Lawan, Gbajabiamila, Marwa,
Pantami, BTO,others make Triangle International Awards in London.

Prominent media Platform, Triangle News international Magazine has concluded plans to honor outstanding Nigerian Lawmakers of the 9th Assembly as part of events of the 2023 Triangle International Magazine Awards.

As released by the Publisher of Triangle News Media, publisher Femi Salako, from his Manchester Office today 22th of April,2023,the Lawmakers will be selected based on their outstanding performances, as members of the 9th National Assembly and their contributions towards the holistic growth and development of their respective Constituency and Senatorial District.

The event is also scheduled to hold in London, United Kingdom, on the 6th of May, 2023

On the list of prominent Nigerians, who have been shortlisted for the Award in various categories are, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide SanwoOlu, President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, and
Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Professor Isah Ali Ibrahim Pantami. Others, who are to be honored for their Outstanding Performances in the 9th National Assembly, are Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, Sen. Tolu Odebiyi, Sen.Remi Tinubu, Sen. Barau Jibril, Sen. Aliyu Wamakko, Sen. Abba Moro , Sen Opeyemi Bamidele , Sen Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, Biodun Olujimi, Mohammed Sani Musa, Senator Adamu Aliero, Senator Elijah Abbo

Also, are , Honorables Mayowa Akinfolarin, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo - Ondo, Babajimi Benson,
Abass Tajudeen, Hon BAGO, Ade Adeogun, Hon Aliyu Betara, Hon. Elder Leke Abejide, Hon. Timehin Adelegbe, Hon.Tajudeen Abass, Aliyu Magaji Dau, and Hon. Alhassan Ado Dogowa.

Organisers of the award, say the nomination and eventual ratification of the nominees, was after a painstaking assessment of their commitment to good governance, particularly in the last four years, in the Nigeria.

The supreme desire of man is honesty and sincerity; he desires to be thoughtful, transparent, friendly, open and simple with earnestness of purpose, to laugh and smile and extend hands of fellowship to other men, but man’s wishes have always been the bane and the root of unhappiness and ultimate failure of man.


Man advocates for love, but he gets hate in return; he desires to live peacefully, but he gets discriminated against; wants to be healthy and free of sickness but he may fall ill. He desires for others to live, yet he is wanted dead or alive?


He deals transparently, but others desire to deceive albeit without conscience. He desires to have an open-door policy, but his doors are forcefully closed by the unyielding force of mistrust.

The mosaic laws say an eye for an eye, but the good new man says turn the other chick, do man stay aloof until he gets mauled?

Should man show indifference until your lies stick on him?

Does he allow injustice to thrive for peace to reign? What a reign of impudence!!!


Should a good conscience stand chaos? Can the two co-exist? Never!

They gather in their numerous cabals, their voices seem louder and heard amongst the judges, a reminder of the ignoble ‘crucify yea’ regime, yet you stand aloof, and bereavement gets closer and closer without restrain.

Action, you must take to restrain the evil one, yes! The evil one must be restrained in his (its) efforts to cause needless havoc.

Could the biblical eye for an eye principle be relevant here?

From day one, they indeed gathered, plotted, planned, conceived, and devised evil to frustrate, undermine and bring to naught your goodness, plans and thoughts for the society.

You raised a genuine alarm, you are told to keep tranquility; all is well, the landlady echoes with the voice of peace. All is well, the good old neighbours calmly advise and they regurgitate repeatedly.


You are greeted with seeming excitement on their faces, but experience is the best teacher. You look beyond the fascia of excitement and respond with cautiousness.


Indeed, the device of the evil one has come to naught as your triumph is heard all over the length and breadth of the north and south.


Yes you triumphed. Keep calm! 🙏🏼

TFA –
21.04.2023

Census: NPC Leadership Has Failed, Should Be Replaced By A Competent Team - Reps-Member Elect Agbese

A House of Reps member-elect, Chief Philip Agbese, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the leadership of the National Population Commission (NPC) over gross incompetence.

Agbese said the Nasir Isa Kwarra Commission has already shown to be incapable of achieving the mandate given by the Federal Government.

The member-elect representing Ado/ Okpokwu/ Ogbadibo federal constituency of Benue State spoke to newsmen on Friday following the postponement of the training for enumerators and supervisors.

Recall that the NPC had earlier postponed the census earlier billed for March 29 to between May 3 and May 5.

And Agbese said the Commission has not done enough in terms of training,
publicity, security, and logistics to guarantee a successful census.

According to him, the NPC is ill-prepared for the task despite the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approving N2.8 billion for it to procure software for the exercise.

He said there are no signs that the Commission will commence building numbering and household listing proposed for April 17 not to talk about the census.

He said: "The 2020 World Population and Housing Census Programme was approved by the Statistical Commission at its 46th session and adopted by the United Nations Economic and Social Council in resolution E/RES/2015/10.

"The Programme recognizes population and housing censuses as one of the primary sources of data needed for formulating, implementing, and monitoring policies and programs aimed at inclusive socioeconomic development and environmental sustainability.

"Data from the census are critical for good governance, policy formulation, development planning, crisis prevention, mitigation and response, social welfare programs, and business market analyses.

"However, this exercise is among the most complex and massive peacetime a nation can undertake. It requires careful planning, resourcing, and implementation – from mapping an entire country, mobilizing and training large numbers of enumerators, and conducting major public awareness campaigns, to canvassing all households, carefully monitoring census activities, and analyzing, disseminating, and using the resulting data.

"The NPC is not ready from the look of things. They have failed to conduct ordinary training personnel. While I welcome the use of high-end technology, there has really been no explanation on how it will be deployed.

"If we must get it right, then the current leadership of the NPC must make way for a more vibrant, robust, and digitally savvy team. We can't be ridiculed in the eyes of the world".

By Uche John Madu

The name rings a bell to those that understand selfless service. It also rings a bell to those who understand that leadership is about taking care of those in your charge, making the goals clear, rolling your sleeves up, and doing whatever it takes to help people win.
The general elections have come and gone, and the country is set for a new course in formulating and implementing sound policies and programmes that would address the challenges confronting the country. This would not happen by a stroke of luck but rather efforts towards ensuring that round pegs are in round roles to ensure that governance runs smoothly, especially in the sensitive legislative arm of government.
Interestingly, the leadership of the National Assembly has yet to elicit the attention it deserves because Nigerians see it as a party affair. This does not seem right. In every democratic nation, fundamental principles form the foundation of good governance. In virtually all democratic systems, there are three basic arms of government, namely the legislature, executive and judiciary. The primary role of the legislature is to make laws, the executive implements or executes such laws and the judiciary interprets the laws.
The state of the legislature has been identified as the strongest predictor of the survival of every democratic development. Legislature serves as an essential constituent for any democratic government and a significant factor in its sustenance. It has been widely acknowledged that an effective legislature is essential to democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and economic and social development. The legislature plays an important role in the life of a nation to bring about good governance.
In light of the above, we must admit that the need to get it right with the choice of leaders for the 10th National Assembly is of great importance and why competence, experience and credibility should be placed above ethnic or religious considerations. These considerations are in the country's best interest and not the interest of political parties. This much we must admit if indeed we are desirous of making any meaningful impact in the lives of the people in the incoming administration.
As at the last count, the number of those aspiring for the speakership position in the Federal House of Representatives has reached an alarming number. There are those whose aspiration is premised on regional sentiments, ethnic sentiments and also religious sentiments. And it makes a caricature of the whole process.
I belong to the school of thought that leadership should be about competence and experience, not ethnic or religious considerations. This has been a trend that yielded little in terms of delivering on the mandate over the years. Should we then continue in a trend that has not served its purpose?
We must come to terms with our reality, especially with regard to the leadership of the 10th National Assembly. Those advocating for ethnic and religious considerations are not in tune with the enormity of the task. Do we need such now? The answer is no. We need leaders with a national outlook, armed with the requisite experience and strength of character, to lead in a manner that would unite and bring about meaningful development at this critical point of our existence.
This reality is gradually gaining traction in our political life, which is a good omen. As a development expert, I have taken time to scrutinize the credentials of all aspirants that have indicated an interest in the speakership position and came to the conclusion that amongst the lot, Hon Aminu Sani Jaji fits the bill perfectly.
My conclusion is hinged on his antecedent and commitment to sustaining democracy and good governance over the years. Hon Aminu Sani Jaji, the former House of Representatives Committee on Intelligence and Internal Security chairman, is familiar with leadership. He is such a passionate leader who has, on several occasions demonstrated his grasp of issues related to the national question of sustainable growth and development.
He is different from your regular politician who grandstands to curry favour from the electorates. He is a brave heart whose contributions to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria have been applauded in several forums. He has braved the odds to speak out on crucial national issues regardless of the vested interest phenomenon.
He has built bridges across the divide, reinforcing his cosmopolitan nature and desire to see a strong ad united Nigeria. Make no mistakes; he is not a saint. You could accuse him of several things, but one can’t be his passion for standing on the side of truth and the people.
I am privileged to have interacted with him on several occasions. And one thing stands out; he is a dispassionate individual who speaks power to the truth. Highly detribalized and passionate about good governance. This much can be seen in his contributions on the floor of the green chambers that have elicited tremendous respect from colleagues and stakeholders in the Nigerian project.
That he has signified interest in the speakership position should give well-meaning Nigerians a cause for celebration because he would bring to bear his years of experience as a sound legislator in leading the hallowed green chambers of the National Assembly. Therefore, the APC leadership should heed the counsel of ceding the speakership position to competence and experience.
This is not the time for ethnic and religious experiments. The country is on the brink, and our watchword should be nothing short of the best. As mentioned earlier, Hon Aminu Sani Jaji rings a bell to those who understand selfless service by clarifying the goals and then rolling your sleeves up and doing whatever it takes to help people win. And with Hon Aminu Sani Jaji as speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, the people will win.

Madu is a public affairs analyst based in Lagos

APC INTEGRITY CAUCUS RAISES ALARM OVER PLOT BY OPPOSITION PARTIES TO TAKE OVER KANO AND THE ENTIRE NORTH WEST ZONE FROM APC



The APC Integrity Caucus(AIC), a coalition of Stakeholders of the party drawn from the National Assembly and Business Community has raised the alarm over what it called a desperate attempt by opposition parties to take over Kano and the entire North West Zone from the APC.
Speaking with newsmen on the incessant calls by members of the opposition parties, especially the New Nigeria People's Party(NNPP) on the APC leadership not to zone the Senate Presidency to the North West, the group said it was part of a grand design to deny the zone of a powerful government position so as to dig in, expand membership and ultimately take over Kano and the entire region in 2027.

The group's Spokesperson who addressed the press on behalf the group, Hon Musa Ahmed Jauro Dutse said the whole essence of these opposition parties crying more than the bereaved on the Zoning issue is simply to mislead the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other leaders of the APC into jettisoning the North West for them to overrun.
"We have uncovered their grand plots to engage in massive propaganda to demarket the North West Zone from the Senate Presidency race because of their desperate and selfish interest in taking over the zone- In the absence of a strong political office holder in the mould of the Senate President-That is why we are exposing them so that our leaders like the President-Elect will not be carried away by their antics.
The North West gave the highest votes to our party in the Presidential election and that justice and fairness demands that the zone be compensated for the feat. Instead, they are busy mischievously plotting against the APC in other to take over the zone in 2027.We must resist them, we must not allow them to succeed in their desperate plans. The North West must not be pushed aside in the race, rather the zone should be compensated for being the highest voting block. The Zone needs to be supported to have the Senate President’s slot so it can be put in the best position to do more for APC in 2027 God willing".
The group advised that since the South West had taken the Presidency and North East, the Vice-Presidency, it was only expedient to allow the North West take the Senate Presidency. The North West is the fulcrum of the Hausa/Fulani people of Nigeria. Whatever happens to the North West, has direct or indirect effect(s)on all the Hausa Fulani people of Nigeria;
So if the Senate Presidency is zoned to the North West,it can be said to have been zoned to the entirety of the Hausa Fulani people of Nigeria",the group stated.
The group re-stated its full support for the candidature of Senator Barau I.Jibrin for the presidency of the 10th Senate for he has the requisite competence, cognate experience, capacity and above all is the highest ranking senator among the senators in the zone.

10th National Assembly; We salute the Unity of our Governors for APC Consensus Speakership Candidate


As the race for the leadership of the 10th National begins to gather momentum, we are delighted by the determination of our Governors and stakeholder as they begin to express their determination to prevent the ugly scenarios of the past, where the National Assembly, may be one, which may be working at cross-purpose with the Executive arm, a situation, which can impede of the progress of the country.


Since the end of the 2023 General elections, individuals and groups have intensified efforts, at seeking stakeholders support, particularly in getting the endorsement of State Governors, who are believed, to command the loyalty, of the elected National Assembly members from their state.

Of important note, is the emergence of Aspirants for the Speaker-ship of the House of Representatives, which is is set to be inaugurated in less than 60 days from now.


Against sponsored media reports, particularly in the social media, that some state Governors, have endorsed the candidature of the current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Ahmed Idris Wase, for the position of the House Speaker, we are aware, that Governors, across the party lines, have promised to support, only candidates chosen by the Party, for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, a decision we applaud, and and agree with, as being in the interest of our democracy.

We strongly condemn every attempt at sponsoring social and conventional media attack on aspirants and the party leadership, by some desperate politicians, whose only approach to seeking the leadership of the House, is by brandishing false endorsements, bulldozing their way and blackmailing others.

We cannot but recall, the controversy, which charaterised the election of the leadership of the 8th National Assembly in 2015.

May we at this point, commend our governors, including Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Nyesom Wike of Rivers among others have openly committed, to supporting whoever is chosen by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the position of the House Speaker. The decision by the governors, is aimed at avoiding a repeat, of the 2015 scenario, witnessed during the election of the National Assembly leadership.


We are also glad, that they have restated their commitment to working together, with the President elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the party’s leadership, in order to ensure that decisions regarding the leadership of the incoming National Assembly, are collective and also remain one, which will promote the collective aspiration of the incoming administration, towards, the progress of the country.

The time we are, is such a sensitive one, that must promote National reconciliation, deepen our unity a s progress as a nation, and most importantly, ensure equity and fair play, in the interest of our democracy.

We are once again calling Nigerians, particularly lovers of democracy, to support actions, particularly the decisions of the leadership of the governing party, so as to ensure, that the next National Assembly, is led by experienced, competent and integrity personified leadership.


Onward together.



Signed:

Hon. Suleiman Mahmoud
President, National Democratic Alliance


Comrade Olufemi Lawson
Secretary General

Comrade Benjamin Igali
National Publicity Secretary

Current political realities cum the true state of the nation demands that Nigeria gets it right by entrenching the right and proper leadership in its institutions.

Much of the problem we have faced as a nation is as a result of the dearth of leadership which we have been plagued with collectively. While majority of Nigerians are elated with the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the president-elect of the country, there's is still more to be done to ensure that Tinubu's presidency gives Nigerians the much expected and desired change.

And in achieving this, there's a need for the emergence of a speaker at the house of representatives who is fit and tailored enough to create a legislative backing for the Executive to dutifully deliver on its promises to thr Nigerian people.

The outgoing leadership of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, will definitely leave a big shoe to be filled for the next speaker, in the history of the green chamber, Gbajabiamila has arguably led one of the most peaceful, diplomatic and most productive house and to a very great extend, this has brought out the beauty of our democratic system.

And as we look forward the future, it's important we build on our successes to record more success. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, member representing Zaria Federal Constituency in the National Assembly under the auspices of the All Progressives Congress holds the much required qualities needed to succeed Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

The high ranking lawmaker is a man of unblemished integrity and he is manifestly loved and trusted by his fellow federal lawmakers.


The Federal Representative representing Zaria constituency served in the green chamber from
May 2011 to May 2019, before getting pursuing a second term.

In between these period, he is the Chairman at Land Transport Committee until May 2023; Committee Member at Commerce Committee (Reps) to May 2015; Committee Member at Finance Committee (Reps) to May 2015; Committee Member at Special Duties Committee (Reps) to May 2015; Committee Member at Defence Committee (Reps) to May 2015; Vice-Chairman at Legislative Compliance Committee (Reps) to May 2015 ; Committee Member at Public Procurement Committee (Reps) to May 2015; Committee Member at National Planning and Economic Development Committee (Reps) to May 2015.

On bills sponsorship, Tajudeen seems to be first to none in the 9th House of Representative having sponsored 75 bills within the life of the National Assembly.

The bills he sponsored have direct and indirect positive impacts on his constituents and across the nation, Nigeria. The bills are at various stages. While many of them have passed 1st, 2nd and 3rd Reading. Some of them have also been passed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

President Buhari recently signed into law National Blood Transfusion Bill and a Bill for an Act to Repeal the Nigeria Council for Management Development Act Cap N99 Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and National Centre for Economic Management and Administration Act Cap. N14 Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Enact the Nigeria Council for Management Development Bill 2021 and for Related Matters (HB 1119). These were sponsored by Dr. Tajudeen.

Similarly, Buhari had few months ago signed into law 21 Federal Medical Centres across the country. 18 out of these medical centres were sponsored by Dr. Abbas Tajudeen. The 21 Federal Medical Centres signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari include,. Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Federal Medical Centre, AwareFederal Medical Centre, Bida, Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kudu,Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, Federal Medical Centre, Gusau,Federal Medical Centre, Ado-Ekiti and Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo.

Others are;Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi,Federal Medical Centre, Nguru,Federal Medical Centre, Owerri,Federal Medical Centre, Owo
,Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Federal Medical Centre, Wase,Federal Medical Centre, Yenegoa and Federal Medical Centre, Hong.

Apart from FMC Abuja, FMC Wase and FMC Hong, all other Federal Medical Centres listed above were sponsored by Dr. Abbas Tajuddeen.

Motions set by him are, Multiple statutory violations by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and need for Legislative Intervention to Foster Fiscal Responsibility; Urgent need to regulate the uncoordinated establishment of Pharmaceutical shops and Medical Clinics in Nigeria; Need to Investigate the Congestion and Double Parking of Trailers at Maraban Jos in Igabi Local Government and Tafa in Kagarko Local Government Areas of Kaduna State along Zaria – Kaduna – Abuja Express way.”

Others are, Urgent need to initiate Strict measures to address the Menace of Overloading of commercial vehicles on Nigerian Roads; Need to regulate visiting Lecturing by the National Universities Commission (NUC); The Need to stop Medical Officers in Public Service of the Federation from Engaging in private Medical Practice for personal gains; The Need for Federal Government to re visit the return of toll gates in our Federal Highways for effective maintenance and enhanced security.

We also have, The need for FIRS and other relevant Revenue Generating agencies to employ the use of biometrics in establishing, ascertaining and assessing ownership of Landed properties in Federal Capital Abuja for the purpose of tax and other related matters; The need to investigate the alleged cover-up by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation and Federal Ministry of Finance on persons involved with inflating salary/wages of MDA staff as a fallout of the recently introduced IPPIS system. Urgent need for the House to intervene in the brewing crisis between the Federal Government and ASUU on the implementation of the integrated payroll and personal information system IPPIS in Federal Universities.

Capital projects done by him includes, Zaria Federal Constituency which Tajudeen represents consists of 13 wards and there are projects executed by this lawmaker on each of these wards (2019 to 2023).Construction and Equipping of Primary Health Center Bizara, Dambo Ward, Zaria; Construction and Equipping of Modern ICT Centre Amaru, Kwarbai A Ward, Zaria; Construction of 2Blocks of 6 Class rooms JSS Dallatu, Dutsen Abba ;Ward,Construction of Solar Powered Borehole with 20,000 Litres Steel Overhead Tank at Magume, Tukur Tukur Ward, Zaria and Road Rehabilitation from Anguwan Kaya Junction to FCE Junction, Anguwa Kaya, Gyallesu ward, Zaria among many others.

The aforementioned lay further credence to the capacity and capability of Hon. Tajudeen to distinctly offer Nigerians the much needed legislative input leading the Green Chamber.

Based on his political trajectory, it can be objectively agreed that he has gathered enough experience with an unblemished record in the House of Representatives from 2011 in the 7th Assembly to date.

He is among the few lawmakers in the 9th National Assembly that stand out in legislative activities and constituency programme and projects.

No doubt, if given the opportunity to serve the house as its next speaker, the well-groomed educationist, administrator par excellence and a political juggernaut with stronghold at the grassroots and a significant national appeal, Honourable Abbas Tajudeen will indeed use his versatile knowledge and experience to excellently pilot the affairs of Nigeria’s next green chamber as speaker.

Femi Adeniyi writes from Ikeja

By Godswill Edosa

In the countdown to Tinubu's inauguration, several disturbing developments are already playing out. Whether real or fake. One such is the report that the President-elect has penciled down Femi Gbajabiamila, the current speaker of the House of Reps, for the position of Chief of Staff. Nothing can be more bewildering coming in the wake of the brouhaha generated by the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the incoming Tinubu presidency.
While Tinubu, as at the time he was handed the APC ticket, did not have control over the faith of who became his party's national chairman and while he might have little or no room to maneuver his way out of the arm twisting that led to picking a Muslim as running mate, this one about Gbajabiamila, another Muslim, on the way to Chief of Staff seat, is too debilitatingly insulting.
The picture one gets of the incoming Tinubu Presidency, if the Gbajabiamila tale is true, is that of the four topmost offices in the Presidency three had already gone to the Muslims. These four are the President, his Vice, the Secretary to the Government, and the Chief of Staff.
It is a fact that opposition to the Tinubu - Shetima ticket erupted preponderantly among Christians of the nation who justifiably are scared of a Muslim-dominated government after Buhari. A Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff will only ratify rather than allay the apprehensions of Christians. Does it mean Tinubu does not have a worthy Christian in the entire pool of his associates? Or is it hatred for Christianity as pushed in some quarters?

By Kunle Ashimolowo

Despite streams of criticism, the Nigerian Armed Forces have demonstrated strength, nobility, and capacity in the preservation of Nigeria's nascent democracy. As an important stakeholder and critical institution, the Armed Forces have played a key role in the sustenance of democracy in the country.

Since its return to civil rule in May 1999, several challenges have confronted Nigeria. Some of these issues bother national unity, inspiring a sense of belonging in some parts of the country, ensuring peace, stability as well as management of the economy.

Of course, achieving peace was particularly crucial to the progress and prosperity of the nation at that crucial stage of our democratic experience, and without the active support of the troops, the desired stability would have eluded us as a people.

To date, officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces have continued to pay huge prices for peace in the country, supporting the sustenance of our 22-year-old democracy. Several lives were lost along the way especially in the fight to crush the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East region. Banditry, militancy, and kidnapping across the country have also come with painful consequences. These officers and men are made to stay away from their families for a long period solely in the service of defending the territorial integrity of our dear country.

The Nigerian Armed Forces have demonstrated loyalty to all democratically elected authorities at all levels of our federation. Although there were rumours of possible coups, no such thing materialised even in the wake of several national crises witnessed since the return to democratic governance. There was no such attempt because the Armed Forces knew that a new era has evolved.

In all fairness, the Armed Forces deserve all the kudos for resisting the urge to once again, get themselves enmeshed in politics which is not part of their orientation. They have placed themselves in the same realm as their counterparts in other advanced democracies across the globe. Our beloved troops have the trappings of national unity hence they remain a bastion of hope for the feasibility of a workable and united Nigeria.

In most of their recent activities, in the bid to protect the territorial integrity of our dear country, the Armed Forces have clearly shown that presently, they are the only institution with patriotic and nationalistic zeal in the discharge of their statutory responsibilities. No other known body exudes such nationalistic flavor as the armed forces.

Succinctly put, the Nigerian Armed Forces are "tireless and heroic"; therefore, the simple act of appreciating their efforts must be enacted to propel them to do more for the preservation of our national values and nationhood. The success stories recorded so far in the war against insurgency and other security threats are quite encouraging. The current efforts to take the battle to the camps of the bandits are unprecedented in the history of African warfare against insurgency.

On top of that, the Nigerian Armed Forces have been supportive of efforts to relocate internally displaced people in the North East to their ancestral homes, an action that has helped reclaim territories earlier held by insurgents in the region. So, therefore, showing gratitude to these selfless Nigerians should form an integral part of our lives as a people.

Appreciation, as they say, has a spirit of compelling the recipient to go to astonishing levels to achieve more. It is an incentive with unimaginable level of stimulation. For instance, when the Independent Electoral Commission warned that insecurity could pose a serious to the conduct of the 2023 general elections, the president was goaded to give a matching order to the Armed Forces to secure the nation by taking the fight to the enclaves of the bandits in the forest.

Consequently, the troops under the leadership of the Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor swung into action by launching a sustained bombardment of terrorists' hideouts across the country, particularly in the red zone areas where activities of kidnappers and bandits had peaked. It is against this background of the current onslaught that vice president-elect Senator Kashim Shettima made a huge case for the Armed Forces, insisting that they are overstretched and need a lot more from the government.

For braving all odds in the fight against insecurity, Shettima commended the Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor during the 21st century Chronicle Roundtable held in Abuja. While applauding the vision of the CDS, the VP-elect said that General Irabor's efforts in bringing the needed synergy among security services which has eradicated inter-agency rivalry, is a milestone that has significantly reduced the myriads of security challenges facing the country.

According to Senator Shettima, the newfound bond among the security services initiated by the CDS has been evident in the battle against bandits, terrorists, and other violent groups in the country which has recorded huge success.

Undoubtedly, the Nigerian Armed Forces is truly the pride of the nation. Therefore, beyond scorning them for their shortcomings, we ought to celebrate and appreciate officers and men of the Armed Forces as obtained in other advanced democracies where every troop is recognised with a medal of honor as a mark of appreciation for the protection of its territorial integrity as well as preservation and sustenance their social values. The Nigerian Armed Forces should be encouraged to do more in serving the country, performing better, protecting and sustaining our cherished democracy, and continuously defending the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

Therefore, the men and officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the line of battle deserve appreciation. They deserve kudos as a simple act from Nigerians who are the beneficiaries of their sacrifices to protect the nation's territorial integrity and lives. We must also appreciate and commend the invaluable contributions and sacrifices of the CDS, General Lucky Irabor who has led in the decimation and eventual defeat of the numerous terrorist groups and banditry across Nigeria.

This very significant effort has earned Nigeria international recognition as one of the few countries in the world to confront and subdue terrorism in record time. So, as the Nigerian Armed Forces make steady and consolidated progress in completely obliterating any trace of terrorism in the country, they deserve our support and appreciation. The unflinching commitment of these officers to defeat terror can only be bolstered if only we value them.

It is, therefore, safe to say that the Nigerian Armed Forces is the most engaged on the continent in the last few years because of the myriads of battles they have had to fight to protect the territory of the country. And to give credence to what the Nigerian Armed Forces are doing to bring peace and stability to Nigeria, Oyo state Governor, Seyi Makinde at the official flag-off of the construction of the 671 air force Base in Ajia area of Ibadan noted that their efforts in the fight against insurgency, banditry, and other security threats in various parts of the country are unappreciated, a situation he described as sad and unacceptable if we must embolden the spirit of our troops towards total eradication of terror in our land.

We must keep praying and appreciating the officers and men of the Armed Forces for curbing the activities of terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers as peace has evidently returned to most parts of the country. Long Live the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.


Ashimolowo wrote this article from Ajah, Lagos. Email:

*2023 Polls: Group berates Zamfara Governor, Matawalle over false accusations against military*

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights (CALSER) has accused Governor Bello Matawalle of displaying undemocratic tendencies following his defeat at the last election.

The Centre, at a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, said the utterly bitter Matawaalle has blamed a myriad of factors for his loss at the polls, ranging from the naira redesign to most recently, the military. 

In his address, Okwa Daniels, the Director of Communication and Strategy said the governor is now inciting the public in a manner that could enable anarchists to disrupt the peace of the land.

Daniels rubbished the claim that more soldiers were sent to the state for the elections than to combat banditry.

According to him, Matawalle may have implied that the deployment of troops frustrated his plan to deploy the bandits on his payroll for voter intimidation

"We, therefore, found it bizarre that Matawalle is now claiming that soldiers were deployed to punish him for challenging the naira redesign policy," Daniels added.

"After all, he is not the only one who challenged the policy. The governors of Kaduna, Kogi, Ondo, Ekiti, Katsina, Ogun, Cross River, Sokoto, and Lagos states are part of the suit that challenged the naira redesign policy of the Federal Government and elections held in these states, even though only for state assemblies in some these states.

"Some of the governors of these states lost in the elections or their proteges lost, while some of the governors that did not challenge the Federal Government on the policy also took beatings at the polls. Matawalle should thus ask himself why he is the only one blaming the Federal Government for his defeat by a better-articulated opponent.

"We see the Governor's outburst as a desperate move to warm himself into the heart of the president-elect, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, which is most unfortunate, because the incoming government at the centre does not deserve to be burdened by a political plague like Matawalle. It is our fervent hope that the president-elect would see beyond the charade and treat Matawalle as a person of interest when reviewing the insecurity and banditry that has troubled the northwest.

"He should be able to clarify the extent to which he empowered the criminal and explain the roles they played in propping him up in office, what portion of the state’s security votes was passed on to the criminals, their proxies in his cabinet and other information that will help extricate Nigeria from the crisis into which his indiscretion has put Nigeria in."

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights (CALSER), however, urged "Nigerians to note the fresh dangers constituted to the country by Matawalle and his unguarded tantrums, through which he is attempting to undermine the Nigerian military as an institution that interferes in elections when this is not true."

It added: "It is on record that the military, particularly the army, played stabilizing roles across the country during the 2023 General Elections to the extent that it was repeatedly commended by political players across party lines all over the country.

"Also, Matawelle is knowingly fueling the misplaced discontent of the children of anger who had concluded that mere rants on social media would win them elections and who are now looking for excuses and validation to ground the country with protests in their bid to frustrate the inauguration of the next government and consequently precipitate an interim government – something that will truncate democracy.

"Even though the Department of State Services (DSS) did not mention names when it confirmed that proponents of an interim government are holding meetings to intensify their efforts, Matawalle, by making these unfounded accusations to provoke protests against government institutions, has exposed himself as one of those pursuing the formation of an interim government in the event that he cannot ingratiate himself on the president-elect.

"The Zamfara State Governor has become a loose cannon that must be immediately railed in. We CALSER hereby tell Matawalle in clear terms that he must not drag the image of the Nigerian military into his poor outings in managing the security crisis in his state, which ultimately led to his defeat.

"He practically failed to provide good governance and has been consequently rejected by his people and the masses. He should live with this outcome and correct his ways instead of seeking to do more damage by exporting his toxic politics to the national level."

The North Central Frontiers (NCF) has backed the lawmaker representing Biu/Bayo/Shani Federal Constituency of Borno state, Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara, for the position of Speaker in the 10th National Assembly.

The group, in a statement signed by Hon. Moses Onah and Andrew Bot, its president and secretary-general respectively said Betara is tailor-made for the job.

Describing the Borno legislator as experienced, competent and prepared, the group said its decision to support Betara despite him being from the North East was born out of his achievements and track record in his constituency and the NASS.

The North Central Frontiers said the testimonies of Betara's selflessness, kind-heartedness and love for his people have spread across the country.

"This young man has achieved more than his contemporaries. As a trained accountant, he has judiciously used limited resources at his disposal to affect lives," the statement said.

"We recall how he donated thousands of solar-powered street lights to the three local government areas. He facilitated the construction of major roads network in Biu and others linking villages within the constituency. He constructed a mini-stadium in Shani District. He upgraded Biu Emirate to a modern palace, built schools, and renovated health and other facilities.

"He has so far provided scholarships for over 5,000 students, within and outside the country. At home, he built skill acquisition centres in each of the three local government areas. The centres have since graduated thousands of apprentices who have also become employers of labour, thereby generating wealth and adding value to the society."

The group said that the experience, influence and exposure of Betara will be crucial in the 10th NASS, having been a key member since 2007.

The NCF, however, concluded that with his well-crafted agenda, Betara will address the plethora of challenges restraining the House of Representatives.

Pledging their support for the astute accountant, the group further described Betara as a friend to all who used his positions in the past to uplift every single zone of the country.

"Betara was one of the unseen hands to the ascension of Patricia Etteh, Dimeji Bankole, Aminu Tambuwal, Yakubu Dogara, and Femi Gbajabiamila as Speakers," the statement added. "His influence, popularity and acceptability are unmatched. No wonder he is called the head boy.

"Betara has overachieved in all his assignments. He was Chairman of the House Appropriation Committee, Chairman House Committee on Defence and Chairman House Committee on Army.

"This is not the time for the politics of zoning. Integrity, capacity and competence should be the consideration. Hence we are throwing our weight behind Betara".

Is this sheer coincidence? In 2019, Gbenga Daniel was the South-West coordinator of the PDP presidential campaign and was always with the then presidential flagbearer of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. They moved around the country together in private jets. Many times, he talked to the media about the chances of Atiku in the presidential election. But when Atiku lost to President Muhammadu Buhari, Daniel made a 360-degree turn and started negotiating with APC. He was negotiating with APC because he knew that he could not meet with Ibikunle Amosun who had just floated another party, the APM after his (Amosun’s) crony lost out woefully at the APC gubernatorial primary in Ogun State, coupled with the fact that the then governor had declared him persona non grata for eight years.

He also suspected that the PDP would not be able to perform well at the gubernatorial election just ahead. Ladi Adebutu, who was defeated by Governor Dapo Abiodun in the March 18 election, was also the PDP gubernatorial candidate then. As a political Maradona, he was able to read the script very well and of course Abiodun won the election, and Daniel got all the benefits attached to joining the winning side. For one thing, the embargo that Amosun had placed on his businesses were removed. Besides, Daniel was even to interface with APC chieftains to the level that he also aspired to become a senator. Lekan Mustapha, the outgoing senator, is a two-term senator who ordinarily would have become a high ranking senator had he won a third term ticket. But he was prevailed upon with the intervention of some other aspirants and Daniel won the Ogun East senatorial primary.



But having won the primary, Daniel started another scheme. He began thinking of how to outsmart the man that gave him the platform to contest and bounce back into political reckoning. He started badmouthing the Governor all around. During the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections that APC won by a landslide in Ogun State, the Governor and the APC leadership had supported Daniel with a lot of logistics. That was only natural. However, shortly after he won the election, the 2019 Judas spirit in him struck and took control of his faculties. Daniel started hobnobbing with the same PDP he had rejected and betrayed then, with Ladi Adebutu and his father now becoming his closet political pals. His project was now to run the sitting Governor down and out of town. And he did his best to undermine the Governor, with his attack dogs in full battle mode. He ensured that during the gubernatorial poll, the Governor lost out in his areas of influence.


It has become quite apparent now that Daniel is a serial betrayer and cannot be trusted. What is important to him is his bread basket and nothing else. There is nobody he cannot betray. If he can betray PDP in 2019 and APC in 2023, what type of character is he portraying in the public space? When you look at the way he was so close to Atiku, it would have been hard to suspect then that he would dump him (Atiku) so spectacularly. But he did. Then when you look at the way he was also close to Dapo Abiodun and President-elect Bola Tinubu, taking centre stage as the latter came to campaign in Ogun State during the APC presidential primaries and during the presidential campaigns proper, it would also have been difficult to suspect that he would play the Judas card so soon. But that was what he did. He, Abiodun and Tinubu rode in the same bus on the campaigns, yet the bile inside him was huge.

For Daniel, what is permanent is his interest, pure and simple. So, this is not a matter of coincidence; it’s a matter of character. No wonder the Yoruba say that character is a smoke; it can’t be hidden. Governor Abiodun must take comfort in the words of our elders: Whoever is betrayed by friends should take it in his stride. After all, blood relations also betray.

The recent invitation of Senator Godswill Akpabio, former Minister in the Ministry of Niger Delta by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) to answer questions pertaining to Corruption charges may have begun to affect his electoral chances for the Presidency of the Senate.
Our investigations reveal most of the Senators-elect are already looking away from his candidature because of what one of them who craved anonymity described as "too many weighty allegations" against him.
The EFCC had last week summoned Akpabio to appear before it on March 29, 2023 but the former Minister through his lawyers wrote back pleading for more time to be able to be able to attent to his health abroad.
“We write to convey our client’s inability to honour the scheduled visit to your office on the 29th day of March 2022 due to ill health, and, already arranged medical appointments overseas.

“As mentioned in our last letter to you dated February 10, 2023, our client is undergoing treatment for pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia, and, has recently been advised to seek further attention abroad.

“It is in the light of the above, that we respectfully request that our client's appointment with you be rescheduled to a date convenient to your officers. preferably after the forthcoming Easter and Ramadan".
The above response from Akpabio's legal team is being interpreted by many to mean that the former Minister may have tactically disappeared from the political scene to avoid arrest.
" With this development, Senator Akpabio May have unwittingly dropped out of the race because of fear of arrest as the EFCC is on the lookout for him and by disappearing from the scene, his campaign is already in jeopardy", a Senator-elect from the South-South said.
The situation is said to have been brought to the attention of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in order for him to be circumspect of the candidate to be supported for the Senate Presidency.
According to a Public Affairs commentator, Joe Mesele, "The President-elect must be very careful in the area of selecting who to back for any of these positions, especially those with heavy corruption baggages on their neck. In this particular case of Akpabio, he should be made to exonerate himself of these allegations before throwing his hat in the ring and I doubt if there's enough time for that before the 10th Senate resumes activities".
In 2020, the EFCC said it was investigating corruption allegations against Godswill Akpabio as a minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

This was contained in a response letter dated August 14 to Foundation for True Freedom and Good Governance, a civil society group.


The EFCC, in a response letter by Adebayo Adeniyi, head of the economic governance section at the EFCC, said “We write to acknowledge the receipt of your petition dated August 3, 2020 in respect of the above subject and to inform you that investigation into the case has commenced.”
There had been allegations of N40 billion fraud perpetrated in the NDDC, a ministry which was headed by Akpabio for three years.

The Senate and the House of Representatives in 2020 resolved to probe the alleged N40 billion financial recklessness of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC in the previous three months.

Also, there were allegations of over N86 billion contract scam involving the senator-elect and the former Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, which the EFCC has been looking into.

The anti-graft agency had also in the past arrested Akpabio over alleged theft of N108.1billion of Akwa Ibom funds.

Applauds Unprecedented Improvement of NPF in Human Rights, Discipline, Welfare, Infrastructural Transformation

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, NEAPS, fdc, CFR, was on Thursday 30th March, 2023 at the IGP Conference Hall, Force Headquarters, Abuja, honoured by the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Good Governance with the well-deserved award of Grand Defender of Democracy in recognition of his giant strides since assuming leadership of the Nigeria Police Force.

The Coalition which comprises leaders of 37 Pro-Democracy and Civil Society Organizations, conferred the honour on the IGP during a solidarity visit to the Louis Edet House. They applauded the effective leadership qualities of the IGP which has led to an unprecedented improvement in the Nigeria Police Force, particularly with regard to human rights compliance, discipline, welfare, infrastructural transformation, decent, and secure electoral process in Nigeria.

In his reaction, the leader of the delegation, Comrade Femi Lawson, expressed satisfaction with recent policing strategies, improved human relations, and sterling leadership qualities of the IGP in particular.

The Inspector-General of Police while acknowledging the Coalition for the honour, appreciated their respective efforts targeted at deepening democracy within the country. He further reiterated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to continuous improvement of security networking and the general safety of the country.

RE: NEDC: 146 BILLION FRAUD, ABANDONED PROJECTS ROCK NIGERIA’S NORTH EAST COMMISSION.

By Charles Ibekwe

For a medium which hurts, destroys people and elicits growling messages, phone calls and libel suits, has little chance of survival. Ethically, objectivity, fairness, sticking to the facts, weighing facts against truths and demanding the other side are hallmarks of good reportage. But when misinformation, propaganda, and lies are shared as core truth, then a research is needed to find a path to viable answers that will establish facts that aligns with figures.

So much attention has been drawn to a malicious report of “146 billion naira fraud, abandoned projects by Nigeria’s North East Commission” published by a known notorious propagandists in-house media known as Sahara reporter.

Reading through the reports, I cannot but show my disgust at the unsubstantiated, fake, and mischievous article that has been pushed to the public space. It is unfortunate that such widely followed news media platform will engage in such smear campaign.

Before I critically analyze Sahara reporters' unprofessionalism, It is imperative to note that The North East Development Commission (NEDC) is the coordinating body for government, organisations, international and civic leaders, to rebuild the North-Eastern states in Nigeria into a safe, economically vibrant, ICT driven 21st Century region.

In the opening body of the article, the statement “The Leadership of NEDC may soon be investigated by EFCC and ICPC” shows how long they’ve been hunting the reputable NEDC for a great fall.

They further wrote that the commission has refused to respond to the earlier petition some people sent. NEDC is a focused body with lots of mandates to be executed, they are not a commission with an ample time for inappropriate chitchats, or shenanigans from anyone or some people. Therefore, it should be noted that if the leadership of NEDC didn’t reply to earlier petitions, it’s because the petitions were not sent through the proper channels. The Leadership of NEDC are highly committed to transparency in every area of their operations.

According to Sahara reporters, NEDC was been petitioned by two transparency groups, PATAI and AITA, who have based their clowning core allegations on corruption, financial misappropriation and abuse of office, led by one Mr Bassey. He claimed that the N146.19 billion was the budgetary allocation to the commission, and also said the money was paid in full for uncompleted or abandoned projects.

They stated with temerity that, “The abandoned projects include the construction of a central workshop in Maiduguri, the construction of Birma Primary School at Kashimbila in Taraba, and the Madagali and Pinlla primary school projects in Adamawa. Others are the equipment supply at the Eye Clinic Centre in Azare, the construction of the ICT training centre, College of Legal and Islamic Studies, Misau, all in Bauchi state.”

From the malicious narrative above, they failed to tell everyone the specified budgetary allocations for all these listed projects, if it’s 50b, 12b, or what? This truly shows they lack the technical know-how of the modus Operandi of projects execution. Since they claimed to know the full allocated fund, their allegations would have been of a good substance if they were able to provide comprehensive breakdown on the amount they believed would have been appropriate for the execution of the projects they were smart to point out, but they blindly went all in for a pull-down syndrome.

Sahara Reporters article rode on a the false narration of 146.19 billion fraud provided to them by the hungry NGO’s without substantiating the amount of budgetary for different listed projects that are needed to be executed, also not giving specificity to the time frame needed for execution, thereby revealing their level of absurdity in the face of professional journalism.
All these, Just to smear the leadership of NEDC, and I asked “For what reason, and to what extent?”

However, it is expected that the media do thorough Investigation bearing in mind the corporate social responsibility of the press to report only accurate and factual News. The press is expected to observe high social standard and responsibilities in performing their professional functions, but Sahara Reporters failed woefully in this quest.

Sahara reporters ought to have known better that the leadership of a sensitive commission like NEDC, that’s fully under the watch of anti-graft agencies and other law enforcement agencies, won’t be that stupid to dive into the ruffles of corruption and mismanagement. But it’s very unfortunate that Sahara reporter has to peddle the paid news for better considerations of upcoming paychecks from their political godfathers that are just after their selfish gains from the ruins of good governance.


Should we say that sahara reporters and these two transparency NGO’s had no clue of the many fully executed projects that could easily be googled by a 7-year old? Projects t like;

The construction of 1,000 housing units as that was part of the Federal Government’s resettlement efforts for millions of inhabitants displaced by the 13-year insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East.

The Education Endowment Fund with a seed capital of N6bn.

Three bridges had been constructed in Kudzum, and Wuro-Ngayandi areas of Adamawa State.

Execution of 647 projects ranging from agriculture, health, education, energy/power across 112 local government areas in the North-East. With each LGA gulping at least N50m, the total costs accrues to N5.6bn. etc

These are just to mention a few of the many achievements by NEDC, “Please, Go and Check”.

Alkali, the MD of NEDC once said, “the commission required at least N31.05tn to execute its mandate according to the North-East Stabilization and development masterplan in the next 30 years.” From this statement, we can easily conclude that a good breakdown shows that the leadership of NEDC has been running a wisdom and requisite compassion to the proper management of available funds.


Further in the article, there were claims that other abandoned projects, included the mass housing project in Dadin Kowa, Gombe, 200 mass housing units in Nguru and a 300 mass housing project in Damaturu, both in Yobe.

For simplicity sake, If they were claims of abandonment and incomplete task, shouldn’t it be a question of asking why, and knowing the factors for suspending for a while? But Sahara in their derogatory personality went on with a falsified conclusive narrative of a Fraud report, when it is a fact that projects are usually implemented over a period of time on account of funds being released over several budget cycles such that projects are implemented in phases.

Unfortunately, this narratives has been further accentuated by the virulent utterances and statements by some rat-house media houses that had relied on their mother-decks like Sahara reporters. It’s so debasing to think that in spite of all the facts they claimed to possess, both groups opted for media show-bashing and name-smearing when they could have simply tendered their grievances and petitions to the EFCC for proper indulgence.

As Abba Musa has rightly said, this regime is well known for transparency and accountability, and it is not possible for anyone to mismanage over N146 billion, and nothing will happen. The process to perpetuate such financial robbery and vandalism in a commission like NEDC is suicidal and never possible.

According to the response given by the NEDC official in Sahara Reporters article, it is obvious that there was no denial of acknowledging the groups grievances. They were also given the relevance they sought for by promising to grace their official invitation.

Unlike a renowned restaurateur with wide ranging traditional clientele who are pernickety, the likes of Sahara Reporters are piffling, pigheaded and higgledy-piggledy. The dysfunctional aspect of their reportage is fast becoming a phenomenon contrived mainly to destroy, damage reputation and integrity built over the years all in a bid to get rich quick Extortionately.

The nontradable products of the medium are fertile grounds for a classical Study of an abuse of the new media and its irresistibility by gullible few who are rather quick in swallowing their false churn-outs hook, line and sinker and disregarding rebuttal or apologies by such errant media.

Owning to these fact that Sahara reporter publication, and the actions of PATAI and AITA has a large political and personal undertone against the leadership of NEDC, Iaw enforcement agencies need to grill the operators and their leadership in a bid to prove their innocence against the disruption of the now existing form of peace in the many Northeastern regions.

However, I believe that we should be consequently alarmed at any spurious allegations without recourse to implicating NEDC, which by all intent we know that the purposes are of poor taste and lacking any form of credibility as there are no such infractions in the operations of the NEDC.

As a matter of fact, the operational manual of the NEDC is such that is tailored to ensure accountability at all times and as such we should wonder how such infractions would have been effected with the multiple layers of checks and balances put in place.

Therefore, the leadership of NEDC is further urged to focus more on its mandate of returning the northeast to the commercial powerhouse it was before terrorism ravaged the community, and disrupted lives there. The leadership of NEDC must not let the strong focus on their mandate be shaken by any media propagandist that only cause mayhem for massive gains.

Charles is a forensic analyst writing from University of Nigeria Nsukka.

Prince Emmanuel Odigie, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Edo state, wishes President-Elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a very happy 71st birthday.

Odigie said “Bola Ahmed Tinubu's strong belief in democracy and good governance has been an inspiration to millions of Nigerians. His selfless service to the nation has been remarkable, and we are thankful for your dedication and unwavering commitment to the development of our dear country, Nigeria. We are proud of you and appreciate your immense contributions.



On this special day, I Prince Emmanuel Odigie, my entire family and associates join the rest of Nigerians in praying for the good health and long life of President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Happy 71st Birthday!

By Williams Ochonu

"Leadership is the creation of an environment in which others can self-actualize in the process of completing the job." "If your actions inspire others to dream, learn, do, and become more, you are a leader."

The above quote summarizes the leadership qualities of Hon. Aliyu Muktar Betera, a member representing Biu, Bayo, Kwaya Kusar, Shani Federal Constituency of Borno State in the Federal House of Representatives. A man of few but impeccable words—a distinguished parliamentarian whose contributions to advancing democracy in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized.

Hon Betera means different things to different people. However, there is a meeting point for these divergent views. It is the fact that he is a dynamic individual whose passion and commitment to the advancement of democracy are unparalleled. This much has been evident in his leadership strides in the various committees he has led in the National Assembly. I recall that at a time, he was commended by the House leadership for his passion, dedication and leadership strides.

I was, therefore, not surprised when he indicated an interest in leading the 10th Assembly as the Speaker. I sighed in relief, knowing what he would bring, especially the ability to provide purposeful leadership and galvanize all members towards the common good, regardless of party affiliations. This has been his trademark all along. As the Chairman of the House Committee of the Nigerian Army, Hon. Betera was passionate about improving the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army. He contributed to debates; he advocated for improved funding for the Nigerian Army and other sundry issues relevant to the Nigerian Army's success.

Hon Betera stands on a tripod; experience, competence and character. He has been in the National Assembly since 2007, making him one of the few members to have served in Nigeria's sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth assemblies. He has led various house committees. Between 2007 and 2011, Betara was Chairman of the Sub-committee on NDIC, Banking and Currency. He also served as a member of the House Committee on Interior. He was appointed Chairman of the Sub-committee on Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Office.

He was appointed Chairman House Committee on the Army at the seventh Assembly (2011 to 2015). From 2015 to 2019, Betara served as Chairman of the House Committee on Defence. He is the current House Committee on Appropriations Chairman, presiding over all other committees regarding the appropriation process in the House of Representatives. These indeed speak volumes of his experience with the intricacies of the House of Representatives.

If we admit, Nigeria deserves leaders that would hit the ground running to translate our hopes and aspirations into tangible realities. And if that is the case, it is a requirement that such leaders must have substantial experience in their kitty, for the challenges at hand requires that proactive measures are embraced in the bid to overcome the numerous challenges in the country.
I am privileged to have interacted with Hon Betera several times. His depth and grasps of issues are impressive. He is always willing to engage you in the national discourse. He could pass for a historian and public analyst. He is ready to take you on Nigeria's political and leadership history without blinking. What this shows is that Hon Betera is one individual that understands the issues bedevilling the country and what ought to be done to take the country out of the doldrums.

This explains why I was excited when he indicated an interest in leading the 10th Assembly as Speaker. If he is elected as Speaker, Nigerians should expect a robust Federal House of Representatives where ideas on how to proffer solutions to the crisis in the country will take centre stage.

Hon Betera is a well-rounded parliamentarian who resonates brilliance and strength of character. His track record speaks volumes of a man who desires to bring about meaningful changes in the polity. This much he has demonstrated over the years in the National Assembly and getting elected as Speaker would bring to the fore the attributes needed to bring about purposeful leadership in the country.

Remember that the legislative arm of government also needs to get it right with its choice of principal officers because they are meant to be partners in progress. The executive arm of the government can't do it all alone. This mistake has cost the country a lot over the years. When I hear of things like ethnic balancing or religious considerations for the leadership of the National Assembly, I always nod in disbelief because the consideration should be about competence and experience.

Competence and experience should be the watchword in choosing principal officers for the 10th Assembly. Hon Aliyu Muktar Betara fits the bill to provide purposeful leadership in the Federal House of Representatives.

As a high-ranking legislator, who has been in the National Assembly for the past 16 years, he needs no further introduction. He has built bridges across party lines, and his sphere of influence extends beyond the Federal House of Representatives. He is primed and positioned to lead. Ladies and Gentlemen, enter the world of Hon Aliyu Muktar Betera.


Ochonu wrote this piece from Abuja

Senate Presidency: Group Raises Alarm on Vote Buying, Seeks intervention of anti-corruption agencies


A Civil Society Organisation(CSO),
Adopt a Goal for National Development Initiative(AGNDI)
has raised alarm over bribery allegations ravaging the Campaign Organisation of one of the aspirants for the 10th Senate Presidency in Nigeria.
The Group in a statement released Sunday, March 26 and signed by its Director of program, Victor B. Martins said the allegation is a weighty one that must not be swept under the carpet.
"We are shocked with reports accusing an aspirant for the position of the Senate Presidency of bribing Senators-elect with the sum of 10,000 Dollars to curry their favours. The despicable act, our group discovered, could be traced to a former Chief Executive of a State from the North who would be inaugurated into the Senate for the first time in June. He has been accused of boasting that he would stop at nothing in getting the highly coveted seat no matter what it would cost, including guile. The Senator-elect who wrote a letter congratulating all Senators-elect mischievously referred to himself in the letter as a Distinguished Senator instead of Senator-elect, apparently to hoodwink new members. The question is how could a fresher that has never stepped his feet into the Senate nor inaugurated refer to himself as Distinguished Senator?".
Our group calls urgent attention to the issue of this former Governor who though a fresher going to the Senate, already corrupting the system. This is a Governor under whose watch banditry started and ravaged the whole zone. Same Governor was recently indicted by the EFCC alongside the discredited former Accountant-General of the Federation for mismanaging States funds running into several billions. Reports reaching us at the moment indicate that the same Governor has pencilled a wooping N500M to book a whole floor for his Campaign Headquarters at Transcorp Hilton!
Such a wooping sum in hiring a whole floor for a campaign lasting not more than two months?"
Our investigations further reveal that the former Governor is bent on getting the position in order to cover up his numerous corruption cases! Where on earth has a fresher to the parliament pursued the Presidency of the Senate or Speakership in this manner? The ranking rules remain valid for all members to respect not disrespect.
We therefore call on all the anti corruption agencies to swing into action by investigating this allegation and bringing him to book if found guilty. We also call on the President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be very circumspect in choosing whom to support for leadership positions in the parliament as all eyes are on him to clean the nation’s augean stables under his watch.

By David Tolulope

James Madison, America's fourth president (1809–1817), who made a major contribution to the ratification of the Constitution by writing The Federalist Papers, once said, and I quote, "No man can be a competent legislator who does not add to an upright intention and a sound judgment a certain degree of knowledge of the subject on which he is to legislate. Legislators represent people, not trees or acres. Legislators are elected by voters, not farms, cities, or economic interests." The above quote speaks volumes about the inevitability of the legislature in any innovative and progressive society. The knowledge that a legislator brings to the table can bring about an incredible change in the wellbeing of a nation. The sponsoring of bills, the passing of laws, establishing the government's budget, confirming executive appointments, ratifying treaties, etc., have to be rightly handled by a crop of intelligent, credible, and patriotic lawmakers who have the nation’s interest at heart above their own.
Honorable Muktar Aliu Betara, the current Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the House of Representatives, is one lawmaker who has the legislative acumen and has done frighteningly well in his leadership position. He is brilliantly representing Biu/Bayo/ Shani federal constituency of Borno State and excellently piloting the affairs of the Appropriation Committee in the Green Chamber. In the discharge of duty, he has employed fear of God, nationalistic spirit, vigor, and wisdom. He is a leader who has really left indelible prints on the sands of time. The Green Chamber veteran is truly the man of the people and has a penchant for true federalism, selfless leadership, and of course, a nation of greatness. If you are looking for a man of unquestionable character and strong-willed determination, you can rightly point to Honorable Betara. The people of his constituency hold him in high esteem. The reason is that he has proven to them all without doubt that true leadership still exists in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Last year, Betara won the APC return ticket unopposed for Biu Federal Constituency. Before then, Betara received overwhelming support from the people of his constituency, who also contributed money to purchase the nomination and expression of interest form for him. Market women, artisans, and youth came out in their numbers to surprise him with this. Those gathered affirmed that he has achieved well, especially in the areas of road construction, scholarships, education, and women empowerment, among others. This struck me when I heard it and later watched the video. It takes a good leader to enjoy such support. When he was finally announced the winner, there was excitement in the air, and various solidarity songs were chanted in his honor. Also, in the just concluded general elections, Betara won with a very wide margin. In June of this year, when he is sworn into office, it will already be his fifth term in office. Let us even look at it logically: If he wasn’t performing to the expectations of his constituents, he would have been voted out of office a long time ago.

Without mincing words, Betara has recorded noteworthy and significant achievements, not just as the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee but also as a member who has sponsored a lot of bills and motions in the House of Representatives since he was first elected in 2007. It is audible to the deaf and visible to the blind that he is one man who has gathered legislative experience for sixteen (16) years now. Being an accountant with years of experience and currently the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, one would deduce that he must have employed significant knowledge in budgetary matters as they concern the nation. If I want to enumerate all his achievements in this publication, then we will have to consume a lot of pages. For the sake of time and management, let me delve into some of his key achievements as a prominent member in the hallowed chamber for years now.

Muktar Aliyu Betara played a significant role in the appropriation of funding for the many programs and projects of the Nigerian government serving as the Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations in the House of Representatives. He led the committee in charge of examining and approving the federal budget, making sure that the money was allocated in accordance with the nation's development priorities. The budget's timely passage and accurate representation of the needs of the Nigerian people were both made possible in large part by Betara. He collaborated closely with other committee members and pertinent government agencies to determine funding priorities and made sure the money was used as intended.
Betara was renowned for managing the appropriations process with openness and responsibility. In order to guarantee that the budget accurately reflected Nigerians' needs and ambitions, he pushed for open discussion and collaboration with all relevant parties, including civil society organizations.
Muktar Aliyu Betara was committed to making sure that the Nigerian government's resources were used wisely and effectively for the benefit of the nation and its citizens, which was evident during his time as the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations.

When Borno was the hub of the insurgency that ravaged lives and property, Honorable Betara, in his usual spirit of patriotism, sponsored a motion calling for the improvement of security in his constituency and other parts of Borno State, which had been affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. Records have it that that motion moved in the house brought about a significant improvement in security in that constituency and, of course, the entirety of Bornu state. Today, relative peace has been restored. Today, the people of that constituency can go about their respective businesses without apprehensive tendencies. Apparently, this feat contributed to the massive turnout of his constituents to vote for him in the just concluded elections.




At the sixth assembly in 2007 and 2011, Betara acted as Chairman of the Sub-committee on NDIC, Banking, and Currency. More also, he served as a member of the House Committee on Interior and was later appointed as Chairman, Sub-committee on Customs, Immigration, and Prisons Pension Office (CIPPO).
During the seventh assembly (2011–2015), he was appointed as Chairman, House Committee on the Army. He made recommendations to empower and sustain the activities of the army against the rising insurgency in the northern region of Nigeria.
Furthermore, between 2015 and 2019, Betara served as Chairman of the House Committee on Defense.


Some of his other notable achievements worthy of mention are:

Supporting the National Lottery Act Amendment Bill, which aimed to control how Nigerian lottery businesses operated and ensure that they aided in the nation's growth.
supporting a proposal to build a federal medical center in Biu, Borno State, in order to offer top-notch medical care to his people and fellow citizens.
- Starting a number of initiatives aimed at empowering young people and reducing poverty in his constituency, such as giving young entrepreneurs motorcycles and sewing equipment.

- Enabling the building of a number of roads and bridges in his constituency, which has improved the flow of people and commodities and eased transportation.
- Promoting the availability of necessities like power and water in rural areas has raised the standard of living for the locals.

In June of this year, the 10th National Assembly will be proclaimed by the incoming president after he has assumed leadership of the country. This will mean that the ball will be set rolling for new leadership in the House. Obviously, representatives of various political parties will enter the hallowed chamber. It is pertinent that the leadership of the house be made up of a crop of leaders with an altruistic spirit and experience. Nigerians are eagerly waiting, with hands placed on their chins, to see what will become of the revered House of Representatives. A house that will constitute representatives from various constituencies with varying backgrounds and orientations will require a man who can organize and not agonize, a man with experience and legislative tenacity. Betara has the capacity, experience, and tact required for this all-demanding function. He can deliver pretty well because he has seen it all. What Nigerians want to see is good legislation, and Betara is really up to the task. Regardless of party affiliations, beliefs, and ideologies of the representatives in the 10th National Assembly, this man named Honorable Batere should be given a try. All we are looking for is a better Nigeria through the instrumentality of proper and realistic legislation.
Let me end this piece with this quote by John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States of America: "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." The Honorable Betara has inspired a lot of his colleagues and Nigerians in general. I urge members of the house to give him a try and benefit from the avalanche of experience that will be displayed by him.


Tolulope is a political analyst based in Lagos.

Former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Ex-President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe has appealed his conviction by Hon. Justice I. L. Ojukwu of the Federal High Court. Dr. Okupe had been convicted for receiving cash above the permitted threshold on 19 December 2022.

While the Federal High Court had held that the Prosecution had failed to prove the charges of money laundering against Dr. Okupe and acquitted him of the charges relating to same, the Court convicted him of the charges relating to the receipt of monies above the threshold permitted by the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act. The Court held that though he was a victim of circumstances, the law is trite and ignorance of same cannot be an excuse.

The Court, in the exercise of its discretion under Section 311 of the ACJA and after receiving character evidence in favour of Dr. Okupe under Section 310 of the ACJA had sentenced Dr. Okupe to 2 years imprisonment (to run concurrently) or an option of the fine of N500,000 (consecutively) for each count. Dr. Okupe immediately exercised the option of a fine and has been enjoying his freedom.

The said appeal was filed by his lawyer, Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN on Thursday, 16 March 2023 within the constitutional timeframe provided for by Law. The crux of Dr. Okupe's appeal is that he had received the said sums in cash not in his individual capacity but on behalf of the office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs and under the instructions of the Ex-President and hence, should not be penalized unjustly.

.Says it reflects people's wish

An independent monitoring group, under the eagies of Forum of Election Observers Groups, has declared that the outcome of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Ogun State, largely reflect the opinion of the vast majority of residents in line, with the assessment of various stakeholders, including local observers.

Coordinator of the group, comrade Ayodeji Ologun, who stated this at a media briefing in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, expressed vote of confidence on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC over the conduct and eventual results of the polls.

Instructively, Forum of Election Observers Groups, were among the 146,913 observers accredited by INEC, to Observe the 2023 general elections.

According to Ologun: "As a group, we observed the 2023 Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly elections and we wish to state, that the results as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the last Governorship and State Assembly election, were consistent with our parallel vote tabulation results estimates.

"A classical of this, is the result of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Ogun State, which were monitored by many of our leaders, herein present.

"Not minding various reactions that have trailed the outcome of the elections, we consider it a patriotic duty, to inform Nigerians, about our observations, and ultimately advise against tendencies, that seek to undermine the progress, being recorded in our democratic journey, as a nation.

"While it is no doubt, that several complains have risen, as a result of the eventual outcome of the elections, particularly, last Saturday’s governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

"The March 18 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections, witnessed a significant improvement in the performance of the INEC, and this in no doubt, impacted positively on the eventual outcome of the election."

Ologun stressed that the clarification became necessary considering series of reports and agitations, so far generated, by the outcome of the last Saturday’s elections, and negative reports being attributed to it by some politically exposed interests.

The group maintained that various organisations for instance, had observers deployed to observe the governorship and house of Assembly elections in Ogun State, which also embarked on a conscious effort at monitoring and collating results of the elections, during the elections.

It continued: 'The official results announced by INEC, into the Governorship position and House of Assembly seats, were consistent with our Vote Tabulation results estimates. In other words, the results reflect the votes cast at the polling units, and the general interest of the people of Ogun State.

"Furthermore, our findings revealed certain lapses and reports of malfeasance that impacted on the quality of the process in some polling units, in the state, that nonetheless was insignificant, compared to the progress made, during the election.

"Our observers, in some local governments, including Ikenne, Abeokuta South, Ijebu North and Ado Odo Ota witnessed incidences of voters inducements and campaign during election.

"In fact, not less that 10 agents of the major opposition political party in the state, were arrested by security agents for attempt to induce voters with cash and compromise, election officials, in parts of the Ado Odo Ota local government.

"We also witnessed how branded Automated Teller Machine ATM Cards, pre-loaded with money were being used to induce voters and influence their choices during the election.

"There is no doubt, that last Saturday’s election was a test for our democracy, as it presented an opportunity for us, as a people, to consolidate on the gains of the previous elections and deepen our democratic transition.

"Although INEC introduced reforms to deepen electoral integrity and citizen’s participation, the elections witnessed some of the shortcomings that were seen during the February 25th Presidential and National Assembly elections.

"We also strongly believe, that INEC must improve its capacity to deliver credible elections and political parties must play according to the rules as failure to do so could undermine Nigeria’s democracy,

"We wish to state, that the outcome of the Governorship election in Ogun state, largely reflect the opinion of the vast majority of Ogun State people, and very much in line, with the assessment of various stakeholders, including local and international observers, who witnessed the election.

"Finally, we wish to state, that every democrats, who are committed to the advancement of our democracy, must discourage every attempt, by politicians, and political parties, to resort to self help.

"We encourage every aggrieved individuals and parties, to explore the legal opportunities available, to seek redress, rather than encouraging any form of action, that seeks to undermine our democracy, and destabilize our peaceful coexistence as a people."

In pictures, moments Mr Governor; *H.E BABAJIDE OLUSHOLA SANWO-OLU* receives his official INEC election results confirming him as the duly elected governor of Lagos State 2023.
The presentation by *Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi*; Head of Lagos APC Election Task Force for the governorship and House of Assembly Elections, in the company of State Chairman of APC; *Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi*, *Mr Fuad Oki* (Chief Collating Officer) and *Mr Dele Alake* (Special Adviser Media to President-Elect H.E Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu)

Guber Polls: Observers commend CDS, security agencies for increased surveillance, low violence



A group of foreign and local observers has commended the Armed Forces led by General Lucky Irabor for the peaceful conduct of the governorship and state assembly polls across the country.

The observers, under the aegis of the Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights (CALSER), described the entire exercise as free and fair, adding that Nigerians exercised their franchise in a safe and secure environment.

In a statement by Princess Ajibola, the Centre admitted that pockets of violence were recorded in certain areas but the troops rose to the occasion in all the cases.

Ajibola recalled that the Chief of Defence Staff had promised Nigerians of hitch-free process devoid of intimidation, harassment, and oppression.

She said the CDS met with the military service chiefs and other security heads including the Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of DSS, Director-General of NIA, and the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) ahead of the elections.

True to his words, Ajibola said the military was on the ground to provide support for the Police who are the lead security agency for the polls.

She added that there were increased surveillance and contingency actions to address areas with peculiar security challenges.

Ajibola noted that troublemakers and enemies of the country got bloody noses for attempting to cause unrest and panic.

The observers, therefore, rated the military highly, describing the security agencies as the heroes of the elections having stood strong to defend the nation's democracy at all costs.

Ajibola added that the 'Operation Safe Conduct' which was activated for the elections yielded positives aplenty as it guided the Armed Forces.

She further revealed that the operations centres established in the FCT and 36 state capitals of the federation served as quick response centres for all distress calls in the event of any breach of peace during the election period.

The observers, however, urged the military and other security agencies to maintain this momentum to eliminate remnants of terrorists and criminals across the country.

Ajibola also urged the security agents to be on the lookout for violent protests that could ultimately threaten the peace of the land.

She, therefore, urged aggrieved parties from the polls to seek redress in court and avoid any tendencies that could result in chaos.

Against the backdrop of the jostle for the top job of the President of the Senate, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress(APC) is said to have finally opted to zone the position to the North West Geo-political zone.
This newspaper reliably gathered that the decision was reached last night by the leadership of the APC after consulting with the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The decision overrides earlier suggestions in some quarters to zone the position to the South.
Our usually reliable source revealed that what swung the decision in favour of the North West was that the APC Presidential candidate got his highest number of votes from the zone.
Some Top leaders of the party from the zone were said to have
made that very strong case for the North West.They maintained that the zone should be rewarded for its performance during the presidential election.They went further to say having the Senate President from the North West will spur the zone to give His Excellency more votes in his reelection in 2027 God willing.
"It would amount to a great mistake if the position of the President of the Senate is gifted to zones where we got very little votes .This should not be done due to the pressure mounted by those who are calling for the so called “religious balance’.This country has gone beyond this kind of sentiment.There must be reward for performance otherwise , God forbids, our party will be doomed in future elections. we should not rob Peter to pay Paul. We must take a cue on how H.E Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu won the primary and the general elections to become the President-elect . He succeeded based on his foresight, hard-work and above all Merit . He never resorted to evoking religious sentiment.This was emphasized in his statement to the nation yesterday, that his cabinet shall be “devoid of ethnic and religious considerations.”There are several other positions that could go to such zones", the party Chieftain stated.
The decision to zone the Senate Presidency to the North West has now opened a flurry of support for Senator Barau Jibrin from Kano North Senatorial District.
Amongst the aspirants for the Senate Presidency, Senator Jibrin is the highest ranking
having spent a term in the House of Representatives and now a third termer in the Senate. His two main competitors from the South, Senators Orji Uzor Kalu and Godswill Akpabio are only two termers while former Governor Abdul'azeez Yari is a first termer.
Aside that, Senator Jibrin has handled some very critical Committees in both Chambers like Appropriations and Education.
Most Senators-elect,our investigations reveal, have been meeting secretly pledging support to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations.
Part of the highlights of the meeting is the Zoning of the Speakership of House of Representatives to the South East while the Deputy President of the Senate is zoned to the South South. The position of the Deputy Speaker has been zoned to the North Central while that of Senate Majority Leader is zoned to South West. That of House Majority Leader has also been zoned to the North East.
These Principal officers' positions in both Chambers would be announced next week according to our source.
There had been speculations in the media about zoning of Principal officers' positions in the 10th National Assembly but last night's decision may have finally laid to rest the controversies.

SDP National Assembly candidates declare support for APC State Assembly candidates.

The Social Democratic Party, Ondo State Chapter, on Thursday unveiled Barr. Dele Thomas and Dr. Shola Agboola as the Chairman and Secretary of the SDP/SDAPC Alliance for Tinubu/Shettima respectively.

This was disclosed through a press statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Alh. Alfa Mohammed.Esq.

The Press Statement reads:

"We write to introduce the duo of Barr. Dele Thomas State Chairman and Dr. Shola Agboola (08145311817) Secretary of the SDP/ SDAPC Alliance for Tinubu/Shettima respectively.

"The SDAPC ALLIANCE is a campaign platform launched by the authentic faction of the leadership crisis embroiled SDP to harvest millions of SDP supporter s' votes across the country for Tinubu/Shettima on the 25th February Presiden tial Election day, haven adopted Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its preferred presidential candidate.

"Similarly, the state chapter has been directed to also adopt the candidature of the Senators and others at a Press conference without delay, and after which t hey are to embark on massive grassroots votes canvassing within the remaining days to election.

"Therefore, we enjoin you to grant them necessary supports which they may re quire to summon their expanded State Executive meeting, and conduct the pre ss conference."

Civil Society Organisations endorse Dapo Abiodun; says Ogun Governor Deserves Second Term.



With few days to the Ogun State Governorship elections, the Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Good Governance have stated its convictions that the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun deserves a second term in Office. The group stated this, after a meeting in Lagos, where it reviewed the 2023 General elections and issues generated, since the February 25th Presidential and National Assembly elections, held across the country.


The Coalition said since his assumption of office, Governor Abiodun has demonstrated a very high level of commitment, to good governance and delivery of the dividends of democracy in Ogun state. The group also said, Abiodun’s is going into Saturday’s election, with outstanding records, that are luminous, inspiring, and transparent compared to his opponents, in the election.


In a statement issued at the end of the meeting, which was jointly signed by Comrade Olufemi Lawson and Declan Ihekhaire, the Civil Society Organisations, said, that the first term of Governor Dapo Abiodun “has concretely bridged the disconnect between government and the citizenry in all spheres of human endeavor with a plethora of people centered, home grown policies and programmes which are unprecedented in the annals of Ogun State.”


”Governor Abiodun has over the past three and half years, remain committed to delivering his promises to the people of Ogun State, despite an avalanche of baseless provocations and arm chair criticisms of his opponents, many of whom are completely detached from the contemporary realities of the Ogun State people. Governor Abiodun has in no small measure turned around the fortunes of Ogun State and lived up to expectation as a leader, who have refused to hand over the heritage of the people to any ferocious godfather. He has remained grateful to God and the Ogun State people for their support at all times knowing fully well that the people are with him because of their conviction on his competence rather than any form of gratuitous imposition from outside.”


”it is on record, that through his administration's commitment to community development; several projects that are spread over the nook and crannies of Ogun State had been completed and put to use. The score card is indeed endless as the Dapo Abiodun led administration has, in less than four years taken Ogun State to the front row of political communities in Nigeria and beyond with the numerous home-grown policies and frameworks that are unprecedented in the state.” the statement further said.


The Coalition also said, since Governor Abiodun had performed creditably well and has now put himself forward for re-election; massive votes that translates to victory is the sure incentive, that people of Ogun State, can reward him with, in order to ensure, a future that can make him perform better.

The group also urge the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, to avoid a repeat of events, which created several controversies, around the Presidential and National Assembly elections, particularly on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS and the election result portal.

A group, Elite Nigeria, has advocated for the emergence of Hon. Abbas Tajudeen as the next speaker of the Federal House of Representatives.

The group made this known on Monday in a press statement jointly signed by its coordinator, Adeleke Funsho and its secretary, Emeka Chigozie.

Hon. Tajuddeen of the All Progressives Congress represents Zaria Federal Constituency and is the House Committee Chairman,Land Transport.

The group while commending the emergence of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the president elect also encouraged Tinubu to support the Hon. Tajudeen as the next leader of the green chamber.

The group stated that given the vast wealth experience of Hon. Tajudeen, he is the most worthy and suitable candidate who should be made the next speaker of the green chamber.

According to the group, Hon. Tajudeen enjoys a solid grassroots support which lays testament to his popularity among his people.

They stated that the strong outing of the Lawmaker in the just concluded general elections is one which further lays credence to the large support which he enjoys from his people.

"His educational qualifications is one which speaks realiability and competence, and we are rest assured that given his wealth of exposure, his emergence in the green chamber will go a long way to compliment the administration of the Tinubu led presidency upon inauguration.

"Hon. Tajudeen is a dependable ally who can be always trusted to give Asiwaju the much needed legislative backing which in the long run will be of great benefits to Nigerians across the 36 states of the federation and this is why we are pushing for his emergence", the group stated.

The Coalition for Transparency in Nigeria (CTN) has knocked the People Advocacy for Transparency and Accountability (PATAI) and Al-Mushaid Initiative for Transparency and Accountability (AITA) for raising false alarm on corrupt practices within the leadership of the North East Development Commission (NEDC).

Recall that PATAI and AITA last week accused the leadership of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) of mismanaging N146.19 billion, and threatened to report the commission to the anti-graft agency if it did not respond to the allegations by Wednesday, March 15, 2023.

But the Coalition for Transparency in Nigeria (CTN) at a press conference held in Abuja on Sunday, March 12, 2023, dismissed the allegations of the CSOs as "false and baseless".

CTN Executive Director, Dr. Cecilia Ikechukwu who addressed the news conference said the anti-corruption coalition decided on conducting routine due diligence before commending the two organizations for uncovering the allegations.

She explained that the things that the coalition found out about "the entire matter" are, however, "saddening."

The Executive Director lamented that it was now clear that "hustlers are hijacking the noble resolve of citizens to hold the government accountable."

The coalition said, "The first absurdity we noticed is that the two groups gave the NEDC leadership until March 15, 2023 to answer to their funny posers failing which they will report to the EFCC. The anti-graft agencies and other law enforcement agencies conduct media scanning and the press briefing held by PATAI and AITA was already enough ground for the EFCC to step in. The fact that it has not stepped in meant that these two so-called “transparency NGOs” are merely engaged in the use of fictitious petitions, campaigns of calumny, and blackmail to intimidate the leadership of NEDC.

"A second absurdity is that the groups accused the NEDC leadership of mismanaging the sum of N146.19 billion being budgetary provisions made for it. It is absurd that they are not able to articulately pin down the amount within the context of budgetary and implementation processes. Was the amount a fraction of a larger budget? What is the timespan the money was meant to cover, one year, two years, or three years? Is the N146.19 billion budget for an entire year? How did the NEDC meet its overhead, recurrent, and personnel costs if the entire N146.19 billion was misappropriated as being claimed?

"Thirdly, it is odd that in spite of all the facts they claimed to possess, both groups opted for media mudslinging and name-calling when they could have simply tendered their petition to the EFCC. Or the Independent Corrupt Practices or Related Offences Commission (ICPC). They can only resort to this route because their allegations of corruption in the agency are non-existing, they are phantom lies in the imagination of these questionable elements."

The coalition said the fact of the matter was that "in August 2020, the Senate Committee on Special Duties after a three-day oversight function to appraise the performance of the NEDC commended the Commission for its “outstanding performance” in the area of humanitarian intervention. The Chairman of Senate Committee on Special Duties, Senator Yusuf Yusuf, who led the delegation on the oversight visit gave the commendation. Please, note that the Senate has a Committee on Public Accounts, which would have flagged if anything was amiss in the finances of NEDC.

"In June 2022, a Coalition of Gombe Youths and Elders Progressive Forum (CGYEPF) commended NEDC for its laudable intervention initiatives in the North-East sub-region. This Coalition praised the Commission for its various projects in the region. They made their position known in a statement entitled “Gombe Elders and Youths are Happy with NEDC successes in the region,” signed by the coalition’s National Chairman, Alhaji Salihu Magaji. These are citizens that benefitted from the projects it implemented so we wonder where PATAI and AITA are sourcing their own facts from.

"Another fact ignored by the activists-for-hire is that there is a Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), which must vet the award of contracts of all Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). To the extent that our emergency “transparency NGOs” could not fault the NEDC leadership for bypassing the contract processes, they ought to have approached institutions that understand the processes to educate them.

"Furthermore, the Is shy four years old. The implication of this is that there is no project or contract awarded that is more than four years old. We are also aware that because of the paucity of funds, government projects are implemented in phases spanning upward of three years with budgetary provisions made for such projects in installments. Sometimes there are years when there would be no budgetary provisions for an ongoing project which would then be temporarily suspended and then resumed in subsequent years when funds are provided. The list of so-called “abandoned projects of NEDC” drawn up by PATAI and AITA, therefore, reeks of ignorance and is totally laughable," it added.

CTN maintained that "NEDC stands out as one of the most transparent agencies in the country and we are tempted to rate it as the most transparent in the country until such a time that someone can bring up empirical evidence to prove that another agency has surpassed that record."

While condemning the coordinators of the two organizations for being "insensitive to the dangers of plying their blackmail in a Commission that is strategic to long-term peace in the terrorism-impacted North-East geo-political zone", the coalition called on the intelligence community and law enforcement agencies to grill the "operators of PATAI and AITA to prove that they are not on errands for Boko Haram/ISWAP."

This, it said was necessary to ensure that things do not fester badly before destructive platforms like the duo are called to order.

The coalition urged the leadership of NEDC to "disregard the criminal ultimatum handed in by PATAI and AITA to focus on their mandate of returning the northeast to the commercial powerhouse it was before terrorism disrupted lives there."

The anti-corruption group further urged the NEDC leadership to report the two organizations to law enforcement agencies to "investigate their possible link to terrorism because we fear that it is a matter of time before they begin to physically NEDC projects."

While advising the public to disregard the two organizations, the coalition called on PATAI and AITA to retrace their steps and stop their resort to blackmail.

10th NASS: Give us Betara as Speaker, Tinubu Support Groups beg APC

The Network of Tinubu Support Groups in Nigeria has urged the All Progressives Congress to back the member representing Biu/Bayo/Shani Federal Constituency, Hon Muktar Aliyu Betara, for the position of Speaker in the 10th National Assembly.

The group, which made this known at a press conference in Abuja, said Betara is the most competent returning lawmaker with an unblemished track record of excellence, integrity, and diligence.

In his address, Dr. Moses
Ikani, the group's president described the renowned accountant as a resourceful parliamentarian who is familiar with the challenges inherent in the leadership of the legislature.

Ikani noted that Betara has excelled in all tasks in the National Assembly since 2007 unrivaled in experience, capacity, and performance - with a well-crafted agenda to address the plethora of challenges restraining the House of Representatives.

"Gentlemen, as things stand now, Nigeria needs a crop of new leaders, especially at the legislative arm of government which section 80-84 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 vest the power and control of public funds as representatives of the people," Ikani said.

"The legislature is a key democratic institution for political representation. So, to fix Nigeria, we will have to tweak some of its working parts by separating the gold diggers and power thirsty from those who truly want to serve at this level of leadership, and to accomplish this is to do away with mediocrity and clannish interest.
"Every true Nation must have a sense of purpose that subsumes all sub-national interest. We are yet to identify or define what our national raison deter is. Until it is more beneficial to be Nigeria than to be Ibo, Hausa, Efik, Yoruba, etc we will continue to suffer nepotism and misallocation of national resources.

"However, amid this seeming hopelessness in our polity, we found a highly resourceful parliamentarian in the Green Chamber of the National Assembly who is familiar with the challenges inherent in leadership at the Nigerian legislative arm of government. He is Rt. Hon Muktar Aliyu Betara, member representing Biu/Bayo/Shwa and Kwaya Kusar Federal constituency in Borno State.

"By our assessment, he did quite well, extremely well, taking into account the challenges-- the enormity of challenges faced by the 9th National Assembly shortly after the inauguration in 2019 when he was unanimously elected as Chairman, of the House standing committee on appropriation.

"RT. Hon Muktar Batera is one individual whose capacity to complement the actions and policies of the executive as speaker of the House of Representatives would expeditiously guarantee the much-needed turnaround of Nigeria. A detribalised and cosmopolitan persona, Rt Hon Muktar Batera is experienced as a team player whose contribution to nation-building has been applauded within and outside this country.

"Batera is a performer with well-crafted agenda to address the plethora of challenges restraining the House of Representatives from performing optimally as a major institution of Democratic governance. He has been rated as one of the most successful members of the 9th Assembly in terms of parliamentary activities, and this success story resonated with his immediate federal constituency where his effective representation at the Green Chamber of the National Assembly is felt directly. He has proven that his foray into politics is solely service to humanity hence his towering popularity amongst members of the National Assembly.

"Batera is indeed a servant leader in every ramification. To this end, Gentlemen of the press, we present a true and dependable Nigerian in the person of Rt Hon Muktar Aliyu Batera to you as the most astute and capable parliamentarian in the 10th National Assembly (green Chamber) to assume the position of Speaker for the House and all Nigerians."

Winner of the February 25, 2023 House of Representatives election in Ekiti North Federal Constituency (II), Akinlayo Davidson Kolawole, has refuted the rumors that he was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He stated this while reacting to the publication by some online Newspapers, that he was picked by the operatives of the anti-graft agency shortly after being presented with his certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a statement issued by him on Friday, Hon. Kolawole stated that he was never arrested and that members of the public should disregard the rumors as they have no iota of truth.

"I am startled that some mischievous elements would go as far as peddling rumors about me, I was never arrested by any one or any agency.

"If I was arrested, I won't be here making these statements. These are handiwork of political jobbers who seek nothing but confusion and personality destruction.

"I urge our people to disregard these news as they are nothing but mere propaganda which will not succeed".

End.

Thank you.