NGIGE’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT By FEMI ADESINA

Did you watch the interview granted about 10 days ago by Labour and Employment Minister, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige, to Channels Television NewsNight program anchored by Ladi Akeredolu Ale? If you didn’t, then you missed something. But not to worry, you can still get to watch it online. I have decided to call it Sermon on the Mountain, according to Dr Ngige. It was bold, frank, forthright, and something to be highly commended. The medical doctor-turned-politician and now Conciliator General of the Federation parried no question. He answered them all. And most important was that he spoke boldly about the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) at a time most leaders of thought and people of influence in the region were still calling them ‘Unknown Gunmen,’ cowering under their beds, afraid of speaking the truth to a rebellion gone awry. The first person I recall who spoke boldly about IPOB/ESN was Gov Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, when he addressed the Press at the Presidential Villa some weeks back. He said he knew who the unknown gunmen were. And he mentioned the group, saying he didn’t agree with their tactics, but he understood why they were doing what they were doing. Another person who came boldly to sue for peace was former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzo Kalu. He urged the young men to sheathe their swords, and stop the self- immolation spree they were embarking on. Some other interest groups issued statements that were tepid, neither here nor there, while others spoke from both sides of the mouth. It was obvious that they didn’t want to condemn the secessionist group, lest they become targets themselves. The group seemed impudent and irreverent enough to confront anybody. But Ngige came out smoking, calling a spade a spade. He held nothing back, firing from the hips, asking for no quarter, and getting none. I was, therefore, not surprised when some days later, Governors of all the States in the South East came out as one body, denouncing secession, and expressing faith in a united Nigeria. Ngige and some few others before him had shone the light, and people were finding the way. Let’s plumb the depths of the interview, and see what the former Anambra State Governor, ex-Senator, and two-time Minister said. He was asked to comment on the security situation, first in the country generally, and then South East in particular. The Minister made it clear that agitation for secession had always been there since return to democratic rule in 1999, under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as President. There was MASSOB led by Raph Uwazurike, which wanted the sovereign state of Biafra, and from which some people broke off to form IPOB. There was also Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in the West, and Arewa Peoples Congress up North. There was also the remnant of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which repudiated the 1999 Constitution, and vowed to write a new one for the country. “As the economic situation degenerates in the country, so does security degenerate,” the Minister submitted, adding: “The situation now is not as uncontrollable as some people paint it. The current government is trying its best.” Very courageous, if you ask me. Ngige told his interviewer that he had been Governor, Senator, and now Minister since 2015, “and I can safely tell you that we need an ad-hoc, mid-term, and long term funding plan for security.” Then to the big elephant in the room. Secessionist agitation by IPOB and its military wing, the ESN. The Minister said he was sorry for them, particularly as someone who was a soldier, and saw action during the Nigeria/Biafra Civil War. “When I see those gathering Ak-47 from slain policemen to fight a separatist war, I laugh. MASSOB was non-violent. IPOB also broke off from MASSOB and was non-violent initially. There’s nothing wrong with referendum to determine where you want to be, as people would vote. But to want to use force, attack police stations, kill policemen, burn INEC facilities and correctional centers, you are only putting people in harm’s way. It is not good. “Terming everybody in South East as IPOB member is not good for investment and business. Before this government came in 2015, bomb explosions were going off everywhere, including in Abuja. Boko Haram was everywhere, before they were chased out and confined to the North East. The government has done so well.” The question was then asked whether the Igbo were truly marginalized in terms of political and economic power. The Minister paused, and said it was a tricky situation. “I’ve noted the way appointments go, especially in the security services. There are some positions you must fill based on seniority, competence, and loyalty to the Commander-in-Chief. I’ve discussed this one-on-one with Mr President a couple of times. Seniority, loyalty and competence are very cardinal. But all these things can be discussed without necessarily taking up arms.” The question turned to whether the South East had been marginalized in terms of infrastructure, and you see Dr Ngige in his elements. “Nobody can say the South East has been shortchanged,” he posits. “It’s ignorance. What this government promised, it has fulfilled. “When it got to office, several states were assisted to clear backlog of salaries. The South East was not left out. Policemen who served in Biafra, and who had been denied pensions got their entitlements. The Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, which had failed, and one lane had been turned to farmland, was rebuilt. A journey of three hours has now become 40 minutes. “The Enugu-Onitsha road, passing through Awka, not touched by many governments before now, is being done. So also Enugu-Amansea, into Oji River. Enugu-Abakaliki is completed. Owerri-Aba-Umuahia is being done. Okigwe-Awudi to Ugah is being done. So also Onitsha to Nnewi. “The Second Niger Bridge is the icing on the cake, costing N236 billion. That bridge will give economic life to the South East, South South, and part of North Central. It is about 53% done, and work is going on vigorously. Yet some people still say they are not remembered in infrastructure. “The zone has produced Senate President for eight years, produced Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Yet they say no appointments. “Enugu Airport had the worst runway before. Today, it is now international in name and standard. Night landing is possible there now, and with the installed Instrument Landing Systems, planes can land there in the worst weather. And this was done by a President they say hates them.” Dr Ngige attributes the antipathy to the President and the All Progressives Congress in the zone to the propaganda of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). “The party had thought no one else could make inroad into the zone, till I broke the jinx in 2011: winning the Senate seat on the platform of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which they called a Yoruba party. It was the greatest fight of my political life.” He laments that separatist agitation became stronger in the region when APC began to govern two states, declaring: “There must be a limit to politicking...some people don’t know when they are crossing boundaries.” Dr Ngige describes President Buhari as a democrat, who is afraid of breaching the Constitution, adding that “he’s a willing horse, and people want to ride him to death, which is not fair.” To another big one. Would the Minister subscribe to President of Igbo extraction in 2023? Why not? He canvasses a return to the Sani Abacha 1995 Constitution that prescribes rotational presidency with single term of five years. “Let’s use it for 30 years, and the six zones would all have tasted the Presidency. We would heal all wounds, and have a more stable polity.. “But I believe APC won’t be unfair to the southern block of the party, which has three zones. We will sit down and discuss.” It is said that dynamite comes in small packages. That was what the Minister proved by that interview. A human dynamo, not afraid to voice his convictions. *Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

Adamant minister stops FIIRO DG’s appointment over demoted officer by Samson Folarin

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has asked the Governing Board of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Lagos, to stop all processes of appointing a substantive Director General. The PUNCH learnt that the directive was as a result of his quest to install Chima Igwe, a demoted official of FIIRO, as the agency’s DG. Igwe was demoted over alleged certificate fraud. The minister was said to have stopped the appointment of a substantive DG until Igwe was cleared. The PUNCH had reported happenings at FIIRO since 2019 when Igwe was appointed the acting director general under controversial circumstances. The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission had been petitioned to investigate Igwe’s doctorate, which he used to obtain several promotions until 2019 when the attestation letter he was parading as proof of the PhD became a subject of investigation. The ICPC later revealed that the degree was non-existence, which subsequently led to Igwe’s removal from the DG’s position and demotion by the board. The minister, Onu, however, instructed the board to reinstate Igwe as the acting DG, a request that was rejected by the board Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Gwarzo. Gwarzo, who was presented with the Gani Fawehinmi Integrity Award in 2020 over his role in the matter, later revealed that the minister pushed for the dissolution of the board 10 times because of its refusal to reinstate Igwe. Our correspondent learnt that since the incident, Onu refused to recognise the present acting Director General, Yemisi Asagbra, until he was ordered to do so by the Presidency. Several attempts by the board to begin the process of installing a substantive director-general were allegedly rebuffed by the minister. The latest process was said to have been stalled by Onu in a letter dated May 6, 2021. The letter, which was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Techology, Edet Sunday Akpan, on behalf of Onu, was titled, ‘Re: Notification and Information.’ It said, “I am directed by the honourable minister to acknowledge receipt of your letter on the above subject ref. no. FGB/6.01/43 dated April 28, 2021 and inform you that the Presidency has directed that a detailed investigation be carried out by the head of civil service of the federation on the certification of Dr Chima Cartney Igwe as Director-General (FIIRO) with necessary disciplinary action, if required. “In view of the above, you are further requested to suspend all actions and processes on the appointment of a substantive director-general/CEO for FIIRO; pending the outcome of the investigation and subsequent directives of Mr President on the matter.” A source at FIIRO told The PUNCH that the investigation Onu referred to had been concluded and did not favour the minister. The source explained that after the demotion of Igwe was officially communicated to him in July 2020, he refused to resume at the Lagos office of the agency. The source said after about six months and with threats that his salary would be suspended, he resumed, but did not report to his new boss. The official said Onu was bent on making him the DG, adding that the minister was waiting for the dissolution of the board. The PUNCH learnt that the minister prior to this time had written a petition to the presidency, seeking the prosecution of the board for corruption. A highly credible source told our correspondent that the Ministry of Finance was asked to investigate the allegation. She said, “The Accountant General of the Federation received directives; a panel was set up, which came to Lagos. The panel wrote a report and the board and management were cleared of any financial wrongdoing. “Onu wrote to the Minister of Justice again, who directed an investigation and it was discovered that there was no wrongdoing. So, the last time, the Office of the Head of Service was asked to investigate the issues surrounding the certificate scandal of Igwe. Everybody was invited, including directors. The report, which we learnt cleared the board, has been handed over to the Presidency. “The board decided to go ahead with the process of appointing a new director general since it believed that the process had nothing to do with Igwe. The President had already ordered that (Dr Yemisi) Asagbra be the acting DG. The board wrote to the minister for ‘information and notification’ on this development. But within two days, he sent back a response and said the board should still wait for Igwe to be cleared.” The PUNCH gathered that the board had resolved to continue with the process of appointing a substantive DG. Efforts by our correspondent to speak to the Office of the Head of Service were abortive. Onu and Igwe did not take their phones, which rang out several times. They did not also respond to text messages seeking their reactions to the allegations. Meanwhile, an anti-corruption group, Human and Environmental Development Agenda, has called on the ICPC to prosecute Igwe. In a petition dated June 7, 2021 and addressed to the ICPC, the group’s Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, demanded that Igwe refund all earnings linked to his phantom certificate. HEDA said if the ICPC failed to prosecute the embattled official, it would head to court “to ensure that justice is served.” PUNCH.

Final NDDC forensic audit report to be ready end of July – Akpabio by Stephen Angbulu

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has said that the final report of a forensic audit of Niger Delta Development Commission will not be ready until the end of July when it will be presented to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for implementation. Akpabio disclosed on Tuesday evening in an interview with State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari. The minister also disclosed that the name of nominees for the reconstitution of the NNDC board will be forwarded to the National Assembly soonest. Recall that the Federal Executive Council had in February 2020 approved the appointment of a lead consultant for the forensic audit of Niger Delta Development Commission. “We have fast-tracked the process of constituting the board, but we insist that the most important thing is not just the development of the Niger Delta region but how to reposition NDDC to ensure optimal performance as against the practice in the past. “So, the forensic audit of NDDC is on course and it is progressing very well and I am happy with the progress made so far. “And I am very certain that by end of July which is just a month and a few weeks away from that the final result will be given to the president for implementation. “And in terms of the composition of the board of the NDDC, that of course, we have fast-tracked the process and the National Assembly will soon get the list. However, he said that this is not as crucial as the forensic audit whose presentation deadline has been slated for July. Akpabio expressed hope that the new board would implement the recommendations of the forensic audit to work and reposition the commission. He however regretted that, in the past, the NDDC headquarters was disconnected from the national grid for about 15 years. “And we have noticed the fact that even the headquarters building that was started over 20 years to 24 years ago, nobody was interested. “I think they were pursuing projects that were probably beneficial to either the staff or the management and not necessarily things that benefited the region.” He stated that the East-West Road was another major area of concentration which the NDDC itself should have focused on; adding that, as Governor of Akwa Ibom State, he worked on several federal roads. “And to the glory of God, the president has refunded the money that most of the states used in intervening in federal roads which means it was a good gesture and the president has reciprocated it by the fact that the monies were refunded to those states. “So, I think, even NDDC should have intervened in East-West Road to ensure its completion because of the economic importance of the road. “Just three days ago, we had a mishap where one of the bridges had a problem; the approach to the bridge, it caused so much traffic jam in Port Harcourt for hours and we had to move in. “To the glory of God, we have repaired the damaged section of the road and traffic is flowing and we working very hard to make sure that we complete that road come next year for the benefit of the Nigerians not just Niger Delta,” he said. The Minister also emphasised that the country cannot afford another crisis in South-South of similar magnitude with the South East because of its importance to the economic survival of Nigeria. He also claimed to have held talks with former agitators in the region to avert any disruption to economic activities in that region. He added that these meetings with stakeholders was part of his effort to calm the tensions and he recommended the same strategy to political leaders of other crisis-ridden areas. Quizzed it he was under any form of pressure by former agitators to reconstitute the NDDC board, Akpabio replied, “No. Everything is politics whether it’s development or composition. “Nobody has put me under pressure to reconstitute the board. I can sponsor any group of people to make a statement but the major thing is peace of the region. “The region is very critical to the economy of the country. So, when I made the move I made to go and talk to stakeholders, it was for the purpose of the economy of the nation, and also, we cannot afford for the South-South region, particularly the Niger Delta to go into a crisis like what we are witnessing in the South-East and all that. “And I think the example I set is what is being emulated now in the southeast that there is need for those in government to go home and interact with the grassroots and explain things to them so that we can stop the restiveness that we are witnessing in many zones in the country. “So, my going into the creeks to meet with the traditional fathers and all…I can tell you we don’t have militants any longer because of the amnesty programme but you can say ex-agitators. “It was in the interest not just for the security of the region but also the peace of the region and by implication ensure that critical infrastructure that affects the economy of the country were maintained and were not tempered with. “I think it was a step in the right direction because I can see even the South-East is also emulating that example and I want to also urge other zones in the country to do so. “We can’t all concentrate in Abuja. We should go back home and get the feelings of our people and explain things to them. That way, you will reduce the tension because sometimes ignorance can lead to insurgence and insecurity. “So, I will continue to interact with my people, you may call it ultimatum or anything. It’s not. Sometimes, it’s a way of trying to say, come home and talk to us and let us know what is going on. He assured Nigerians that the constitution of the board is in the pipeline and the same goes for the forensic audit, adding that both processes are not mutually exclusive because the outcome of the audit is what the board will use in repositioning the NDDC.

PUNCH Diaspora: Nigerian, Okuo, accomplice accused of alleged internet scam in US by Victoria Edeme

A Nigerian, Mark Okuo and his Kenyan accomplice, Florence Musau, have been accused of alleged conspiracy in internet scam, leading to over $4 million. The 41-year-old Okuo and 36-year-old Musau were accused of depositing $1.3million into various bank accounts from their fraudulent proceeds since 2018, DailyMail reported. About $195,000 was obtained through five romance scams from dating apps. The duo has been working together since 2018 to defraud people via dating and banking platforms and on Monday, Musau pleaded guilty to wire and bank fraud. According to a criminal complaint, Okuo had defrauded unsuspecting women on dating sites under the pretext of being a US Army soldier from Africa or Middle East. He had always promised them marriage, as he asked the women to wire him money to enable him to leave the military and return to the US. In one case, Okuo had professed love to a woman from Georgia, claiming that he needed $4,700 to return to the US to marry her. The unsuspecting victim had transferred the amount to an account controlled by Okuo. One of his victims had also transferred $137,000 to bank accounts that were controlled by Okuo and Musau, after falling for his tactics. His Kenyan accomplice, Musau, after pleading guilty, was on Monday sentence to 30 years imprisonment beginning on October 14.

Lagos-Ibadan railway route to generate N1.1bn annually by Kariola Mustapha

The Federal Government will be raking in about N1.1bn yearly from the operations of the newly launched Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railways. This is based on the analysis of data obtained from the Nigeria Railway Cooperation by our correspondent on Tuesday. At the moment, the Nigerian Railway Corporation operates two trains on the route, and each of them makes one return trip. This makes it four trips daily. One of the trains is a diesel multiple units. It has two motor cars and eight coaches. The breakdown of the coaches is one first-class coach, two business class coaches and five standard class coaches. The train takes off from Ibadan to Lagos and returns to Ibadan the same day. The second train is made up of three business classes and five standard classes. It takes off from Lagos to Ibadan and returns to Lagos the same day. For the first train with eight coaches and a return trip to Ibadan, it is expected to make a total of N3,524,000 daily. Findings show that a passenger on the first-class section which has just one coach and 24 pays N6,000 per seat. Multiplied by the number of seats and the return trip, the first class coach is expected to fetch corporation a total of N288,000 daily. The business class has two compartments of 56 seats and 68 seats. The price for each seat is N5,000 and N3,500 respectively. If each of the compartments is filled up per trip, it will fetch total of N560,000 and N467,000 for a return trip respectively. This sums to a total of N1,036,000 daily. The standard class has five coaches, each carrying 88 passengers. At the rates of N2,500, it will be generating the sum of N2.2m daily. Following the same structure, the second train with its three business classes and five standard classes is expected to generate N3,712,000 daily on its return trips. The NRC customer care correspondent confirmed that it works six days weekly, adding the corporation was considering Sunday services beginning from this week. Given the current six-day reality, it is expected that the Federal Government will be generating about N1,103,200,000 yearly from the operations of the two trains available on the newly inaugurated routes. The Lagos-Ibadan train only has one stop at Abeokuta. Our correspondent gathered that other stops such as Agege, Ijoko, Kajola, Omi-Adio would be opening shortly. PUNCH.

How I stabbed Super TV CEO to death, 21-year-old UNILAG student speaks by Kayode Oyero

A 21-year-old undergraduate of the University of Lagos, Chidinma Ojukwu, has narrated how she stabbed the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, to death in the Lekki area of Lagos State. She spoke at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja on Thursday after she was paraded as a suspect by the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu. Odumosu said Ojukwu was arrested at her parents’ residence in the Yaba area of the state on Wednesday night. Ojukwu, a 300-level student of Mass Communication, said she had been in a romantic relationship with 50-year-old Ataga for about four months before the ugly incident occurred on June 15, 2021, at a Short Service Apartment, situated at No 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki, Phase 1, Lagos. The undergraduate said she and Ataga were “having fun” when an argument broke out and she stabbed him twice. A remorseful Ojukwu said, “We were in the lodge smoking. He was trying to make advances on me. I was tired and he became violent on it. I let him have his way. Towards afternoon, he ordered roofies. We took it together and ate food. He became high. I was still not happy with the first one (sex) that we had, so, I was staying on my own, smoking and drinking. He, too, was on his own. “He came to me and I was like I am not happy with what he did. I was like, ‘You don’t help me, you don’t assist me with anything, you are just playing with me around’. He was like, ‘Take my ATM and withdraw what you want’.” The undergraduate, ashamed, couldn’t look directly into the camera, as she said, “He later became violent trying to get to me and I was resisting and defending myself. At some point, he hit my head on the wall and I also retaliated. “At some point, he was chasing me around the kitchen cabinet. I took a knife and stabbed his neck. I approached the door and he followed me. I stabbed him twice on the neck side. I threw the knife to the bed and he was going for it but I also went for it. He dragged the knife with me and it broke and he fell on the floor.” The undergraduate also disclosed that after stabbing the late CEO, she withdrew N380,000 from his account using his ATM card. While the owner of the rented apartment where the tragic incident took place had been arrested, Odumosu said Ataga’s accounts had been blocked to prevent further withdrawals by those taking advantage of his untimely death to deplete the accounts. Odumosu added that investigation is ongoing, adding that “the case will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded”.

Twitter suspension lawful – FG Agency Reporter

The Federal Government has said that its decision to suspend the activities of Twitter is well founded in law and it has not breach the citizens’ rights by so doing. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made this known in a presentation to the House of Representatives Joint Committee on the Suspension of Twitter in Nigeria. A copy of the paper presented to the Committee by the minister at the National Assembly on Tuesday was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria. In the presentation, the minister contended that Twitter activity in the country is in violation of public interest and negate some provisions of Terrorism Act as well as Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA). The minister said Twitter suspension is in line with national and international laws which give Nigeria the power to regulate its cyber space and give all necessary orders designating any computer system, network or application as forming part of its national infrastructure. Mohammed, a lawyer, contended the freedom of expression guaranteed in Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution is not absolute. He explained that Section 49 of the same Constitution permits restrictions of civil liberties in the public interest stressing,“public Interest takes precedent over individual interest’’. “The operations of Twitter in the Nigerian social space is not legally permissible when it is used in airing of information that endangers the life and security of the majority of citizens of Nigeria. “This is in light of the fact that the platform affords IPOB, an organisation already proscribed by the Federal High Court, to champion its seditious and terrorist based activities “The principles of law are clear on the exercise of personal human rights in the face of national security threats which affects the larger citizen,’’ he said. The minister also argued that the federal government is empowered to take all reasonable steps to defend its cyber space where it perceives or finds that a Cyber-crime, is threatened to be committed or has been committed. He said both national and international statutes empower the federal government to regulate and promote the security of the Nigerian cyber space, including but not limited to organisation and user’s assets. “Organisation and ​user’s assets include connected computing devices, personnel, infrastructure, applications, services and telecommunications systems. “It also included the totality of transmitted and/or stored ​information within the Nigerian cyber-Space/environment including social media such as Twitter, Facebook…, applications, internet platforms, and cloud computing platforms,’’ he said. Mohammed stressed that where a seditious act has been committed against the Federal Government through the Cyber Space the perpetrators shall be liable. The minister noted that the rights to freedom of expression on the Twitter platform is qualified by the provisions of sections 5(1) and (2) of the Terrorism Act of 2011. He said the sections provide that any person who directly or indirectly solicit or render support for commission of an act of terrorism commits an offence liable on conviction to not less than 20 years. “This include incitement to commit a terrorist act through the internet or any electronic means or through the use of printed materials or through the dissemination of terrorist information”. Mohammed said the operation of Twitter as business entity in Nigeria without fulfilling the conditions precedent by registering with the Corporate Affairs Commission is illegal. He said CAMA, the primary law governing businesses in Nigeria provides that a foreign company must take necessary steps to obtain incorporation as a separate entity before engaging in any business. “Until so incorporated, the foreign company shall not carry on business in Nigeria or exercise any powers of a registered company as provides in Section 78 (1) of CAMA, 2020. “Hence, flowing from this background a foreign Company as Twitter cannot be clothed with the legitimate rights to operate as a company registered in Nigeria, as they are not licensed accordingly,’’ he said. The minister said that the State Security Services (SSS) which provided the lawful basis for the suspension of Twitter acted in line with its power of prevention and detection of any crime against the internal security of Nigeria. He reiterated government position to the committee that the ban on the operation of the micro blogging platform, Twitter, is in the interest of the country. NAN reports that the Federal Government on June 4 suspended indefinitely, the operations of the micro-blogging and social networking service, Twitter in Nigeria. Mohammed who announced the suspension cited the persistent use of the platform for activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence. He said the Federal Government had also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all Over the Top (OTT) and social media operations in the country. Following the outcry that greeted the suspension by a section of Nigerians the House of Representatives had referred the case to the joint committee which in turn summoned the minister for interrogation. (NAN)