The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last year’s election, Peter Obi, has asked the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to come clean on the details of the newly acquired presidential jet and those of the old ones being sold off.

He made the call on Tuesday night on his X handle.

Daily Trust reports that President Tinubu, on Monday, embarked on a working visit to France aboard a newly acquired Airbus A330 business jet, amidst controversies surrounding its purchase.

The model, typically used as a twin-aisle passenger aircraft, was purchased last month at a cost of $100m and has now been registered to the Nigerian Air Force.

The modified jet is one of the three presidential aircraft recently seized by a French court in favour of a Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, over a dispute with the Ogun State Government.

However, on Friday, August 16, Zhongshan said that it had decided to release one of the three aircraft as a gesture of goodwill, especially due to a scheduled meeting between President Tinubu and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

Obi said that despite all the denials and back and forth over the newly acquired presidential aircraft, the jet was now here, thanks to the French court that helped Nigerians get the information.

“Now that the Jet is here, can Nigerian taxpayers whose money was used to purchase it need to be privy to how much it cost and how old the aircraft is and how long its been in operation.

“In addition, Nigerians also deserve to know about how the old jets being disposed, how many of them, how old they are, and why they are being sold. Transparency and Accountability should be the hallmark of any genuine leadership,” Obi said.

He said that the federal government would lose nothing but respect, if it failed to provide adequate information about its leadership to the people whose money was being deployed and whose mandate the President was holding.

“A presidential jet is a major symbol of national sovereignty and state power. How much it costs to transport the president, is a major issue of public accountability. I hope that Nigerians will not be denied the right of full disclosure on the new presidential jet,” Obi added.

[DailyTrust]

The Katsina State Police Command has initiated a manhunt to apprehend the killers of a member of the Nigerian Hunters Association, Aliyu Yahaya, who was murdered in the Jibia local government area of the state.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Abubakar Sadiq, confirmed the ongoing investigation to the PUNCH on Wednesday morning, stating, “Efforts are ongoing to arrest the perpetrators as the investigation proceeds.”

On August 13, suspected terrorists attacked Yahaya’s residence in Magamar-Jibia, within the Mazanya district of Jibia LGA. They shot him, set his body ablaze and abducted his wife, son and three neighbours.

A family member, Salisu Yahaya, recounted the harrowing incident, saying, “Around 2:00 a.m. on August 13, 2024, armed terrorists scaled the wall of Aliyu’s home, shot him dead, and set his body ablaze inside his room. Despite being fatally wounded, he tried to protect his family from being kidnapped, but the assailants overpowered him and whisked away his family.” 

A colleague of the deceased, Basiru Muhammad, expressed deep sorrow over the loss, describing Yahaya as a patriotic young man who died while serving his community.

Muhammad also called for urgent security measures to prevent such tragedies in the area and across the state.

A neighbour, Amadu Bello, whose two wives and mother-in-law were also abducted, pleaded with authorities to prioritise the rescue of his family members.

“I urge the government to take immediate action to safeguard residents from terrorist activities. The lack of adequate security personnel has contributed to the frequency of such attacks in our communities,” he lamented.

Adding his voice, a traditional titleholder in the area, Aminu Dan Mugyanbo, stressed the importance of decisive action from the state governor, Dikko Radda, to address the security challenges plaguing Magamar-Jibia and other parts of the Jibia Local Government Area.

“As we grapple with the devastating impact of this and many other attacks on our community, we will continue to support the efforts of local vigilante groups in protecting lives,” he stated.

[Punch]

Karl Marx once told us that history repeats itself, first as a tragedy and second as a farce. George Santanya put it differently. ‘’Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it’’. Does history repeat itself in Nigeria? Let’s examine recent developments. General Ibrahim Babangida came to power in August 1985 and in 1986, he launched an ambitious economic policy known as Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). The core thrust of SAP was to diversify the economy away from hydrocarbon; create an industrial base that relies on domestic raw materials; deregulate the economy and liberalize the foreign exchange market. Privatization and commercialization were also integral its integral component.

At the first auction of the dollar at the newly introduced foreign exchange market (FEM) late 1986, the Naira plummeted from 0.8 Naira to the dollar to N4.0 to the dollar. It was the first official devaluation of the Nigerian currency since it was introduced and adopted as our legal tender on January 1, 1973. The steady depreciation of the Naira against the dollar and other major international currencies under SAP brought considerable hardships to businesses and the people, just as we have today. Raw materials and manufacturing inputs became too expensive to import, leading to factory closures; massive layoffs and departures of foreign-owned companies. Notable foreign businesses like Pfizer; Hoechst AG and the Dutch electronics giant, Philips left the country, similar to what’s going on now.

Nigerians were groaning as SAP bit harder and harder and there were complaints and grumblings all over the country, just as today, as local businesses were closing in droves. Meanwhile, the military top brass in government continuously asked people to bear with the government, make sacrifices and tighten their belts, but at the same time, they were wallowing in comfort and luxury. In 1989, violent riots broke out spontaneously in Lagos, Ibadan and some parts of the country.

Tagged ‘’SAP riots’’, the protests spread rapidly, but there were no known organizers or leaders. There was no social media then; but words moved around quickly through the whisper network.

Suddenly, a huge rumour emerged that Ebony magazine, the American celebrity magazine, had published an interview with Dr. Tai Solarin in which the social critic and human rights crusader had reportedly divulged that huge amount of dollars had been found in General Babangida’s foreign account. Nigerians rushed and bought off copies of the magazines, but it turned out that there was no such interview in it.

The military government went into an overdrive, trying to manage the crisis. The government reached out to the editors of the publication in Illinois, Chicago, and convinced them to issue a disclaimer. The magazine obliged, stating categorically that no such interview was carried. But the damage has been done. Mind you, Ebony has before then been enjoying generous advertising support from the government. Founded in November, 1945, Ebony focuses on chronicling and promoting the life and contributions of African Americans in the US. It used to be very popular in Nigeria, together with Time and Newsweek. It is an incredible turn of events that these magazines are no longer circulating in Nigeria due to the foreign exchange crisis which started with SAP.

The Babangida regime was rattled by SAP riots, just as the Tinubu administration was unsettled by the recent protests tagged ‘’End Bad Governance Protests’’. The following year (1990), there was a bloody military coup attempt to decapitate the IBB junta, hastening the movement of the nation’s capital to Abuja in 1991. Now, what are the striking similarities between the two epochs and what historical lessons can we draw?

First: The technocrats in the SAP era persistently assured us that the programme was the only panacea Nigeria had. ‘’There is no alternative to SAP’’ was the common refrain. IBB’s first Finance Minister, Dr. Idika Kalu Idika, who was later succeeded by Dr. SP Chu Okongwu, was an ardent SAP advocate. Both were Ivy League-trained economists and IMF and World Bank-honed technocrats. They preached and believed in the wonders of neoliberal economic theories. Complementing their efforts was Chief Olu Falae, who was the Secretary to the Military Government. A Yale alumnus, he was also an unrepentant SAP apostle. Together, they sold SAP to Nigerians like proselytizing clergies, telling us that SAP would work. They asked Nigerians to continue to make sacrifices, bore the pains and tightened their belts. Today, the two main technocrats in the Tinubu administration, Wale Edun and Yemi Cardoso as well as other professionals are busy assuring us that the Renewed Hope hardships would soon fade away, to give way to an era of economic boom. I don’t know if anybody believes them, but selling hope is always the easiest part of governance in this country, and more often than not, the technocrats are the major salesmen.

Second: Just as IBB, the Tinubu administration is bent on pushing through his agenda, no matter the agonies. The withdrawal of fuel subsidy and the massive depreciation of the Naira by last year have wrought the severest economic crisis this country have ever seen. In his eight-year rule, IBB withdrew fuel subsidy three times, (there were calls for ‘’SAP to have a human face’’), but the hunger, desperation and despondency in the population were not this brutal. Or is my memory failing me?

Third: This is not the first time there’ve been exodus of foreign firms from the country due to economic meltdown. By the very nature of their operations, these foreign businesses rely solely on imported raw materials, imported packages and imported inputs - without the slightest effort at backward integration – to conduct their businesses in Nigeria. To that extent, they are prone to serious exchange rate risks that crystallize whenever there are some external shocks in the economy. They are not here to stay because they are fair weather friends (assuming you can even call them friends). It’s therefore not a surprise that they’re taking off again. I’m rather surprised that Nigerian investors are not moving quickly to take their places.

Four: As SAP bit harder and harder, IBB was spending heavily and lavishly to maintain his stay in office. But in those days, the official vehicle of the Head of State was Peugeot 504 salon car! I don’t know what they drive these days, but with recent acquisitions, President Tinubu is indulging in the most lavish lifestyle unseen since 1999. New presidential aircraft; new presidential limousines; new residence for the Vice President, frequent foreign medical trips, etc; and the citizens are told to keep sacrificing!

Looking back, historians believe that SAP would have succeeded but for the pervasive corruption of that era. What will they write about Renewed Hope?

The leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress has threatened to down tools nationwide in the event that the Nigeria Police detains its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.

The union handed down the threat on Tuesday morning at its headquarters, shortly after holding an emergency National Executive Council meeting to discuss the invitation of the NLC President by the police over allegations of terrorism financing.

The NEC resolved that Ajaero should honor the police invitation but noted that their legal adviser should seek more time for the NLC President to appear before the police authorities.

Comrade Ado Kabiru Sani, the Deputy President of the NLC, enjoined the nation’s workforce to remain on standby for further directives should the police act contrary to their expectation of detaining Ajaero.

His words: “As a committed labor center, we will honor the invitation of the police because we are not a faceless organization, but we are working with our lawyer for an extension of time.

“In the event that the President is arrested, all workers will down tools immediately. We should wait for further directives from our leadership.”

[DailyPost]

In a tragic turn of events, Rt. Hon, Harford Oseke, the former Deputy Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, has passed away.

The incident occurred on Monday when Oseke, who was engaged in his regular exercise routine at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, the state capital, suddenly collapsed and died.

Efforts to revive him proved futile, and he was pronounced dead shortly after the incident. His body has since been taken to Apex Medical Centre in Awka.

Born in August 1960, Oseke hailed from Umuawulu in the Awka South local government area of the State. He was a learned scholar, having studied law and recently completing a Ph.D. in Public Administration. Beyond his academic accomplishments, he was a prominent figure in the freight forwarding industry in Port Harcourt and was actively involved in the importation of fishing feeds into Nigeria.

Oseke’s political career was closely tied to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). During Peter Obi’s tenure, he contested for a seat in the Anambra State House of Assembly, where he later served as the Majority Leader before ascending to the position of Deputy Speaker.

Despite his attempts to expand his political influence, including a bid to represent Awka North and South federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Oseke was defeated by the late Rt. Hon Anayo Nnebe.

Rt. Hon Harford Oseke was not only a dedicated public servant but also a devout Christian, recognised as a Knight of St. Christopher. He is survived by his wife and children.

[Leadership]

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, President, Joe Ajaero, has fixed a date to honour the invitation from the Nigeria Police Force.

Ajaero fixed Wednesday, August 29 to honour the invitation.

He communicated the date to the Inspector General of Police via a letter from his lawyers, Falana and Falana Chambers.

The NLC President was summoned by the Police over alleged criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime.

Ajaero, in the letter by his lawyers, also demanded details of the allegations levelled against him by the Police.

Parts of the letter signed by Samuel Ogala, read: “Therefore, Ajaero is prepared for your interview on Wednesday, August 29, 2024.

“Furthermore, in accordance with the provisions of Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as altered, Ajaero requests for the details and nature of the allegations of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime levelled against him.

“While awaiting your response to this letter, please accept the assurance of our highest esteem.”

[DailyPost]

The Lagos State Taskforce has launched a major operation along the Mile 2 Oke section of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, leading to the seizure of over 2,000 litres of petroleum products.

The operation is part of a broader effort to tackle environmental and security issues in the area.

The chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, CSP Adetayo Akerele, spearheaded the raid under the directive of the state government and Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Adegoke Fayoade.

The initiative aligns with the THEMES PLUS agenda, which prioritizes the preservation of the environment and the protection of lives and property across the state.

The Mile 2 Oke area has recently become notorious for severe traffic congestion, fueled by the proliferation of illegal roadside vendors and shanties.

The activities have not only disrupted traffic flow but have also contributed to an alarming increase in traffic-related robberies and other criminal activities, endangering both motorists and commuters.

CSP Akerele highlighted the particularly dangerous practice of illegal petroleum sales along the roadside, which poses significant fire hazards.

“Among the most pressing issues addressed was the illegal sale of petrol and diesel by the roadside, where over 2,000 litres of petroleum products were seized. This is a highly dangerous practice that poses a significant risk of fire hazards and explosions. We will ensure that such activities that endanger the lives of these illegal merchants and other road users are brought to a complete halt,” he stated.

The Taskforce dismantled several illegal structures and cleared the area of vendors as part of the operation.

Four suspects were arrested, and numerous items were confiscated during the raid.

The Chairman assured that the arrested individuals would be charged to court, and the confiscated items would be forfeited to the state government through legal processes.

CSP Akerele reaffirmed the Taskforce’s commitment to maintaining safety and order across Lagos State.

“We will continue to monitor the area to prevent the resurgence of illegal activities and to ensure that the roads remain clear for safe and smooth transportation,” he added.

[TheNation]

A Nigerian man, identified as Yomi Olayeye has been arrested and charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and identity theft for his alleged role in a $10 million pandemic unemployment assistance fraud scheme in the United States.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts under the Department of Justice revealed this in a statement posted on its website on Monday.

The statement read, “A Nigerian man was arrested on Aug. 13, 2024 upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on charges that he and other conspired to fraudulently obtain at least $10 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.

“Yomi Jones Olayeye, a/k/a “Sabbie,” 40, of Lagos, Nigeria, is charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. He made an initial appearance in the Eastern District of New York on Aug. 14, 2024 and will appear in federal court in Boston tomorrow. 

“According to the charging document, between March and July 2020, Olayeye and others defrauded three pandemic assistance programs administrated by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and other states’ unemployment insurance agencies: traditional unemployment insurance (UI), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC).”

Olayeye and his co-conspirators were alleged to have used stolen personal information to apply for unemployment benefits in multiple states, including Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Indiana.

The statement added, “In total, Olayeye and his co-conspirators allegedly applied for at least $10 million in fraudulent UI, PUA and FPUC from Massachusetts, Hawaii, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Montana, Maine, Ohio and Washington and received more than $1.5 million in assistance to which they were not entitled.

“Specifically, Olayeye and his co-conspirators allegedly used personally identifiable information (PII) they purchased over criminal internet forums to apply for UI, PUA and FPUC – falsely representing themselves to be eligible state residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Olayeye and his co-conspirators allegedly used the same fraudulently obtained PII to open U.S. bank and prepaid debit card accounts to receive the assistance payments. It is also alleged that Olayeye and his co-conspirators recruited U.S.-based account holders to receive and transfer the fraud proceeds via cash transfer applications.”

They were also alleged to have used the benefits to purchase Bitcoin and concealed their connection to Nigeria by using US-based IP addresses.

“Olayeye and his co-conspirators then allegedly used the fraudulent proceeds to purchase Bitcoin via online marketplaces.

“It is further alleged that Olayeye and his co-conspirators concealed the conspiracy’s connection to Nigeria by leasing Internet Protocol addresses assigned to computers located in the United States for use in the fraudulent transactions,” the statement read.

The United States Department of Justice further explained that if convicted, Olayeye faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, forfeiture, and restitution.

The statement added,”The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, fforfeiture,and restitution.

“The charge of aggravated identity theft calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison to be added to any sentence imposed on the wire fraud charge.

“Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.”

The Attorney General was reported to have established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force on May 17, 2021 to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across the government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud

[Punch]

THE #EndBadGovernance protest, which started on August 1, 2024 and formally ended on August 20, 2024 has continued to raise discussions across the country and beyond, especially within civil society groups. More than 1,400 people who took part in the protest have reportedly been arrested and detained by security agencies with indications that the government is still trying to hunt-down suspected sponsors of the protest.

One of the important lessons from the protest is that the storm clouds seem to be really gathering towards a totalitarian state – a system characterised by a strong central rule that attempts to control and direct all aspects of individual life through coercion and repression. 

In political science, totalitarianism is the extreme form of authoritarianism, wherein all power is held by a dictatorial nanny state that promotes group-think through blackmail and propaganda. Group-think, according to the American social psychologist Irving Janis who coined the term, is “the mode of thinking that persons engage in when concurrence-seeking becomes so dominant in a cohesive in-group that it tends to override realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action.”  In group-think, loyalty to the group requires individuals to avoid raising controversial or non-conforming issues and ideas or even alternative solutions.

The first lethal blow to liberal democracy by totalitarians is the ‘chilling of speech’.  This refers to a situation where individuals or groups refrain from exercising their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech (both verbal and symbolic, such as organising peaceful protests) for fear of running afoul of a law or regulation. The ‘chilling of free speech’ is a form of ‘prior restraint’ (a form of censorship that allows the government to review the content of printed materials to decide whether such should be published or not). When free speech is successfully stifled, even an honest opinion could be construed as an incitement by the totalitarian state which then uses it as a pretext to come after purveyors of the speech it does not like. As the American jurist Wendell Holmes famously put it in Gitlow v New York (1925): “Every idea is an incitement… The only difference between the expression of an opinion and an incitement in the narrower sense is the speaker’s enthusiasm for the results”.

Totalitarians come in different guises, usually rationalising their desire to chill free speech by hiding under higher values. A good example is the ‘end of politics’ sycophants in the Tinubu government. This is an overzealous but self-serving group which, in the wake of the Supreme Court affirmation of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President after the controversial 2023 presidential election, began an aggressive quest to muzzle free speech by those they consider as opposition elements. 

They did so (and still do) using various mantras such as “the time for politicking is over, it is now the time for governance” or “the President should be allowed to concentrate on governance”, the “President should not be distracted”, “those who lost elections should wait until 2027”, etc, etc. 

The irony is that the advocates of “the end of politics” are themselves being political. They are either trying to stifle the voices of opposition or blackmail critics of the government, both of which are needed in a democracy to keep the government on its toes for optimal performance. Ironically, some members of this in-group flaunt their ‘democratic credentials’ by constantly reminding us of their roles in the struggle for the revalidation of MKO Abiola’s mandate.  The truth is that not all who partook in the noble struggle to re-validate MKO Abiola’s mandate were democrats. Some were drawn into the struggle by different motives, including defence of ethnic pride.

Just like the DSS infamously went after people who expressed an honest opinion of supporting an interim government after the 2023 elections and sought to blackmail the public into believing that such expressions of honest opinion amounted to intentions to commit treason, the ‘end of politics’ zealots, (many of who are linked to the government), are going overdrive to criminalise protest. 

I fail to see any crime not just in peaceful protests but also in the ‘sponsorship’ of such protests – which is actually a way of encouraging citizens to become active participants in the political process. And talking of sponsorship, are various state agencies such as the National Orientation Agency and others that provide myriad forms of political enlightenment campaigns not also engaging in ‘sponsorship’ when they devise schemes for citizens to identify more with the government of the day, including funding pro-government or counter protests? The only difference is that while one group is presumably ‘sponsored’ to voice its displeasure with the government (which is constitutionally allowed), another group is ‘sponsored’ to identify with the government of the day. 

Of course supporting citizens to become active participants in the political process through ‘sponsoring’ peaceful protest must be distinguished from sponsoring an insurrection or encouraging violent protest or vandalising   people’s property, which is condemnable. 

In the run-up to the protest, Bayo Onanuga, who had in the aftermath of the 2023 presidential election in Lagos proclaimed himself a Yoruba irredentist and weaponised ethnicity, accused Peter Obi of being the secret sponsor of the #EndBadGovernance protest. Others linked to the government have also variously accused Atiku Abubakar, the North, some senior military officers from the North, the Igbos and foreign interest of being the sponsors of the protest. There was also a threat to start a campaign for Igbo-Must-Go from August 20 2024 to force the Igbos to vacate Lagos and all the states in the South-West (so far no arrest has been made about the sponsors of the genocidal campaign).  

Recently, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, introduced a so-called Counter Subversive Bill 24 (now withdrawn), which proposed harsh penalties for Nigerians who refuse to recite the national anthem, destroy national symbols, or deface places of worship or who organise “an unlawful procession”. I see all these as gangster methods of chilling speech through the spreading of fear across the camps of opposition forces. 

Once free speech is successfully chilled, our current liberal democracy, as imperfect as it is, would be further corrupted into George Orwell’s dystopian account of a totalitarian state in his book, ‘Nineteen-Eighty-Four’. Since the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, it is important that anti-democratic forces, in whatever guises they come, are not allowed to gain an upper hand. 

It is germane to note that the very First Amendment to the American Constitution in 1791 was to protect freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. This is because free speech, and the marketplace of ideas which it creates, is the foundational structure of democracy. Without it, democracy dies.

To be concluded