PDP Boko Haram And Their 2015 Succession Politics

By Obinna Akukwe

The recent revelations by  the National Security Adviser at the South-South Economic Summit in Asaba, Delta State that the PDP politicians are responsible for the Boko Haram continous atrocities has become a bone in the neck for the PDP. Recent information revealed that that there is pressure on President Goodluck to sack Patrick Azazi.

The comments of Azazi is nothing new because many people who are monitoring the activities of Boko Haram from a discreet distance including the writer have already made all these observations between the time of UN headquarterbombings and the Madalla Christmas Bombings. It was the  frustrations at how government was footdragging on the issue of naming and exposing the sponsors of Boko Haram inside the PDP that led to the above article  first published on the 2nd of February by thenigerianvoice.com.and by other media organisations. Azazi only reiterated what all informed sources including the PDP,CPC,ACN chieftains are aware of .By the time you are through you will understand that the ruling party actually has a syndrome of perpetual deception of which probably the Mountain of Fire Ministry (MFM) need to be contacted to conduct proper 21 day deliverance on them from the spirit of lies,pretentions and deception. Below is the replication of the article.

The Boko Haram as presently constituted has three wings. The pro-sharia Boko Haram which is the offshoot of the one led by late Alhaji Yusuf, the All Queda Boko Haram which is sponsored by Arab support and the Peoples Democratic Party Boko Haram which wants to prevent President Goodluck from contesting for a second term in 2015 or stifle his seven year tenure elongation bid. My analysis is to dissect the PDP Boko Haram and the lies they have fed Nigerians.

This party called the PDP is a bundle of deceit. The name Peoples Deceptive Party actually depicts them. When a criminal is in a locality and visits theft on the unsuspecting locals, the only way to avoid detection is to point in another direction as the search for the criminal ensues. The criminal blames the stranded traveler who lodged in a nearby motel or the stranded trader who slept in the market square or even the mentally deranged who lives near the sewage pit. This is the formula the PDP have used to make Nigerians look the other way while seeking for sponsors of Boko Haram.

Senator Ali Ndume is PDP, Inspector General of Police  Ringim that supervised the escape of principal suspect bomber in Suleija on Christmas day  is PDP, Zakari Biu the Commissioner of Police who executed the escape plan is PDP, the Christmas bomber is PDP registered in his village. PDP governors pays tithe to Boko Haram . The gun runner, Comrade Nuhu Mohammed , arrested for supplying arms to Boko Haram militants is PDP. His phone contacts revealed affinity with members of the Federal Executive Council, National Council of State and other PDP chieftains. The list is endless and it all points to the same source , the ruling party.

The opposition especially Congress for Progressive Change and Action Congress of Nigeria have asked the ruling party umpteenth times to unmask those behind Boko Haram. It is common knowledge within the opposition parties that the ruling party is using the Boko  Haram to get at each other. The problem is that it gets far deeper than meets the eye. The PDP cannot afford to expose their Boko Haram members for fear of political recession. The entire nation is fed with lies while the bloodletting continues.

Immediately after the bombings of the United Nations headquarters in Abuja, intelligence reports indicted high level friends of government in the executive, legislature, senior party officials, elder statesmen and security officers including retired ones. It is expected that President Goodluck will seize the opportunity of the uproar and outrage against the bombings to confront the indicted senior members of the party. Instead he chose to appeal to some of them to turn a new leaf. Emboldened by presidential timidity the murderers recruited more high level personalities, hitherto sitting on the fence, into the murderous chess game.

Their strategy is to make the nation state unsafe, ungovernable for president Goodluck until he forgets his ambition of either a second term in office or the seven year tenure elongation plot. The PDP politicians in the North merely tolerated President Goodluck during the months and weeks to the presidential elections. There was so much funds to be shared in 2011 that they elected to stuff their pockets first before thinking of 2015.

With hundreds of billions of naira used to purchase the northern PDP and with their pockets filled to the brim, they decided to start where they stopped. Where did they stop? They stopped when they sensed that the failure of President Goodluck to win the party ticket will likely result to his being non-partisan and thereby conducting  a free and fair election at all levels. With the political realignment and discontent in the core north, a free and fair election will favor the opposition CPC. This will drive them into political oblivion and irrelevance and as such the option of free election is not desirable. Secondly the PDP politicians are not sure yet of what a Buhari presidency will do to the thieving elites. The only safe option was to swim or sink with Goodluck. Having secured their position, relevance and offices, they have resumed the zoning battle with a new coloration. The agenda is that this ‘Goodluck should not be given a breather until he wipes off any ambition beyond 2015 from his Ijaw mind’. They are yet to come to terms that a shoeless Nigerian would lord over their aristocratic birthright.

The Nigerian security forces especially the State Security Services and the Directorate of Military Intelligence have shown rare professionalism in tracking and monitoring the sponsors of Boko Haram. The problem is that the number of high profile personalities involved is such that only a presidential order would close up the matter. The President is yet to give the much awaited orders because of fear or religious, ethnic and sectional twists and propaganda. In such cases you cannot blame the monitoring agencies when the authority to enforce is not appropriately delegated. The escapist option is to blame the opposition parties.

Governors Babangida Aliyu and Rabiu Kwakwanso of Niger and Kano respectively deserve commendations because they have refused to accept Boko Haram insurgents hanging around their political space. Part of the attacks on these two states was to hit back at the intransigence of the duo over what others are condoning.

Their 2015 succession politics is not my headache because only God knows what would happen in 2015. The problem is that their succession chess game is leading to the death of numerous shoe and shoeless Nigerians and creating a pathological hatred between the Christians and Muslims of this country and the north and south of Nigeria, a trend which if not arrested, will lead to a civil war.

The Sharia Boko Haram could be checkmated by security agents, the Al-queda  Boko Saram is containable by foreign military collaboration but the PDP Boko Haram could only be checkmated by northern elders or the leader of the party itself, President Goodluck. Feelers from the state House suggests a presidential helplessness and as such I deem it fit to suggest that PDP elder statesmen like Olusegun Obasanjo, Atiku Abubakar, Shehu Shagari, Alex Ekwueme, Joseph Wayas, Theophilus Danjuma and others who came to his rescue during the Yar’adua cabal face off should be invited to talk sense into their party men before they drag us all into armaggedon.

An Open Letter to Nigeria’s News Media

By Francis Adewale

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the … public” - Theodore Roosevelt 1918

Let me start out this letter by asking all Nigerian news media if they believed that Nigeria exist to cater to the interest of People’s Democratic Party or the Nigerian people. Recent reports about the comment made by the National Security Adviser, General Owoye Azazi (retd) at the “South South” Conference and the attendant reports and comments by Nigeria’s news media prompted me to write this missive. Most of the print and electronic media in Nigeria reports that the NSA chief states that the Peoples Democratic Party undemocratic “zoning” clause should be partly blamed for the increasing destruction visited on Nigerians by the “Boko Haram” sect.

It is now almost a week after the conference and no news media in Nigeria has been able to print or post online the full text of the speech delivered by the NSA. Rather, Nigerian media has participated in an orgy of condemnation of the NSA chief, all without any balance. Some of the comments printed by the news media excoriating General Azazi range from the ludicrous to the insane. For instance, virtually all news report that carried responses to the General’s comment starts out “General Azazi (retd) on Saturday came under fire over his claims…”

No serious attempts were made to evaluate or analyze the comment made by the General. Not even an ounce of efforts were made to publish the entire text or audio online or in print. The press joined in the demonization of the security chief who is hired to analyze Nigeria’s security situations. Most of the reports seem to conclude that the primary duty of the National Security Adviser is to the president and his party, not the entire the country. Of course most of these media couched the response in form of reports of other people’s comment such as the one attributed to Olisah Metuh, the national publicity secretary of PDP. Some reports seem to have gone out of their way to solicit acidic comments of politicians from the northern part of the country.

One commentator, a former commissioner of police, Abubakar Tsav states “The remark … could be true based on intelligence available to him, but the public utterance by the NSA is irresponsibly faulty. The only honourable option left for him is to throw in the towel and resign. He has no business in government. He even appears not interested or dedicated to his job.” Here, is a call to sacrifice truth on the altar of violence by a former police chief and no reporter bother to challenge Mr. Tsav. Another commenter, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, said that “to begin with, the Boko Haram insurgency began in Yobe state in 2003 and later spread to Borno and Bauchi states under ANPP.” Here, I expect the reporter to ask the Alhaji if he had listened to the speech or read the full text. This is because the security chief dissertation is not on the origin of Boko Haram sect but its profligacy. Another comment attributed to Governor Yuguda excoriated Gen. Azazi for making a comment capable of smearing the name of PDP, to him “Azazi ought to have used his experience in moulding his statements, adding that any matters that affected the party should first of all be discussed internally before any public pronouncement”. Again, I expect reporters to ask the governor if Azazi’s allegiance should be to PDP or Nigerian people who pay his salary, sadly the reporter simply let it slide.

My query to the Nigerian news media is this: If Nigerian politicians appears on your news broadcast or editorial board interviews to make comments that were outright lies or such that will endanger the safety of the country, won’t you take a moment to halt the conversation and correct them? At least, I’d like to think so.

Don’t you think it is apposite to direct such politicians to some indisputable fact stated in the speech? For instance, in the speech the General states “Today, if you arrest all the leaders of Boko Haram, I don’t think the problem would end, because the situation that created the sect has not been tackled e.g. poverty and the desire (of some people) to rule Nigeria. These issues cannot be isolated unless they are handled comprehensively”. One could of course, conclude that most journalists in Nigeria are too lazy to challenge insinuations, conjectures and suppositions with facts.

The dangers posed to our polity and democracy by such jejune extrapolations and censorship is real and present. In a time when we are trying to make equally difficult security decisions against a backdrop of homegrown terrorist and complex corruption problems, it is incumbent on the news media to play a role in helping Nigerians obtain the best, most accurate information available. Without it, the odds that we will not make the right decisions at this perilous time are greatly are greatly increased.

Perhaps it's easier to allow our media to pass along a distorted version of history. It is always easier to pile on and precipitate the removal of an honest security chief for political gain. Vultures are already waiting in the wings; those who want the job will stand at nothing to use their friends in the media to push the president to remove the NSA chief. Nigeria will be the worst for it at the end. But being complicit in the twisting of Nigerian political history isn't just lazy, it's dangerous. It has consequences that will affect the health, wealth and lives of all Nigerians. It lessens the chance that our children and grandchildren will ever get to see true democracy enthroned in our nation.

Please, the print the full report of the General’s speech and asked Nigerian politicians who are drawing umbrage from the comments what they think is the root cause of the intractable security problem we are facing. History will remember you for doing so.

Francis Adewale
Spokane, WA USA
Tioluwanimi@yahoo.com

Mimiko, Aregbesola and our integration plan – Gov Fayemi

Former newspaper reporter and editor, lecturer, management and development expert, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, is now firmly settled as Governor of Ekiti State. Elected on the plank of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Dr. Fayemi’s present position was won after a challenging battle in the judicial arena. Almost midway into his stewardship , Governor Fayemi, during a recent visit to Lagos spoke with newsmen on recent developments pertaining to his party’s plans and challenges arising  from  the face-off between two of his fellow South-West governors, Segun Mimiko and Rauf Aregbesola of Ondo and Osun states respectively. Excerpts:

HOW will you describe what happened at the venue of the botched Adebayo Adefarati Memorial lecture in Ondo?
It is a worrisome development. If it is an ugly event, I hope it is not going to become a process and it will remain as an event. I was surprised by what happened.

In my party I am seen as the closest link to him (Dr. Segun Mimiko). Even when some of the leaders in my party are not necessarily very cordial in their relationship with the governor, I have always maintained that relationship that I have with him which goes beyond the personal.

We have very strong personal bond. We were in the trenches together. We fought together, even though, he was on the other side (the Labour Party), but we were both the underdogs when we went into our elections and necessarily, we exchanged notes, we did many things together, even now, particularly developmentally. He was one of the first people that I spoke with when the Adefarati family came to me that I should come and give a lecture.

Partisan matter
I told the family when they came that since this was not a partisan matter; it was a memorial of somebody who had been governor of a state, who had been a leader of the progressive movement.

I don’t think it should be partisan, and I asked the family pertinent questions: who are the people that are coming? Have you told the Governor of Ondo State? What role will he play at the event? The family members made it clear to me that they have informed the governor, even though they had difficulty in seeing him but they handed over the letter to his Chief of Staff. About two days to the event, I called him and confirmed to him that I would be coming for this meeting, that is to deliver a lecture at Baba Adefarati’s 5th Memorial lecture.

He said that he didn’t like the way the lecture was being handled, that he felt that there was a political undertone and all that, which is natural. Any of us could come with any impression of this matter and I said to him well as far as I am concerned, this is an important thing to do. It is the 5th Anniversary of a man, he himself was very actively involved in his administration as commissioner even more than someone like me.

I had no real personal or direct relationship with Chief. I couldn’t have laid claim to know him the way Governor Mimiko or any of our other leaders could lay claim to, but I told him that I will come over to him and we will go together to the event. But before I left Ado Ekiti, I received the first warning shot that there was problem between Labour Party supporters and those of the Action Congress of Nigeria,  at the venue of the event, but at that time they had not attacked Dr. Olaiya Oni. It is not impossible that he (Mimiko) may not even know the activities of some of his men but I have it on very good authority that at least three of the drivers of the fracas were key officials in his party.

I am an unapologetic advocate of regionalism I do not necessarily believe that we all must belong to the same political party for regionalism to take root. I give you example that in our life time Chief Kehinde Sofola came from the same community as Chief Obafemi Awolowo and he was Attorney General of the political party, the NPN governing this country. There is nothing that says that we cannot even belong to the opposing side. Let us market ourselves to the people. Let us sell our ideas to the people and it is on the basis of that that we should ask for their votes and for legitimacy. None of us should be indulged in any attempt to force ourselves on our people.

Have you made any attempt to speak with Governor Mimiko after the incident?
I called him when I was leaving Akure. After the event? No, because I was shocked by my findings. I haven’t been able to bring myself to do that. I will try. He is my brother and will not cease being my brother and I will still like to give him a benefit of doubt that there are things that our lieutenants do, things that elements within our own structures do that we as leaders may not necessarily be aware of. That room must still be created.

How will you describe the present development in Osun State and its effect on the image of your party?
We all have our style of governance. It may be easy for me because of my nature and individual to relate with an Ayo Fayose who is my brother regardless of whatever his political position is or Oni or any of the other people in my state in a manner that Governor Aregbesola may find  difficult, if not impossible to relate with Iyiola Omisore or even his predecessor; Governor Oyinlola. That is personal style but we must not elevate that personal style to the level of fiction because that exactly is what is happening with the so called security report.

It may be difficult for some to believe who he is because he is a shy person, his own mental defence mechanism may be to put a wall between himself and those who he doesn’t want to relate to. We had a flag before Osun had a flag. Lagos had a flag 20 years ago. It was the only state that stayed back when the other states were balkanized. We have an anthem. If you come to Ekiti, we don’t sing just National anthem, we recite our own Ekiti anthem and if you come across any document from Ekiti State, you will see that it is not the Federal Government coat of arms that we have in Ekiti State.

We don’t even have the Federal Government coat of arms on our documents. That is not to say that we are not a constituent part of the federal state called Nigeria and we are proud to be but we believe that we need an identity to speak to the core value of our state.

What about Omisore’s threat to stop and search the convoy of Aregbesola?
How is it going to be done? Some of the people fighting him, where are they in the politics in their state? You have my brother (Segun Oni) who claimed to be the Southwest Chairman of their party.

Is he doing a wonderful job?
It is not for me to say whether he is doing a wonderful job or not. They have put him there as their chairman but have you asked yourselves, where does he derive the legitimacy to be that because if you go back to his home front, I am sure you know what is happening within his party.

Resolving the conflagration
It will not be news to you that he has no place at home. He couldn’t even go home. He is settling quarrel all over the South West, he could not go home to his party to resolve the conflagration that is there.

It is alleged that you are responsible for the crisis rocking PDP in Ekiti State?
But they say I am not on the ground that I am a governor imposed by the judiciary. How can somebody who is not on the ground be the one responsible for the problem in your party?

Why this focus on Aregbesola?
The time for governance is for governance. It seems to be in their own views which are being parroted by the media, that Aregbesola is the most recalcitrant of the lot. If you can crush him, Fayemi is easy, Amosun used to be with us we can get him back, Ajimobi is a nice man, Fashola is a technocrat. That is their own estimation and that is what is driving what they are doing. Unfortunately for them, they are on the wrong track.

Is regional integration possible with the altercation between ACN and Labour party in Ondo?
What is wrong, if Aregbesola, one of the leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria wants his party to produce the Governor of Ondo State? I have already told you about style and language. Will he be promoting other parties?

Source: Vanguard.

Sanusi denies committing plagiarism against US Don ……says I’ve not been served any court process

The Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, wednesday, denied allegation that he copied the research work of a United States based Nigerian Professor, Victor E. Dike and presented it as his own ideas at a public lecture he delivered in Edo state on November 26, 2010.

Sanusi who refuted the allegation via a press statement that was issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,  Wednesday  insisted that he did not write the said paper that culminated to the lawsuit currently pending before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.

It will be recalled that the court presided by Justice Adamu Bello, on Monday, summoned the CBN governor to appear on May 31 to defend himself over his alleged complicity in acts of plagiarism.

The Court equally granted the plaintiff, Prof. Dike, who is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Engineering and Technology, National University, Sacremento and Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Centre for Social Justice and Human Development in California, leave to paste the court processes at the Notice Board of the apex bank, situated within the Central Business District, Cadastral Zone AO, of Abuja.

However, the CBN boss denied receiving the court papers, just as he refuted allegation that his security personnel thwarted efforts by the court bailiff to effect service on him.

The statement which was signed by the Director, Corporate Communications at the CBN, Mr Ugochukwu A. Okoroafor, reads: “The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria has been drawn to reports in the media regarding a suit against the Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, by one Victor E. Dike, who is said to be a professor of Engineering and Technology, National University Sacramento, USA.

“It is important to provide some clarifications on the matter. First, as at the time of release of this statement, no court papers in respect of the said suit, had been served on the Governor.

“Furthermore, and for the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi did not write the said paper.  Governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria, just like Chief Executive Officers of similar institutions in Nigeria and abroad, deliver papers, not in their personal capacities, but on behalf of the institutions for which they are chief spokespersons.

“In the case of the CBN, such papers, even though presented by the Governor, represent our collective views and are prepared by professional researchers in the relevant departments of the Bank. We can vouch that such papers are prepared in line with strict global and ethical standards.

“As a responsible public institution, we always cooperate fully with court officers and our well trained and responsible security officers have ever been under strict instructions to treat them with the appropriate dignity and respect they deserve.

“While awaiting details of the alleged suit, it is pertinent to state that speeches delivered by the current Governor, focus on the core mandates of the Bank and are direct contributions to discourse on national development.

“At a time like this, when the Bank is deeply committed to critical reforms of the banking system, the least we can do is to focus on the arduous task of bequeathing to the nation a financial system that will effectively improve the collective welfare of the Nigerian people.”

Specifically, the plaintiff, told the high court that he was the original author of a research wok entitled:“Review of the challenges facing the Nigerian Economy: (Is national development possible without technological capability?), which he said the CBN boss copied verbatim and delivered as his paper during the eight convocation ceremony of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State.

Prof Dike said he was forced to approach the high court for redress upon discovering that the CBN governor had in six separate occasions, plagiarized his intellectual works, just as he has asked the court to make a declaration that the defendant is in breach of the copyrights of the plaintiff.

As well as to grant, “a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from citing the two papers delivered by the defendant on the 26^th of November 2010, and 10^th of December 2010 respectively as his work, having breached the Copyrights of the plaintiff without proper reference and citation in accordance with Copyrights Acts.” Source: Vanguard

Gunmen kill five in Damaturu bar

Gunmen killed five people, including a police officer and a politician, at a bar in an area previously hit by a bomb blast blamed on Islamists, residents and a doctor said Wednesday.

Three gunmen stormed the bar in Damaturu, capital of northeastern Yobe State, late Tuesday and shot dead their victims as they sat around a table, a witness told AFP.

“The attackers … shot dead five people at a table and drove off,” said the witness. He said a police officer, a local politician and a senior state government official were among the dead.

Police could not be reached for comment, but a doctor at a state-run Damaturu hospital said five bodies were deposited at the morgue late Tuesday.

“The body of the police officer was taken away by his colleagues this morning while the other four bodies are still in the morgue,” the doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity told AFP.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Islamist group Boko Haram was blamed for an explosion at a nearby open-air bar in January that wounded several people.

The group has carried out other attacks in Yobe, including coordinated bombings and gun assaults targeting security forces in Damaturu in November that killed about 100 people.

Boko Haram’s insurgency, mainly in northern Nigeria, has left more than 1,000 people dead since mid-2009. (AFP)

Tinubu,Aregbesola, Others Storm Igbokoda, As Ex OSOPADEC Boss, Adewale Omojuwa Declares For ACN

The National Leader of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the Governor of Osun state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and other prominent leaders of ACN from across the country will storm, Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje local government area of Ondo state on Saturday, 28 April, 2012, to witness the official declaration of Chief Adewale Omojuwa from PDP into ACN.

Chief Omojuwa was the immediate past chairman of Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, (OSOPADEC), where he successfully implemented developmental projects that reportedly improved the living standard of the OSOPADEC coverage areas of Ondo state, under the government of Dr Olusegun Agagu.

His track record at the interventionist agency was said to have endeared him to the leadership of ACN, and there are speculations across Ondo state that he is being tipped for the position of deputy governor in the 20 October, 2012 election in the sunshine state.

PLATFORM NEWSWIRE also learned from a reliable source that all the prominent traditional rulers as well as sons and daughters of Ilaje Kingdom are now in a happy mood as a result of the unfolding events in the political life of Chief Omojuwa, whom they love, for his humility and his interest in the development of Ilaje. in particular and Ondo state in general.

EFCC Probe: Ondo Finance Commissioner Goes Into Hiding.

The Ondo state Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Yele Ogunndipe has gone into hiding, over fear of arrest by officials of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,(EFCC), in the ongoing investigation of alleged mismanagement of Ondo state funds by the anti graft agency.

PLATFORM NEWSWIRE can recall that Mr. Ogundipe was arrested by the EFCC, two weeks ago, although he denied the arrest, claiming that he only visited Abuja on official duties.

PLATFORM NEWSWIRE findings revealed that Ogundipe had gone into hiding since last week to avoid arrest over the ongoing OSOPADEC probe as well as other petitions written against the Ondo state government, bordering on wastage of public funds as well as alleged inflation of contract sums awarded by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

A staff in the ministry of Finance, Akure told our reporter that Mr. Ogundipe no longer sleeps in his official residence, over fear of arrest, preferring to sleep in a private residence of one of his close confidants, located at Ijapo estate, Akure.

He was also said to have changed his mobile phone numbers to avoid contacts with EFCC officials who are currently monitoring his movements.

Lady Akinjoko, Ondo State PDP Woman Leader Joins ACN

The Immediate past woman leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo state, Lady, Ambassador Folake Akinjoko has resigned her membership of the party and pitch her tent with Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.

Lady Akinjoko, who announced her resignation as a member of the self-acclaimed largest political party in Africa, told PLATFORM NEWSWIRE in an exclusive interview earlier today that she tendered her resignation letter to the leaders of PDP and joined ACN in view of the actions of some PDP leaders which had brought great misfortunes to the party and for the fact that PDP seems not ready to participate and win in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo state as well as in other elections.

Lady Amb Folake Akinjoko

Her words’ “It’s a fact that I dump PDP, and the reason is not farfetched. It’s because of internal rancour and insincerity of the party leadership. I have seen it that PDP as it is cannot face the challenges of the 20th October, 2012 election in Ondo state and win. And I want to sincerely see myself as somebody who is representing her people in any position I find myself.”

Lady Akinjoko also stated that as the immediate past woman leader of PDP, her action will enable her to console her people and to help them in taking decisions that lead them to the Promised Land.

“I dumped PDP because we always talk of federal might and we believed, if truly, PDP is enjoying that federal might, we would not be losing those elections that we are not suppose to lose. For instance, when we left government in February 2009, through the travesty of justice given by Nabaruma, we believed that, as a party that belongs to the federal government, we had not lost anything. But later, we realized that we lost all,” she added.

She promised to help ACN in the area of mobilising Ondo state women to take part is dislodging the current government, headed by Dr Olusegun Mimiko, as according to her, the governor’s projects are misplaced priorities and waste of public funds, compared to the developmental efforts of the past administrations in Ondo state, especially, during the reign of Dr Olusegun Agagu.

Police rescue woman, recover N2.9m ransom from suspected kidnappers

The Police Command in Delta today, announced the rescue of the wife of the Financial Secretary, Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association,  the recovery of N2.9 million ransom and arrest of four persons in connection with the kidnap.

Mr Ikechukwu Aduba, the Commissioner of Police while briefing newsmen in Asaba, said the woman was kidnapped on Tuesday in her store at Ekpan in Warri.

“The gunmen who demanded the sum of N5 million, took the victim to their hideout in Benin, Edo State,’’ Aduba said.

He said that police officers who carried out the rescue operation returned with the woman unhurt at about 4.30 a.m. on Saturday.

“Acting on intelligence report, men of the state anti-terrorist squad stormed the kidnappers’ hideout in Benin city and arrested four notorious armed kidnappers including a 20 year-old girl.

“The victim was rescued and items recovered from the suspects included N2.9 million which they collected as ransom.

“We also recovered one black Sienna space bus with registration number EK 483 BEN and an Audi car with registration number AA 261 DGS,” the commissioner said.

Aduba told newsmen that anti-crime patrol team from Sapele also arrested two suspects during a stop-and-search operation and recovered 25 live cartridges.

“On interrogation, the two suspects confessed membership of a robbery gang terrorising the residents of Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Area and its environs,’’ he said.

The commissioner, who described Ororokpe in Okpe LGA as a `den of criminals,’ appealed to parents to monitor the activities of their children and wards.

“It has become necessary to warn criminals to have a change of heart and take to legitimate business or be prepared to face the full weight of the law.

“We want to appeal to members of the public to have absolute faith in the Command as we have resolved to rout  hoodlums and kidnappers out of the state,’’ Aduba said. (NAN)

Ondo denies arrest of officials by EFCC

Ondo State Government on Friday denied a report, alleging that three top officials of the state had been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. It blamed the opposition for spreading falsehood against it and its officials.

A statement by the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, said attempts by the opposition to blackmail the state government would fail.

He claimed that a national newspaper and an Akure-based radio station both owned by a leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria had in separate reports alleged that the EFCC operatives had arrested some of its officials.

Akinmade said the reports were false and that the officials presumed to have been arrested were still at their duty posts till the end of work on Thursday and were currently with their families within the state. He added that they were very embarrassed by calls being received since the reports.

He said, “The game plan of the opposition is to use the false reports to destabilise the state government, using the EFCC but forgetting that the anti-corruption establishment does not act on sentiment and would not allow itself to be dragged into politics.

“The opposition, especially the ACN, is becoming excessive in its campaign of calumny and blackmail to cast aspersion on the state government all in the name of politics.”