John Owen Nwachukwu John Owen Nwachukwu




The Presidency on Saturday cleared the air on the responsibilities of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, and that of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha.

Recall that at the end of a two-day retreat organicsed for Ministers designate and senior government officials, President Buhari had ordered the incoming Ministers to submit any request meant for him to his Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari and all executive matters to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha.


Reacting to the controversies generated by the new directive, the Presidency, in a statement forwarded to DAILY POST by Buhari Spokesman, Garba Shehu, said “recent media and social media reports on the responsibilities of the Chief of Staff to the President have suggested that the role has changed. This is not the case.

“Today, under the Buhari II administration the role of Chief of Staff remains the same as it was under Buhari I.

“It is worth stressing that the role and responsibilities of the Chief of Staff and the method of communication and arranging scheduling between Cabinet members and the President are, in Nigeria, based on the US model, where the same system operates – and has done for decades – in precisely the same way.


“That role is to act as the head of the presidential administration at Aso Rock; to be an adviser to the President on any and all matters; to be the line manager for all staff at Aso Rock; and to manage appointments and scheduling for the President.

“In the traditional presidential system, it is a primary function of a Chief of Staff, which may vary according to the needs and desires of each President, to supervise key State House Staff, control access to the office and the person of the President, manage communications and information flow and this includes that which binds the relationship with the two other arms of government.

“During the President’s first term those were the responsibilities of the Chief of Staff, and they remain the same responsibilities today. There is no change.


“When President Buhari explained to ministers that they would be expected to communicate with him and arrange scheduling to meet with him primarily via the Chief of Staff, he did so as many of the Buhari II Cabinet ministerial appointments are new appointments and cannot therefore be expected to know how matters of liaising with the President operate.

“This is to stress that access to the President is open to ministers. It is not true that this is denied them in the Second Term.

“The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on the other hand is responsible for ensuring the effective coordination and monitoring of the implementation of government policies and programmes. All cabinet matters must go through him.


“Under this dispensation, a performance evaluation of ministers and Permanent Secretary will be maintained by the SGF. Two weeks after assuming office, they are expected to sign mandate acceptance documents.

“It is time to end the unnecessary controversy, for the key appointees of the President to carry out their jobs.”

Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila
Sunday Aborisade, Eniola Akinkuotu, Ade Adesomoju, Ramon Oladimeji and Tobi Aworinde

The Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, and several other lawmakers risk losing their seats following a recent ruling by an Ondo State Election Petitions Tribunal, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.



The tribunal on July 31, 2019, sacked Mr Ikengboju Gboluga, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party representing Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency of Ondo State for having dual citizenship and thereafter ordered that Mr Albert Akintoye of the All Progressives Congress be issued the Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The tribunal headed by Justice Nuhu Adi ruled that Gboluga was not eligible to contest the 2019 National Assembly election, having admitted in his INEC Form CF001 that he had “voluntarily acquired the citizenship of the United Kingdom” and had sworn allegiance to the country.



The judgment was based on Section 66 of the 1999 Constitution which states in part that, “No person shall be qualified for election to the Senate or the House of Representatives if: (a) subject to the provisions of section 28 of this constitution, he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a country other than Nigeria or, except in such cases as may be prescribed by the National Assembly, has made a declaration of allegiance to such a country.”

Investigations by Sunday PUNCH showed that of the 109 senators, four admitted in their INEC forms on oath that they had voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country.

However, top sources told one of our correspondents that the figure could be much higher, adding that most of the lawmakers in this category either had the United States or UK citizenship, noting that the lawmakers were not born abroad but became citizens by naturalisation, that is, swearing the oath of allegiance to these countries.

They include Senate President Lawan, who represents Yobe North senatorial district; Senators Opeyemi Bamidele of Ekiti-Central; Teslim Folarin, representing Oyo Central; and Ibrahim Bomai of Yobe South.

In his form CF001, Bamidele said he was a US citizen and had also sworn allegiance to the country.

Responding to a question on whether he had voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country, Bamidele answered, “Yes, the United States of America where I was granted political asylum.”

When asked if he had indeed sworn allegiance to the USA, he replied, “Yes. I was granted political asylum by the USA.”

In his own form, the Senate President admitted that he had never changed his nationality in the past but admitted that he had voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country and had sworn allegiance to the same country.

Lawan, however, refused to disclose the country. It, therefore, remains unclear why INEC accepted the form from him since it had been stated that one must disclose the country.

Oyo-Central lawmaker, Folarin, admitted that he had voluntarily acquired the UK citizenship and had sworn an oath of allegiance to the country.

Senator Bomai of Yobe-South also admitted in his form that he had voluntarily acquired the citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda, an island nation in the West Indies in the Americas, lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Bomai, however, said on oath that he never “made a declaration of allegiance” to the country.

In the case of the Speaker, Gbajabiamila, he also noted in his INEC form that he had acquired the citizenship of the US.

Sunday PUNCH learnt that in the oath of allegiance for all persons who voluntarily acquire US citizenship, a person must pledge 100 per cent loyalty to the country.

However, parts of the oath are modified for religious and mental reasons.

It said, “I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform non-combatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

In the case of the UK, the oath stated, “I, (Insert full name), do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.”

Judgment can’t stand –SANs

Meanwhile, lawyers, especially senior advocates of Nigeria, have reacted to the judgment with some saying the judgment could not stand.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ahmed Raji, said the judgment sacking the legislator for holding dual citizenship of Nigeria and the UK would not stand.

He said, “I don’t know the facts of the case. But if I understand and still recollect the provisions of the constitution and some decided authorities of the higher courts, it would seem that that judgment cannot hold water.

“I believe that an appeal to the Court of Appeal will put things in the proper shape. So, all I will say is that anyone who is aggrieved is encouraged to go on appeal.”

Also reacting, a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr Wahab Shittu, said, “The first thing to say is that our courts are not Father Christmas; they don’t make an order unless someone asks for it. If there are members of the National Assembly who hold dual citizenship, we cannot condemn them because their cases have not been tested in court. No one has invoked the jurisdiction of the court to challenge them.

“As for the Ondo lawmaker, who was sacked on the basis of dual citizenship, the question is: Is the decision of the tribunal consistent with constitutional provisions? My answer is yes. The lawmaker cannot hold such office while he has allegiance to another country.

“But we cannot on that basis generally condemn members of the National Assembly until the jurisdiction of the court is invoked.”

But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe, said the tribunal’s decision was wrong.

He said, “The tribunal is clearly wrong; the tribunal got it all mixed up. You cannot say because a man naturalises, he ceases to be a Nigerian. That decision may be correct if the man in question renounces his Nigerian citizenship upon naturalising. I don’t want to go into details because the case is already on appeal.”

Affected APC, PDP Reps react

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH on Friday, the APC candidate for the Okitipupa/Irele House of Representatives poll, Albert Akintoye, said INEC had given him the certificate of return.

Akintoye, however, noted that Gboluga had approached the Court of Appeal in Akure to overule the tribunal.

He stated there was nothing wrong with a Nigerian holding dual citizenship but argued that the moment a Nigerian swears an oath of allegiance to another country, he ought not to hold any public office.

The lawmaker said Section 66 of the constitution had stated categorically that swearing an oath of allegiance to another country disqualifies one from holding a legislative office.

He said he was aware that many lawmakers also had dual citizenship but said not all of them would have sworn an oath of allegiance

Akintoye said doing so was grounds for disqualification, hence the decision of INEC to put such questions in its forms.

He said, “There are many people that hold dual citizenship. It is allowed and if there are many of them in the House, nobody has put it in writing.

“There is a form that you fill: have you taken an oath of allegiance in another country? What most people fill is ‘no’ but in the column, he (Gboluga) put yes.

“They also ask you: what country? He said ‘the United Kingdom’ and the document is with me; I took it to court. If it is in Nigeria that you hold dual citizenship, good. But let any Nigerian that wants to contest confess that he has taken an oath of allegiance in Nigeria; they will disqualify him.”

The lawmaker said he would not be intimidated by the fact that Gboluga had hired legal juggernauts like a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) ,and other senior lawyers.

He said he was hopeful that the Appellate court would not be intimidated and do the right thing.

When contacted, Gboluga said the matter had already come up for hearing at the Appellate court and judgement would be delivered soon.

He, however, refused to comment further, saying, “I don’t know you personally and I don’t feel comfortable talking to you.”

Senate President not losing sleep over dual citizenship —Associates



…Gbajabiamila, other decline comments

An associate of the President of the Senate said Lawan was not scared of losing his seat over his dual citizenship status.

He also said nobody had taken him to court over the issue.

The associate, who spoke with one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity, said the Senate President had never feared a possible litigation over the issue.

The source said, “We are not involved in any case that has to do with dual citizenship. Anyone planning such against us now will fail.

“The President of the Senate is a Nigerian. He has always been a citizen of this country. So, I don’t know why anybody will come now and prove otherwise.”

Meanwhile, another associate of Lawan said, “Who told you that the Senate President has a dual citizenship status and that he actually filled  in that information in his records with the INEC?

“I have no idea of the Senate President filling  in dual citizenship in his forms at the INEC. Our constitution is very clear on the issue of dual citizenship. INEC didn’t make it an issue.

“I am sure no tribunal would have asked any Nigerian with another country’s passport not to contest an election. I am familiar with the Electoral Act and the constitution. At the time we are trying to enjoin more Nigerians resident abroad to come home and be part of nation-building, do you think INEC would be discouraging Nigerians with dual citizenship from participating in the electoral process?

“I am sure the Ondo State tribunal verdict was not delivered purely on the issue of dual citizenship. It could form part of the verdict but it would definitely not be the major consideration for annulling the lawmaker’s election.”

Attempts to speak directly with Lawan, through his official spokesperson, Mr Ola Awoniyi, were not successful. Phone calls and messages sent to him via WhatsApp had yet to be responded to as of the time of filing this report despite indications that he read them.

Gbajabiamila, who was said to have remained in Saudi Arabia where he went on Hajj, also declined to speak on his citizenship status.

When contacted through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Lanre Lasisi, he simply said, “We have no comment.”

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Bamidele, did not also respond to enquiries sent to him on the issue.

Similarly, senators Folarin and Bomai, did not respond to questions put across to them on the issue.

Neither of them responded to the calls and text messages sent to their mobile phones as of the time of filing this report.

By Agency Report

Suspected kidnap kingpin, Alhaji Hamisu Balla, a.k.a Wadume, who has been in the middle of the raging storm between the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police over the murder of three police operatives and two civilians by soldiers in Ibi town, Taraba state has finally opened up and made startling revelations.

In an exclusive interview with Saturday Vanguard, Wadume gave a blow by blow account of his encounter with both the police and his Army Captain friend in charge of the 93 Battalion, Wukari who aided his escape after his initial arrest by the police.

Taraba Police killings: Army captain engaged welder to remove police cuffs — Findings(Opens in a new browser tab) Wadume who expressed shock at the manner the soldiers opened fire on the Police Toyota Hiace Bus that was conveying him to the Taraba Police Command Headquarters in Jalingo said while he also sustained bullet wounds on his right thigh after the shootings, he never asked the army captain to rescue him from the policemen who arrested him.

He also explained that as at the time he crawled out of the bullet ridden bus, which somersaulted three times before landing into the bush, the policemen were still alive but he was surprised to see the soldiers who had pursued them to the check-point raining bullets on the policemen before he was whisked in a red colored car, to the home of the army captain.

He added that after his leg chain and handcuffs were cut off by a welder invited by the army captain, he was greeted by a large crowd of residents of Ibi who were standing beside the corpses of the deceased policemen who were all brought to the home of the army captain.

With the sum of N550,000 in his pocket after he was rescued, Wadume said he fled Ibi Town and was hiding in the house of one of his friends, Meito, at Ungwachiki town but 24 hours, later some soldiers trailed him to his friend’s house and wanted to kill him.

He therefore jumped out of the window and fled to the river bank, boarded a speed boat into Tunga area of Nassarawa State, where he spent a night before moving to the home of his maternal uncle in Kano State. My Backgound My name is Hamisu Balla, alias Wadume, 33 years old and I am from Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State. I am married to four wives and I have four children.

I attended Bula Primary school Ibi, but I dropped out from Government Secondary School Ibi at JSS 3. After I dropped out school, I started fishing business at the River Benue that flowed through Ibi Town. This was in 1996 and I did fishing for six years, but in the year 2002, I went into fishpond business.

I used to buy fingerlings for N30 per one, nurture them for five months before selling them for N600 and N700. I started small with just two small ponds but I went on to get five more big ponds with 50 by 50 in size and five feet deep.

“I am not a kidnapper, but I have sold arms to several kidnappers.

I am a fisher farmer, I own fish ponds, I own transport business. I am equally a political thug. I went into crime when some politicians came for me, they approached me through one Babangida Musa, who was also into fishing business. I got N6m from a sitting governor, N13m from APC, defrauded civil servant of N30m,
In June 2018, I deceived a lot of politicians who were vying for political offices that I had spiritual powers to enable them win their elections.

I defrauded the governor when he came to Ibi and met the youths in my town. As the leader of the youths, the Governor met me and I promised to work for him and to also consult some Mallams who would pray for his success. The Governor gave me N2million at first and we exchanged telephone numbers. But one week before the election, the governor called me and asked me to come to the Government house and when I got there the governor gave me N4million cash to continue with the prayers.

Immediately after the election, the governor called to thank me. I was also given N13million by the APC to prosecute the 2019 presidential election but I spent only seven million. I also defrauded a civil servant from Ibi of N30million.
I contested the Taraba state house of Assembly under the YDP Ibi Local Government but I pulled out of the election and took my supporters to the PDP. My initial arrest by the police I volunteered to follow the policemen when they came to arrest me at Ibi Town while I was drinking tea with some of my friends.
They showed me their identity cards indicating that they were from the office of the Inspector General of Police and I volunteered to follow them, because I knew I could settle any problem I’m confronted with.
The policemen handcuffed me and leg-chained me while I was inside their vehicle and the Army Captain wasn’t even there when the policemen came to arrest me and I don’t even know who informed him that I had been arrested.
Slain policemen identified themselves
While I was being taken out of Ibi, Town, the policemen passed the first check point which was being maned by some soldiers after they had identified themselves. They also passed the second check point which was maned by some Mobile Policemen. But when they got to the third one where we were attacked, four of the policemen alighted from their bus and they identified themselves to the policemen and exchanged banters.
I was shocked when the soldiers came after us and rained bullets on our bus, killing those policemen.
I was almost killed in the encounter. I was then taken to the army captain’s house. When I saw the corpses of the policemen and their agents in front of the Captain’s house I became very disturbed and I pretended as if I wanted to urinate and I escaped from the scene. How I escaped from soldiers who wanted to kill me I called one Audu who is one of my boys who took me on his bike to Ungwachiki Town in Ibi Local Government and I passed the night in the house of Meito, my friend.
But while I was there some soldiers came to Meito’s house and started looking for me and they were armed with guns and machetes and axes, I believed they wanted to kill me.

Nigerian soldier: When will enough be enough?(Opens in a new browser tab) I don’t know how they got information that I was in that house but I managed to escape through the window and fled to the river bank around 8pm where I boarded a speed boat to Tunga village in Nassarawa State. I spent a night in Nassarawa state before I boarded another commercial bus to Kano State. People couldn’t recognize me because of the Sallah holiday.

I had N500,000 with me as I was running from the police and I took the money to my uncle’s house where I went to hide in Kano. While I was hiding, I instructed one of my bothers in Ibi to go to my house and take away all my rifles.

My cousin also brought an idea that I needed some favorable stories to be written about me, so he engaged a PR company who were to link up with journalists to write the stories. I paid N3million for that.

Confession of Wadume’s cousin
I’m Kawu Moahmmed Kasuwa, 30 years old from Ibi Taraba State, I am a civil servant and I work with Ibi Local Government. I am an executive officer at the Admin Department. Wadume is my uncle, he is a younger brother to my mother.

I was arrested in Zaria, because I made efforts to get journalists to write a favorable story in support of my uncle Wadume who was being hunted by the police.
It wasn’t my idea, but one of my uncles who was residing in Lagos State, Ismalia Jita who called me and said that he wasn’t happy with the bad press my Uncle, Wadume was getting since the incident occurred. He wanted me to raise some money to give to the reporters so they could come down to Ibi and speak with the natives and get a good story about the incident which will be favorable to Wadume.
I asked for N3m and they sent me their company’s account number and I gave it to my brother, Awal who knew how the money was paid to the media out fit. I was arrested in Zaria while the police were looking for my uncle, Wadume. But I took them to my other uncle Awal in Abuja who I thought could help in their search for Wadume.
I’ve always been suspicious of Wadume— Elder brother
My name is Auwal Balla, I’m 38 years old, married with four children, I am commercial motorcycle rider at Alaba Rago Market in Lagos. I am known as Auwal Wawa. Wadume is my younger brother and we were born of the same father and mother. I knew my brother to be a fish farmer, a transporter, political thug and a kidnapper.

I never knew that my brother was into kidnapping until the police came looking for him after my brother was rescued from the IRT operatives who were killed by the soldiers he called. When Wadume called and asked me to help him hide all his rifles in his house, I asked him what he was doing with all those rifles and he said he was using them for politics.

Then I called one Uban Delu, my step brother and asked him to go to where Wadume kept his rifles and take them away and hide them in a different place.

I came to Abuja because some people suggested that we should get the House of Representatives member representing our area to assist us in this matter and the people who were to lead me to the Honorable member asked me to come to Abuja. While I was in Abuja, one of my nephews, Kawul called and suggested that we should get some media men to write favorable stories for him that will change people’s perception about him.

I sold the idea to my younger brother and he bought it. I then asked Kawu to send me the account number of the company which I forwarded to Wadume and he credited the company with that money. I was in Abuja when the police came and arrested me and I confessed that I have been in constant communication with my brother since he was rescued from the police and I also knew that he was in my uncle’s house in Kano.

I have always been suspicious of my brother because he was spending too much money and since his business was such that couldn’t yield big money but he always told me to relax, that he was a political thug and was making big money from politicians, it was when he was arrested and rescued that I knew that my brother must have been into kidnapping.

Why I harboured Wadume in my house— Uncle

I’m Rayyanu Abdul, 46, from Kano State. I am married to a wife and I have six children. I am a civil servant and I work with Kano State Senior Secondary School Management Board, Kano. I am Wadume’s uncle, his mother is my elder sister. Wadume told me that he was into fish farming, car sales and cattle rearing but I didn’t know that my nephew was into kidnapping or any other crime.

Three days after the killing of the policemen by the soldiers, I heard on radio that the police were looking for a wanted kidnapper, Alhaji Hamisu Balla, Wadume and that was when I knew that it was my younger brother that was in the middle of the storm and I became very shocked. Wadume’s elder brother, Auwal then called me and asked me if I had heard what happened to Wadume and I said yes.

Wadume also called me himself and told me he was coming to my house but I asked him to stop at a filling station close to my house where I went to pick him up and took him into my house. When I discovered that Wadume had an injury on his thigh, I brought a doctor who started treating him.
Wadume gave me N270,000 to stock the house with enough food stuff and my wife was preparing food for him. He took tea in the morning, ate rice in the afternoon and in the night he would take ‘tuwo’. In 2017, I was poisoned and Wadume and his brother came to visit me in a rented apartment where I was living with my family.
They asked if I had a house and I told them, I only had land on which I had built the foundation and I took Wadume to the site. He saw what I had done and he promised to complete the building for me. Early this year, he came and completed the building and he furnished it for me.
The building is a three bedroom apartment. When he came with his injury, I gave him my room and I moved into my wives’ room and he was staying alone in his room. I don’t know if he was praying regularly in his room.
The Manhunt for Wadume
The manhunt by the Police to arrest and bring down Wadume’s kidnapping empire began in March 2019, when it received a petition from one Sheriff Umar of Kirikinua South Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The petitioner stated that his cousin, Usman Mayo, was kidnapped on February 15, 2019, at Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State and his kidnapper demanded the sum of N200 million as ransom for his release.
According to the petition, the family of the kidnapped victim negotiated and paid the sum of N85 million first, on March 11, 2019, but the victim was not released.
An additional N15 million was paid on March 16, 2019, making a total sum of N100m paid to the kidnappers yet the kidnappers refused to release their victim as they insisted that the family must pay the N200 million they demanded.
The family therefore reported to the police and the IRT was drafted to investigate and track down the suspects behind the kidnapping and rescue the victim.
It was gathered that while investigations into the matter commenced, members of the kidnapped victim’s family paid an additional N20m to the kidnappers and the victim was released, but the police discovered during investigations that Wadume had strong links to the kidnappers, who got N120 million as ransom from their victim.
Following confessions by some kidnap suspects in police custody which allegedly implicated Wadume, the police therefore went on his trail and succeeded in arresting him in his home town, Ibi on August 6.
He was being driven to Jalingo by the police team when soldiers opened fire on them along Ibi-Wukari Road, killing three police officers and two civilians. The soldiers were said to have received orders from an army captain to kill the policemen.
The aggrieved Nigeria Police in a statement demanded to know why the soldiers killed the policemen even after identifying themselves that they were on official duty.
The police equally wondered why the suspected kidnapper who was handcuffed and leg chained by the police was released by the soldiers and allowed to escape.
The Army on its part claimed that the soldiers responded to a distress call and that the soldiers mistook the policemen to be kidnappers. The heat generated by the incident prompted President Muhammed Buhari to set up a probe panel to investigate the incident. The panel was yet to submit its report when the police, on August 19 re-arrested him in Kano.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/08/wadume-apc-gave-me-n13m-for-2019-election/

A political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has discribed the tribunal judgement sacking Dino Melaye as senator representung Kogi west as a distraction from his governorship ambition

Frank expressed optimism that Appeal Court will do justice to the case.

Reacting in a statement on Friday to the trinunal judgement sacking and ordering fresh election in Kogi west senatorial district, Timi Frank, urged Dino Melaye's constituents to be resolute and be rest assured that the outspoken Senator truly won his election.

Frank, while commending the chairman of the panel "for standing by the truth," added that "all efforts by the desperate All Progressives Congress to remove the best performing Senator from the red chamber will fail woefully at the Appeal Court.

"Lies may succeed for a while but the truth will surely prevail. I urge the vibrant Senator Melaye not to lose focus, believe in God of justice and surely bear in mind that all his enemies will be put to shame."

Frank, who also called on Melaye's constituents to stand by him and not allow "evil to prevail on their worthy representative," said the Senator's governorship ambition should not be threatened by the tribunal judgent which he described as 'distraction.'

The political activist revealed that the ruling APC elements were behind the 'miscarriage of justice' at the tribunal on Friday, "because they are afraid that if Senator Dino Melaye finally secure the governorship ticket of the PDP, he will certainly win the election and uproot APC in Kogi state."

Signed
Comrade Timi Frank
Political Activist
Abuja.

Every dream is seemed to start somewhere and will genuinely and cordially metamorphose into a great think tank. It is our time for project 1000 to credibly set a pace to elect with best practices those who will represent this great forum anywhere in the world. It is on this notion I put forth candidate, tested and trusted with vast amoury of content presentation  Comr. Adoga Michael Oyi to you all to be elected Chief Press Secretary II.

Comr. Adoga Michael Oyi, Candidates for CPSII and CEO the eagles Voice blog.

Oyi is a dogged fellow of community development right from his childhood at a point where he was still a pupil. He was elected for the position of an assistant class monitor and consequently climbed the ladder to become the monitor of his class after a vote of no confidence was passed on his boss, the monitor. Oyi has held various positions during his post primary school days as a prefect and one of the best in his time. He attended Veden Comprehensive  Secondary School, Okpoma, laterward he changed to Government Science College Ebo, in search of a better study and competition Oyi moved to Mathias Offoboche Secondary School, Okuku and graduated in 2009 of which he held several positions during his secondary school days.

Then Oyi been keen on the relevance of education proceeded to the prestigious Cross River University of Technology CRUTECH where he studied Medical Biochemistry and graduated in 2015 with a second class (upper) honor.

He was NAYLOGS provost CRUTECH chapter. Oyi won Master Biochemistry Pageantry and reign from 2012 to 2013. During his university days, Oyi was lecturers favorite due to his brilliant and confident nature. He course reps several courses in his department.
He also contested for Assistant Secretary General SUG, and later FABMESSA but the elections were disrupted by group suspected to be cultist and the system cancelled by the school management. 

After his University education he proceeded for his one year compulsory NYSC at Bright Star Academy, Awka, Anambra State, he relocated to Biochemistry department, Nnamdi Azikiwe Universsuty UNIZIK, Awka.

As a wonderful asset in the media industry, Oyi nursed an ambition of setting up a blog site which came to fulfilment in 2017.  He's currently the pioneer publisher of The Eagles Voice (www.Theeaglesvoice.com) where he has reported diversed stories in the area of sports, education, science and technology, politics, entertainment and lifestyle concisely.

In the build up to the 2019 elections due to his tenacity and strong involvement in the media space Oyi was appointed by the member representing Ogoja/Yala federal constituency Hon. Jarigbe Agom as media aides along side other young and vibrant youths. He worked assiduously to see to the victory of  his boss. He also campaigned vigorously to the victory of Prof Ben Ayade, the Cross River State Governor, Senator Rose Okoji Oko and all PDP candidates; no wonder there are calls from all angles that he be considered to enjoy the work he has done according to Prof Ben Ayade's stand on the 'Monkey work and Monkey chop policy'.

Adoga Michael Oyi is one candidate in this election that we can't afford to loss. He has a strong pitch in the forum and has contributed immersely to the growth of Project 1000. Now is the right time to give him more responsibility to stire the ship in the capacity of Chief Press Secretary II of Project 1000.

Vote Adoga Michael Oyi!
Vote concise press delivery!
Vote Free press!
Vote your conscience!

*Adoga Saint*
DG, Oyi Campaign Organisation (OCO).

The Kogi State National Assembly/State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has sacked Dino Melaye as the representative of the Kogi West senatorial district in the Senate.
Melaye beat his closest challenger, Smart Adeyemi , and other candidates in the election that was conducted on February 23, 2019 for a second term in the upper legislative chamber.
Adeyemi filed a petition before the tribunal to contest the result, alleging that the process was plagued with irregularities and disorganisations.
The tribunal agreed with him and annulled the election in a ruling delivered on Friday, August 23.
In a unanimous judgement, the three-member panel, led by Justice A. O. Chijioke, ordered for a fresh election to be conducted in the district.
Melaye has taken to his Twitter account (@dino_melaye) to say there's no cause for alarm over the ruling.
The senator, who's contesting in the November 16 Kogi governorship election, said he'll challenge the ruling at the Appeal Court.
"Our mandate cannot be taken. We will get judgment at the Appeal Court. There will be fresh election in Kogi West bc I will be Governor. For my Senate mandate no shaking," he posted.

Senator Dino Melaye. (SDM)
@dino_melaye

On Tribunal judgement. No cause 4 alarm at all. Even if it went my way they will still go to the Appeal Court. Our mandate can not be taken. We will get judgment at the Appeal Court. There will be fresh election in Kogi West bc I will be

Details later...

The 137 kms dual carriage Mfom, Okuku, Bekwarra, Obudu to Ranch road. The Legacy of the Northern Cross Riverian. First of its kind, unprecedented and mind blowing.

During Donald reign, Atam Congress was dislodged and the centre could no longer hold again and fire was on the mountain.

Yes, our great leaders then ran to our forests, mountains and plains of semi deserts. Those who survived, returned to our old ways of disunity to put food on their tables.

Liyel's reign entered and as if the Lion, king of the jungle has gotten his fill and left the arena, all those in the hiding came out to have fresh air.

But not long, the impact and effects of the break of the Atam congress made many remain strangers to political newbies who careless about their decisions. 

The aftermath, was not pleasant as many still ran out of town to their safe hinding places.

But for how long will our forests, mountains and plain lands only serve as hiding abodes for our run away leaders?

Governor Ayade must have been watching from afar and asking the same question. How long will our villages, towns and cities remain only hiding places for our leaders to run in and hide?

The solution therefore, was to open up the place and allow the light of modern development get in and shine brighter.

Thus, the unprecedented project never before undertaken by any state governor, the 137 kms dual carriage road, that still remain a mirage in so many of Northern C-river sons and daughters minds.

Ayade is here, he knows all the forests, mountains and plain lands, we can't hide from him just as we can't run away from him. This is no Donald or Liyel's reign, this is the son of the north reign.

We need to therefore, come out and participate to make a better society and communities for ourselves. Time to rekindle that unity that kept us one in purpose and in truth to face adversities is now.

It is no more and can never be Ayade errors to generations to come, children will ask, What did you do to make a difference? "I ran and hide myself since I was not given a voice" too weak when you had control.

We need to swallow our prides and leave the self surviving mentality, "after all my family and I, will not die of hunger" how about the bad roads, impassable to your communities and towns?

Your cars will get damaged on them on a day you have no kobo to buy a part. Under rain and sun you shall walk one day for failing to let your pride create an enabling society for all.

Ayade has done his part, and tomorrow has his efforts to prove your evil minds today wrong.

The 137 kms Dual Carriage Road is a Legacy for us all C-river North. Let all of us put our legs on the peddle and together we shall make a better society and a better North for a better State C-river.

Because...

In Nigeria arrest is used as a punishment, arrest is used to disgrace citizens, arrest is used to show that "I pass my neighbor", arrest is used to flex both political and economic muscles.

Because...

Agba Jalingo wrote about the grand corruption in the Cross River State microfinance bank, they invited him for questioning on the 19th of August, 2019, Agba requested for a shift to the 26th of August, 2019, the police agreed and even shifted the date to the 3rd of September, 2019... Then they stormed his house on Thursday, the 22nd of August, 2019 in Lagos to bundle him in kidnappers-style, right before his wife and folks.

Because...

You must praise the Governor and his government if not you will be declared an enemy of the state, only those who sing the praises of the government are recognized as lovers of the state.

Okay, Agba Jalingo said, you have arrested me, let's fly to Calabar, they said no. We must use road. We must leave 3am in the night. Agba Jalingo said "I will pay for the flight." They said no, we must use road.

Because...

This arrest is just to make you suffer, it's just to prove a point to you that the governor is more powerful than you are. Agba Jalingo said "I already know that he is more powerful, I have written about that too... Let's fly to Calabar." They say no. We must use road.

Because...

They want to arrive Calabar late on Friday, so that it will be too late to go to court, so that they can remand him in police cell till Monday. That's the victory they want: to lock him up all through the weekend. And I say they are small minded indeed. Any one who sees a victory in locking up a critic for a few days is indeed a coward and small minded person.

Did they still move 3am this morning? Where is Agba Jalingo? Did they move and they have been kidnapped? Will he be declared dead by car crash later? We don't know. We can't reach Agba Jalingo. We can only pray they bring him to Calabar safely so that we can defend him in court.

As for you, dear reader, don't worry. Keep keeping quiet. We know why.

Because...

Your blog is now payrolled by the government, because you are looking for appointment, because there is food in your mouth...

Tomorrow is very near. The dragon you ignore today will consume you tomorrow. Remember that once upon time, in the recent past, Agba Jalingo was the Governor's friend. But don't worry, I will be here for you too, to issue a statement, to offer you my wig and gown.

Because...

I was here for Ifere Paul, for Joseph Odok, for Inyali Peter (who works for the governor now), and many others.

Because...

This is what I do: speak against injustice and human rights violation. I can't help it.

Let nothing happen to Agba Jalingo. Let nothing happen to him. Bring him safely to Calabar. Let him have his day in court. And those who think this arrest can silence him don't really don't him.

#FreeAgbaJalingo

- First Baba Isa (FBI)

Hassan Ikrama, a doctor and the chief medical director (CMD) of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH), Lafia, has advised pregnant women to adhere to medical advice on the number of times to give birth through caesarean section (CS).

The CMD gave the admonishment during an interview with NAN on Thursday in Lafia, Nasarawa state.

According to him, gynaecologists are specially trained to handle issues concerning pregnancy hence pregnant women should adhere to their advice to avoid complications during child birth.

He explained that gynaecologists were responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of all issues associated with the female reproductive system and breasts.

Ikrama said that most times, women that gave birth through CS in Nigeria were not advised to undergo the process more than three times.

“Each time a woman gives birth through CS it weakens the womb of such woman thereby affects her capacity and strength,” the CMD cautioned.

“So, if the womb is weakened and limits were not put as to the number of times the woman should give birth to, such a woman can be vulnerable to complications during child birth.’’

He, however, explained that unlike in Nigeria, women who underwent CS for child birth in other advanced countries could give birth to more than 10 children.

He said that the system in the advanced countries was such that maternal mortality rate due to child birth had been reduced.

The CMD also advised members of the public to always go for medical check-up in order to ascertain their health status.

AUGUST 22, 2019

By CrossRiverWatch Admin

Our newsroom has confirmed that Comrade Agba has been taken into custody by men of the Nigeria Police Force.

Comrade Agba is the Cross River State Chapter Chairman of African Action Congress (AAC).

The Publisher of CrossRiverWatch arrest is in connection with the invitation recently served him by the Police.

He currently being held custody at Federal SARS, Ikoyi GRA and is being prepared to be transported to Calabar tomorrow (morning).

Jalingo had replied the invitation and reached an agreement with Mr. Ajala that he will report at the station on Monday 26th August.

Our newsroom has confirmed that he is currently in custody of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and they are to transport him to Calabar tomorrow morning.

They will depart the station by 3am,  Jalingo insist he can’t travel by road to Calabar, they should fly but the Police are adamant and insist on road.

The 2019 Cross River State mini education summit is expected to improve service delivery in the educational sector,even as  Governor Ben Ayade has reechoed the determination of his government to ensure quality education for Cross Riverians, that would have the ultimate goal to improve the lives of the people.

 In the same vein, he used the opportunity to advocate for character and moral regeneration in our schools and called for more religious and private sector participation in educational sector. This was his submission at  ongoing mini education Summit . According to him the summit is a strong demonstration of my   government to reposition the educational sector in the state for quality goal delivery and ensure the state remains a strong and vibrant educational state.

The summit with theme: Private Sector Participation in Education Service Delivery: Challenges and Prospects, has major stakeholders as participants from the educational sector. Earlier in her welcome remark, the Permanent Secretary  of the ministry of education, Mrs Aniedi Bassey Ekpenyong, thanked governor Ayade for all his support to ensure the ministry meet the expectations of the people on education. She  also commended the stakeholders for their active participation in the summit.

The mini education summit is expected to deliberate majorly, on the request by the Catholic church on the state government to return back six of its  primary schools that were  taken over by the state government.

August 21, 2019Press Release

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the re-appointment of Ade Ipaye as Deputy Chief of Staff to the President. Mr Ipaye who was former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State works from the Office of the Vice President.


The President has also approved the re-appointment of Adeyemi Dipeolu, Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters; Maryam Uwais who retains her position as Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment Programme as well as Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters.

Also re-appointed is Jumoke Oduwole, who will now serve as the Special Adviser to the President on Ease Of Doing Business.

Equally, President Buhari has also appointed Ahmad Rufai Zakari as Special Adviser on Infrastructure, Obafela Bank-Olemoh, as Senior Special Assistant on Education Interventions, Louis Odion as Senior Technical Assistant on Print Media, and Ajuri Ngelale as Senior Special Assistant for Public Affairs in the Presidency.


All appointees are to serve in the Office of the Vice President.

Except for Messrs Zakari, Bank-Olemoh, Odion and Ngelale, all the other appointments take retrospective effect from May 29, 2019.

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Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), on Thursday described the inauguration of ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari as a “Government of the Fulani, by the Fulani and for the Fulani.”

According to him, under Buhari, non-Fulanis are regarded as nothing more than slaves, adding that the president gave the most strategic ministerial portfolios to the North West.


In a tweet, Fani-Kayode said, “Don’t complain that @MBuhari gave the largest number of Ministries and the biggest and most strategic ministerial portfolios to the North West.

“What do you expect? His is a Govt of the Fulani, by the Fulani and for the Fulani. Under him, non-Fulanis are regarded as nothing more than slaves.”

Recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari swore-in 43 ministers on Wednesday afternoon.


He charged his new ministers to work towards ensuring better Nigeria and a country the citizens would be proud of.