Bribe allegation: My story, Oyegun, APC National Chairman

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, is challenging those accusing him of receiving gratification over the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives elections to prove their claim.
“It is my integrity they are trying to smear”, Oyegun fired back yesterday.
The party leader had been accused of being bribed to conduct mock election that produced Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon Femi Gbajabiamila as the APC candidates for the Senate President and House Speaker respectively.
But some APC senators not only defied the party’s choice, but also collaborated with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers to elect Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Hon. Yakubu Dogara as House Speaker.
The opposition PDP Senator Ike Ekweremadu equally emerged as Deputy Senate President.
One of those who accused Oyegun of being compromised on the mock election issue and asked for his resignation was the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Timi Frank.
By virtue of his office, many see him as having taken sides, especially with the northern power bloc in the party seemingly being controlled by President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubukar.
Some quarters have also aligned him with the camp of Saraki, accusing him of ditching the camp of the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, which worked assiduously for his enthronement as National Chairman.
But the allegations, according to Oyegun are unfounded.
He maintained his neutrality in the emerging power blocs, saying that his interest was to bring the party back together to deliver on its campaign promises to Nigerians.
The APC leader spoke with Sunday Vanguard, yesterday. Excerpts:
His feelings on the crisis

•Oyegun and Buhari

“It is an unfortunate thing and I think it has arisen because of the clash within major interest groups within the party and that has given rise to gross disloyalty and an unacceptable level of indiscipline and disrespect to the party. But that notwithstanding, we are doing everything we can to stop this civil war and bring the party back again so that we can focus on our essential agenda of delivering service to the people of this nation. What is happening now is very unacceptable and painting us in a very bad light. But thank God we have this period of recess in the National Assembly to bring things back together again. We are doing everything we can to ensure that by the time the national assembly reconvenes, all of these things would have been squarely behind us.
On gratification
“Well, the issue is simple. Gratification to do what and for whom? And what have I done to justify that gratification except to stand as neutral as possible in the circumstance and emphasize adherence to the supremacy of the party. So that is it. Gratification for what? Let anybody who says he brought come out and say that. It is a public thing. It is my integrity they are trying to smear. That comes only through blackmail from some forces that feel that I am standing in the way for whatever their intentions are. But that is neither here nor there. What’s important is that we must put our party back together again and focus on the promises we have made to the Nigerian people.”
Punitive measures for indiscipline
“Well, at this stage, that is something we are still considering. When there is indiscipline, there are penalties. But first, in the process. When you restore peace, there has to be a make for the indiscipline. There is no question about that. One way or the other. But what is important now is putting the party back together.
Buhari’s intervention to end rift
The reality is that we will welcome all hands, all assistance to put things back together again. The president was right. The House has the freedom in consultation with the party which is exactly what has happened. But other interests have prevailed in the matter. The process has derailed but must be put back on the rails.
Smear campaign, call for resignation and reputation
That is going on all the time. People are trying to push me in one direction or the other but one thing I have to my credit is my neutrality. I don’t belong to any of the contending power blocs in the party. And of course, that has its price. And that is why you have heard a lot of it directed personally to smear me. I have built a reputation that has lasted for over 70 years. I don’t have to go and be taking peanuts from some political gladiators. So, whatever they try to do, they cannot smear my character. If anybody has given me gratification to do anything, let him come out and say so, where and when and how much.
The visit of eight governors
“Well, the Governors came to consult with me which is beautiful, legitimate and I valued the views and the ideas that they came with and that was all there was to it. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Just consultations?
“There is a situation in the party and people have views to express and they came to express their views. It was very good and I value those views. We voted for change and we cannot start messing around now.”

Who protects the President? Controversy as DSS leaves Presidential Villa.

By Ben Agande, aBUJA
The rivalry between the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army came to a head on Thursday when the aide-de-camp to President Muhammadu Buhari, an army officer, Lt Colonel Lawal Abubakar, through a memo, disengaged the DSS from providing close body protection for the president as they have always done for many years. It was the climax of the distrust of the DSS operatives by the president’s team since he won the election of March 28.
In the memo, seen by Sunday Vanguard, the ADC claimed that ‘recent events’ which he did not name necessitated the change he was effecting in the security architecture of the Villa especially as it concerns the close body protection of the president.
The ADC memo addressed to the chief security officer to the president,said: ‘’Sequel to directives, I am to inform you, with immediate effect, the authorization of the redeployment of some DSS personnel from some duty beats/locations. Personnel of the armed forces of Nigeria and the Nigeria Police who were trained as presidential body guards (PBGs) are to provide close/immediate protection for Mr. President henceforth.
“However, the personnel of the DSS, in conjunction with other security forces, are to man other duties, beats/locations located within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa”.
The ADC went ahead to list some of the beats/locations that are off limit to the men of the DSS which effectively mean that the personnel of the DSS would effectively be about two kilometers away from the precincts of the Presidential Villa.
The memo by the ADC to the CSO was the culmination of several weeks of suspicion of the DSS, especially in the run up to the presidential election. It would be recalled that prior to the election, the spokesperson of the DSS, Marilyn Ogar, revealed that in carrying out its operations, the service raided a building which was being used as a centre by agents suspected to be working for the APC to clone the Permanent Voter Card of the Independent National Electoral Commission. Several of such operation, which saw the APC receiving the short end of the stick, created the impression that the DSS had removed its toga of neutrality and was working in the interest of the Peoples Democratic Party whose candidate, Goodluck Jonathan, was the sitting president.

Aso-Villa

With the emergence of Buhari as president, it was learnt that some persons in his inner circle plotted the idea that since the DSS appeared to have been partisan in favour of the Jonathan (which they interpreted to mean the PDP), the DSS would be stripped of its constitutional role of providing close body security for the president and his family. In order to ensure that there was no vacuum, it was gathered that a retired senior security personnel, who worked closely with the Buhari campaign team, wrote to the heads of some security agencies, including the DSS, to nominate a certain number of their personnel for training in close body protection in Jaji, Kaduna State. It could not be ascertained whether heads of other security agencies complied with the directive, but it was learnt that the DSS, which had already trained a new set of operatives to take over from the personnel that provided security for Jonathan, did not honour the request from the aide, who, they argued, was not known to the service because he had no appointment in government as at then.
As it is customary, all the nation’s security agencies deployed some of their men and equipment to provide maximum security for the President as soon as he emerged as president-elect. While there was little or no friction between the private security guards of the then president-elect and members of the Nigeria Police and the army, for instance, the personnel of the DSS were viewed with suspicion. The disdain came to a head at a mosque when an attempt by the DSS operatives to restrict access of the private security guards of the president-elect almost resulted in a fisticuff but for the timely intervention of some senior aides.
Few weeks after the mosque incident, personnel of the Nigerian Army, without coordination with the security operatives on ground in the Presidential Villa, were drafted to join the presidential body guard to understudy how to protect the president. Later, when the new crop of body guards, who had been trained for over three months to take over from those that served under Jonathan, resumed at the Presidential Villa, they were turned back, allegedly on the order of the ADC to the president. A day before the memo officially warning the DSS operatives to stay away from the Presidential Villa, it was learnt that the ADC went to all the beats manned by the PBGs and drove them away.
According to Sunday Vanguard’s findings, apart from being constitutionally empowered to provide close body protection for the president, the vice president, the governors and their deputies, the president of the senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives and their families, the DSS is the only security organization that has the competence to provide protection for the VIPs. That is why when there are visiting heads of state, the department provides not only the security details but also, support staff. To underscore the fact that even the army and the police lack the capacity to train personnel for close body protection, they frequently sends their personnel to the DSS for training as body guards.
Warning about the dangers about personalizing the protection of the president and his family, a security consultant in Abuja who retired from the DSS as Director after serving for 35 years, Mike Ejiofor said personal interests and score settling should not be a yardstick for determining which agency protects the president.
“I don’t believe the story that the DSS has been withdrawn from protecting the president because his security should not be toyed with. If the president is intent on changing the security architecture, a policy formulation should be made. He should come up with a working document streamlining the different functions of the various agencies. Statutorily and constitutionally, the state security service is charged with the protection of the president, the vice president, the senate president, the governors, and the deputy governor, speaker of the House of Representatives and state house of Assembly and their families”, he stated.
“The president’s security should not be toyed with. I believe that what is going on now is people who are trying to settle personal scores. Instead of looking at national security, they want to settle personal score and in the process compromise national security and the security of the president. What I am saying is that I don’t believe it, but if it is true, it’s rather unfortunate because those military that are being drafted are not trained in body guard protection. The DSS are trained for VIP protection and the president falls under VIP”.
According to a Nigerian Army Intelligence officer in the Villa who spoke with Sunday vanguard on the matter, even if there was a need for a change of security personnel around the Villa and especially around the president, the situation could have been better handled than it was done because of the wider security implication both for the president and the country.
The officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, noted,”There is a system in place where all the security agencies in the Villa have their defined roles and responsibilities. Even within the army, there are different corps in the Villa and their roles are defined. Statutorily, we have come to know that the role of close body protection is the role of the DSS. Apart from their personnel who are trained both within and outside the country for the role, there are sensitive equipments that they are the only people who have the competence to handle them. Withdrawing them whimsically as it was reported to have been done is not only tardy but exposes the country to ridicule. I am sure that at the end of the day, reason will prevail and the emotional decisions that seem to have been made in the last few days would be reversed”.
It was gathered that the National Security Adviser, who coordinates security matters for the president, has waded in to resolve the crisis. As a man who professes that his administration would be guided by the rule of law, it speaks well of Buhari to abide by the provisions of not just the law but also conventions. And such weighty decision on who provides close body security for the president and his family cannot be taken on the basis of emotions or ego but on sound judgment, what the law provides and convention

Taiwo Awoniyi: The New Bride of European Clubs.

 

 

Taiwo Awoniyi

Most Nigerian that were hoping that 2015 would be the year the Flying Eagles will finally break the FIFA U20 World Cup jinx did not have to wait long to be disappointed as the Nigeria representative lost their first game 4-2 to Brazil but still managed to book a place in the second round of the completion. In their first knockout game against a more organised German side, the Nigerians crashed like pack of cards. The lackluster performance put up by the team did not however deter teams scrambling for the signature of a member of the team-Taiwo Awoniyi. From Europe to Africa clubs have been seeking for the Nigerian prodigy. Kunle Adewale in this report says Awoniyi should look before he leaps so as not to be a victim of greedy agents and managers who are just after their selfish gains than making the best out of the player

Many Nigeria players have had their football career cut short in the past due to the selfishness of agents across the globe. This is something Awoniyi should watch out for as he hopes to make a great leap in his footballing career.

If wishes were horses, beggars too will ride as Awoniyi has revealed his pleasure to play at the Stanford Bridge. Playing for Chelsea football club would be a dream come true for him in his football career.

Swedish club Kalmar have tied up an agreement to sign Awoniyi when he clocks 18 on August 12, 2015 after his scintillating performance for the Golden Eaglets at the 2013 FIFA Under 17 World Cup held in the United Arab Emirates caught the attention of scouts representing several European teams.

To prevent trafficking of underage players from the third world, FIFA transfer rules prevent clubs from signing footballers yet to reach the age of maturity. And it is that watertight regulation that has prevented Awoniyi from signing a professional contract.

Kalmar coaches know they have a jewel in their hands, and the young Nigerian has been training with the first team since his arrival in Scandinavia.

Before the product of Imperial Academy decided to pitch tent at the Guldfageln Arena, he was courted by Porto, Sporting Lisbon and Benfica.

However, Kalmar FF has admitted that the club could lose the Nigerian even before he signs a contract in August. Before the African Youth Championship a lot of European teams sent their scouts to Senegal to run the rule over the 17 -year - old, and in practice he could shred the preliminary agreement he has with Kalmar.

“That you never know. You cannot go around being worried, but somewhere I just had to enjoy the guy that he is making progress and that it goes in the right direction.

And it is also a sign that we are a little right there when we look at the players so it’s only positive that Taiwo is doing well,” sporting director of Kalmar, Thomas Andersson Borstam, told fotbollskanalen.se.

Bosstam added : “Then he has been in Kalmar now three or four times and become acquainted with us and feel comfortable with us and we are happy with him. So I think it may be a good step to begin in Sweden, first developed before taking the next step.”
Awoniyi was one of the top stars at the recent African Youth Championship in Senegal and has been linked with several top clubs in Europe and Africa.

Among the clubs believed to be chasing Awoniyi are FC Porto, Celtic and Red Bull Salzburg as well as Esperance of Tunisia, whose officials stormed the Flying Eagles training camp in Germany to try and convince the 17-year-old striker to sign for them.

“I’m still a free player, but I hope my future will be decided before the World Cup,” Awoniyi disclosed in an interview published by FIFA.com.

Meanwhile, a report by SL.10ng disclosed that Red Bull Salzburg, Olympiakos and RSC Anderlecht are also eyeing Awoniyi and the trio was in contact with his minders while Porto is planning a swoop as well.

Manchester United are also reported to have courted the attacker, with one of their representatives speaking directly with him, but the interest from Old Trafford has waned due to uncertainty surrounding his registration rights.

Regarding the 17-year-old’s ownership rights, there has been series of peace meetings between the Ilorin-based club and Seyi Olofinjana’s Imperial Soccer Academy and all the stakeholders had decided to work in the interest of Awoniyi and the country, with a new ownership-sharing agreement finalized.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi is hoping that the U20 star can bring his eye for goal to the senior team. Keshi has given the U20 striker the green light to lead the Super Eagles attack.

The 18-year-old scored a brace for Samson Siasia’s U23 squad in a recent All African Games qualifier in Lusaka, Zambia, and it would be only a matter of time before he makes his senior team debut.

Keshi told Goal that Awoniyi is ripe enough to lead the Eagles attack but must indicate his readiness to take that responsibility on the field of play.

“If you will recall, I gave Awoniyi his first call up to the Super Eagles sometimes ago because I know that he has the quality of a goal poacher who can deliver the goals when needed,” Keshi told Goal.

“But like I have always explained, playing for the age grade national teams is different from the Super Eagles.
Awoniyi is young and talented and has the quality of a good striker. So who says he can’t lead the Eagles attack? He just needs to be ready for the task and show it on the field of play which I believe the boy is capable of doing.”

However, father of Taiwo, Solomon Awoniyi, has said he used to beat his son to discourage him from playing football, but that he never knew Taiwo would play football to global level.

He said the football career of his son started during his elementary school days, noting that he (Taiwo) would always disappear from the house to play football and the whole family would be looking for him. Awoniyi praised the efforts of Taiwo’s coach, Rasaq Olojo, whom he said discovered and nurtured him.

He said the striker was part of the team that participated in a Coca Cola competition in Ibadan, which later earned him a trip to London in 2010, where former Nigerian football stars Nduka Ugbade and Seyi Olofinjana, spotted him in a competition Awoniyi was voted the most valuable player and came home with the award from London in 2010.

It however remains to be seen which team will eventually woe the Nigerian prodigy. Experts have however warned that he should be careful in his choice of club.

Inside details of how Buhari chased SSS away from inner Aso Rock.

Sani Tukur

PREMIUM TIMES has obtained more details of how President Muhammadu Buhari and his handlers have pushed personnel of Nigeria’s secret police, the State Security Service, from getting close to the President or mounting guards or patrolling areas inside the presidential villa.
Under the present arrangement, the operatives are only to guard the “outer perimeter” of the presidential palace, a measure that has humiliated the 29-year old agency charged with gathering domestic intelligence for Nigeria and protecting public officials.
The presidency claimed, through Mr. Buhari’s spokesperson, Femi Adesina, that there were “routine adjustments” of security personnel at the Aso Rock Villa. He denied that the president ordered the expulsion of the SSS personnel from the premises.
What Mr. Adesina did not however say was that the SSS officials, who were traditionally part of the president’s primary security details, have been banned from being close to Mr. Buhari and virtually reduced to manning the outer gate at the villa.
A presidential memo, seen by PREMIUM TIMES Friday, showed the nature of the directive barring the SSS (also known as DSS) from the villa.
The memo, written by Mr. Buhari’s Aide de Camp, Mohammed Abubakar, on June 24 and distributed to key officials in the Villa stated that from then on, “DSS personnel have been redeployed from some duty beats/locations”.
The memo made it clear that the major security tasks initially being handled by SSS officials are now to be handled by officials of other security agencies.
Mr. Abubakar said personnel of the Armed Forces and the police, who were trained as Presidential Body Guards, PBGs, are to “provide close/immediate protection for Mr. President henceforth”.
Mr. Abubakar subsequently listed some of the areas to be taken care of by the PBGs to include, Admin Reception, Service Chiefs Gate, Residence Reception, Rear Resident, Resident Gate, Office Reception, C-In-C Control Office, ACADE Gate, C-IN-C Control Gate and Panama.
“However, the personnel of the DSS in conjunction with other security forces are to man other duty beats/locations located within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa,” he said, without providing reasons for the action.
Mr. Abubakar added that the Admin Officer, AO, shall be submitting a list of all personnel deployed for physical security within the premises of the Villa to the office of the ADC every Thursday for “perusal, observation and approval as the case may be before final publication and dispatch to the office of the CSO”.
The only explanation so far for the “re-organisation” was provided by Mr. Adesina who stated that “the changes being made are routine adjustments which are not unexpected in any dynamic environment from time to time”.
The Spokesperson for the SSS, Marilyn Ogar, did not answer or return calls seeking comments for this story.
She also did not respond to a text message sent to her.

Rivers Inquiry: Witnesses link PDP Chairman, former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, to election violence.

 

June 27, 2015Ben Ezeamalu

Rivers' Commission probing killings, destruction during 2015 elections

 

Several  witnesses who testified before the Commission of Inquiry probing politically motivated killings in Rivers State during the 2015 general elections accused the former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, of having a hand in the series of violence recorded during the polls.

Out of the 97 allegations of killings received by the Commission, 94 of them occurred between November 15, 2014, and April 11, 2015 – a monthly average of 19 killings in the five months during the election, according to the final report of the Inquiry exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.

The Commission was instituted in April by the immediate past Rivers State government, to probe politically motivated killings and destruction of properties before and during the elections.

The inquiry opened on May 4, and undertook seven days of public hearings during which it heard over 18 hours of oral testimony, in respect of 43 memoranda concerning incidents of violence from 11 of the 23 local government areas in Rivers State.

On May 22, the Commission submitted its final report to the Rivers State government.

“Evidence presented to the Inquiry included allegations and perceptions that either the first lady in person on persons claiming to represent her interests, including one Evans Bipi, who is a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, exercised undue or negative influence on the security agencies in Rivers State or on other persons or entities involved in the violence reported,” the report stated.

“The Inquiry was unable to put these allegations to the First Lady and could not, therefore, verify or form an independent view of these allegations.

“They are recorded here as proof that they were made not necessarily as confirmation of the allegations made.”

PREMIUM TIMES has been unable to reach Mrs. Jonathan. Those close to her said she is vacationing abroad with her husband.

They also prefer that she responds to the allegations herself.

‘Unwilling’ security agencies

The Inquiry received evidence of 83 incidents of destruction of property, including acts of vandalization or arson during the elections, the report said.

No allegations of political violence was recorded after the elections.

“It is quite possible that the numbers or tallies on similar incidents maintained or produced by the NPF (Nigerian Police Force) or other security agencies could be different,” the report said.

“The Inquiry received ample evidence indicating that security agencies were unwilling or unable to attend to incidents of political violence or that in some locations, they were overwhelmed by the intensity and frequency of reported incidents.

In the course of its sittings, the Commission met in confidence with the Department of State Services in Rivers State, and then arranged to meet with the Rivers State Police Command.

On May 20, the day scheduled for the meeting at the police headquarters, the police instead requested the Commission to submit a questionnaire to be completed and returned at an agreed time.

The Commission’s questionnaire did not receive any response from the police as at the time the report was finalised.

“The attitude of the security agencies that the Inquiry encountered was largely defensive, tending towards avoidance of the subject. This corroborated the perception of institutional indifference, reluctance or avoidance reported by most witnesses and victims.”

Several witnesses testified to killings and destruction of lives and properties across the state.

Vincent Ogbuagu narrated how one Ezekiel Thompson, the security guard of Emmanuel Ogbuagu, was shot and killed; Christopher Adube and his three children and four other relations were murdered; and the APC ward secretariat burnt down.

Austin Ahiamadu, the Chairman of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA), spoke about how thugs attacked Godspower Ahiadu, an APC leader, and his family and vandalized their properties. The victim and one Tony Okanu, according to him, went to report the attack at the police station but were detained and later transferred to Force headquarters in Port Harcourt.

Two weeks after the attack on his family, Mr. Ahiadu was murdered.

On March 24, Sampson Oreke was murdered in Okposi town.

The next day, George Eweh and Nwabueze Robinson were murdered in Obizimini community.

On November 28, 2014, Gladys Emeka’s brother, Emenike Obulor, was shot and killed at Ogbakata community.

On the same day, Augustina Wilson’s husband was fatally shot at Omoku.

On January 8, 2015, the APC office in Okrika local government was razed down with dynamites. A police officer was shot and killed during the party’s campaign rally.

A lot of the witnesses who testified mentioned Felix Obuah, the Rivers State PDP Chairman, as a mastermind of the killings.

Efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to reach Mr. Obuah were unsuccessful. He would not return phone calls or text messages.

‘Assist the widows’

The Commission recommended that the allegations of murder and illegal possession of firearms be referred to the police for further investigation.

It also recommended a coroner’s inquest to ascertain the cause of the deaths.

The Commission noted that it is necessary to restore credibility and public trust in the role of elected political office holders in protecting the public good.

“Given this problem, the Commission recommends that the National Council of State should play a significant role in restoring public confidence in state security agencies to be able to effectively deal with cases of political violence,” the report stated.

“The Council of State may also offer non-partisan standards or guidance for mediating cultures of internal democracy in political parties.”

The report also stated that the police proved incapable of containing the political violence during the 2015 general election in Rivers State.

“The Inspector-General of Police should develop and issue for the NPF (Nigeria Police Force) a clear doctrine of zero tolerance for and clearly spelling out the kinds of acts or circumstances which the Force would regard as political violence.

“Reflecting the seriousness of crimes of political violence, the Inspector-General of Police should designate an officer of a rank not below that of Commissioner of Police with responsibility at the federal level to lead the operationalization of this Force Order and the development of a new Force disposition on political violence.”

The report also recommended assistance to widows and children of those killed during the political violence.

“For those widows who may be dispossessed because of security issues as a result of the loss of the breadwinner in the family, the Commission recommends that the Government take steps to provide alternative secure accommodation.

“For those of school age, scholarships should be provided to those children up to and including the completion of university education for those who are accepted into university.”

DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT HERE

Buhari certificate saga tore the army apart – Gen. Ikpomnwen

Brig. Gen.Don Idada Ikpomnwen (rtd) is a former Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army and a lawyer. He represented retired officers of the armed forces at the 2015 National Conference. Last Tuesday, Ikpomnwen defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which he co-founded in Edo State. In this interview, the retired general says he dumped the PDP the very day Gen. Muhammadu Buhari emerged the candidate of the APC ahead of the presidential election. According to him, the fall of PDP was predicted by some of them which was why he withdrew his participation in the party following what he describes as the promotion of mediocrity by the leadership of the PDP.
Ikponmwen
Gen. Ikponmwen
He gives an insight into the mood in the Army when the leadership of the military told the world that they were not in possession of Buhari’s certificate. Excerpts: By Simon Ebegbulem,
Benin City
You were in PDP since 1998 until last Tuesday when you defected to the APC. Was the defection the result of the victory of one of your colleagues, Gen.Muhammadu Buhari, the president-elect?
The truth is that I was not just a member of the PDP, I was one of the founding fathers. I was one of the pillars from Edo that made sure that we went into PDP in 1998-1999. I worked consistently to ensure the success of this party in this state. I was a senatorial candidate.
I was shocked at what happened before and after the primaries. Later the leadership of the party appealed to me to calm down, that they will want me to go to the centre as a party official, I agreed. I got there and started working to ensure that I was elected into the position of the National Deputy Secretary.
The same cabal made sure that another person with less experience emerged. In the circumstance, after the rigged and fraudulent national convention, we went to court but the next thing was that our lawyer started saying things I could not understand and the judge was persuaded to strike out the case.
That led to my disaffection with the PDP and I stayed away for some time. Having experienced all these in politics, I decided to devote my time to the South-South struggle, which succeeded when Jonathan became the President of Nigeria.
Before then, our struggle was almost rubbished when, contrary to our belief that the South-South will not take the vice presidency, some people within the caucus went and arranged with the Northern Forum and they agreed that the South South will take the position if it is given to an Ijaw person.
That angered me and those like me because that was not what we were struggling for. I did not completely stay away from the movement, we continued to pioneer the whole thing from Edo under the South-South Elders and Leaders Forum, it was in this capacity that we operated when the late President Yar’Adua took ill, we kept on pushing that the then Vice President, Jonathan should be sworn as the President. Later the National Assembly agreed with us and went for the Doctrine of Necessity and okayed the Jonathan presidency.
But with all my struggles, the PDP has never treated me like a member and in my presence, they were promoting mediocre. They never gave people like us a chance, all because the powers-that-be felt we are too vocal, too idealistic, too principled and uncontrollable. I am not uncontrollable; the different between me and them is that I believe that in politics it is service to the people first. If there is any over flow, then everybody will benefit because they say sovereignty belongs to the people.
The PDP almost since inception was taken over by a cabal that can do anything, a cabal that wants you to lick its boot, that wants you to be a slave. I am not cut out to be a slave to anybody. I was trained as a soldier, a strategic thinker, a lawyer and I go for what is ideal. That was our point of departure. Just before the elections, they appealed to me to come and play a leadership role in the PDP but I told them that all these years they never allowed me to play any role, so how come now? This happened after the National Conference where I represented retired military officers. But the moment Buhari emerged as candidate of the APC, I knew they knew what they were doing. The convention that threw up Buhari was more democratic and the moment he emerged I spiritually became an APC man because this is a man I had worked with. I have in fact left the PDP since the emergence of Buhari, I have no choice. Nigeria deserves a political revolution and that was why I had to rally all my supporters to work for him during the presidential election. I am exceedingly happy about the development and I want to express my deepest appreciation to all those who helped in his emergence such as Asiwaju Tinubu, Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Amaechi and the APC presidential aspirants who conceded defeat such as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Governor Kwankwaso. It shows that they knew what they were doing. They have put this nation on the path of visible change. I have worked at different times with the general and I knew that all they are saying about him was to run him down but Nigerians are wiser now. There is no way I would have worked against Buhari or my state governor Oshiomhole, who has brought visible change in Edo. That is why I am telling our people in Edo that there is no other wise choice than to join hands with this messiah that God had brought to bring credibility to Nigeria and make Nigeria a leading country in the world.
Why Jonathan lost
Jonathan’s administration has never been able to chart the right course for this country. Jonathan may be a good man on his own, he may have been a lucky man to emerge on the basis of emotions and sentiments, but certainly he does not have the liver to lead a country like Nigeria. Jonathan surrounded himself with people who did not mean well for Nigeria. That Jonathan failed to win the election as sitting President did not come to me as a surprise. You only win election in the world now when you are doing well for the country not this situation where there is no security, no power, no roads, nothing at all. The average Nigerian did not feel the so-called impact of the transformation, therefore, Nigerians have no choice than to embrace change. We needed change and that we got. I don’t care what I will benefit, all I want to see is a society where those who work hard benefit while those who are lazy will have themselves to blame. Let us have a government that will create the favourable environment for every Nigerian to achieve its best. Let us have an environment where we can move around freely and happy.
Boko Haram & Nigerian Army
We are all witnesses to how our soldiers have performed in international operations in the past, be it Congo, Yugoslavia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Chad. The puzzle is that this same Army winning laurels all over, all of a sudden became a force that could do nothing in the face of insurgency. The only explanation I have for that is that the military was compromised. The government contributed to rubbishing and destroying the army all because it wanted the military to be loyal to individuals and to those in power rather than to be a country. The Army moved away from its constitutional role and became an Army doing routine police work until Boko Haram began to hold towns and cities and operate as a regular force. I did not see the reason for our armed forces to be on the road, supporting politicians in power and being seen as agents to pull down the opposition.
But talking about the sudden turn, that is another intriguing thing. The military that could not curtail Boko Haram over the years began to record unprecedented success when election was on. It means the capacity to do it was there and you refused to do it and allowed our soldiers to be massacred. Nigerians who said government was supporting Boko Haram cannot be wished away because it looks evident that if government under President Jonathan wanted to stop Boko Haram they would have done so as they are doing now.
Army and Buhari’s certificate
What happened was sordid, shameful. For a professional army, for the military to come out to say that a former Head of State, a former Commander-in-Chief, a general did not have certificate in their record, the issue really is not whether the certificate was with them or had disappeared, the issue is that a professional army would have said, ‘we are not politicians, don’t drag us into this political argument going on. If you are worried about certificate, go to INEC, if you are worried about certificate, go to the school which the man attended’. But for them to say ‘we don’t have his certificate, we have not seen his certificate on record’, it brought the Army to ridicule, it brought down this country to ridicule. I think it points out to the fact that some people have compromised. And I was hearing a few days ago on the internet that the same certificate has been found. I think the Army have given good account of themselves in the past, they can continue to play that role as neutral people, as the last hope of the people.
What were the feelers in the Army when the certificate saga was on?
Officers will always be officers. We are in touch with ourselves when all these were happening. That issue tore the Army apart because we began to wonder whether this was really the Nigerian Army that we all served in. As soldiers, whether serving or retired, we are friends and many of us were discussing what was happening. It was most embarrassing for retired officers to see what they were seeing and to hear what they were hearing. The demystification of the military is demystification and rubbishing of officers who have given all they have in the service of this country. It has always been our wish that the Army remains an honourable profession that we knew it to be when we went there, that we strove to sustain and anything less than that embarrasses any good officer and many of our officers are good. Many good officers that I know watched helplessly as these things were going on, even me there was a limit to what I could say because a good soldier must run away to fight again. I know what I went through, I know the constraints that I had; so for a while I decided to support in a very subtle way those who we want to develop Nigeria.
Message to Buhari
Nigeria is lucky to have Buhari. I recall his days as military Head of State, a few things made people feel he was too rigid. The law that visited drug trafficking with death penalty, that was too harsh and it cannot happen in a democracy. Nobody is perfect but three things are important in a democracy and ensuring good governance, the right to choose your leader, the right to change him when necessary and the right and duty to make inputs into the goings on in government. If we all take interest in what is going on, we have already demonstrated our choice in what is going on now. If any government falls out of grace, that government knows it will go. Even before it gets to that point, if people continue to make their inputs and say what is good that government is doing and encourage government to do it and also voice out what they think is not good that it could be going on, the then government will be challenged. Any government that is not being challenged by way of having clear picture of what the people want is likely to go wrong. So we all have a duty to make sure that this good man that has been chosen stays on course, we should not be afraid to talk. To me, a strategic thinker, I will always say it as it is and, also importantly, I will do whatever is in my power to ensure that we enhance this government that is coming up. I did my best in this Jonathan’s administration to speak out the truth but they never listened to me.
I was called by the Obasanjo regime to look at the environment at that time to see whether we needed an organization that will fight financial and economic crimes. I sat down with my team chosen by Obasanjo and, within four months, we gave them a blue print. It was that blue print that gave birth to the EFCC. I did my best to put forward what I believe in because we knew what was happening. Like when I went to the constitutional conference, I also emphasized the need to improve the armed forces by improving the Act setting them up, the need to improve the policy decentralizing it, the need to have a decentralized police for effective federal system. The important thing is that some of us have done our best even in a hostile environment but I think we will continue to do our best now that we know we have a strong system in place with the emergence of Buhari.

ANOTHER BOMBSHELL! HOW DSS CONSPIRED WITH EX-PRESIDENT JONATHAN TO EXONERATE SENATOR ALI MODU SHERIFF AS BOKO HARAM SPONSOR!

Over the past 5 days, the CUPS organisation has published documents showing the DSS's complicity in detonating deadly bombs, targeted killings, mass hacking into citizen's mobile phones and computers including those of his Excellency the President, elections rigging, vandalism, assault and inflicting grievous bodily harm, abductions, unlawful detentions, and tantrums and rampages at beer parlours, among others.
The CUPS organisation has obtained yet another damning evidence proving the fact that the DSS under its current DG, Ita Ekpeyong, is nothing but a treasonous criminal agency giving comprehensive support to the Boko Haram insurgency and its sponsors.
In early 2013 there was agitation by Nigerians that Ali Modu Sheriff was one of the Boko Haram sponsors, and must therefore be arrested and tried accordingly. This was preceded by a spate of bombings and targeted killings in the North East that were directly linked to him.
To cover up for their partner in crime, the DSS high command embarked on a bogus fact finding mission to establish the “truth”. After several months of wasting tax payers' money traveling across the North East, supposedly interviewing security chiefs, the DSS produced a shambolic report not worth the paper it was written on. In that report, they completely absolved Ali Modu Sheriff of any wrong doing. It was therefore not surprising that when in September 2014, when the Australian peace negotiator, Reverend Canon Dr. Stephen Davis, made his famous allegations identifying Lieutenant General Onyabor Azubuike Ihejirika and Ali Modu Sheriff as Boko Haram sponsors, his serious allegations were swiftly rejected by Marilyn Ogar of the DSS in a press conference.
Below is the “conclusion and findings” of the DSS investigation, which was addressed to President Jonathan, dated April 2013.
“Former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff has never been part of the Boko Haram Terrorist Sect. We found out that all the victim of terrorist violence in Borno and Yobe States, especially the VIP’s are members of the ANPP Party, a party that Modu Shariff belongs to. And all the while, when he was the Governor of the state, he tried his best to control and diffuse the tension. This was corroborated by security chiefs interviewed in the state. And as we submit this report, Your Excellency may wish to know that Ali Modu Sheriff is now a marked man by the BHT. If he were involved with them, they wouldn’t make him a marked man. If they had a chance, they would kill him instantly. The issue of BHT is highly politicized. But on findings on the ground in Borno and Yobe states did not link Ali Modu Sheriff with the Boko Haram sect. Rather he is their no. 1 enemy. Mr. President should disregard those that are politicizing the BH issue. Mr. President should rather engage Alhaji Modu Sheriff to find a lasting peace in Borno and Yobe states, because he is a well-respected figure in the North east. Please accept Sir, the assurances of our esteemed regards.”
CUPS remarks: Going by all the leaked documents we published over the past 5 days including this latest one, which is by no means the last one, it is evidently clear that the DSS has been operating as a dangerous terror organisation using Nigeria's resources to destroy Nigeria and Nigerians. It must therefore be disbanded and reconstituted with immediate effect. His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, must show Nigerians and the rest of the world that he is a strong, visionary, and competent leader, who has the capacity to make though and decisive decisions in the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians when the need arises.
May God save Nigeria and Nigerians. Amen.
Dr. Idris Ahmed.
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19/06/2015