10th Anniversary of Ojukwu’s burial: What Fredrick Forsyth said. By Nehru Odeh

Fredrick Forsyth and Ojukwu Fredrick Forsyth indeed saw tomorrow. An English novelist and journalist, he is famous for bestsellers such as The Day of the Jackal. Odessa File, Dogs of War, The Devil’s Alternative and The Biafra Story. Still, he is legendary for covering the Nigerian civil War for the BBC throughout the time the war lasted, for establishing a very strong relationship with the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu for keeping his company throughout his years in exile and also for accompanying him on his triumphant return to Nigeria In August 2015, Forsyth revealed that he was an informant for MI6 during the war, a relationship that continued for 20 years. Though, according to him, he was not paid. Forsyth and Ojukwu were so close that on 26 November 2011, the day the Igbo leader’s body was interred, not only was Forsyth at the graveside he also paid a glowing tribute to him. However, a remarkable thing about Forsyth short but powerful oration is that 20 years on, what he said about Ojukwu still holds true, what with the late Igbo leader assuming a legendary status, the agitation for the sovereign state of Biafra by Nnamdi Kanu and the Indigenous People of Biafra – ., a cause Ojukwu championed in the 60s and which led to the Nigerian civil war- assuming new dimensions According to Forsyth though Ojukwu is dead yet he lives. “You can bury a man, you can bury a body but you cannot bury a legend… My friend Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu has become a legend,” Forsyth said. The British writer also gave reasons he considers Ojukwu a legend, saying that in spite of the fact that “he was rich. He had his father’s immense fortune. He had mansions in Lagos, many properties, an assured income ….” yet he made a lot of sacrifices and fought for the liberation of his people. 50 years after the end of the civil war, the cause that Ojukwu led and fought for has taken on a new intensity that not only validates him but also legitimizes the cause he fought for. Here is Forsyth’s speech: “It has been almost almost forty years since the first shots were fired in what became known as the Biafra War. A man would have to be almost sixty to remember that day…. Yet, many of you gathered here are not yet close to that age; yet, you have come. Why? “…..It is because you can bury a man, you can bury a body but you cannot bury a Legend. And for the people of what was once Eastern Nigeria, my friend Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu has become a Legend….” Forsyth said. “Again I ask, Why?” “It is because back then, after the horrors of the slaughters of the Igbo in the summer of 1966 it would have been easy for him, as military governor of the Eastern Region, to have withdrawn and left you all to your fate. “After all, he was rich. He had his father’s immense fortune. He had mansions in Lagos, many properties, an assured income….Yet he stayed. He stayed to try to represent you; to speak your cause, To negotiate on your behalf….and when that failed, to fight with you, “This is why he remains Ikemba Ndi Igbo, the man who speaks for his people… So, I, who was his Friend, say this to you….. “When you speak of him, talk softly, “When you write of Him, carve his name with PRIDE.

Bandits terrorising us are terrorists, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) backs FG By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

*…as Prof Usman, Olawepo-Hashim, Gen Haruna give panacea to banditry *Declaring them terrorists is not for judiciary, says Brig-Gen ID Bello The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has said that the declaration of bandits as terrorists was long overdue because those who terrorise a whole country had no other name. “It is long overdue. The court has done well. “What else do you call people who have terrorised a whole country for such a long time?” Emmanuel Yawe, the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, asked Vanguard on Friday night. In a related development, General IBM Haruna(rtd), observed that the reason why the wrong prescriptions are made in Nigeria “is because the leadership had been blamed.” According to him, “first, they probably are short-sighted. In order to fortify their positions which, perhaps, they did not merit.” However, in his reaction to the declaration of bandits as terrorists, Brigadier General Idris Bello(rtd) wondered how a court assumed the role and responsibility of the Federal Government. He said: “It’s definitely of no consequence because it’s the purview of only the Executive and the Legislative arms of government and not that of the Judiciary.” Kaduna-Abuja Road of hell Also, former Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf, said the Kaduna-Abuja Road had become a highway to hell. He said in an interview that “they have not been able to secure this highway in the last six years. “A nation that has a standing military and a standing police force cannot secure a highway of 166 kilometres. “We should do better. We are not doing as we need to do. These hundreds of female soldiers that were brought with all the funfare, where are they? “We must do better. There are three main villages along that place that are troublesome—Jere, Katari and Rijana. “You mean we cannot dominate these places? Do we not see our security forces dominate Anambra State for their election? “So protecting the ballot box is more important than protecting people? “So government needs to do more. It’s not doing as it needs to do. “Banditry is a social problem. There is a role for the military, there is no military solution to this,” he said. ‘We need special forces’ On his part, former Presidential candidate and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, said Nigeria should’ve developed the capacity of her special forces to be able to rescue people who are abducted with minimum casualty and apprehend the perpetrators. He said: “So this is to complement this bombardment that you’re seeing and all that. “Those are kinetic action. But you also need some police action where those people who do this kind of things can be identified in communities and punished adequately. “Once kidnappers see that when they kidnap you don’t have to pay ransom because people get released, there would be no incentives for their kidnapping. “This would reduce, progressively. So it’s very important for us to have our special forces trained. “This is something I believe should be on the front burner for government.” Vanguard News Nigeria

APC National Chairmanship: Al-Makura, Adamu, Yari, Others May Be Disqualified By Isuma Mark

Some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress aspiring to contest for the National Chairmanship of the party are in danger of losing out due to indictment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, THE WHISTLER has learnt on Friday. The APC is currently being administered by a 13-man Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC led by Governor Mai Bala Buni of Yobe State. It was inaugurated in June 2020, following the removal of Mr Adams Oshiomhole, about two years to the end of his tenure. While there was high hope that the Buni-led Committee will steamroll the party to early successful National Convention, that hope was dashed early on when many bigwigs started feasting on the party following the decision of the Supreme Court on Ondo State Governorship Election. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, had gone to court to challenge the legal validity of Mr Rotimi Akeredolu’s nomination by the national Caretaker Committee of the APC headed by the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mal Buni. The Supreme Court ruled through the majority decision that the non- joinder of Buni as a party in the matter, proved fatal to Jegede’s case, acknowledging that the issue raised by the appellants had merit and constitutional implications. Soon after that decision, party top shots and stakeholders began to call for Buni’s removal as all decisions undertaken by the caretaker Chairman will be a nullity if joined in any suit. The schism finally reached boiling point few weeks ago leading to the convenance of APC Governors Forum to chart a new course towards the party’s convention. While the meeting hit a stalemate, a closed-door meeting by some delegated governors of the party with President Muhammadu Buhari led to the announcement that February 2022 will be ideal for the party to hold its convention. However, the party, sensing bashing from the main opposition PDP, has decided on easing out from the race those who have been indicted by the EFCC, a reliable source told this paper. The PDP held its National Convention which produced Mr Iyorchia Ayu in October, and few days ago held a 2-day national retreat for all elected officers at both the national and state levels. It has put the PDP on good footing, a development that the APC national hierarchy and supporters are not unaware of thus triggering systematic purging of the contenders to ensure whoever eventually emerges does not have the baggage that could be used against it as the election year approaches. With the development, top contenders may directly be affected. One of the few frontrunners that may be eased out is current senator, who’s a former governor of Nasarawa State, Mr Tanko-Al-Makura. The senator and his wife were arrested in July 2021 for illegal retention of government funds, misapprehension and money laundering. EFCC indictment was based on possessing about 55 accounts controlled by the couple and their companies, that they were involved in suspicious transactions, amounting to billions of naira, when Mr Al-Makura was the governor of Nasarawa State between 2011 and 2019. It said in one of the accounts, less than $250 was lodged there in the two years preceding his assumption of office, but soon started receiving huge sums after he became governor. In one case, one business entity paid over N200 million, broken into structured nine transactions, in a single day, August 9, 2016, into one of Mr Al-Makura’s accounts, according to the anti-graft agency. Also, another contender from Nasarawa State, Mr Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor of the state and current senator, was arrested in 2010 by the EFCC for allegedly misappropriating N15 billion alongside 18 others. He was subsequently arraigned on a 149-count charge of fraud to the tune of N15 billion alongside his co-accused. The case is yet to be concluded In February 2018, the EFCC arraigned Nuraini Adamu, a son of the senator, and one Felix Onyeabo Ojiako before judge, Farouq Lawal of the Kano State High Court on a four-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and obtaining money by false pretence. Yet another contender and former governor who is having a running battle with the EFCC, is Mr Danjuma Goje of Yobe State. Goje, who has been standing trial since 9 years ago and still a senator, is being accused of conspiring with four officers of his administration while he was a governor, to defraud the state of N25 billion via illegal acts. The former governor of Zamfara State and current senator, Mr Abdulaziz Yari has also been arrested severally by the EFCC on suspicious monies stuffed in his bank accounts including the sum of $56,056.75 reportedly lodged in his account with Polaris Bank; N12.9m, N11.2m, $l303m, N217,388.04, and $311.8m said to be kept in different Zenith Bank accounts in the name of the ex-governor and his companies, EFCC indictment said. In February 2021, Yari was first arrested and grilled by EFCC operatives in Lagos, while the Federal High Court in Abuja had, on January 26, 2021, ordered the final forfeiture of funds belonging to Yari domiciled in Zenith and Polaris Banks. But for former interim Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff, his controversial nature and alleged excessive baggage like his linkage to Boko Haram terrorists is working against him. THE WHISTLER could not verify this claim as calls and text messages sent to the phone of Mr John Akpanudoedeh, the National Publicity Secretary of the party were not replied. However, the source at the APC National Secretariat revealed that these individuals will most likely miss out because of the need to ensure a rancour-free convention and getting a clean National Chairman. “It’ll be suicidal for the APC to elect a national Chairman who has a case with the EFCC,” he said, noting that the way the PDP handled it convention was encouraging and that APC cannot do less. He pointed out that the APC, facing already angry Nigerians, will be faced with cleaning the image of its National Chairman, “who looted the treasury of his people because he was a governor. “The 2023 election will be crucial. We will have to prove we are a great party to transit from one president to another and not end with President Muhammadu Buhari.” He said the guidelines that will emerge towards the convention will be one that will first and foremost disqualify these persons with “questionable characters and past misdeeds.”

APC Convention: Chairmanship Aspirants Gear Up For Top Seat. By Saawua Terzungwe

Akume and Saliu Mustapha The wave of uncertainty over the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention has ceased sequel to the scheduling of the party’s national convention for February next year. Following the development, aspirants for the office of the party’s national chairman have renewed their scheming and lobbying to win the hearts of top shots of the party ahead of the exercise. Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, had led some APC governors to a meeting with President Buhari on Monday at the State House in Abuja, where they fixed February 2022, for the convention where a new leadership would emerge for the ruling party. Pundits say age, experience, character, ability to resolve the life-threatening crisis in the party among others would come to play in the choice of the next national chairman. This is especially as the APC is poised to retain power in 2023. Some of the old horses in the race are mostly former governors. They are; former governors of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al-Makura, Sen Ali Modu Sheriff (Borno), Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Sen George Akume (Benue), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara) and Kashim Shettima (Borno). A chieftain of the party from Adamawa state, Sunny Moniedafe who is equally in the race is in his 60s. Among the young contestants are; Saliu Mustapha, Mohammed Saidu Etsu and Muhammed Bello. **The older aspirants** *Tanko Al-Makura* Al-Makura is 69 years old. He is a serving Senator and former governor of Nasarawa State. He is seen as the political bulldozer the APC needs now. When denied the PDP ticket in a controversial manner in 2011, Al-Makura picked the ticket of the newly formed CPC and routed PDP and its federal might, defeating then-incumbent Governor, Aliyu Doma in the PDP endemic state. During APC’s formation, he was the only CPC governor, the legacy party that President Buhari brought to the negotiation party. Many see this as a plus for him, but he was a guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of corruption, a development that may count against him. *Danjuma Goje* Aged 69, Senator Goje is a former governor of Gombe State and senator representing Gombe Central since 2011. As a key player in the formation of the party, Goje enjoys the support of his colleagues in the parliament and beyond. But analysts say his chances of winning the party’s chairmanship may be affected by his feud with Governor Inuwa Yahaya of his state. Goje and Yahaya are at daggers drawn over the control of the party structure in the state ahead of the 2023 polls. *Abdulaziz Yari* Abdulaziz Yari is enmeshed in a long-running feud with party members in his state, most prominently, Senator Kabiru Marafa. Analysts say his inability to manage the crisis under his watch cost the party the control of the state in 2019. The 53-year-old politician has unresolved issues with the anti-graft agency; the EFCC, over corruption allegations. *Ali Modu-Sherrif* Modu Sherrif is in his late 60s. He is Borno State’s first governor to serve two consecutive terms (2003-2011). In 2003, he ran on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and won. He was re-elected in 2007 and sworn in on 29 May, the same year. Sheriff later played a key role in the formation of the APC. He also served as a senator representing Borno Central for three terms. He later defected to the PDP where he became national chairman of the party. But pundits say his alleged poor handling of the PDP, which led to a protracted legal battle with a former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and his eventual ouster following a Supreme Court judgement that declared the Makarfi-led faction as the authentic leadership of the party, as well as his history of defection, maybe his stumbling block. The younger contenders *Saliu Mustapha* Mustapha, 49, was among those who followed President Muhammadu Buhari when they formed the CPC and led millions of its followers to APC. In his sojourn in the political terrain, he held various positions getting to the position of the deputy national chairman of the defunct CPC. Mustapha enjoys the massive support of his state Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, for being a bridge-builder at the local chapter of the party in Kwara. He also enjoys the support of young idealists within and outside the party, and many analysts believe it would count for him. With age on his side, if he becomes the chairman of the APC, he is bound to use that as an advantage to sway the youths on his side and that of APC for the 2023 general elections. *Mohammed Saidu Etsu* He is from Niger State. At age 36, he is the youngest of all the aspirants, and he is believed to have the support of the state governor, under whom he is presently serving as a Senior Special Adviser on Rural Electrification. *Muhammed Bello* Muhammad Bello Mustapha is a Constitutional Lawyer and former governorship candidate from Taraba State. He was the pioneer National Youth Leader of The Buhari Organisation (TBO) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) governorship candidate in Taraba State in the 2011 general election. In 2018, he contested for the office of APC National Secretary but later stepped down for the then consensus candidate from the zone, Mai Mala Buni, who incidentally is the current chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee.

Kwara APC Crisis: I Don’t Belong To Any Faction – Saliu Mustapha By Abdullateef Aliyu

Alhaji Salihu Mustapha A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara, Mallam Saliu Mustapha, has declared that he doesn’t belong to any faction of the party in the state. Mustapha, an APC chairmanship aspirant, said if elected, his first step will be to reconcile all the tendencies in Kwara APC. Daily Trust reports that the crisis in the state chapter of APC has festered, resulting in the conduct of parallel congresses during the state congress of the party. The state governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is currently at loggerheads with the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on one hand and other chieftains of the party. Speaking with newsmen in Lagos on Friday, Mustapha who was a governorship aspirant in the state, stated that he is doing the best he could to manage the crisis in the state. He said as one of the oldest members of APC in the state, he has been able to retain his neutrality and refrain from joining the fray. He said, “I don’t belong to any faction. Two, I think I am one of the oldest members of APC in Kwara as a former Deputy National Chairman of CPC. I led CPC into the merger. So nobody is older than me in APC in Kwara. They all met me in APC. “And I’ve retained that neutrality and I am hoping that, given the opportunity to be APC National Chairman, my first step would be reconciling the factions. “In a political party, the more the merrier. You need all hands on deck…This would be a litmus test for me. I am already doing the best I can in the current circumstance to try and see that we accommodate each other and we manage the issue. “Because there is a lot to be done. We still have to fulfil our electoral promises. So we should not waste time quarrelling over nothing. So if given the opportunity, it would be my first litmus test to see how I bring and reconcile everybody for us to have a united house in Kwara.” The former CPC Deputy National Chairman who said he had been endorsed by every “well meaning stakeholder” of the party promised to ensure that APC continues to deliver on its electoral promises and improve accountability in the party. He stated that he would also deepen internal democracy in the party by allowing popular candidates to emerge. Mustapha added that as the chairman of the party, he would be a team player and give every member of the party a sense of belonging.

How Presidency & Tinubu's Camp Battle Ahead Of APC Convention As Cabals Name Zulum For VP Position

The days ahead in APC will be interesting as the National Convention of the ruling party will take place in February although no exact date has been fixed. The battle as to which power bloc controls the party has begun and it is all about which zone and persons should be considered for the 2023 Presidency. According to Tribune newspaper, the Presidency and the camp of Bola Ahmed Tinubu have started the political battle ahead of the APC convention. This is as Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum is being strongly mentioned by some cabals in the party as someone that will be on the 2023 presidential joint ticket of the party precisely as the running mate. These will form the basis of our discussion in this article. How is the Presidency and Tinubu's camp in a political battle as ahead of the APC National Convention? The APC plans to zone its National Chairmanship to North Central. As it stands now, Former Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura is a frontline candidate who enjoys the support of the Presidency. Don't forget that Al-Makura is a strong ally of Buhari who won the 2011 guber election in Nasarawa State under the defunct CPC, the party Buhari founded which merged with Tinubu's ACN and ANPP to form APC in 2013.

Photo Credit: Vanguard Incumbent Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule wants Al-Makura to emerge as the next National Chairman of APC. Tinubu's camp is in support of Al-Makura but the relationship of Tinubu with current Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule unsettle some cabals in the Presidency.

Photo Credit: The Nation They believe that Sule made have influence on Al-Makura if he emerges as the National Chairman of APC and that may be to the advantage of Tinubu who is keen on contesting the 2023 presidential election under APC. Sule is strongly in support of Al-Makura and the Tribune report states that some power brokers in the Presidency who were members of the defunct CPC are seriously considering how things may play out if Al-Makura emerges as the National Chairman. The argument is that Tinubu's camp produced the past National Chairmen: Oyegun and Oshiomhole and it should be the turn of Buhari's camp, the former members of the defunct CPC to produce the next National Chairman of the party. Recall that APC was a merger of defunct ACN, CPC, ANPP, and a faction of APGA. While Tinubu's camp agrees to it, the Presidency which has more defunct CPC members doesn't want to agree that Tinubu's camp ( defunct ACN) should get the Presidential ticket since Buhari who founded the defunct CPC will complete his 8 years in 2023. Cabals Naming Zulum for Joint Ticket Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum is one of the top-performing Northern Governors and the cabals in APC have named him as someone that should be considered as a running mate.

Photo Credit: Sun newspaper Tribune newspaper has it that Northern APC Governors see it as a project. Zulum is a Northern Muslim and his geo-political zone has never produced the President since 1999. My understanding is that the APC cabals may succeed in having a Southern Christian as the 2023 presidential candidate of the party and there are speculations that the cabals are also looking towards South-East and the South-South to shop for Presidential candidates.

Benue Govt drags Akume to anti-graft agencies over N4.56B fraud. by John Charles

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State The crisis between the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom and his estranged political godfather and Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, George Akume on Friday got messier as the State Government dragged the minister to anti-graft agencies over N4.56 billion fraud. Governor Ortom had in September dragged the minister to court over alleged defamation and demanded N60 billion for general, exemplary as well as aggravated damages Ortom’s suit followed Akume’s comment during a press conference in Abuja, where the minister accused the governor of ineptitude, disrespect for the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), as well as massive corruption. In a letter of complaint to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and the Inspector General of Police written and signed by counsels to the Benue State Government, Okeoga Darlington, Esq and made available to journalists; the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Michael Gusa in Makurdi on Friday asked the anti-graft agencies to investigate the alleged financial impropriety amounting to N4,556,899,632.9 billion when Akume served as Governor. The letter of complaint which was generated from an audit report spanning 1999 – 2007 when Senator George Akume served as Governor, said ‘he (Akume) unilaterally approved the sum of N117 million which is above his approval limit without recourse to the State Executive Council meeting. “The reckless financial expenditures was said to be for consultancy and feasibility study for Mbatiav Cement which turned out to be a white elephant project that never saw the light of the day. “Further findings according to the petition also alleged financial indiscipline, abuse of fiscal policies and misappropriation for various contracts amounting to N3,125,882,409.25 billion,” the letter stated. Akume was also accused of misappropriation of ecological funds amounting to N300,002,000 million which was spent on projects different from ecological projects. “During the audit report, it was also discovered that under the watch of the former governor, a loan of N150 million was taken from defunct Afri-Bank in December 2000 for purchase of shares in companies but the money was transferred to All Securities Limited for which no receipts were found for the transaction. “It was also discovered during the audit that the former governor, Akume, claimed to have executed ‘many projects’ that were never located which the petition deemed to be an aberration of due process, abuse of fiscal policies and criminal violation of relevant laws. “Regrettably, many of such projects, valued at N1,074,017,023.65 billion were not accounted for as there was no evidence of their execution anywhere,” the letter of complaints read in parts. PUNCH.