As Trump takes over from Obama

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMNw5NNWraY1XYiqNYwrUetNot0iVcwYv9qnk1GRc2pzsVhjOWrCwXZ9y4UJL7hVQ4eGTlwnAI7_5CVAJAMI80mJl9HRYdAzqZy7_eeGqRuTraRqKQ5ItEqdu2gT3s2zuP8400YGVipM/s1600/Robert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMNw5NNWraY1XYiqNYwrUetNot0iVcwYv9qnk1GRc2pzsVhjOWrCwXZ9y4UJL7hVQ4eGTlwnAI7_5CVAJAMI80mJl9HRYdAzqZy7_eeGqRuTraRqKQ5ItEqdu2gT3s2zuP8400YGVipM/s640/Robert.jpg" width="568" /></span></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;">Billionaire rea</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;">l estate mogul and President-elect, Donald John Trump will be inaugurated today as the 45th United States President. He takes over from his predecessor, Barack Hussein Obama, the first Black President in American History. Without any previous political or military experience, Trump made history as the first political outsider and entrepreneur to occupy the White House in recent times.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> The Republican known for his brash and unusual rhetoric will become the most powerful person in the world as he presides over the world’s most powerful nation on earth. Trump ran an unorthodox and sometimes controversial campaign in the race to the White House. He ran one of the most contentious campaigns in the US political history. He was frank and blunt in his assessment of Obama administration. His outsider status may have also worked in his favour.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> The establishment and members of his party did not give him a chance of winning his party’s nomination, yet he won against others considered more qualified for the job. In spite of getting his party’s nod to vie for the prime job, he was considered unfit, temperamental and uniquely unqualified to be the commander in chief.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> He was adjudged to be unable to handle the nuclear codes. In his divisive and hate campaigns, he said things that many believed were not politically correct, yet he won the November 8, 2016 presidential poll through the Electoral College votes while his opponent won the popular votes. Despite negative polls predictions, allegations of abuse of women, discrimination against minority people and media reports against Trump, he went ahead to win the presidential poll.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Perhaps, his slogan of “Make America Great Again” did the magic. His lampooning of the Obama administration at every point in his campaign gave him an edge over Clinton in his historic journey to the White House. Besides, the American system was apparently not ready to experiment with a female president and may not be willing to produce a political dynasty of the Clintons.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> He won against a more favoured and preferred Democratic Party’s candidate and former first lady, Hillary Clinton. During the campaign, Trump said, among other things, that he will build a wall along the Mexican border and make Mexico to pay for it, deport illegal immigrants, repeal Obamacare and stop some Muslims from entering the United States.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Only time will tell if Trump is going to fulfill most of his bizarre campaign promises that endeared him to white supremacist voters and other adherents. Despite all odds, the co-author of The Art of the Deal, and host of The Apprentice, a reality show, became the most famous man ever to be elected the president of the United States. As Trump assumes office today, America and the world will never be the same again. Trump’s takeover of the Oval Office will witness far-reaching changes that will affect not only America but the entire world.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> For sure, America will miss Obama’s brilliance, oratory, pop culture, humour, pragmatism, inclusive politics and his elevation of the Oval Office. Despite suffering racism even in the White House, Obama did not lose his humanity and his Americaness. He did not lose touch with his African roots. As the most powerful man on earth, he visited the continent twice and told African leaders some home truths. He canvassed for the development of strong democratic institutions in Africa and not strong men.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Although born by a Kenyan father and White Kansan mother in the decidedly US state of Hawaii, Obama’s electoral victory in 2008 brought to fulfillment Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> As far back as 1963, Dr. King, with much spiritual and political foresight, saw the Promised Land and warned that he would not get there with them. The blacks waited till January 20, 2009 when Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States for the fulfillment of King’s prophecy. His ascension of office witnessed tears of joy from blacks and other races as well.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Obama’s presidency might not have given all blacks the equality espoused in the American Dream; it has given them a pedestal. Obama had in his November 4, 2008 victory speech in Chicago reminded Americans that: “This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people; Yes, we can.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Eight years down the line, American dream is still a work in progress. Obama’s presidency has given them hope and a voice. Black lives mattered to his presidency, even though his was a period that witnessed rise in racial animosity.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> In Obama, they have a reference point to stand and combat racism and other divisiveness in God’s own country. The first black family to occupy the Oval Office has given them hope that they can achieve whatever they want to achieve. Despite some structured handicaps by the Congress, Obama did his best in office and may arguably be considered one of the best presidents the US has produced.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> He lived up to his world classics, Dreams from My Father (1995) and The Audacity of Hope (2006). No doubt, Obama is a good role model.  Obama leaves office amid great applause with approval rating of 60 percent. Bill Clinton left office at 66 percent and Ronald Reagan left with approval rating of 64 percent.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> As Trump assumes office today, let him not be so swift to dismantle Obama’s legacies. He should tame his repulsive rhetoric and be humble enough to learn and profit from the experiences of those who have traveled that path before him. Donald Trump’s campaign and victory sharply divided Americans along political, racial and religious lines; the President should heal the wounds his hate campaigns created. He should fulfill those campaign promises that will truly make America great again.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> He should create many jobs, rebuild the economy and broken down infrastructure and defeat the ISIS. Trump should also curb rising racism and hatred in the United States. He should be the President of all Americans, whites, black and brown.</div> <br />

As Trump takes over from Obama

Billionaire rea l estate mogul and President-elect, Donald John Trump will be inaugurated today as the 45th United States President. He...

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Our criminal justice system complicated -Ozekhome

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2_9nYlk5ZJp17iMNCA0BceOfuqvbwb0b4NP1FBx_dT0WChVGKvyEotiIhyETrqxEaKgzcqYIugNeKi-kVbAsiX2HqOLtVtoCCdamCk3pcrp_21G__e_-LNprDPXbdYtvbnRUjugTCnI/s1600/Mike-Ozekhome-300x250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2_9nYlk5ZJp17iMNCA0BceOfuqvbwb0b4NP1FBx_dT0WChVGKvyEotiIhyETrqxEaKgzcqYIugNeKi-kVbAsiX2HqOLtVtoCCdamCk3pcrp_21G__e_-LNprDPXbdYtvbnRUjugTCnI/s400/Mike-Ozekhome-300x250.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></b></em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Despite </b>the arrest of some judges and their subsequent on-going trials, a constitutional and human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome believes that the judiciary still stands heads and shoulders above the other arms of government. </em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ozekhome said that till date, no judge has been found guilty of corruption like the executive and legislative arms that are replete with such records.  He speaks on various issues.</em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">How will you rate the performance of the Nigerian judiciary?</strong></em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> The Nigerian judiciary has done its bit in the nascent constitutional democracy and in the process of democratization. Of all the three arms of government as contained in sections 4, 5 and 6 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the judiciary has performed most creditably than any other organ of government.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What are the basis of your judgment?</strong></em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> The judiciary has been able to hold on to the rule of law and protection of fundamental human rights of Nigerians. It has ensured freedom and has held it tight for all Nigerians. Even under the military dictatorship, the judiciary refused to be cowed. It refused to blow a tilted trumpet. It still acted right in spite of dangers under military rascality. Even under the present dispensation, where the executive is out to intimidate and browbeat the judiciary, it has stood its ground as the sentinel and the defender of the common man and woman.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What of the corruption allegations against some judges?</strong></em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Yes, I know some people will be quick to point out that some judges are corrupt. And I say yes, that like every other arm of government, you must have some bad eggs. In every 12, there must be a Judas Iscariot. The judiciary is still a part and parcel of the Nigerian society. It cannot suddenly become angelic. Some of the bad eggs must be bad. But I dare say that it is only the judiciary that has constitutional self winnowing and self sanitation through the Nigeria Judicial Council (NJC) that has serially and severally recommended judges for dismissal, retirement or prosecution. No other arm of government has such self censorship to clean itself. Rather, what the other arms do is to defend their own, despite heavy corruption allegations leveled against them most times.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> If you look at the three arms of government, the judiciary has been outstanding. Otherwise, if the executive was so good, we will not today be suffering from the economic anaemia, financial strangulation, hunger, despondency, starvation, penury, abject poverty and wanton breach of human rights and civil liberty and lack of democracy.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Also, if the legislature were as good as the judiciary, today we would be having laws that will give us good security and good governance in Nigeria; rather than legislating into their stomachs and into their pockets. So I will still rate the judiciary highest, the incidence of few bad eggs who must be smoked out again and again notwithstanding.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Mind you, outside the sensational media trial that were mere allegations and the fact of the three or four judges being arraigned in the court of law, no judge in the history of the judiciary has been found guilty of having committed any criminal offence like the many ministers, governors and many members of the national and state assemblies over the years. It is only when the judges have been tried in the law courts and found guilty that we can say that these people are corrupt.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Reason is because the Nigerian legal system is Anglo-saxon model. It is accusatorial and not inquisitorial like the French model. What it means is that an accused is presumed innocent until his guilt is proven and not the other way round as encapsulated in section 36 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> In 2014 National Conference, I was among those who spearheaded the amendment of that section of the constitution so that people would be assumed to be guilty and allowed to prove their innocence. But like many other laudable suggestions in that conference, the present administration has shelved it off to gather the historical dust and better forgotten cobweb.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Does the Nigerian legal system need reforms?</strong></em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Yes, we need a lot of reforms. I headed Judiciary and Human Rights sub-committee in the 2014 National Conference. We agreed that the judiciary need to be reformed. We recommended that we should have different hierarchical structures for courts in the states as distinct from the federal level. For instance, states should have Courts of Appeal and Supreme Courts as obtained in the United States. That way, it is only matters like national security, fundamental human rights that should be taken up to the federal Supreme Court in Abuja. It should not be every case, like for instance someone in a small village near Agenebode where I come from steals fish and he is arraigned in Magistrate and jailed. If he was not satisfied, he goes to High Court in Agenebode which is about 10 minutes, and then if he is still not satisfied, he goes to Court of Appeal in Benin which is about three hours from Agenebode. And if he is still dissatisfied, he goes to Supreme Court in Abuja which is about eight hours from Agenebode. How can such a system serve good justice and accessibility? It will not.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What reforms do you propose?</strong></em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Aside other suggestions, we proposed creation of Special Constitutional Courts to look into constitutional matters; Special Electoral Courts to look into electoral malpractices. If you do that, you will see more cases being fast forwarded, more cases being dispensed with quicker than it is now.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Moreover, we also suggested that the present constitutional provision barring judges from going into practice when they retire should be abolished. The judges like is provided in the Magistrates Act should have the freedom to choose if they wish to go back into practice when they retire or voluntarily resign. Reason is simple: if a judge knows that he has no house to go to, no job to fall back on if he retires under the present hash economic recession, the tendency towards corruption will be higher as he would want to corruptly enrich himself towards the rainy day. For example, a supreme court judge receives an average of N700,000 per month aside servicing expenses and insurance. And the Court of Appeal judges receive about N600,000 while High Court judges collect about N500,000. Tell me which senator, minister, House of Representative members does not spend more than that in servicing and fuelling his cars alone.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Could that be the reason for the alleged corruption?</strong></em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> In America, from my research, a Supreme Court judge receives about N25million in a month. So, such a person does not need your money for anything. He cannot be tempted. But when a judge who receives only N500,000 in the face of all the economic challenges is faced with N50million by a desperate politician who wants to subvert the course of justice; who wants to buy justice at all cost, you have to make such a judge an angel Gabriel or Archangel Michael for him to reject such temptation. And we are talking about a serving judge who may have two to three wives, with children in the universities. So we must look into the remuneration, the salary scale and the working conditions and tools of the judges.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> In terms of the working tools, many of the courtrooms have no air conditioners. Some work without electricity. And the judges still write in long hand in this day of improved technologies. We have to look at it holistically. The welfare of the judges is worst among the three arms of the government. We have to acknowledge that the judges are not from the moon. They belong to the same place where the corrupt executive and legislature belong. I do agree that a corrupt judge is more dangerous than a madman gone amok; because while you can restrain a mad man physically, you cannot do so to a judge. You cannot restrain an immoral and conscienceless judge. He will destroy the system. But the truth is that in dealing with such bad eggs, we must strictly follow the constitutional organogram that we have laid down for ourselves. We must treat them like every other Nigerian who has to go through the criminal justice system. They should be treated with honour and respect like every other Nigerian. And not invade their premises between 1.00am and 5.00am, breakdown their windows and doors, terrorise them and members of their families till no end. You don’t have to treat them like animals just because you want to make a point. If you bring down the roof and mess up the judiciary, then democracy itself is finished; because judiciary no matter what some may think still remains the last bastion of the common man. So even under the Administration of Criminal Justice, in the preamble, under sections 5, 6, 32-36 of the 1999 constitution and even under the African Charter and Peoples’ Rights, the judges like other Nigerians are entitled to decent treatment when they have been accused of any offence; devoid of sensational media trials and whatever opinions individuals may have.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What is the cause of prolonged cases in the court?</strong></em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Like I noted before, poor conditions of service contribute in greater measure. Then our criminal Justice System itself is complicated. If someone is accused of any offence for instance, he should be given an opportunity to defend himself. Under section 36, he may hire a lawyer or lawyers. In the course of his defence, he may raise objections to certain issues like the legal process followed in trying him, including asking to change the judge hearing his case. Especially, if he thinks he may not get fair trial under the judge. The laid down legal procedures must be duly followed. Even God did so with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. You won’t say because you need quick dispensation of a particular case and rush and deny someone fair hearing.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Apart from that, we need more justices at the Supreme Court. At present, there are only 17 justices at the Supreme Court which is less than the maximum 21 required by the constitution in sections 230 and 231. There should be at least five panels not just the two of three as there is presently to ensure matters are dispensed with speedily. I tell you, there are still 2003, 2004 matters in the Supreme Court which must follow the queue aside electoral matters that have its time limit. There is need to amend the constitution so that it is not every matter that must find its way to the Supreme Court. Many of them ought to end at the Court of Appeal. And for any matter to proceed to the Supreme Court, it must be winnowed through a process at the Court of Appeal. But unfortunately, even ordinary motion or application, no matter how frivolous, find its way to the Supreme Court. So, we need to look at all these and create special constitutional courts, special electoral offences courts for us to have quick dispensation of justice.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What is your assessment of President Buhari’s adherence to the Rule of Law?</strong></em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Even the blind can see, the lame can walk and the deaf can hear that this government is very deficient in compliance with and the protection and promotion of human rights and rule of law. For instance, Dasuki has been in detention for almost one and half years even when about three courts have granted him bail including the ECOWAS court which also awarded N50million damages against the Federal Government. But the Federal Government still finds reason not to release him. The Sheik Moslems’ matter is there. Right now, there is ethnic and religious cleansing going on in southern Kaduna, where close to 1000 people have been killed; soldiers and police mauled down innocent citizens at Aba and Onitsha who were clamouring for self determination under the aegis of IPOB which is recognized by the United Nations under Declaration of Human Rights. There are lots of tortures, murder, street trials going on in the country.  EFCC force their way into peoples’ houses, breakdown fences and doors, cart away documents even when people are not physically present. To me, all these are against the rule of law, which says that people must be equal before the law; people should be treated with humanity. We are not in a banana republic or George Orwells’ Animal Farm or in a Hobbesian state of nature as described by Thomas Hobbes where life is brutish, nasty and short. For God’s sake, we are operating a democracy, defined by Abraham Lincolm in 1863 as government of the people, by the people and for the people. We are not operating autocracy, gerontocracy, fascism, dictatorship, oligarchy or monarchy. We are operating democracy. So we cannot afford to have a government that says “they versus us or us versus them”. People should not buy into such government.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What is your advice to President Buhari in the New Year?</strong></em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> I advise that President Buhari should look into his human rights records which Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch in New York and other human rights activists in the country, have adjudged to be very appalling. Because at the end of the day, people will not say, it is EFCC’s government, nor that of DSS, ICPC; but Buhari’s government. He therefore needs to make the human rights records than what it has been so far.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">What is your view on the Secret Trial of Nnamdi Kanu or shielding of witnesses?</strong></em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Secret trial is an antithesis. It is not known to the book of fair trial. And I am totally against it. Section 36 of our constitution makes it clear that trial especially criminal trials should be carried out in the glaring view of everybody. If you accuse a person, come in the open and say it to the person’s face. Why will you shield a witness who is making allegations against an accused person, if not for him to come and tell lie.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Witnesses should be seen so that people who had other issues with the accused, maybe on land, chieftaincy title matter or that he snatched his wife will not hide under any guise to bear false witness against him. The public is interested in knowing the witnesses. The man was subjected to sensational media trial. The issues are already in the public domain. So, make it secret at this point of the nitty gritty which is the real trial. If you begin to assign figures or numbers to witnesses and say this witness is Mr. A or Mrs X, then the trial is shrouded in hatred, bias, vindictiveness. It lacks openness and integrity. I am against it. If you accuse a person, try him frontally.</div> <div class="wdfb_like_button" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;"> <fb:like class=" fb_iframe_widget" colorscheme="light" fb-iframe-plugin-query="app_id=192331394489933&color_scheme=light&container_width=0&href=http%3A%2F%2Fsunnewsonline.com%2Four-criminal-justice-system-complicated-ozekhome%2F&layout=button_count&locale=en_GB&sdk=joey&send=false&show_faces=true&width=450" fb-xfbml-state="rendered" font="" href="http://sunnewsonline.com/our-criminal-justice-system-complicated-ozekhome/" layout="button_count" send="false" show_faces="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; position: relative;" width="450"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 20px; position: relative; text-align: justify; vertical-align: bottom; width: 78px;"></span></fb:like></div>

Our criminal justice system complicated -Ozekhome

Despite  the arrest of some judges and their subsequent on-going trials, a constitutional and human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome believ...

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How Fela invaded Dodan Barracks with mum’s coffin –Duro Ikujenyo, ex-Fela pianist

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglX0vuN9a-7DYG8wYHvzBVMNnUnqsAv9FiDFRCcvlkqXzG8-8jGM9fVN6MGYfrgZOqJenKUJPYCHQ-l9_TPevDccuwc7BIx7ZNEVJJHr1uLjhQcQT39LPUOf2IekNtfOrotIwoVOA5RNE/s1600/Fela-Paniost-264x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglX0vuN9a-7DYG8wYHvzBVMNnUnqsAv9FiDFRCcvlkqXzG8-8jGM9fVN6MGYfrgZOqJenKUJPYCHQ-l9_TPevDccuwc7BIx7ZNEVJJHr1uLjhQcQT39LPUOf2IekNtfOrotIwoVOA5RNE/s1600/Fela-Paniost-264x300.jpg" /></a><b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;">For </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;">years he wa</span></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;">s Fela Anikulapo’s pianist and traveled with the late Afro beat maestro across the world. Today, Duro Ikujenyo is a force to reckon with as far as Afro beat is concerned. And late last year, he marked his birthday with the release of his fourth studio album titled,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;">Tribute to the masters</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;">to commemorate his 60th birthday. In this chat with TSW, The troubadour talks about what it feels like turning 60, his music and the day Fela ‘invaded’ Dodan Barracks.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">You turned 60 years recently, do you feel fulfilled?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> You can see where I am living. I am living with ordinary people. My life is a very big experience; it is not just about me but my environment because whatever my environment is, that is what I am. If I am in an American environment my house will not be like this and my account will be loaded. I have released four albums. I started releasing albums very late about 10 years ago but I am thanking God that I am doing everything at his divine time.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Have you made money from music, are you fulfilled?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> My happiness is an everyday thing. My philosophy is that I don’t depend on perishable things. And that is what my band; The Age of Aquarius is all about. The Age of Aquarius is not the change Buhari is talking about. Buhari is talking about material things. If you dwell on material things you will have hypertension and be taking coca-cola and all the things that will destroy you without looking for your own original roots. I use chewing stick because it is very medicinal; you can also crush it and put it in your tea, it is the strongest vitamin C and mint. When I was growing up, with N1000 you could buy a car so how can you be talking about being fulfilled when Nigeria is getting underdeveloped. When I read Walter Rodney’s “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa”, I forgot about the Nigerian  government because they can never ever change. Like I said, I live with the people. They come and say they are hungry, they have not eaten, no light and no water. And my landlady has bought five pumping machines and they all went bad. In fact, I don’t want to talk about fulfillment. If you are talking about fulfillment in Nigeria just forget it because any day there is an election there is always fuel pump price increment. Do you know how many times they have increased fuel pump price after elections? There is no planning in Nigeria. My fulfillment will be that day when we have a revolution. I have a song entitled Revolution which I specially composed for Nigeria. And the revolution must be dynamic and coordinated. Fela was a leader with a strong philosophy. We must know that as Nigerians or Africans, we are all one. But the first thing we must think of is how to organise ourselves into a community. That is why we have an organization called May25 Group which originated from Fela’s MOP <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">(</i>Movement Of The People <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">)</i>. You can hear it in  Fela’s song, the one dedicated to the day he carried his mother’s coffin to Dodan Barracks. I was right there at the front of the action that very day.</div> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_47116" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; float: right; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px; max-width: 100%; width: 239px;"> <img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-47116" height="300" sizes="(max-width: 229px) 100vw, 229px" src="http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/fela-229x300.jpg" srcset="http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/fela-229x300.jpg 229w, http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/fela.jpg 600w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="229" /><div class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Fela Kuti live at The Academy, Brixton, London, UK 12 November 1983</div> </div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Can you recall what happened?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> It was a Sunday, the last day before Obasanjo handed over to Shehu Shagari. Fela rented two buses, a coaster and a normal bus and put the coffin in the small bus while 75 people boarded the coaster bus. We took off from Fela’s house in Ikeja by 12pm and drove straight to Eko Bridge. We were in traffic and police tried to stop us because they informed them that Fela was coming so we did a detour and came in through Apapa. When we got to Dodan Barracks, there were no soldiers because Obasanjo was handing over power the next day and the gate was opened so we drove inside  because there was no soldier to assault us.  We had a photographer by name Femi Osula. There was also another photographer from Punch by name Dare. Femi climbed over the fence and took photographs and disappeared. That was when the army got wind of what was unfolding and they alerted the barracks that ‘ahh… there is wahalao-o! Fela has brought a coffin.’ Before we knew it over 1000 soldier jumped on us from every angle with every kind of weapon and beat us blue black! However, one intelligent officer ordered them to stop so we were bundled into the bus and they took us to a mobile police station on Awolowo  Road where they used to interrogate armed robbers. About 52 of us where put in two small rooms. After four days they took us to court and the case was thrown out because there was no offence and besides, the military was no longer in power.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">How many albums have you released and what were your challenges?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> I have four albums. I have been working against the odds. First of all it took me 10 years to get my fist album. Now it is being sold for N3, 500 because I insisted we beat Alaba Market to it. Alaba is an impediment to CDs because they sell at N60.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Those days night clubs were the places musicians made money. Today if you go to a night club and start playing they will be like, “who is this guy? Is he crazy?” They want to listen to hip hop music, they want contemporary music not ideological music and then, they don’t have space. They cannot pay the musicians even N20, 000. It was very difficult for me to even start so I got a place at Bogobiri. Bogobiri has developed now that they play music almost every day. My gate fee was N1500 and I got about 100 people and that was how I paid my rent and bills. Though it has been rough, Fela’s ideology and what other great masters taught me is helping me in my life today. I did not  to school but I can’t say I am a drop out like Fela. Although I did not go to the university but I studied music on my own, I developed myself to write and I am writing a book on high life music right now. Talking about fulfillment, my fulfillment will happen when we have a revolution in this country. I even have a song entitled Revolution. And the revolution must be dynamic and coordinated.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">When you look back the last 60 years, what has been your happiest moment?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> I did not plan my life but my happiest moments have always been when I release my albums. My happiest moment was when I completed my last album. It took me seven years to make the album.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">How about your saddest moment?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> That was when I lost my friend who came all the way from Austria to shoot a documentary with me. His name is Angelbert Theurezberther. The documentary was entitled, Lagos: Fastest Growing City in the World and the Future of Planet Earth’ featuring late Fatai Rolling Dollar. He died in an accident while we were traveling. I was hospitalized for days.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">How do you feel turning 60?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> It is just a number. At heart I am still very young and fit as a fiddle because I am into natural roots and I am also getting closer to my God.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">At 60 you are not yet married. Why?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> (Laughter) Marriage is not something that you just jump into. You have to take your time. I have already started the process but I am still looking for the woman. You see, my music takes all of my time so I could say I am married to my music. Music is a very jealous profession. Maybe, if I can find a woman that can cope with my music and life style, then I will get married.</div> <br />

How Fela invaded Dodan Barracks with mum’s coffin –Duro Ikujenyo, ex-Fela pianist

For  years he wa s Fela Anikulapo’s pianist and traveled with the late Afro beat maestro across the world. Today, Duro Ikujenyo is a forc...

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More troubles for Diezani

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEO8e3DPtHLYO7Iyk4FEvFfNcad40J6eIYr_qz5FtJF4hHAGQgkcq3RTL29z9nmvW3DUfS8qNsCb0apWaT2gXNjnDrP2OoRfwQXDXhyFqFofUTCVmOA8oAtCYtpxrnncWfYPqM_69TIdY/s1600/Diezani-300x250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEO8e3DPtHLYO7Iyk4FEvFfNcad40J6eIYr_qz5FtJF4hHAGQgkcq3RTL29z9nmvW3DUfS8qNsCb0apWaT2gXNjnDrP2OoRfwQXDXhyFqFofUTCVmOA8oAtCYtpxrnncWfYPqM_69TIdY/s1600/Diezani-300x250.jpg" /></span></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">EFCC uncovers multi-billion mansions linked to her in Port Harcourt, Lagos</em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Leave her alone, Ijaw leaders tell govt</em></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> From ADE ALADE, Abuja and FEMI FOLARANMI, Yenagoa</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">For</b> former Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, her trouble comes in threes. Just at a time things appear quiet on her, a new flank of troubles opened and began pouring in again. Barely two weeks after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC got an interim court order to seize over $153 million allegedly linked to her in some four Nigerian banks, the anti-graft agency last week submitted to the UK authorities several bank and court documents, photographs and audio visuals linking Diezani to multi-billion naira estates in Nigeria.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Saturday Sun</i> gathered that in the last four weeks, EFCC operatives were able to uncover multi-billion naira estates allegedly linked to the former super minister in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Rivers and Yenagoa, Bayelsa. It was gathered that photographs and visuals of the estates were compiled for the acting Chairman of the Commission, Mr Ibrahim Magu to take to London last week, where he had meetings with detectives at the International Corruption Unit, ICU, of the United Kingdom National Crime Agency, UK NCA, which in 2015 arrested and has since then been investigating Diezani. Magu has since returned to Abuja.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Saturday Sun</i> further gathered that with the cooperation received so far from the Magu-led EFCC on the case, the former oil minister who is currently holed in London due to her battle with cancer and her investigation, the NCA may soon file formal corruption charges against her in a London court. “Some of the documents received from the EFCC will help in the prosecution of the case against her”, an official of the agency not willing to be named because of the high profile nature of the case told <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Saturday Sun</i> on Thursday.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Apart from mansions already placed under investigation and temporary forfeiture in Abuja and Yenagoa, <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Saturday Sun</i> further gathered that more multi-billion naira estates allegedly linked to her were also recently discovered on Omerelu street, GRA Phase 1 Port Harcourt, Rivers State where she allegedly has two other mansion as well as others in Ikoyi and Lekki areas of Lagos. Pictures of some of the mansions were obtained exclusively by <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Saturday Sun</i>.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Leave her alone, Attisa Kingdom warns FG</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> The people of Attisa Kingdom in Yenagoa local government area where Diezani Alison- Madueke hails from have warned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Government to leave their daughter alone.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Speaking through the clan head, His Royal Majesty, King Godwin Igodo, the Ebeni- Ibe of Attisa Kingdon, they noted that other people have occupied the position of Petroluem Minister in Nigeria and are not being treated like Mrs Alison- Madueke.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> The Monarch who is a close friend of Mrs Alison- Madueke’s father, King Fredrick Abiye Agama in an interview with <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Saturday Sun</i> in his palace said people have been spreading stories about Diezani’s properties scattered across the country, allegations he claimed they have not been able to prove.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> King Igodo while noting that he was not aware if money was seized from Mrs Alison- Madueke said a visit to Yenaka community would reveal that there is nothing in the community to indicate the level of wealth ascribed to her.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “I am not aware of her properties in Bayelsa or Port Harcourt that government wants to seize, people have just sat down to formulate stories about her and her wealth. Go toYenaka and visit the father’s house, if she has all that money, that house would not be like that. I am the clan head and I know what I am saying. People are just fond of bringing up stories about her to tarnish her image. It is not fair”</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> King Igodo noted that the persecution of Mrs Alison- Madueke must stop, adding that the continued harassment of her mother, Mrs Beatrice Agama is unfair and unjust.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “The Federal Government should leave my daughter alone. Federal Government should hands off our daughter. Federal Government should leave Diezani alone. Others have occupied that office and nobody is harassing them. They should leave Diezani alone. I even understand that they are molesting the mother. That woman, is an innocent woman, they should leave her alone. In Port Harcourt, Diezani’s mother still stays in the house the husband built, if she has that stupendous wealth as they claimed, she would have built another house for the woman to stay. Instead, it is the house the father built that the mother is still staying with all the other people there. They should leave her alone,” the king declared.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Also speaking, a relative of the Agamas, Hon Omeleh Gershom Esueze said the people of  Bayelsa  and Ijaw leaders are not happy with the way President Muhammadu Buhari is persecuting all those who worked for former President Goodluck Jonathan.<img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-47273 alignright" height="300" sizes="(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" src="http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/D.BUILDING-240x300.jpg" srcset="http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/D.BUILDING-240x300.jpg 240w, http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/D.BUILDING-768x961.jpg 768w, http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/D.BUILDING-818x1024.jpg 818w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: right; height: auto; margin: 5px 0px 5px 20px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="240" /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> According to him, it is obvious that with the way Buhari has gone after Mrs Alison- Madueke, the Federal Government wants to humiliate Jonathan. He further declared that the Ijaw people would protect Diezani and would not allow her to be disgraced by Buhari, saying that “it is for the government to prove that she stole money.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “The truth of the matter is that we are angry. It has become clear now that Buhari wants to humiliate Jonathan and that is why they are doing all what they are doing to Diezani. Former governors that embezzled their states funds are in Buhari government. He has not ordered the arrest of these people. The anti-graft war of the Federal Government is selective. Buhari wants to disgrace and humiliate Jonathan but Buhari is not God. We the people and God would defend Diezani, Pateince Jonathan and others that are being persecuted by the Buhari government because they served in Jonathan’s government.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “Diezani was not the only person that worked in Jonathan’s government, yet everyday what you read is only about Diezani. Other women like Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala served in this government but because she is being protected by the Igbo people, nobody is harassing her. We are going to protect Diezani too, nothing must happen to her”</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> For the spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), Eric Omare,  Buhari government has shown it thrives on misrepresentation of facts to hoodwink the people.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “On the issue of the seized N35 billion, what we understand was that the money should have been remitted by the Nigeria National Petroluem Corporation (NNPC) which it did not do and the money has been seized. It has nothing to do with Diezani, unless they want to say Diezani and NNPC are the same. The media should be careful and not allow the government and its anti- corruption agencies to mislead it”</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> On the plan to seize some assets in Port Harcourt and Yenagoa traced to her, Omare said the Buhari government should learn how to do things in line with the rule of law.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “Nobody is opposing the war against corruption. We all want corruption to end in this country. However, due process must be followed. Government cannot just wake up and seize property”</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Once upon a powerful minister</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Though her name, Diezani means ‘look before you leap’, her recent troubles show she may not have studied her terrain too well before leaping into the troubled waters that now threaten to drown her.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> On the other hand, it is possible she may have calculated wrongly and found herself in what has turned out to be nightmare. Who would have imagined Nigeria’s once powerful oil minister with billions of petro-dollar funds at her command being invited and quizzed by law enforcement agents in any part of the world?</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> If the re-election for second term of Dr Goodluck Jonathan had pulled through, Diezani surely would not be in the mess of an arrest and possible prosecution and conviction on alleged money laundering charges. If and many Ifs. But like many human situations, times and chance have changed the equation: Diezani knows now, even if she hadn’t contemplated such.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> In the recess of her cold abode in the United Kindom, she would have plenty time to to reflect on her eight years sojourn in government, from 2007 when she was first appointed Minister for Transportation by President Umaru Yar’Adua.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Indeed, most of her political life has seen her swimming in one controversy or another. Easily, the most controversial of ex-President Jonathan’s ministers, Diezani was seen by many as the alternate president and chief bursar of the last administration. She was not only powerful, many top government officials crossed her path with trepidation. She had the eyes and ears of the No1 citizen.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> This is the story of Diezani Allison-Madueke, nee Agama, born into a royal and wealthy family in Bayelsa State. She lived up to that reputation of royalty, luxuriating in opulence fit only for a princess as she bestrode the corridors of Nigeria’s power house, Aso Rock Villa under President Jonathan.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Only God will vindicate me </b><b style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5;">– Diezani    </b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> The embattled former Minister has expressed displeasure with reports of allegations of corruption against her.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> She described as cold-hearted, those maligning her in the media while she was battling cancer.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> While reacting to a recent report that she owns</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> a property in Abuja allegedly worth $18 million, she said</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “This will not be the first time calculated attempts have been made to demonise and damage my reputation in the public space. Many times, my detractors have got away with these irresponsible smear campaigns because they have become accustomed to my characteristic approach of silence in the face of these callous attacks.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> According to her, “This, to say the least, is the height of journalistic brigandage and a sheer mockery of Nigeria’s anti-corruption war before the eyes of the world who are watching and asking if the war against corruption is a circus show where suspects are prosecuted and sentenced on the pages of newspapers and video blogs without anything as remotely in the semblance of a trial in the courts of law.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “When did it become a crime to own a property in Nigeria? When did it become a crime for a woman of my status to have in her possession, jewellery? Jewelry, which women all across the world, including the woman selling tomatoes in Bodija market have in abundance in their closets? In which court of law, anywhere in the world was I prosecuted by the EFCC and found guilty of corruption?</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “With all sense of modesty, I say this only for posterity and for the records. I have strived within my means and the blessings of God to live a decent and accomplished life. I studied architecture in England and obtained a Bachelor’s degree from Howard University, United States of America in 1992. When I returned to Nigeria that same year, I joined Shell Petroleum Development Corporation. In 2002, I obtained an MBA at Cambridge University, United Kingdom.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “In April 2006, I was appointed by Shell the company’s first female Executive Director in Nigeria. In July 2007, I was appointed by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Minister of Transport. The next year in December 2008 I became Minister of Mines and Steel Development. In April 2010, I was appointed Minister for Petroleum Resources and served in that capacity till May 2015.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> During this period as Petroleum Minister, I had the honour of serving Nigeria and representing her in the Organisation of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) where I was elected first female President. All through my career, I have strived to maintain a record of hard work, integrity and excellence, giving my best to society, because my parents raised me in the consciousness that a man or woman’s greatness is defined not by the amount of wealth they have acquired but the impact of their service to God and humanity.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “Coming at such a critical time in my life when I am battling cancer, this poorly executed propaganda bares on its face like tribal marks, a clearly malicious attempt to victimise an innocent woman in what appears an exaggerated plot to validate and give credibility to the anti-corruption crusade under Nigeria’s new regime.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “People who are battling cancer or those who have lost their loved ones to this medical condition understand what I am going through at this time. This is what makes me ponder at the cold-heartedness of those who will go any length to defame and destroy in the name of propaganda. What happened to our shared humanity?</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> “I have absolute regard for the law and believe that people who have breached the laws that govern societies should be made to face the wrath of the law. But in a civilised society, a responsible government owes its citizens absolute commitment to the principles of rule of law, equity, fairness and justice. I have been wrongfully and maliciously maligned and those behind this reckless action know it. I leave them to posterity, their conscience and above all the Almighty God who is the final judge of all.”</div> <hr style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 0px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); border-image: initial; border-left: 0px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right: 0px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; box-sizing: content-box; clear: both; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; height: 0px; margin: 20px 0px;" /> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Diezani: Bank chiefs fail to claim $153m</strong></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> By <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lukman Olabiyi</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Two</b> weeks after Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court, Lagos ordered the temporary forfeiture of $153,310,000, which a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueze, allegedly siphoned from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and stashed in four Nigerian banks, none of the parties has shown interest in proving the legitimacy of the fund yet.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> The judge, Justice Hassan had given the banks, some of their executives and any other interested party 14 days to appear before him to prove the legitimacy of the funds running into billions when converted into the Naira, failing which the funds would be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), out of the allegedly stolen $153.3m, over N23 billion, another N9 billion and $5m were kept in three separate banks.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Justice Hassan gave order of temporary forfeiture of the monies to the Federal Government on January 6 while ruling on an ex-parte application filed by the Commission against the banks, and since then neither the banks nor any interested party has appeared before the court or the EFCC to  claim the fund or prove its legitimacy.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Saturday Sun</i> investigations at the court revealed that since the judge gave the verdict over two weeks ago, nothing new has happened, while it seems all the interested parties have accepted their fate based on the order.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> A source within the court who spoke to <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Saturday Sun</i> on the matter, disclosed that the case file was no longer with Justice Hassan, adding that the judge had returned it to the ‘admin judge’ for re-assignment.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> According to the source, Justice Hassan heard the matter as a vacation judge and the vacation was over now. “All the cases that were heard during vacation due to urgency then, their files had been returned to the admin judge for re-assignment”, the source added. The court was on vacation between December 19, 2016 and January 6.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Another reliable source at the EFCC also confirmed that nobody has shown interest in the fund “and the only thing the Commission is waiting for now, is for the 14 days given by the court to lapse.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> In a nine-paragraph affidavit filed in support of the ex-parte application, an EFCC investigator, Moses Awolusi, had claimed that the anti-graft agency discovered through its investigations how sometime in December 2014 Diezani allegedly removed the whopping sum of $153,310,000 from NNPC and given to some bank chiefs for keeps.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> According to Awolusi, Diezani instructed the bank chiefs to ensure that the money was “neither credited into any known account nor captured in any transaction platforms.”</div>

More troubles for Diezani

EFCC uncovers multi-billion mansions linked to her in Port Harcourt, Lagos Leave her alone, Ijaw leaders tell govt From ADE ALADE, Ab...

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Buhari’s anti-graft war on course – Sani, ACF chief

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5ee-O_3jzqCBFfvRN9SHQKiz2WkAiak9cVAaDX9V8aqyFEaoxR2bcLMGnV8KAh0KL-sKzTGyewFKFBPqX6oAIpq2Mq9IbbeH2zqt3eveQNUuPf0H4S28PQgh8IDE2cGc2EDc3IYgUUY/s1600/Anthony-Sani-231x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5ee-O_3jzqCBFfvRN9SHQKiz2WkAiak9cVAaDX9V8aqyFEaoxR2bcLMGnV8KAh0KL-sKzTGyewFKFBPqX6oAIpq2Mq9IbbeH2zqt3eveQNUuPf0H4S28PQgh8IDE2cGc2EDc3IYgUUY/s1600/Anthony-Sani-231x300.jpg" /></span></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">There </b>are insinuations in some quarters that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption, is not only one-sided, but not likely to target any member of his kitchen cabinet.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Following the recent directive to probe the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal and other government officials, over corruption allegations, <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">ISMAIL OMIPIDAN</b> spoke with two leading Nigerians who disagreed on the matter.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Mr. Anthony Sani is the immediate past spokesman of the pro-North group, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF and spokesman of the northern delegates during the last National Conference.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">What is your reaction to the call by the Senate to the SGF to resign over allegations of corruption?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> The call by the Senate on the SGF may not command the confidence of many people, precisely because it does not appear the Senate has given the SGF the opportunity to defend himself in the spirit of fair hearing, as a result, many people are most likely to conclude that the call is politically motivated more so there are legislators who are under probe by anti-graft agencies who have not resigned their positions.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">What should President Buhari do, considering his stance on the fight against corruption and corrupt persons?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Well, the best approach may be that President Buhari order thorough investigations into the allegations for the purpose of knowing the truth in the interest of justice and the fight against corruption, which needs to command the support and loyalty of Nigerians. This is coming against the background  that many of those arraigned for corruption are fighting back by saying that they are not the only ones who are corrupt.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> To me, all those who have been investigated and arraigned should concentrate on defending themselves rather than insisting that quota system be applied in the fight against corruption, despite their awareness that the fight against corruption is work-in-progress and may outlive Buhari’s regime. Happily enough, the President has ordered for the probe which is a good development.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Beyond ordering the probe, what message does President Buhari’s order portray to Nigerians, moreso against the background of accusations that the fight is one-sided and that there are untouchables in his government?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> The order by President Buhari that the SGF and Magu be probed is to dispel the misconceptions held by some people that there are some sacred cows within his government. The President wants to live up to his promise that people should only fear the consequences of their actions.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> In normal circumstances, government is not expected to use media reports, and make such orders, especially when regard is paid to how rumours swirl around in this country, many of them very unsubstantiated. The issue against Magu is a bit confusing in the sense that the DSS is not expected to give security clearance on Magu amid negative reports by the same DSS. So, it is either the reports on Magu are an afterthought, or DSS never gave security clearance on Magu before his name was submitted to the Senate for confirmation in the first place. That is why the probe becomes very necessary. The order for the probe would clear the situation by making Nigerians to know the truth in the interest of justice and that of the campaign against corruption.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <img src="http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Farooq-Kperogi-PhD-300x233.jpg" /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">…. It’s the cheekiest joke   – Prof Kperogi</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Professor Farooq Kperogi is an associate Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media at Kennesaw State University, USA.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">How do you react to the call by the Senate to the SGF to resign over allegation of corruption?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Although the Senate isn’t itself the apotheosis of moral rectitude, its call for the SGF’s resignation and prosecution is absolutely in order. I’ve had the privilege to pore over the report that indicted the SGF. I’ve also spoken with several everyday people from Yobe who testified to the heartrending fraud that the SGF perpetrated against vulnerable IDPs. The evidence against the SGF is demonstrably damning enough to warrant his immediate arrest and prosecution.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">In that wise, what should President Buhari do, considering his stance on the fight against corruption and corrupt persons?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> People who are intimate with President Buhari told me several months ago in the heat of my unrestrained enthusiasm over his emergence as President that he was morally and temperamentally unsuited to fight corruption. They said the undue premium Buhari places on “personal loyalty” causes him to ignore, excuse, and even defend the corruption of his close associates. I was regaled with troubling tales of the mind-boggling corruption among his aides that he swept under the carpet at the PTF, The Buhari Organization (TBO), and at the defunct CPC, which merged with ACN to form APC.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Babachir (SGF) was a dominant figure in CPC; he knows Buhari well enough to know that nothing will happen to him for all his villainous rape of vulnerable IDPs in Borno and Yobe as long as he can impress the President that he is irrevocably loyal to him.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> I had hoped that the President would learn lessons from his past and change—at least for the sake of his legacy, given that he is old and has the privilege of a second chance to rule Nigeria. Apparently, I was naive. Anti-corruption fight is perhaps now, the cheekiest joke in Buhari’s Nigeria. If Buhari wants to reclaim whatever is left of his fast depleting moral capital, he should not only fire and prosecute Babachir David Lawal; he should also do the same to other high-level kitchen cabinet members arrogantly luxuriating in obscene corruption.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">But he has directed that the allegations be probed. What message does the directive send about his anti-corruption battle?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> The presidential directive for the investigation of government officials accused of corruption was intentionally vague and deceitful, like most things by this government. It looks like something that was written on a whim. It also appears calculated to just deflect attention from the piercing, sustained, public searchlight on the corruption taking place right under the anti-corruption President’s nose. Notice that it deliberately lacks specifics such as timeliness for investigation, names of people to be investigated, terms of reference of the investigation, etc. Plus, given the government’s notoriety for invidious selectivity and double standard, I have no confidence that this government has the moral courage to find any of its key officials culpable of any infraction. The investigation will either be endless, because it isn’t sincere in the first place, or will come out with a predetermined verdict of exoneration-well, unless enough people of conscience rise up and hold the government’s feet to the fire. In any case, it turns out that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice doesn’t even have the constitutional power to investigate, which lends weight to the suspicion that the directive was nothing more than a flippant, hurriedly-put-together distraction.</div>

Buhari’s anti-graft war on course – Sani, ACF chief

There  are insinuations in some quarters that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption, is not only one-sided, but not lik...

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It’s an insult to think Uwazuruike will testify against Nnamdi Kanu in court wearing mask –Okereafor, MASSOB spokesman

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLrr0LRZjuDdvQGPbRArJdn-xaSUl4t2ZJFYv5SrIqK7Opt4YQym4N9IF3H5OOKpxeOkq82HWF1AhTUdPimNl9bojy2hWIWNA4ncc8sAPiEHzBbg4lsn39KwK8iX4kz8KtnCo3QGDAfE/s1600/Nnamdi-Kanu-leader-of-the-Biafra-agitator-denied-bail-12-copy-300x186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLrr0LRZjuDdvQGPbRArJdn-xaSUl4t2ZJFYv5SrIqK7Opt4YQym4N9IF3H5OOKpxeOkq82HWF1AhTUdPimNl9bojy2hWIWNA4ncc8sAPiEHzBbg4lsn39KwK8iX4kz8KtnCo3QGDAfE/s1600/Nnamdi-Kanu-leader-of-the-Biafra-agitator-denied-bail-12-copy-300x186.jpg" /></span></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Movement </b>for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) National Director of Information, Sunny Okereafor was livid when confronted with the allegation that the founder of the group, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike has been hired by the Federal Government to wear mask and testify against the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu in the ongoing trial. Okereafor, who, in this interview spoke on behalf of his boss who was said to be in the United States said it was an insult for anybody to think that Uwazuruike can do that. He spoke with<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"> OKEY SAMPSON in Aba.</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Nnamdi Kanu’s brother, Kanunta has lashed out at the founder of MASSOB/BIM, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike for describing the detained IPOB leader and his group as fraudsters, saying, the reverse was the case. What’s your reaction?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> It is not for Chief Ralph Uwazuruike as a person or MASSOB as a group to start exchanging words with anybody because when he started the agitation for Biafra and hoisted the Biafran flag in Aba, Abia State in 1999, those people who are making noise now were nowhere to be found. Over the years, MASSOB has not only created awareness, it has rekindled the Biafran spirit in the minds of Ndigbo including those that are now insulting him.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">In the said reaction, IPOB, through kanunta dubbed Uwazuruike, a kidnapper who abducted their leader in 2009. What have you to say on this?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> No, Uwazuruike is not a kidnapper. What happened was that Uwazuruike gave Nnamdi Kanu the go ahead to establish Radio Biafra in London, but the IPOB leader registered the Radio station in his own name instead of MASSOB and when he came back to Umuahia, some MASSOB leaders went to their place to find out why he did that? Nobody kidnapped anybody, what we did was just to give him some lashes as a warning. What did we kidnap him with when we did not carry arms? If the brother was claiming that Uwazuruike kidnapped Nnamdi Kanu, how much did the family pay as ransom?</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Uwazuruike’s problem with Nnamdi Kanu was said to have started when the former wanted to buy a property in London and the latter refused, saying it was not proper to use peoples’ money that way. Could that be correct?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> That is not correct; forget about what they are telling you I have told you how the problem started. Uwazuruike gave Nnamdi Kanu money to establish Radio Biafra in London and the IPOB leader registered it in his name instead of MASSOB. I wouldn’t know why people will like us to be talking about Nnamdi Kanu who joined MASSOB 10 years after it was formed.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Is it true that MASSOB was classified as a terrorist group after the said kidnap of Nnamdi Kanu?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Don’t mind them. From the beginning, MASSOB adopted a non violent approach to the struggle and that has not changed. How could MASSOB have been listed as a terrorist when its members do not carry arms? All of us know the group that has been violent in its agitation and because of this has been listed as a terrorist group. We also know the group its members have been going around collecting money from government officials using the Biafra struggle as a cover.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Uwazuruike was accused of being the key witness for the Federal Government in her case against the IPOB leader. What’s your reaction?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> This is laughable. How would a reasonable person think that Uwazuruike will be so scared as to wear mask to testify against Nnamdi Kanu or any other person for that  matter if he so wish. The truth of the matter is that Uwazuruike who is currently in the United States attending a very important public function, has no intention of testifying against anybody in court, not to talk of wearing mask, that is an insult. Those talking this rubbish have no agenda, they have no programme. If they had, they should  roll them out for the world to see.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">They described Uwazuruike as the real fraudster who had used MASSOB to dupe Ndigbo millions of naira. How do you react to this?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> They are talking nonsense. At the appropriate time, we will know those who have been collecting money from people including politicians without using them to do anything. Other groups have been penetrated by politicians, but MASSOB remains the odd one out and can never compromise its stand. They are speaking out of frustration and we don’t know why it should be so. Uwazuruike has gone to prison 16 times in the course of this struggle and during this period, he never insulted Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. I don’t know why for being detained just once, IPOB members have been raining abuses on Uwazuruike at the slightest opportunity.</div>

It’s an insult to think Uwazuruike will testify against Nnamdi Kanu in court wearing mask –Okereafor, MASSOB spokesman

Movement  for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) National Director of Information, Sunny Okereafor was livid whe...

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Uwazuruike bent on betraying Biafra –Kanunta, Nnamdi Kanu’s brother

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLyntA6YOmGmUm8Iufzzc32-rtX91-bINrSVzm2-YY4_evxQOc8bs5EHamEpD677RcoJzToKLXdM4qPhGcbn0YvdNbnNFENCvDPzzMkllmAfQZxrFvcp_9JjI7dv6U9_6pr3GKDFBw1s/s1600/Chief-Uwazurike-289x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLyntA6YOmGmUm8Iufzzc32-rtX91-bINrSVzm2-YY4_evxQOc8bs5EHamEpD677RcoJzToKLXdM4qPhGcbn0YvdNbnNFENCvDPzzMkllmAfQZxrFvcp_9JjI7dv6U9_6pr3GKDFBw1s/s1600/Chief-Uwazurike-289x300.jpg" /></a><b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;">Kanunta </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;">Kanu is the im</span></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;">mediate younger brother of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who resides in Germany. A smooth player for the realisation of the  Biafra dream abroad but not too vocal in the struggle back home in Nigeria, he was forced out of his cocoon by a recent statement credited to Chief Ralph Uwazuruike in which the MASSOB/BIM founder described Nnamdi and his IPOB cohorts as fraudsters. In this interview, Kanunta came out smoking against Uwazuruike whom he described as a coward and the real fraudster; affirming IPOB’s stand that the BIM leader was Federal Government’s key witness in the case instituted  against his brother. He equally spoke on the cause of the rift between the two Biafra chief campaigners and other issues as they relate to the agitation. Kanunta spoke with</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;"> </span><b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;">OKEY SAMPSON</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;">from his base in Germany.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Would you like to react to what MASSOB founder, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike said that your brother, Nnamdi kanu and his IPOB are fraudsters?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> First of all, I would like to tell you that (Chief Ralph) Uwazuruike made the statement because of IPOB allegation against him that he would testify against Nnamdi Kanu in court. In fact , he is one of the key witnesses Nigerian government has. In the first place, what I want to say is this, the name Biafra comes before any creature on this  planet. Uwazuruike had failed many times and he will continue to fail because he puts himself before Biafra and not the other way round.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Uwazuruike is claiming that Nnamdi Kanu, as at 2009, was a yahoo boy. The question we are asking him is this, when did he realise that IPOB or Nnamdi Kanu was a yahoo boy? I am asking this question because we invited Uwazuruike to the United Kingdom in 2007 in the name of the Biafran community, not MASSOB in the first place. Now, he is claiming that he is all in all. He is claiming that he made Nnamdi Kanu the director of Radio Biafra. The simple question we are asking him is, who was the director of Radio Biafra in 2009? He should come out and tell us who that person was. Apparently, he doesn’t know what he is talking about because we believe and we all know that he has taken money from the Nigerian government. He has compromised the struggle from the out set.  So there is nothing he can do for the Biafran people, not in this generation, not even in the next.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">You accused Uwazuruike of being a key witness for Nigeria in the case against your brother, how sure are you, what’s your evidence?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> You know, no matter how a bird flies , you will always see the belly. In fact, we know, we have our intelligence everywhere. So, they should not think that they are dealing with Nnamdi alone, he has millions of followers who can sacrifice themselves to get what they want and that is what we are doing. We know that Uwazuruike is the key witness the Nigerian government has; no other person can do it except Uwazuruike and let him come out and prove himself. We know him, we know he has never been straight. He seats and thinks about how he is going to sabotage what IPOB is doing because he has suddenly realised that IPOB is genuine. Nigerian government is playing with Uwazuruike because he goes behind to take his own share and comes back. He will talk about Biafra in the night whereas in the morning, he would go back and sit down. Why is it that Uwazuruike is busy destroying the structure that is on the ground already because he knows that he was going nowhere with what he has.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> We are not fraudsters as he claimed, we are and we know at the end of the day, he will turn out to be the fraudster. As we speak, Uwazuruike is the fraudster and nobody else. That is the issue. It appears Uwazuruike is sick, and the sickness is called memory loss, he has  lost his memory. Whatever he says today, he can’t remember it tomorrow and I hope he should go to doctors to examine him to know if his brain nerves are working at all.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> What I’m saying is this, people should know that Uwazuruike is the number one witness Nigeria has in Nnamdi Kanu’s case. If he wants to testify, let him come out and testify openly and after testifying in the open, we can guarantee him from that very day, he will be in exile, he will never return to Igbo land because he is a fraudster. We know he has never been there to protect the interest of Ndigbo or Biafra as the case may be. Today, his tap is no longer flowing and it’s up to him to decide where he wants to belong, if he wants to be in BIM, let him remain there, if it’s in MASSOB let him remain there. We know there are genuine people in MASSOB who want to get Biafra today and tomorrow. They don’t care how we’re going to achieve Biafra, but they want it. I mean people like Uchenna Madu and others. These are men who are genuine; who believe they are MASSOBIANS, sure. They believe in what people are doing and they believe we want Biafra today and tomorrow and not Uwazuruike who keeps playing his tricks here and there.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Are you saying that Uwazuruike is afraid that he would want to testify against your brother and as such has to wear mask?<img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-47372 alignright" height="283" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/KANU-BROS-300x283.jpg" srcset="http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/KANU-BROS-300x283.jpg 300w, http://www.sunnewsonline.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/KANU-BROS.jpg 600w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: right; height: auto; margin: 5px 0px 5px 20px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="300" /></b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Uwazuruike is afraid because he knows that if he shows his face, we can guarantee him that, before he leaves that Court and arrive at his home, people will never recognize him again. That is why he wants to mask himself and witness against Nnamdi Kanu. This is the only thing Nigerian government has, they don’t have any proof. They don’t have anything to show. You can’t tell me that if you are talking about where courts function, an accused will get into a court in handcuffs; it never happens anywhere, including the Western world. So, it is only in the Zoo that this can happen. And those who are claiming that the Nigerian judiciary is working; we’re aware it is not working because the Court is being controlled by (President Muhammadu) Buhari. It is unfortunate that Justice Binta (Nyako) who wants to send Nnamdi to jail will allow the security agents to bring Nnamdi and other people to court in handcuffs and in her presence and what that means is that Nigerian judiciary doesn’t work, it doesn’t exist. It is more or less the Sharia law they are practicing there, and we know that. But we can guarantee them that they can never jail any of our Biafran brothers. They can never jail anybody, not even the leader of IPOB, nobody can jail him because we know that we are saying the truth and believe in the truth. That is the  only thing destroying Nigeria. Nnamdi is saying the truth and we all remain in that truth and anybody who can’t tell the truth like Nnamdi Kanu, the person can as well clear off. We don’t need such a  person.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">If Uwazuruike and Nnamdi Kanu are working towards the same direction of actualising the state of Biafra, why should you think the former will turn around to testify against the latter in court?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> If I understand that question very well, what Uwazuruike is doing is entirely different because if he believes in the common struggle, our fight for Biafra. I don’t think he will come out openly to condemn anybody no matter what it is. He condemned Benjamin Onwuka, saying he was trying to use force, look at where he is today; Nnamdi is a fraudster that is why he is in prison. Uwazuruike is the worst, most foolish and hopeless person I have ever seen. You can’t say you are fighting for your people and all of a sudden, you are killing them again, it doesn’t happen that way. It’s either you are my enemy or my friend. You can’t stay in the middle, you can’t be my friend and my enemy at the same time. Ii doesn’t happen that way.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">What do you think Uwazuruike stands to gain by leading Nnamdi Kanu to the prison?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Uwazuruike believes Biafra can only come under his watch, but he doesn’t have what it takes to achieve Biafra, he doesn’t have it. He lacks the intellectual capacity; what it takes to bring about Biafra. He is only there because he wants to lead the rest but nothing more, nothing less. I am very sorry that he is fooling most of our people, using Biafra to do this, but they never knew that Uwazuruike is a conman.We’re making it clear today that he is a conman and for the fact that he has accused the IPOB leadership openly, we are asking him to come and prove it before it is too late. We have what it takes to tell the world and Nigeria that Uwazuruike is a fraudster, and that his pastime is to destroy what other people are doing. He is not genuine and he knows he cannot do anything because his time has elapsed. He wants to testify against Nnamdi in order to destroy what he is doing. Anybody that comes out, Uwazuruike is suppressing that person and I don’t know what he stands to gain from that.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Would you like to tell us how and when Uwazuruike started having problems with your brother?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> We started having problem with Uwazuruike when he wanted to buy property in Glasston junction in East London, we told him automatically no, that it cannot happen, that they cannot be killing our people in Nigeria and you are using the same money these men are contributing to buy property in London, it will never happen. That was how we started having problem with Uwazuruike. Anybody that had superior ideas over Uwazuruike, he wouldn’t want to do anything with that person, that’s the fact and figure. When we realised that Uwazuruike was a fraud and we tried to correct him, he felt threatened and started doing all sorts of things. So, Nnamdi Kanu is in detention because he believes in the freedom of Biafra. If Nnamdi Kanu wants to behave like Uwazuruike, he would have certainly, come out from detention a long time ago because he had offers, but rejected them. This Uwazuruike who claimed he went to prison does not know the difference between going to prison and being detained. Uwazuruike was detained; he was never sentenced in the first place. So, when he comes out, he will be telling people that he went to prison, he never did, he was only detained, released and settled when his mother died and went inside, he could not talk any more. Uwazuruike is never genuine and will ever be genuine because we were able to discover who he was at an early stage.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Uwazuruike said as far as the Biafra issue is concerned, he is the overall leader, but why is he jumping from one movement to anoother? He opened MASSOB as he claimed, why did he leave MASSOB to open Biafran Independent Movement (BIM)? It’s just to disguise himself because he knows exactly that the name MASSOB, has been contaminated. MASSOB was listed as one of the terrorist organizations because he was using that platform to kidnap people. That was why MASSOB was blacklisted as a terrorist organization and he knows that he can no longer do anything with MASSOB. That is why he is going about cloning it BIM in disguise and turning around to claim that he is the leader of MASSOB.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Uwazuruike made mention of Benjamin Onwuka in that interview. If I’m not mistaken, Benjamin Onwuka is a Biafran, he is fighting for the same cause. If Uwazuruike is claiming to be the leader of Biafran people or MASSOB, why must he attack anyone who is agitating for Biafra? He is looking for Biafra and everybody wants to get Biafra today and tomorrow, why is he attacking anybody that talks about Biafra? He is condemning Onwuka, what makes him a leader? Since he cannot protect his people wherever they are, what makes him a leader? So, Uwazuruike runs around his kitchen and thinks that Biafra starts from and ends in his kitchen. But the answer is no.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Going by what you are saying, you are suggesting that Nnamdi Kanu’s problem was caused by Uwazuruike, is that right?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> I wouldn’t say that Nnamdi’s problem was caused by Uwazuruike. Nnamdi came in because he was genuine; he wants to do something for our people. What Nnamdi Kanu is doing is not just for him, it’s what Biafran people have mandated him to do. That is why when he speaks; he speaks with every authority because he knows he is representing the Biafran future. Uwazuruike sees Nnamdi as a threat to his perceived empire acquisition and he started by kidnapping the IPOB leader in 2009, this is a known fact. After that, Uwazuruike and MASSOB kidnapped another person from the United States and after these things, MASSOB was labeled a terrorist group and these are stories he (Uwazuruike) never told anybody.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Going by what has been happening, are you convinced that Biafra is achievable?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> I’m much convinced that Biafra is achievable because I know that one day, Nigeria will tumble. If Nigeria does not tumble, I will have every cause to ask <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Chukwu Okike Abiama</i> (God) a question. Why did He refuse to destroy ‘Zoo’ (Nigeria) and then  Sodom and Gomorrah because from what I’m seeing, Sodom and Gomorrah were 1000 times better than Nigeria. So, if ‘Zoo’ does not go down this time, we will have reason to ask our <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Chukwu Okike Abiama</i> why He did not destroy ‘Zoo’ and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because they were nations far better than Nigeria.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">From the way you are sounding, you are averse to making peace with the Federal Government and getting your brother released from prison?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> If you are talking about peace, nobody goes to Aso Rock Villa without a business plan. If they are talking about this, it’s entirely a different thing. They can’t be holding me on the ground and you want me to negotiate with you. It doesn’t happen that way. If they want to negotiate with Nnamdi Kanu, bring him out, sit down with him eyeball to eyeball and negotiate. Nobody can negotiate for Nnamdi Kanu because he is a man of himself. He is not only a man but the leader of IPOB and he should be given that respect.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">As a matter of fact, do you have any advice for Uwazuruike?</b></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"> My advice for Uwazuruike is that if he knows something, he should go home and rest. His time is over, people don’t listen to him again because he has deceived our people for so many years and for  how long does he think he is going to do that? He should allow genuine Biafrans to fight this cause the way they should‑ and for Uwazuruike, he is done.</div> <br />

Uwazuruike bent on betraying Biafra –Kanunta, Nnamdi Kanu’s brother

Kanunta  Kanu is the im mediate younger brother of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who resides in Germ...

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