16102021 - Southeast Gov INEC top official in trouble over $4m bribe

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C M Y K 32—SATURDAY Vanguard, , OCTOBER 16, 2021 2020 was a special year for the world at large. It will always have its special place in the annals of history. It was the year a humbled, perplexed and befuddled world literally shut down when the rumour of a looming pandemic became a reality. And with this reality came other realities; that for all their arrogance, the world’s leading countries have no answers to the many problems they are unwittingly creating; that they do not have the wherewithal, despite grandstanding, to play god; that the seed of the world’s destruction could be sown by the hands of some of these megalomaniac leaders who seek to control the world. It was the year an overwhelmed world was forced to its knees in surrender to a force beyond its control and religious adherents voluntarily fell on their knees in supplication to the One who controls all forces. For Nigeria, 2020 was a year it would wish it could forget but which might be difficult if not impossible to forget. It started with the lockdown and for two months, almost everything from commerce to religion to romance stood still. Even the air we breathed became almost suffocating in its stillness. Just as we were coming up for air and thanking God that the worst of the Covid-19 predictions did not materialise in the country, the #ENDSARS protest reared its devastating head. Its after effect on the economy and in casualties turned out to be worse than the preceding Covid-19 pandemic – but it also came with its own realities.The rest of the year was capped by insurgency and terrorism described benignly in selfdenial by the nation as attacks from bandits and herdsmen. The solution to insurgency and terrorism will start when we stop playing the ostrich and face the realities of what has hit us and how we came to be where we are. It has been a year now that tanks rolled, guns boomed and bodies allegedly fell around the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos. Before that fateful October 20 incident however, public buildings had been burnt, historical It was a shock seeing Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State ordering members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP opposed to his plans for harmonization of the executive of the party at all levels to leave the party. He spoke at a gathering of stakeholders where the decision to suspend the national vice-chairman of the party, South-South, Chief Dan Orbih from the party was adopted. The developments in the Edo State chapter of the PDP flow from the defection of Obaseki to the PDP penultimate June. It came upon the determination of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to use his position as national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to stop Obaseki from having the second term ticket of the APC. The Edo State governor at that time last June was practically reduced to a political wanderer. It was a sight to behold that day last June at the APC national secretariat as Governor Obaseki, clutched his credentials as he appeared before a committee constituted by Oshiomhole to defend allegations of certificate forgery. For one reason or the other, the Oshiomhole panel eventually disqualified the same man that four years ago, Oshiomhole had stumped through Edo State to enthrone governor. After Obaseki was forced out from the APC, and following flying visits across the country – Uyo- Port-Harcourt-Asaba- he landed in Benin where the PDP grudgingly One Year After: What lessons did we learn from the #Endsars protest? monuments destroyed and commercial houses looted. Institutions that embodied law and order like the Prisons and Police Stations were violated and desecrated with their officials disrobed, disgraced and in some cases, killed. Even before all of that, the nation watched as the agenda of the protest changed; as ranks of articulate youths were infiltrated by hoodlums; as peaceful protests became violent and friendly protesters became unfriendly harassers. It was a protest that shook the nation to its core. A protest of the improbable that became possible. A protest that showed once again, that the line between order and chaos can indeed be very thin. A protest that offered lessons on both sides. The first lesson for me is the power of the digital world and how a protest of that scale was organised and prosecuted without the authorities knowing or being able to stop it. Or that it can happen again. We always knew the youths were disgruntled because we accepted him. Two men who were crucial to the final acceptance of Obaseki into the party were Ogbeide Ihama, the member representing Oredo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Dan Orbih, the man who had built and held the party in the days of the wilderness when Oshiomhole was in power. At the time Obaseki came in, Ogbeide-Ihama One can only imagine the imagination of Comrade Oshiomhole at this time. After repeated disappointments, Oshiomhole may now laugh as Obaseki who seemingly betrayed him and Orbih who tormented him government fight one another. was in pole position to emerge as the PDP candidate for the 2020 governorship election, having built synergy with the party structure across the state that was effectively in the control of Orbih. For a man that had set his sight to be governor in 2020 it was unarguably a bitter pill being asked by party grandees in Abuja to resign for the governor to take the ticket. Especially given the tardiness that characterized the process at that time, Ogbiede Ihama had the opportunity to scupper the emergence of Obaseki as the party’s candidate by insisting that the Last year’s protest could easily have led to another Arab Spring with its consequences – there are people who don’t mind if the country went to the dogs had disenfranchised them while ogling the resources of the land. But the level of their angst - even from youths in the diaspora who want to reclaim their country - was an eye opener. Another insight is that a protest is not the only thing the organisers can use their digital savvy to put together. They can use it to put a candidate of their choice in Aso Rock if they apply the same knowledge, cohesion, mobilisation skills and righteous anger - they have the numbers anyway, to borrow a now popular phrase. I hope they have learnt that protests can be stained no matter how pure the original plan was; they can be diffused no matter how focused the original purpose was; they can be hijacked no matter how tight the original strategists thought their hold was. I also hope they have learnt not to stay on the street for too long and to accept their victories in small doses. An all or nothing fight gets protracted, dissipates energy, diffuses focus, harden lines on both sides and allows for infiltration. But Oshiomhole laughs as Obaseki fights again timeline for the process had been breached. He could have affirmed that the bus had left the station by the time Obaseki entered. He was, however, made to withdraw alongside other leading contenders. At that time too, Orbih had relinquished his position as party chairman in favour of Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, the former member of the House of Representatives. However, as everyone in Edo knows, the Edo PDP had over the years been infused with the fighting spirit that Orbih brought to bear. With Orbih as party chairman, the PDP had put the Oshiomhole led APC to task in elections winning the majority of National Assembly seats and numbers in presidential counts in 2011, 2105 and 2019. However, Orbih like Ogbeide-Ihama also kowtowed to the party grandees plea and became Obaseki’s campaign manager in 2019. The sight of Orbih on the rostrum campaigning for Obaseki did not foretell the kind of development now ensuing in Edo. The suspension of Orbih and Ogbeide- Ihama, the two critical factors in Obaseki’s emergence as governor must have befuddled many. Especially given that it was under the watch of the governor. Obaseki’s allies allege that the two men were frustrating the governor’s move to harmonise the PDP structure. For them it is especially painful that ahead of the PDP the most important lesson in my mind is that these young people proved that a protest of this nature with people pulling together from different parts of the world is doable. Not just to end police brutality but to also address other specifics in the country. The brains that put #endSARS in motion must be careful not to let it get to their heads. Last year’s protest could easily have led to another Arab Spring with its consequences – there are people who don’t mind if the country went to the dogs. Getting good leadership that will attend to the myriad of problems of the youths in the country and halt the emigration of our young and talented ones should be the priority now. As for government, the speed with which it acceded to the demands of the protesters to end police brutality as symbolised by SARS showed it was taken by surprise. It soon became clear that SARS was not the only issue the protesters wanted redressed. But beyond the initial surprise and reaction, government had become characteristically lethargic to other issues. The elements of surprise had worn off and the issues that led to the protests have been buried under the carpet. The committees and commissions set up to address some of these issues have been quietly taken off the radar. It is now business as usual for our politicians. 2023 is the new focus and concerns of the Nigerian youths have become side issues - the propensity of our politicians to self-destruct boggles the mind. I advise the leadership to revisit the issues that led to #endSARS while it is still possible to do so in a reasoned manner. Even the blind can see that the youths are marginalised and the opportunities to selfactualise are dwindling everyday for them. Even the foolhardy knows that some structures have to be tinkered with for Nigeria to survive. The situation in the country has become much more volatile than it was this time last year. The youths all over the country have become more restive and more desperate. Violence and crime are coming more easily to them now. With what is on the ground right now, another protest like #endSARS could make the country ungovernable. An Arab Spring should be everybody’s nightmare. Government can nip it in the bud by going back to – or even beyond - the reports that are gathering dust. The clock is ticking. National Convention this October that the governor would not be in a position to have a say in the Edo delegate list which they claim is being dictated by Orbih. Even more, the governor’s allies allege underhand schemes by Orbih and the Old PDP to frustrate the governor through many court actions and underhand schemes. The development has led to the new phrase in Benin that “Obaseki should take his government and leave our party for us.” The division has been hampered by the seeming lack of communication on the part of the governor. The nomination of 11 new commissioners all from the former APC helped to worsen perceptions about a governor regarded everywhere as a fighter. “How can you bring all 11 commissioners from your side after taking deputy governor and SSG,” many in the Old PDP have been asking. Sources say that the governor has promised another 10 commissioners for the Old PDP but after harmonization. However, what Obaseki and perhaps the Old PDP are not seeing is the role of fifth columnists in the whole matter. That is the role of PDP chieftains who lost out during the congresses in 2020, chieftains with national reputation but bereft of local support. A number of these chieftains have been egging Obaseki on in his new fight with the intention that what they lost during the congresses of 2020 that they would get through harmonization. In his first fight with Oshiomhole, the Obaseki crowd was able to get the executive in Oshiomhole’s ward to suspend him. In Orbih’s case, that has been unsuccessful putting the whole suspension drama into a constitutional nullity. Social media is now suffixed with Obaseki as a fighter and a man of ingratitude. It doesn’t do him good, especially given his sight towards a legacy. One can only imagine the imagination of Comrade Oshiomhole at this time. After repeated disappointments, Oshiomhole may now laugh as Obaseki who seemingly betrayed him and Orbih who tormented him government fight one another.
For Nigerians, yes, every Nigerian except the Foreign Exchange speculator who procures the dollar at the official rate and sells the same at the parallel market, it has been a tale of woe since 2015. And that story has not changed. And worst of all, President Mohammadu Buhari’s 2001 budget speech showed that things are not about to become better concerning the value of the Naira. Yet, may we first survey the scene before returning! September 30, 2021, the Naira depreciated at official window despite a 266% increase in dollar supply. Yes, you that that percentage bit quite right; the Naira value still depreciated against the dollar though a 226 percent increase gushed into the market. So, the fact remains that on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, the exchange rate between the Naira and the US dollar closed at N414.73/$1, at the official investors and exporters window. That represented a 0.06% drop when compared to N414.50/$1 recorded on Tuesday, September 28,2021. Actually, on the September date mentioned above, the Naira recorded a third consecutive fall at the official window despite 118% jump in dollar supply. Now, it is not every day that the amount of the American dollar that is put into the market experiences such a dramatic increase. So, to reduce the amount of suffering which Nigerians have been wedded to since 2015 because of ever increasing price of goods, the government must have an innovative way to stem the fall of the Naira and control the galloping inflation that has been battering the Nigerian economy and is making the life of the average Nigerian a living hell. Buhari acknowledged that much when he granted in his budget speech that,”The Nigerian economy is currently facing serious challenges, with the macroeconomic environment being significantly disrupted by the Coronavirus Pandemic. Real Gross Domestic It is necessary to mention that human existential journeys flounder between purposeful movement and directionless wanderings because of our deprived nature. Consequent to man’s connatural imperfection, the struggle for the driver of this existential journey competes with the struggle for direction. The superego’s persistent effort to be on the driver’s seat suffers a defeat whenever reason recedes into disuse. In such an eclipse of reason, the momentary victory of the ego or id awards defeat to humanity. The battleground for this axiomatic war shifts according to times and climes. Presently, the sacred identity, inviolable dignity and irrepressible right to life of every person, especially the unborn, constitute the nouveau battleground. Ego, consisting of the individual’s coalesced personal conscious app operating system, safeguards one’s interest. On the other hand, the superego, the union of the social mores that norm human actions in a given society, connects one with society and the supernatural. They nudge humans to act with reason consistent with their wellbeing and the health of society. The culture of death, manifesting as abortion, spells a failure of reason and humanity among the perpetrators. Otherwise, it is counter-intuitive that humans who are supposed to invest immensely in protecting life destroy it. Though abortion has the signature of legislative approval in some countries, it lacks the stamp of divine support. In such instances, abortion is the real capital punishment through which humans without capital suffer punishment for the faults of others. These potentates offer various alibis that neither justify nor excuse their unjust acts against the innocent. Their utilitarian and mercantile understanding of life excludes its fundamental meaning as a How do the poor survive trouble with Naira? a? Product (‘GDP’) growth declined by 6.1 percent in the second quarter of 2020. This ended the 3- year trend of positive, but modest, real GDP growth recorded since the second quarter of 2017. I am glad to note that, through our collective efforts, our economy performed relatively better than that of many other developed and emerging economies.” He continued with even worse news: “GDP growth is projected to be negative in the third quarter of this year. As such, our economy may lapse into the second recession in four years, with significant adverse consequences.” Part of the reason why the economy will remains in trouble is that, as Buhari explained, “On the expenditure side, as at the end of July 2020, a total of N5.37 trillion had been spent as against the pro-rated expenditure of N5.82 trillion. Accordingly, the deficit was N3.27 Abor bortion: Eclipse of reason and defeat of humanity mystery and network of mutual generosity. In abortion, humans succumb to enslavement by comfort and dictatorship of convenience. While it is undeniable that women often face difficult moments relative to pregnancies, yet nothing justifies a The culture of death, manifesting as abortion, spells a failure of reason and humanity among the perpetrators wilful killing of an innocent human being. Challenges facing a mother for an unprepared pregnancy might be daunting; however, the preborn child should not on any account pay the price. Since everyone has an inalienable right to life, then nothing justifies a wilful termination of the life of another person under any guise. Headaches are not cured by cutting off the head. While the situation might seem irredeemable, a child should not bear the consequences of the misdemeanour of adults. It is outsourcing punishment to the most innocent of all. So, what are the m a g i c programmes that should enable Nigeria to drastically reduce her borrowing binge? The president said nothing further pertaining to that SATURDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 16, 2021—33 trillion. This represents 66 percent of the revised budgeted deficit for the full year.” Did I hear you ask:”66 what?” Well, the president said it with his own lips:”66 percent of the revised budget deficit for the full year.” In case you failed to process the information fully, your president said your 2020 budget suffered a 66- percent deficit of the total expenditure. That means that your nation’s revenue could fund less than half of the 2020 budgeted expenditure. And then as though debt servicing charges have no bearing whatsoever on the money available to develop the nation by meeting budgetary expenditures, the president added:”Despite these challenges, we met our debt service obligations. We are also up to date on the payment of statutory transfers The victim’s innocence laments the evil of the power so cruel as to murder the innocent in abortion. With such an objectionable use of brutal force, doctors and healthcare workers submit their ingenuity to horrific murder, spilling the blood of the innocent. Irrespective of the intention, it is never permissible to do evil for the seemingly prospective good. And in this matter, since science has proved that an unborn baby is human, abortion is a termination of human life. No wonder our law system recognises that when a man kills a pregnant mother, the person is charged for killing two victims. As such, the child is already recognised as human. This is not to introduce the argument of faith, which is quite obvious that no person who truly wants to serve God righteously will support such a heinous evil. By implication, there is an implicit or explicit knowledge that abortion is evil before God. Hence, to be at peace with God and self, one will not support abortion. Within this regime of utility as the logic of life, human life is stripped of sacredness and death is emptied of mystery. It is the sovereignty in which the unbridled id reigns, and under this sovereignty of instincts, unhealed emotion and untaught habits terrorise the human person. Within this scenario, the culture of convenience, which functions perfectly in the pleasure industry, makes abortion the only viable option. Making the right choices corresponds and staff salaries, while overhead costs have been significantly covered.” The president sweetened his speech when it appeared as though he was ready to defend the Naira with new programmes when he said: “Let me emphasize that revenue generation remains our major challenge. Nevertheless, the government is determined to tackle the persisting problems with domestic resource mobilization, as there is a limit to deficit financing through borrowing. The time has come for us to maintain a healthy balance between meeting our growing expenditure commitments and our longterm public financial health.” So, what are the magic programmes that should enable Nigeria to drastically reduce her borrowing binge? The president said nothing further pertaining to that. To your columnist, these are the numbers that actually matter: The budget envisaged a foreign exchange rate of N379 per US Dollar. “Debt Servicing will gulp all of N3.124 trillion. The deficit will be financed mainly by new borrowings totaling N4.28 trillion, N205.15 billion from privatization proceeds and N709.69 billion in drawdowns on multilateral and bilateral loans secured for specific projects and programmes.” So, coming from the president’s mouth is this message:nothing will change. And that is bad news for until a drastic change takes place on the economy, a change that will improve the value of the Naira, reduce the nation’s debt liability and improve its industrial productivity rate, Nigeria will remember what it is at present; a sorry story. As the value of the Naira continues to sink, so does the cost of everything, from food stuff, including the food grown in Nigeria, the pump price of petrol, school fees, cost of medicament, auto and industrial spare parts, clothing, any essential you can think of, continue to rise. Why this has not occurred to the members of the Federal Executive Council beats my imagination. And if this bothers the finance minister in any way, she has not shown it. to the grammar of life. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that some circumstances appear so challenging and confusing that a victim thinks of absolutely no choice for unfounded or real fear. Such situations make abortion seem compelling and inevitable. However, it remains a morally depraved and dastardly act to summarize one’s life and delete someone’s aspiration forever and deny them the opportunity of experiencing the goodness of God in the world. Indeed, abortion denies the world the gift from God with possibilities of the positive impact of epochal dimension. Despite the illegality of abortion in Nigeria, the bloodletting in hidden and known abortuaries make a mess of the sacredness of life. These abortions feed the rivers of blood with the innocent blood of the unborn babies killed with the full cooperation of their mothers and death-care professionals. The value of human life in Nigeria makes the Hobbesian state of nature an eldorado. It is not only that life is short, brutish but the scale of its destruction spells a culture of death. It baffles one’s imagination how a society strongly professes the sacredness of life, yet the actual culture is death. Though the law remains prohibitive relative to abortion, it goes on unchecked. Hence, these abortion-related deaths in health facilities expose the hypocrisy and inefficiency of the law enforcement agencies. Sadly, the killings by these law enforcement agents, at the slightest provocation, fund the enthronement of the culture of death. The government slumbers while the killer herdsmen kill with abandon and doctors and politicians refill the rivers of blood in Nigeria. Unfortunately, in a scenario where utility serves as the logic of life, its value is measured by the productivity factor. As life is stripped of sacredness and death emptied of mystery, citizens engage in devotion without discipline, and piety without virtues, promoting self-serving religiosity similar to the prevailing corrupt politics and socio-economics. Hopefully, if the rule of just law is instituted, it will certainly help to put undisciplined id to check and snatch victory from the sovereignty of instincts and reverse the triumph of the id. When emotions are healed, and habits taught, we can hope to have a culture of life where the inviolable dignity and sacredness of the human life is respected, whether in the womb or world.
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16102021 - Southeast Gov INEC top official in trouble over $4m bribe

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