Soyinka, Falana to Nigerians: Beware of Obasanjo

Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and activist-lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) on Sunday warned Nigerians to be wary of a coalition formed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, purportedly to rescue Nigeria.

They said Nigeria was in danger when politicians like Obasanjo, who “supervised the sacking of democratic governments” in Oyo and Anambra states, pretend to be the messiah.

Obasanjo formed the Coalition for Nigeria Movement on January 24, 2018, which he said was meant to salvage the nation.

He asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to contest next year’s election as he had “failed.”

Soyinka and Falana, who described but didn’t name Obasanjo, spoke in Lagos at the 80th post-humous birthday of the late human rights lawyer Gani Fawehinmi (SAN).

The event was the themed ‘Democracy for the masses through proper and effective governance.

It also featured former Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Senator Shehu Sani, Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, Afenifere chieftain, Senator Femi Okurounmu, among others.

Soyinka said: “All I want to say in connection with the title of today is just one word: vigilance….There is no question whatsoever that democracy is in danger.

“And so I find it ironic, that those who’ve proved themselves the enemies of democracy who’ve really taken, they’ve really committed acts, not just negligence, but actually inaugurated certain policies which contributed to our being at this point again are once again coming out and positioning themselves as saviours, as messiahs, as the sole possible rescue mission that this nation can even dream of, a nation of nearly 200 million people.

“I find it very strange, and I find it even stranger because at the beginning of this movement towards ‘Rescue Mission’, there were one or two organisations that came out under different names and they had people in them whom I considered worth following, worth encouraging, worth encouraging others to study closely and even consider following.

“The next thing I knew, these movements were being hijacked by the very people who laid the foundation, an ironic word by the way, for the collapse of the democratic edifice.”

Soyinka said he turned one of the groups down when it approached him.

He said: “The next thing we know, they are forming coalitions and I was invited by one of the rescue missions to address them and I telephoned them and I asked the question, ‘wait a minute, which one are you? Are you the original people I saw or is there a faction or is there now a fatherly umbrella under which everybody is moving?’

“And I told them; don’t even come near me, if you’ve signed up on one of those who are the enemies of democracy in this nation.

“Those who inaugurated so-called constitutional amendment programmes, total charades, to assist them to continue to run, which has been scuttled by the direction known as tenure elongation, third term, etcetera for which the entire national treasury was almost bankrupted. And suddenly, here they are they are forming coalitions all over the place, once again, confusing people.

“Who are the genuine leaders, who are those that we can trust?  The answer to that is very simple: look at their track record. That’s all.

He advised Nigerians not to allow themselves “to plunge into a zone of amnesia, in which you conveniently forget unpleasant realities.

“We’ve had presidents in this nation, some of whom inaugurated a never-ending democratic process, which landed us eventually under the most brutal dictators that this nation has ever known.

“We had others also who actually supervised sacking of ‘democratic government’; I’m speaking of Anambra, I’m speaking of Oyo State. A governor was kidnapped under their watch with their complicity; in another instance, thugs actually entered the House of Assembly, sacked the legislators and installed their own candidates; under the same watch.

“And they call themselves the God-designated watchman over the fortunes of this nation? And suddenly, here they are and I see Nigerians flocking to them and asking them once again to lead.

“Mind you, they’ve said very clearly if it becomes a political party count me out o, but paths are already being beaten to their doors, control by subrogation.

“Even if they do not individually put themselves back in the position of power, they are already smoothening the way for their surrogates, their stooges, so that they can continue to misrule from their cosy farmsteads. So, all I’m urging is: be very vigilant. Just look closely at their records, look at the company they keep.

He urged the youth to “grow up” and take political power.

“Why can’t a new generation actually rise, throw us all out of the window and take control of their own lives by themselves? Why do we keep recycling the same jaded, traitors, enemies of the people? Why do you need to go for blessing somewhere if you’ve made up your mind that it is time to take control of your own existence?

“Once again, I don’t want to be misunderstood, I know what I think about this government when voting time comes, I know exactly where I’m going to cast my vote but I’m not going to allow anybody to hoodwink me and say I will show you the path. No, this will be adding insult to injury.”

According to Falana, the government would confiscate some of Obasanjo’s assets, including a university, “at the right time.”

Falana said: “Our country is undergoing serious crises of governance but we must be very careful so that we do not allow those who destroyed the country, those who ruined the nation to pose as the saviour of our people.

“There’s somebody living very close to this place who has been parading himself as the saviour of our people; this guy ruled the country for 11 and a half years cumulatively – three and a half years under the military, eight years under a civilian dispensation. And even wanted to do a third term but Nigerians rejected him.

“The guy is going round the country now, claiming to have solutions to our problems; I wish to say here and we are challenging him to name one thing that he did, any problem of the country that he solved.

“On the contrary, this guy wasted $16billion to generate darkness for the country. This guy formed and took over the resources of the country blindly under what he called blind trust.

“Nigeria is the only country in the world where a sitting President and a sitting Vice-President established private universities when the government refused to fund public universities and other tertiary institutions. But let me tell,

“Gani went to court to challenge the extortion of state governments and contractors by a man who realised about N7billion to set up a so-called library.

“Under the constitution, any gift received while you are in office, other than customary gifts, is forfeitable to the state; therefore, at the right time, this country, when it is properly organised will take over all those universities and libraries that were set up with public funds and that may be sooner than you think.”

Kaduna State Senator, Sani, said Nigeria is not yet in a true democracy.

He said: “In fact, our country is sick, the republic is sick; our people are dying, violence, bloodshed, killings, mass murder is becoming the emblem of our democracy today.

“We are out of PDP misrule but we will be deceiving ourselves to say we are in the Promise Land; we are not in the Promise Land. We must keep vigil,

“The political ruling elite are not yet prepared to see to a democratic Nigeria. Nigeria’s political reality is about personal interest.

“Those who destroyed our country in the past are very much present as born against.”

He urged Nigerians of integrity to support Buhari because “You can’t build a country because of the integrity of one person. The integrity of one person is not enough to rule and sustain a state. We have a President who is a man of integrity but integrity is not enough for leadership.”

Sowore lamented that Nigerians rejected Gani for Obasanjo in 1999.

He said: “I want to say very briefly that Nigeria must be regretting that when they had a chance to choose between Chief Gani Fawehinmi and a Barabbas, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, they decided to choose Obasanjo instead of choosing Gani Fawehinmi and that is why we are regretting today. - The Nation

CAN to Christians: Defend yourselves or lose your lives

Samson Ayokunle, president of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has appealed to Christians to save themselves from killings and attacks.

He said this during a pre-convention news conference of the 105th annual meeting of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) in Rivers state.

Ayokunle, who is also the president of NBC, urged them to defend themselves against rampaging herdsmen, Boko Haram insurgents and militia groups that want to harm them.

He said: “Lawyers have been speaking that the issue of self defence is constitutional, and also in commonsense which may not be common, because if you see somebody coming with dangerous weapon to kill you and you say it is not constitutional to defend yourself, then you must be ready to lose your life.

“It is commonsense that you defend yourself from danger that is coming, but if you think it is not good to defend yourself, good luck. Do not be naive. If the marauders appear to be more powerful than the government and they cannot save us from them, then we must save ourselves.

“For about nine years, these people have continued to kill and it appears like they have more guns and tactics than the security agents to be able to continue. How many of them have been arrested? How many of them have been prosecuted? Then, if I allow them to take my life, I will be responsible for my foolishness.”

Ayokunle also called on Christians not to see politics as a dirty game, but to fully participate in politics, to change Nigeria for better. - Cable Nigeria

Poor students !! Sex-for-marks: Court jails students

Two siblings, Miss Judith Ivie Okosun and Juliet Obehi Okosun have been jailed for unlawful detention and indecent assault on a lecturer, Engr. Peter Otubu, of the department of Electrical and Economics, at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State.

The court heard that the accused lured the lecturer into their room, stripped, assaulted and detained him for allegedly demanding sex to upgrade their marks.

The matter has lingered for 8 years now.

Chief Magistrate of Ekpoma Magistrate Court, Esan West Local Government Area, Martina Iluobe, sentenced the two, now former students, to two years imprisonment each.

They were charged for unlawful detention, indecent assault, stealing, conspiracy and frivolous petition against Dr. Otubu.

Delivering judgement in the case marked MEK/18C/2012, Iluobe recalled that Juliet Obehi Okosun (second accused person) had admitted in her evidence before the court that she had the key to the apartment where the first accused person, Judith Ivie Okosun, unlawfully assaulted Dr. Otubu.

PM Express reports that Dr. Otubu was held hostage and stripped unclad at their one-room apartment in a private female hostel near the university on 17th July, 2010.

The accused persons were also said to have made Dr. Otubu to issue a cheque in the sum of N100,000 in favour of Judith Ivie Okosun.

The recorded video clips was also posted in the internet by one Oziengbe, now at large.

The second accused person had told the court that she was in possession of the key to the apartment where Engr. Otubu was held, making her liable for the unlawful detention of the lecturer.

Judith and Juliet were discharged on 1, 5, and 6 charges which bothered on conspiracy and stealing and frivolous petition following the failure of the prosecution to prove these beyond reasonable doubt.

But were jailed on the remaining charges bothering on unlawful detention and indecent assault.

The court said that the failure of Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN), to provide call log of conversations between the first Principal Witness (Engr. Iluobe) and some of the accused persons as required by the prosecution to prove his case was fatal to the prosecution.

Chief Magistrate Iluobe tongue-lashed the lecturer saying he “suffered for the sin of immorality to have gone to the room of her student which resulted in the show of shame, humiliation and torture which left his career in ruins.

“This court is of the view that there is a very strong conspiracy and set up against Engr. Peter Otubu, even though the defense Counsel had submitted before the court that suspicion does not amount to conspiracy.

”Throughout the length and breadth of the case, there is a thread which runs through criminal procedure of the case against the accused persons.

“Therefore, I hold that count 1 has not been proved as required by the law. For count 2, the first and second accused persons had testified that the allegations were communicated to the school authorities about the show of shame.

“I believe them in this, because judging from the position of the the Principal Witness (PW1) and the first accused person, the whole truth was found and doctored.

“Such situation is highly embarrassing to him as a lecturer, his family and the university community.”

Responding to the judgment, counsel to the defendants, Mr. Olayowola Afolabi, agreed with the judgement on the sexual promiscuity of PW1, describing it as “a show of shame.”

But he pleaded with the court for clemency for the convicted persons on the ground that they were first offenders, stressing that the second convict is a nursing mother.

“The first accused person, my lord, is about to get married. I had to plead with the husband to allow her to come to court.

“My lord, the first and second accused persons were first offenders. My lord also has the option to caution the convicts in view of the circumstances. My lord is a woman who knows where the shoe is pinching us.

“So, my lord, I am pleading. Literally, my lord, I am on my knees. It is a show of shame for the lecturer to come to the house of his student.”

Following the pleading from the counsel to the defendants, Chief Magistrate Iluobe handed down an option of fine to the first and second accused persons in lieu of imprisonment. - Daily Post

Land of injustice !! Woman dies in Ogun following F- SARS raid – family

frightened and shocked nonagenarian, Madam Bintu Jinadu, of Lajiga family in Makun – Sagamu, Ogun State, has slumped and died following raid on her home by Operatives of the Federal Special Anti – Robbery Squad (F – SARS) from Abuja.

This was the trigger of a protest by hundreds of women and men who marched to the Palace of the Ewusi of Makun, Sagamu, Oba Timothy Akinsanya, last Saturday, alleging that Bintu Jinadu died of shock shortly after Operatives of the F – SARS from Abuja stormed her home in a commando style, and whisked the son, Abdul Rahman Abdul Kabir, away on the order of a suspected land grabber.

The nonagenarian was said to have slumped in shock after watching the brutal manner her son was whisked away a week and died days later.

Two other men – Chief Idowu Sanya and Dauda Owolabi, were also taken away from the town along with Abdul – Rahman.

Some of their placards read: “Amosun Save from landgrabbers, ” “We Say No to Land Grabbing and Sir Kay Oluwo”; “Killing a Ninety Year Old Mother is a Sacrilege”, “Land Grabbers are Terrorists. Save us Now.”

The peaceful protest which took off from the Awolowo Market, Sagamu, terminated at the Palace of the Ewusi, Oba Akinsanya.

Their leader, Jamiu Lajiga, who addressed reporters, declared that the “Makun – Sagamu people, are tired of the nefarious activities of land grabbers” within their territories.

Jamiu alleged that “many of the notorious land grabbers evicted from Lagos State has, for long, relocated to the Remo towns and villages where they have been terrorizing us forcefully dispossess us  of our family lands.”

He accused a suspected land grabber popularly referred to as Sir Kay Oluwo, of being responsible for their plights and subsequent death of the 90 years old woman.

“He is a pain in the neck of the entire people of Makun Sagamu towns and villages,” he said.

Addressing the crowd, Oba Timothy Akinsanya, sympathized with the victims of what he called “an abominable brutalization of innocent land owners by land grabbers.”

The monarch urged the protesters to remain peaceful and return to their respective homes and works, while promising to take up the issue earnestly. - The Nation

World Bank reveals amount sent home by Nigerians living abroad

The World Bank on Monday revealed that Nigerians living in the Diaspora repatriated $22 billion home in 2017, making it among the highest, and the fifth largest remittance by immigrants.

Egypt received $20 billion from its citizens abroad, according to figures published by the bank today.

The World Bank said payments from immigrants back to their home countries rebounded to reach a new record in 2017 but the costs of transferring funds also increased.

The stronger-than-expected recovery in remittances — payments that are key to supporting the economies of many poor countries — was driven by growth in Europe, Russia and the United States, the World Bank said in a report.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the bank estimates that officially recorded remittances to low- and middle-income countries reached $466 billion in 2017, an increase of 8.5 percent over $429 billion in 2016. They are expected to increase by about four percent this year.

Remittance inflows improved in all regions. The top remittance recipients were India with $69 billion, followed by China ($64 billion), the Philippines ($33 billion), Mexico ($31 billion), Nigeria and Egypt followed.

The global average cost of sending $200 was 7.1 percent in the first quarter of 2018, and sub-Saharan Africa remains the most expensive place to send money to, where the average cost is 9.4 percent.

“While remittances are growing, countries, institutions, and development agencies must continue to chip away at high costs of remitting so that families receive more of the money,” said lead author of the report, Dilip Ratha.

The bank calls on countries to take steps to simplify the process to reduce the costs, including “introducing more efficient technology.”

By region, Europe and Central Asia saw the biggest growth last year, jumping 21 per cent, while Sub-Saharan Africa rose 11 per cent.

East Asia and the Pacific saw the biggest inflows of $130 billion, as South Asia received $117 billion, followed by Latin America with $80 billion.

SAD !! Nigerian burnt to death in South Africa

A Nigerian  has been burnt to death in Rustenburg, South Africa, after his vehicle was set ablaze by yet-to-be identified people.

He has not been identified.

However, the country’s  North West police did not believe the incident was related to violent protests in the area this week, according to media reports on Sunday.

Two vehicles were set alight in two separate incidents by a group of unidentified people, multiple reports said.

No one had been arrested and police were investigating, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported police spokesperson Ofentse Mokgadi as having said.

“We can confirm that in two separate incidents, two vehicles were burnt by unknown suspects. In one of the incidents, a man sustained serious burn wound injuries after being set alight. He later died in hospital.

“At this stage a motive is unknown and police are still investigating,” the broadcaster added.

Calm returned to the area after days of protests calling for the removal of North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo.

The killing of the Nigerian came less than 10 days after another Nigerian ThankGod Okoro, 30, from Ogbaku in the Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State was murdered.

Records show that no fewer than 117 Nigerians have been killed in South Africa since February, 2016.

Unofficial estimates put the number of Nigerians residing in South Africa at about 800,000 majority of whom are young people.