 presidential race is a distraction as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has not declared interest to contest. Mr Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said the Office of the Vice President had no connection with an online attempt to rally support for Mr Osinbajo. “The attention of the Office of the Vice President has been drawn to a website: supportosinbajo.ng that is calling on Nigerians to join a volunteer group mobilising support for Osinbajo ahead of the 2023 presidential election. READ New Kano CP introduces ‘visibility policing’, vows to check criminality READ Sabotage by oil thieves, cause of environmental pollution in the South-South — Survey “Details of this website and the solicitation of the group are currently trending on WhatsApp with a suggestion that Osinbajo has “quietly” declared interest in the 2023 election. “The Office of the Vice President is not in any way connected to this website or the group behind it and considers such an enterprise an unnecessary distraction. “Osinbajo has not declared any interest whatsoever in the 2023 election; but he is rather focused on working in his capacity as vice president in the current administration to address all the compelling issues in the country and concerns of Nigerians, including finding effective and lasting solutions to the security challenges. READ Security threat: NSCDC boss assures adequate security at Nigerian airports READ Kebbi gov't to sponsor 300 medical, science students abroad “Therefore, we ask that people desist from such unhelpful permutations while we all deal together with the challenges confronting us as Nigerians, and resolve them for the benefit of our people, peace, and prosperity in the land.’’ NAN

Bala-Usman replies Binta-Garba, says ‘you were at NPA board for destabilization, not development’ By Ibrahim Ramalan

The suspended Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman, has replied to a former NPA board member, Senator Binta Garba, over alleged financial recklessness in the authority. Ms Garba had accused Ms Usman of orchestrating her removal from the board of the NPA for allegedly raising observations over the agency’s financial records. Responding, the suspended NPA boss, in a statement she signed on Monday, denied Ms Garba’s allegation, saying that the Senator was in the agency for destabilisation rather than for contribution to its development. The statement reads in part: “Apart from the fact that Senator Binta Garba really said nothing substantial, making only spurious, unproved allegations in the statement she issued on Sunday, she also gave herself away as coming to the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to lend herself to the agency of destabilisation rather than contribute to its development. “As I say with all emphasis that her allegations of resistance to inquiries on the finances of the NPA are false, I make bold to say that the Authority has since 2016, openly exhibited its readiness to be held to public scrutiny.” Setting the record straight, Ms Usman said the agency under her stewardship took several steps to ensure accountability in the authority. According to her, the agency had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BUdgit Open Budget System Platform and Implementation of a Public Data Dissemination programme. Others included, “publishing the tariff regime of the Authority on the website for the whole world to see in line with the vision of transparency and accountability; “Conducting the statutory Audit of the backlog of Authority’s financial statements for 2013-2016 and presenting the same for approval and submission to the appropriate quarters; “And engaging internationally renowned auditing firms for the audit of NPA’s financial statements up until 2019 with full compliance to all Nigerian laws and the International Financial Reporting Standards. She added that the 2020 financial statement is currently being audited. Ms Usman, therefore, challenged the veracity of the senator’s claims, asking why she did not formally document her discontent. “If she did what happened? If she was not satisfied with the answers provided by the Auditors, why did she not consider withholding assent to the statement? “Why did she not formally document her discontent? Why did she not issue a minority opinion on the statement, instead of now speaking after the fact? “All said and done, while I concede to Senator Binta Garba’s right to whatever opinion she desires concerning our relationship when she was a board member, I remind her that those who allow themselves to be used to malign innocent people have their own days of reckoning waiting for them.”

A Few Thoughts on National Unity and Identity By Hakeem Bello-Osagie

There are many who refer to the amalgamation documents as if they tell us something about the unnatural nature of present day Nigeria. For me the amalgamation document is simply a document of some historical interest. It doesn’t say anything to me about whether Nigeria should or should not be one. Briefly put these are my rough views. I invite other views from fellow countrymen and women. The British declared a Southern nigeria state . That was an artificial creation. It created a Lagos colony. That was an artificial creation. It merged the two into a Southern Nigeria. That was artificial. The British then merged a southern Nigeria with a northern nigeria. That was artificial. I do not believe that the amalgamation of north and south Nigeria was any more artificial that the british grouping together of various groups into a southern nigeria. There is a common misperception that there is a such a thing as a natural nation as opposed to an artificial nation. There is no such thing as a natural nation in my mind . Differences and commonalities are selected and defined and heightened by elites and leaders. If you look at virtually any country you will see a history of differences and commonalities. Nigeria is no different. Outstanding Leadership brings together people by stressing commonalities and uniting with a vision and provide purpose that enables us all to move forward together. Italy was for centuries 30 plus fiercely antagonistic city states. Germany was a collection of Kingdoms. India was created by the British uniting many kingdoms. Spain arose after the marriage of two people heading different kingdoms. China was not united until the 20th century. The only country in the world that had a single tribe , a single religion was Somalia. It has become one of the worst examples of state failure. Somali leaders discovered and stressed new differences. They stressed clans within tribe and that became the dividing line. I believe that the search for a natural basis for the division of country based on a common identity is a doomed exercise. Because identities are socially constructed. You can continue to subdivide ad infinitum. Agitation for state creation has shown this. My father used to tell me that when he grew up he was told that he was a Bini man. He later on arrival at Kings College became a Westerner (western region). He then became a Mid westerner in 1963. He was later renamed a Bendelite. His son Keem started as a Bendelite and then later became an Edo man. And now in his old age he is a South South man. All these identities are fluid and made by men and women. I have decided to be a Nigerian and an African. I have no reason to question that choice. I have embraced it for all time. My father used to tell me that even the words Ibo and Yoruba are relatively recent terms. He told me that when he was in Kings college a man told you he was from Onitsha or Aba and he referred to himself as an Easterner. He hardly referred to himself as Iboman. Other friends would refer to themselves as Egbas or Ijebus not as Yorubas. If we had a leader like Nkrumah or Nyerere or Nehru who stressed national commonalities we would have made progress as a country. Instead we had leaders who united Ijebus and Egbas into Sons of Oduduwa. We had leaders who united the competing kingdoms of Bornu , Katsina Zaria Kano into a North. They had competed for centuries. The villages and towns of Onitsha and Aba were turned into an Ibo nation. They did not think on a large enough scale. Our leaders in the 1940 and 1950s made choices. There was nothing natural about the decisions they took. The divisions they met were no greater than in Ghana China India Tanzania Uganda. They simply lacked a national or continental vision. We must not repeat their mistakes. The failure of Nigeria is for me not so much a failure of structure but more of values and vision. The study of businesses and political systems confirms that values always outweigh structures as the determinant of success. My time in university over the last few years has led me to the same conclusion. That is why I am skeptical of the current rush for restructuring along lines of identity. Or rather a supposed common identity. We should be able to have multiple identities and a common Nigerian identity . I do not think it is too late. In fact I think that heading anywhere else is the beginning of a never ending set of subdivisions birthed and accompanied by violence until we become 20 or 30 Benin or Togo republics. Irrelevant. And still badly governed.”

Amaechi Vs Hadiza Bala: Not the first! By Zayyad I. Muhammad

The Rotimi Amaechi and Hadiza Bala Usman fight is a personal one borne of power tussle. In 2016, Hadiza’s appointment as Managing Director (MD) of Nigerian Port Authority generated some grumbles from some quarters- many people suggested that, Hadiza was appointed because of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s influence; that President Buhari will always give the duo whatever they wanted. Things have changed since; Amaechi now accuses Hadiza of being disloyal. He has been complaining that she is arrogant and so would cut her wings. And he did- by getting her to ‘step aside’ to allow for a probe of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). The probe-panel has already been inaugurated with some wide mandates which include examining and investigating the administrative policies and strategies adopted by NPA’s managing director, Hadiza Usman, and confirm compliance with extant laws and rules from 2016 till date. Many officials of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and some members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have also accused Hadiza of being arrogant and often displays an attitude of ‘The Lady of the House’. Notwithstanding this accusations against her, Hadiza has brought some extraordinary development in the NPA and in its activities- she saved the SHIN’s fabrication and integration yard of which $270 million was borrowed for the project, the stoppage of INTELS’ monopoly of oil and gas cargo and the compliance to TSA, the stoppage of the contract scam- SAA fees on the Calabar dredging, She has also sanctioned LADOL for violating the terms of the land lease at Tarkwa Bay, near Light House Beach in Lagos. All these are Hadiza’s notable achievements in four years plus. The fight between Hadiza (a head of an agency) and Amaechi (a minister) is not new in the APC government led by President Muhammad Buhari. There was that of Dr. Baffa Bichi of TETFUND and Mallam Adamu Adamu, Education Minister. Ibrahim Magu of the EFCC and Abubakar Malami SAN, Minister for Justice and Attorney-General. There was also the tiff between Gur Muhammad of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Engr. Sale Mamman, Power Minister; Saleh Dunoma of FAAN and Hadi Sirika Aviation Minister); Munir Gwarzo SEC DG and Kemi Adeosun, former finance minister; Prof. Usman Yusuf of NHIS and Isaac Adewole former health minister as well as many other in-house fights that haven’t been in the public. In all of these, none of the heads of the agencies survived their minister’s onslaught. Would Hadiza survive Amaechi’s hammer? On the other hand, heads of agencies should learn the art of balancing loyalty and power-sharing, while ministers should also allow heads of agencies to their jobs. President Buhari is a man that seems not to have an interest to interfere in such ‘fight’ to save the heads of agencies. If Amaechi succeeds in removing Hazida as MD of NPA, we may see similar ‘probes’ by ministers. If Hadiza succeeds in returning, she may be more ‘disloyal’ to Amaechi and not forthcoming to those who have earlier accused her of being arrogant. In the long run, the fight between the duo would definitely translate into bigger political and supremacy battles between many parties both in and outside the APC. There is already, talks of a petition to the EFCC to look into contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission to Amaechi’s wife. Nigerians should sit akimbo and enjoy some political dramas as events unfold. However, the big picture is- this is a big low for the Buhari government in terms of public image and politics of the APC as the ruling party completing an eight-year mandate with the hope to retain power.