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Restoring the Glory of Kano Emirates: A Commendable Decision by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf

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In a landmark move that has captured the hearts of many, His Excellency, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has reinstated His Royal Majesty, Lamido Sanusi as the Emir of Kano, four years after his controversial dethronement. This decision, coupled with the dissolution of the additional emirates created under the previous administration, signifies a significant step towards restoring the historical and cultural integrity of the Kano Emirate.

 

His Excellency, Governor Yusuf’s bold action not only honors the rich heritage of Kano but also reaffirms the traditional values and unity that the emirate has long represented. By reinstating His Royal Majesty, Lamido Sanusi, a respected figure with a distinguished career in banking and public service, the governor has demonstrated a commitment to preserving the dignity and legacy of the Kano Emirate.

 

His Majesty’s ( Lamido Sanusi’s) previous tenure as Emir was marked by progressive leadership and advocacy for transparency, which resonated deeply with many Nigerians. His return is anticipated to bring renewed vigor and integrity to the emirate, fostering a sense of continuity and stability.

READ  Kano emirate crisis: Abba Yusuf signs bill creating second-class emirates in Kano

 

Furthermore, the Kano State House of Assembly’s decision to repeal the Kano State Emirs (Appointment and Deposition) Law, thereby abolishing the newly created emirates, is a confirmation to the assembly’s alignment with the governor’s vision. This move consolidates the emirate under a single, respected ruler, which is expected to strengthen the traditional institution and promote cohesion within the state.

 

The dissolution of the additional emirates and the reinstatement of Sanusi are seen as necessary corrections to past decisions that were viewed by many as politically motivated and divisive. This restoration not only respects the wishes of a significant portion of the populace but also aims to heal the rifts that have emerged in recent years.

 

His Excellency, Governor Yusuf and the current assembly members deserve commendation for their foresight and courage in making these decisions. Their actions reflect a deep understanding of the cultural and historical significance of the Kano Emirate and a commitment to upholding its esteemed traditions.

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This move is likely to have positive ripple effects, boosting morale among the people of Kano and reaffirming their trust in the state’s leadership. It underscores the importance of governance that is responsive to the cultural and historical contexts of its people, a principle that other states can learn from.

 

In conclusion, the reinstatement of His Majesty, Lamido Sanusi as Emir of Kano and the dissolution of the additional emirates represent a commendable effort to restore the glory of the Kano Emirate. Governor Abba Yusuf and the Kano State House of Assembly have shown exemplary leadership, and their actions will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the cultural and historical landscape of Kano. This decision is a beacon of hope for preserving Nigeria’s rich heritage and fostering unity among its people.

Hon. Adeboro Onibalusi
Write from Akure Ondo State.

 

 

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Opinion

Oditah is wrong about the EFCC

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BY DELE OYEWALE

Professor Fidelis Oditah’s recent interactive discussions on a wide range of issues on Arise News are quite engaging. As a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN and an international legal mind, his views on national issues cannot be disregarded. Benjamin Disraeli, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom once said, “with words we govern men”. Thus, Oditah words are important and cannot be dismissed as empty effusions lacking weight or impact.

 

However, the learned Professor’s submission on what he called the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s three fundamental problems are, to say the least, prejudicial, unfounded and misleading. First, Oditah stated that “The EFCC is often being used for settling many scores. Some are political scores, some are social scores. So, you could run away from your girlfriend and the girlfriend goes to the EFCC and the EFCC could ask you questions. What has that got to do with economic crimes? That is blatant abuse of power”

 

How on earth will this kind of a scenario painted by the learned silk hold water? The simplest argument against this kind of effusion is to challenge Oditah to provide proofs of such banality. We all know that this just an idle talk because the EFCC is a serious-minded law enforcement agency. The only worrisome aspect of such a talk is that it betrays an embarrassing lack of grasp of what the EFCC’s focus is.

 

This issue of appropriate and proper focusing of the mandate of the EFCC has been a central pivot of the three- pronged agenda of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede. In the full glare of the entire world, while addressing members of the National Assembly in October 2023, Olukoyede stated that the focus of every fight against corruption is to stimulate growth in the economy. For more than a year now, the EFCC’s boss has been consistently following this route. The review of the arrest and bail procedures of the EFCC is in line with this. Professor Oditah is probably busy with his works as a King’s Counsel in the United Kingdom and have no time to be abreast of developments in the EFCC. Olukoyede is a lawyer of high pedigree and would not allow what the learned counsel called “ blatant abuse of power”.

 

The second “ fundamental problem of the EFCC”, according to Oditah is that “The EFCC has abandoned its mandate and reduce itself to a debt-collection agency, notwithstanding the numerous court decisions saying the EFCC must stay within the narrow confines of financial and economic crimes. The EFCC has gone out for debt recovery”. This submission, again, is hollow and vacuous. The EFCC’s Establishment Act does not empower the Commission to collect debt on behalf of anyone. The recovery the EFCC does is taking back proceeds of crime from fraudsters. Asset recovery, all over the world, is a fundamental law enforcement and anti-corruption initiative. As a matter of fact, it is the ground norm of every anti- corruption fight. To this end, Olukoyede in just one year, recovered N248,750,049,365.52 (Two Hundred and Forty-Eight Billion, Seven Hundred and Fifty Million, Forty-Nine Thousand, Three Hundred and Sixty-Five Naira, Fifty-Two Kobo).

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In foreign currencies, recoveries of the Commission in the one year of Olukoyede’s leadership are: $105,423,190.39 (One Hundred and Five Million, Four Hundred and Twenty-Three Thousand, One Hundred and Ninety Dollars, Thirty-Nine Cents); £ 53,133.64 (Fifty-Three Thousand, One Hundred and Thirty-Three Pounds, Sixty-Four Pence; €172,547.10 (One Hundred and Seventy-Two Thousand, Five Hundred and Forty-Seven Euros, Ten Cents) and many others.

 

 

Going by the quantum of these recoveries, not to talk of real estate recovered all over the country, including shares acquired with proceeds of crime in blue- chip companies, it is simply preposterous to reduce and ridicule asset recoveries to debt recovery. Professor Oditah owes the EFCC and the entire nation unconditional apology in this regard. Just two days ago, a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos granted final forfeitures of over $2million and seven princely properties in choice areas of Lagos to the Federal Government. The assets are proceeds of crime traced to a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. Do such recoveries fall into the category of debt recovery insinuation of Oditah? President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently directed that N100billion be channeled to the funding of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation, CreditCorp, respectively from the monetary recoveries of the EFCC. Is the Professor aware of all these? It is evident that bringing down the issue of asset recovery to the ridiculous corridor of debt recovery is deliberate caricature of an important anti-corruption framework of the government. This is an initiative which local, regional and international agencies are commending Olukoyede and the EFCC about. It is to be noted also that the Director of FBI and the DG of National Crime Agency in the UK where he resides have paid cortesty visits to Olukoyede commending him on the feat he has attained in the fight against corruption and financial crimes and to seek more collaboration with the agency in their shared mandate of fighting corruption and financial crimes

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The third issue Odikah raised against the EFCC, like the earlier issues, again, lacks any firm ground of substance. Hear him:
“The EFCC itself, a number of officers are more corrupt than those they are chasing. So, you remember what happened to Mr Bawa, Mr Matawalle, when Mr Matawalle finished his tenure as governor of Zamfara state and he said he was invited by Mr Bawa to bring $2million so as not to be investigated. The EFCC itself has become a corrupt organisation which needs to be completely disbanded and a new body set up . The EFCC has the resources. It does not have the ethics. The EFCC majors on minor issues, catching students and showing them as cyber criminals and so it says, it procured 1000 convictions and when you look at them they are people who have defrauded people of 20 or 22 dollars. That’s not the mandate. That’s the periphery. The central mandate is to ensure that the resources which are put in the hands of states are used by the states and that’s where the EFCC.”

 

Going through all these trumped-up claims, it is obvious that Oditah has elected to totally launch unwarranted verbal war against the Commission and its officers. How many officers of the EFCC have been tainted with corruption allegations? Is it acceptable to use the “ sins” of very few elements in a community to paint and taint it as a community of sinners? It should be noted that there is no law enforcement agency in the world that is not vulnerable to corrupt officers. What is important is what the agency is doing to such elements. Olukoyede is known for his no-nonsense approach to ethical issues in the Commission. As a matter of fact, upon assumption of duties, he directed every officer of the Commission to declare their assets and ensure that verification of assets so declared is established. He went ahead to name the Department of Internal Affairs as Department of Ethics and Integrity. Beyond all these, some erring officers of the Commission have either been shown the way out or facing trial. In recent times, the Commission has had cause to dismiss some officers on allegations of corruption and gross misconduct. The EFCC is self- cleansing and the Commission deserves commendation for this.

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It is worrisome that a Professor of the reputation and exposure of Oditah could dismiss the Commission’s onslaught against internet fraudsters as an unserious engagement. The damages this genre of fraudsters are causing the nation is untold. A crime that has a projection of $10.6trillion loss to the whole world in 2025 and Nigeria lost more than $500million in 2022 alone, is what Oditah derisively lampooned the EFCC about. We have cause to be worried that those who ought to know better are either playing the Ostrich or advertising their ignorance of a major malaise confronting the nation. Owing to the threat of cybercrimes to the development of our country, the EFCC has held two national dialogues on it. The recent one held few days ago at the Presidential Villa. The Professor should know that the EFCC mandate is to investigate all financial and economic crimes and no financial crime is small or big to be investigated in order to save the soul of the nation. It should be recalled that in recent times, the EFCC had had cause to prosecute and file charges against four ex- governors and some former ministers who were found culpable by EFCC’s investigation for looting state treasuries. This is just to confirm that the Commission is not scared of taking up large-scale fraud’s investigations and prosecution which we shall continue to do

 

There is no denying the fact that the respected professor goofed in all his comments about the EFCC and his views are not reflective of the realities on ground concerning the anti-corruption fight of the government.

 

On a final note, we enjoin professor Oditah to get himself familiar with the works of the Commission and lend his expertise and rich experience to the nation for a more robust and fully-integrated war against corruption. We also want to advise the fourth estate of the realm not to allow their platforms to be used to cast unfounded aspersions on the good works of the EFCC. The Commission is not averse to meaningful contributions and advise from well-meaning and reform-minded Nigerians to strengthen our processes and procedures as we continue this crusade,

 

 

Oyewale is head, media & publicity of the EFCC.

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Opinion

WALE AKINTERINWA: OF PROPER CONVERSATION AND THE JEDIJEDI CONVERSATIONISTS

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By Sola Ajisafe, Esq.

In the last few days certain conversations are being introduced into the political space by some janjaweed and jankariwo thinkers in respect of Mr. Wale Akinterinwa (WA) with respect to his political decisions or likely moves towards the November election.

Aside from what has been said or imagined after the primaries by those who are afraid of his political status and standing in Ondo State politics, his absence at the Southern Senatorial rally at Ore was interpreted to mean the road to a loss of the November 16, Governorship election by our party, the APC.

When that narration did not fly, a new and ” improved lie” was introduced suggesting that he has instructed his supporters to vote for the New Nigeria People’s Party at the election.

 

Contrary to these false information baked in some hidden covens, released into the airwaves and circulating on social media, it is pertinent to state that Wale Akinterinwa did not direct and would never direct his supporters to vote for the candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party or any other party in the coming election.

 

This baseless claim is a deliberate attempt to discredit WA and to cause confusion among his supporters in particular and the APC family in general.

 

It is a fact that in every political season there are always many conversations. Among the dominant conversation in Ondo State this season is WA and the WA Team . A careful look at the WA team will reveal that it has the largest concentration of the organic members of the progressives in the APC which makes them the landlords or the authentic Aborigines of the party. What this means is that we have no where to go and no condition or situation can make us work against our party. It is not even in our character.

READ  Kano emirate crisis: Abba Yusuf signs bill creating second-class emirates in Kano

We may be hurt or angry about a situation, but we are always in control of our emotions. We are molded and schooled to always look at the bigger picture. That’s why we are proud of the phrase ” My Party is My Party”. That is, no matter what, our party’s interest is above and larger than every other interest.

 

Let it be known also that within the WA team, we consider electoral contests and party affairs as family matters which could be contentious but which must be resolved one way or the other in brotherly love for the benefit of the super structure, the party’s interest. While we feel embittered, unhappy and disappointed at the way the primary turned out, it never took us a long time to accept the verdicts of the party while we reconciled within ourselves that on no account should we raise any negative step against our party. There is always another day and another opportunity in politics. Why should we break the pot that holds the water? It’s not our ways.

It must also be noted that we recognize the fact that, while there is a beneficiary of the whole exercise being the candidate of our party and the flag bearer, he is just the symbol of our collective struggle towards the election. The ultimate test and focus of all party members is that his party succeeds in an election. Many of us have stayed too much in opposition that we cannot afford to become opposition politician in Ondo State in February 2025. It is not only politically undesirable but affliction shall not arise a second time and thunder does not strike a point twice.

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So, for anyone to imagine that WA will give instructions that his group within APC to work against the party is to show the hollowness of some people and to think that even if such instruction is given, some of us will obey it, is a crude thought.

 

Let it be known that across the various Committees that were set up, our members have been involved and participating actively and ready to do more for the success of our party in the election. For instance, immediately, I got to know I was a member of the Protocol Committee on the eve of the visit to Akure South, I reached out to Hon Alex Kalejaiye and Hon. Olajide. I was physically present at the campaign at the Deji’s Palace, NEPA Roundabout and at Oda. I have made some inputs into the working of the Committee through Hon. Olajide and ready to make more. By Tuesday, we would be on the road again. Our own Yemi Olowolabi is totally involved in the work of the media and the candidate of our party is aware of his efforts already. The same thing goes for other members of the WA Team at various levels. So who are those that will be behind or vote for NNPP?

 

If WA has not been physically present, it is the height of excessive malady for anyone to conjure this type of insidious thought. The fact that many of his supporters have been making contributions should kill the wrongful narrative of antagonism towards the party during the election.

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WA is the head of our group within the larger APC. He is the aggregation of our political interest. He is totally committed to our party in the election through the mandate given to our flag bearer His Excellency Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa whose election on November 16, 2024 is a history waiting to happen.

 

I must say that we are not unaware of the source of this snide side talks are coming from. We are also not unaware of it’s intended threats and implications. Let it be known that we have the courage to say those threats and challenges pales into insignificance with the victory that would be achieved in November. We have the tenacity and the courage to see through all these threats to our collective political interest in the WA Team sooner than expected.

 

In conclusion we urge all supporters of WA and our party to remain vigilant and disregard misinformation spread by mischief makers. Let’s focus on promoting factual information and maintaining a united front in our political endeavors.

As we march towards the election, we would walk hand in hand and side by side to an assured victory.

In the interim, let the right and proper conversation ennure while the “jedijedi” and ” penkelemesi” conversationists continue in their forlorn narratives.

Please note that For This Election Let Us Stay Informed, Stay Vigilant.

Sola Ajisafe, Esq
Director of Programmes WA Team (Member Protocol Committee of the Campaign Council).

 

 

 

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Opinion

Good morning! Here Are Some Major News Headlines In The Newspapers Today: NNPC quits as middleman in Dangote Refinery petrol purchase

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1. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, has reportedly quit its role as the sole buyer of Dangote Refinery’s Premium Motor Spirit (petrol). This is according to a Premium Times report on Monday. The implication is that petroleum marketers would have to purchase petrol directly from Dangote Refinery.

 

2. Yiaga Africa has said most of the recently held local elections in the country are a travesty of democratic elections and fell short of electoral integrity standards. Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said this in a statement on Monday that State Independent Electoral Commissions need to be liberated from the stronghold of governors.

 

3. Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has asked Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to allow Governor Simi Fubara of River State to work. In a statement on Monday Bode George asked President Tinubu to call his Minister, Nyesom Wike to order and prevail on him to allow Governor Siminalayi Fubara to work.

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4. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday directed the police to immediately restore and maintain peace, law, and order in Rivers State, following reports of arson and explosions after last Saturday’s local government council election. In a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu expressed deep concern over the violence and urged all political actors to de-escalate the situation.

 

5. A father of nine children, identified simply as Mr Charles, has reportedly committed suicide in the Jeddo community of Delta State. It was gathered that the gory incident occurred in the early hours of Monday. The man allegedly took his own life after drinking an insecticide.

 

6. A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday permitted the Inspector-General of Police to arrest a suspect, Olusanya Sunday Okusanya, a fugitive believed to have fled to the United Kingdom, after an alleged N64m fraud. Justice Yellim Bogoro approved the IGP’s motion for Okusanya’s arrest, following an ex parte application filed and moved by the police lawyer, S. O. Ayodele.

READ  Kano emirate crisis: Abba Yusuf signs bill creating second-class emirates in Kano

 

7. A suspected serial killer, Philip Ogunnaike, who was arrested in Ogun State, has pleaded that he and his accomplices be sentenced to death. Ogunnaike made the plea in an interrogation video on Monday and shared by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, on her X page.

 

8. No fewer than five persons were feared dead on Monday, following gunfire at different local government council secretariats in Rivers State by thugs. Newly sworn-in chairmen of some of the LGAs were also chased out of their offices by the marauding thugs.

 

9. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday pledged to tackle corruption head-on, emphasizing that no Nigerian was immune from the fight. In his address at the 6th Economic and Financial Crimes Commission – National Judicial Institute Workshop for Justices and Judges in Abuja, Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu noted that corruption had become a cancer denying Nigeria the full benefits of its resources. He stressed the need for collective action against corruption.

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10. The Naira depreciated to N1,635.15 per dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market, NAFEM. Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for NAFEM rose to N1,635.15 per dollar from N1,631.21 per dollar last Friday, indicating N3.94 depreciation for the naira.

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