SAN FRANCISCO, November 27, (THEWILL) - A contractor (name withheld) needed to collect his payment for a contract he executed for the Lagos State Government. Having met a brick wall everywhere he went in the pursuit of his payment, his boon came up with a quick-fix. “Let’s go and see the ‘Lion of Bourdillon,’” he suggested to his contractor-friend.

 The contractor and his friend eventually managed to arrange a meeting with the ‘Lion’ at his Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi residence in the wee hours of the day. And as the ‘Lion’ listened to the contractor as he narrated his story, it was apparent that he was tired as all he could do in response was to yawn as he dragged himself from his chair.
 
“Lagos is tired,” the ‘Lion’ muttered, walking towards his bedroom, adding, “Eko wants to rest,” without minding his guests.
 
The bewildered contractor and his friend were confused as to what to do next as the ‘Lion’ banged the door behind them and went off to sleep. Some aides of the ‘Lion’ however advised the early-morning visitors to come back later that day and preferably at midnight.
 
When the duo returned at midnight, they had to wait till the wee hours again before being allowed to see the ‘Lion.’ This time, the ‘Lion’ had their time as he simply dialed a number, using his mobile phone and the contractor’s problem was instantly solved.
 
There is no doubt that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has become a personification of Lagos. Just as his word is law, he can do and undo. What started out like an act of drama at the beginning of the current democratic dispensation in 1999 has left Nigeria’s premier state, Lagos, as a mere fiefdom of Tinubu who bears the titular toga of the “Lion of Bourdillon.” Though there is nothing democratic about his bearing, he is, in fact, an Emperor.
 And there is no escaping the damning reality that Lagos is being plundered by a group of political usurpers who wear the cloak of democratic emancipators in an apparent case of parading immunity as impunity.
 
It is, indeed, an irony that the people of the South-west , despite their sophistication, have been hoodwinked into the present pitfall through the doctrines of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, being propagated  by some desperate self-acclaimed messiahs. These masqueraders disguised as democrats on the platform of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), purporting to emancipate the South-west from the injustice of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by a Yoruba son, the late Chief MKO Abiola. Sadly, they only ended up foisting a most fraudulent robber-baron on the Yoruba nation.
 
A man with a questionable past is today addressed as Bola Ahmed Tinubu and he could bear any name  from his weird past  such as Yekini Amoda Ogunlere , Hameed Sangodele ,  Yekini Amoda or even Bobo Chicago. Ever since his inglorious eight years rule as Governor of Lagos from 1999 to 2007 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), to date, he has more or less served as the chief looter who has unleashed the most egregious corruption and reckless looting on the treasury of Lagos State. Even as he hides under the guise of championing democratic principles, various frauds including financial crimes have been linked to him such that he can only be summed up as a perpetrator of diabolical deeds.
 
Tinubu was formally arraigned before the Code of Conduct tribunal in Abuja to defend himself against allegations that he operated foreign bank accounts between 1999 and 2007, while in office as governor, thus contravening Section 7 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap 56 LFN, 1990.
 
The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar, indeed had his hands full with the many charges against Tinubu. The charge sheet signed by the chief prosecutor, Kyari Ahmed, read : “That you Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, being a public officer, as listed in part II of the fifth schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and having subscribed to the Oath of Office as enshrined in the seventh schedule to the 1999 Constitution on assumption in office, as such engaged yourself in the operation and maintenance of several foreign bank accounts namely:
“Name of Bank – First Heritage Bank, Country Club Hill, Illinois, USA; Account Name, Bola Tinubu, Account Number – 263226700. Name of Bank – Citi Bank NA. New York, USA; Account Name – Bola Tinubu and Compass Finance and investment Company Limited; Account Nos – 39483134, 39483396, 4650279566, 00400220, 39936383. Name of Bank. Citi Bank International,  New York; Account Name, Bola Tinubu. Name of Bank – HSBC, 177 Great Portland Street London WIW60J: Account Name Sen Bola Tinubu; Account No. 71253670, Sort code-40-03-15. Name of Bank – HSBC, 177 Great Portland Street London WIW 60J; Account Name; Sen. Bola Oluremi Tinubu, Account No. 71253670, sort code 40-03-15. Name of Bank – HSBC, 177 Great Portland street London WIW 60J Account name, Sen. Bola Tinubu – money market, Account No.04320002DN. Name of Bank – HSBC, 177 Great Portland Street, London WIW 60J; Account name: Tinubu Zainab Abisola (Miss); Account No. 172447101. Name of Bank – HSBC, 177 Great Portland Street, London WIW 60J; Account Name, Tinubu Oluremi Shade, Account No. 41421522.”
 
The Society for Rule of Law in Nigeria (SRLN), has since hailed the Code of Conduct Tribunal over the criminal trial of Tinubu. The group described the trial as a welcome development, adding that “Nigerians, irrespective of their political affiliations, must begin to speak with one voice against corruption, because it (corruption) has no political party.”
 
In a statement issued by its Coordinator, Comrade Chima Ubeku, the SRLN said inter alia: “This is a kind of news that gladdens our hearts and we hope that the Code of Conduct Tribunal will pursue the case to a logical conclusion. He lied on oath by refusing to declare the operation of many foreign bank accounts in the assets declaration form CCB-1 he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau on 6th January, 2004. We are also waiting to hear from those bread and butter groups to make the kind of noise that they used to make whenever a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member is on trial for alleged corruption….”
 
However, in what many have come to accept as a political deal for delivering the South-west to the ruling PDP, the Federal Government let Tinubu off the hook and the matter was thrown out of the Tribunal on technical grounds.
 
Tinubu’s dubious activities came to the fore  quite early during  his tenure as Lagos Governor. After just being sworn-in in 1999, the late legal luminary and human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, instituted legal actions challenging Tinubu’s academic qualifications, which were discovered to be forged. The case of perjury, which has been hanging on his neck ever since then is yet to be dispensed with, even as he can no longer hide under immunity clause as a Governor. Being the questionable character he is said to be, the only response Tinubu could give to the premeditated Lagos House Assembly Ad-hoc Committee set up to clear him of the perjury charge raised against him by Chief Fawehinmi in 1999 was to admit full responsibility for some of the "needless errors,” whatever that means.
He told the convoluted story to the Kangaroo committee that as a result of the acrimonious primaries of the Alliance for Democracy in the run-up to the elections, that the information contained in both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) form and the affidavit of loss of certificates were supplied by one of his political aides, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi.
 
While the fraud spotted in the INEC Form CFO1 had exposed Tinubu as claiming that he attended St. Paul’s Primary School, Aroloya, Lagos for his primary school education, the Ad-hoc Committee helped him adjust it to the claim that he attended St. John's Primary School, Aroloya, Lagos. It was clearly a case of a grand fraud applied to cover an initial fraud because all through the findings of the kangaroo committee, no mention was made of any testimony from any of Tinubu’s classmates in the primary or secondary schools supporting his claims. It is as though Tinubu attended the school alone! The case has however refused to die as questions are frequently being asked on what has happened to the case.
 
The irrepressible Senator Ogunlewe had asked then: “Did Tinubu lie under oath that he attended St. Paul’s Primary School, Aroloya, Lagos, which was not and is not in existence; Government College, Ibadan and the University of Chicago?”
 
Some political pundits opine that the case is still being covered because Tinubu still goes ahead to bribe those who could bring him to justice on the issue, including security agencies. He keeps boasting that he will always get off the hook because all officials within the Nigerian system have their price tags.
 
It needs to be recalled that in 2007, a group called the Lagos Progressive Movement fingered Tinubu and his political godson, Babatunde Raji Fashola, in a huge land scam running into several billions of naira in Lagos State. In a public statement issued on the matter, the group had noted:  “We, the Lagos Progressives Movement once again wish to update fellow Nigerians on the various land scams perpetuated by former Governor Bola Tinubu and being covered up by Governor Babatunde Fashola. The facts are true and verifiable. We have gone further to quote real names of collaborators and addresses of properties for readers to verify themselves. Tinubu is the number one landlord in Lagos and has turned Lagos land worth trillions of Naira into his personal possession to be used freely or given away unaccounted for. Even after he left office, Tinubu  continues to steal Lagos land under the watch of Fashola. He gives out Lagos land to curry political favours and still occasionally signs certificates of occupancy even as ex-governor and backdating them to the period he was in office. These brazen acts of corruption are being perpetrated with the active collaboration of select few public officers who are obscenely wealthy at the expense of Lagos tax payers. His accomplices in the frauds are Gbenga Ashafa - former Permanent Secretary, Land’s Bureau,  since 2001; Mrs. Awofisayo - former Permanent Secretary and a relation of Bola Tinubu from Iragbiji, Osun State; Hakeem Muri-Okunola - former Personal Assistant (PA) to Tinubu and now Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands; Mrs Nike Animashaun and  Tunji Olowolafe, who was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission 
(EFCC) and detained for three days and later released, following the allegations of financial impropriety leveled against Governor Babatunde Fashola.
For more on the story
http://thewillnigeria.com/politics/17289.html

If you have any case against "the lion of burdillon" go to the courts. the "lion" suits me than some morbidly corrupt drunkard from the creeks.
P.S. It is none of your business if we embrace Tinubu in the SW.

Nigeria...

Thief

Hmmmm!

This makes me green with envy in vice

jaymichael: If you have any case against "the lion of burdillon" go to the courts. the "lion" suits me than some morbidly corrupt drunkard from the creeks.
P.S. It is none of your business if we embrace Tinubu in the SW.

I am from the SW too so get a life

At the mention of this ex gov. I get bitter and feel like giving souvenir to Gej for his lapses!!

Its over 7yrs ago since Tinubu last held any political office In this 8yrs of service Plus 7yrs post governorship, He wasnt convicted of one single thing

Jagaban may you live long

Little wonder why he's called THIEF.nubu.

raumdeuter: Its over 7yrs ago since Tinubu last held any political office In this 8yrs of service Plus 7yrs post governorship, He wasnt convicted of one single thing

Jagaban may you live long

he was charged by the Code of Conduct Bureau for operating foreign account while in government. CCB is an Agency of the FG. Tinubu was cleared by the court(Federal Court) in Abuja. He was given a clean slate. If the PDP led govt have any case, they should use efcc, icpc, ccb and the special fraud unit of the police to prosecute him. It is as simple as ABC!!!!

I won't even comment further cos I dnt engage in beer parlor gossips

Beer parlour gist... Mschew

Op you are belittling your ebola jonathan by comparing him-a president to an ordinary ex governor of a tiny state of Lagos!

Go back to your sponsor and tell him, we have dismissed the case for want of evidence.

jaymichael: If you have any case against "the lion of burdillon" go to the courts. the "lion" suits me than some morbidly corrupt drunkard from the creeks.
P.S. It is none of your business [size=13pt]if we embrace Tinubu in the SW[/size].

Then why is it your problem when the rest of the country embrace GEJ?

CORRUPTION lives in Tinubu

bossmini84:
I am from the SW too so get a life

bossmini84: Hey ppl these are paid TROLLS by the american company in charge of APC campaing. Its called Astroturfing they want to use the social media to spread the anti jona sentiments so ppl be art withGEJ till 2019

bossmini84: I belive wat she is implying APC is a jihadist party, we christian yourbas would neva allow dem to get power enuf islamization of nigeria stupid ppl, and all islamist TROllS get a new job.

To start with, you are not Yoruba, you are ibo and not only that, you are a disgusting ignorant bigot.

You clowns really don't have to hide behind other people to spew your hate and bigoted nonsense, be yourself, it's liberating...

Eko wants to sleep

Sincere9gerian: CORRUPTION lives in Tinubu

Are you not saying your corruption aso rock looter, friend of looters, pardoner of looters and grand facilitator of looting activities in Nigeria refused to arrest, prosecute and jail corrupt Tinubu because he himself is the corruption and incompetent grand wizard of Nigeria? Abi his job is no longer to protect and uphold the laws of Nigeria as the commander in chief and the chief law enforcement of Nigeria..?


You corrupt and incompetent people should know by now that you have zero moral authority to say anything about corruption until you arrest and jail people like Tinubu if you really have the goods on them...

Nonsense!!!

What stops Jona-daft from prosecuting him, abi Nairaland resemble Federal High Court??

aresa:








To start with, you are not Yoruba, you are ibo and not only that, you are a disgusting ignorant bigot.

You clowns really don't have to hide behind other people to spew your hate and bigoted nonsense, be yourself, it's liberating...

you headless non-entity yes my post history openly shows I hate APC how dear you context my tribe I am a proud egba man

Every member of APC is now a Lion....

Amaechi - Lion of Ubima
Tinubu - Lion of Bongafish.. (or something like that)

Soon Buhari - Lion of Sambisa....

Abeg mesef, Hardywaltz - Lion of Niaraland

Lion koo, sheep nii..

bossmini84: you headless non-entity yes my post history openly shows I hate APC how dear you context my tribe I am a proud egba man

bossmini84: All my klose childhood frnd we're igbo, its so bad I dnt even like yourba gals but igbo I guess it cos most yourbas always mock me. Even wen in skul. Buh I can't speak both lang. I do hear yourba sha can speak a little buh the tonation is way off dats wat gives me away then wen they hear the name the go gaga

You a proud Egba man, but you can not speak Yoruba.

You are a proud Egba man, but you grew up around ibo people.

You are a proud Egba man, but you don't like Yoruba women and you prefer ibo women.

So, what art of you is Yoruba? The part your lying and crooked asss made up.


Some of you need serious psychiatric and bipolar evaluation..

jaymichael: If you have any case against "the lion of burdillon" go to the courts. the "lion" suits me than some morbidly corrupt drunkard from the creeks.
P.S. It is none of your business if we embrace Tinubu in the SW.

Who is we ? Osun people ?

This 2014 thread has become relevant today as Senator Bola Tinubu is seeking to be elected president of Nigeria.

From this report we can see Senator Tinubu's political philosophy and style and how he rose to become a behemoth in Nigerian politics today.

The lion that shall be domesticated in 2023 by a real hero, hunter, business man , man of the people, real politician