Obasanjo’s presidency a calamity - Adebanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who has been campaigning against President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election, has been described as a failure by elder statesman Chief Ayo Adebanjo.

In his autobiography titled Telling it as it is, which was presented in Lagos yesterday as part of activities to mark his 90th birthday, Adebanjo described Obasanjo’s presidency between 1999 and 2007as a “tragedy” and a “calamity”.

Devoting two pages – 187 and 188 – to the Obasanjo presidency, Adebanjo wrote: “The man who carried on as if he was all-in-all failed woefully on all counts as President. His eight-year tenure (1999-2007) was a tragedy. His scorecard is nothing to write home about. What did he do in eight years? Before he came, we were buying fuel (petrol) for N20 per litre, and crude oil was $23 per barrel. In 2007, under his regime, we were buying fuel at N75 per litre, and crude oil was between $65 and $75 per barrel. In the worst days of Abacha, one dollar was over N120.”

Adebanjo was a disciple of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He was a member the Action Group (AG) in the First Republic and the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the Second Republic.

At the beginning of this Republic, he was a member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

He also wrote in the book that Obasanjo humiliated the late Awolowo, when the latter visited him to discuss the interest of the Yoruba when Obasanjo became the military head of state after the assassination of Gen. Murtala Mohammed on February 13, 1976.

Adebanjo wrote: “There are many incidents to show that Obasanjo was anti-Yoruba. He has no interest in, or sympathy for the Yoruba cause, he only has his own interest for everything he does. That is my conclusion, and I have copious evidence to prove it.”

Adebanjo also blamed Obasanjo for the collapse of the AD by picking the late Chief Bola Ige, a member of the AD, as a minister in 1999 against the wish of the party.

He said: “As far as I am concerned, the moment Bola Ige joined Obasanjo’s government, following his (Bola Ige) loss of AD’s presidential primaries where he polled six votes against Chief Olu Falae’s 17, marked the beginning of the end for the party. In my opinion, these are the scenarios which led to the collapse of the AD.”

Extolling the virtues of Adebanjo, All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said he regarded him as a great leader who is committed to democracy.

Tinubu, who strolled into the hall unexpectedly, told the audience that he was on his way to Abuja to attend his party’s meeting when he was informed that Adebanjo’s book launch was holding today (yesterday) and he decided to be there, even if it was for only two minutes.

He described the celebrator as “a nationalist worthy of emulation. “He has been a father to all of us in politics; he is a man of principle, who is always ready to defend his position on any issue”, Tinubu said of the nonagenarian.

He went on: “If not for his honour and integrity, I wouldn’t have been Lagos State Governor.  He stood against rigging the Alliance for Democracy (AD) governorship primary in 1999. He insisted that direct primary should hold. And when the result came, some people wanted to manipulate the result; Adebanjo stood his ground that the result of the primary should be upheld. If he had been a corrupt leader, he would have taken money and my name would have been substituted.

“I respect you; you are a mentor to me. We can disagree. If you call me a rebel, you taught me the act of rebellion. If I go the other side, I am not a bastard, I have a good father. Please, continue on the path of integrity and honesty you are known for.

“You can’t but praise and honour him for his principled stance on restructuring. Restructuring means true federalism; there should be opportunity for each federating unit to govern according to its blueprint; it is about management of resources. I agree with Chief Adebanjo on this. We thank God for you and want you to continue to serve humanity in good health.”

Former Commonwealth Secretary General Chief Emeka Anyaoku described Adebanjo as one of those responsible for creating the history of Nigeria. He described him as a symbol of passion for Nigerian success.

Anyaoku recalled that Nigeria was doing well with four regions, with each region developing at its pace. “If we are to talk about the progress we made in those days, we think of Awolowo’s achievements in the old Western Region, first in their nature: free primary education, first television service in Africa and prudent management of Western Region resources. In the Easteern Region, under Dr Azikiwe and later Dr Michael Okpara, agricultural development was significant. The North under late Ahmadu Bello was renowned for groundnuts pyramids, cotton and high quality hide and skin that were sought for by foreign countries. There was healthy competition among the regions.

“If the military had not intervened in 1966 and remained in power for long, Nigeria could have developed.  I don’t know how a country with much diversity like Nigeria can develop without true federalism which Awolowo advocated and struggled for throughout his life. Adebanjo was his associate and has remained a true disciple of Awo’s legacies.”

He said: “Adebanjo is very focussed. I continue to be amazed by the prowess he demonstrates at 90. I am 85 and I am looking forward to be 90 and retain the same attributes that Adebanjo has.”

The book reviewer, Professor Wale Adebanwi, said  Adebanjo’s early embrace of political conflicts and battles and his unflagging boldness in the face of tyranny have made him one of the most formidable and consistent political fighters the country has ever known.

Adebanwi noted: “There is a certain joy that politics brings to the author which triumphs over all the disappointments and the disabilities of the political system; there is a certain peace that his moral vision invests him with that is undisturbed by the perennial crises and political violence that he has lived through and that surround him.

“To be able to account for this paradox, we need to read the first three chapters of this book which locate the personal and the political and then unite them in a certain embrace of the world that explains his irrepressible, stern but cheerful nature and the vigour of his ideological convictions.”

He said the author raised the question of Chief Bola Ige’s decision to join the Obasanjo administration, which might be ranked as one of the gravest, and as it turned out , most fatal political errors ever committed by leading progressive politician in Nigeria’s history.. However, the author described Ige as “brilliant”, one of the greatest Awoists.

Adebanjo thanked all that came to honour him on the occasion. He urged the guests to donate to his Foundation by buying the book. He said the proceeds would go to the Foundation that would keep managing his church in his country home, Isanya Ogbo near Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

At the occasion were Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (retd), who was the chairman, former governors of Ogun State Chief Olusegun Osoba and Otunba Gbenga Daniel; former Deputy Governors of Lagos State Mr. Kofo Bucknor-Akerele and Mr. Femi Pedro; business moguls Mr Tony Elumelu and Oba Otudeko; Chief Olu Falae, Prof. Tunde Adeniran; Secretary to Ogun State Government Chief Taiwo Ade Oluwa, who represented Governor Ibikunle Amosun, his counterpart from Ondo State, Mr Ifedayo Abegunde, who stood in for Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, the wife of the Ogun State Governor,  Mrs Olufunso Amosun,  Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Alhaji Tanko Yakakasai and Chief Bakare Oluwalogbon.

Others were Chief Kola Daisi,  Pastor Tunde Bakare, Mr. Sam Amuka Pemu, Mrs Nike Akande,  Prof. Banji Akintoye, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, Prof.Pat Utomi, Mrs Bisola Clark, Mrs Ibukun Awosika, Mrs Omotola Oyediran, Dr. Doyin Abiola and Dr Kanyin Ajayi. - The Nation

Stolen in London, sold in Ikeja — how phone thieves are terrorising UK

The acceptability of fairly used phones in Nigeria is linked to the increased rate of phone snatching in the United Kingdom, an investigation by The Sun UK suggests.

According to the report, thugs who move around with motorised bicycles, also known as mopeds, often arm themselves with acid to scare victims and make away with their phones — iPhone users being the major victims.
The report named Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos as being at the end of the chain with iPhones on sale for £560 to £310 cheaper than the authorised price.

“Sun investigators discovered ‘UK used’ iPhones being sold for £560 in stores and markets in Nigeria’s largest city Lagos. Business is booming for the Nigerian racketeers because of soaring demand from the oil-rich middle classes in a country where hi-tech gadgets are relatively scarce,” the report read.
“And because Nigeria has not signed up to a global deal blacklisting stolen phones, British moped gangs are able to keep the crime bosses supplied by exporting tens of thousands of snatched mobiles.”

Between June 2016 and 2017, UK Metropolitan police recorded 16,158 phone crimes related to mopeds, three times more than the previous year’s record, the report said.
“The Sun’s investigation highlights that there are still parts of the world where stolen phones can be unblocked and sold on. All that is required is a new SIM card — and away you go,” Mick Neville, former Met detective chief inspector, was quoted to have said.

“A combination of corrupt officials, unscrupulous businesses and a booming demand for Western technology makes Nigeria an ideal place for handlers to send stolen handsets.”
Reacting to the report, a Lagos police spokesman was quoted to have said: “I am not aware that stolen phones from the UK end up in Lagos. If there is a complaint about a stolen phone in Lagos we shall investigate it.”

European countries, US and South America have signed a deal to blacklist stolen devices.
Under this agreement, each phone has a unique number which is added to a global database when it is reported stolen, making it useless in the countries that are signatories to the agreement.
Nigeria is not part of the agreement. - Cable Nigeria

PL news : Klopp hits out at Premier League scheduling after Man City thrashing

Jurgen Klopp called for the Premier League to "think" about when they schedule fixtures after seeing Liverpool record a resounding 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Champions League.

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the first leg of the quarter-final tie at Anfield on Wednesday, though the Egyptian was substituted early in the second half with a groin problem.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane increased Liverpool's lead in an astonishing opening half to the all-Premier League clash.

However, Klopp's squad have little time to celebrate the result as they have the small matter of a Merseyside derby against Everton on Saturday.

The German questioned the decision to book Liverpool an early kick-off time at Goodison Park, giving his injury-hit squad little time to recover from their European exploits.

"I can imagine a lot of people are happy about this, but we now play at 12:30pm on Saturday," a subdued Klopp told BT Sport .

"If you want to see games like this, then the Premier League have to think about it. Everton are perhaps happier about this game than we are, and that's not fair.

"Being in your national competition should not cause you problems. We now have the problem to somehow find players for Saturday when people are telling us it is one of the most important games of the year.

"I'm not really over the moon at the moment – I'm really angry about a few people who make decisions in this league.

"If we had all players available against Everton but I don't play the best XI, what happens then? We all know [what happens]."

Liverpool face a nervous wait to find out the severity of Salah's injury, particularly with the second leg against City taking place next Tuesday.

Klopp - who will be without Jordan Henderson at the Etihad Stadium due to suspension - revealed the forward had delivered a positive update in the dressing room after the final whistle.

"He said to me after the game that he's all fine," Klopp revealed. "However, I hope that is the case. We will have to wait."

Advertisement

Ragnar Klavan and Emre Can both sat out the home leg with injuries while defender Joel Matip will miss the rest of the season due to a thigh problem. - Goal

Fulani Herdsmen kill a couple, two kids in Taraba

Four members of a family were Wednesday massacred in Taraba state by the rampaging herdsmen.

A 9-month old toddler, however, survived the attack, eye-witnesses told The Nation.

Police Commissioner, David Akinremi, who confirmed the attack and killings, said, the incident, took place in Bikka village of Takum local government area, the home of Governor Darius Ishaku and former Defence Minister Theophilus Danjuma.

The killing comes 11 days after Danjuma indicted the armed forces of “colluding” with the killers, asking Nigerians to arm themselves and balance the terror, otherwise they will all die one by one.

The pictures of those murdered -a Kuteb-Jukun man and his wife with two of their kids, which went viral on the social media, looked gory, with multiple machete cuts.

The Taraba police commissioner described the killers as “unknown gunmen.”

“There is no confirmation yet, as to who they (the killers) are, and their motive.

“But no item seen to be stolen,” he told The Nation, adding that the killers struck at 1:00am.

Hon. Shiban Tikare, the Chairman of Takum local government council, also confirmed the killing of the four members of a family in a night attack.

Shiban disclosed that a nine-month old baby, however, “mysterious” survived the attack.

“The attackers invaded the village at night and slaughtered four members of a family who were deep asleep.

“We heard gunshots around 1:00am along Takum -Ussa road. While we were making efforts to mobilise policemen to the area, we heard sporadic gunshots at Mbikka Central, a community just at the outskirt of the town.

“By the time we got there, four people were slaughtered like chickens – a man, his wife and two children.

“A baby mysteriously survived the attack. The attackers whom we suspect to be Fulani herdsmen also attacked Basam, a village close to Rtd. Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma’s farmhouse, setting the entire village ablaze,” he said.

Shiban lamented that the killings were going on in the area, in spite of the extension of Exercise Ayem A Kpatuma (Cat Race) by the federal government.

According to him, instead of combing the villages to flush out the attackers, the army was busy brutalising his people in the town, adding that his people were disappointed with the exercise whom he said was not yielding the desired results.

Police spokesman, David Misal, an ASP, said the casualty figure was still not clear, “but four bodies were recovered.”

Misal said the Divisional Police Officer in Takum and some troops were drafted to the area. - The Nation

Revealed : 87 Million Facebook Users Snared by Cambridge Analytica

Facebook is restricting the user data it allows outsiders to access as part of steps it’s taking to address the fallout from its worst privacy crisis in years.

The company is reeling from news that a Trump-affiliated data-mining firm used ill-gotten data from millions of users to try to influence elections. Facebook says as many as 87 million people may have had their data accessed — an increase from the 50 million disclosed in published reports.

Among the latest changes: Facebook is restricting access that apps can get about users’ events, as well as information about groups such as member lists and content.

In addition, the company is also removing the option to search for users by entering a phone number or an email address. While this helped individuals find friends who may have a common name, Facebook says businesses that had phone or email information on customers were able to collect profile information this way.

Cambridge Analytica, a data-mining firm affiliated with President Donald Trump’s campaign, has been accused of using ill-gotten data from Facebook users to try to influence elections.

This coming Monday, all Facebook users will receive a notice on their Facebook feeds with a link to see what apps they use and what information they have shared with those apps. They’ll have a chance to delete apps they no longer want.

Users who had their data shared with Cambridge Analytica will be told of that within that notice. Facebook says most of the affected users are in the U.S.

Facebook’s new privacy policy aims to explain the data it gathers on users more clearly — but doesn’t actually change what it collects and shares.

The company unveiled the revisions Wednesday as it faces one of its worst privacy scandals in history. Although Facebook says the changes aren’t prompted by recent events, it’s an opportune time. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is also set to testify before Congress next week for the first time.

Among Wednesday’s changes: Facebook has added a section explaining that it collects people’s contact information, which may include call logs and text histories. The previous policy did not mention call logs or text histories. Several users were surprised to learn recently that Facebook had been collecting such data. - AP

We are burdened by taxes, telcos lament

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators in Nigeria (ALTON) says its members are burdened by taxes.

The association said multiple taxes have been impacting negatively on their operations adding that the 2015 Amended Taxes and Levies Order has led to the imposition of arbitrary levies and charges on telecom firms by state governments.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday, Gbenga Adebayo, ALTON chairman, said that item 3 (b) of the Amended Schedule to the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act introduced new levies and taxes under items 12 to 25.

“ALTON is concerned that the Amended Taxes & Levies Order, 2015 engendered the institution of multiplicity of taxes across different tiers of government. The industry is also burdened with the enactment of laws at the state government level to legitimise spurious levies and charges on our members, which negates the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

“It is disturbing that the entire instrument has given the state governments authorisation to coerce and disrupt the operations of our members in order to compel the payment of sundry levies, charges and taxes.

“Rather than the amended order addressing the issue of multiple taxation, it, on the contrary, increased the tax burden of our members and adversely impacted the ease of doing business in Nigeria.”

Adebayo requested that Kemi Adeosun, the minister of finance, review the order and the federal government issue an executive order declaring telecom infrastructure as critical national security and economic infrastructure as prescribed in the 2015 Cybercrime Act.

“It is pertinent to state that unless telecoms facilities have first level of protection by the government, it will be difficult to provide uninterrupted services to the citizenry.”

The ministry of finance together with Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has in recent times made efforts to increase the level of tax compliance including a nine-month tax amnesty programme to give individuals and companies room to regularise their taxes. - Cable Nigeria

Shocking !!! Father kills 38-year-old son during argument in Enugu

Enugu State Police command have launched a manhunt for one Onyenwe Offor Ajah, who allegedly hacked his son to death in an Enugu community.

The force PRO, Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement on Wednesday that the incident occurred on March 28 at Ameke Enu village in Oduma Community of Aninri Local Government Area of the state.

The superintendent of police, said the son whom he allegedly killed after a disagreement, had been identified as Kenneth Ajah, 38.

He said the suspect had a misunderstanding over some yet-to-be established issues with his son, which started at Orie Oduma Market.

“It was further gathered that following the alleged misunderstanding, there arose a fight between the father and his son, which resulted to the use of an object to hit the victim on his head by the father.

“The son, however, became unconscious and was rushed to a nearby hospital and was later confirmed dead by a doctor on duty”, he said.

Amaraizu said the deceased’s body had been deposited at Awgu District General Hospital Mortuary, while a manhunt for the fleeing suspect had been intensified.

29-year-old man burns son with hot iron for stealing mum’s food

The Police on Wednesday arraigned a 29-year-old man, Godstime Ategho, in an FCT High Court, Apo, for allegedly placing a hot pressing iron on the body of his 7-year-old son.

The prosecutor, Mr. Jaafaru Ayitogo, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence in November 2017.

He said that the defendant placed a hot pressing iron on the body of his 7-year-old son for stealing food, which was meant for his mother.

Ayitogo added that the defendant did not take his son to the hospital for treatment.

The offence, according to the prosecutor, contravened Section 2 of the Violence Against Persons [Prohibition] Act, 2015, while the defendant denied committing the offence.

Ategho, of Pasali, Kuje, is standing trial on a count charge of wilful infliction of physical injury.

The Judge, Justice Idris Kutigi granted the defendant bail on personal recognition.

Kutigi, however, adjourned the case until May 17, for hearing. - Daily Post

Terrorism : Fulani herdsmen kill two farmers, injures three

Two persons have been reportedly killed by suspected Fulani militia in Agasha town, Guma Local Government area in Benue state

The herdsmen also shot and wounded three persons who are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital and rustled hundred cows.

Police spokesperson DSP Moses Yamu said he was yet to get the information from the Guma Divisional Police Office.

Presidential of Tiv Barenda Association (TBA) Chief  Aondona Adzuu, told The Nation that the Fulani herdsmen stormed the house of the victim called Asema at about 2am when everyone fast asleep .

“They surrounded his house located on Tilley Gyado Farm road in Agasha town and shot him dead before rustling his 100 cows,” said Chief Adzuu.

While escaping, they shot and wounded three other persons who are receiving treatment at a hospital .

Adzuu, who is a community leader in Agasha said that the second person died as a result of the gunshot he sustained from the attackers .

This is the second time Agasha town is coming under Fulani attacks. First was in 2014 where seven Tiv farmers were slaughtered. - The Nation